NudgeCast 8/20/08

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Jonas

NudgeCast 8/13/08

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Thoughts on cable, Windows Vista, and yet another incredibly useful website.

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NudgeCast 7/30/08

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On new Optimum HD channels, notebook buying, and another new search engine.

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NudgeCast 7/22/08

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An unusual problem with the cable DVR, and a search engine with a twist. Plus, I almost make it through the NudgeCast without bashing the iPhone.

Fuzzy Hi Def

While Optimum is expected to roll out some additional hi def channels in the next few weeks, I have to say I'm not that impressed with some of the channels they already offer in HD. This week I watched "Saving Grace" on TNT, which is one of the few channels that comes in HD. I have to say that the picture was not sharp, and quite pixelated on many scenes. The 1080i was lit on the box, but I've had sharper images on standard def content. I did notice when I switched to a sports channel that the image was much clearer.

C'mon Optimum, not all of us are sports fans, and we want real hi def goodness too!

Jonas

NudgeCast 7/8/08

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Monthly Billing Error

I just got the Optimum bill. Once again, it arrives on the 3rd, and they want it by the 15th. Seriously, I've discussed this with them before, and they said that it would be coming earlier.

The other thing is that I was down a day last month. Triple play, and triple down when it all went to dead. I had called, and discussed it with a rep when it happened. I was told that I'd be getting credit for the day. Sounded reasonable as I had to call them on my cell phone, watched TV on my antenna, and had no internet for hours (sigh, once again).

So now the bill comes, and conveniently there is no credit for the downtime. Am I surprised, well not really. I explain the situation, and they point out I got a credit last month. I remind them it was for another billing error, and I'd love if they could get it right for one month. For all my inconvenience, I got $3.48 off the bill. I will admit it's more of a moral victory as it doesn't even buy a gallon of gas these days!

Does it really make sense for Optimum (Cablevision)to screw up the bills month after month? It probably cost more in service time than they gave me back. Are they just relying on consumers paying and forgetting about these things? Wait and see what happens next month...

Jonas

NudgeCast 6/25/08

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This week we're chatting about a computer reload, Optimum Voice, and an incredibly useful website that got even better.

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Jonas

Sunshine TV Service

I Could've Had Satellite For This...

I just wanted to point out that over this past weekend, my cable went out for a few hours on Saturday. This is the second time in a week that I lost signal in during some rain (the first one is here). At least this time the power was flickering, although it didn't go out for any appreciable length of time.

Once again, two things become clear. While the digital signal got all pixelated with garbled audio, the analog signal was a lot more watchable, although with some static and interference here and there. Of course, we're on a relentless drive for all things digital, whether or not they're any better. The other thing is that while many bash satellite for its notorious knack for going down in any inclement weather, so far, cable is hardly bullet proof with any amount of rain.

So far, this pattern makes me want to keep my antenna around for a rainy day- literally.

Jonas

Triple Play Going Down

When I researched who to get my TV service from, the consensus was not to get it from satellite as it can be victim to the weather. While this seems to be less of an issue as time goes on, I decided that cable was a safer choice. After tonight, I'm starting to wonder.

The beauty of these triple pay offers is that by bundling the services, there are savings to be had. However, when things go down, they can crash real hard.

This evening I had about 10 minutes of lightning, thunder, and rain. In short, a summer thunderstorm. Next thing I know, all the channels have garbled audio, and the pixels are falling apart on the screen. I'm wondering if my wiring got wet, because folks have said they had cable for years without an outage. On my analog setup, I still have a picture, but there are lines and static that weren't there before.

I go to call Optimum. They give a list of towns with outages, and mine isn't on the list. I'm holding for 10 minutes when the phone, also from Optimum dies. The pictures on the screen is now completely black on all channels. The internet is down as well. Hmmm- triple play outage.

I grab my less than trusty cell phone, but I'm glad that it still works (at least from the house). I call Optimum back, and stay on hold for 15 minutes and get to speak to someone. They tell me my town is "level one" because the calls are coming in, but the whole area is not out yet. They also want to schedule an appointment to come by tomorrow in case when the network comes back, I'm still not up. They tell me things will be down for around 4 hours- give or take.

I end the call, and work on plan B. I break out some DVD's, and switch the TV back to the antenna feed. Ha! I have a picture again. I'm wondering if the local cable news, produced by Optimum, will cover the cable outage, but I'm not holding my breath, and pretty sure not. I'm glad my antenna still works, and wonder what I would do after 2/09 when things go digital and my antenna won't pick up OTA, but that's for another day.

I pop in a DVD, and within two hours, the triple play is working again. My conclusion is that cable is just as susceptible to the weather as satellite. Is your experience any different, as my sample size is limited here. Think about this experience before plunging into triple play, and keep a cell phone handy as you're gonna need it sooner or later.

