How to block PPV ?

[davexnet]

Hello, I'm a TWC customer in So Cal, and I'm having a bit of a feud
with their support dept.

I have young children, and it's too easy to accidentally order PPV,
I asked customer service to tell me how to block all PPV, so that it would
be impossible to order directly from the box/remote control.

First, they told me they would set my PPV credit limit to $1, and this would have the affect I was looking for - Any movie costing more than $1, would need a phone call to order. Except it didn't work at all.
In fact, when I was speaking to the guy on the phone, he became
flustered and tried to get me off ASAP.

Then via email,
they went onto something else, as if the thing mentioned above didn't even exist. They asked me to set a PIN and to block it using the
parental options. When I emailed them back because I couldn't see
an entry for PPV, they responded by saying I had to enter the channels
individually.
Huh? This is the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard of.
It's a simple request - block PPV. It is surely one of the most requested items. Why would it be so conspicuously missing from the options ?

I refuse to enter individual channels in the box. That's not how technology is used. The box should do it, it absolutely should be a choice.
Perhaps there's a "commercial" interest in having it this way.
similar to the fact that the skip back works but not the skip forward?
(can't have those subscribers skipping the ads !)

 

[rknobbe]

I'm not addressing the subject question, but am confused by your parting shot. fast-forward and rewind both work for me, using TWC in Torrance. Keep in mind they can only work on recorded content, not for "live" TV. (Otherwise I'd fast forward to the end of games and make some bets before the rest of the world finds out the outcome )

 

[Hall]

I don't have TW anymore but the only method I knew of then was to use a PIN.

Do they make it difficult to "stop" this ? Of course they do ! Same reason you can't customize the guide to not display channels you don't get. They want you to see the channels so you know what you're missing (and hopefully upgrade to them).

 

[davexnet]

rknobbe, I'm not talking about the RR/FF buttons.
About 1/3 of the way down, you'll see two "page" buttons.
If you press the right page, the box skips back 30 seconds or so.
It doesn't rewind, it's like a direct jump. However, the corresponding
left-side page doesn't do anything to the program flow.

hall, I used to have Dish Network. From a "purist" point of view,
It's better. No annoying commercials on the program guide, back an
forward 30-second skip, and a giude you could set to show only the channels you get.

I can see what TW are doing, it's purely a business decision Vs. making
reasonable choices available to the subscriber. I have told them I will not be paying for PPV. I have explained it's too
easy to make a mistake, the kids might do it, and they have refused to
give me a method to block it. If I have to contest an order occasionally,
I will do so - but I will not knowingly order PPV at all

 

[Hall]

Officially, they will only waive so many PPVs as "accidents" or "the kids did it".

 

[Andrewwski]

I can block PPV very easily on my TW box here. With SARA software you can tap "settings" twice, scroll to PPV, and enter a pin. Then they're all locked unless you have the password.

I believe TW uses different software in different areas though, so YMMV.

 

[davexnet]

Hello, what is SARA software, and how is it used?
Is it a programmable remote of some kind?

 

[Hall]

Set-top boxes can run different "interface" software and operating systems. Scientific Atlanta, the maker of most of TWC's boxes, develops "SARA". I believe it stands for "Scientific Atlanta Reference Application". Most TWC divisions do NOT use this (unless they acquired a system that did). They use Pioneer (now Aptiv) Passport and in many locations have rolled out their own, internally-developed software called "Navigator".

End-users have NO control over what software is on their boxes. They can't upgrade, downgrade, block an update, force an update, replace the software with something different, and so on.

It is NOT a "programmable remote".