Time Warner Guide - Nobody else finds it cumbersome?

[DarkJedi]

I recently switched from Dish to TWC because I wanted SNY. While I didn't expect the same guide features I had with Dish (multiple customizable menus, etc.), I did expect something better than this. No customization, channels in some random order, the whole menu with hundreds of channels to look through to find what I want.... Seriously, customers put up with this? I'm not technologically challenged by any means, but this is just way too clumsy and cumbersome.

For what it's worth, yes I do know about the fav button, but it's a poor solution. The fav buton allows you to flip through your favs. How is that better? It's like the old days when I was a kid and only had 12 channels.

I could have (and still could) get Direct for cheaper, but had initially decided against another satellite with contracts, leases, etc. I am seriously reconsidering. Really, folks, I can't believe customers of TWC tolerate this.

 

[jayn_j]

I agree, it is horrible. My solution was to buy a TIVO for the primary set and keep one TWC DVR for the bedroom. The TIVO does everything better with two glaring exceptions. First, the tuner in the TIVO Premiere is not as sensitive, so it is the first machine to go out when weak signal conditions occur. Second, the TIVO does not support the on-demand features, so you lose the TWC library. This is the reason I keep one TWC DVR around.

When I first got the Samsung DVRs from TWC, they were good. However, TWC went and did a firmware update several months later that killed all the features. This is planned, not incompetence.

The TIVO works out about the same per month. I bought mine on a WOOT deal, so the upfront cost wasn't that high either. Although you give up the on demand, you do get access to online content you won't get with TWC, particularly Netflix instant queue.

The TIVO gives back customizable channel lists, 30 second skip, skip to beginning/end of program, season pass, folders for recorded content, support for external HD, etc. If you turn it on, it will analyze your viewing habits and record shows it thinks you might like. I found that annoying and turned it off, but it is available. Plus it can also record OTA and you can select it as a backup when the cable goes out.

Frankly, it is not nearly as nice as a DISH DVR, but it is head and shoulders above the brain damaged garbage TWC saddles you with.

 

[Islandguy43]

I recently switched from Dish to TWC because I wanted SNY. While I didn't expect the same guide features I had with Dish (multiple customizable menus, etc.), I did expect something better than this. No customization, channels in some random order, the whole menu with hundreds of channels to look through to find what I want.... Seriously, customers put up with this? I'm not technologically challenged by any means, but this is just way too clumsy and cumbersome.

For what it's worth, yes I do know about the fav button, but it's a poor solution. The fav buton allows you to flip through your favs. How is that better? It's like the old days when I was a kid and only had 12 channels.

I could have (and still could) get Direct for cheaper, but had initially decided against another satellite with contracts, leases, etc. I am seriously reconsidering. Really, folks, I can't believe customers of TWC tolerate this.

They did add a feature recently that helps when looking for a HD version of the channel you want. If you hit the select button after you have tuned the channel in, it will open another menu giving you startover, look back, on demand and high def options. I.E. if you hit the high def option it will take you immediately to the high def version of that channel. I know it's not as great as Dish's menu and guide functions, but it is a step in the right direction; plus you are getting your NY Sports RSN which dish has dumped for good it seems.

 

[DarkJedi]

Thanks for the input, Jayn. I actually only have one set, and interestingly enough I had recently looked at Tivo. I am a cheapskate at heart, though, and I think the fee for Tivo is too much for what it is, especially considering what is charged by cable/satellite for essentially the same thing.

And I do know about using the select button to get HD for a channel I'm find not in HD. Frankly, that's pretty crappy, too. I'm not blowing Dish's horn, but at least they did have some logical order to channels (news together, sports together, etc.) and their HD channels were right next to the SD channel for the most part. True, I have SNY, but I'd get that with Direct, too.

Following along the lines of Jayn's thinking, I have been thinking of trying this but haven't. What happens If I connect a regular cable to the TV and tune it to the "cable" mode? It's currently in one of the HDMI modes. I connected that way would I be able to use the cable feature of the TV for at least some of my favorite channels. I really only like sports and some nature programs in HD - I don't care about news or regular shows. Does anyone do this?

 

[jayn_j]

TWC and Comcast have been systematically removing the analog signals from their cable feeds. This will work to get you the low level SD video. There are probably only 20 or so on your system these days. You should also be able to scan and get the broadcast channels in HD. By law, they are sent out in clear QAM format and most TVs will decode that.

However, you will not get the rest of the digital channels. You can expect TWC to remove a couple of the analogs every few months or so until they are all gone.

You do have one other cheap option. If you are willing to give up the DVR convenience, and if your TV has a cablecard slot (most new ones do), you can request a cablecard from TWC. They will install this along with something called a tuning adapter. The cost will be less than you are currently paying for the cable box/DVR. I am paying like $1.50/mo for mine. You still lose the on demand stuff. You also lose their guide. However, you get the ability to use the features of your TV tuner and you can add and delete channels to get exactly what you want.

