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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 Cable users' switch to digital not that simple By Julie Muhlstein, Herald columnist In 1980, I lived in Eastern Oregon and didn't have cable TV. It seemed ridiculous to pay to watch television. When I was a kid in the 1960s, my choices were ABC, NBC or CBS. When my first job took me to Pendleton, Ore., where I couldn't get any TV clearly without cable, I resisted writing those monthly checks. I did a lot of walking that year. I actually read "War and Peace." Then came the 1980 Winter Olympics. Everybody was buzzing about that miracle hockey game. I missed it all, the U.S. team's victory over the Russians. By the time Mount St. Helens blew up on May 18, 1980, I had cable. These days, I'm not as out of touch as I was in that winter of '80, but I do feel a disconnect. Where are those snappy fashion mentors, Stacy London and Clinton Kelly from TLC's "What Not to Wear"? Where did the History Channel go? How come I'm missing the Food Network? I thought I'd been paying attention to all the news and hype related to the broadcast TV transition to a digital format. Originally scheduled for last February, it's now set for June 12. I paid attention, but not closely enough. Previous ads saying that if we had Comcast we'd be ready for the digital switch referred to the ability to get local broadcast channels and public access channels. For many Comcast customers, there's now something else going on. Channels up past 29 are disappearing. Steve Kipp, a Comcast spokesman based in Lynnwood, said the company has explained why in letters and calls to customers. Comcast is upgrading its expanded basic offerings -- roughly channels 30 through 74 -- from analog to a digital format. To see them, customers with expanded basic cable will eventually need a digital set-top box or a digital transport adapter. There won't be an added cost for up to three TV sets, Kipp said. The change is coming to different areas throughout the year, he said. Only Comcast customers with basic cable, a package costing less than $20 and including just the channels up to 29, won't be affected. If expanded basic customers don't get a box, in time they'll lose channels and will be charged only for basic cable. Confused? You're not alone. There are answers at www.comcast.com/digitalnow. Kipp said Comcast will deliver equipment and instructions. Why the change? Kipp said the more advanced digital box will bring access to on-demand programming and offer digital music. Comcast's Web site says the change frees up bandwidth, making room for more programming and faster Internet access. Apparently Comcast sent out letters, which I thought were junk mail. I tossed them out, unread. Phone calls? If I think someone is selling something, I hang up before the sales pitch. One evening recently, a man knocked on my door, handed me a Comcast contractor business card and said I needed a converter box. Doubtful about that, I sent him away. Kipp said my confusion is understandable. "There really are two things going on. Those earlier commercials were about the digital broadcast transition, which was supposed to happen Feb. 12," he said. "When the switch was changed to June 12, it made the issue more confusing than we anticipated." Comcast cable isn't the only option. There are satellite dishes, Verizon's FiOS fiber-optic communications network, an antenna, even no TV at all. In Washington, Kipp said, Comcast has 1.2 million customers. He acknowledged that some customers don't like needing a box. I'm intimidated by directions for installation, and the need for different remote controls. I have to wonder, is this what progress looks like? I'd miss all those channels, but that year spent reading looks better all the time. Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460, muhlstein@heraldnet.com. Cable questions? For information about changes to Comcast TV service and the need for a digital set-top box or digital transport adapter box to receive some channels: www.comcast.com/digitalnow. Comcast customers needing a box can call 877-634-4434 or 800-comcast. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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