Jonas

Optimum Not So Optimum

When I signed up for Optimum's Triple Play, I was not exactly encouraged by Bill who left me with the not so vague advice of "You're eventually gonna hate this company as much as I do." He then encouraged me to go with Verizon and Fios. As I was sick of them, and was using the "devil you don't know is better than the one you do know" theory, I went with Optimum. This week I've already had a few issues.

The first is that when the bill came, there was already an error. The first month, I paid for the month of May, and also the few days of April got billed as a "partial month." Ok, I paid it, but I was also annoyed that it came too quickly, and there wasn't much time to pay it. I called customer service, and was assured that it was because it was the first month, and I would have more time next month.

Well, I guess that was true- but not really. Last month I had 8 days from the time of when the bill arrived to when the payment is due. This month it's ten. By the time the bill arrives, it barely leaves me a few days to get the check in the mail and back to them. Trust me, the Dolans need the money a lot less than the rest of us.

Next, I had to deal with the partial month charge. After I explained what had happened, they took it off, but why was it there in the first place? My theory is that these companies overbill many folks, and they count on a few of them not paying attention and paying extra. Notice that the billing errors are always in their favor?

Finally, the cable companies are using the digital television transition to justify cutting the analog channels from their feed. I had the cable plugged directly into my Philips DVR (not from Cablevision, and for the discussion I told him it was just a "VCR" to not confuse the issue further), and my old 20" CRT so I could use the TV and the DVR at the same time. I had been deciding what to do with the STB. This week, I noticed that 10 channels got cut from the analog feed, with a message that says, "You need an iO Cable Box to view this channel." The channels cut are:

15 QVC
28 TLC
46 A&E
48 Sci Fi
51 E!
57 Animal Planet
58 TruTV
63 Travel Channel
65 C-Span
79 C-Span 2

This also means that my DVR can no longer record these channels. I expressed my dissatisfaction, and was told that this is part of the DTV transition. I'm also told that this is "making way for new services," but from where I'm sitting, I see a loss of 10 analog channels, and nothing in return so far. While they may add something down the road, so far they haven't, and likely won't for months to come.

One of the inherent advantages of cable over satellite and Fios is that there are analog unencrypted channels for older TV's. There are also situations where a STB just isn't practical, such as a wall mounted TV, or in the kitchen for a smaller set. If cable is going to cut the analog to nothing, I'm sure lots of folks are going to at least look at their other options.

While I'm not leaving yet, so far it's been less than impressive, and Bill, you just might turn out to be right. Maybe the best strategy is to just keep changing back and forth.

On the plus side, at least the Cablevision rep spoke English, and was reasonably courteous. While one may think it's a given, too often it's not as my recent experiences with Verizon show.

Happy To Rent?

I was always raised that it was better to own than to rent. Why pay monthly for something you don't own, and never will? Many rules have an exception, and when it comes to DVR's, I'm happy to rent.

How can this be? Well, the last DVD/VCR I bought from Wally Mart for $60 barely lasted 6 months anyway (it was a cheap unit, but nothing had a digital tuner in it yet, so I expected it to last a year, and it still fell short of expectations). My DVD Recorder before that for $100 only had a longevity of a year- barely. My previous combo deck didn't make it much past a year, and that ran me $140. When it comes down to it, my television recorder is costing me around $10 monthly.

From Optimum my Scientific Atlanta 8300HD is costing $9.95 monthly. This is the same price the rest of the gear has run me anyway. For that same price, I'm getting a box that can record in HD, has dual tuners, and a channel guide- all tricks that none of the previous boxes can match. Also, if the box goes bad without physical damage, as all my previous ones did, I just exchange it for a new one.

In the meantime, my Philips DVR cost me $289. At that rate, we're talking that it will take me two and a half years to recoup the cost of that box. Sure, it works fine, but it was a significant outlay, and the most expensive recording box I've ever had. I'm glad I got it working with the analog cable feed to maximize its use. However, compared to the $10 monthly for another DVR, it's looking even more expensive.

Cable DVR's are the one time I'd rather rent than own, and gladly pay the monthly fee.

Jonas

Gold Standard Phone Quality Shows Patina of Age

There's one simple task that's often a royal PITA, and that's the once monthly to my utility companies to enter my monthly meter reading. It's either that, or get the estimated bill which is curiously always substantially higher than what I actually used.

So, what's the big deal? Read the meter, record the numbers, make a phone call, right? Well, it's often not so simple.

