Comcast: Free Digital Adapter Kit YMMV (Local?)

[mcs328]

http://www.comcast.com/digitalnow/

I got a letter from Comcast I was about to toss as a promotion for their triple play but when I read it was for something else. If you go to the above url and enter your Account ID number, they'll send you this digital adapter kit so your CRT TV or LCD TV can either receive digital channels or convert the analog signal to a digital channel. Whatever.

So anyways I just received it yesterday and it's about the size of a small novel. Coax goes in it and another coax to the TV. It comes with a remote that will power on your TV and of course change channels.

Why bother? For months, my CRT TV without a cable box but with just a straight coax cable line, didn't get the SyFy channel clear and Comcast moved and dropped a few channels like TCM, AMC and Cartoon Network. After I installed it, all those missing channels are back plus a few extra. Finally I can watch Robot Chicken and not get my cartoon fix from the Disney channel. No money to get the kit and no monthly fee.

YMMV. Maximum 2 kits per household and few bucks for additional after that. The remote is weird and no frills. Power on/off, last channel, number keypad, volume and channel up/down. There's no video select or Menu button if you need to set up your tv clock and wake up/ sleep time.

[Jeffbx]

Must be regional -

When I enter my account number, all I get is:


Please Call Us

We apologize, but we are unable to process your request online. To order digital devices.... blah blah

[mcs328]

Must be regional -

When I enter my account number, all I get is:

alrighty then. FWIW I'm in the DC Metro area. Mods feel free to move this to the region specific deal if necessary.

[attgig]

my account number isn't 16 digits... :( only 14.. :(

[Markel]

Didn't work for me (Chicago area). :(

[mcs328]

They just sent me another letter basically saying the same thing. There's your account number (include the dashes) and some other long unique identifier that is 16 digits long that comes in the letter.

[Paterfamilias]

I live near the Seattle area. The local Comcast in my area supplies two "digital transport adapters" per account free of charge. I needed a third one and they charge $1.99 a month for the extra one. As for the card they send out in the mail with a promo code, it didn't work for me, just told me to call in on the phone. If you are wanting these adapters I would suggest calling in, or go to your local Comcast office.

[Dave365]

I live in NW metro Detroit and had to install a few of these boxes since 3 of my TV's are older and don't have a cable box. About 1/3 of the channels just stopped working and a screen is posted saying that this channel can't be accessed without a digital converter, etc.

Just installed them yesterday. The little box becomes your tuner and you set the TV to channel 3. I hooked up all 3 and "activated" them online via the comcast website. No big deal on the TV in the bedroom since it's just hooked to the cable and the basic remote is fine, but on another TV we have Wii, DVD/VCR player, etc. so I still need to keep the real remote handy to change inputs. I can handle it but I just know I'll be getting calls from home soon when things get screwed up after the kids change the channel on the TV, forget to turn on or off the VCR depending on the setup... bleh. I should just type up instructions and post them.

I'm not sure but it would seem if a TV was real new it should be able to tune in all basic channels without these boxes.