New Metrocast Setup

[winnipiseogee]

Is it just me or is the new metrocast setup horrible? Rarely have I seen a crappier "upgrade." Everything was deleted. Recorded shows, programming setups. You can no longer search for programs by name or look at the programming guide in future days. What do people think of the Dish up here? Not sure if I can get a signal but if I do I am changing ASAP!

[Jonas Pilot]

I thought the same thing, this is supposed to be an upgrade? For who?

[fatlazyless]

Does Metrocast get the Tennis Channel.....probably not....unless it was just added.....what no Tennis Channel.....say.....who is the moron who's picking their channel line-up anyway? Oh good grief.......there's no Tennis Channel on Metrocast....

[Jonas Pilot]

I'm sure they would LOVE to carry tennis. Maybe it's not part of their BASELINE. You would think they would take ADVANTAGE. No matter which way you SLICE it, it is just a bad BREAK.

[searay220]

As a seasonal customer of Metrocast I recently turned my service off for the winter. They informed me that there new policy is that I would need to "Park" my service for the winter for a $1.95 monthly fee. Or they will completely disconnect my service and then charge me $40 in the spring to have it hooked up. In the past it would be just a $5 charge to have it turned on.They also require 2 week notification before turning it back on. In the past if I went up for the weekend snowmobiling I would call on the ride up and have it turned on while I was on the phone.
It's not a huge deal for me however my being impressed with them and there customer service is GONE.

[trfour]

If you don't let them know with you're feet, they will try to charge YOU, for their Own headaches!! http://money.msn.com/
I guess that 'The Good O'll Days Are Gone!' ... You know, good quality customer service and, for a fair price. Gouge City is trying to take over Dodge, so to speak.

Good Luck, everyone!

Terry
___________________________

[Jeanzb1]

I agree. We, too, are seasonal customers and were told about the new monthly charge to keep our service during the winter months. Good customer service it's NOT. I wish we had a choice of cable companies.

[hilltopper]

Originally Posted by winnipiseogee

Is it just me or is the new metrocast setup horrible? Rarely have I seen a crappier "upgrade." Everything was deleted. Recorded shows, programming setups. You can no longer search for programs by name or look at the programming guide in future days. What do people think of the Dish up here? Not sure if I can get a signal but if I do I am changing ASAP!

I'm assuming that when the upgrade is complete all of the shows you had recorded and all of the shows you had setup to record will be restored to your box. Can anyone confirm this?

The recorded message cracked me up. They asked you not to unplug your box during the upgrade. What about all their customers who lost power during the storm??

I just tried giving Customer Service a call...the 800 number and the Belmont number. Both are busy. I wonder if freaked out customers are overwhelming the phone lines?

[angela4design]

Isn't the Guide list shorter as well? Now, you see four shows, when my fiancee and I were trying to remember how many it was before... 5 or 6?

And, hilltopper - that's a GREAT point! I wonder what happens when the power is restored?

[RLW]

Originally Posted by trfour

If you don't let them know with you're feet, they will try to charge YOU, for their Own headaches!! http://money.msn.com/
I guess that 'The Good O'll Days Are Gone!' ... You know, good quality customer service and, for a fair price. Gouge City is trying to take over Dodge, so to speak.

Good Luck, everyone!

Terry
___________________________

Are you talking about the days that we only had radio and TV wasn't around????

[AC2717]

We went to dish this past season.
love it for the camp, but would prefer DirectTV, just me
but they allow you to shut off for 6 consecutive months without charging you. Then to turn it back on, it costs nothing, just call them and within an hour it is back on.

Also for two TV's (one box runs both but can watch two different things) only cost $35 per month, and for that price you acutally get a decent amount of quality stations
I think it is the best set up going for TV up at the lake.
Not to mention there is no fee for install or equipment

[hilltopper]

Originally Posted by angela4design

Isn't the Guide list shorter as well? Now, you see four shows, when my fiancee and I were trying to remember how many it was before... 5 or 6?

And, hilltopper - that's a GREAT point! I wonder what happens when the power is restored?

I just talked to Metrocast. Anything you had on your DVR box is GONE. They said they'd been warning subscribers for awhile via literature but I don't remember seeing anything (not sure what I could have done even if I had seen the warning). I lost a ton of recorded shows we like to watch when we have time. I'm kine of PO'd about this...it's is probably the last straw with me in regards to Metrocast...time to look elsewhere.

[martbri7]

That stinks....I had some good shows to watch also.....my problem is I have a black screen that says NOT AUTHORIZED but can still see the guide....anyone else having this problem?

Oh yeah thanks Metrocast for the extra commericals on the guide...

[Slickcraft]

My understanding is that all prior recorded shows will be lost. Guess that I won't have to watch the Pats Steelers game that I recorded after all.

