Originally Posted By CrouchingTigger Here's the sitch': Time Warner Cable, in their never ending quest to provide less service for more money, is moving several channels from the analog range (which we subscribe to) up into the digital-only channel range. Among those channels are TCM and the Travel Channel. There goes about half the programming we watch on TV. This is worse that when they did a similar thing with Animal Planet (no Puppy Bowl!) a year or so ago. We also have our internet access through Time Warner (Roadrunner). So, here are the options as I see them: 1) Stay where we are - I think about $90/mo for analog cable and internet. After an appropriate mourning period, find new channels to watch. 2) Subscribe to digital cable - basically the same price, except that you also have to rent the digital cable decoder box from TW for $5/mo. (We've only got one TV currently, so multiple decoder boxes aren't an issue -- YET.) 3) Change over to satellite. Switch internet access to DSL (or pay a big premium to TW for not subscribing to cable). 4) Fergit all this high tech stuff! Broadcast TV was good enough for my granddad! So what if we can only get 4 channels (on a good day) where we live! The internet is a passing fad anyways. Suggestions?
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb Does Time/Warner offer a DVR option with a digital decoder ring (err box)? The DVR may make the extra $$ worth it (I'm LOVING DVR, so much better than using up tapes in a VCR)
Originally Posted By lilprincess Time Warner does have the DVR, and I think you get a better deal with the cable and internet....and a discount for having both. The packages are not bad, and you get most of the channels. All cable companies are trying to get everyone on digital. In fact with Adelphia, it was cheaper to get digital than analog cable, so everyone would switch over.
Originally Posted By lilprincess It's also about the same for internet and digital cablle, and about $10 more for the DVR per month. I think it's worth it.
Originally Posted By JazzCat At one time we had cable. We had so many problems it drove us crazy! Then, about eight years ago we switched to satellite. We absolutely endorse it 100%!! We rarely have problems and they have kept the costs lower than cable. We had the top 120 but realized that we could save $10 a month and afford to lose channels we rarely watched. We have the top 60 plus five different stations of the former WB channel. (We didn't have one locally and we were/are big "Buffy", "Angel", "Charmed", "Gilmore Girls" etc... fans.) You can get the top 120 for about $40 a month which includes the stations you mentioned. The only (slight) drawback is the "box" you have to purchase, but you can probably get a good deal. Good luck on your decision!
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I am sold on the DishNetwork satellite. It's far better than when I had cable. Excellent picture and sound (except when there is a *really* bad storm), all the channels I want, Sirius music channels, and DVR.
Originally Posted By Big Thunder well, I cant speak about Time Warner, but we had Charter Cable for years. I remember years ago we had analog and they kept trying to push digital on me. I too owned my own cable box back then. Same as you CT, I didn't want to pay rental fee for new box nor buy a new one. Eventually they said "no more analog, switch to digital or quit" I went for the okie doke and got their digital package, we didn't see a difference in quality except we liked the menu guide features and the extra channels with the digital set up. Long story... after they made me switch to digital "for no extra charge" I got into a bill dispute with Charter, they wanted to charge me an installation fee for switching, they admitted that was an error but it became a big peeing match that went on for months, it was one of those "principles" issues I stood my ground on. I would pay my monthly bill but deduct whatever part was in error, they'd shut off cable, I'd call and fight, they'd turn it back on, then we'd go through it again next month. One day they came in my house via the baby sitter who let them in and took my cable box hostage saying that I was seriously past due. They were partially right, I wasn't paying their silly erroneous installation fee that they billed me in error, I called and asked... "what the ____??" They were very unfriendly about it all and said I now owe them a reconnect fee plus 3 months advance payment if I wanted service to resume. I said "ya know what, keep yur stupid box" I think their $49 installation fee that was being billed in error is still