Cable – Regular Guy

No Turning Back

brian — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 16:08:03 +0000

I have spent years with one philosophy – cable TV is not the devil. Some people I knew would brag about how few channels they had, and I would point out all that they had missed. I defended cable prices by saying that we got value for what we paid.

But over the past couple of years, I started to see things in a different light. First of all, my daughter, like a lot of teens, found her entertainment in places other than the cable box. Secondly, streams of shows on network sites or places like Hulu made the DVR almost obsolete for me. Lastly, some companies started to find new ways to offer cable channels.

That’s how we found ourselves downgrading our cable package to the lowest possible level – a level I used to mock – recently. We only get local channels and a few shopping networks. I had kind of wanted to go even further and ditch cable altogether, but my wife’s PBS habit and the knowledge that Comcast would jack up our Internet rate killed that idea.

So we now get our cable through Playstation Vue, which costs just half of the money we have saved by downgrading our cable (and getting rid of the DVR and the sports package). I can only think of one or two channels we don’t get that I wished we still had, but we will survive.

The experience has been great so far. I have had a couple of instances where the network cut out or the Roku box we use reset, but the disruptions have been minimal. I can use my PS Vue credentials to sign into a number of TV apps, including Watch ESPN so I get the full experience.

I do miss having a TV guide (we use the Roku, which doesn’t have that feature) or being able to channel surf easily, but those are small disruptions. I have had no problem watching sports via the Roku, which provides a solid stream.

We chose Vue because of the price and selection of channels. Sling TV just didn’t have enough and limited each subscription to one stream at a time, which just wasn’t going to cut it. But I am eager to see what other options come available. Being able to cancel one and start another without delay or penalty could be interesting in the next year or so.

I have already inspired at least one friend to do the same. Even if you love your cable service, check out Vue or Sling or keep an eye on the service Hulu plans to roll out next year. You might save some money without missing a beat in your viewing habits.

Comcast Hates Logic

brian — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 17:30:59 +0000

I sat down last night to do something I really didn’t want to do, but felt I had to: order the pay-per-view broadcast of the U.S. soccer team’s World Cup qualifier in Guatemala.

The game was only available that way because of the rules which give the home team all television rights. The Guatemalan federation sold the rights to Traffic, a Brazilian company with an American office. They specialize in being player agents and managing television rights. They are also the most evil, disgusting people in the world when it comes to American soccer, but that’s another screed for another day.

I didn’t want to fork out the dough, but just have a compulsion to watch these qualifying games. So I found the pay-per-view listing on my Comcast system and settled in. The screen had a button which said “Buy,” so I clicked it. That led to another screen with a button which said “Buy.” I clicked that one also and found myself staring at a third screen. I needed to call in to order the program.

Why the hell do they have Buy buttons if you can’t use them to buy something? I had to translate the 1-800-XFINITY number to digits (not a big deal, but still annoying), find an old bill to log in to my account via the phone system, then had to find my wife’s Social Security number since the account is in her name (and she was asleep) and they won’t let you do anything without that.

And they still almost couldn’t hook me up. Apparently, our account was not authorized to buy pay-per-view events. I don’t know why. I don’t remember setting that up. Even if I did, there should be some notification of that or it should disable the multiple buttons that say “Buy” or it should give me the opportunity to authorize the box using the account number or something. If Comcast can send me a message on all three of our boxes every time there is a boxing or MMA match for sale, they can figure out how to get me to call without stringing me along until the end.

Thankfully, Carmen, my new favorite customer service rep, came through for me, authorized my account and got me the game before kickoff. She even sympathized with me about the illogical nature of having a Buy button for something I needed to call in to buy. Why does the logic always exist with the CSRs and not elsewhere in situations like this?

Crisis Averted

brian — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:01:02 +0000

I had a very scary moment the other day. In fact, for a few hours, I had to deal with an intense feeling of dread.

Lying on the couch in the early morning as I am wont to do, I noticed something funny on the television set. I had made my way downstairs at some point in the night so ESPN could help solve my insomnia.

As I started to stir, I noticed something funny about the screen. The highlights from the previous night’s basketball and hockey games had given way to a few squiggly green lines.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to stave off the inevitable panic. Once I got my bearings, I managed to confirm my worst fears. The cable box had died.

Normally, this would only send me into a small-scale tizzy, but a couple of things lined up against an easy solution.

First off, the cable company has closed its Hanover office, which means I would have to run to Gettysburg or York to get a replacement. Secondly, this happened over the weekend with a busy week ahead, making plans for the trip pretty difficult.

The development got my mind thinking about a phenomenon called “cord cutting.” This is what people so when they get rid of their cable or satellite package and find their entertainment from other sources.

