Is there a Comcast-Verizon customer service agent here? :-)

[Grasswire2]

Here's the situation. I live in an apartment in a big house, one of two small apartments on the lower level. All the same address, all the utilities are shared. The owners live on the first and second levels. Comcast-Verizon is provided and included in the rent, for television and internet services.

For some reason, we, downstairs, do not get all the TV channels that are received upstairs. I particularly want TCM. The house gets that particular package, an extra sports-entertainment pkg. I've seen the cable bill. TCM doesn't show up on my downstairs remote. Nor does HBO or Showtime, which they get upstairs. There are likely other variables, too.

Why would that be? Same billing, all inclusive.

Do I need a different cable box? (I assume there's a rental charge for that. And maybe a technician visit. Ugh)

Any ideas?

PS When I pointed this out to my elderly landlady, she "discovered" TCM and is thrilled to have it.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. You may have a separate subscription with only the basics OR you dont have the right

box possibly.

Have you seen what the owners have as in equipment?

[Grasswire2]

2. we are all on the same bill, and it's included as are other utilities.

I do know that the upstairs have bigger remotes for their three televisions.

[Grasswire2]

3. for purposes of account or billing, it's like this is just another tv in another room of the house.

actually another room of our apartment also has a cable outlet, although it's not activated as far as I know.

[Lochloosa]

4. Request an updated box. Was the one you have there when you moved in?

[Grasswire2]

5. yes

Nine years with this box, which is small.

I wonder if an updated box will cost landlord extra $.

She is totally paranoid about Comcast and thinks she's getting ripped off all the time and is afraid of the service people.

[Eliot Rosewater]

6. Is there an office nearby? You can order them online also, likely it will cost $5 more a month

[Lochloosa]

8. I would guess that is the issue. 9 years is a long time for anything electronic.

[intrepidity]

7. Could the channel just be "hidden" somehow?

If you punch in the channel number, what happens?

[Grasswire2]

13. nuttin

Same with STARZ and HBO and SHOWTIME channel.

[intrepidity]

21. I'd reboot the cable box

If you can.

[Wounded Bear]

9. Sounds like the "building" account is basic or extended basic...

and the guys upstairs are paying for premium channels. That's how my apartment works. I get Comcast basic as a rent addon, but have to call Comcast to add any premium content.

Call your local provider. I'd bet they'd tell you exactly that.

[Generic Brad]

10. Thats how it worked in a condo I once lived in

I had 70 channels that were paid for through my condo dues. I paid extra for internet service, HD channels, and more channels.

[Grasswire2]

12. yeah, but was your mailing address the same address as the owner? nt

[Generic Brad]

14. Hmm. I owned my unit

The cable bill was a line item in the monthly dues for every homeowner in the complex. But I had my own account set up with Comcast for my internet, HD & extra channels.

[Grasswire2]

15. right

That's the difference.

It's not even a line item for me. Simply all utilities and services included in rent.

[Grasswire2]

11. No, they would never allow another account added at this address.

It's all one home. Everything is shared.

[Wounded Bear]

18. Did you ask? I would...

IAE, nobody here knows the particulars of your situation. Call the cable company. I'd bet you can add extra service to your unit.

[Grasswire2]

19. No. My landlady would never allow it.

And she's 86 years old and very suspicious of Comcast.

[LAS14]

16. Have you called Comcast? 1-800-COMCAST? You might need to use your landlady's ID info.

While they frequently make me crazy with their automated menus, etc., I usually do get a solution.

[Fla Dem]

17. I have 2 tv's get basic cable on one and upgraded on the other. I would have to pay more

to upgrade the additional tv's. It's not much, but I just don't need 2 tv's upgraded. So thinking your landlord is saving a few bucks each month by providing you with just the basic package. If you want more, ask them, but they'll probably raise your rent to cover the additional cost.

[Grasswire2]

20. yeah, that's likely the answer.

Would you need a different cable box for your second TV then? And remote?

