[villages07]

Comcast...the company you love to hate; but, their service is reliable. I was in someone's home during a modest thunderstorm and the Direct TV signal went out 3 times (short interruptions but annoying nonetheless).

I keep looking for a reason to dump Comcast and switch to direct/dish but so far I'm not convinced. I called Comcast up and threatened to switch and Comcast knocked $15 off my bill for the next 6 months. When that expires, I'll call them again.

In doing some internet research, I found that Comcast is doing a major network upgrade throughout the country called project Cavalry. I ran into a comcast tech a week ago and he said our area is due for this upgrade this month (September). This is supposed to significantly improve the quality of digital channels. Time will tell.

Not specific answers to your questions but some thoughts to consider.

For now, I'm sitting tight. The 2 year commitment that the dish/direct folks require (with pricey termination fees) scares me a bit.