I've come to a conclusion

[FPNY]

i dunno, i have direct tv and my hd is beautiful, no freezing, no pixelating, just crisp clear picture....call your cable companys and pitch a bitch.

 

[SonOfSlobone]

I have cable. I know. I've got it plugged into the back of my television and I pay the cable company bill each month.

Before June 12 when the digital signal broadcast came into effect, my television viewing was rarely interrupted, and then only is an individual station went off the air or the cable went out for whatever reason.

Now, barely a day goes by when the programmes I watch don't freeze, pixelate, or stutter. And it's not just individual stations. When one freezes, I can find at least a dozen others which are also frozen. I'm guessing they are all coming from the same satellite feed.

Yesterday, we had some mild and distant thunderstorms. Nothing came anywhere close. Still, the signal froze time and time again.

If the governments are going to enforce a system, they should at least make sure that the system works.

gsdx, I think what Piggy is saying is that it may be cable coming into your house, but at some point that signal was downloaded from a satellite dish. If the dishes aren't adjusted precisely enough, they can get a lot of down time due to bad weather. Pixellation, freezing, etc. have nothing to do with cable per se. It's a case of garbage in, garbage out.

 

[gsdx]

gsdx, I think what Piggy is saying is that it may be cable coming into your house, but at some point that signal was downloaded from a satellite dish.

I realise that, too. I assumed that the problem was with the satellite signal that my cable company was receiving since so many stations go out at the same time (and they are always the same combination of stations).

The government made sure the non-cable and non-dish homeowners were ready for the digital signal switchover, but it's almost like they forgot to find out if the satellite technology was up to the challenge.

Apparently it isn't when there is so much down time.

 

[Yooper]

I was at a function about a week ago and this exact conversation came up between and older man and his granddaughter. The Granddaughter just happens to be a Cable TV Service Representative. The older man was complaining about the exact same problem.

The gist of the conversation revolved around the knowledge that Cable customers still using their old analog TV's with internal cable converters are having this problem. It is not going to get any better. It is actually going to get worse, and the Cable Companies know it.

The workaround, of course, is to upgrade. Suzie told Grandpa this. He doesn't want to pay any more money. She told Gramps that the Cable company quietly DROPPED analog service a few months ago, you can't even get it anymore. You can still get it if you had it. The Cable company doesn't care about the bottom feeders.

However, Suzie had one solution that actually would cost Grampa LESS: upgrade and bundle services. Digital Cable TV with On Demand, Digital Telephone Service with unlimited local and long distance, caller ID, and keep your old phone number, and High Speed Internet. All on one bill, too.

In your case, it will probably cost more. But since you aren't smoking anymore, maybe the costs could be justified? Just think how much fun high speed internet alone would be?

(By the way, I finally had to bite the bullet and go upgrade. I've got a bundle now, and although the higher bill sucks, I have come to the conclusion it is just a cost of living in a high tech digital world. )

The days of CATV (Community Antenna Television, the original meaning of CATV) for $10 a month, the lifeline phone service from Ma Bell at $12 a month are history.

 

[just_mills]

Digital Switch-over is good in my books.. No problems for me.
I now have access to more channels, don't pay any extra, and they're all HD-Ready channels, which suits me fine, seeing as I have a HD LCD TV

Winnar

 

[Joshua_me]

Digital Switch-over is good in my books.. No problems for me.
I now have access to more channels, don't pay any extra, and they're all HD-Ready channels, which suits me fine, seeing as I have a HD LCD TV

Winnar

Well, that's because you folks across the pond have your shit together.

For now...

But just wait until Big Ben makes the digital transition. Every time the power flickers off there'll be a giant red flashing '12:00' shining over the city.

 

[gsdx]

In your case, it will probably cost more. But since you aren't smoking anymore, maybe the costs could be justified? Just think how much fun high speed internet alone would be?

I'm stretching it to afford what I have now. If things keep going up, I'm going to be dumping something. I've checked into it. There isn't anything that's cheaper than what I have now.

 

[Joshua_me]

It seems to happen right at the ending of a program that I'm interested in seeing.

Right !

Missing the cum-shot is totally unacceptable !

 

[Yooper]

I'm stretching it to afford what I have now. If things keep going up, I'm going to be dumping something. I've checked into it. There isn't anything that's cheaper than what I have now.

I hear you. The cost of keeping up with technology is hard to justify.

How's about dumping the Land Line, upgrading TV and Internet and getting a prepaid cell phone? I recall you saying somewhere that you don't phone much anyway. I have a prepaid cell that costs me about $10 a month and I get 60 minutes of airtime a month. It isn't much but since I hate talking on the phone anyway it is a bargain.

 

[Kyanimal]

Got pissed off at Time Warner Cable, and went with Dish TV. The dish only went out when it was storming ... which was precisely when we "needed" it!

Bundled Everything into AT&T Uverse (fiber optic), TV (with DVR), 'puter (including WiFi), phones (land line and cells). The total cost actually came Down!

Have a projection HD TV upstairs, and an analogue in the basement, where I am now. It all works beautifully!

Until ... it locks up, pixelates, etc.! (Then it's flip over to the Digital Antennae, for the local stations, if it doesn't clear up within a few minutes!)

It is what we have to deal with, now. HOPEFULLY, it will get better!

Of course ... no matter what ...

Keep smilin'!!
Chaz

 

[gsdx]

How's about dumping the Land Line, upgrading TV and Internet and getting a prepaid cell phone? I recall you saying somewhere that you don't phone much anyway.

I inherited my mother's television. She bought it back in the 90s.

My computer system barely handles the internet as it is. I doubt if anything better would even be compatible with what I have. I'd have to buy a whole new system.

Even dropping the land line would cost me more money than I can afford.