At first, the thought of not having cable television gives me the heebie jeebies. But, last year, I purchased a Roku box which allows me to access tons of online sources right through my TV. With just a few subscriptions, I can get all of our TV shows and still save a bit of money.

Only two obstacles exist. I would lose access to a ton of sports if I cut the cord. Plus, we would have to wait until the day after the shows aired to watch them. That might not sound like a big deal, but routine plays a huge role in my enjoyment of my favorite TV shows.

I have had a ton of evening commitments the past few weeks so have had to get creative in order to keep up on my shows. But when I don’t have anything to do, I really want to watch those episodes as they air.

Few things make me happier than sitting on the couch or sliding under the covers to watch TV. I love seeing the creativity and comedy of my shows as it happens. I’m not one of those people who gets all up in arms if I hear “spoilers” before I see a show. I just like to be in on the joke first.

After a whole day of worrying, I came home from an event and started to think about how I would fit getting a replacement cable box into my week. I could bring the one from the basement to the living room for a temporary fix, but had to hit the road eventually.

But before I did that, I grabbed the remote, said a silent prayer and hit the power button. Apparently, the box just needed a day to rest. And I didn’t have to make any big decisions.

Life and Death of a Cable Box

brian — Sun, 11 May 2008 12:37:19 +0000

For a few moments, I felt as if I had lost a child.

I came home from work on Monday to an empty house. I had to stay late for an event at work, so Maria took Bridget with her to the PTO meeting.

I figured I would cook myself a small dinner, plop myself down in front of the television, and relax until they got home.

But something funny happened when I went into the living room to turn on the TV. The box on top of the TV was flashing some crazy numbers. I had no idea what was happening.

I did what any guy would do in the situation. I unplugged the cable box, then plugged it back in.

Nothing changed. The numbers kept appearing. So I pushed a few buttons. Nothing. I unplugged it again and plugged it back in. Still nothing. So I did it again and again and again.

I couldn’t understand why that didn’t work. If you repeatedly unplug and re-plug something, that should fix things. That’s how electronics work, right?

Finally, I broke down and called the cable company. They “sent a signal” to the box, but I got zilch. I didn’t know what to do.

All of a sudden, I panicked because it was almost 8 on a Monday night. The cable box on the fritz was hooked up to the Tivo, which we use to record our favorite shows. I have a DVR in the basement, but that’s usually just for me, and we have managed to restrain ourselves and not put a DVR in the bedroom.

This escalated to a crisis in no time flat. The show we record at 8 didn’t matter that much, but I really worried about “How I Met Your Mother” at 8:30.

Sure, we have two other TVs in the house, but we have settled into such a nice routine that this malfunction really threw everything for a loop. We watch some shows in the bedroom and some in the living room. Monday is a night to watch the living room TV.

With Maria not due home until sometime between 8 and 9 and the task of making sure Bridget got to bed ready on time, I had to call an audible.

I managed to set the show to record on the basement TV. I knew that wouldn’t be the first place Maria would want to watch it, but it would have to do.

They didn’t get home until almost 8:45, which meant I managed to watch most of the show. I followed the rest from the bedroom while Bridget got ready for bed.

We managed to survive the crisis, and Maria got a new cable box before Thursday, the next day we had shows we needed to record.

At first, the new box only gave us half the channels we pay for, but one call to the cable company solved that problem.

That made me feel so good because I thought my family had suffered enough for one week. I said a prayer of thanks when I got to watch the uncut version of the second Austin Powers movie on my couch that night.

No Nittany Lions Today

brian — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 17:34:26 +0000

As I write this, I am half-watching the Michigan State-Pittsburgh football game on ESPN. I have no rooting interest in this game whatsoever. It’s just the most interesting game I found when I sat down at noon to watch football.

In a perfect world, I would be watching Penn State struggle against the University of Buffalo, but I have my cable through Comcast, and they haven’t added the Big Ten Network (BTN), which is broadcasting the game.

You know what? I don’t care. I love Penn State football and would enjoy cursing the fumble that set up Buffalo’s field goal or wondering why Austin Scott has only carried the ball three times for zero yards in the first half. But I don’t think Comcast should be forced to put BTN on its regular cable tier instead of the sports tier, which Comcast wants.

I think everyone should enjoy as many cable channels as possible, but basic tiers are filled with enough crap as it is. BTN will only have a handful of football games so regular TV viewers shouldn’t have to pay higher bills (The Big Ten wants $1.10 per customer, which will surely be passed on) for the coach’s shows and volleyball and soccer and other minor sports which will make up much of the program schedule.

I would watch some of those things, and I pay my $5 per month for the sports tier which provides me with games galore. I’d even pay another buck to get BTN, but I don’t think everyone should.

Which is why I’m content with checking the online Gametracker every so often to see if PSU will cover the spread and help me in my college football Pick ‘Em pool. Besides, this MSU-Pitt game isn’t that bad.