A device with a CableCard is not really Comcasts problem. As long as there is adequate signal to the box, and the card is provisioned correctly on their end, making your TivoHD or Tivo Series 3 work properly is not their responsibility. Have you called TiVo to see what they say? The clerk who sold you the box should have explained that your cable provider will not do much with a box they didn't provide/don't know how to support. Additionally, there are no "regulations" that make Comcast the only cable provider. There is no rule, statute, or regulation against over-building, but most cable companies don't want to do it because it's not a terribly practical thing to do. If you dislike Comcast so much, perhaps it's time to consider DishNetwork or DirecTV.

Why would Bill go to Hi-Tops? Is he trying to pick up 19 and 20 year old girls?

I believe it's working on DirecTV. Who orders satellite dish in the city of wind? People who want their TV to work, that's who.

Did TBS HD just launch before the playoffs? I don't know why cable companies are waiting until the last minute to add this channel. Unfortunately I have yet to hear from Wide Open West if I will be able to see the Cubbies in HD tonight.

The key word there being AND.

@brendanm14: It's probably an expensive channel for them to pickup. Or the contract negotiations ran long. I doubt they held off this long just for fun or to generate lots and lots of needless phone calls to customer service.

TBS is no longer a 'basic' basic cable channel. It was moved up to the next tier, which is still basic cable, but has another name.

I think there's Limited Basic, Standard Basic, then We're Ripping You Off Basic, followed by Ha Ha You Keep Paying Us Basic, We Have Lots Of Money Basic, and We Don't Really Have A Good Explanation For Why There Are 13,427,891 Different Basic Cable Packages Basic.

Satellite is worthless unless you live in the desert. I work at a *retail store* with DirecTV demos, and it goes out whenever it rains... or the wind blows... or a butterfly flaps its wings. It really is embarrasing when they talk about how Cable is 'unreliable,' but satellite is reliable... I suppose you can at least plan to watch the game at someone else's house if the weatherman calls for rain.

TBS are Braves fans so who can blame them for not caring!?

@RvLeshrac: My satellite works great. Had it 3 years now. Sure it goes out maybe 5 or 6 times/summer, for maybe 10 mins, 30 mins at worst. When I had cable, it went out less frequent, but for hours at a time. In the winter, it goes out only when the dish is full of snow, and you brush it off with a broom and its fine.

@brendanm14:
Yes, TBSHD just went live in my market on 10/1, specifically, they say, for the playoffs.

Complain to the FCC as much as you want, Comcast has the lobbying power to just blow it off and has proven such in the past. It would take a severe mass exodus of payments or customers to get Comcast's and the FCC's attention that something is wrong, and I do mean MASS.

@RvLeshrac: *shrug* When I had cable, and granted, this was back in the TCI days, it would go out if you sneezed too hard. I'm only slightly exaggerating, every little weather phenomenon caused it to cut out. But I've had satellite for 8 years now and have only had 2-3 significant outages. (And by that I mean going out for an hour or more, never more than 2 hours) Sometimes it blanks out for a few minutes when there's a REALLY bad storm, but other than that, it's much better than cable ever was. And cheaper. Maybe I'm just lucky. Now that I've jinxed myself I'm sure it will go out at 9:02 CDT tonight.

"Sounds like Bill is off to Hi-Tops."

I hope Bill can do a lot better than Hi-Tops.

@SabrinaFaire: There is no more or less wind in Chicago than any other city. It's a metaphor!

@Papa Midnight: I don't even think the FCC regulates cable.

TBSHD is live in Chicago and I am watching the Red Sox v. Angels game. It looks gooooorgeous.