time warner screwing everyone

T77911S · 03-14-2018, 04:06 AM

so I woke up yesterday and my TV has no signal.
turns out TW has gone "digital"!!
to make it worse now everyone has to rent a box for every TV!!
we never got anything in the mail/ email saying this was going to happen.
we do get a bill every month, how hard it is to drop a note in there saying this is happening
needless to say the line at TW was enormous, the new media was even there.

I thought all new TVs were digital ready and you did not need a box?

just another way to get $$$ out of you.

trying to decide if I want to keep cable.
its more the point of it and how they did that really makes me mad.

Holger · 05:03 AM

We had something similar going on here.
We used an antenna in our attic and watched TV terristrial. At NO cost!
No HD resolution required for us. We are good with SD.
The TV had the receiver built in. Also our HDD-unit had its own receiver ... perfect - we could watch one movie and record another one at the same time.
For the children we had the option that they later could have a TV in their rooms. No problem. Just plug it in and boom they are good to go.

NOW someone had the bright idea that everyone in Germany NEEDS HD TV! Because we dont want to be left behind!

So, the complete terristrial system in Germany is switched to HD (the antenna is still the same) over a couple of months.
Our built in receivers dont work anymore so we have to put up an extra box beneath the TV and we have to PAY for TV now.
AND we have to pay the same amount for every single receiver/TV.
AND if we want to record/save a movie we cannot watch other channels outside the bundle of four or five that the recording movie is within.

Our HDD recorder we could throw away because it is useless.

WHO TF does come up with such ideas/solutions?!?!?
This is like going back to stoneage in functionality/convenience just because someone needs HD TV?!

Shaun @ Tru6 · 03-14-2018, 05:16 AM

Just wait until the ISPs have figured out the best ways to game the repeal of net neutrality.

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

It's communications companies in general. They dream up new deceptive practices and "gotchas" every day.
Direct TV charges me $5 to talk to them by phone.
My only option for internet is Frontier DSL. The DSL is advertised at $47 a month, but there is a mandatory $9.99 a month to buy 50 gigs of storage and "device protection" from some outfit in Norway. I have no need for 50 gigs of storage, but and I'm looking for an easy way to upload 50 gigs of crap just to take up space on their servers, if they really have any.

Baz · Baz's Garage

You have options:

CUTTING THE CORD - MASTER THREAD - transitioning away from cable TV & various options

Shaun @ Tru6 · 03-14-2018, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

It's communications companies in general. They dream up new deceptive practices and "gotchas" every day.
Direct TV charges me $5 to talk to them by phone.
My only option for internet is Frontier DSL. The DSL is advertised at $47 a month, but there is a mandatory $9.99 a month to buy 50 gigs of storage and "device protection" from some outfit in Norway. I have no need for 50 gigs of storage, but and I'm looking for an easy way to upload 50 gigs of crap just to take up space on their servers, if they really have any.

I can help you there. I have at least 200GB of 50MB Traveler Kids Photoshop files.

billybek · billybek's Garage

We (my son and I) still miss those shirts, Shaun!

I was pretty amazed a few years ago that I was paying more for cable and internet per month than the rest of my utilities. I cut way back but really need a new plan on how to reduce costs further.

T77911S · 03-14-2018, 06:23 AM

the last thing I want is more of my personal stuff and info out on the internet.

stomachmonkey · 03-14-2018, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T77911S

......
to make it worse now everyone has to rent a box for every TV!!
.....

That's not correct.

The National digital switch was 09".

TV's with digital tuners have been on the market for 10 years.

Unless the set is ancient just go into settings and rescan the channels.

T77911S · 03-14-2018, 06:28 AM

going to try the firestick

T77911S · 03-14-2018, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

That's not correct.

The National digital switch was 09".

TV's with digital tuners have been on the market for 10 years.

Unless the set is ancient just go into settings and rescan the channels.

that's what I thought.
will have to try the scan
TV is oinly a few years old

drcoastline · 03-14-2018, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T77911S

so I woke up yesterday and my TV has no signal.
turns out TW has gone "digital"!!
to make it worse now everyone has to rent a box for every TV!!
we never got anything in the mail/ email saying this was going to happen.
we do get a bill every month, how hard it is to drop a note in there saying this is happening
needless to say the line at TW was enormous, the new media was even there.