 

[Islandguy43]

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You do have one other cheap option. If you are willing to give up the DVR convenience, and if your TV has a cablecard slot (most new ones do), you can request a cablecard from TWC. They will install this along with something called a tuning adapter. The cost will be less than you are currently paying for the cable box/DVR. I am paying like $1.50/mo for mine. You still lose the on demand stuff. You also lose their guide. However, you get the ability to use the features of your TV tuner and you can add and delete channels to get exactly what you want.

I don't know where you are finding tvs with cable card slots....because I have bought 3 tvs in (2 samsung and 1 Magavox) in the last 3 years and none of them have a cable card slot. My latest samsung is only 6 months old, and is a internet connectable tv, but no cable card slot..

 

[jayn_j]

I don't know where you are finding tvs with cable card slots....because I have bought 3 tvs in (2 samsung and 1 Magavox) in the last 3 years and none of them have a cable card slot. My latest samsung is only 6 months old, and is a internet connectable tv, but no cable card slot..

OK, sorry already. The last couple I have bought included them, but frankly, I haven't been paying much attention. Basic info is still good though. As I said, it works if your TV has the slot.

 

[DarkJedi]

Cablecard's not an option, too few channels (and my 6-month-old TV doesn't have a slot). But I'm not sure I'm understanding something here. If I used the regular cable connection from my box to the TV instead of the HDMI cable, that's not really analog, is it?

 

[jayn_j]

Cablecard's not an option, too few channels (and my 6-month-old TV doesn't have a slot). But I'm not sure I'm understanding something here. If I used the regular cable connection from my box to the TV instead of the HDMI cable, that's not really analog, is it?

Well, yes it probably is.

The vast majority of cable systems, and TWC in particular will encrypt all of the digital channels. You need the cablecard or a box to apply the decryption. The exception is the local HD channels. The FCC has ruled that cable companies must provide these in unencrypted form (clear QAM). Thus, you can receive these on the TV tuner from the cable.

The only other ones generally available without a box are the old analog NTSC signals, usually on cable channels 2-36. These are generally lower quality and always standard definition. These are the channels that the cable companies are steadily eliminating. A cable operator can put several digital channels in a single analog slot so eliminating an analog channel in favor of 4-6 digital ones makes good business sense.

Cable systems differ greatly across the country, so YMMV. I have heard reports from some that their cable system will transmit the basic channels in clear QAM. Usually smaller systems. I have never heard of TWC sending any cable channel out unencrypted. In fact, there have been incidents where the local stations have been encrypted until the FCC stepped in and told them to cease and desist.

 

[DarkJedi]

OK, Jayn, I am a relative HD newbie. My cable box (HD/DVR) has several ways to connect to my TV, including HDMI, a regular coax cable type connection, and RCA type connections. So, are you saying that unless I use one of the HDMI connections, I won't see any HD TV and will only get the lower channels. To be clear, I am talking about connecting whichever from the box to the TV.

 

[jayn_j]

OK, Jayn, I am a relative HD newbie. My cable box (HD/DVR) has several ways to connect to my TV, including HDMI, a regular coax cable type connection, and RCA type connections. So, are you saying that unless I use one of the HDMI connections, I won't see any HD TV and will only get the lower channels. To be clear, I am talking about connecting whichever from the box to the TV.

I guess I misunderstood the earlier post. I was under the impression that you wanted to eliminate the cable box entirely and hook the cable directly to the TV. My previous answers are based on that assumption.

However, with a HD capable cable box, you will receive all the signals authorized for that box. Now there is a different discussion. The RF connection from box to TV is the lowest resolution possible. It outputs a standard definition NTSC broadcast signal. The composite (yellow jack) is only slightly better and is still standard definition. You would still receive the high definition channels, but the cable box would convert them back to standard definition.

Your box may have component connections (red, green, blue) and these can provide a high definition signal to the TV. You would still need to connect the red and white audio connections.

HDMI is high definition as well, and by far the simplest. You plug in a single cable and get both audio and high definition video to the TV.

You may also need to set menus on both the DVR and the TV for 1080 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio in order to receive the proper high definition image.

Hope this helps.

 

[DarkJedi]

OK, so now that we got that out of the way, back to my original question about using the TV's menu. I'll probably actually have time to give this a try this weekend, but if I connect my tv to my cable box using a regular coax cable or by some other means besides HDMI, will I be able to scan for channels and use my TV to tune in the channels I want to watch, thereby avoiding the TWC "Navigator?" (Under this plan, if I wanted to watch HD I'd use the HDMI hookup.)

 

[jayn_j]

No, that puts us back to my response #9.

If you connect through the cable box, you do the channel select through the cable box with all that entails, including the navigator. The cable box becomes your TV tuner. The output is either one of the video ports, or it can be the RF (coax) one. If it is the RF one, you need to keep the TV tuned to channel 3 or 4 to receive the output.

If you bypass the cable box, you will only get the limited analog channels, unless you provide another decoder. That decoder could be a cablecard (but you don't have a slot in your TV) or a TIVO. Those really are your only options.