When Comcast began moving some Atlanta neighborhoods this spring to all-digital service, the cable company described the switch as a boon for customers who crave more high-definition channels and faster Internet speeds. The company said in August that complaints from customers were few and far between.
But Comcast customers in the neighborhoods affected so far complained in droves to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the switch, which will move through all metro Atlanta neighborhoods by the end of next year.
“All my friends had complaints,” said Deborah Legan, who spent nearly 10 hours on a series of calls with Comcast over two days in August trying to get the new boxes to work with her setup.
Legan, who said she is fully capable of reading diagrams and following directions, described the process as beyond frustrating. “I was in tears, I was angry, I couldn’t eat!” she said.
Legan, who lives in Acworth, said the result of the changeover was a downgrade in service for her.
Many other Comcast customers who contacted the AJC agreed. The customers resoundingly complained about new monthly charges for the required boxes, lousy customer assistance, super-slow channel changing, long lines to pick up equipment and the inability to use digital recorders and VCRs as they had in the past.
After hours on the phone, Legan learned that with the new setup Comcast requires, it is impossible to use her VCR to record programs on multiple channels. In the old world of analog transmission, Legan said, “I was able to go away on vacation and tape everything from ‘Law & Order’ to ‘Divorce Court.’ ”
Comcast knows that not everyone is happy. But the company said this is simply the reality of new technology. Whether it was the first cable box in history or the arrival of CD players after cassettes and eight-tracks, improved technology often makes existing equipment more difficult to use, said Gene Shatlock, senior vice president for Comcast’s Atlanta region.
Cable companies across the nation are converting to digital.
“All of this technology from the digital world continues to eclipse itself at a very rapid rate,” Shatlock said. “That does disrupt those customers that have had a certain type of product for a very long time.”
Shatlock said he understands the frustrations, especially among those whose recording devices no longer fully work with the new boxes. But he said the company must take everyone digital if it wants to remain competitive.
Many customers are happily welcoming the change, he said, because of the improved service, including improved picture quality, more channels and a larger on-demand library.
The changes hit at a time when AT&T is beginning to offer television service in parts of metro Atlanta. The service, which will go head-to-head with existing cable and satellite companies, is placing new pressure on Comcast, which has long dominated the Atlanta market.
Comcast has so far converted about a third of its 800,000 customers in metro Atlanta, most of them in Cobb County, north Fulton and Winder. Customers who already have digital service on all TVs will not have to make any changes.
Comcast’s digital switch has nothing to do with the nation’s migration to digital that occurred this summer. But the close timing created plenty of confusion among Atlanta customers, who had been told that because they were cable customers, the national change would have no impact on them.
The nation’s largest cable operator, Comcast is making its own switch to free up bandwidth.
The Comcast change requires customers who currently get service by plugging the cable line directly into their TVs to add new equipment to continue to get all the channels they are paying for.
Comcast provides free equipment for two or three TVs, depending on a customer’s current set-up. Those with more than three TVs must pay monthly rental fees for additional boxes. The fees are $5.99 for a digital box and $1.99 for a digital adapter.
In most cases, when consumer technologies change, whether for stereo equipment or cellphones, consumers have the choice to keep their current setup. But in this case, the change is not optional for customers who were happy with their service the way it was, said Jeff Kagan, an Atlanta-based telecommunications analyst.
“The company said ‘These are the changes we’re going to make and if you don’t like it you’re not going to have service,’ ” Kagan said.
The AJC heard from dozens of Comcast customers. Among the chief complaints about the change:
Recording device problems: Whether it’s a VCR, DVR, TiVo, or computer-based system for recording shows, the new boxes can get in the way. Most customers with VCRs and their own DVRs will be able to record shows only on the one channel they have tuned in. Most TiVo recorders should be able to change channels, but some will no longer be able to record two shows at once. Recorders and sets that can accommodate a “cable card” should still work well. The latest TiVo equipment uses the cards and avoids the problem entirely.
No more speedy channel surfing: With analog transmission, customers could flip through channels. But with digital, the next channel does not immediately load. Comcast has heard the complaints. “Initially, absolutely no doubt, they don’t like it,” Shatlock said, “especially long-term analog customers.” But, he said, customers eventually adjust by relying on channel program guides instead of flipping.
Loss of features: On many TVs, features like Picture-In-Picture will no longer work when the signal goes through the digital box.
Picture breaks up: Called “pixelation,” this can distort the picture or make the picture freeze into colorful squares. This can be caused by a transmission problem, Comcast said, or by problems with the cable wiring inside the house. For customers experiencing this frequently, wiring may be the problem and a service call might be the only solution. Unless a customer has a Comcast plan for such repairs, the customer may face a charge.
Box is still needed, even with new digital TVs: Some customers wondered why they would need a digital box when they just bought a brand new digital TV. Comcast says that’s the only way to control what customers get on their sets and to make sure they are paying for programming.
Long waits for new equipment: Comcast warns customers repeatedly when the change will hit and offers to mail equipment in advance. But in the neighborhoods switched so far, many customers waited until the last minute and faced long waits at stores to pick up equipment. Comcast said it has extended its Atlanta roll-out by months so fewer customers will be switched at one time, which should mean less waiting at stores.
Customers can also ask that Comcast install the equipment.
Customer service? Customers complained of major frustrations trying to get help, especially if they had a complicated setup. Comcast said it has three call centers in Atlanta that handle 800,000 to 1 million calls a month. But the company said it is working to improve the chances a problem will be resolved with the first call.
Dale Turner, a Cobb County customer, has been trying for weeks to get an answer from Comcast about how he can continue to operate his high-tech set-up. He has five cable lines connected to computers to view and record television programs for himself and for his son, who is in the Army and stationed in Iraq. Those setups now receive only a handful of channels.
So far, he hasn’t been able to get an answer from the company’s customer service line.
Legan, the Acworth customer, thought she would quickly set up her new system on a Sunday afternoon in August. She started at 1 p.m. Five calls later at 8:45 p.m., the new system still wasn’t working. She went through another series of calls the next evening and ended up getting an answer by calling the manufacturer of her VCR.
She wrote to Comcast about the ordeal. “Now with my new digital TV box, I have less service and less options than I did with basic, poor man’s service,” she wrote. “Welcome to the 21st century!!”
What this means to you: Comcast digital switch
Metro Atlanta’s top cable television provider is in the midst of its own digital migration that is not related to the national digital transition that took place earlier this year.
Why is the change taking place? Comcast is moving customers to digital service to free up network space. That will allow more high-definition channels, faster Internet speeds and more offerings in its on-demand library of television shows and movies.
Who is affected? The change affects Comcast customers who plug the cable cord directly into any of their television sets instead of using a box.
What’s involved in the change? For customers who do not have a digital box, Comcast will provide a free digital box and two free digital adapters. Customers with a digital box can get two free adapters. To maintain service on additional TVs, customers must pay an extra $5.99 a month for a digital box or an extra $1.99 a month for each adapter. The boxes come with remote controls.
When will I be converted? The switch has already occurred in some neighborhoods on metro Atlanta’s north side. Comcast will alert customers who are soon to undergo the change and provide instructions. Comcast expects the switch to be completed across metro Atlanta by the end of next year.
Check our sources
Call Comcast at 1-877-634-4434
Contact us
Do you suspect a consumer rip-off, government waste or a threat to public safety? Tell us what you want investigated. E-mail spotlight@ajc.com or call 404-526-5041. Spotlight columnist Alison Young will return soon.
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