Glad I don't have Cable

[crokett]

Well we always knew the cable co was asleep on the job...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvVp7b5gzqU

[25]

I think the really bad thing about that video is that the cable companies own tech was kept on hold for over an hour. I would really hate to be one of their customers.

[Whaler]

I have Comcast cable and the couple times I have needed service I have been happy with it.

[TB Roye]

I had Comcast here in Sacramento but about 5 years ago I got Dish Network and run 4 receivers for less than Comcast and the only time I have problem is in a bad storm when it is windy, I may loose the signal because of tree branches blowing in front of dish. Just got tired of the lousy service a high prices. They had a monopoly here is Sacramento until recently now there are a couple of other cable services offering competition.

Tom

[mater]

I think the really bad thing about that video is that the cable companies own tech was kept on hold for over an hour. I would really hate to be one of their customers.

I agree. You probably never would get to talk to a human.

[lago]

Same with DirecTV. I am having problems with a second receiver that receives little use. I have called twice and they try to do trouble-shooting with a computer on their end. Tried to get Customer Service and held for 30 minutes on 2 different times before finally giving up.

Ken

[JSCOOK]

About 8 months ago I was forced to go to cable (Rogers) after my neighbours pine trees finally grew tall enough to interrupt my satellite (StarChoice) signal after 8 years or so ... offered to cut down the trees (or at least the tops) but he hasn't taken me up on it ... whenever the trees do come down, it's back to Satellite for me!

[lrr]

Glad I don't have Cable

Title says it all. Finally ditched cable after 23 years of small cable companies changing hands and ultimately going to Comcast. Hated them so much we went DSL 3 years ago instead of cable internet service, just so we could eventually sever the coax thru the yard!

Got DirecTV, with DVR. YES! It is like a microwave -- How did we ever survive without one? Auto-recording "24" (greatest show ever made), and wife actually learned how to run it.

More channels than Comcast, and cheaper having two receivers (one regular, one DVR) than basic Comcast.

Will never go back ...

During record snowstorms this past month, only had 20 minutes of outage, and that was when the snow was almost an absolute whiteout, with about 10 feet of visibility.

Oh, did I mention I don't care too much for Comcast?

[JTimmons]

Oh, did I mention I don't care too much for Comcast?

I would have got Comcast internet, but my LOML set up all that when we moved out here, she picked Qwest DSL. I sometimes have to work from home and the DSL has been cutting in and out dropping the connection, kind of a pain with all the security we got at work.
Thought about dropping it and getting cable, I am not so sure I want to now after hearing all this.

[gabedad]

I'm waiting for verizon fios in my town. It's in a bunch surrounding mine - comcast are thieving B^#*#(*&(

Comcast also has a big support center in my town - I guess I 'll be waiting a while for fios

[crokett]

Ken,

I've had DirecTV for 5 years and have always been pleased with their service. DirecTV works to keep me as a subscriber - even now when I am in an area with no other options. The service folks keep appts and I don't spend an eternity on hold when I call.

[scorrpio]

I always heard nothing but bad things about Comcast. Here, it's Cablevision (Optimum). So far so good. I have the triple-play - TV, internet and phone all through them. A couple cases there were problems, I got a CS rep within a minute, and they send out a tech quickly if they cannot resolve the problem from their end.
They have to be good, cause they got pretty stiff competition from satellite services like DirectTV, and now Verizon has joined the fray - they now run fiber all over the place and also started offering TV in addition to phone and broadband.
Competition is good.

[Kristofor]

Comcast and Time Warner recently did a swaparoo of eachother's customers in parts of the Twin Cities. Sadly, I am now a Comcast customer. After all the propaganda about how nothing bad would come of this change and it would be transparent and, really just a great deal for customers, they have:

A) Started auto-billing me without my permission (on Time Warner I would pay electronically, but I would manually authorize payment each month). I realize it's the same cost either way, but I want that control, thank you.

B) Jacked the internet only rate (I receive TV from DirecTV, a company I've been happy with for 5 years) up to $57.95/mo from $44/mo. for fewer emaill addresses, and the same speed.

If I lived in Qwest land I'd already have switched to DSL. However, I live in Sprint (local phone company, just changed names to Embarq) country, and my neighbors are complaining about their DSL cutting out several times per hour since some recent "upgrades". Once that's taken care of I'll be happily dumpping Comcast.

[jziegler]

Funny how everyone hates Comcast so much. I've used them for internet and TV for several years now and haven't had problems. I was originally going to use Verizon for DSL and get a TV antenna, but Verizon was taking far, far too long to setup the DSL (over a month after I moved in, 6 weeks or so after I called them) to even ship the modem, another 2 weeks from then to connect it. So, Comcast got my business again. It's pretty reliable, and every time I have needed to call, I have gotten a real person.

For Kristofor with the internet only rate, call them and ask about getting limited basic cable. Your total rate may go down down, since the service is cheap and avoids the non cable customer surcharge.

Jim

[Kristofor]

I did call about adding the super-duper basic cable. The total monthly rate would go down $2, but the setup fee is $49 and the trip charge is $35. I even said I would be fine with them simply billing me and leaving it disconnected but you still end up paying those extra fees.

If I was setting up a new account and paying that anyhow I guess I'd go for it. However, since I'm 95% sure that I won't still be with them in 40+ months when the break-even date would roll around I'm just going to let it slide for now.

Kristofor.