I called Comcast

[Sean Miller Fan]

The guy read word for word what they are told to tell customers. No real news. Pretty generic but its what I expected. Something like they received a proposal from ESPN and are still in negotiations.

I told him to put in a channel request for me and he said that's how they gauge interest. He said he got a lot of calls about ACCN about a month ago but mine was the first call since.

Do your part and make the 5 minute phone call. Heck, this call saved me a couple hundred bucks because I asked if I could buy my boxes instead of renting them and he said no but Roku has a deal with Comcast so I can buy Roku boxes and still access the Xfinity platform.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

I live in Cranberry and just called Armstrong to add the ACCN. The service rep said they are currently not offering it ( not even available yet) but they are looking into it. I told her that after many years of being a customer, the availability of having this channel could be a subscription changing event. I suggest you all do the same. There are other options!

 

[ratking17]

Did the same out here in central pa. They seemed to know exactly what I was talking about.

 

[DiehardPanther]

I live in Cranberry and just called Armstrong to add the ACCN. The service rep said they are currently not offering it ( not even available yet) but they are looking into it. I told her that after many years of being a customer, the availability of having this channel could be a subscription changing event. I suggest you all do the same. There are other options!

Armstrong doesn’t have the Big 10 Network, so I’d be surprised if they pick up the ACCN.

 

[cease10]

Nice....I like to see this initiative from Pitt fans, letting these companies know that we have buying power!

Keep it up every one!

 

[ThePanthers]

Armstrong doesn’t have the Big 10 Network, so I’d be surprised if they pick up the ACCN.

I think a better comparison is the SECN. ACCN will be tied to the ESPN family of networks and all of the Disney channels/ABC much like the SECN. Armstrong has the SECn.

Now, it may not be added if the master contract is not up and they won't take it early, but it will be add eventually as it will be all or nothing in the next negotiation. .

 

[ThePanthers]

Nice....I like to see this initiative from Pitt fans, letting these companies know that we have buying power!

Keep it up every one!

This is what you have to do in order for it to be picked up. Some just don't get that.

Timing and demand is what made the SECN launch so successful. All of the fans pushed hard.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

I called my TV provider (ATT UVerse) to request the ACCN earlier this week. I also let them know not to wait until the 11th hour to decide to pick it up, because if it's not available to me within two weeks of the first game, I will choose another TV provider who will guarantee that I am able to get the ACCN by the start of the season.

I also reminded the agent that I had ATT fiber internet, and cell service with them that will most likely get dropped if I am forced to change TV providers.

I was then offered $10 off my bill, which I accepted, and let him know that in no way will change my decision to leave if they fail to carry ACCN programming.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I think a better comparison is the SECN. ACCN will be tied to the ESPN family of networks and all of the Disney channels/ABC much like the SECN. Armstrong has the SECn.

Now, it may not be added if the master contract is not up and they won't take it early, but it will be add eventually as it will be all or nothing in the next negotiation. .

Here's the thing though. ESPN is, in all likelihood, charging Armstrong 10-25 cents per subscriber for SECN. BTN wants $1.10 per subscriber and ESPN will probably ask for the same since Armstrong is a "home market" for BTN and ACCN. I have a strong feeling that Armstrong may never carry ACCN similar to BTN so you better start looking at other options.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Did you tell them that they can’t spell Comcast without ACC??

 

[HOF Coach]

Did you tell them that they can’t spell Comcast without ACC??

I called my cable company and said they couldn't spell their name without ACC!

The Spectrum rep replied, "Did you graduate from WVU?"

 

[ThePanthers]

Here's the thing though. ESPN is, in all likelihood, charging Armstrong 10-25 cents per subscriber for SECN. BTN wants $1.10 per subscriber and ESPN will probably ask for the same since Armstrong is a "home market" for BTN and ACCN. I have a strong feeling that Armstrong may never carry ACCN similar to BTN so you better start looking at other options.

They are going to bundle it with the other networks. It's going to be all or nothing during the master contract negotiations.

 

[joefromlancaster]

Does anyone know about blue ridge cable tv?

 

[bjcst27]

The guy read word for word what they are told to tell customers. No real news. Pretty generic but its what I expected. Something like they received a proposal from ESPN and are still in negotiations.

I told him to put in a channel request for me and he said that's how they gauge interest. He said he got a lot of calls about ACCN about a month ago but mine was the first call since.

Do your part and make the 5 minute phone call. Heck, this call saved me a couple hundred bucks because I asked if I could buy my boxes instead of renting them and he said no but Roku has a deal with Comcast so I can buy Roku boxes and still access the Xfinity platform.