This morning the DVR cable box has no output except for "access not authorized" and the Mickey Mouse new guide. I bypassed the cable box and the tv tuner does work. While we had warning of the so called "upgrade", there was no warning that the cable box would be dead for several days.

No answer to e-mail to Mertocast and luck calling customer disservice.

[extremenewenglander]

I only have internet thru Metrocast and pulled the plug on the cable tv ;o)
Went with a Roku, works on my wireless, can get most anything you can think of with no commercials so to speak, but best of all it's only $89.00 bucks for the box and that's it!!!! I never looked back or even miss cable even a small little bit. Saves me about $800 per year!

[CateP]

Originally Posted by extremenewenglander

I only have internet thru Metrocast and pulled the plug on the cable tv ;o)
Went with a Roku, works on my wireless, can get most anything you can think of with no commercials so to speak, but best of all it's only $89.00 bucks for the box and that's it!!!! I never looked back or even miss cable even a small little bit. Saves me about $800 per year!

Can you get live NFL games in HD?

[tis]

Can you tell us more about it?

[upthesaukee]

http://www.roku.com/

[Alton Bay]

@ Martbri7- I have a message about authorization also. What does that mean and do I have to do anything to get my cable TV back?? Will it just adjust itself automatically? I hope so.

[Jonas Pilot]

... same message i received and it finally reset itself.

[martbri7]

Originally Posted by Alton Bay

@ Martbri7- I have a message about authorization also. What does that mean and do I have to do anything to get my cable TV back?? Will it just adjust itself automatically? I hope so.

Wish I knew...still out but the other tv works without box.

[extremenewenglander]

Visit Roku is all I can suggest. Had mine hooked up in less than 10 minutes. From soccer to Paris to Dakar to european racing/sports/usa stuff to Barney Miller to Addams Family and so on. You can subsribe to NHL/NFL/Soccer/MLB/(most nascar is free)! for very small fees. Free news like all the majors and cable stuff ....all that you can think of plus oodles of foreign stuff if that appeals to you. I don't however. I still get HDMI 26 basic/channels anyway just thru my internet account. Most sure you won't find this out since they surely don't want you to know ;o) We spend/watch most of our viewing at about 98% with just what Roku has to offer. It never ends!!! Maynot be for everyone however. It works grand for us though! Next is probably our Fairpoint landline getting the boot! I would rather go out to eat once a month than pay them my $$$. Cell phones are paramount!

[nicole]

Wow Metrocast just gets worse and worse. We had so many problems with them that it is better for phone/internet with Fairpoint- and I hate Fairpoint too!


We switched from Direct Tv to Metrocast for a short time back in 2007-2008-worst decision ever. We have Direct TV and love it.

Roku is great- We have 3 Rokus! Got our first a few years back when they had a crazy half-off online sale on Black Friday. We have a membership to Netflix and stream it to our tv through our Rokus. This year we purchased the NHL Center Ice on there instead of on Direct TV like we usually do and it was cheaper. We also have done it with MLB Extra Innings. However, no NFL Sunday ticket through Roku-I believe other than Direct TV, you can only get that through PlayStation. Roku has both pay and free movies/shows/etc. You can also get Amazon through it and they add more and more all the time. They are also working on a deal with HBO Go. It is great.

[sa meredith]

OK...I experienced several of the things written about here...Some bad, but really, mostly good...
First of all...SEARAY2200...
same exact thing happend to me...I called Columbus day weekend to ask if the Belmont office was open on Monday (Columbus Day), as I wanted to return my hi-def box, as I was shutting cable off until May. The rep worked real hard to sell me the "park your service" feature, as there would be a $40 start up charge in May. It didn't bother me, as anyone with one ounce of negotiating skills knows, that $40 would be waived quicker that Tito and Theo blew town. Anyway...told her I would think on it and get back. So, when Monday came around, I figured, why bother disconnecting the thing, as I'm sure I would drag my feet about going to pick one up again in May. Yeah...pay the $5 a month...you win. So, from home, I called them back on Thursday, to say cancell service, but put me in "Park" mode. I'll send you 30 bucks +/- to cover the winter...and lo and behold, she says...oh, you are not eligible for "park" service, as your basic service is bought as a group, thru your association. EXCUSE ME??!! You folks are the ones who pitched me on it. I wanted to return the darn hi-def box. She then says I must return the box, or pay full cost until such time as I do. No way I was driving an hour up, and an hour back to get the box. Anyway...a supervisor got on the phone, saw in the notes that I had indeed been pitched the service, and said, OK...keep the box all winter free (no service of course) and free start up in May, sorry for the misunderstaning.
Bad thing, turned good by them. Well done.
As for those of you saying you lost some stuff...I don't get it. I received a letter in the mail weeks ago warning me of the change over, and the loss of all memory, and parental controls being reset to zero. Then got an email a week ago.
And Monday, my CELL PHONE rings, and it's an auto message from Metrocast, warning that all memory and controls on my cable box will be gone in a matter of hours.
Talk about over kill. Did they do their part??? Pretty darn sure they did.
Now..as for re-learning how to use stuff...Don't we all hate change at first. I do. I'm the worst. Some thing unfamiliar seems bad. But given a chance...will it be second nature and probably better, in no time? Of course. I remember when using a PC seemed like speaking German...and then one day thinking, a 1st grader can do this.
In the end, wouldn't switching to a brand new provider (Dish, whatever) also include the task of re-learning an entire channel system? Of course it would. Same thing.
Just my two cents/sense...

