I’m still waiting for Comcast to come and, with any luck, remove my TV from its cable box’s clutches. They were supposed to be here between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., which means I really could have spent the morning searching for this elusive black scarf I’ve been beaking about or, oh, doing anything else.
(Oh, and to the person who just prank called me to tell me you love my Web site … I know it was you, and I know you can’t get enough of me. Also, prank calls stopped being funny in the 1990s.)
Basically, this Motorola cable box, via an HDMI cable, has sort of taken over the TV. The TV won’t even turn on without the cable box being with it. When I called Comcast on Thanksgiving Day, the guy immediately knew what I was talking about, and said he’d taken a few calls on it. It’s some odd compatibility issue because my TV was made in 2007 and these new HDMI cables aren’t 100 percent good to go with the boxes. He said in that case, the cable box’s signal overrides the TV’s signal, and the only way to fix it is to get your TV’s remote and try that way.
Oh, except the remote hasn’t been seen since I’ve been in Maryland. I’m not even 100 percent sure it made the trip from West Virginia. But, Mom to the rescue … one will arrive at my office next week.
So, Comcast just called and he’s here. I’ll provide live team updates.
Update 1, 12:47 p.m.: I let this guy in the apartment complex gate 10 minutes ago. I live in the building right by the gate. I can only presume maybe he’s in his car eating lunch first.
Update 2, 12:52 p.m.: The tech is mystified. Great.
Update 3, 1:04 p.m.: “This is definitely your TV. This isn’t the cable box.” Me: “Then why did your guy on Thanksgiving Day tell me it was the cable box?” Tech: “I don’t know, I’ve never seen this before.”
Update 4, 1:11 p.m.: The tech is gone, with a “Sorry about your luck, but it’s definitely your TV.” FML. Thanks for breaking my TV, Comcast.
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Honey? It’s time. Time to let Comcast go into the great wilderness and see if it fends for itself. If it loves you, it will come back.
I’m not a big cable, dish or for that matter, TV watcher but I’d suggest something else. I hate to see you so torn up over an immature cable system. It doesn’t even respect your feelings!
::chuckles and shakes his head::
Yeah…too much Pepsi.
I put in a service request with Samsung. When I hear back from them, I’ll find out how much it will cost to have someone come here to fix it. It’s just so frustrating.
I’m not really going to fault the Comcast guy they sent. He was a good egg. He’d just never, ever seen this problem before, he said. He also said the guy who told me on Thanksgiving that it’s their box taking over my TV didn’t know what he was talking about.
To me, that’s a serious problem. You need to get all of your people on the same page, Comcast, so you can at least keep your stories straight.
So did they at least leave you the contents of your bank account?
Definitely. It doesn’t cost them anything to come out. Unfortunately, I think it’s going to be Samsung’s repair people that empty the bank account.
Prank call? Really? By the way, I have a samsung, I haven’t had any problems in the 2+ years I’ve had it. Hopefully I can get another three out of it.
Yes, Jamie. Really. It was as clever and mysterious as “Is your refrigerator running.”
It wasn’t… him, was it?
About 99.5 percent sure, yes, it was. Clearly it was not prepared for me to answer the telephone for an “unknown number.” I wouldn’t have if I wasn’t waiting for friggin’ Comcast.
Nice to see Tons of Fun has nothing better to do than make prank phone calls.
Really surprised he hasn’t put the transcript up on his Blog and called it “AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW”
dipshit.
So … stupid. But then, RT, if he did that, he’d have to acknowledge me, right?
this is true, GOW
I need to get on my instant messanger more. I haven’t talked to you in… It has to be a billion years.
Agreed! Much catching up to be done, sir!