Xfinity plugging the plug on older equipment (anyone else get this email?)

[philb2]

We have been Xfinity (triple play) customers for years now, but have steadfastedly refused to migrate to X1. (Call use cable Luddites, LOL) So I (and my wife recently got this email, which seems to be legit and not spam.

​ Upgrade your TV equipment – at no additional cost​ Order your new X1 TV equipment today!​ As early as June 6, 2023, your current TV equipment will no longer allow you to access Xfinity On Demand and Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) packages.

​ ​ Order new equipment​ ​ Serial number(s) of equipment to be replaced: xxxx|YYYY With your new equipment, you will still have access to your On Demand purchases, but you may lose access to your DVR recordings. If you do not upgrade your equipment, you will no longer be able to access On Demand and SVOD on your outdated TV boxes as early as June 6, 2023. However, you'll continue to have access to most of this content, as well as your purchases through Xfinity Stream. A few years ago we replaced our old set-top boxes due to equipment failure. Not a word about service discontinuance. So we have a lot of hours of material recorded on one of the boxes. No way to save that material = major fail. With the huge resevoir of good will and trust that Comcast has built with us over the years, why am I suspicious about hidden price increases now and in the future. Will our network traffic spike with X1, costing us money? Can we keep our Arris cable modem (not at home now so I can't check the model now) and ASUS mesh router, without having to pay monthly charges for Comcast equipment? Call Comcast and get straight answers? Hah! I could sooner walk into a Packard showroom and order a 1933 V12 sedan.​

 

[TheSlySyl]

I get emails like this all the time from comcast.
I don't trust em.
I'm sticking with my own equipment. (Also an Arris modem and an Asus AI Mesh setup.)

I have ZERO interest in the cable TV side of things, and we have Roku boxes and a Shield for our streaming needs.

 

[PigLover]

Just drop their video service completely, go data only and get a good streaming box - FireTV or Roku or whatever. You’ll get more choices than Comcast will ever offer and have more control over what you want to pay for. Linear cable service days are over…

 

[Absalom]

Yeah, don't fall for Comcast fearmongering. Their set top boxes that output analog still work. I have a Surfboard cable modem from 2012 that still works, despite them marketing to me that I won't get the speeds I'm paying for. I still get 100mbs down (while paying the cheapest plan) which is the max the modem is spec'ed to do.

To hell with renting their equipment though. They can go pound sand.

 

[philb2]

Linear cable service days are over…r

My wife has some favorite shows on Comcast video, many of which she records for future viewing. I don't think you can record from a program on the Roku stick. At least I don't know how.

 

[philb2]

Yeah, don't fall for Comcast fearmongering. Their set top boxes that output analog still work.

As long as they still work, I'm open. Comcast fearmongering. It's not a bug. It's a feature of a subscription with them.

To hell with renting their equipment though. They can go pound sand.

Yah. I even ordered a dump truck of sand to be delivered at their Philadelphia HQ.

 

[PigLover]

My wife has some favorite shows on Comcast video, many of which she records for future viewing. I don't think you can record from a program on the Roku stick. At least I don't know how.

Not sure of the exact shows she wants but since I 'cut the cord' from Comcast video services 4 years ago I haven't found a single show that I couldn't watch when I wanted to using on-demand streaming.

Initially I went with YouTubeTV because of their 'unlimited' cloud DVR but with their price increases we dropped that too and still manage to stream everything.

If there is still that 'one show' you can't get you really should assign the full cost of Comcast Video service to that show and ask yourself if that show is really worth that cost.

 

[philb2]

Not sure of the exact shows she wants but since I 'cut the cord' from Comcast video services 4 years ago I haven't found a single show that I couldn't watch when I wanted to using on-demand streaming.

Initially I went with YouTubeTV because of their 'unlimited' cloud DVR but with their price increases we dropped that too and still manage to stream everything.

If there is still that 'one show' you can't get you really should assign the full cost of Comcast Video service to that show and ask yourself if that show is really worth that cost.

I'm sure you are right about streaming alternatives, but there is "too much else to do first" so I end up "planning to do it next month." Rinse and repeat, then freeze and thaw out. And by then it's next year.

That all said, there are some free shows we stream on Roku. The downside of free shows on Roku is that you can't skip through the commercials. With pre-recorded shows, you can do that easily.

 

[SamirD]

Yah. I even ordered a dump truck of sand to be delivered at their Philadelphia HQ.

omg, this sounds like an awesome idea when I get pissed...

[Sand company]
"Where does this need to go?"

[me]
"Just make a pile right in front of the building. They know what to do with it"

[Sand company]
"Got it, thank you for the order. Who should I bill it to?"

[me]
"Just make it COD Comcast."

[Sand company]
"And what name should I put on the order?"

[me]
"Put it to attention [whoever the last agent you spoke to via support]"

[Sand company]
"Thank you again for your order."

 

[SamirD]

Yeah, don't fall for Comcast fearmongering. Their set top boxes that output analog still work. I have a Surfboard cable modem from 2012 that still works, despite them marketing to me that I won't get the speeds I'm paying for. I still get 100mbs down (while paying the cheapest plan) which is the max the modem is spec'ed to do.

To hell with renting their equipment though. They can go pound sand.

Couldn't have said this better. Any network or equipment changes are for their benefit, not yours. And this is nearly any isp, utility, telephone, credit card, you name it product or service anymore. The whole corporate world has become a sham.