I HATE Time Warner Cable

Scroatdog

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Mar 17, 2003
Messages
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Bought a new Sharp 37" LCD TV the other day, and will arrive shortly. In the meantime, I contacted AND went to the TWC front office to turn in my set top box (Pioneer V1000) for a better bx that had DVI, or at the very least, component video out. It would be a complete sin to hook my cale up to that tv with either cable wire or S-video.

So they tell me unless I order HDTV service they won't give me the box, AND in order to get HDTV service a tech HAS to come out because "there are many more wires to hook up and it's complicated". Yeah, right.

I don't think I'd be able to buy my own set top box and have the TWC code put it, would I??

What should I do? Anyone have a similar experience?? Please tell me.

Thanks
 
They don't let you just pick upt he box!? that blows, my TWC office doesn't give a shit, they'll even let you pick up the cable modems and install them yourself.

Go to the office and ask to talk to a manager.
 
try going into the office, talking with someone face to face, other than a trained monkey over the phone (i know, because i used to be a comcast monkey). The offices are the places that they actually have the boxes, and if nothing else, you ought to be able to get an hd box and service without a tech. Good luck!
 
I went to the office today, which is why I'm venting my frustration here. I called yesterday and got no joy, went to the office today with the old POS cable box in hand, looking for a swap-ouy and they said that I had to order HDTV and someone has to come to the house to pick it up because it is "too complicated" to install.

I'm on the phone right now tyring to get a supervisor.
 
sorry bout your luck, just remember talking nice to them is more likley to get where you need to go than frustration. You may need to sign up for the HD service, but the box shouldn't be a charge to install if they require a tech to come out and do it, and don't give you the option to put it in yourself.

Edit: you also may benifit from asking about HD promotions, they might have something cheap anyways.
 
I know, but I don't think an extra 8 bucks a month is worth the seven channels they offer, three of which I'd never watch anyway.

A box is a box, in my opinion. Whether one is designed to carry HD signals and one that's not, it's still the same $7.00 a month rental fee.

The "trained monkey" with me on the phone right now is telling me that all of their managers are in a meeting, and he is creating a 'please contact' message for one of them to get back to me". And he said that the first time HD is hooked up a tech has to come out to make sure the signal is correct. Hmm...... I think more like so they can ensure they get their $30.00 visit money.
 
comcast did the same crap to me. It was only $30 to have them come to my house though. and I got a 10" component cable out of it. One of the nice ones with the l/r audio built in too.
 
Maybe I'll just order the damn thing, then cancel the HD pak after a month. I've got an extra DVI cable from a 2nd monitor purchase, and they don't come cheap. So I'll probably have them bring out component video cables and I'll experient and see which connection looks best..........at no charge. And I'll make them bring out coax or optical audio cables too, depending on what this new tv has.

Damn bastards
 
funny thing is it probablly cost them 30 bucks to send the tech out. Usually the reason they want the tech to come out for things like this is to verify everything is working correctly becuase if something is wrong, it just leads to even more frustration and time on your part and thiers.
 
Also the HD cable boxes are more suseptable to too much or too little signal. They are generally designed to run optimally at -5 to +5 db on the line, I have seen as much as +20db and -30db on lines before.
 
Bighitter said:
Also the HD cable boxes are more suseptable to too much or too little signal. They are generally designed to run optimally at -5 to +5 db on the line, I have seen as much as +20db and -30db on lines before.

Interesting.... How is this measured???? I am asking, because I'll ask the guy who shows up to do a reading and get the lines between -5 to +5. I'd like to know what I'm talking about before the guy gets here.
 
my 30 bucks didn't get squat. he didn't even power it on. drop and go. but whatever.
 
The cable tech's should all have a meter similiar to an osciliscope. They are supposed to be calibrated to the specific frequencies and should be within this range.

That said I have seen things where a customer had a perfect picture at -10 before. Its what they are supposed to be at, doesn't mean it will not work if not within those parameters.
 
Comcast has switched over (at least in my area) to doing the exact same thing (requiring somoene come out for everything) - the tech could not tell me why, as about a month before I tried I was able to swap boxes back and forth at the office with no trouble what-so-ever. Oh well, I guess the good news is that they didn't charge me anything since it's "required."

And oh yea, when the Comcast guy came over my wife (I was at work) simply told him that I have a projector home theater system and did not want them touching it. He handed her the box, remote and cables, asked if she was sure and then left.

I work near one of thier offices, it sure would have been nice to simply stop by that evening... instead of having to wait a few extra days. Oh well... I'm considering satellite anyhow. =)
 
When I got comcast HD last year (just moved to town), they wanted to charge me either $90 for the Pro Install or $30 for the basic install service. I told them I didn't need it (for cable or modem). I knew what I was doing.

