Comcast digital conversion - Argh!

[Brian Elfert]

So, if I run an extension cord to your house and plug it into your outside outlet I'm not stealing electricity? You didn't have it locked, so I guess it was free for me to use.

There are many examples of neighbors splitting one cable feed to feed more than house or apartment. This is clearly stealing and the new digital system stops this. I suppose the neighbors could just pay for an extra cable box, but at least Comcast gets some revenue. Even if it was simple laziness on Comcast's part by not disconnecting cable feeds now they don't have to physically disconnect lines to shut off service. Not everyone who got service for "free" would pay for cable, but I'm sure a significant number will.

[Kevin W Johnson]

You guys, your analogies are flawed, plain and simple.

If YOU run and extension cord, YOU'RE connecting yourself. If you split your neighbors feed, you're connecting yourself. If you run a line out to the corner and tap in, you're connecting yourself. In those cases, yes you are stealing. If comcast doesn't disconnect the feed, it's on them, at that point they are giving it to you. Call the power company and turn off service, your lights are going out. Call and turn off the water, and see if you can still take a shower the next day.

[Matt Meiser]

It doesn't matter how you argue it its theft plain and simple.

[Kevin W Johnson]

It doesn't matter how you argue it its theft plain and simple.

Look at it how you wish. EVERY other "utility" or service that I'm aware of actually comes to the site to turn off a disconnected service. You can't just leave a service connected and then claim the new tenants/owners are stealing it.

Right, wrong, or indifferent, I personally don't care as I pay for mine. But for Comcast to claim people are stealing service that they are too lazy to turn off is wrong as well.

[Brian Elfert]

It essentially costs Comcast nothing to have a non-paying user on the system unless that user would otherwise pay for the service. One would assume Comcast only pays ESPN and other content providers based on the number of paying customers. Comcast doesn't pay those independent contractors much so it wouldn't cost them much to physically disconnect service.

Other utilities have real costs if they don't disconnect services due to non-payment. Power and water to a house typically aren't turned off when it is sold. The billing is simply transferred to the new owner.