I just got Comcast and set up the roku and it took two minutes to disconnect. I absolutely hated it. Maybe you can get a different remote but the one that came with it didn’t have numbers. Had to click up and down to change the channels.

 

[cease10]

I just got Comcast and set up the roku and it took two minutes to disconnect. I absolutely hated it. Maybe you can get a different remote but the one that came with it didn’t have numbers. Had to click up and down to change the channels.

Lol....the remotes are all standard without numbers, you'll get used to it after a while. Some apps have remote shortcuts for u to get to your favorite channels.

You can also use your phone as a remote to just touch screen where u need to go and also type. Some apps also have voice commands on your phone. Just download the Roku app to your phone.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I just got Comcast and set up the roku and it took two minutes to disconnect. I absolutely hated it. Maybe you can get a different remote but the one that came with it didn’t have numbers. Had to click up and down to change the channels.

Wow that sucks. Saving $20/month probably still makes it worth it. I will just set up my favorites tab on Xfinity for the only 10 channels I watch. I pretty much dont even need the other 900 channels anyway.

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

Comcast told me 'they are in negotiations'.
Friend in Atlanta told me Cox, the big cable company down there, told him they would have it by the launch date.

 

[jimmoyer]

Comcast in Central Pa told me ACC Network and espn3 will be included in their sports package this fall. Hope they are telling truth

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Comcast in Central Pa told me ACC Network and espn3 will be included in their sports package this fall. Hope they are telling truth

This makes sense and brings up a good point:

If you don't live in an ACC market, you are very likely to have access to the ACCN because ESPN will more than likely allow it to be on a sports tier with a low fee charged to the cable provider. That said, SECN is on the most common tier in Pittsburgh but I doubt ESPN is getting anything close to $1/subscriber outside of the southeast

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Comcast in Central Pa told me ACC Network and espn3 will be included in their sports package this fall. Hope they are telling truth

Cable and satellite companies always tell the truth just ask Direct TV or any one of the other providers.

We're working on it!

If the market allows them to pass on the incremental costs to the customer or if the new service gets them new customers, they'll do it, if not they won't. They won't absorp costs.

I can't see Northeast based companies adding the ACCN. Companies like Blue Ridge in the Pocono's and Scranton area, or Service Electric based in Eastern PA.

Comcast and other large companies aren't available in many smaller markets.

The cable and satellite business model is to add new customers at promotional pricing, increase pricing hoping people stay at the higher rates, if they don't that's ok too they'll replace them with new customer and hope they get rate increases.

Their new customer centric!

Before DirectTV I was with a cable company for 10 yrs.
I keep my price near the original promo rate until one day when I called to have an increase taken off and they told me the price was the price.

I had DirectTV in that week.
They don't seem to value long term customers unless they're customers who don't negociate each increase.

 

[wbrpanther]

Comcast in Central Pa told me ACC Network and espn3 will be included in their sports package this fall. Hope they are telling truth

Where in Central Pa.?

 

[buckage]

The guy read word for word what they are told to tell customers. No real news. Pretty generic but its what I expected. Something like they received a proposal from ESPN and are still in negotiations.

I told him to put in a channel request for me and he said that's how they gauge interest. He said he got a lot of calls about ACCN about a month ago but mine was the first call since.

Do your part and make the 5 minute phone call. Heck, this call saved me a couple hundred bucks because I asked if I could buy my boxes instead of renting them and he said no but Roku has a deal with Comcast so I can buy Roku boxes and still access the Xfinity platform.

Just get Hulu if they don't add it.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

I can't see Northeast based cable co

The guy read word for word what they are told to tell customers. No real news. Pretty generic but its what I expected. Something like they received a proposal from ESPN and are still in negotiations.

I told him to put in a channel request for me and he said that's how they gauge interest. He said he got a lot of calls about ACCN about a month ago but mine was the first call since.

Do your part and make the 5 minute phone call. Heck, this call saved me a couple hundred bucks because I asked if I could buy my boxes instead of renting them and he said no but Roku has a deal with Comcast so I can buy Roku boxes and still access the Xfinity platform.

Check out the maintenance responsibility on owned boxes versus rented boxes.

The service guy told me cable companies use really low end "cheap" boxes because most are rented and they change them out a lot. A lot of boxes are refurbished "cheap" boxes.

Usually rented boxes come with service calls and repairs included.

I was about to do that and found out I'd be responsible for a service call if something goes wrong with the box or I had to get an annual service contract.

I've had a number of boxes that stop working.