After going around with the "tech" person, I got to a supervisor and told him that if they demanded on charging me $ for the install, I'd just call up DirectTV or Dish and be done with it as those companies were offering free installs.

They gave me the "Pro install" for free.
 
why dont you just buy a cable box from some other company online? With cox cable (mine) you have to bring it in to get the right code or sum shit but it should work fine without that
 
They absolutely refused to just give me the box without a rep coming out to do his $30.00 work. But, I'm getting the first month of the HDTV pak for free, after which I will promptly cancel. And I'll be sure to get a DVI cable and either COAX or optical audio out of it., and thanks to a previous poster I will be demanding the tech check the dB level of the line and ensure it's within -5 to +5 dB.

They'll be here Friday. TV is coming TODAY. Sharp 37D7U wOOt

Thanks for all the advice. TWC are a bunch of crooks, I'll just leave it at that. No sense getting riled up over 30 bucks at this point.
 
Wow..... in Houston we just swapped ours out, but they did say you can't do that and all that crap on the phone. There wasn't any extra charge for the HD channels either... I don't know what's going on over there :eek: We just pay for the regular digital cable package. I recommend not getting the premium movie pack- it's terrible. Use movie rentals.
 
I think it depends on which TWC area you are in.
I'm in NYC. When I first got HD, there was no self-install, so I was forced to have a tech come out to install the HD tuner. I was charged $30 for a 5 minute job.
A year later, I ordered the DVR. This time, they had self-install available. So I was able to go to a customer service center to trade in the HD tuner for the HD-DVR.
 
Scroatdog said:
and thanks to a previous poster I will be demanding the tech check the dB level of the line and ensure it's within -5 to +5 dB.

Now the 5 to 5 level I listed earlier is for Adelphia, this can actually vary based off of location as some cable companies may tweak thier boxes to accept different spreads.
 
Bighitter said:
Now the 5 to 5 level I listed earlier is for Adelphia, this can actually vary based off of location as some cable companies may tweak thier boxes to accept different spreads.

Thanks, Bighitter.

Tomorrow should be interesting. As my new Sharp 37D7U has HDMI, I of course want the Explorer 8300HD box because it's the only one TWC has with HMDI. The appointment to get the HD service is tomorrow between 11-1. In the meantime, I of course called CS and told them I wanted the tech to bring out this box. And wouldn't you know it.........
"We cannot give you the 8300HD unless you order DVR".

"Yeah, but you just told me the 8300HD was the only box you had with HDMI".

"That's correct, sir. But in order to received the 8300HD you would need an order in for DVR service which you do not have. You only have an order in for HD VidPak"

"I just bought a $3,400.00 television. I want the best quality connection I can get, and HDMI is IT. I don't care if the box has DVR, glows in the dark, or makes cocktails for you when you ask it to. That box has HDMI and I want HDMI"

"I'm sorry sir, but that's just our policy". "And who determines that policy?" "I don't know". "Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say". CLICK.

Maybe the tech will appreciate the sweet tv and hook me up with an 8300HD box????? I am at my wits end with these people. Maybe I should have a $20.00 ready to go.

The tv doesn't have digital audio in (BIG design flaw in my opinion), so the only way to get digital audio is through HDMI. And then I'll output the digital audio through the tv's optical out to the receiver. That way I won't need to have the receiver on all the time.

Thanks for everyone's input, by the way.
 
It won't help you with your optical woes, but there are DVI-HDMI cables. If the cable box has coax optical out you can just output it direct to your reciver, and use analog for the TV, as I doubt your TV's got built in 5.1 :p
 
Nah, no optical woes here. I do have a DVI connector as well, but I'd prefer to go the HDMI route..
 
I wouldn't sweat the petty things at this point
DVI and HDMI use the same signal, they are both digital, and are nothing special other than one carries audio and one doesn't. Its not like VGA vs DVI where one is digital and the other is not.
 
So quit your bitching and CANCEL your service... god damnit, so many people are so damn lazy.

"I HATE Comcast and their cable service!"

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing... except bitch and moan to myself while still giving Comcast a chunk of my money every month."

Yeah... I'm sure Comcast has 'improving their service' on the top of their to-do list because of people like you :eek:
 
Hey neeyo,

QUIT YOUR THREAD CRAPPING.


And it's TIME WARNER CABLE, you dumbass. Not Comcast.

