TV/Movies Megathread

[Darth Wagtaros]

I'd call and complain.

[viper37]

So our DVR hasn't worked for a couple months, and I get frustrated dealing with the cable company each time so I've left it.  Until yesterday - fixing the DVR was my Task Of The Day.

So, I find the proper connection order - turn on the HDD, connect it to the cable box, turn on the cable box.  But nothing.  So I call the cable company help desk.  They offer to do a call back - in four hours. 

So we wait about 3 hours, and the cable company calls while I'm talking to my mother.  We have call waiting, so I try and take their call.  It says "press 1 when you are available" - so I press one, and get the response "we did not understand your response.  After going through this three times they hang up.

They do call back 30 minute4s later, this time I do get connected to someone.  I explain my problem, then they say that sorry, you've been connected with billing.  They'll get technical support to call back - in four hours.

Getting on to early evening now (started at 11:30) I get another call.  The guy on the other end has me re-connect the HDD and cable box in the proper order (I told him I'd already done this, but whatever - I get he wants to make sure).  When that fails to do anything, he sends some re-set signal.  But now not even the cable box is working.  He tries again, and still nothing.  He says he'll have to send a technician - in two weeks.   I say 'okay fine, but wait a sec - before I called only my DVR wasn't working - now the cable box isn't working.  What's going on'?  He responds that it should work just fine if I disconnect the HDD, and gets off the line.

So I disconnect the HDD, and of course the cable box still doesn't work.

So I can get a basic signal by connecting the cable right into the TV, but that means no high def, no premium channels.  My wife is pissed because she's going to miss Dexter or something on HBO.  I'm pissed because we pay them a lot of money for those channels suddenly we won't get, and that they made me waste my Sunday on this shit.

What kind of system is this?  Connecting the HDD manually to the cable box?  Don't these things come integrated?  Or do you have an external hard drive attached to a regular cable box (I tought only Bell had this) ?

[dps]

So our DVR hasn't worked for a couple months, and I get frustrated dealing with the cable company each time so I've left it.  Until yesterday - fixing the DVR was my Task Of The Day.

So, I find the proper connection order - turn on the HDD, connect it to the cable box, turn on the cable box.  But nothing.  So I call the cable company help desk.  They offer to do a call back - in four hours. 

So we wait about 3 hours, and the cable company calls while I'm talking to my mother.  We have call waiting, so I try and take their call.  It says "press 1 when you are available" - so I press one, and get the response "we did not understand your response.  After going through this three times they hang up.

They do call back 30 minute4s later, this time I do get connected to someone.  I explain my problem, then they say that sorry, you've been connected with billing.  They'll get technical support to call back - in four hours.

Getting on to early evening now (started at 11:30) I get another call.  The guy on the other end has me re-connect the HDD and cable box in the proper order (I told him I'd already done this, but whatever - I get he wants to make sure).  When that fails to do anything, he sends some re-set signal.  But now not even the cable box is working.  He tries again, and still nothing.  He says he'll have to send a technician - in two weeks.   I say 'okay fine, but wait a sec - before I called only my DVR wasn't working - now the cable box isn't working.  What's going on'?  He responds that it should work just fine if I disconnect the HDD, and gets off the line.

So I disconnect the HDD, and of course the cable box still doesn't work.

So I can get a basic signal by connecting the cable right into the TV, but that means no high def, no premium channels.  My wife is pissed because she's going to miss Dexter or something on HBO.  I'm pissed because we pay them a lot of money for those channels suddenly we won't get, and that they made me waste my Sunday on this shit.

Hopefully, they at least pro-rate your bill for the time you don't have full service.

Anyway, this is why people should drop cable and go with DirectTV or a similar service.  We had a few problems when it was originally set up (we weren't getting our local broadcast stations for some reason) but it was resolved pretty quickly and we've had no interruptions in service.

[viper37]

Cable or satellite, it's pretty much the same, imho.
Theoritically, cable is better to upgrade services to clients (i.e. more channels) since it only needs a few switches and cables while satellite tv companies need to launch a new satellite every now and then.
Practically, though, I fail to see the difference for the number of channels (having 5 duplicate channels count as one, imho, and English Canadian channels don't offer original programming save for their local news and the CBC, yet I'm still forced to pay for them).  When it comes to image quality, both are comparable.  Only when it comes to hardware is Bell&Star Choice superior to everyone else.

But most consumers don't care about their hardware, they want their local news, and for that, in Quebec at least, cable is much superior to satellite.

[PRC]

So our DVR hasn't worked for a couple months, and I get frustrated dealing with the cable company each time so I've left it.  Until yesterday - fixing the DVR was my Task Of The Day.

