Digital TV

     When I started work today, I never realized the intense day I would have until after I spoke with five different customers about one major issue that is affecting many people local to me. I learned how in-depth the contracts are between a provider for a show and the company that someone pays to provide.  On a more recent, specific note, Viacom and Time Warner Cable are currently undergoing contract negotiations to allow channels to air.  Viacom is pulling out all the stops to get the message across that those channels are in limbo, and the cable companies are working with their customers to assure them that they will be updated as to the outcome of the negotiations.

       To be more specific about the Viacom/Time Warner situation, Viacom wants to increase what they charge for having those channels with Time Warner, but, Time Warner does not want to lose money, thereby forwarding the cost to the subscriber.  Time Warner does not want to increase anybody’s bill, so, they are in dispute of a 22% - 36% increase that Viacom is requesting.  Viacom does not deny the small percentage increase.

      Needless to say, everyone is not informed as to the intricate details into getting contracts re-negotiated, and there are over 100 contracts that are re-negotiated throughout the year without customers being aware.  It’s unfortunate that the falling economy may affect how some of us watch tv. 

Update: An agreement was made between Viacom and Time Warner. At midnight, there was an agreement to extend the contract talks. Soon after the extension, there was an agreement made. In the next few days, the details are going to be hammered out between the two companies. In the meantime, customers will still be able to watch their regular programming. This is fortunate since in the past, Viacom has done this with EchoStar Communications (Dish Network) back in March 9, 2004 for a similar disagreement. The difference is that the channels were/are still available with Time Warner. 

Many companies offer Question and Answer pages on their websites in an effort to stem calls that they receive on their Customer Service line.  As time goes on, people are utilizing more online ways to get the information they want, and I wanted to bring it to your attention.  Many different companies that offer television are already offering Question and Answer options in order to resolve many issues that come up with a television.  

Whenever you are looking into a company to provide you with television entertainment or phone service, you always want to see if there is a way that they can help you online first. The number of companies that offer technicians to go to your house for free are becoming less and less. It’s unfortunate that things are getting to this point, but, in today’s economy, I just want you to be informed.

     When dealing with people on the phone about their phone, I have realized that many people do not understand the different fee’s involved with much of what they do.  More importantly, I want to address the idea of getting numbers from 411.  In the past, it was free for people to retrieve their number from 411.    I will provide other means of retrieving information from the phone without worrying about being charged for it.

      The first number I found was the number 1-800-Goog-411 (1-800-4664-411).  It is almost exactly like the regular 411 but since it’s a 1-800 number, you should not get charged at all.  Google is the company that provides that information.  Here is the link to the website pertaining to the free information number - Google 411.

      The second number I found was 1-800-Free-411 (1-800-3733-411).  The differences between the regular 411 and this 411 is that you will not get charged at all for dialing it.  Here is the link for more information on this number - Free 411

      The final method that anyone can utilize to get information for free is going to the website White Pages website. 

Hello and happy holidays to all my readers. Since it is Christmas I have come up with a fun poem as a gift to all of you. Remeber to have a safe and happy Christmas.   Twas the morning after Christmas, and all through the house,The presents were opened with paper is strown about the floor.In the biggest of the boxes was the gift you have adored -A 48 Inch Plasma Hi Defenition TV!With the picture so bright, and so crisp and so clear, Your heart was filled with intense Christmas Cheer! You can finally watch the game, with reason to shout Because the ball really was in, even though the ref said it was out.Nothing can make things betterExcept maybe a 64 inch LCD TV!

     Every company wants to get your business.  No company is perfect, and the type of service you get is dependent on the ethics of the person that sells you.  I’ve heard it said, that cable companies will require boxes from now on with the digital transition.  I’ve also heard that satellite companies offer digital television without the boxes.        What I’m trying to get across is that whenever you decide on any particular cable company, be sure to get a second opinion on whatever it is that you are planning to get.  With the way that the economy is, at this point in time, you want to be sure that you’re getting exactly what you want. 

