# going back to cable...for now



## aboz (Apr 23, 2002)

A TW rep came to my house yesterday. He originally offered me Roadrunner service for 19.95/mo for a year. Then we got talking for the TV service, he offered me all the channels for $58/mo for 2 years guaranteed price. That includes 4 boxes which are no charge per outlet fee, I will have an HD box,PVR, and 2 regular boxes. this price is more that half of what I am paying D*. Also they will pay for my D* termination fee. After 2 years are up who knows who will be better.


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

That's a great deal. Does the PVR record HDTV?

I don't know what equipment you have now but let us know what you think of the PVR interface and functions.


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## durl (Mar 27, 2003)

I find myself asking "why would they offer that deal?" The cable company is saving you tons of money (for a 2-year period) and even paying fees you'll incur for terminating satellite. So where are they going to make up the revenue they're not getting from you? I'm guessing that they're hoping that you'll not leave them again since they're willing to risk revenue in the short term. Either that or it shows how much they're over-charging regular customers.


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## Mike123abc (Jul 19, 2002)

It is similar to what Dish and DIRECTV do, they give you free install and free boxes and hope you stay around longer than the one year commitment. Both D/E spend 500-600 per new sub... If they only buy the minimum package it takes a couple years before the first dime is made.


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## CrankyYankee (Feb 19, 2003)

Perhaps an aspect of "Aboz's" story that should be highlighted is the fact that a TW direct sales rep came to his home to try to get him back instead of just calling on the phone!
I have never had a cable company rep come by except for the tech to do the install.
(Mind you, I have also asked that I not be contacted for upgrades and that I will call the cable company if I want to add anything.)
This is a job I had with TW at one point; visiting former customers that either disco'ed
because they went with some sort of dish or ran up a big bill and could not pay it.
More than a few times tho, it was the cable company that had not credited a check
or charged them for outstanding equipment(they didn't return the cable box). 
Sometimes, good old face-to-face chats can accomplish a lot.
(While I was not a "tech", I did fix some problems customers had with their cable that had been bugging them. )


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## FTA Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

Pretty much the same thing happened to my dad in Kansas City. Sales rep dropped by in person, offered an amazing all-inclusive deal with a one-year sunset on the killer price. Except that one year later, my dad didn't remember the rep mentioning the part about the rate changing after a year.


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## amit5roy5 (Mar 4, 2004)

I have no loyalty to any company. Whoever has the cheapest price, I'm there! I'm under a commitment and cable finally moved in. Once it is up, I'm going to go to cable, too.

Cable can offer everything cheaper becasue I have 4 TVs, which drives the prices up and everything is in western feeds, so I can get primetime at 8, rather than 5.

I know people say I can record all my shows. The problem is that if you record one show right after another on different channels, apart of one show will get cropped out. Also, I cannot channel surf. Sometimes, I just want to relax before sleeping flipping channels at 11, which is really waht would come at 2, which is eather boring reruns or paid programming.


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

Sounds like a very good deal and a LOT of people would hop on that deal but after two years the cable company would need to have a good offer to still compete with satellite.


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## cyberized (Mar 7, 2003)

That's a HECK of a deal - 4 sure! They got me too! I have been with DISH for 7.5 years and because of more and cheaper HDTV and a H of deal in Programming - Comcast will be here on the 24th to take me beloved 508 and Dish500 away and I receive what amounts to about $500 credits over the next year on their Silver Pack +HB0 and HDTV receiver - 8 Channels of HDTV right now vs. 4 for DISH (Locals in HDTV). Never thought I would leave DISH but here I go - dISH has now offered me a FREE 811 to stay. I do not want to hassle with oTA reception via an antenna ever again. Goodbye Charlie!

BEST Wishes! Michael


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## Steveox (Apr 21, 2004)

Now youre feeding the pig!


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## aboz (Apr 23, 2002)

our cable lineup.


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## unicorn (Jun 19, 2004)

but i think satellite dish gives good pic quality. n in what terms do the prices hike


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## Steveox (Apr 21, 2004)

aboz but you dont get MLB extra innings,NFL Sunday Ticket,ESPN game plan and ESPN full court.


