DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
 ·Comcast
·Patriot Media
| Why is cablecard so expensive ?
I wanted to add a 4th cable card to my plan, so according to the rep , i have to be in a new plan, which raises the price to $2.50 a month per card. Why not let the client buy the card, and warranty it for as long as they have service ? Either way Comcast rationalization of charging this much for a card is ridiculous, Plus the lackluster installs. Maybe if they managed the process better they could get the price down to $0.50 a card per month. Oh wait this is comcast..
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They Live... We Sleep...
“Spreading the wealth around” never results in a better outcome for people. It always results in destruction.
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really a
@comcast.net
 from:
Chuckles 
| Yes.. because that is he point of all companies with shareholders. To get costs down as low as possible. Especially on a device that not only boasts a low pricepoint for its purpose compared to its counterpart but also has the added benefit of not generating any more revenue through PPV and Impulse PPV purchases.
Dripping with sarcasm but did you really not know the answer to your own question?
And then your added idea of letting the subscriber BUY the card... and then go ahead and offer a lifetime warranty on it.
"Not only will we negate the monthly revenue and offer cards for purchase, but we will go ahead and support the card and swap it out whenever it goes bad for FREE! Can we pay your mortgage ofr you as well!!?" |
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DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
·Comcast
·Patriot Media
| said by really a :
And then your added idea of letting the subscriber BUY the card... and then go ahead and offer a lifetime warranty on it.
"Not only will we negate the monthly revenue and offer cards for purchase, but we will go ahead and support the card and swap it out whenever it goes bad for FREE! Can we pay your mortgage ofr you as well!!?"
Wow! how shrill, So when i buy $2000 LCD, its not warrantied for 1 year, or any other electronics. If you read this exact forum for more then a week, you would know Comcast and Seachange want to add ppv on Tivos. Oh did you know that in the 80's you could get a set at the store and it didnt need a box!!!! Wait its seems technology is de-evoluting. Oh have you heard of a cellphone, you know the ones from ATT, well your sim is always replaced for free , as long as you have service with them. FIOS please come quick...
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They Live... We Sleep...
“Spreading the wealth around” never results in a better outcome for people. It always results in destruction.
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BB User
@rr.com
| said by DaveNJ : FIOS please come quick... Most FIOS areas require boxes as they don't have analog service at all and encrypt more digital than Comcast does.
FIOS also doesn't sell CableCARDs either, they rent them for $3 a month. |
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rody_44
Premium
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA | reply to DaveNJ
i wonder how many times the cell phone company will be willing to show up at my door to replace that sim card. |
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Joe12345678
join:2003-07-22
Des Plaines, IL
| reply to DaveNJ
said by DaveNJ :I wanted to add a 4th cable card to my plan, so according to the rep , i have to be in a new plan, which raises the price to $2.50 a month per card. WOW you are lucky some areas hit you with the card fee + digital outlet fees per card. |
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gar187er
Premium Alcoholic
join:2006-06-24
Dover, DE
| reply to DaveNJ
quote:
Wow! how shrill, So when i buy $2000 LCD, its not warrantied for 1 year, or any other electronics. If you read this exact forum for more then a week, you would know Comcast and Seachange want to add ppv on Tivos. Oh did you know that in the 80's you could get a set at the store and it didnt need a box!!!! Wait its seems technology is de-evoluting. Oh have you heard of a cellphone, you know the ones from ATT, well your sim is always replaced for free , as long as you have service with them. FIOS please come quick...
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umm comcast doesnt make the cablecards, jusy like stores dont make the tvs they sell...warranty through the manufacturer buddy |
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bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA | reply to DaveNJ
If it isn't worth the price, don't pay it and do without. |
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really a
@comcast.net
| reply to DaveNJ
Ive actually been a member of this forum for years, Ive actually worked in cable for 15 years.
Im fully aware. I know they are working to get PPV working with TIVOS. They want to add it to ANYTHING tha has a cablcard slot because without it they loose revenue and perceived value in their product.
Your TV is warranted from the manufacturer. And if you want that warranty extended you will pay a permium for that option. That isnt what you are saying however.
You want to purchase a CC.
You want it warranted for as long as your a customer, free of charge.
Comcast wants to lease them and support them and to offset their minimal cost compared to a box and limited functionality due to TIVO and TV manuacturers shortcomings they charge for that lease. And they charge MUCH LESS then the rate of a convertor box.. that does more.
It all seems perfectly reasonable to me?
