View Full Version : Digital Cable Boxes......SUCK!!!!!!!


Jack1000
01-29-2003, 03:35 PM
Well,

You all read the story of how my digital cable went out. The guy came out and fixed the wiring on our cable lines. (The last call turned out to be a voltage problem with the lines coming into our house) We have had digital cable since July and are on our 3rd friggin box!

Box #1 was a Pioneer that worked fine for 5 months until the sound started popping and the volume on the box eventually died

Box#2 was a NEW Pace box that worked fine for about a month until the digital channels went out. (This is the situation I told you about)

Box#3 is a Scientific America appears to have been used before but works fine except when we got it some of the general settings were in a diffferent default position. I had noticed that the PPV pin# option was disabled. When I tried to enable the PPV pin # from the interactive program guide, after entering my PIN # or canceling it, the PIN dialoge box goes up to the top right corner of the guide screen where the channel you are watching is with about 1/3rd of it still showing. (If you know digital cable, that PIN box is supposed to dissapear after making your selection) If I press exit, the PIN disappears like it is supposed to) I have had no problem ordering PPV or anything like that, but it's just another "little bug" Cable says, "Oh just unplug your box from the outlet and plug it back in and reboot....screw that, I got all my TV equipment back in an entertainment center hooked up to a surge protector system...knowing me I'll wind up unpluigging the wrong thing. I'll just wait for a commercial power failure and see upon restoration of power if the problem "fixes" itself. I have had 3 boxes already, and the reason why I have 3 boxes is because I do not want 4!!!!! hahahaha (In the meantime, I just turned off my "Enable PPV PIN" and it works fine.) (Knock on wood!)

It's not just my cable company either. My friend in another state has a different cable company and his digital box went out the other day. The guy came out and said "oh it's a problem in your line coming in...but (get this) "WE DON'T FIX THAT" The tech guy called his supervisor and my friend wanted to hear the conversation. The tech at his house wanted to leave and was rude and abrasive. He gave my friend some cable, and said he could install it himself! So, my friend got pissed and told the tech to call his supervisor, who told him to install the cable. Not only does the guy not install the cable by connecting it in the basement properly, he leaves garbage all over my friend's grass.

I think the designers of the digital boxes also work for AOL and Miocrosoft! I like the features, functions, and the added channels. But, their reliablity leaves a lot to be desired!

Jack

Ian
01-29-2003, 03:59 PM
I've had digital cable for close to 3 years and it has never given me any problems.

pandora_spocks
01-29-2003, 04:04 PM
Jack,
Do you have a Comcast Digital Box?

Jack1000
01-29-2003, 04:16 PM
Originally posted by pandora_spocks
Jack,
Do you have a Comcast Digital Box?

Nope! (Not yet!) That will probably be box #4! What's up with Comcast?

Jack

Christopher
01-29-2003, 04:24 PM
I use to have digital cable and loved it. They had this one channel Toon Disney, it was my favorite.

pandora_spocks
01-29-2003, 04:38 PM
Originally posted by Jack1000


Nope! (Not yet!) That will probably be box #4! What's up with Comcast?

Jack

I used to have a digital box with Comcast. I'd get a lot of those pixel screw ups on my favorite channels, but now that I don't have the digital box, just basic cable, it sucks even worse now. I wish I had The N and the Sundance and Mystery channels. Comcast still sucks though. There used to be a anti-comcast site called 'ComCrap'. :lol: I found it quite amusing. My internet connection is through comcast. It's still slow sometimes!

Moonlight Lady
01-29-2003, 04:45 PM
I've been using Time Warner digital cable for almost 2 years and very rarely have a problem with it. When I do, it's never the box. Usually, it's weather-related or a cable outside. I love Digital. :)

Mossopp
01-29-2003, 04:46 PM
Originally posted by Jack1000


Box#2 was a NEW Pace box that worked fine for about a month until the digital channels went out. (This is the situation I told you about)



I don't have digital cable but I've got digital satelite. My decoder box is a Pace. I've had it for years now and I've never experienced any problems with it at all.
Digital cable is crap anyway! Don't you have digital satalite TV in America??!!

pandora_spocks
01-29-2003, 05:36 PM
Originally posted by Mossopp

Don't you have digital satalite TV in America??!!

We used to have Direct TV, but occasionally the picture would go out due to weather. We don't have it anymore because we're poor. lol. That's why we just have basic cable now. Yeah, it sucks. :wave:

Mijada
01-29-2003, 08:05 PM
Basic cable is fine by me. I used to have digital cable but they kept raising the price so I just got rid of it.

laceyinthesky
01-29-2003, 10:43 PM
I've never had any serious problems with digital cable. I like it better than satellite.

pandora_spocks
01-29-2003, 11:08 PM
Perhaps, I've had so many problems with digital cable because I live out in the sticks. Either that or comcast is just really bad.