Q A friend has an old CD player. Some purchased CDs play on his player and some don't. I told him that it is some type of compatibility issue and that the best remedy is just to buy a new CD player. He thinks that there is another solution and that you might know of it.
A He can try cleaning the lens with a CD laser lens cleaner. If the CDs are scratched, buffing the scratches out might fix the problem. Given his player's age, though, I like your idea best. Getting a new player is the surest and most hassle-free path to success.
Comcast closure There has been confusion among readers who missed previous columns discussing a Comcast cable A/B switch and its purpose.
The A/B switch cannot be used to eliminate the cable box (and rental fees) if you subscribe to a digital tier of service. The A/B switch is used by basic cable subscribers to watch local HDTV stations, which are not supported by a basic cable converter box. The switch allows viewers to select either the TV tuner or the converter box. The TV's built-in QAM tuner is used to watch local HDTV stations. The basic cable converter box is used to watch everything else.
If you have digital service but do not rent a box for every TV in the home, you still might find an A/B switch useful, because it will allow you to watch local HDTV channels on the televisions without a premium-priced box.
Comcast spokesman Robert Grove says most of Comcast's subscribers have digital or HDTV service, so they do not need the box; the number of customers who can actually benefit from the box is a small percentage.
He apologized for the issues encountered by customers who contacted me, explaining that Comcast has thousands of reps and not all of them might be aware of the A/B switch program, and that they are working on getting the word out.
He pledged to make sure that anyone who asks for an A/B switch will get one. I told him I will continue to contact him when I hear from readers who are unable to get one through normal Comcast customer service channels.
