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Post by MasterFX1 on Oct 18, 2004 8:00:06 GMT -5
Well, It's Oct. 17 and I still have ESPN-HD, HDnet & HDnet Movies without subscribing to any HD tier. I'm not complaining, but I wonder when the plug will be pulled.
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Post by Skaggs on Oct 18, 2004 9:07:30 GMT -5
Well, It's Oct. 17 and I still have ESPN-HD, HDnet & HDnet Movies without subscribing to any HD tier. I'm not complaining, but I wonder when the plug will be pulled. Posted here on Sep 14th, 2004, 6:22pm: ESPN HD will be starting on Albany TWC tonight (Tuesday, September 14) around midnight-4am. It will be a free preview along with the HDNET until Oct.31. |
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Post by MasterFX1 on Oct 18, 2004 10:52:06 GMT -5
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Post by Skaggs on Oct 18, 2004 11:02:17 GMT -5
So there seems to be competing information. Since it is still on right now, I'm guessing the Oct. 31st shutoff is the correct date. My information is from my source at TWC, who has never steered me wrong previously. |
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Post by OldMatador on Oct 18, 2004 15:22:52 GMT -5
I believe the confusion might be "Is it a Month-Long Preview, or is it until the end of the next month?" Probably a communication error.
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Post by ProTuber on Oct 18, 2004 20:00:35 GMT -5
Let me throw some gasoline on this fire. Recently, while on the phone complaining about some charges that didn't belong on my bill, I inquired about subscribing to the HD Tier in response to the e-mail from TWC which seemed to indicate ESPN-HD was included with the HDNets. The CSR said he had no knowledge about ESPN-HD being part of the HD Tier, but it was available for an additional $3.95. I asked if that meant that HDNet/HDNet Movies cost $3.95, and if ESPN-HD would require another $3.95. He replied "Yes, they are separate."
Does anyone know the real story? I assume no one will actually subscribe until the free preview ends and these channels go away, just wondering what kind of fight to expect.
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Post by Skaggs on Oct 18, 2004 20:41:17 GMT -5
The CSR said he had no knowledge about ESPN-HD being part of the HD Tier, but it was available for an additional $3.95. I asked if that meant that HDNet/HDNet Movies cost $3.95, and if ESPN-HD would require another $3.95. He replied "Yes, they are separate." Does anyone know the real story? I assume no one will actually subscribe until the free preview ends and these channels go away, just wondering what kind of fight to expect. I found some info on the Albany TWC FAQ section of their website:
Q:
Does HDTV cost extra?
A:
The television itself is more expensive than most standard televisions. Otherwise, there's very little extra. The Time Warner Cable HD converter costs no more than our digital cable converter. There is a $3.95/month fee for the HD Tier, which includes INHD, INHD2, HDNET, HDNET Movies and ESPN. Other channels, including Discovery, HBO, Showtime and the local affiliates, come at no extra charge.
I don't know if I like the answer. It looks like we will now have to pay for the INHD's (after October 31st). However, I was going to cough up the $3.95 for ESPN HD, anyways. |
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Post by MasterFX1 on Nov 1, 2004 8:43:21 GMT -5
Me still gots... shhh.
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Post by OldMatador on Nov 1, 2004 9:21:35 GMT -5
Did you have HDNet before? |
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Post by MasterFX1 on Nov 1, 2004 13:27:11 GMT -5
Did you have HDNet before? Nope. |
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Post by Skaggs on Nov 1, 2004 16:35:54 GMT -5
HDNets and ESPN HD still on at my house.
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Post by MasterFX1 on Nov 2, 2004 13:53:48 GMT -5
Moments ago I lost them all, and now "Not Authorized" screens.
Looks like INHD, INHD2, HDnet, HDnet Movies and ESPN-HD are all now in the premium HD tier.
It really sucks to have lost 2 channels I was already getting prior to the free preview.
