I gave good ol’ Comcast a little call to inquire about our situation. I was told that CLTV was on something they called “digital” but not on something called “analog.” (I know these are the right terms, but have no clue what they mean.)  Well, we had analog and they said they’d send someone out and the price would be the same.

A good man came to the house, installed “digital” and they set up two boxes, and while said good man Comcast was checking out the Comcast doo-hickey on the telephone pole, I thought I’d try CLTV — no CLTV. So, on his way by the house I mentioned it to him, and he said “Well, CLTV is not in your ‘box’.” I told him that was the only reason we changed, and so he gave the good folks at Comcast a call and soon entered the house.

Yes, you are right, he said, and I got the wrong order and so I need to install two different boxes. Which he did.

Then the fun began … Do you have any idea how complex this stuff is? (Kris and I both observed that plenty of folks have got to be totally bamboozled by this box and the new remote and all the stuff on it — ‘On Demand’ and ‘Exit’ and ‘Guide’ and other stuff … and then we learned that we pushed “On Demand” and nothing happened.)

So I called again, and they said I had to push “Cable” and she did her best to explain to me the difference between “cable” and “TV” but it really didn’t make sense. But, we can push “cable” and get “On Demand” and so now we’re set up.

I’m opting for a new option: Voice Activation Channel Choice (VACC!) I want to say “Cubs game” and get the Cubs game instead of pressing three or four or five buttons. And how about asking our TV a question like “What movies do you have stored in there?” and it comes up with a list of the movies?

And we still don’t have our DVD set up yet.  That will be yet another phone call. 

And this does not even tap into the HD issues … goodness, so many options.

Finally, Kris comments that even though we are no techies, we can more or less figure this stuff out after several phone calls.  But, she wonders, how in the world do our 80-something parents figure this out.  I don’t think they do.