I tried two years ago to upgrade from basic/standard cable to digital w/DVR, it lasted about three weeks or so, I got so many "channel unavailable" messages it was ridiculous. Bright house said at time it was faulty DVR, many reboots, many "signal refresh" from bright house, as well as me initiating from bright house website, with no luck. I replaced DVR twice, and still no change. It did not seem plausible that it was a technical issue at my end, but bright house insisted. It just did not make sense to me, so I just decided to go back to basic/standard service. So cut to about a month ago, bright house informs it will no longer have analog channels, so an upgrade was a necessity. So I was willing to try again, and went with upgrade to DVR, and I believe all of the movie channels. Things were fine for about two weeks, then started getting NUMEROUS "channel unavailable" messages again. So went to research this on internet, which led me to this site, and explanation of SDV, and the seas parted, lol. Some tech specs a bit beyond me, but made damn good sense. So it seems bright house does not yet have an adequate platform/system? to deliver all channels to customers who request them. It sounds like this can be corrected if bright house would invest in an upgrade to its platform/system? so that it can deliver signal to all those customers who request it. So is upgrade in progress? How much longer will it take? I have sent repeated emails to bright house, asking about SDV, and is it true that they are limited as to how many customers can view whatever channel they choose. Bright house completely ignores the question, and gives same old story of malfunctioning DVR, or some technical issue at my end requiring service tech visit. Frustrating does not describe it well enough. So is bright house upgrade to all digital also going to resolve this issue of unavailable channels? By the way I am in Orlando, Fl area. Thanks for any info, feedback you can give.
channel unavailable message
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to Satelliteguys certainfinger@brighthouse!Just a guess, but it sounds like your signal levels are too low. Have they done a signal strength test at your house?
no signal strength test done. All worked fine for at least two weeks, when first installed, then became intermittent. If signal strength low, why would it ever work? Why doesn't "signal refresh" initiated from "my services" website correctly adjust? If signal strength is too low, is that not something to be easily measured from bright house end, and simply corrected by sending command to boost signal from office. This is an issue from green cable box outside home? A person has to physically adjust? How is it that cable worked fine for at least two weeks, then green cable box manually downgraded, and lowered its own signal strength, but it takes a person to physically come out to adjust to higher strength? Such complication, such aggravation! When DVR was initially hooked up, bright house sent signal to DVR to initiate service. Would that not properly set signal strength?
So there is no credibility to assertion that it is an issue of bright house not having technical capability to deliver digital signal to all customers who request it? A supply and demand problem, too many customers demanding channels, and bright house not being able to deliver, because of limitations of SDV, and a inadequate processor to deliver all signal to those customers requesting it. Bright house makes big deal about their current upgrade in progress. Is this upgrade include a larger processor to handle customer demand?
So there is no credibility to assertion that it is an issue of bright house not having technical capability to deliver digital signal to all customers who request it? A supply and demand problem, too many customers demanding channels, and bright house not being able to deliver, because of limitations of SDV, and a inadequate processor to deliver all signal to those customers requesting it. Bright house makes big deal about their current upgrade in progress. Is this upgrade include a larger processor to handle customer demand?
Signal strength can not be accurately measured on a setup box from the office because while they can see a number, they have no idea what is coming from the tap to know if that number is good or bad, all they can see is rather or not it is within acceptable range. It is possible to have a number in the acceptable range but the signal be bad. It is best to first make sure a service tech comes to the house to make sure all the wiring and signals are good. You may need to escalate it by telling them it is a repeat call (which they may not do yet until after at least 3 service calls but you can try) So you know you get a tech who knows what they are doing. Because lets face it as with anything these entry level jobs (service techs) are hit or miss as to how much knowledge they have. When he arrives ask him about the switched digital video and if he has no idea what you are talking about well good luck.