I thought all new TVs were digital ready and you did not need a box?

just another way to get $$$ out of you.

trying to decide if I want to keep cable.
its more the point of it and how they did that really makes me mad.

You're just now getting screwed? H#ll I've been bending over spreading my cheeks for years.

legion · 03-14-2018, 07:50 AM

Believe it or not Time Warner waited several years to screw you. A law was passed in 2010 that allowed cable companies to do this (charge per TV) starting in 2012. Comcast was all over that like white on rice.

dad911 · 03-14-2018, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T77911S

going to try the firestick

Sign up for streaming at directvnow for 1 months at $35/month, and get a free Amazon fireTV.

https://slickdeals.net/f/11287263-directv-now-amazon-fire-tv-1-month-of-directv-now-service-35-new-subscribers-only

I did their 3 month free appletv deal.

T77911S · 03-14-2018, 09:49 AM

what makes us so mad is that there was warning. the lines to get to boxes is very long.

the cable guy came into her shop today and said we HAVE to have at least one box, even to use firestick. (?) does that sound right? so I am guessing the channel scan may not do any good.
I will let yall know later. he said wait about a week to get a box. at least its not me that was the only one that did not know this was coming.

I new things were going digital. I just assumed mine ALREADY was digital and that the new TV's did not need a box.

Halm · 03-14-2018, 10:05 AM

We had TW for 20+ years while in Charlotte. If you want HD, you have to rent a cable box. Otherwise, you should be able to attach cable to to TV and scan channels. BUT, you will only get standard definition signal. And you will only get the number of channels your TV's tuner was designed for. BTDT

If you have an old analog TV, then you need a digital converter box from TW.

Different boxes for different reasons.

dad911 · 03-14-2018, 10:07 AM

Have to try. With comcast, they are all scrambled and you need their box.

matthewb0051 · matthewb0051's Garage

I'm ok paying for the box and service. However, don't tell me that I have around 1,000 channels in the plan. All I want is the HD, which is around 150 channels. Why in the name of all that is holy can I not just pay for the HD and call it a day?

Also, contrary to my being ok paying for the box, I would like an explanation for why one is required to access HD. Are new TVs not capable of receiving that signal?

I've given thought to cutting the cord but it just appears to be impractical and difficult to get what I want. For example, right now I am watching UEFA Champions League football. How would I even get that without cable and would it be in HD? A friend went w/o cable and the picture was poor and always looked like it was not live. Sort of kept me from even trying.

rfuerst911sc · 03-14-2018, 02:23 PM

We are cable cutters for a while now , we have Windstream DSL ( not the best ) and have several Roku devices ( box and sticks ) . Works for what we need we mostly watch Sling and Hulu and sometimes Netflix . I told my brother in law about Firesticks that are jail broke that run Kodi . He had never heard of this but eventually he did some research and bought one . Not sure where he got it but he's been using it for a few months now and likes it . Apparently you can get ANYTHING on it from PPV to sports to porn to you name it . So there are options out there .

spuggy · 03-14-2018, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

I would like an explanation for why one is required to access HD. Are new TVs not capable of receiving that signal?

Why yes, they are.

But if your provider doesn't supply HDTV, but instead chooses to encrypt (aka "scramble") the content, then you'll need a cablecard to access it.

So it's not HDTV your TV doesn't understand, it's the encryption the TV company added to protect it from people who aren't paying them money.

Some TVs may accept a cablecard - many don't. If yours does, your TV supplier should be happy to rent you one. But good luck if you can't get it working in 5 minutes; they won't support it (and there's lots of ways they can mess it up too - either "accidentally" or on purpose).

If that doesn't work out, go back to the 90's and use a STB (set-top box) - per TV - that accepts the cablecard. Which your TV provider, again, will be happy to rent you.

The statement about "you need a box to use a FireStick" (or Chromecast or any streaming internet-based service) is complete & utter, bald-faced lies or total incompetence/IdontknowwtfImtalkingabout - take your pick.

My $0.02; Just walk away. Don't look back. S'what I did. Never been happier.