[Steveo]

Originally Posted by searay220

As a seasonal customer of Metrocast I recently turned my service off for the winter. They informed me that there new policy is that I would need to "Park" my service for the winter for a $1.95 monthly fee.

Better look at your "park" bill. I have all 3 components - Cable, Phone and Internet. It will cost me $21.90 per month to park!

[BroadHopper]

I found out thru Googling that you don't need a Hidef box. If your TV has a QAM and digital tuner, you can get all the HD and SD channels as well as analog. I have basic service, using the QAM guide that you can print out below the channel lineup in the website, I have access to all the basic HD channels!

Customer service tries to tell me I need an HD box to get HD channels!

[sa meredith]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

I found out thru Googling that you don't need a Hidef box. If your TV has a QAM and digital tuner, you can get all the HD and SD channels as well as analog. I have basic service, using the QAM guide that you can print out below the channel lineup in the website, I have access to all the basic HD channels!

Customer service tries to tell me I need an HD box to get HD channels!

Yes, you are correct. However, if you want "expanded service" you need the box. And I need Verus for NHL playoffs in the spring, and MLB network, as I watch it everyday. Along with a bunch of other channels that come in handy on rainy or hangover days.

[SteveA]

As of today we have lost all service from metrocast.

SA Meredith What they didn't tell people in the mailings or phone messages is this, you had to have gone to their website to see this:



We have two DRV's @ $16.95 per month, both TV's are "black screen" I finally got thru on the phone to them is .... OOPS... you may be out of service for 2 or 3 days!

The only option is to disconnect the DVR's and run the cable directly into the TV. Problem with that is, the same thing will happen when you try to hook it back up.

They did say you can tune to channel 99 and watch free movies! Of course there will be no credit on the bill for the rental of the DVR's or the days service missed.

We will have no TV service for up to 2 days.

[Meredith Resident]

This new "upgrade" and "disconnection" charge reminds me of the B of A failed proposal to charge a $5 monthly fee to its ATM customers. I mean, did some incompetent management team sit in meetings this summer and decide this was a good idea? Unreal. I hope all Metrocast subscribers fight back and cancel and swith to Directv immediately.

We have Directv with two DVR's and all the HD channels, and we pay $55 a month. I would urge all subscribers to go to www.directv.com and pick out a package that fits their budget. On top of Directv's best offer, I have a few $100 refferal coupons. With these coupons you can take an ADDITIONAL $100 off their best offer. Please PM me for these coupons and how to get the referral. I only have a few of these coupons, so if I don't respond to you I've probably already used them on others.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9650 using Tapatalk

[sa meredith]

Originally Posted by SteveA

As of today we have lost all service from metrocast.

SA Meredith What they didn't tell people in the mailings or phone messages is this, you had to have gone to their website to see this:

Attachment 5552

We have two DRV's @ $16.95 per month, both TV's are "black screen" I finally got thru on the phone to them is .... OOPS... you may be out of service for 2 or 3 days!

The only option is to disconnect the DVR's and run the cable directly into the TV. Problem with that is, the same thing will happen when you try to hook it back up.

They did say you can tune to channel 99 and watch free movies! Of course there will be no credit on the bill for the rental of the DVR's or the days service missed.

We will have no TV service for up to 2 days.

Steve..it did say it on the mailer I received...and this message was highlighted.
Now, truth be told, I would have disregarded it as junk mail, but open it as I thought it was info regarding cancelling my service.
No TV stinks though.
I guess the only reason I can't "pile on" here, is that on two occasions that I really needed them to come thru for me this summer, they did.
I'll share one of them...I had a chance to escape up to Meredith on a Thursday, late summer, alone...no wife, company, nieces/nephews, family members (have camps next door)...just me, and watch Sox/Yanks in peace, out by the fire. Got there early afternoon...NO CABLE. I called, and after being told I could get a service call, tomorrow, I explained I needed cable THAT evening, and the woman actually listened ot my story. She said, OK, hang up, and wait for a call at 5ish, and a tech would call me and come by. Sure enough, 4:45, phones rings, guys shows up, TV ready by 6. So...even though I agree with many of the gripes posted here, I owe them one. So with today's kind words, we're square.

