cable

[isoS]

Remember that comic book?

No, just kidding. I have a question about cable service, and maybe others can benefit from an info exchange on the topic.

I'm moving, and the cable provider at my new home is Charter. Anyone have Charter? The main thing I'm wondering: how's their DVR? I've been using TiVo since before cable co's had DVR's, and I'm afraid of change. Does the interface suck? Is it fine? Am I going to die without the TiVo "experience"?

Other question (may be different in different areas): it looks like different tiers have a different number of HD channels. What DON'T you get if you get the basic package, as opposed to Silver or Gold? (I don't expect anyone to know the answer to this.)

[Alex King]

I work for a cable provider, not Charter, but still the same thing really. Don't know about the first one, though. BUT, in regards to your second question, you usually get the HD equivalents of whatever non-HD channels are part of your line up (if the network has HD). You shouldn't have to pay for the actual channels, but they'll most likely charge you a couple of extra bucks for an HD receiver.

[starfish]

I also just moved into an area that has Charter cable. I had Directv before which I couldn't get again, but would highly recommend it if you can get. I wasn't very impressed with what Charter had to offer and end up getting AT&T Uverse instead. I have been pretty happy with Uverse and the HD is one simple $10 fee and my DVR box is free because I only have one television.

[conun]

Yeah!

[isoS]

Yeah that was weird. Spam sleeper cell?

Anyway, neither uverse nor FiOS is avail in my new hood, and I don't trust satellite for some reason. So it's gonna be Charter unless they prove to suck a million dicks.

[rfeliciano]

Charter is terrible and has bad customer service but they have an exclusivity contract for my area so they are the only company I can get cable or true high speed internet from.

[isoS]

[pissedpissedofferson]

I used to have cable through Cox. They actually had retail outlets where you could go in and play with the DVRs before getting the hard-sell to upgrade. Does Charter have those?

[chapina]

Go for satellite, don't be scared! I really love it. Since I've now probably now totally convinced you, if you were to go with satellite, the only thing I would be careful with is the actual installation - my dad's installer was super lazy and should have placed the dish higher. A couple years later the neighbor's tree started to block the signal and they had to redo the whole thing.

Oh, and from what I hear DTV is giving shit away if you press firmly (but nicely!) to customers because of the whole Viacom dispute. Move fast!

[isoS]

Too late! I went w Charter. If it truly sucks I guess I'll switch to satellite.

[isoS]

Well, so far it truly sucks! Actually the Internet is amazingly fast and great, but the DVR is atrocious. I didn't realize how good I had it with TiVo all these years (and TiVo isn't even that great!).

This dumb piece of shit failed to record Breaking Bad twice last night. Does anyone know if every episode of BB winds up ondemand? 501 is there, but maybe that's just bc it was the premiere. I will also accept an answer to this same question regarding Mad Men or Walking Dead, since I assume BB will work the same way. Follow-up: when will it appear? I assumed that, or newsroom 105 would be tonight, but so far nada.

[Batman The Horse]

I'd never owned a TiVo until recently. It is so much nicer than the stupid cable box! Also I've heard that unless you're with Time Warner you may have a dickens of a time getting the cablecard to work (or so I've heard).

[funkyrhino]

Charter is terrible and has bad customer service but they have an exclusivity contract for my area so they are the only company I can get cable or true high speed internet from.

what I resent that; I was an excellent tech support rep for Charter for 3 years until I got fired for not giving a shit anymore!

[isoS]

Supposedly Charter is going to roll out TiVo Premiere integration in the next few months (I think they're testing it in Fort Worth or something), so that you have all the onDemand goodness of cable with all the better UI and functionality of TiVo. Hate the idea of paying for a box and an additional subscription, but this shit is so bad I might have to.

[The Mighty Kegsman]

Charter is a massive cocksuck for television. I cancelled service after a week mainly because the menu screen was in SD even on their HD boxes, and it looked like poo on my humongous tv. The internet is fastastic though, probably because I'm the only one on the block who has it. I average 50 Mb down and 5 up with little to no connection errors for 30 bucks a month. DigiTits. Also, the on demand puts up the shows when the next one airs, so you will be a week behind.

[Newt Floss]

I don't have cable. I pay for Netflix, Hulu Plus, and I use my dad's HBO GO account. Everything else I pirate on usenet. And I do this guilt free because if you don't want to offer me subscription based HD streaming then you can go fuck yourself. Die, cable, die! Go join Blockbuster in hell.

[MrDys]

NBC and their old media ties can go fuck themselves. I get to see my sport once every four years and they are fucking it up for me and my cable-cut ways.

[isoS]

What sport is that, men's 400m whining? JkloLlll!!

[MrDys]

Fencing. The nerdiest of nerdsports. So, yeah pretty much.

[drieux]

I shut off my cable about a year ago while unemployed and switched over to the Netflix/Hulu/Bittorrent method, and now that I'm fully employed again started shopping around for cable providers and decided I'm happier with my current setup than I would be paying for cable. However, I realize that the people who actually DO pay for cable are the ones who make the shows I'm pirating, like Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones, possible. I look forward to a day when cable companies finally start considering modifying their plans, although according to a friend of mine who works in corporate Comcast offices, a lot of old dudes are going to have to retire/die before that happens.