Calling the utility company puts me into the voice tree straight from hell. Add in that the account number is many digits, and it repeats them back to verify. Unfortunately, the system is also voice activated, and any noise sets it off, and restarts. Last month, despite pressing the mute button on the phone, it took four phone calls, and then I eventually had to speak to someone anyway after holding for a while. Then I had to repeat it for the electricity as well. Don't even get me started that I can enter it online as the last time I tried that, I couldn't even establish an account and gave up after half an hour. So it goes, month after month.

I had figured out a while ago that a newer phone can help. When I replaced my staticky 2.4 GHz one, it was better for a while, but the last few months, it's been getting progressively worse.

Today, something surprising happened. As I placed the call, I realized that this was the first month I was doing it on VoIP, and not on copper. For whatever reason, both meter readings went through on the first try without any issue. This hasn't happened for months with my previous Verizon copper phone service.

I'm guessing that the rotting aging copper phone lines were just introducing too much interference, although even if I wasn't hearing it, the phone voice menu was. In any event, I think that the digital connection is just cleaner. Let's see what goes on next month. In the meantime, we'll see what we can do about gasoline prices...

Jonas

2nd Thought: Maybe it wasn't only the phone line, but the DSL piggybacked onto the copper voice line was throwing the whole thing off?

NudgeCast 5/20/08

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Thoughts on Optimum WiFi, the CNET/CBS deal, the Voom television package and a new incredibly useful website to discuss cable.

Optimum WiFi Update

Just a week ago, I was posting how Cablevision's Optimum's WiFi offering seemed like the wrong direction for the company, and the wrong technology to get the job done. Apparently, that didn't stop them, as over on Cable Rant, they've spotted the hardware being installed to get the job done.

I have to say that I'm a little surprised that they would be moving so quickly on this. After all, while this will run each subscriber $100 to roll out, how is it benefiting Optimum? Do they really think that there are that many non-Optimum subscribers that would willingly pay for WiFi access across the service area? And how much are they willing to pay for this when there are plentiful smartphones with unlimited data plans, not to mention a new iPhone in the wings?

On the other hand, it appears from the hardware pictured in their post, that these WiFi routers are relatively small, and simple to piggyback onto their existing network. Could be a good backup for when the cable goes out.

Jonas

NudgeCast 5/13/08

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Some thoughts about my Optimum cable service.

Optimum Wireless?

So, now that I'm an Optimum triple play customer, I've been paying more attention to their news lately (previously I was focused on Fios). Anyway, I spotted this yesterday:

Cablevision added a new wrinkle in their competitive fight against FiOS today. While discussing their first quarter earnings in a conference call this morning, the company announced they intend to offer free Wi-Fi to all of their customers within two years. Non-customers will be able to access the network for an as-yet-undisclosed fee.

Apparently this will cost about $100 per customer to put into place. I'm kind of at a loss to understand why they would do this.

First of all, Optimum is in a heavy Fios area so in order to compete they need to do three things: add bandwidth to keep their internet access as fast as fiber, add HD channels to keep up with Fios and satellite (which they're already behind satellite and will fall behind Fios at the rate they're going), and keep the cost down as we're in a down economy and folks are looking to cut costs. Notice that I don't mention wireless access in this mix.

It's pretty clear to most folks that while WiFi is an amazing technology, and ideal for wireless access in most homes, but it just doesn't have the range to do more than that. To do a whole municipality has proven cost prohibitive in most areas, with very few successes. To do all of Optimum's service area is quite ridiculous. To do anything less won't add much to what we have now.

It's not that I wouldn't want to have internet everywhere. For people that only rarely travel, they could dump their pricey cell phone plan, and get a Skype WiFi phone. For an affordable price, it's an easy way to have access to VoIP calls while on the move. I would also imagine that an iPod Touch would be a great gadget with WiFi everywhere.

However, WiFi has too limited a range. They'd have to put a wireless router on every utility pole of their catch area, and this is not gonna happen. Their data network is already overloaded, and routinely slows down from the "BitTorrent effect" everyday when school lets out. Do we need more devices on this network?

My guess is that they're trying to compete with Verizon that won the wireless auction, and will likely roll out devices to make use of it. Maybe there will be a "quintiple play" at some point from Verizon: phone/internet/TV/mobile phone/mobile data, and Optimum wants to be ready to counter it?

The bottom line as I see it is as follows. If Optimum wants to get into the mobile data/phone business, they're gonna need a different technology than WiFi to link their users to their network (eg: WiMax). In the meantime, they should focus on improving their fundamentals, and offering a compelling service at a more reasonable price. So far, they got that right with their triple play as they got me to willingly part with some cash.

Jonas

HD Gets Addicitve

So, first it takes me just shy of a year to get any digital TV stations on my HDTV. After admitting defeat for the OTA solution, I ponied up the recurring monthly fee, and signed up for Optimum's triple play (Verizon hastened things a little bit).