[winnipiseogee]

Originally Posted by sa meredith

Talk about over kill. Did they do their part??? Pretty darn sure they did.
Now..as for re-learning how to use stuff...Don't we all hate change at first. I do. I'm the worst.

I disagree - they didn't just change things they actually took away a whole lot of options that we used to have. New technology never bothers me - I love new toys. But... The new toys should work better than the old toys or its not an "upgrade"!

We can no longer search for tv shows by name, we can't look days into the future to see if there are shows that we might want to record, our ability to record shows is WAY less. We have one hour of tv recorded and it is telling me that I am now 77% full!! Does this mean I can only record an hour and twenty minutes of TV?!?! That is ridiculous.

Finally, I have two residential accounts and 4 business accounts. Admittedly I never look at my paper bills because everything is online but I never heard about any of this. No emails, no phone calls. Its a serious inconvenience.

I was annoyed enough today that I called down to Metrocast's corporate parent. The executive secretary told me that everyone's phone was ringing off the hook. I think its clear they screwed up. The only question in my mind is are they going to do anything about it??

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by sa meredith

Steve..it did say it on the mailer I received...and this message was highlighted.
Now, truth be told, I would have disregarded it as junk mail, but open it as I thought it was info regarding cancelling my service.
No TV stinks though.
I guess the only reason I can't "pile on" here, is that on two occasions that I really needed them to come thru for me this summer, they did.
I'll share one of them...I had a chance to escape up to Meredith on a Thursday, late summer, alone...no wife, company, nieces/nephews, family members (have camps next door)...just me, and watch Sox/Yanks in peace, out by the fire. Got there early afternoon...NO CABLE. I called, and after being told I could get a service call, tomorrow, I explained I needed cable THAT evening, and the woman actually listened ot my story. She said, OK, hang up, and wait for a call at 5ish, and a tech would call me and come by. Sure enough, 4:45, phones rings, guys shows up, TV ready by 6. So...even though I agree with many of the gripes posted here, I owe them one. So with today's kind words, we're square.

So, in other words you're impressed that they prioritized repairing their equipment to deliver the service you were paying for?

It doesn't take much to impress you, does it?

[RLW]

I did not receive any letters, except for the bill when it is due and I didn't have any problems whatsoever. Could it be because I do not have all the fancy stuff and just have the extended basic????

[SteveA]

Originally Posted by sa meredith

I called, and after being told I could get a service call, tomorrow, I explained I needed cable THAT evening, and the woman actually listened ot my story. She said, OK, hang up, and wait for a call at 5ish, and a tech would call me and come by. Sure enough, 4:45, phones rings, guys shows up, TV ready by 6. So...even though I agree with many of the gripes posted here, I owe them one. So with today's kind words, we're square.

I have found, that very often, if you are persistent enough, AND REMAIN POLITE, the "worker bees" in most service industries will try to find a way to be helpful. The problem really gets to be that too many companies have really cut down on the number of "worker bees".

I did stay on hold with Metrocast tonight for more than an hour, I ended up with a very nice, lady that helped get my DVR's up and running. She told me they were buried with phone calls. She explained that they have to reprogram each DVR and Set Top Box, one at a time, and each one "can" take up to 20 minuets to clear the old settings and install the updated new settings and software.

[nada]

Originally Posted by winnipiseogee

I disagree - they didn't just change things they actually took away a whole lot of options that we used to have. New technology never bothers me - I love new toys. But... The new toys should work better than the old toys or its not an "upgrade"!

We can no longer search for tv shows by name, we can't look days into the future to see if there are shows that we might want to record, our ability to record shows is WAY less. We have one hour of tv recorded and it is telling me that I am now 77% full!! Does this mean I can only record an hour and twenty minutes of TV?!?! That is ridiculous.

Finally, I have two residential accounts and 4 business accounts. Admittedly I never look at my paper bills because everything is online but I never heard about any of this. No emails, no phone calls. Its a serious inconvenience.

I was annoyed enough today that I called down to Metrocast's corporate parent. The executive secretary told me that everyone's phone was ringing off the hook. I think its clear they screwed up. The only question in my mind is are they going to do anything about it??

You can still search for shows i have the logitech remote and when i hit menu on it there is an icon you click on to do your search

[Wood Chopper]

I found that most of the same settings still exist, but the navigation is horrible. Not just a matter of getting used to it, some of the menus have no "back" button, you have to start over. This is like being forced from Windows7 back to 3.1.

Scrolling through the guide is not scrolling at all, it "pages".

Also found the playback feature is nowhere near as intuitive as the previous. Fast forwarding through commercials and hitting play used to jump you back a few seconds, now it starts immediately requiring you to rewind.