If you do get the house wiring and system checked and he says everything is clear and find then yes the most likely problem is the SDV issue. It does not mean the platform is bad or outdate it means it is over loaded. It means to many people in that node are watching certain channels other than the one you wish to watch. SDV only allows so many streams per frequency (hence why they use it). If this is the case BHN needs to either A. split your node into smaller groups (which they are doing constantly but have been on a break in orlando) This break is because they are in the process of upgrading all channels to the digital format and getting rid of analog services. B. Wait it out until that upgrade I just mentioned happens and it may very well solve your bandwidth problems.
Those are the options really you are facing you can try to get BHN to make sure they take care of you financially until they can fix the service they provide however if not you can dump them and make them take care of you.
Thanks insider!! I have lost count of how many emails sent to bright house raising issue of SDV. Bright house completely ignores that aspect of the question, no mention whatever of SDV, or possible issues with it, which speaks volumes, and for me, just affirms my beliefs, that this is causing most, if not all of the problem. Again I state/ask why would it work so well, for so long(several weeks) with me watching MANY, and HOURS of tv, movies and so forth, and no issue ever with channel unavailable. Seems wiring is just fine. So I will wait it out a bit longer, maybe upgrade will work.
By the way...what are digital adapters? As I understand these can provide digital signal, without cable box, or DVR. If I turned in DVR and went to these would I still get all channels I'm getting now, and would this resolve channel availability issue?
By the way...what are digital adapters? As I understand these can provide digital signal, without cable box, or DVR. If I turned in DVR and went to these would I still get all channels I'm getting now, and would this resolve channel availability issue?
Appreciate the reach out BHNtechXpert. Do you work at BHN? How specifically are you going to take care of this? Yet another email to BHN, mentioning SDV, and limitations likely causing "channel unavailable" stated possible solution given by "the insider" here about splitting "node" into smaller group. YET AGAIN, BHN completely ignores any reference to SDV, will not even acknowledge it in reply email. Just the standard form letter reply crap. So if you do work at BHN, what is your rank there? What more/different can you do than the utter twits at customer service?
The majority of customer service reps and email/online tech support techs know very little about how the cable system actually works. If they cant find the answer in a simple search of the knowledge base then they are clueless. The same applies for most of the service techs who come to your home. They receive about a 1 month crash course and then some ride along training then they are sent to the wolves. Unless they as an indivudal activly try to gain more knowledge and learn and understand how the system works and how the industry works then they will forever remain clueless for the most part, aside from the most basic issues. Problem being the company has little to no incentive to employees to improve on their knowledge. The company even offers FREE education which is a great program through local community colleges, NCTI etc. However there is little incentive to make it worth doing.
But BHNtechXpert has shown over again that he does have the knowledge needed to assit you. He seems from the posts I see of his here and at other sites know what he is talking about. So go ahead and reach out to him he would certainly be able to get the proper people looking into your situation more then a call to the call center or email will do.
This is simply hogwash....kindly refrain speaking on behalf of the company or the about the company because you simply do not know what you are talking about.
It is absolutely true, but this is not the place to argue about it. You can talk to me in PM if youd like.
Just for reference though the same can be said for most companies of this type. It is not exclusive to bright house.
No it's not...In my many years with the company I have seen countless people advance from the lowest of ranks to directors and higher. The majority of our senior leadership started the company in entry level positions and have slowly worked their way up the ladder. As with most companies you get what you put into the relationship. If you just come to work every day and do nothing more than your job description you will stay in that job....as you should. You demonstrate value and the ability to handle more responsibility by working extra hard and giving more than 100%...as you should and you will advance and advance quickly. You come to work with an unstoppable and infectious can do attitude putting our customers first consistently and the doors will be wide open for you. If you come to work treating the relationship as just a job you will likely stay in the position you are in...as you should.