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## aboz (Apr 23, 2002)

Steveox,

I get everything except NFL Ticket. frankly I dont order sports packages anyway.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Go for it, *aboz*. Do what's best for you.

I hope cable works out for you, but if for some
reason it doesn't, c'mon back and we'll party
hearty 'til the test pattern comes on! :wave:


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## Mike Richardson (Jun 12, 2003)

I would never connect back up to Time Warner Houston. It took them 5 months to wire up this neighborhood for cable. That was 5 months without any broadband internet. Those 5 months REALLY sucked. Just for that I will never connect with them again. Not to mention the fact that they didn't cut off the cable at the old house and are trying to charge us $250 for cable TV we didn't see. I can't forgive that.

However if DirecTV made a similarly lucrative deal I might switch over.


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

That is a different story if they want your satellite system, does not sound like as good of a deal as I thought it was. If anybody gives a cable company a satellite system make sure it is a cheap receiver instead of a more expensive one like the 508. Also make sure you have no contract through Dish Network or a retailer. Find an old DirecTv or Dish 300 or something. 

By the time you give them your system (in which you can get probably $150-200 out of for the 508 system) you are not getting as good of a deal as you thought. If you could find the cheap receiver and dish then that would only be worth maybe $100 or less, even a broken receiver and dish would probably work. They are just going to junk them anyways (unless they try to sell them to someone or over ebay or something).

They take your satellite system so when you think about going back you would have all that expense of having to purchase one without getting the new customer promotion when they jack your bill way up. This is why I would try to keep your system if possible or tell them that you do not have one or already junked it.


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## Mike Richardson (Jun 12, 2003)

amit5roy5 said:


> Cable can offer everything cheaper becasue I have 4 TVs, which drives the prices up


That depends if you are getting digital receivers for all of those TVs or not. If you don't get digital receivers then those TVs are not really comparable to a TV with a satellite receiver.


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## shy007 (Apr 11, 2003)

I tried the digital cable twice with TW in Columbia, SC with no luck.... I get offers similar to aboz in the mail all the time but I'm too scared to try TW again.... My digital channels always broke up and they could never get them fixed..... I'm sure it's not the same everywhere..... Hope it works out and you enjoy it..... I would prefer cable but I'm a little gun shy with TW....


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## cyberized (Mar 7, 2003)

Jacob - IF and WHEN I go back to SATellite I won't go back to DISH but to DTV or VOOM because with them I will be able to get the NEW Sub Bennys like I did years ago with DISH - I will miss my 508 - BUT now look forward to the change. DISH has now offered me an 811(FREE) to stay with them BUT I am still going to Comcast - w Locals in HDTV w/o having to have and hassle with an antenna in a mobile home.

BESt 2 ALL! Michael


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

That is what most people do. I know Dish Network now also have a promotion for those that used to have their service and wants to come back but it may not be as good as what you could get with DirecTv or Voom but Dish Network is also going to be giving their customers a promotion to where they can add on or swap up to two receivers per year for a discount or for free depending on the type of customer you are as to what you would qualify for.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Hey, Jacob. I see you must be out of periods. I have a few extras which you are welcome to use.

Here -> . . . . . . . . . . .


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## timf (Apr 21, 2002)

aboz, I noticed something unique about your digital lineup. They actually offer all the analog cable networks (excluding non-HD locals) on digital as well, making their product much more competitive with satellite than the average cable company. I have always though Time Warner was the only cable company that was real competition for satellite and offered a product as good or better, and this further supports this.


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## pez2002 (Dec 13, 2002)

i had digital cable for 2 years when i had it i had hbo/starz and on starz the picture would allways freeze up so i dropped stars with starz/hbo i was paying 93.00 a month for 2 digital boxes Then when i dropped the other movie channel and just kept hbo IT was $82.00 a month too much so i said Forget this directv here i come and im happy
now because i just saved a ton of money not by switching to gico but because i switched to Directv


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