[Fla Dem]

22. Yes.

[OriginalGeek]

23. 99.9999% sure it's your box

9 years is ancient. You can usually pick up a box at a local comcast store or they can mail you one. I doubt you need a technician to just install it but you may need Comcast to enable things remotely and you will probably have to get Homeowner's permission to make any changes AND an upgraded box will almost certainly cost more per month but I doubt it would be much.

Generally speaking, with regular cable, all channels are present at the junction into the house. The box filters out what you aren't allowed to have or what it can't get (like HD channels on an older box - you may be allowed to have them but an older box might not support them).

[Grasswire2]

24. I think I'll just have to give up on my quest for TCM.

Landlady is paranoid about Comcast. She thinks if we add something, they will probably screw up the service upstairs and hubby will lose his favorite sports channels. 86 years old and very afraid of needing to deal with matters not clearly understood. I may go across town to the Comcast store and ask in person.

Thanks for your input, sincerely.

[OriginalGeek]

25. Yeah, I understand

I never worked for Comcast but I was tech support for my grandpa. Luckily, even when he didn't understand a product or service, he listened to me . Got him from 14.4k dial-up through DSL to Dish eventually although I was trying to get him off the dish and onto real cable once it became available in his area. He liked the Dish though because he knew where to find golf and FSU football and that's all he cared about.

The folks at the store will be able to tell you exactly what you need to do and you can then figure out if you'll be able to convince the landlady lol. Best of luck!

I don't know if there is an online app version of TCM but you could look into that. If you have a smart tv connected to internet you may be able to see it that way without ever bothering the landlady. If you can get it on your computer or smart phone you can probably cast it to the TV. If your TV doesn't support that, great smart TVs have never been cheaper. (my friend just bought a 75" TV for half the price I paid for my 65" TV 2 years ago).

yeah, when you're at the Comcast store, ask then how you can enable this: http://www.tcm.com/watchtcm

Which Devices is Watch TCM available on?

Online at TCM.com/watch
iOS phones and tablets (iPads)
Android phones
Amazon Fire TV
Apple TV (4th generation)

[Grasswire2]

26. I have a chromecast device that was given to me (new) but ..

...haven't installed it. Keep forgetting to get a new memory card for it. I don't know if that would enable TCM as a workaround.

[OriginalGeek]

27. Chromecast and fireTV are similar products

but I haven't looked at a Chromecast device since before they had Hi-Def capabilities. It isn't specifically mentioned in the list of supported devices so I wouldn't count on it but it can't hurt to try. BUT if you have a newer smartphone and your TV Supports it, you can cast directly from the phone to the TV. Wouldn't need Chromecast or FireTV. If you can play the video on your phone you can see it on TV. My daughter watches youtube videos all the time on the big TV, streaming it from her phone.

[Grasswire2]

31. hmm youtube, streaming

I also have amazon prime and know there's some availability for free video but no idea how to access that on the smart tv

It's all pretty confusing. So many ways.

[hunter]

30. Our oldest child & spouse use Chromecast exclusively for their television.

No cable, no broadcast, no satellite... just a crazy fast fiber internet connection which is one of the perks of living in a big city.

I don't know if they get TCM, but they do subscribe to Netflix and a few other streaming services.

My wife and I likewise don't suffer any traditional television. We watch Netflix over an inexpensive DSL line. Netflix is $8.99 a month. We'd have the internet connection anyways since my wife and I both use it for work.

I guess we are not big television watchers. We don't run out of things to watch on Netflix. We also rent movies from the local Redbox or buy DVDs at thrift stores. (Sigh, all our thrift stores are still closed by the coronavirus.)

We quit Comcast a long time ago, years before they offered any internet services. I think I got irritated with them when they raised the rate to $40. We'd started out paying $20.

I found this about watching TCM over the internet:

https://cordcutting.com/how-to-watch/tcm/

Going to the TCM website it seems you can also stream them just for telling them which cable or satellite service you subscribe to.

[whistler162]

28. Yes....please hold for the next available representative

[Grasswire2]

29. hahahaha nt