Finally, we couldn't turn the box off last night because it was recording..this was never a issue before.

Finally, finally....the interface just plain looks terrible.

Hate to complain so much about TV, we have many more important things, but it really bugs me that Metrocast is trying to sell this to us as an enhancement. That couldn't be farther from the truth, it's about money and advertising.

Someone didn't do their due diligence on this.

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by Wood Chopper

I found that most of the same settings still exist, but the navigation is horrible. Not just a matter of getting used to it, some of the menus have no "back" button, you have to start over. This is like being forced from Windows7 back to 3.1.

Scrolling through the guide is not scrolling at all, it "pages".

Also found the playback feature is nowhere near as intuitive as the previous. Fast forwarding through commercials and hitting play used to jump you back a few seconds, now it starts immediately requiring you to rewind.

Finally, we couldn't turn the box off last night because it was recording..this was never a issue before.

Finally, finally....the interface just plain looks terrible.

Hate to complain so much about TV, we have many more important things, but it really bugs me that Metrocast is trying to sell this to us as an enhancement. That couldn't be farther from the truth, it's about money and advertising.

Someone didn't do their due diligence on this.

I agree on all counts. Especially aggravating is that you can no longer shut the box off to standby when it is set to record. So we can't use the single DVR remote to shut down the TV, cable box and the audio system all at once. Now we have to dig out the TV and audio remotes from storage to sit along side the DVR remote.

[Jonas Pilot]

How about when your switching channels. It's all out of whack. The synchronization is way off.

[sa meredith]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

So, in other words you're impressed that they prioritized repairing their equipment to deliver the service you were paying for?

It doesn't take much to impress you, does it?

It's a freakin' cable company...with guys in vans that are no more than sub-contractors. Some take their job seriously, some do as little as possible, and are drinking Bud by 4:50 everyday.
I called at 3ish...knowing the blue collar world pretty much shuts down at 5 these days. And, who knows, the workers may indeed be union, and are forbidden from lifting a finger after 5. When I called at 3, if someone had been out the next morning by 9, THAT would have impressed me. The fact that she got a tech to call my cell, and come out after his final scheduled service call of the day was complete...and I was up and running by 6 (after calling at 3) was pretty good, I thought. Was I impressed? Well, I certainly appreciated the effort. And the tech earned himself a 10 spot for the trouble.
Let's face it...losing cable is not an emergency...like heat, electricity, or hot water. It's TV, after all. A problem called in at 3, and dealt with the next morning, would have to be considered adequate by any reasonable customer. I felt like she went above and beyond so I could watch a stupid baseball game.

[martbri7]

We got our cable back and have been "training" how to use the guide, my question....We saved a hour show and now it says the DVR is 42% filled...thats just with one show taped, anyone else notice this or have a remedy? Thanks

[SteveA]

Originally Posted by martbri7

We got our cable back and have been "training" how to use the guide, my question....We saved a hour show and now it says the DVR is 42% filled...thats just with one show taped, anyone else notice this or have a remedy? Thanks

We had the exact same issue. We called Metrocast Tech Support (524-4425) and they were able to "reset" the memory back to zero. Seems to work OK now.

I did have to wait on hold for a very long time.

You can also find answers in this "online guide" from Metrocast website.

http://www.metrocast.com/guides/iGui...rRefManual.pdf

You know it's going to be confusing when the manual for the "IGuide" manual needs to be 63 pages long!

[LakerMike]

Did anyone notice with the new i-Guide you can only go back 21 minutes instead of the 60 before??? The buffer only holds 21 and 24 minutes of each channel on the DVR. Tech support just discovered this... If they don't fix it I will switch to DirectTV for sure! From what everyone says DirectTV and Dish is so much better than cable! The PPV is way too expensive also, I can get a DVD from Redbox for $1.

[patman]

Originally Posted by LakerMike

also, I can get a DVD from Redbox for $1.

Not anymore you can't!

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/st...ces/50970590/1

Internet + Roku + Netflix/Amazon = more video than I should really be watching

[dragonfly03246]

It's my understanding from Metrocast that the memory used includes the programs you have set to record which I think is a pretty good idea because then you know how much more you can record before you start to lose memory.

As far as searching by keyword or program name, you can still do that. There are a ton of different options available for searching.

I also found that you can change the color of the guide which is pretty neat. I agree that the ads definitely need to go though! We pay a ton already to have cable and I don't feel that we need to see ads everytime we use the guide.

The other feature that we found that I don't like is that when you record you can't choose new and that specific time only, so when you choose "new and repeats" you get ALL! That kind sucks because some of the TLC, History, Discovery shows show the new later on at night which is great becuase we can record at that time and there's no conflict with the broadcast channels which only show their programs once.