 

[cease10]

I can't see Northeast based cable co


Check out the maintenance responsibility on owned boxes versus rented boxes.

The service guy told me cable companies use really low end "cheap" boxes because most are rented and they change them out a lot. A lot of boxes are refurbished "cheap" boxes.

Usually rented boxes come with service calls and repairs included.

I was about to do that and found out I'd be responsible for a service call if something goes wrong with the box or I had to get an annual service contract.

I've had a number of boxes that stop working.

Clunky cable/satellite boxes are old technology and I expect them to be obsolete in another 2yrs.

Roku players and Firesticks are small and also inexpensive. They are the size of jump drives and can sit in the palm of your hand. Companies like Sling are giving them away free to new subscribers. They are the present and future.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Clunky cable/satellite boxes are old technology and I expect them to be obsolete in another 2yrs.

Roku players and Firesticks are small and also inexpensive. They are the size of jump drives and can sit in the palm of your hand. Companies like Sling are giving them away with to new subscribers. They are the present and future.

Agree.

I purchased a Roku TV and got a FireStick to try out Sling and Hulu.

We have 300+ channels now with DirectTV and watch a lot of obsure channels so I have to be sure I get everything I have now on Sling and Hulu.

Giving it a try.

 

[cease10]

Agree.

I purchased a Roku TV and got a FireStick to try out Sling and Hulu.

We have 300+ channels now with DirectTV and watch a lot of obsure channels so I have to be sure I get everything I have now on Sling and Hulu.

Giving it a try.

You can also look into DirectTVNOW. I tried them out a few months back and they were ok.

 

[JD1976]

As someone else noted, I think a good rule of thumb will be if you get SEC Network, you will get ACCN on the same tier. They will probably be lined up back-to-back on your guide too.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Clunky cable/satellite boxes are old technology and I expect them to be obsolete in another 2yrs.

Roku players and Firesticks are small and also inexpensive. They are the size of jump drives and can sit in the palm of your hand. Companies like Sling are giving them away free to new subscribers. They are the present and future.

Its getting a bit out of hand!

JoethePatherFan one of these wires is my ESPN wire not sure which one??
Maybe its the white one?

I know its not the red one and I was always told don't touch or lick the red wire.

 

[PittMan 72]

They are going to bundle it with the other networks. It's going to be all or nothing during the master contract negotiations.

Yep. The biggest hammer in all of this is going to be ESPN. But when the ESPN agreement expires with someone's particular provider is the wild card. If it is going to be a while before the agreement between ESPN and a particular provider comes up for renewal, the consumer is going to have to decide what is the best approach in the interim.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Just get Hulu if they don't add it.

Just for fun, I called Comcast to see how much my internet would go to if I canceled cable. $89.95.

Hulu would cost me $59.97 for a similar size DVR and unlimited screens so that's $149.92 but that's without premium channels. I currently get all the premium channels and my total bill is $200 after taxes and fees. I probably just need HBO and Showtime so that's an extra $25.98 which brings my total Hulu + Comcast Internet bill to $175.90 before taxes and fees. Essentially, Hulu + internet would cost the same as I'm paying now. Remember when everyone said cord-cutting is the way to go? If you need a DVR, sports channels, multiple TVs, and HBO/SHO, there's no cheap way.

 

[ThePanthers]

Yep. The biggest hammer in all of this is going to be ESPN. But when the ESPN agreement expires with someone's particular provider is the wild card. If it is going to be a while before the agreement between ESPN and a particular provider comes up for renewal, the consumer is going to have to decide what is the best approach in the interim.

Yep. ACC said this will be a 2-3 year process based on how these contracts expire. SECN was the perfect storm of perfect storms where the majority of contracts expired at once.

 

[ThePanthers]

Just for fun, I called Comcast to see how much my internet would go to if I canceled cable. $89.95.

Hulu would cost me $59.97 for a similar size DVR and unlimited screens so that's $149.92 but that's without premium channels. I currently get all the premium channels and my total bill is $200 after taxes and fees. I probably just need HBO and Showtime so that's an extra $25.98 which brings my total Hulu + Comcast Internet bill to $175.90 before taxes and fees. Essentially, Hulu + internet would cost the same as I'm paying now. Remember when everyone said cord-cutting is the way to go? If you need a DVR, sports channels, multiple TVs, and HBO/SHO, there's no cheap way.

Agree. If you want what you have now, just stick with cable as it would in the long run be cheaper. If you are a minimalist and want to downgrade, cut the cord.