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econ
Junior Member
Posts: 66
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Post by econ on Nov 2, 2004 14:51:13 GMT -5
MasterFX1,
I agree. I feel like I am now getting 2 less stations for the same price as I was getting before. That being said, I kept track of how often I watched INHD, INHD2, HDnet, HDnet Movies and ESPN-HD during the "free" time period. The answer was not much. Other than ESPN-HD I virtually watched the other stations for only brief periods when I was channel surfing. As for ESPN-HD, the network only shows a few HD offering per week. Frankly, I can live with ESPN SD until ESPN has a greater selection of HD offerings. In the general scheme of things $4 per month for these stations is absolutely nothing. However, until ESPN gives me something worth $4 per month, I'll hang onto my money
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Post by MasterFX1 on Nov 2, 2004 16:09:48 GMT -5
I am not a TWC subscriber at home, but I do have it in my office. We have a very high-end plasma screen here, it used to be nice eye candy for clients to have an HD channel up on it when they come in. There was usually something pretty to choose to leave on.
Now, however, I have only Discovery HD to show off my TV. WMHT-HD has always looked like crap due to the over-compression. None of the other locals on TWC have anything in HD during 9a-5p, and TNT-HD rarely has anything HD either.
So I'm at work, and the only thing we can see in HD right now is "Surprise By Design." Wow, that impressed no one... Surprise.
As a little "Thanks for nothing," to TWC... I want to point out that the standard VOOM package (49.90/mo) includes ESPN-HD and about 25 other HD channels. Since, Discovery HD is all I have to watch at work now, I've noticed that VOOM has a commercial on Discovery HD and it's even in HD. Take that, TWC.
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Post by Skaggs on Nov 2, 2004 21:42:06 GMT -5
I called TWC and spoke to "Cheryl" tonight at 8:45PM. I told her that channels 1865 & 1866 now say "Not Authorized". She said that is correct, because they now are part of a High Def tier for $3.95.
I told her I wasn't interested in getting the HDNet Channels or ESPN HD and just want my INHD channels back. She said I would have to pay the $3.95 per month in order to see the INHD channels. I asked her what channels in the future that I currently receive as part of my monthly service I was going to have to pay for and she told me she didn't know. She asked if I would like her to turn the channels on right now and pay the $3.95. I asked her how I could make a complaint and I was placed on hold.
After about a 3 minute stint on hold, Cheryl came back on and asked for my account number, which I gave her. She told me, "...the $3.95 was to pay for the only true HD channels we provide. The other channels are only digital channels and not HD." I said, "I believe you are wrong, because 1811 and 1837 are true HD channels." Cheryl said, "No, those are only digital channels." I told her that she didn't know what she was talking about. Cheryl started getting a little upset with me.
She said, "Oh, I don't know what I'm talking about? My supervisor just told me so." I said, "I asked how to make a complaint and you came back on and asked me for my account number." She said, "That's what my supervisor told me to do." I said, "Well, I'd like to speak to your supervisor, please."
A few seconds later, I spoke to a calm, polite man by the name of "Dave". I explained how I felt that I now had to pay for two channels that I had been included in the regular monthly service. Dave stated that the INHD channels were only being "previewed" by the TWC customers with HD converters and that TWC pays several dollars per HD subscriber for ESPN HD, while they pay nothing for PBS HD or Discovery HD. I said that I had a TWC HD converter for the last 14 months and never was told that the INHD's were a "preview". I then asked what other channels I am currently "previewing" before I am made to pay for them. Dave replied, "None" and then offered to give me the HD Tier free for another 6 months, after which I would have to pay for them. I agreed and thanked him for letting me explain my issue.
*** The squeaky wheel gets the grease ***
While Dave was typing away on his computer, modifying my account to give me the HD Tier free for the next 6 months, I asked about the HDMI port on the 8300 DVR. He said that the person who sat next to him, "Mike" was very familiar with the DVR's HDMI port and I could be transferred to him when we were complete. As the screen on my HDTV went from the "NOT AUTHORIZED" screen to displaying the INHD channel, I was transferred to "Mike".
I had spoken to Mike about a year ago when he was trying to get the DVI port to work correctly on my 3250HD box. He is very knowledgable on the tech stuff (very unlike the typical TWC CSR). While we were unable to get the HDMI to DVI hookup to work, Mike offered to send the question into the TWC engineering department and get back to me via email in a few days.
*** If you ever have a technical issue with a TWC HD box, ask for "Mike" ***
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