JDPFu.com 2025

So I finally did it. I cut the TV lineup from 300+ channels to something called Limited Basic because they had a deal on ISP+TV for $30/month that I couldn’t refuse.
Last week, I dropped off all the equipment at the local Comcast office. What equipment?

• Motorola HD Tuner (not a DVR)
• ETA – phone to SIP converter
• DTA – weenie digital QAM tuner to lowest quality TV coax as possible

I had the triple-play from Comcast for the last 3 yrs. TV, Phone, and ISP. It was over $150/month; unlimited North American phone calls, 300+ TV channels, and a 12/3Mbps ISP connection. No real complaints except the price. For about $120 less, I have 22/5Mbps ISP, no phone, and the Limited-Basic TV which is supposed to be local channels, 5 shopping channels and 10 local access channels. I expected a single useful Spanish language channel – not the one I wanted. I’m certain the price will be higher than the $30/month promise due to local fees and taxes. How much higher is still to be answered.

Thankfully, I have an HD TV with a ClearQAM tuner. It used to get most cable channels from 2-118 – a little over 100 digital channels plus the 8 HD channels locally broadcast in my area. Since last May, most of those channels are encrypted. I get 2-27 analog with the DTV versions of those channels. No CNN, no TV-Guide, no USA, TNT, etc … still there are a few nice surprise channels – like Telemundo (Aurora), a few other Spanish channels and 3 HD PBS channels. I haven’t counted them all, but I think it is about 25 useful channels not counting any shopping or religious channels. I’m really pleased. OTA reception of HD where I live is hit or miss, so having cable access to those HD channels will be nice.