Here’s some things I don’t like about Comcast cable since switching from DirecTV:

1) TechTV costs $5.99 more a month, even when we’re already paying $22 more a month than when we already had TechTV with DirecTV. TechTV was one of the few premium channels I watched. TechTV should be included with the Silver, Gold and Platinum package when people buy a premium channel like HBO (like we did). Cable is more expensive.

2) Paying extra for HDTV is fine, but having to pay extra for each cable box is annoying. I guess this goes with the territory, since you have to do the same with satellite receivers. It seems there should be an option that is like networking computers where you could put one cable box through your LAN and then pipe it into every TV in the house. This would probably be something pirates would exploit and hence the reason they don’t do it, but having muliple pieces of hardware in every room seems like a waste to me. Solutions?
3) I do not like the red light message spam on the front of the cable box. The messages are usually of very little value like “Did you know that this channel was added?” — save that annoying red light for really important messages, not cable spam. I can sign up through the web to be notified for stuff like that.
4) Not very good documentation on the HDTV receiver itself. The only thing I was given at installation/delivery was an outdated program lineup card. I was never provided with anything explaining what the USB port were used for (images, from what I understand now). The menu often refers to the web, but since our TV isn’t hooked into the web it sort of is self defeating. Unless your computer is in the same room (which ours can be, because we are on a wireless LAN), you might have to go back and forth between rooms to get help. That’s not very customer friendly.
5) We were originally told that customer service was 24/7 365 days per year, only to find out that this was not true. Support for technical issues is 24/7 but if you need sales department you’ll be told at some times on the weekends and in the evening to call back “during office hours”
6) Higher price. Since switching back to cable we’re getting all kinds of multi-room offers for satellite that are much, much better than what we’re paying for HDTV Cable. Cable TV is just more expensive, no matter how you look at it. I’ve been told the picture quality is better for satellite than cable, but frankly I think cable looks better. Although, now that we finally bought a low-end HDTV to watch HDTV everything looks better. I would be interested to compare — side by side – satellite HD vs. cable HD. 

These are just a few of my observations so far. We are thoroughly enjoying the cable internet though. Lots of good things to report on in that department.

• Comcast buys TechTV
• We’re thinking about nuking cable and Netflix
• Comcast Fires TechTV Staff
• Update on (maybe) ditching cable for satellite
• Windows Media Center 2005 new user woes
• USDTV to Launch Low-Cost Wireless TV Service