Here's a thought, read threads carefully before you crap in them and make yourself look like an idiot.
 
tell twc there full of shit me and my father just bought 32in hdtvs for our bedrooms and hooked up the hd box without any one coming to my house . Your best bet is to just tell them u want the hd service over the phone and ask them to mail u the box the last resident had the hdtv so yourt all ready 4 it if not bitch and say your going to satelite they will give ya the box wave any fees and prolly give u a few months free cable. they did it to me with my road runner told them i was going dsl got 6 months free cable and road runner
 
neeyo said:
So quit your bitching and CANCEL your service... god damnit, so many people are so damn lazy.

"I HATE Comcast and their cable service!"

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing... except bitch and moan to myself while still giving Comcast a chunk of my money every month."

Yeah... I'm sure Comcast has 'improving their service' on the top of their to-do list because of people like you :eek:

He DOES have a point. Taking your money elsewhere if you have an option IS the ONLY way to even show a company like that that you are pissed off. Besides, they have a whole department of people who's job it is to keep you as a customer, and maybe you'll get a deal out of it if you try and cancel. But ONLY if you're nice about it ;)
 
The_Engineer said:
He DOES have a point. Taking your money elsewhere if you have an option IS the ONLY way to even show a company like that that you are pissed off. Besides, they have a whole department of people who's job it is to keep you as a customer, and maybe you'll get a deal out of it if you try and cancel. But ONLY if you're nice about it ;)


That goes for soooo much more than just this situation. If you don't like a company's policy or practice TAKE YOUR MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE! That is the ONLY way to make point/difference. It is cheaper for them to give you a deal to keep you than for them to find a new customer. I have Time Warner by the way and I hate them. Keep jacking (the price) my basic cable and Road Runner. I would go sat. but then because I don't have a 'combo' anymore my RR goes up even higher! I would get DSL but the only one that offers it in my area is SBC and I feel TW is the lesser of 2 very big evils. I want Speakeasy DSL!!!
 
thezfunk said:
I would go sat. but then because I don't have a 'combo' anymore my RR goes up even higher! I would get DSL but the only one that offers it in my area is SBC and I feel TW is the lesser of 2 very big evils. I want Speakeasy DSL!!!

I'm in the same boat, my man.
 
When I got DVR, Insight forced me to wait for the tech to come out. When he came out, I asked him why. His response?

"Insight wants us to ensure that no "unauthorized" devices were connected. Specifically, they are looking for home networks/ businesses running out of the home, home theatre PCs, that kind of thing. I think it is rediculous... so I never find anything."

That crap about complicated connections? Might have some merit in the -5/+5 debate, but that's it. They are just using it as an excuse to get into your house, and see what your doing to "their" network.
 
Drucifer said:
When I got DVR, Insight forced me to wait for the tech to come out. When he came out, I asked him why. His response?

"Insight wants us to ensure that no "unauthorized" devices were connected. Specifically, they are looking for home networks/ businesses running out of the home, home theatre PCs, that kind of thing. I think it is rediculous... so I never find anything."

...

Thats funny. Tech from TWC came out to fix my cable signal at my place and he did it over my HTPC and didn't say a thing. He seemed to think it was pretty slick. Said he'd never seen that before.... :D :D :D :D
 
demons9872 said:
tell twc there full of shit me and my father just bought 32in hdtvs for our bedrooms and hooked up the hd box without any one coming to my house . Your best bet is to just tell them u want the hd service over the phone and ask them to mail u the box the last resident had the hdtv so yourt all ready 4 it if not bitch and say your going to satelite they will give ya the box wave any fees and prolly give u a few months free cable. they did it to me with my road runner told them i was going dsl got 6 months free cable and road runner

You know what i do to people who say that, when would you like to discconect your services sir. shuts em up real quick.
 
orvil01 said:
You know what i do to people who say that, when would you like to discconect your services sir. shuts em up real quick.

Then...........you are our sworn enemy! :p
 
Well,

TWC came and went. NO 8300HD box. NO DVI cable. "We don't carry DVI cables".
They gave me an Explorer 3250HD and component video cable.
 
They made you go through all that crap to get an 8300, and then didn't give it to you? That just ain't right...
 
thats messed up.

A while back we got HD with a 50" plasma. which had hdmi input. In new york we just called and they udpdated to HD. changed the box which had only DVI. which is fine.

All you can do is to take the box down to the office, return it. simple as that. demand one with DVI. prog signal on an LCD would suck ass.

DVI and HDMI are both digital, so the signals will be clean. it won't improve your resolution. besides, your LCD tops out at 720p, HDMI will be useful later on for 1920p which some new 37" Lcd are now supporting. ie new westinghouse and new BenQ lcds.

If your want great quality once you pick up the Dvi box, just buy a simple DVI to hdmi cable. I love how people spend $100 on monster cables, all bullshit. It digital same shit !

save your loot pick up this, enjoy !

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...cs_id=1020903&p_id=1916&seq=1&format=2&style=
 
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