[Lakepilot]

This was kind of the last straw for us. We currently have Internet, Phone and Cable from Metrocast and with all the boxes etc. pay about $230/month. It really aggravates me to have to view an ad every time I use their guide, when I'm paying that kind of money.

Here's the current plan and issues that have to be addressed.

1. TV. Long term is to go to DirecTV, which we have in our motorhome and it works great. But in the house I'd need a good installer near Wolfeboro that could set us up.
Short term, cancel the expensive Metrocast package and go with their basic package and then add a few ROKU boxes. Since we get HBO with our DirecTV account on the motorhome, we can use it in the house with HBO GO and the ROKU.

2. Internet. Looks like Metrocast is the same price as Fairpoint so I guess we'll stick with Metrocast. We do have MIFI cards that we use when traveling and are grandfathered into the unlimited plan, but the bandwidth is quite their for streaming and I hate to push the unlimited.

3. Phone. Our phone now costs in the vicinity of $46/month through Metrocast. We can add another cell phone line for $5/month. I've looked at cell phone gateways like Xtreme, Siemens, Panasonic etc. and they look interesting. Pay one fixed amount for the box (around $90) and then pay the $5/mo and that replaces the Metrocast $46/mo bill. The only problem appears to be our alarm system. At least one of the systems (Verizon home link) says they will not work with security systems.

Anyway, my questions are

1. Will any cell phone gateway work with our alarm system? If so which is the best gateway that would work?
2. Anybody know a good DirecTV reseller/installer?
3. A previous poster said that if we keep the Metrocast internet and cancel the cable and phone with them that we would still have the basic channels. Is this true?

[brk-lnt]

You might find it cheaper overall to replace your alarm panel with a cellular-capable unit if you have problems finding a compatible system there.

It shouldn't be THAT hard to find someone to handle the directv setup, it's mostly just a matter of running the coax from the dish down into the house, it's really not a 'specialist' kind of job. There are a couple of home theater shops in the area, have you tried contacting any of them?

[MaidenCove07]

Originally Posted by Jeanzb1

I wish we had a choice of cable companies.

The only way to force that issue is to be a "qualified" voter, which many of us seasonal residents are not, and insist that your town deregulate cable.

Most towns will not because then the campaign contributions pouring in from the offended utility will stop....

[Lakepilot]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

You might find it cheaper overall to replace your alarm panel with a cellular-capable unit if you have problems finding a compatible system there.

It shouldn't be THAT hard to find someone to handle the directv setup, it's mostly just a matter of running the coax from the dish down into the house, it's really not a 'specialist' kind of job. There are a couple of home theater shops in the area, have you tried contacting any of them?

Unfortunately our alarm system is also a home automation system hence is very expensive.

The issues I have with DirecTV relates to the number of independent boxes we can have versus lnb's etc.

[patman]

Originally Posted by Lakepilot

The issues I have with DirecTV relates to the number of independent boxes we can have versus lnb's etc.

It's been a while, but I seem to remember that the LNB->box issue is solveable. I believe they switch the polarization filter on every other channel (horizontal on even channels, vertical on odd ones) and it's not so much that you have to have a separate LNB for each box, but that you can only share an LNB between boxes that is on the same polarization mode. (ie...box1 and box2 can share LNB1 and view different channels if they're both on an odd-numbered channel) If you have 2 LNBs, and a smart LNB multiplexer, it'll work with any number of boxes. The multiplexer just fixes one to horizontal and the other to vertical, then routes the request from the boxes to the LNB with the correct filter.

I think...like I said, it's been a while.

[Lakepilot]

Originally Posted by patman

It's been a while, but I seem to remember that the LNB->box issue is solveable. I believe they switch the polarization filter on every other channel (horizontal on even channels, vertical on odd ones) and it's not so much that you have to have a separate LNB for each box, but that you can only share an LNB between boxes that is on the same polarization mode. (ie...box1 and box2 can share LNB1 and view different channels if they're both on an odd-numbered channel) If you have 2 LNBs, and a smart LNB multiplexer, it'll work with any number of boxes. The multiplexer just fixes one to horizontal and the other to vertical, then routes the request from the boxes to the LNB with the correct filter.

I think...like I said, it's been a while.

Those are some of the issues I alluded to. We have 4 TV's we regularly watch and 3 others that are sometimes watched. We currently have HD and 3 DVR's. We may want to watch the 110 and the 119 sat. The house was wired for cable. There are 3 different designs for multiswitches and I don't know which is best for us. I wonder if the receivers would be better located in a central spot or at the TV. If in a central spot how do you communicate to them from the room you're watching TV in.

Those are the issues that a provider/installer might address.