So, I find the proper connection order - turn on the HDD, connect it to the cable box, turn on the cable box.  But nothing.  So I call the cable company help desk.  They offer to do a call back - in four hours. 

So we wait about 3 hours, and the cable company calls while I'm talking to my mother.  We have call waiting, so I try and take their call.  It says "press 1 when you are available" - so I press one, and get the response "we did not understand your response.  After going through this three times they hang up.

They do call back 30 minute4s later, this time I do get connected to someone.  I explain my problem, then they say that sorry, you've been connected with billing.  They'll get technical support to call back - in four hours.

Getting on to early evening now (started at 11:30) I get another call.  The guy on the other end has me re-connect the HDD and cable box in the proper order (I told him I'd already done this, but whatever - I get he wants to make sure).  When that fails to do anything, he sends some re-set signal.  But now not even the cable box is working.  He tries again, and still nothing.  He says he'll have to send a technician - in two weeks.   I say 'okay fine, but wait a sec - before I called only my DVR wasn't working - now the cable box isn't working.  What's going on'?  He responds that it should work just fine if I disconnect the HDD, and gets off the line.

So I disconnect the HDD, and of course the cable box still doesn't work.

So I can get a basic signal by connecting the cable right into the TV, but that means no high def, no premium channels.  My wife is pissed because she's going to miss Dexter or something on HBO.  I'm pissed because we pay them a lot of money for those channels suddenly we won't get, and that they made me waste my Sunday on this shit.

I recall you going with Telus despite several members of this forum telling you that they were shit and you would suffer because of it.  Switch to Shaw... immediately.

[Barrister]

What kind of system is this?  Connecting the HDD manually to the cable box?  Don't these things come integrated?  Or do you have an external hard drive attached to a regular cable box (I tought only Bell had this) ?

They can come integrated, you you can connect a separate HDD to the cable box through an eSATA connection.  I have the latter.

[Barrister]

Anyway, this is why people should drop cable and go with DirectTV or a similar service.  We had a few problems when it was originally set up (we weren't getting our local broadcast stations for some reason) but it was resolved pretty quickly and we've had no interruptions in service.

I had satellite when living in the country.  Had too many service interruptions due to weather IMHO.  Never had that with cable, and prices were comparable.

[Barrister]

I recall you going with Telus despite several members of this forum telling you that they were shit and you would suffer because of it.  Switch to Shaw... immediately.

Telus screwed us around when we were getting set up, so we said "screw you" and called Shaw, who set us up within days.

Everything I described above was with Shaw.

Which is why this "two weeks" BS makes me angry.  Sure, you'll rush over to get us as new clients, but now that we've been with you for six months...

[Grey Fox]

Satellites run out of bandwith, same as cable, it's just much harder to raise that bandwith. That's why Telus & Bell are installing fiber everywhere. Bell is out of bandwith on it's satelitte. The CRTC told them to carry 42 more local channel & they haven't yet simply because they don't have any place for them.

[viper37]

What kind of system is this?  Connecting the HDD manually to the cable box?  Don't these things come integrated?  Or do you have an external hard drive attached to a regular cable box (I tought only Bell had this) ?

They can come integrated, you you can connect a separate HDD to the cable box through an eSATA connection.  I have the latter.

Ok, it's similar to Bell's system.
You sure your problem is not with your external drive or the cable? (your own, I presume, not one sold by Shaw?)

There's got to be a reset for your cable box, maybe try that, when you don't need the TV for at least an hour, and let the box update itself to get your channels.  If you don't have anything on external drive, try to erasing the partition on your computer, then replug it on the cable box.
If you do have important stuff, try to find software that will let you back it up from your computer.

[viper37]

Which is why this "two weeks" BS makes me angry.  Sure, you'll rush over to get us as new clients, but now that we've been with you for six months...

call and complain.  Tell them you've been a loyal customer so far, but their service is making you angry, and you're thinking of cancelling your subscription.  They'll probably make you an offer you can't refuse (the kind where you get 50% discount for 6 months or a new PVR, not the Godfather kind ).

[Martinus]

Ok I watched about 30 minutes of Pan Am and couldn't watch it anymore. It's so boring. The show seems to have completely no pay off to investing time in it.

[Habbaku]

That sounds like my experience with Mad Men.

[MadImmortalMan]

Ok I watched about 30 minutes of Pan Am and couldn't watch it anymore. It's so boring. The show seems to have completely no pay off to investing time in it.

From the previews, it looks like they are trying to do Mad Men in the sky.

[Habbaku]

Ok I watched about 30 minutes of Pan Am and couldn't watch it anymore. It's so boring. The show seems to have completely no pay off to investing time in it.

From the previews, it looks like they are trying to do Mad Men in the sky.