HDTV in SoWal

[pennstater]

Most cable companies carry local (non-premium) HD channels unencrypted in QAM format. TVs with built-in QAM tuners can receive the broadcasts without
a set top box or cable card. My TV in NJ can do this. My HDTV in Seagrove uses an external Over The Air tuner that does not support QAM format. Does anyone receive QAM unencrypted local HDTV from Mediacom? Has anyone tried to connect their QAM equipped HDTV directly to the cable?

 

[Beach Runner]

I am not sure that MediaCom is like any other cable company. I called to get HD yesterday, and was told it would be about $20 more for the 8 channels you get if you don't get premium channels already, AND that I would have to give them a credit card number, since that is their policy for new HD customers (despite the fact that I have been a MediaCom customer for three years), AND, that they have to come out and "install" it for $30.

I pointed out to the woman that this was not exactly a compelling offer, and she told me that it was typical for cable companies. I pointed out that they are not competing with other cable companies, they are competing with DirectTV, who will give me the equipment and install it all for free.

So, I started asking her about this "On Demand" thing they are advertising so heavily, and which I don't have. After arguing with me for ten minutes about what I see when I hit the "Menu" button, she finally said, "Oh, you must be at the END of Walton County". Apparently, those of us at the "END" don't get the actual services everyone else gets. I told her we also don't get actual cable-quality picture on the lower channels and we get ten channels of PPV porn instead of real movies, yet we pay the actual prices everyone else pays.

So, I am on a mission now. I am going to find as many MediaCom execs as I can and find out why I live in the digital ghetto.

Arise, arise, "Enders", and set yourself free!

If it makes you feel any better, we are in the Atlanta cable market, and we only get 14 HD channels (out of, like, a kajillion channels).