[Wood Chopper]

You guys sound like you know the nuts and bolts of this better than me but let me offer a story. I was contacted by a home owner that had Direct TV installed and the installer ran sloppy cables and ruined a very expensive vinyl siding. I was contracted to repair the siding and have the wire re-routed. In investigating the need for all the extra cables I discovered this multi-switch and was simply able to use the existing in house cable lines. Each location has an independent DVR. The Owner was furious with DirectTV. The installer was adamant he had 2 run 2 cables to each installation. In my opinion they could have sold the multi-switch to the Owner during install but from what I understand the installer is an independent contractor working on a fixed per Diem. Running 2 wires gets him in and out quicker. Installing the multi-switch would have required a return trip, one that he may or may not have been paid for.

Just be cautious, it was a very sloppy (and expensive) install.

Here's the site for the switch that could have saved a lot of aggravation if installed initially: http://www.weaknees.com/swm-directv.php

The support at the site may help you with your question.

The Owner reports no issues with the switch and multiple HD TV's and DVRs.

[SteveA]

I spoke with a very nice and informative lady at Metrocast today. We have 2 DVR's and 2 TV's that are just straight to the cable outlet (No box).

She told me that they are about to get the MultiRoom DVR's. She guessed sometime in the next moth or so. Metrocast in Maryland and CT already have them.

She also walked me thru a few things to do on my DRV's that would recover the memory. She said that the amount of "recording" time has not changed on the current DVR's. I pushed all the buttons she told me to push and and got back to 0 percent full. I did have to wipe out all of my saved shows, which for me was no big deal. (I didn't need to watch the Patriots lose to the Giants in the superbowl anyway!)

Lastly, once the Multiroom DVR's are ready for this area, you will need to have a set top box on all TV's in the house, and you can have up to a total of 5 TV's that can access the MultiRoom DVR.

I was actually pleasantly impressed with he lady. She did tell me that they are all really sick of people calling and screaming that them..

[Wood Chopper]

Is there any way you could post that reset sequence?

I'm hearing from various sources that the Customer Service from Metrocast during this change has been very good.

I'm sure they are tired of hearing people scream at them. Too bad Metrocast put them in this position. I still think the old Guide and DVR software was far superior to the latest.

[SteveA]

I thought I saved the note pad I wrote it down on.... but I can't find it.

I don't want to guess, it was 5 or 6 steps, and I wouldn't want to be responsible for messing up peoples settings.

If you call Metrocast @ 524-4425 I'm sure they will walk you thru it also.

[P-3 Guy]

Originally Posted by Lakepilot

Unfortunately our alarm system is also a home automation system hence is very expensive.

The issues I have with DirecTV relates to the number of independent boxes we can have versus lnb's etc.

DirecTV now uses better technology that will allow you to have up to 16 tuners working off of one dish. If you want a DVR at each TV that's up to eight DVRs as each DVR has two tuners. Also, they now have something called SWiM (Single Wire Multiswitch) that allows two-tuner DVRs to be served with just one RG-6 coaxial cable. Finally, my favorite recent DirecTV innovation is MRV, or multi-room viewing. I have three DVRs that are all networked together, so that I can watch anything recorded on one DVR on either of the other two.

Sorry to sound like a shill for DirecTV, but I'm very impressed with their service. Getting the same level of service (programming and equipment) from my local cable provider would probably cost me twice as much each month.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by Lakepilot

Unfortunately our alarm system is also a home automation system hence is very expensive.

Is it HAI by any chance?

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by MaidenCove07

The only way to force that issue is to be a "qualified" voter, which many of us seasonal residents are not, and insist that your town deregulate cable.

Most towns will not because then the campaign contributions pouring in from the offended utility will stop....

This isn't really true. First off, these MSO's are hardly ever making any kind of campaign contributions, especially in smaller communities.

The single buggest impediment to getting competition from another MSO is the size of the market. Only the most highly populated areas have enough subscribers to justify a system overbuild.

In the lakes region there is barely enough subscriber density to support Metrocast alone, there is no way you'd get another MSO to come in, build out a system and then fight to try to get a fraction of the current subscriber base.

[Lakepilot]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

Is it HAI by any chance?

Yes it is. Hopefully this isn't a dupe.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by Lakepilot

Yes it is. Hopefully this isn't a dupe.

Ok, let me talk to a couple of my dealers for you. It's been many years since I dealt with HAI directly myself, but I'll see what people are doing for cellular monitoring. One of my guys just did a pretty nice 32,000 sqft house in Vegas that is using an HAI system (along with quite a bit of other cool stuff )

I've replaced my OmniPro panels and hvac gear with a different system. I have a couple of spare omnistats if you need one. I think I have an extra outdoor temp sensor maybe too...

[livenh]

I have basic only so can't say much about the upgrade. However I have been complaining to Metrocast for ages since, on Basic, you don't even get the program guide! That is ridiculous. Should be part of ANY Basic packet. I called to see about adding things and was told I could get Basic or pay for everything. Now I find out that isn't correct, there is an intermediate program. However with Dish and Direct TV available, for lots less money and I will get much more, that is the way I am planning to go. I know people who have switched and love it - and the money they are saving.