Eventually though cord cutting is going to get more expensive over time and be more fractured. You can already see this with the CBS, Disney, ESPN, NBC, etc streaming platforms.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Just for fun, I called Comcast to see how much my internet would go to if I canceled cable. $89.95.

Hulu would cost me $59.97 for a similar size DVR and unlimited screens so that's $149.92 but that's without premium channels. I currently get all the premium channels and my total bill is $200 after taxes and fees. I probably just need HBO and Showtime so that's an extra $25.98 which brings my total Hulu + Comcast Internet bill to $175.90 before taxes and fees. Essentially, Hulu + internet would cost the same as I'm paying now. Remember when everyone said cord-cutting is the way to go? If you need a DVR, sports channels, multiple TVs, and HBO/SHO, there's no cheap way.

I have Direct TV - Premium Channel package with 300 + channels including local channels and now pay $ 85 /month with HBO.

What you have sounds expensive without Hulu?

Internet with RCN 50mbps $ 42 /month.

 

[FieldHouse12]

Just for fun, I called Comcast to see how much my internet would go to if I canceled cable. $89.95.

Hulu would cost me $59.97 for a similar size DVR and unlimited screens so that's $149.92 but that's without premium channels. I currently get all the premium channels and my total bill is $200 after taxes and fees. I probably just need HBO and Showtime so that's an extra $25.98 which brings my total Hulu + Comcast Internet bill to $175.90 before taxes and fees. Essentially, Hulu + internet would cost the same as I'm paying now. Remember when everyone said cord-cutting is the way to go? If you need a DVR, sports channels, multiple TVs, and HBO/SHO, there's no cheap way.

90 bucks just for internet ? LOL Comcast is a joke.
Verizon 100 mbps is 39.99 for a year then 49.99

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

Yep. The biggest hammer in all of this is going to be ESPN. But when the ESPN agreement expires with someone's particular provider is the wild card. If it is going to be a while before the agreement between ESPN and a particular provider comes up for renewal, the consumer is going to have to decide what is the best approach in the interim.

For some oddball providers, I agree.
I'll be shocked if all the major ones don't sign on by kickoff.
I'm thinking the 2-3 year process pertains more to the maximizing the dollars and not so much the carriage.
Will find out soon enough.

 

[cease10]

Just for fun, I called Comcast to see how much my internet would go to if I canceled cable. $89.95.

Hulu would cost me $59.97 for a similar size DVR and unlimited screens so that's $149.92 but that's without premium channels. I currently get all the premium channels and my total bill is $200 after taxes and fees. I probably just need HBO and Showtime so that's an extra $25.98 which brings my total Hulu + Comcast Internet bill to $175.90 before taxes and fees. Essentially, Hulu + internet would cost the same as I'm paying now. Remember when everyone said cord-cutting is the way to go? If you need a DVR, sports channels, multiple TVs, and HBO/SHO, there's no cheap way.

1. You may be paying too much for internet, like getting extra speed and bandwidth that you may not even need. I paid $50/month with comcast and never came close to their TB bandwidth limit. Usages may differ my household, especially with kids.

2. An antenna or an app like locust can help cut costs with local tv channels, but both are location dependent. Sling without local channels would then be the cheapest option at $35 - 50/ month.

3. I stop paying for TV subscriptions once basketball season is over. It turns back on when football starts. So, I'm saving money 3 months out of the year. Antenna and free streaming apps are way more than enough in the summer time.

 

[cease10]

90 bucks just for internet ? LOL Comcast is a joke.
Verizon 100 mbps is 39.99 for a year then 49.99

I only paid $50 to comcast, not sure why his is so high.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I only paid $50 to comcast, not sure why his is so high.

It's not. My cable + internet (150mbps) is $200 even after taxes and fees. If I got rid out of cable, they said my internet would be $89.95 on it's own before taxes and fees.

 

[cease10]

It's not. My cable + internet (150mbps) is $200 even after taxes and fees. If I got rid out of cable, they said my internet would be $89.95 on it's own before taxes and fees.

Just my opinion.....$90 is way too high. It sounds like your paying for the extreme package, but I believe the speed is higher than 150 for that package.

Also, extreme package may only be needed for large households or gamers. The performance starter package should be enough for a regular household.

 

[TJPanther13]

Called on Monday night and spoke to someone using the name “Eli” (if you catch my drift).... took me 5 minutes to get through to him that it was the ACC NETWORK and not ABC or ADD.... Put me on hold, came back and assured me that Comcast would have a deal in place by the launch of the network and that it was owned by ESPN. I would imagine Comcast will eventually get a deal done, it may just come down to the wire