If I couldn't get MSNBC I'd switch services.

comcast is making these migrations as they call them to make room for more HD programming. thats what we all really want anyway right. for you fios idiots (people switching to fios cuz they lost a couple channels) you have to have a set top box on every tv with fios so maybe you should all research more before jumping to rash desicions

I work for Comcast in Boston and wanted to weigh in here. Comcast did in fact move MSNBC and several other channels to our digital lineup in Massachusetts this week. We made these moves to create more space for additional HD and On Demand programming that are customers expect and have been asking for. In the next few weeks, we plan to add several new HD channels.

Like most of our local customers, you mentioned that you subscribe to digital cable so you should still receive MSNBC and the other channels that were moved. For our analog customers who still want to watch MSNBC, we are offering a digital cable box free for a year. In addition to more channels, there are many benefits to digital cable, like On Demand, an onscreen guide and better picture and sound quality.

We have been reaching out to analog customers through postcards, e-mails, calls, channel crawls and more over he last month to ensure they knew about the mid-July changes. Thanks for letting me clarify.

And, like everyone else, I'll complain about the bandwith used (or not used) for digital.

Again, I'm on Cablevision, but many channels are unwatchable on an big screen television. AMC, digital, is a pixel mosaic, as are many of the similar channels. If there's any motion or quick cuts you lose everything. It's less like watching television and more like watching a moving quilt.

And this is what I'm paying for?

HDTV isn't much better. It looks wonderful when little is going on, but throw in any motion, particularly if it's the camera moving, and it's all blurs and artifacts. If it's done at night? Good luck figuring out what is going on.


We get 400 channels of pure BS, and when there is something on (which only happens on maybe 20 channels) it's blurred beyond recognition.
Thank you, cable companies, for going for quality over quantity. I really need four channels of 1970s gameshows. I really need channels 100-180, of which I can't name a single one and, when flipping through the channel guide, never see a damn thing worth watching.
I'm much happier with them over a decent picture for my $2000 television.

I haven't lost MSNBC yet, but Comcast is South Jersey did move TCM and AMC to their digital spectrum. Hmm, the 2 channels that had commercial free movies. I think we're going to see more and more channels move to the digital option so comcast can "force" people over and collect another $10 a month off them.

All this shuffling is happening mostly out of desperation as Comcast struggles to free up precious bandwidth so that it may attempt to compete with Verizon's FIOS offerings. Comcast is trying to inflate its HD offering numbers (HD -> more bandwidth) while balancing analog cable and its Internet service. The areas without FIOS service are likely more stable.

It's a losing battle for them on the current infestructure. Many of those HD offerings are in reality compressed on top of the fact that little of it is compelling content. The analog stations take up a big chunk of the resources, thus big motivation to ween people off of it. Plus, as you can imagine, it doesn't hurt that the digital service is set as being more expensive.

Yep, so they take away analog stations, lower the quality of service to free up bandwidth, and remove stations from the basic cable lineup. All the while, Comcast has the balls to charge through the roof for basic cable service (or service in general).

i have comcast in connecticut and i dont have that problem they are moving channels in my area but not msnbc and the moved ones dont have problems either sounds like u have an isolated incident

This really does suck. I live in Pittsburgh, PA, and roughly 15 channels have changed either their channel number, or their service level for us.

The most moronic example is Comcast moving the "TV Guide Channel" from channel 18 to channel 182!!

Why so moronic, you ask?

My TV's without a cable converter box only go to channel 99!!! I can't get to channel 182 to see the show listings. Now I have to get a cable box to use 3-digit channels and go above 99.

Guess what? By getting a cable box, I would have access to Comcast's TV Listing service anyway, and won't need the TV Guide Channel #182.

Devious, aren't they?

At least I'm getting a "special" price for the first 12 months. Now I feel "special", too. Special like: "Of course I'll call you in the morning"....

I think that you misunderstand the meaning of "Comcastic." The situation that you describe - where you were getting a service that you enjoyed but some how Comcast managed to screw it up - is the very definition of Comcastic in my book.

All analog signals go away Feb 2009 by order of the FCC who are taking over that bandwidth from all companies not just cable. Thats why all the channels are moving up above 100 in order to get the digital signals.