Cox Digital Cable Rant

[Angel Tarragon]

Okay, so I have over 200 channels right? Well we had the cable guy come out last Saturday to fix the problem I was having with the cable in my bedroom and to have the cable installed in another room. The guys told me that the problem was external, in the cable itself. But blast it, after giving us a boost to our cable with a little electricity I'm still having difficulty. Channel 185 (ELOVE) was showing Thelma and Louise earlier and I wanted to watch it. But the image was a bit blocky. Then the picture went all green and froze up. What the heck?! Isn't there any cable guy that takes their job serious anymore? I'm taking down names from now on. I refuse to be had.

Anyone have any advice?

 

[Torm]

Okay, so I have over 200 channels right? Well we had the cable guy come out last Saturday to fix the problem I was having with the cable in my bedroom and to have the cable installed in another room. The guys told me that the problem was external, in the cable itself. But blast it, after giving us a boost to our cable with a little electricity I'm still having difficulty. Channel 185 (ELOVE) was showing Thelma and Louise earlier and I wanted to watch it. But the image was a bit blocky. Then the picture went all green and froze up. What the heck?! Isn't there any cable guy that takes their job serious anymore? I'm taking down names from now on. I refuse to be had.

Anyone have any advice?

Sounds to me like he didn't want to do it right and run another line to the tap (pole, usually.) And you don't need to take down names for field reps - Cox knows who was given that work order. I'd call and say that you feel like it was handled half-a$$ed, that you still haven't been able to watch the programming you're paying for, that you'd like someone sent out ASAP that can do it right without having to jury-rig something that is taking up an electrical outlet, and that you expect a credit for the time since you first reported the problem until they get it fixed. Be polite but firm, and keep asking anyone who tells you 'no' to any of this for their superior. And do take down names as you go through this, so you can add anyone who gives you grief along this path to your list of complaints/demands. Doing so will probably make it unnecessary, though - even most slack reps get on their toes when they know you made a conscious effort to take their name down.

So speaks Torm the True, the Loyal Fury, and a former installer for Time Warner Cable's Roadrunner service.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

For some reason the sound on our HBO/Showtime channels is a lot lower than the other channels such as Sci-Fi or TLC.

This isn't excatly an anti-Cox rant, but are others in NoVA (e.g. Reston) having the same problem?

Oh, and the whole having to have two seperate accounts for two cable modems is just silly. Although the guy from India that I talked to about it was pretty nice.

 

[Laurel]

I've had serious issues with Cox in the past. Minimum of once per month it would get shut off, and no it was due to unpaid bills. Then I started noticing if I knew when people were getting thier cable that's when it would go out. So I'd see the truck wait about half an hour, they seemed quick about this and sure enough off the cable would go. The neighbors all talked about it, and we all called. Nothing changed, but each month we would call and they would give us that time off our bill....

When I moved, even though they are still an option I made sure I didn't go with them.

Advice: Call them. If you are not getting what you paid for you are only making yourself frustrated while increasing thier profit.

 

[Blue_Kryptonite]

But the image was a bit blocky. Then the picture went all green and froze up.

I've been having similar troubles with Time-Warner, actually. I called them in because Cable Radio simply stopped working after we bought the house last May. They came quick, did a thorough inspection, and told me the wires and the splitters were all "Radio Shack Junk" and had to be replaced. Several hours work at a couple of hundred dollars cost. I declined. After a while, it just started working again for no reason. No one changed anything anywhere in the house.

Lock-ups, freezes, and picture degredation also occur, and are cured by pausing and releasing the DVR, or switching channels to clear the DVR buffer. This happens on both boxes, one of which was replaced.

 

[jaerdaph]

I've been having a lot of trouble with my Time Warner digital cable/DVR box lately too - I'm about to request my third new box in a year. DVR Recorded shows freeze, which freezes up the entire system and requires a reboot of the box. This happens with almost every single show I've recorded. It's really annoying.

Honestly, I think they've rushed the tech to market before all the bugs have been worked out.

<---- WOO HOO! My 1,400th Post! - wasted on Time Warner, no less!

 

[Mystery Man]

Okay, so I have over 200 channels right? Well we had the cable guy come out last Saturday to fix the problem I was having with the cable in my bedroom and to have the cable installed in another room. The guys told me that the problem was external, in the cable itself. But blast it, after giving us a boost to our cable with a little electricity I'm still having difficulty. Channel 185 (ELOVE) was showing Thelma and Louise earlier and I wanted to watch it....

At this point I cease to have any sympathy for you.

 

[GlassJaw]

Honestly, problems are not specific to any one cable company. You can get screwed from any of them. I spent close to 2 years battling with Comcast when I lived in Mass. Their product was very good (better than Cox, which I have now) but support and customer service seems to be where most of these companies are lacking.

My biggest gripe with Cox now is the lack of HD channels. They keep saying they are going to add stuff. Comcast would add HD channels within a month of their release. Fox has been pimping their HD programming (World Series, NFL playoffs, etc) and Cox still won't add it. The Red Sox were in the WS and Cox still didn't add it. If I can't see the Superbowl in HD, someone might get a stern talking to. :\

 

[hong]

Another sign that full digital convergence is approaching: I had to reboot my Foxtel Digital pay TV box today, after the audio dropped out. It really is like having a computer driving your TV!

 

[Non-human Resources]

Suddenly I am glad I use an antenna and get my (sometimes fuzzy) TV for free.