G4 & Comcast: Are You F&%King Kidding Me?

[Jakson]

Very few issues with ComCast in Oregon too. In the last 3 years I can recall 2 outages, neither lasted more then 15 mins, and one was due to a neighborhood wide power outage when a car hit a pole. not sure what to tell ya...

Yeah, never have any problems with Comcast here in Oregon either.

As far as the content goes, although I hat it when G4 airs stupid shit like Cops and Cheaters, if somebody held a gun to my head and forced me to watch some type of entertainment channel (as opposed to educational), I'd probably pick G4, simply because they have the largest percentage of non-shitty programming (which is probably like 10% maybe). I don't watch tv at all though.

[Pergo]

I've had problems with comcast, but nothing ever enough to make me hate the ISP. I also work for them, so aside from having my issues with their corporate system, I don't really have anything horrible to say about them that can't be said about other ISPs.

Just because G4 doesn't meet your standards doesn't mean it's a bad network. Since they don't have any competition, it's probably why they're content with the type of coverage they give. I'm sure if there was a profitable and competitive market for videogame television networks, someone would've jumped on that. Maybe there is and it's being overlooked? Maybe someone could get on that then?

Also, moving this to general discussion, if someone wants to move it somewhere else, thats cool

[thestalkmore]

erruh....

[Sol-Blackguy]

Had Comcast for almost a year and could only get (on and stay on) FFXI consistently for 4 months out of that year. After I moved to an area with no Comcast, I literally shat a brick when I found out their stunt double, Cox Communications had everything on lock down. Eventually, FIOS put them in their place, but I got stories to tell. I used to get the same bull about something being wrong with the server, my Ps2 being "broken," and who cares about your game? Hell, the cable guy even tried to steal my iPod.

I never knew G4 was part of the same beast, but they used to be so much better 2000-2006. Now everything makes sense, but how far do you want to take this? 4Chan, /b/, and /v/ could probably do some serious damage, but how do you get the internet hate machine rolling? Is there an anonymous signal or something?

[TheShadyMan]

If they assume gamers are immature jerks, who enjoy talking down to other people .... (considers his bashing of the TV host, hmm, well) ...then, sure, they have an imitation of the demographic down cold. Some of us like a modicum of wit and intellect when we hear a "news" program, or at least humor that isn't straight out of fifth grade.

To be fair, I don't expect anything from G4, insofar as G4 doesn't owe me anything. I don't watch television through a television.


That's a really good idea. And people today are generally producers of content rather than just consumers. So until someone else does it, the best I can do is ... organize someone to do it. So, let's go! Who else wants to help?

Organize someone to do it? As in stand around and tell people what to do? I'll do it. I'll do it with a ferocity that would make the Egyptians look like bitches.

[Tythera]

All I want is some connection without capped faggotry. I'd even pay extra for it within reason over the regular, but I don't think that exists around here since it's Comcast or AT&T U-verse and that's it. Wish I was up in Fort Wayne, only part of Indiana with FiOS

[Devek]

FFXI plays better over dialup than with comcat, seriously try it.

[Thistle]

So much rage

What he said.

[Deftscythe]

I really don't understand the problem. If you don't like how G4 talks about a game or it's fans, don't watch.

[Ikith]

Comcast is rock solid up here of course if I have problems I do have comcast reps on twitter just a DM away

[Pikarya]

lolG4. Who the fuck watches that shit?

[Ratatapa]

i do the still pass old N64 shows!



[/sarcasm]



EDIT : 1000 POSTS! go me

[Aniero]

One of the things that's being overlooked (and one of the more sinister (lol yes sinister) parts of this whole issue) is what Comcast is attempting to block on their service and the issue of net neutrality. If it was just the G4 & Comcast=shitty ISP issue, I don't think I'd be as vocal as I am about it.

If you are not familiar with net neutrality, here's the definition:

Network neutrality (equivalently net neutrality, Internet neutrality) is a principle proposed for residential broadband networks and potentially for all networks. A neutral broadband network is one that is free of restrictions on content, sites, or platforms, on the kinds of equipment that may be attached, and on the modes of communication allowed, as well as one where communication is not unreasonably degraded by other communication streams (Network neutrality - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Now, for those of us with Comcast ISP we've seen crippling connection rates when attempting to download any Torrent, use a P2P service, or even a legit downloading service like iTunes or Zune. Now, I'm not some kind of pirate, I don't download illegal software, music or movies. I'm a 7 year media professional that uses Torrents to transfer large, uncompressed media files (mostly audio, my work is primarily radio and music mixing) between my work computer and my home computer. As, I'm sure you can tell, this is no longer viable for me to do. Additionally, because of their intentional gimping of their own networks, things like the Zune Marketplace get misdiagnosed by their network as P2P and therefore blocked. If I want music, I have to use my works connection to even buy it. (further details see Comcast really does block BitTorrent traffic after all | Politics and Law - CNET News)

My personal grievances aside, this presents an interesting point. If Comcast can start blocking data based on method of distribution, whats to stop them form further blocking sites and effectively censoring the net? It's one of those things like "if it starts here, where will it stop"? Yes, I fully realize that they would have to go to court and be seen by the panel of FCC commissioners....oh wait...that's right...that happened already!

