# Does anyone have the $79 Comcast Blast Plus package with Tivo?



## saigerino (Feb 24, 2013)

Howdy,
I'm new to Tivo and have a few questions.
I'm thinking about downgrading to this "Comcast Blast Plus" package using a Tivo Premiere. Is it possible to get this package for the listed $79 plus tax? 
Is this Blast package charged a HD access fee?
Does the Tivo require any kind of Digital or STD adapter box with this package. 
Thanks for the help!
Saige

The details of the Blast Package:
*Requires subscription to Blast Plus with Digital Economy TV service and Blast!® Internet service. Pricing subject to change. TV and Internet service limited to a single outlet. Equipment, installation, taxes and franchise fees extra. TV: Basic service subscription required to receive other levels of service.*


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

I have the $80 double play that includes Digital Preferred (all channels) and Blast internet, which is currently about 36/6 up/down here. No HD tech fee, no boxes are ever required on any package.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

saigerino said:


> Howdy,
> I'm new to Tivo and have a few questions.
> I'm thinking about downgrading to this "Comcast Blast Plus" package using a Tivo Premiere. Is it possible to get this package for the listed $79 plus tax?
> Is this Blast package charged a HD access fee?
> ...


Nobody can give you Comcast pricing for extra stuff as it can be different in the same Comcast area, only talking to your Comcast sales rep can get you the information, and that may turn out incorrect, so ask for the rep employee number.
OH! and if you can get a good deal sign up for two years.


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

slowbiscuit said:


> I have the $80 double play that includes Digital Preferred (all channels) and Blast internet, which is currently about 36/6 up/down here. No HD tech fee, no boxes are ever required on any package.


I'm guessing there must be another source in your area competing with them for your price to be that low.


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## javabird (Oct 13, 2006)

saigerino said:


> Howdy,
> I'm new to Tivo and have a few questions.
> I'm thinking about downgrading to this "Comcast Blast Plus" package using a Tivo Premiere. Is it possible to get this package for the listed $79 plus tax?
> Is this Blast package charged a HD access fee?
> ...


I just downgraded to this package to save some money--I previously had the Digital Preferred Tier. I have a TivoHD with a cable card (one M-card), which substitutes for the cable box so no extra adapter is needed for the TV.


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## saigerino (Feb 24, 2013)

Thanks for the responses! I'll save about $50 moving from my bundled digital starter package / internet plus a DVR to this "Blast Package". 
Used Tivo premieres with lifetime subscription are going about $450-$500 on Ebay. 10 months and pays for itself. Winner winner chicken dinner!
Saige


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## klambert (Dec 2, 2005)

Perhaps I am unduly negative, but I believe you'll find that offer is for new customers only.


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## SNJpage1 (May 25, 2006)

Usually they will charge an additional $10 a month for an existing customer who is changing packages. I just went thru that this week.


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## javabird (Oct 13, 2006)

klambert said:


> Perhaps I am unduly negative, but I believe you'll find that offer is for new customers only.


Actually, in my area (Seattle/King County) it is a regular option on the billing statement that lists all the package choices.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

saigerino said:


> Thanks for the responses! I'll save about $50 moving from my bundled digital starter package / internet plus a DVR to this "Blast Package".
> Used Tivo premieres with lifetime subscription are going about $450-$500 on Ebay. 10 months and pays for itself. Winner winner chicken dinner!
> Saige


That package is not the full cable package. It's digital economy, which doesn't include ESPN, RSNs, and seems to randomly include and not include cable channels. It's not a clear split like it has cable channels but not sports, it looks like someone threw darts at a wall of channel logos to select what's in it.


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## javabird (Oct 13, 2006)

The channels it includes are clearly listed under the Digital Economy section of the price list. If you don't care about sports or the extra channels in Digital Preferred, it may suit you just fine. I don't watch sports and I haven't missed any of the channels since I downgraded. ( I might miss having Sons of Anarchy in the fall, but I can get that through my Apple TV.)


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

javabird said:


> The channels it includes are clearly listed under the Digital Economy section of the price list. If you don't care about sports or the extra channels in Digital Preferred, it may suit you just fine. I don't watch sports and I haven't missed any of the channels since I downgraded. ( I might miss having Sons of Anarchy in the fall, but I can get that through my Apple TV.)


If you can deal with the channel lineup, then fine, but it's not like they just cut the sports out. They randomly cut cable channels out with no rhyme or reason. Comcast made that package not to be a serious option, but to say that they have something that's not $63/mo before HD and DVR fees.


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## anthem11 (May 15, 2012)

I'm considering switching to the Blast+ service (we're moving to a new home in another Comcast service area so I'm going to close our current account and open a new one). We're spending way too much on digital preferred with HBO and 20Mbps service with my TiVo Premiere. I was looking at just cutting the cord and going straight internet with Hulu+ and Netflix and OTA, but this seems like another option. I just have a few questions to anyone who has done this:

Does the Xfinity TiVo app still work?
Is there an additional HD service fee?


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

The app still works but only if you are on a Motorola system I believe, and even then it's a limited rollout (still not available in the ATL frex).

The HD tech fee is entirely YMMV - some areas charge it, some don't, even if you don't use their boxes. Mine doesn't.


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## buscuitboy (Aug 8, 2005)

klambert said:


> Perhaps I am unduly negative, but I believe you'll find that offer is for new customers only.


You would think so and it pretty much states "for new customers only" on their website, but I too have been getting the $79 double play package too. This is for Preferred cable TV and Performance internet. Several years now. The key is to threaten to drop Comcast if they can't get you a "deal". They almost ALWAYS somehow and miraculously find this deal is available to me.

