My experience with the worlds worst provider
April 19, 2005
I was re-reading some old posts and...
back in January I mused that my problems with Cablevision would continue. Well, it is now April 19, and I have had no problems. Interestingly enough, yesterday, channel 2 (CBS) had a strange color vertical color band on the left side of the screen. This was on DirecTV (satellite). The high def cable channel was perfect. A first for cablevision --> cable good - satellite bad. These truly are strange times we live in.
Posted by pmadsen at 08:35 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 16, 2005
It is fixed
Not that Cablevision informed me that someone was at the house, but a
recent check of the lower channels shows a much improved picture
(though not nearly as good as satellite). So, for the time being I
will say that the cable issue has been resolved. Not to be a jerk about
it, but, lets see how long it lasts.
Posted by pmadsen at 03:27 PM
January 06, 2005
Cablevision has to be the most...
screwed up company on the planet. Lets review. They install cable in my house, and the picture sucks. The technician says the problem is at the street, and someone else has to fix it, since he is an inside guy not an outside guy. So an outside guy (plant services in Cablevision lingo) comes to my house and "fixes" it. I come home and the picture is worse. Cablevision sends a different technician to my house who performs a series of tests, and the results are mind blowing. The problem apparently is at the street (am I crazy or didn't they tell me it was already fixed), and since he is an inside guy, not an outside guy, someone else will have to come in a couple of days. Oh, by the way I had to leave work at 1:30 since "someone will need to be home".
So, Cablevision, in an attempt to "win me back" turned cable back on, on 12/31/2004. On 1/3/2004 they "fixed' the problem in the street, and on 1/6/2004 they informed that they "didn't fix" the problem in the street. In less then one week they have had 3 technicians here who cannot seem to agree to, or be able to, execute a solution
You might find this slightly interesting. In my conversation with the technician on the 3rd visit, I was informed that the there is a splitter inside the cable box that splits the analog and digital signals. This split causes all the analog channels (all the basic cable channels) to have a really bad picture; but the engineers know this and they are working on a fix. Presumably if their fix is as good as the fix on my street, everyone with a cable box better learn to live with a really crappy picture.
The good news of the week however, has to be DirecTv's announcement at CES that they will be broadcasting all the local HD channels in the New York area by mid 2005. So, I will be spending the money to upgrade my DirecTv equipment, and dumping Cablevision.
Like I said, Cablevision has to be the most screwed up company in the world. If I could get DSL in my area I would dump my cable modem, and never give them another penny.
Posted by pmadsen at 03:05 PM
January 04, 2005
Update to the Cablevision saga
Originally Cablevision was going to come on Sunday to correct the issue. Well, that didn't happen, but they did come yesterday morning - Monday for those of you keeping score.I came home last night from work, pretty much feeling like crap. I am battling a sinus and head cold thing. Even though I was not feeling good, I decided to check the picture quality. Imagine my surprise, when I noticed the picture had actually gotten worse.
Well, I called customer service this morning. After the first operator hung up on me - no I did not curse, scream or even raise my voice - I think she just pushed the wrong button, I was connected to a very nice woman who listened to my story. She agreed that Cablevision was not "winning me back". She reviewed my service record, and informed me that the techs where at my house, and they replaced the tap - whatever that is.
So, after being on hold for a few minutes, she told me that the technicians would come back to the house on Thursday between 2 and 5, and oh by the way, someone will have to be home, because they will check inside the house as well. So now I will have to take the afternoon off.
The worst part of this, is the fact that my HDTV picture is amazing, it is all the other channels that are just God awful. I am hooked on HDTV, and just want this resolved, but Cablevision is just an absoulte nightmare, and I might have to cancel the whole thins and spend the money to go with DirecTv.Sympathy from the album "Live In Buffalo - July 4th, 2004" by The Goo Goo Dolls
Posted by pmadsen at 03:06 PM
December 31, 2004
I knew it, I knew it, I knew it...
Friday, 31 December 2004
Well, I knew it. Somethings never change, and Cablevision is one of them. As you know (or not), I wanted to add High Def to my TV. I had switched to DirecTv a long time ago, after spending way to much time dealing with Cablevision. After looking into my options with regards to HD and DirctTv, and reviewing Cablevisions win back program, I determined that economically it was cheaper to go with Cablevision. I called them, they sent a sales rep, who vey politely explained my options.
I scheduled an installation for today (Friday 12/31) between 8 and 11 am. The installer showed up at 9:00 am with box in hand. So far, so good. I explained what we where doing, and he proceeded to do the hookups. My wife has a small TV in her studio, and since she missed getting the local news, we decided to hook that TV up with basic cable - no box. The installer hooked that up, and I immediately noticed that the picture was quite bad. The installer agreed, and checked and replaced some connections and proceeded to hook up the cable box on the main television. When this was done, I again commented that the picture was crap, and I started to get that sinking feeling in my stomach, that things where not going to get better.
The installer did some checking, and reported that I was getting a very low signal in the house, and he was going to go outside and check a few things. A few minutes later he returned, and reported that the problem was indeed outside. Unfortunately (you saw that coming didn't you), he only works inside, and could not do anything to help me, except schedule a different service person to come to the house, which he did. So, now I have a new cable box, I am paying for cable, and a really bad picture. The worst part, is the HD picture is so completely underwhelming, that I am questioning the whole thing. He promised that someone would come before the weekend was over, and no, I don't need to be home, but it would be better if I was...
I knew it, I knew it, I knew it...
Posted by pmadsen at 02:00 PM
December 27, 2004
Cablevision Wins Me Back (Sort Of)
Monday, 27 December 2004
Well, after a year and a half of swearing I would never go back to cablevision, I have just signed up for their silver package...I am a (somewhat) happy Direct Tv customer, and a hater of cablevision. People who know me are probably shocked to read this, but the allure of HDTV has won me over. I have wanted to have HDTV since I bought my Sony HiDef ready TV 2 years ago. But have never really been able to find the right deal.
DirecTv offers HDTV for $11.00 a month, plus $299.00 for the receiver. That equals $431.00 for one year. Cablevision gives me HiDef, my cable modem and a bunch of HBO's for $80 a month. Take the $50 away I pay for cable modem that leaves $30 a month or $360 for the year. So I am up $60 or $5 a month by going back. So it really comes down to simple economics. Of course I am only getting this price for 1 year, but at least I'll have it. As far as installation is concerned, I will be up and running on New Years Eve by 11am. Stay tuned.
The key to all of this, is that I am keeping DirectTv, but will cancel HBO, and the other prmium channels that I will now get from cablevision. In all honesty we never watch these anyway. I also get to keep my DirecTv TIVO, which I cannot live without.
So all in all, I am giving Cablevision one last try, but if it all goes wrong again, then I am done for good.
Posted by pmadsen at 02:50 PM
