Recent TWC High Definition Pixelation (2009, credit, how much)

[dedratermi]

Originally Posted by FLmom77

Has anybody had the wrong tv shows playing on a designated channel? For instance, my ABC HD channel is supposed to be Dancing with the stars and instead it plays Bones from Fox???? I go to the non-HD channel and DWTS is on....what is the deal??

We had that problem and my wife called TWC and they told her it was a problem with a weak signal. The explanation did not make any sense at all but they scheduled a tech to come out and investigate. When the tech showed up, he said the signals were fine and it was a problem with the box and they have been hearing this complaint frequently. So we got a new box and haven't seen the problem since (this was 1 week ago).

The Scientific American box that TWC uses is by far the crappiest piece of consumer electronics in use today.

[T|K]

Sounds like a similar problem that happened for 6+ months at my house until we switched to DirecTV. TWC had many service techs come out, but the issue would go away in the 3 days it took them to come, they did find out one time it was an issue, not a problem at my house but a neighborhood issue. Come to find out that the techs all know about the problem in our neighborhood, but the CS people on the phone never knew anything. I talked to quite a few techs in the 6 months when they would come out to the house.

[ApexIntruder]

Originally Posted by adlnc07

Nope, I'm not paying for any service plan - just for my programming. Just because they offer a plan doesn't mean it's required (or even needed!)

So even though their own website says there is a minimum $50 service call fee or you have to pay for the protection fee per month, you want us to believe they are only kidding and will cover everything for nothing?

Originally Posted by adlnc07

I own my equipment, and when it breaks (a Directv that isn't made any more), I'll just buy another used one off Craiglist or Ebay. Nice try though!

So now you say you have to re-purchase equipment when it breaks. That doesn't sound like it is covered then.

Originally Posted by adlnc07

Sorry to hear your TWC service isn't perfect any more though!

Ya, it's unfortunate. It reminds me of when we had Directv way back in the day. We had constant signal issues, drop outs and pixelation. That's why we went to cable. Now if cable is going to have the same crappy problems as satellite, we will be up the creek without a paddle.

[adlnc07]

Originally Posted by ApexIntruder

So even though their own website says there is a minimum $50 service call fee or you have to pay for the protection fee per month, you want us to believe they are only kidding and will cover everything for nothing?

Let me try this again - I don't pay a monthly protection fee and I didn't pay for my service call earlier this year. That's the extent of my knowledge of Directv repairs because I've only had to call them ONE TIME in ten years.

So now you say you have to re-purchase equipment when it breaks. That doesn't sound like it is covered then.

I use a Directivo model that was manufactured in 2003 so I don't expect it to be supported. I suppose if it broke, I could take my (free) Directv DVR out of my closet and hook it up, but I'm not willing to give up the Tivo interface. So I'll just spend $40 and buy another 7 year old Directivo, and press on.

Ya, it's unfortunate. It reminds me of when we had Directv way back in the day. We had constant signal issues, drop outs and pixelation. That's why we went to cable. Now if cable is going to have the same crappy problems as satellite, we will be up the creek without a paddle.

Well, you could always go to OTA - it's free, and you don't have to worry about service calls or equipment breaking! Might actually be a good solution for you, since you seem to have so much bad luck with both cable and satellite service.

[ApexIntruder]

Originally Posted by adlnc07

Well, you could always go to OTA - it's free, and you don't have to worry about service calls or equipment breaking! Might actually be a good solution for you, since you seem to have so much bad luck with both cable and satellite service.

To correct your misstatement, I have had bad luck with satellite and until the last month I have had excellent luck with cable. It is only in the last month or so that I have had trouble with the cable. But I do see the writing on the wall with the limitations cable companies have. I did think of OTA as you suggest, but I need to have ESPN, ESPN2, Speed, Fox News, Fox Business, TNT and HGTV in high def and I want it on 2 big screen televisions. That is where the problem is.

Now when I had satellite was back in the day when there was no such thing as high def. And where I had it was a part of the country that required an azimuth of 33.3 and here it would be 42. Maybe the combination of a higher angle, newer dish and better equipment would result in better results than what I had 10 or so years ago.

[geoff2v]

Originally Posted by ApexIntruder

So now you say you have to re-purchase equipment when it breaks. That doesn't sound like it is covered then.

Ummm, do you think TWC is giving you the box for free? It's bundled into whatever package deal you have. Want another box? It's not free. A digital box is $7.50 per month, every month. So yes if it breaks you get a new one, but you're paying every month for the service.

Cable used to brag that unlike satellite TV, you don't need a box. That's becoming more and more untrue.

[whiteboyslo]

we had pixelation on our TWC last weekend. accoring to to TWC (and i don't speak the lingo, but this is what they said), the problem was a weak node in our neighborhood causing poor signal strength. apparently, we were not the only ones complaining. the came out to the neighborhood, did something, and now all is good.

Mike

[ApexIntruder]

Originally Posted by geoff2v

Ummm, do you think TWC is giving you the box for free? It's bundled into whatever package deal you have. Want another box? It's not free. A digital box is $7.50 per month, every month. So yes if it breaks you get a new one, but you're paying every month for the service.

Cable used to brag that unlike satellite TV, you don't need a box. That's becoming more and more untrue.

True, but with satellite you also have to lease the box AND pay a fee for the protection program. It's listed on their fee schedule.

But in the end I think cable will run into more issues given their bandwidth limitations. It may be all downhill from here. It was a good run while it lasted.

[adlnc07]

Originally Posted by ApexIntruder

True, but with satellite you also have to lease the box AND pay a fee for the protection program. It's listed on their fee schedule.

Actually, if you lease the equipment and it fails, it's replaced at no charge. The protection plan is optional and covers other incidentals like cables and remote controls - frankly it sounds like one of those b.s. "wire protection plans" the phone company tries to sell you. I decline all that kind of junk automatically.

[geoff2v]

Originally Posted by ApexIntruder

True, but with satellite you also have to lease the box AND pay a fee for the protection program. It's listed on their fee schedule.

But in the end I think cable will run into more issues given their bandwidth limitations. It may be all downhill from here. It was a good run while it lasted.

Ahh for criminey's sake. I forgot about their lease fee, which morphis into an "Additional Equipment Fee" if you actually own the equipment. I take it back.

They've done good things increasing cable's bandwidth over the last few years, but yes, if digging/rewiring is required, it's more expensive even than adding a new satellite.