Not only this, but I have found a local rep who is somehow able to make my Tivo cable card charges a $1.50/month for each card. No additional "outlet fees" of any kind for each card either. I currently have 5 cable cards and they are ALL showing up on my bill as $1.50/month for each one. This of course can be hit or miss in each market (hell, even hit or miss with each rep within a market) so I wouldn't depend on this. Only really know that the first cable card is free (if you don't have a box). That seems to be the ONLY thing consistent with Comcast.



unitron said:


> I'm guessing there must be another source in your area competing with them for your price to be that low.


I only have Uverse in my area. Does that count?


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## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

I was offered this package when I called to lower my bill. To me it wasn't worth it because of the Economy cable. I have Digital Preferred promo'd at $69.99/month and I downgraded to Economy internet for $25/month. So for $15 more per month I get a ton more channels and haven't noticed any difference in internet speeds between economy and performance for basic net surfing.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Economy Internet is SLOW. 6mbps maybe? Blast! is 50, which actually means 60.

XoD is being rolled out on some SA systems, but it is way behind where it is on Moto systems, because it was only on Moto systems for a while.


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## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

Bigg said:


> Economy Internet is SLOW. 6mbps maybe? Blast! is 50, which actually means 60.


Works fine for what I need. Having Blast would be like using a Ferrari to go to the grocery store.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

WhiskeyTango said:


> Works fine for what I need. Having Blast would be like using a Ferrari to go to the grocery store.


No, 6mbps is like driving a vespa 10 miles away to the grocery. It's a terrible experience. Even Comcast's typical plan is 20mbps. That puts 6 to shame.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

I think mine is slightly different than what was mentioned originally.. but I am technically(*) a subscriber to the $79 Blast package.

(*) I say technically, since it's in my new house that I'm not yet moved into, mostly because I couldn't get the cable set up completely last weekend (I had only brought one Tivo for that exact situation -- an easy way to 'undo' if installation took longer than I thought).

ANYWAY, it's *basically* the same as what was listed online, but was sent via snail mail. The differences I remember are, (1) it's NOT a 2 year contract, and (2) Blast, HBO, & StreamPix are included for a YEAR. IIRC, HBO is for less than a year in the SIMILAR package that _averages_ to $75/month for 2 year contract. The price is guaranteed for 1 year.

I had some probs setting up a cablecard in my Tivo HD (actually, seemingly similar probs to what I'm having at home -- but I didn't bother trying to fix it there since I knew I was moving -- and I may eventually ask in the cable card thread)... and they had to do new connections to even get the net part set up.. so I delayed full deployment until this weekend.


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

WhiskeyTango said:


> Works fine for what I need. Having Blast would be like using a Ferrari to go to the grocery store.


I agree. I have 6mbs DSL service at home and Gbit service at the office (limited by network hardware in the building, the line into the building is 50Gbit currently) I can move files on the office line across the globe and easily hit 450Mbit sustained speeds. I cannot do that to my own NAS at home.

However, typical web surfing is actually faster at home. This is likely due to content filters we use at the office but the point is, for anything other than large file transfers, there is little user difference.

To each their own, but I get far more value for my bandwidth dollar with the service I have, and still get all the content desired. We do not stream video. At all. and its not allowed on the company network other than for video teleconferences.


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## moedaman (Aug 21, 2012)

I've looked over Blast Plus in my area and I must say it would be a perfect compliment to my Dish service. Blast internet alone is $74.99; so for $5 more you get HBO, Streampix, some cable channels and the first box is free. And since I would be a new customer, I would only pay $49.99 the first six months. In my area HBO and Streampix comes standard in the package, HD is another $9.95 though. 

The only problem I have (well my wife actually) is that we would have to deal with Comcast. My mom use to have and my mother-in-law currently has Comcast. They are a real pain to deal with if there are any questions or problems.


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## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

Bigg said:


> It's a terrible experience.


Not for me. I've noticed absolutely no difference between the Economy speeds and Performance speeds when surfing the internet.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

WhiskeyTango said:


> Not for me. I've noticed absolutely no difference between the Economy speeds and Performance speeds when surfing the internet.


Just about anything will work for web surfing. That's not the point. It's about big downloads. I can pull huge files down very quickly. Software updates are nearly instantaneous. YouTube 1080p (sometimes) loads really, really fast. And when I'm watching a movie through VUDU, I am using up to 10mbps sustained.


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## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

Bigg said:


> Just about anything will work for web surfing. That's not the point. It's about big downloads. I can pull huge files down very quickly. Software updates are nearly instantaneous. YouTube 1080p (sometimes) loads really, really fast. And when I'm watching a movie through VUDU, I am using up to 10mbps sustained.


That IS the point. I don't do big downloads so Economy works for me. So in my case, getting the Blast package with fewer channels and faster internet was not a good choice


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

But you don't understand, if Bigg wants it everyone should.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

WhiskeyTango said:


> That IS the point. I don't do big downloads so Economy works for me. So in my case, getting the Blast package with fewer channels and faster internet was not a good choice


How do you not do big downloads? In this day in age, just updating TomTom on the iPhone is a ~1.3GB exercise. Android apps are coming in at 20+ MB. HD video can be hundreds of MB just for short videos. A new version of Mac OS is 5GB+. Podcasts can be dozens of MB each.

A lot of people don't really need Blast!, but everyone benefits greatly from at least a decent level of service, like Comcast's 20mbps package. Everyone would benefit from Blast! at some level, as long as their local network can keep up.


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