[frostrambler]

edit: Scroll down for further Cablevision disasters, oh and if you are waiting on a TivoHD install from Cablevision in Brooklyn (probably NYC), you are not getting it, apparently the programming system is down, and they have engineers working on getting it back up, with no known deadline... probably why my firmware failed on Tuesday. Scroll down for more!

TivoHD came out last week, its a version of the Series3 that Tivo introduced in 2006.

The new Tivo's use CableCARD to tune digital channels from your cable provider, not the cable companies own STB.

My TiVo came in on Thursday, I called Cablevision to setup an appointment to install two CableCARD's in my new TivoHD. They setup the appointment for Monday 7/31 from 2-5.

Monday at 3pm the cable tech came. He was not a contractor, since I guess cablevision wants CableCARD installs to go well, so they send their own guys. Except they sent him with only two CableCARD's. Now I don't know if you know this, but since CableCARD support is kinda new, many of them don't work right. I have heard failure rates of over 40 percent on cards.

So the guy comes, inserts both cards into the TivoHD and starts guided setup. Both cards start firmware upgrades (pushed by cablevision over the network). Both take 60 minutes, then restart. I call the cable guy over after 40 minutes, since I know that:

A. A firmware install takes 15 minutes on a CableCARD, this is over 60 minutes already, and even the Tivo site says over 40 minutes = dead card.

B. Both cards upgrade at the same time, not one after the other.

After 60 minutes of firmware upgrading, the screen switches to the guided setup, I think that the cards finished upgrading. I call the guy over, and the screen goes back to firmware upgrading. He tells me that it was probably the first card, and now the second is doing it. I try explaining that firmware upgrades don't take over 60 minutes and they go together, not one after the other.

The cable guy goes to his truck and tells me to wait until its done again. All the while he plays his PSP in his truck. After another 60+ minutes pass and the firmware upgrade page goes away, I call him again. Same thing, firmware upgrade restarts.

He tells me both cards are dead and I need new ones. No ****, I told him that over 1.5 hours ago. I guess he wanted to play his PSP for two hours, knowing this was fruitless.

He doesn't have any extra cards with him, so he says he will schedule me for a new appointment on Tuesday August 1st, from 8 am to 11am.

I agree and decide to miss a second day of work. Tuesday at 11am I call Cablevision and tell them where is my tech.

They tell me my appointment is schedule for Wednesday at 8am, not Tuesday. So great, I miss another day, and this is Cablevision's screw up number two.

I ask for a manager, try to explain that they took away my SA8300HD, I have no more television, its been two days of work missed, I don't want to miss a third day. They tell me a manager will call me back within 24 hours, and will not budge from that.

Wednesday at 10am, cable CONTRACTOR shows up to install standard cablevision blue and white cards. I tell him, no, this is a CABLEcard install. I show him the TivoHD, the poor guy's eyes get really big and he tells me Tivo does this, not cablevision. I show him my green cablevision work paper from monday showing a TIVO SERIES 3 HD INSTALL, and i show him the two broken cards.

He calls cablevision, and they promise to call me back within 20 minutes. I get a call back at 10:10am, they sent me a regular tech, I need a SPECIAL TECH, to install the CableCARD's (I guess Cablevision can't trust just anyone to read off numbers over the phone!).

They try to reschedule for another day, I tell them I have missed three days of work already, one broken install on monday, one missed appointment on tuesday, no manager has called me back from tuesday. And now they want to reschedule me again today, after they sent me the wrong tech.

What are we up to now, strike 3 or 4 with cablevision?

After being on hold for 30 minutes, they tell me that someone will come today with two new cards until 8pm. It is an all day appointment, and I have to spend the whole day at home waiting now. Better than nothing right?

I literally beg the guy to make sure they bring more than two cableCARD's, I tell him about the huge failure rates, and please to bring more than two. He says all they can bring is two.

I am now at home waiting, with a brand new TivoHD showing me nothing, no cable TV. Just waiting.

I hate cablevision.

I am in Brooklyn, 11229.

 

[ysenoj]

sounds pretty normal.

(just being sarcastic. your troubles, along with all the SDV stuff, are why my TivoHD is still in a warehouse somewhere, and will likely (sadly!) remain there.)

it must be really frustrating to work for TiVo and see all this going on. whether it's ineptness or obstruction, it's inexcusable, eh?

i also love that the cable card installation is so difficult that a tech is required. wtf is up with that? what does the tech actually do?

1. plug them in.
2. sit there.
3. call the main office and say, "do you see them?"

good luck with it.

 

[20TIL6]

What is the deal with these firmware upgrades? I have been through no less than 4 TiVo/cablecard install/activations, and never did I experience a firmware upgrade. It was insert 1st card, wait for screen with card, host, data, etc. numbers to appear. Read them off to the person on the phone, check for channels, then insert 2nd card and repeat.

No firmware upgrade of any sort.

I am in Houston with Comcast, and they use Motorola cards.

 

[frostrambler]

What is the deal with these firmware upgrades? I have been through no less than 4 TiVo/cablecard install/activations, and never did I experience a firmware upgrade. It was insert 1st card, wait for screen with card, host, data, etc. numbers to appear. Read them off to the person on the phone, check for channels, then insert 2nd card and repeat.

No firmware upgrade of any sort.

I am in Houston with Comcast, and they use Motorola cards.

Probably Comcast upgrades their firmware in the warehouse, Cablevision just takes cards from the manufacturer and sends them to the consumer with no testing or firmware upgrade.