[songkrai]

I have Direct TV. For many years. Can turn on and off with a phone call. Also can take receiver from one house to another. One account. Only one residence can be turned on at one time though.

I paid for my satellite dish myself. There are too many hacks out there. I got exactly what I wanted.

The newest Direct TV satellite dish is the SWM (swim) dish. Only one RG6 is needed for the entire home. With the SWM dish only one RG6 is needed to record shows and watch another channel using the HR24 DVR receiver. Each TV obviously needs to have an RG6 wire and receiver.

I also have on another residence the Slimlime 5 dish. This does require one wire for each TV. And for the HR23 DVR receiver one needs two RG 6 wires to record and watch.

Both Dish and Direct require a 2 year contract. After that you can turn on and turn off at any time with a phone call. And you can carry any/all receiver from home to home. I purchased all of my Direct TV receivers and just leave one off at home I am not at. Direct TV sells equipment insurance for $5.00 per month. So if anything breaks from the dish to the receiver they come and fix for no charge.

On another note one can purchase a Logitech Google TV receiver at B*est Buy for $99.00. No subscription needed for Google TV. You do need high speed internet for this to work. You can go wired or wireless from your router. You do need a high speed router if going wireless.

LINK

[winnipiseogee]

So I finally get around to resetting my DVRs and asking for a credit for the service interruption. After being bounced around from person to person I realize that they are coming up with some pretty ridiculous reasons for not giving me a refund (for example - "if you wanted a refund you should have called in the first few days - its been 3 weeks so we don't think we will give you a refund" Mind you wait times in the first week were easily over an hour!

Finally after an hour and a half one of the reps tells me its because MetroCast gives them bonuses for NOT refunding customers money even if the customer is rightfully due the money!!!

What kind of a company does that?!?!? Clearly one that doesn't care about their customers!!!

Now hopefully I can get a satellite signal for Direct TV!

[Lakepilot]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

Ok, let me talk to a couple of my dealers for you. It's been many years since I dealt with HAI directly myself, but I'll see what people are doing for cellular monitoring. One of my guys just did a pretty nice 32,000 sqft house in Vegas that is using an HAI system (along with quite a bit of other cool stuff )

I've replaced my OmniPro panels and hvac gear with a different system. I have a couple of spare omnistats if you need one. I think I have an extra outdoor temp sensor maybe too...

We have 5 omnistat's. Right now 3 are the older style and 2 are new ones. Lightning has gradually taken out the older ones. The outdoor temp sensor is still working.

I( appreciate the offer .

[messindeb]

Originally Posted by winnipiseogee

Is it just me or is the new metrocast setup horrible? Rarely have I seen a crappier "upgrade." Everything was deleted. Recorded shows, programming setups. You can no longer search for programs by name or look at the programming guide in future days. What do people think of the Dish up here? Not sure if I can get a signal but if I do I am changing ASAP!

I've been a Metrocast customer for almost 20 years and now am thoroughly disgusted with the so-called upgrade which is useless and overly confusing. I am looking into (believe it or not) Fairpoint's bundle which includes phone, Internet, and a heavily discounted DirecTV subscription. The only problem may be line of sight issues which would not allow for the DirecTV setup, so I'm still doing research on an alternative to Metrocast. I also find the "search" function useless and not at all accurate.

[hilltopper]

Originally Posted by messindeb

...upgrade which is useless and overly confusing.

Don't forget the best part...MORE EXPENSIVE!

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by messindeb

I The only problem may be line of sight issues which would not allow for the DirecTV setup, so I'm still doing research on an alternative to Metrocast. I also find the "search" function useless and not at all accurate.

The other issue of course is that it's Fairpoint and DSL. I hear that when their network gets congested or goes down they will print web pages for you and deliver them via service truck, for a scheduled appointment between 9A and 4P.


DirecTV is pretty good though.

[gokart-mozart]

The absurd "upgrade" to the program guide, followed by the "that isn't really a sh*t sandwich you're eating" letter pushed me over the edge.

I have an obstructed view of the sky at 237 degrees, so my choices are limited.

I bought a TIVO (cable card now $2.95/month, free after 1/1/12) and disconnected Fairpoint altogether. Losing the DVR and Fairpoint saves me $115/month, and the TIVO is great,

AND

If you have a home network TIVO will stream to a PC or iPad/iPhone

AND

if you have an AppleTV your TV will mirror your iPad/iPhone,

SO

One TIVO plus that other stuff (if you have it already) will give you multiroom TIVO.

Direct TV is still better, but I'm not moving to get it. After all, there's still nothing on...