Quote from Marvin Ammori, from the general counsel for Free Press "This hearing is not about some technical details of managing networks," Ammori began, "it's about the future of online television and about the future of the Internet. The facts aren't even disputed. Comcast is deliberately targeting and interfering with legal peer-to-peer technology, like BitTorrent and others." (Comcast, net neutrality advocates clash at FCC hearing - Ars Technica)

Comcast also stacked the court audience with Comcast employees when the court heard opinions from the audience, effectively trying to drive out dissenting voices. I don't know about you, but that seems underhanded to me.

Look, I know it's pretty extreme to jump from blocking BitTorrent to censoring the internet, but if no one even try's to speak out against it, whose to say it won't happen? In the 90's the Clinton administration tried to apply broadcast standards (indecency and obscenity) to the internet! Can you imagine if that went through? Any thread on the board that could be labels [NSFW] could also be considered legally indecent, and quite frankly that scares the shit out of me.

The internet is the last bastion of true free speech. Isn't that worth fighting for?

[ZarakiKujata]

lolG4. Who the fuck watches that shit?

my roommate.

Best part is, outside of WoW? he doesnt even play video games.

edit: also when I lived in Massachusetts, I had comcast in my apartment, outside of them blowing off the final uninstall appointment thus forcing me to go to them to return my modem/box I can't particularly complain too much about the service.

[Illek♫]

The internet is the last bastion of true free speech. Isn't that worth fighting for?

http://www.hackthematrix.org/matrix/.../zion/apus.jpg
But seriously I compleatly agree. I'm not in the USA but a ISP over here is taking a three stikes and you're out stance against torrenting cd's and the like, which is protecting rights and i'm ok with that. But how do they filter it all out properly without someone checking every download :s

[Khamsin]

Very few issues with ComCast in Oregon too. In the last 3 years I can recall 2 outages, neither lasted more then 15 mins, and one was due to a neighborhood wide power outage when a car hit a pole. not sure what to tell ya...

As far as G4... did you really expect more from them? However, now that you've mentioned it, the way the hosts speak, and their attitude toward everything (not just FFXI) reminds me of a LOT of gamers attitudes in general, that I know anyway - maybe they know their demographic TOO well (and you're just not part of it?). Maybe someday their will be a mature sophisticated gaming program that offers usable information, until then... what can you do?

Never had any issues with Comcast in Washington, either. And I like G4, for Unbeatable Bukkake and Ninja Warrior.

[Okan]

I like Olivia Munn...

And the guy is probably right. SE sucks with providing information and only let's out very little bit. Count it as a blessing or a curse.

And for WA, Comcast's HQ is based in south Everett and they actually have a pretty good reputation up here. I have lived in other places they sucked though (the south, typically). They really do focus on customer service up here and service reps are told to do first call resolutions more so than fast call times meaning you can talk to them for 4 hours if that is how long it takes to get your shit fixed instead of them telling you it's your problem and hanging up in 5 minutes.

[Khamsin]

I like Olivia Munn...

And the guy is probably right. SE sucks with providing information and only let's out very little bit. Count it as a blessing or a curse.

And for WA, Comcast's HQ is based in south Everett and they actually have a pretty good reputation up here. I have lived in other places they sucked though (the south, typically). They really do focus on customer service up here and service reps are told to do first call resolutions more so than fast call times meaning you can talk to them for 4 hours if that is how long it takes to get your shit fixed instead of them telling you it's your problem and hanging up in 5 minutes.

Plus, on the rare occurrence that my internet connection is down, usually at like 3am on a weekday, I call and they apologize, say it'll only be a short time longer, and credit me for more downtime than I actually had on my bill.

Whole call lasts like 5 min. And the connection usually goes back up shortly thereafter, too. Maybe it's just maintenance or something.

[Mithroy]

I used to work for comcast and I can tell you a little bit of inside info. They buyout cable companys and move into thier cable lines like a host. Each area is self governed an maintained by people living in your area. The actual speed of the internet is based on the lines they moved in on or have replaced. The do have a guideing hand from corperate but are mostly ran internally. Also it should be noted the southern washington (vancouver) is actually part of the oregon area and not the seattle office. I can only speak for the oregon office and say the people working there try really hard to keep things running smoothly. It is very often that peoples install/uninstalls are late or cancelled, but comcast subcontracts to other people and the subcontractors are paid by job not by the hour.

[Tythera]

Yeah, I can definitely attest to the internet being based on what they moved in to. They took over Insight early 2008 and it's still significantly better than Comcast that I had up in two cities in Michigan. I tend to cap out around 2 MB/s down and 220k/s up, whereas before I was lucky to get 35 k/s up.