  Purchasing a High-Definition TV is one of the most luxurious purchases that people can make.  When someone purchases a new HDTV, they are eager to purchase every single component necessary, much like a person is eager to purchase all the options on a new vehicle.  As we are all aware about extra’s, there are certain components that are more of a want than a necessity, especially with HDMI cables. 

HDMI cables are one of the components to assist in the signal getting from one device to another, but, leave the picture and the connections cleaner.  HDMI cables help make the picture slightly clearer than HDMI cables, but, are not very expensive to make.  HDMI cables do not make too much of a difference on many of the HDTV’s out in the market already.  Whenever you do purchase an HDTV, always keep in mind that it is not absolutely necessary to have that option for your tv.

  To those that listen to the radio on a daily basis, there has been an increased emphasis on purchasing and HD Radio for your vehicle.  Those radios are very nice to have since they provide a higher level of quality to radio, but, it is not absolutely necessary to have them.    The reason I bring up HD Radio in this blog is because many people seem to compare HD Radio as part of the switch in February.  The closer that the date gets, the ads for HD Radio become more and more persistent.  When the switchover actually takes place, everything on the radio will still be the same, whether you have a normal, old-fashioned radio, or the highly advanced HD-Radio.  If you currently receive Satellite Radio, you will still get the highest quality radio that there is to offer.  The abundance of stations on a Satellite Radio should always be kept in mind whenever purchasing any kind of radio services.  If you prefer not to pay the monthly fee of a satellite radio, HD-Radio is the way to go.  With an HD-receiver for HD-Radio, you have already done most of the work to get the highest quality sound available.

     Throughout the holidays, many people are purchasing the highest definition television they can find in order to supply the best kind of television to whomever they purchased it for.  There have been too many misconceptions about what having a high definition television involves.     As days go by, many people continue watching their expensive television and continue to get the normal everyday picture that they were receiving previously.  The High-definition programming that the new television is virtually non-existent to the person.  Purchasing a television without doing anything further is the equivalent of purchasing a washing machine that can wash and dry clothes, but, only using that expensive washing machine to get the soap in the clothes, then hand washing, and drying them on a line later on.       Many of the broadcasters, such as ABC, NBC, and CBS are already providing a secondary signal allowing the High Definition programming to be available to many customers.  What is necessary to access them is a specific High-Def converter that every cable and satelite company offer.  My suggestion to those that have a high-definition television would be to call your local cable or satellite company to confirm that you specifically have the high definition converter box.  Without it, you wasted your money on a television.

  I started this blog to clear up some of the misunderstanding of what many commercials regarding this transition is all about.  When it comes to television, many people simply want to sit down, and relax, and not think about the stress of their day.  The last thing that is on a person’s mind is to go to the store, and see how much the Digital converters are, and fork out the money for them.

   What people do not understand is that if they currently pay for their cable television, they do not have to worry about a thing.  Subscribers who have cable or satellite tv are not going to be affected at all by the changes.  The reason for that is because they are closed systems that are actually supplying a unique signal to the television that allow the television to send the analog signal that many people over the air already receive.  The FCC is allowing those companies to provide the analog signal through their systems until 2012. 

  To keep things simple, the only people that would ever be affected by the switch are those that do not have any cable company whatsoever, and completely rely on the rabbit ears.  I hope this clears up some of the confusion that is out there about the digital transition.

Hello!

 My name is Marcos, and I’ve worked for a local  cable company in the state of Florida.  As a Customer Service Representative, I have received calls about the craziest and most common questions imaginable. 

 I realized if i get calls about these questions many people aren’t calling who have the same questions. So I have decided to start a blog where I can post some typical questions and answers about cable, television, and other related topics.  Please feel free to post any questions you have been dieing to ask in the comments section and I will do my best to answer them!

Yours Truly,

Marc