on my credit report as a collection, I cant say it strongly enough I HATE Charter Communications. So one day a guy knocks on door offering Dish network with a sweet new customer intro package, I said "OK" and signed up. I liked that satellite was cheaper than cable, but must admit I liked cable better as far as how the menu and onscreen guide worked. But it was not all that much different, just a bit slower to respond, and Dish needs to upload info every few days, you'll change channels and all of a sudden you get a dialog message that says "be patient while Dish uploads new info to your system" [or something like that] it's kind of annoying, sometimes took 3 or 4 minutes to upload before I could resume viewing any TV. So a few months ago we move. I saw adds that Dish offers free DVR and up to 4 boxes per house. I said "I only got one box [non DVR] how do I get a DVR?" They said "you buy one" I said but I see your adds for new customers that you get one free, I'm thinking of upgrading to HD service plus a more expensive package, can we work something out?" they said ... "NO, thats only for new customers" [I guess not for loyal paying customers though?] I said 'well I am moving to a new house and will sign on as a new customer and sign a new contract if that heps" they said "no... it's for NEW customers only" I said "OK so howabout I quit and sign back up again, then I'd be new right?" they said "no, a new customer is one who has never used our service before.. ever!" I said, 'but your competitor will take me as a new customer and they will give that deal" they said "well we wont unless you are new" So I said "fine, I quit anyway, never mind the DVR, maybe Selectv will help me?" They did, I signed up for Select TV, got more channels plus they ones that Dish dropped that my daughter liked [some women's channel thing] I had the choice of a free HDTV reciever or a DVR, I took the DVR and paid for HDTV rental and 2 more regular reciever rentals for other rooms. I got a free portable DVD player coming as a new customer incentive and I much prefer Select TVs menu with no annoying upload interruptions. Now I must admit, I did have a billing error the first month with SelecTV, I called and explained and they quickly acknowledged the error saying "yes I see that you should be getting the NFL ticket promotion deal" then they cut my bill in HALF and said "we are extending your free premium channels for another month past the promo period" wow I was flabbergasted, such nice friendly prompt service. So, my advice is, get SelecTV and go DSL for internet.
Originally Posted By peeaanuut as far as the internet goes, depending on the speeds you get with cable you wont have to pay the premium. We killed our cable TV but DSl basically sucks. Slow speeds and rediculously priced. (for the same price I paid for cable internet at 4+ megabits/sec I would get 768kbps with DSL) so they wanted to charge me 75 a month for not haveing cable tv, where as if I had cable tv it would be 40. So I took their $10 a month (local channel plus C-Span package, every cable company is required to offer one). SO for $50 a month, I have cable which is much faster than the local DSL and I still can get local cable in my room without having to have a box. Win win situation for me. Just a thought.
Originally Posted By LuLu ^^^ Boy, I'm gonna look into that. We never watch TV and I feel like we're wasting so much money. Plus, the switchover from Adelphia to TimeWarner has been nothing but trouble (no email all last Tuesday, then no internet at all on Wednesday... UGH!).
Originally Posted By Ursula I hate Time Warner Cable and I can't say enough to make them burn, burn, burn!!! Three letters: NFL As in NFL Channel. And we can't get Satellite because of a frigging tree that our apartment complex refuses to move.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer Since we've been using TiVo, I've been suprised how much TV time is taken up by commercials. Twenty minutes for every hour. If you watch three hours of TV in the evening, you've watched an hour of advertisements. I'm just a few steps from shutting off my cable entirely and just renting the DVDs of shows I want to watch, or download them for a buck or two from iTunes. I'd gladly pay two bucks to be able to watch Lost without hitting the fast forward button every three minutes.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad Most local phone companies now offer a bundle with Direct TV. You pay a set price for Phone, DSL, and Satellite TV. I'd check into it. I have had Direct TV for 7 years and no way has anything come along yet to make me switch.