No what you say is absolutely true and that is not was I was saying. What I said was
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Unless they as an indivudal activly try to gain more knowledge and learn and understand how the system works and how the industry works then they will forever remain clueless for the most part
I have no doubt the company advances from with in I know this for fact. I have no doubt that there are people who bust there butt to learn more and gain knowledge and become better at what they do. My statement was not about the exception but rather the rule. I do have that attitude and that is why I am where I am. I also seen over my 13 years the fact that the majority do not have that attitude. specially the majority in the lowest ranks. They do not see the free education that is provided as any kind of benefit which is sad. They should take advantage of it and use it to better themselves and advance but unfortuntely most are just happy to get a paycheck and then go home. Very few actually put in the 110% effort to learn more about their job and to expand the knowledge beyond what little the company mandates they attend (ie training programs etc) It wasnt but 3-4 years ago when the companies training program consisted of a week learning the policy and procedures then 2 weeks learning how to be a cable tech. They made good improvement by expanding it to full month of training. But even then the individual has to want to learn and has to want to get better. Otherwise the odds of you getting someone to your home who knows what they are really doing is slim. Unless you get the issue escalated and an escalation tech or sweep tech some to your house you are often times not going to get a complex issue resolved. Which the issue being described above sounds like.
What I mean by the company offers little to know incentive to get that knowledge I mean that the person next to you will make the same pay you do if they are the same level, regardless of how many extra courses you take and how much more knowledge you gain. You will get look at more favorable for promotions sure, but those slots are only so many, so if the company would make more incentives to employees who do go above and beyond to learn more maybe more individuals would take the time to do that. It is hard to get motivated when someone does half the work load you do, and does a crappy job at that gets the same benefits as someone who goes above and beyond. Kind of makes one not wish to try.
And for the record I am not a current nor disgruntled employee as it may seem. I was an employee for a very long time and enjoyed my time and the knowledge I gained trough using the free education provided to get myself better. I was one of the few who took advantage of what was offered. Even though at first it seemed pointless and it was hard to get motivated to do. Far to many get caught in that trap of not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and I do place blame on the company (as I do the individual) for not giving those incentives and not making one wish to strive harder and be smarter.
Interesting thoughts. I want to comment on one theme I think I read correctly, which I will summarize as 'there is no incentive to take advantage of bettering oneself because (for example) you get the same pay as the next guy who does nothing extra.'
Ah, that's kind of the way it works--you better yourself to move into more responsible positions (or more demanding technically), and those jobs carry higher wages. The 'incentive' is the carrot out in front of you--not the one in your pocket, even if it is newly in your pocket. Instant gratification is not always available in the workplace, indeed, rarely is. In short, success is hard work. You might even have to manage your career and move to a different company (getting harder to do by the year as our economy is destroyed) if the path AFTER INCREASED CAPABILITY is closed in your present place.
Bottom line...immediate reward is not the lay of the workplace land. [opinion]
Ah, that's kind of the way it works--you better yourself to move into more responsible positions (or more demanding technically), and those jobs carry higher wages. The 'incentive' is the carrot out in front of you--not the one in your pocket, even if it is newly in your pocket. Instant gratification is not always available in the workplace, indeed, rarely is. In short, success is hard work. You might even have to manage your career and move to a different company (getting harder to do by the year as our economy is destroyed) if the path AFTER INCREASED CAPABILITY is closed in your present place.
Bottom line...immediate reward is not the lay of the workplace land. [opinion]
So far adjustments to my bill each month for "loss of service." I will be emailing BH every month for further adjustments, as long as problem continues. My patience is wearing thin. Simple question to BH tech Xpert here. What exactly would you do, that customer service reps are not/have not done already? I have spoken to many a neighbor, co workers, friends with same issue with BH service, all say same thing, numerous reboots of DVR, thorough checking of all cable connections, many visits from BH techs, in some cases to make repairs, at cost to customer, and maybe if their lucky a day or so without unavailable channels, but always returns to same problem. I just don't buy that it is tech issue at my end. Seems limitations from SDV are causing the issues. These issues seem to be easily corrected at BH end, just requires acknowledging them, and making effort, spending necessary money to correct them. There was talk of lack of respect, because I called customer service reps twits. Believe me I could have called them much worse, I have, and know many other BH customers that feel same way. Respect is earned in my book, and BH has done NOTHING in that regard. It is so damn simple: acknowledge the limitations of SDV, that they are causing "channel unavailable" error messages, make the effort, spend the money, to adequately correct the problem.