But we can compare a cablecard to a TV and to a Phone or a car or a home or a Toaster if you want. It really doenst matter what you compare them to- the point it moot. There are wildly different factors at play in the pricing and options of each apple and orange. |
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markofmayhem
join:2004-04-08
Pittsburgh, PA
| FCC, NCTA, CableLabs, and the CEA.
You can't own the CableCard. The CableCard is a piece of property owned, licensced, and under exclusive use of CableLabs. Negotiations between CableLabs, it's partnership (most cable companies, Verzion, Echostar, and other members), the CEA, and compliance with FCC regulations as put into law through the 1996 Telecom Act prohibit a consumer from purchasing the seperable security device. Before CableCard, CableLabs prohibited a consumer from purchasing the integrated security device (in the states, Canada was different).
It's expensive because it can be. 4 TV's for, around $6 a month, correct? Is there any competitor close to charging that little? I would imagine as PVR, HTPC, and full service TV's come online, the CableCard fee will go up, not down. |
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DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
·Comcast
·Patriot Media
| reply to rody_44
said by rody_44 : i wonder how many times the cell phone company will be willing to show up at my door to replace that sim card. I never had a sim card break, or need to be replaced. The one i have now is over 8 years old. |
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DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
·Comcast
·Patriot Media
| reply to gar187er
said by gar187er : quote:
Wow! how shrill, So when i buy $2000 LCD, its not warrantied for 1 year, or any other electronics. If you read this exact forum for more then a week, you would know Comcast and Seachange want to add ppv on Tivos. Oh did you know that in the 80's you could get a set at the store and it didnt need a box!!!! Wait its seems technology is de-evoluting. Oh have you heard of a cellphone, you know the ones from ATT, well your sim is always replaced for free , as long as you have service with them. FIOS please come quick...
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umm comcast doesnt make the cablecards, jusy like stores dont make the tvs they sell...warranty through the manufacturer buddy okay so if it breaks who replaces it ? -buddy. I never implied Comcast makes anything. But since they are the only one authorized to sell them, they are there own retailer.
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They Live... We Sleep...
“Spreading the wealth around” never results in a better outcome for people. It always results in destruction.
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gar187er
Premium Alcoholic
join:2006-06-24
Dover, DE
| sorry man, they arent authorzied to sell them... SA or whoever is the manufacturer....comcast comes out with a replacement and then sends the old one off to get repaired thorugh a 3rd party (and they have to pay for it), or they buy a new one...
they are not a retailer..retailers sell products.... |
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DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
·Comcast
·Patriot Media
| said by gar187er :sorry man, they arent authorzied to sell them... SA or whoever is the manufacturer....comcast comes out with a replacement and then sends the old one off to get repaired thorugh a 3rd party (and they have to pay for it), or they buy a new one... they are not a retailer..retailers sell products.... Oh you mean like a lease on a car, from a car retailer, right ?
--
They Live... We Sleep...
“Spreading the wealth around” never results in a better outcome for people. It always results in destruction.
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markofmayhem
join:2004-04-08
Pittsburgh, PA | Never heard of a car retailer, most are dealerships that act as a 3rd party broker between manufacturer and consumer. |
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gar187er
Premium Alcoholic
join:2006-06-24
Dover, DE
| reply to DaveNJ
oh please stop trying to make analogies....not gonna happen man...fact is comcast sells a service, TV, and other companies make products for that service (cablecards)....those same compaines elected not to sell to consumers. so comcast charges a fee for you to use the device...if it breaks they get you a new one, if you have problems, they come and make things right....do you NEED this product for comcast service to work?? NO!!! , but you do need A device....(maybe a box)...so pick your poison....either way take it up with moto/SA who said they arent going to sell their product to you!
/thread |
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bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA
| And that's perhaps the most telling aspect of all this... Those companies will not sell to consumers. And it continues... Samsung just came out with an HD DVR (the 3090), and they too refuse to sell to consumer, so far.
Are folks getting the message from that? They don't want to deal with us. Why? Just look at these threads and you can see!  |
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markofmayhem
join:2004-04-08
Pittsburgh, PA
| Errr.... maybe... or!
If Samsung sells to Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, etc. then they get an order of 10,000 including the cash to purchase it and Samsung responds with "thank you, we'll begin manufacturing; delivery will begin in 90 days". Where as if they sell to us, they have to manufacture first then hope we buy it. |
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bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA | That, but also it is a matter of if they sell to us, they have to provide us direct support instead of just referring us to our cable company. |
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koshoka
join:2006-12-01
Pottsville, PA | cable cards are the spawn of satan |
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