Originally Posted By CrouchingTigger Hmmm, you guys have me thinking. Time Warner only gives you a discount on internet if you subscribe to their (I think it's called) "full basic cable" package, which is about $70/mo. If you go for their "basic basic" package, you pay their full price for internet (I think about $40). Overall, I've found TW and cable internet to be pretty reliable. Very few problems, even if expensive. DSL would probably give me sufficient BW. I see DSLextreme offers 1500k/384k for about $20/mo. The channel list for Dish Network looks pretty attractive. Their Top 120 package would be about half the cost of cable. And the DVR option is half the cost of TW's option. The only thing I find on SelecTV is that it's an Australian company. Is there a website you can give me, Big Thunder? What satellite networks does everyone like? Direct TV and Dish are the two biggies in the US, and if I can find Selec(t)TV, that'll keep me occupied for some time just figuring out what to do
Originally Posted By DVC_dad I use that exact service 1.5 / 384 and its plenty fast. In fact... not to get too carried away but I have a true ethernet network in the house...jack in every room. Last Friday Night, my son had a "LAN Party" here. There were 5 computers, at one point they were all playing a game called RF Online, all at the same time. I was playing a game called City of Heroes and it was maybe a slight tad slower than normal but was EASILY fast enough to handle the load. Cable TV Modem is faster...no two ways about it, but at what point is fast enough? That is really a Peeanut question I think.
Originally Posted By avromark Thank gosh my Satellite is dead! My DSL is 5 down / 768kb up. Express Vu = headaches No more Dish network crap (their standard reciever for example doesn't even have a display and requires a remote for everything save channel and power) No more card swaps, no more running cable everywhere, no more LNFs messing up, no more pixilating picture, no more needing a box for every tv, no more "Satellite Signal Unavailable"... No more ugly dishes on the side of my home... No more "zapping" everytime I unplug the reciever from the telephone jack. (Yes my satellite was a legal one) Express Vu also limits you to 4 TV's without opening another account. That said Rogers is not really any better, but here when you subscribe to Digital cable, any tv without a box still recieves analogue... Do they kill your analogue signal once you get digital cable there?
Originally Posted By DVC_dad <<<their standard reciever for example doesn't even have a display>>> My Direct Tv recording receiver is wonderful and I don't need a romote at all if I so choose. <<<No more card swaps>>> Have not had this problem. <<<no more running cable everywhere>>> Pre-wired for both, so no problem there however, cable tv requires.....cables. <<<no more LNFs messing up>>> I don't know that an LNF is. <<<no more pixilating picture>>> I only get this from a scratched DVD or a super dooper allyooper thunder storm. <<<no more needing a box for every tv>>> I'll give you this point. <<<no more "Satellite Signal Unavailable"... >>> Only once in a great while during a severe thunder storm when I kill the power to my TV's anyway. <<<No more ugly dishes on the side of my home>>> My dish is on a pole that is on the ground and is about 4 feet tall located at the back of my back yard. <<<No more "zapping" everytime I unplug the reciever from the telephone jack>>> I don't unplug this as there are phone jacks are next to the cable jacks. <<< limits you to 4 TV's without opening another account.>>> I have one dish, and can have up to 10 tv's...even then if I go over I only have to get a second dish but still one account. See? There is no reason for me to switch. <<<
Originally Posted By avromark Yeah but you're not using Dish Network equipment Bell concluded that DirecTV equipment would be too "costly" now they end up using Rogers as a back-up...
Originally Posted By jdub 4. I mean, find a new ISP, but clear the dead space in your living room of the TV. 4.
Originally Posted By Big Thunder Crouching Tigger Below is the URL to the "official" Select TV for the USA wow I never realized how tough it is to google such a common company, but I too got an Australian site, a UK site and a few sales/installation sites for authorized Select TV resellers. I finally dug up my email bill notice to find the basic URL domain name which is all uppercase SELECTV.com, but ends up redirecting you here... <a href="http://directv.com/DTVAPP/index.jsp" target="_blank">http://directv.com/DTVAPP/inde x.jsp</a> Again, I've tried analog and digital cable, I have tried Dish network, overall I prefer Select TV so far.