So, now I have Optimum television, with the iO digital cable box which gets me plenty of digital television, and a taste of HDTV. I can easily see how folks become what I'm dubbing "HD snobs." I found myself watching the national news from NBC the other day, and wondering why the picture didn't look sharp, and then realizing that channel 4 needed to be set to 704 for the HD feed. I'm also using the Optimum DVR (Scientific Atlanta 8300) to record more things as my Philips DVR is still on the analog feed, but is quickly becoming a secondary machine as it's not HD.

When I watch the local newscast, which is broadcast in HD, it's quite noticeable, and increasingly annoying that while the studio cameras are in HD, all of the field cameras are standard def. This creates a shift back and forth between standard and HD that shows off the blurriness of standard television. On top of that, the SD footage often has the reporter's name in HD sharpness, with the blurry footage behind it, which serves to accentuate the difference even more. I would think that the networks would have at least some of the cameras in HD, but so far it seems like none, and makes it look like we're adding YouTube quality video into the mix. Don't even get me started on the non hi def commercials that practically beg to be flipped off as I surf to another channel.

Don't get me wrong. I'm thankful for the HD channels I'm getting which includes the locals, some sports (Yes HD so I can see the Yankees lose in hi def), and a few others like Discovery Theater HD, which curiously doesn't have any of the top shows on it from the Discovery Channel. When I looked at this objectively, just a week ago, I figured out that Optimum actually had more HD than Fios, for less money, so it seemed like the better deal.

Now today, the first cable bill hasn't even arrived yet, I'm still fine tuning the setup, and the caulking hasn't even dried on where they drilled the hole for the cable to enter the house (you can probably guess where this is going...) and there's already a rumor than Verizon's Fios is adding some serious HD channels come early summer. What's Optimum planning to add? There big play is Hallmark HD?! Needless to say at this point, I'm glad I don't have a contract, and while I won't go back to Verizon for the next year, after that I'll have to explore this fully and compare at that point as to who has the better HD package. Oh yeah, for the sake of completeness I should mention that DirectTV actually does have the most, but I want to get internet and phone all from one provider, and to not brush off a roof top dish when it snows.

Jonas

So Much For Fios

I'm a little dumbfounded that Verizon would let a customer of over three decades leave so quickly. Alas, I'm getting ahead of myself...

My modem died, and their only solution was to sell me a new one for $59.99 (trust me, if you saw it you'd agree it's a $10 part, tops). I would at least understand if they wanted to try and sign me up for another year to get the modem, like with a cell phone plan. Unfortunately, that's not the deal, even when I told them nicely that I'd be shopping around for "other providers"= Optimum Online that runs down my street.

So, it was off to Optimum we go. I called them up, explained the deal, and asked about both an internet deal, and triple play. I got the following prices: for internet only, including the modem (now a sore spot), they want $29.95 for six months, and then $49.95 thereafter. While the 15/2 speed is no slouch (when you can get it before the kiddies get home and start BitTorrenting), it's kind of expensive compared to Fios.

In for a penny, in for a pound. So, in for more, how about the triple play. I got quoted $29.95 for each of the services (phone, internet, television). Of course, they leave a few details out.

"Do I need a box," I inquired.
"Oh, yes, how many TV's?" was the reply.

I proceeded to tell them that I needed two settop boxes, one for HD and one for standard. I also wanted a DVR which runs $9.95 monthly. Each box (HD and standard are the same) was $6.50 with the remote. The internet is the same 15/2 with the included cable modem. The TV is Family iO package with "180 channels." The phone is a prioritized VoIP package which includes unlimited calling throughout the US.

So, the new total is $112.83 for all of this. Hmmm. Not quite the $29.95 each for all three services. You know, I'm in a Fios area, can you do better? I'm told that they can throw in the DVR for free, so the new total is $102.88. If I want the movie package it's an addition $10, but so far I'm passing on this as I wasn't expecting to do this for a few months.

I inquire about other fees. There's a $14.95 installation fee which they can waive. There's a $40 "number port fee" that they can't waive. I ask for it to reduced, but they won't. Ok, I go ahead, and give them the go ahead, and I make an appointment.

I call Verizon to cancel my DSL, which isn't working anyway, and all of a sudden, they can help. The nice folks now can give me modem for free, and a credit for my downtime. The only thing is that they sign me up for a monthly modem maintenance plan of 99 cents monthly. I'm tempted to go back to my original plan, and forego cable for a few more months.

So, I open this up to the peanut gallery? Was the cable deal I'm getting a good deal or not? Should I stick with Verizon a few more months?

Jonas