 

[frostrambler]

Well its 7:20pm, so unless the guy shows up in the next 40 minutes, I'm pretty sure they just broke another appointment with me.

 

[frostrambler]

It is now 7:35pm, I am pretty sure that there will not be a cable guy today. I have been on hold with cablevision brooklyn for about 30 minutes now to try to ask a rep where the guy is.

I am now sure I will have to schedule my 5th appointment.

That makes one failed appointment that resulted in them taking my 8300HD and installing two broken cable cards.

A second appointment that they missed and told me was the following day.

A third appointment they sent the wrong tech to.

A fourth appointment that they have now missed.

I have missed three days of work, and I literally spent the whole day today in the living room to not miss the bell ringing.

I just got through to cablevision and am with them on the phone right now.

I guess you can imagine how I am feeling right now. What can I do now? File a complaint with the BBB, what will that do? I don't know how to contact corporate. Why am I being screwed over here?

 

[minckster]

NYC Cable Complaint Form: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doitt/html/consumer/consumer_cable_service_form.shtml

 

[DCIFRTHS]

... I literally beg the guy to make sure they bring more than two cableCARD's, I tell him about the huge failure rates, and please to bring more than two. He says all they can bring is two. ...

Wow. Sorry to hear about all the trouble you are having. I have had a few CC installs with Cablevision (I'm in Westchester) and each time they arrived, they had a minimum of four cards them. It seems pretty stupid that they won't being more than two cards with them. Maybe they are running low on cards

Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

[frostrambler]

Thank you minckster, I just filed the complaint, its 8p.

 

[bkdtv]

I guess you can imagine how I am feeling right now. What can I do now? File a complaint with the BBB, what will that do? I don't know how to contact corporate. Why am I being screwed over here?

Perhaps you'll soon have an alternative to Cablevision. Verizon FiOS starts with their Brooklyn installs next week.

 

[Dr_Zoidberg]

Ohhh, this is not what I want to hear...

I picked up mine from a local Best Buy on Tuesday. I rushed home to call up Cablevision (NJ 08854). I sat on hold for probably 20 minutes and the first guy was kinda worthless, but passed me on to someone else who understood I wanted them for a TiVo. I chose NOT to tell him it was a newer model, but just a series 3. I also asked about multistream cards, but those are apparently still not available (or Cablevision is too cheap to get them).

I have to wait until next Wednesday! My friend in Manhattan ended up throwing out her installer after the guy pissed her off. She eventually (after two visits) got that straightened out, and she wanted to bet with me on how many cards they'd show up with, and how many would work or not. I did not, and I'm only thinking happy thoughts.

Fortunately, my job occasionally permits me to work from home, so I'm doing that. I've got the first appointment, so I have my fingers crossed that he'll have more cards. The local Cablevision office is about 3 miles from here, so I'm also hoping he can get new cards from there.

 

[rainwater]

If it was Charter, I would of been reimbursed each time they missed the appointment and would not have had much of a bill this month

 

[tgmii]

Cablevision is trying to be very accomodating lately.

Any corelation to the fact that Verizon is burying fiber on my street for FIOS this week is purely coincidental.

I have my third appointment coming up trying to get this to work.. .after originally driving to my local customer service location, since the knowledgable tech on the phone said.. sure you can pick up cablecards at the office.

Cablevision amazed me last night, when I told them I swapped out the tivo, and needed to re-bind the cablecards. They were actually very helpful. Normally, I get into an arguement about why they need to roll a truck for something they can talk me (an I.T. guy) through over the phone.

 

[frostrambler]

Well here is the update:

Filed complaints with NY Department of Information of Technology and BBB.

I finally got a hold of a dispatch supervisor, spoke with her for 40 minutes. Told her that I had filed complaints. She apologized and actually helped me, took down a lot of information, told me she was escalating it to someone higher than her, told me it was ridiculous that the first installer lied to me, and did not get cable cards the SAME DAY, which they can do. She is sending a top tier tech tomorrow. She said she was extremely upset about how I was treated, I got her name and position. Lets see what happens. (She was the only person so far in Cablevision who seemed to actually care, and I hope she helps.) Also she knows what M-Cards are, but Cablevision does not have them.

 

[frostrambler]

Know what worries me? I see so many posts saying that many cable techs bring 6,8,15 cards for a visit because many of them don't work. Cablevision only brings 2. At this rate how long will it take?

 

[frostrambler]

Cablevision missed today's appointment. Some higher up supervisor called me at 11:20 today. Told me they are having issues with CableCARDs and can't send any out until the issues are resolved. I explained everything to her again, how we just missed our 4th day of work today because of them. Apparently no CableCARDs can be installed right now by Cablevision (I guess in Brooklyn), because of program errors.

I guess they have a bad batch and are trying to fix it. She insisted that once they fix it, my current two broken cards will start working again in the Tivo, I told her that that is highly unlikely and I want a tech as soon as they fix the issue. She is dispatching a tech to give me an SA8300HD while I wait. It is at least good that we are getting calls for supervisors now instead of regular people.

I don't trust cablevision anymore about them contacting me when they fix the cable card issues, I don't think they will ever call me, so I am happy to report she gave me her direct number, so I don't have to deal with regular customer support anymore.

What pisses me off is that they probably have had this problem since Tuesday when my initial install took place, but they didn't tell us. She herself said she only found out today.

So I guess its up to the cablevision engineers to fix it, then we will get a new service visit, sometime next week I hope. How long will it take them to fix it I don't know. Verizon FIOS is in brooklyn next week and they are beginning to look like a ray of sunshine.

 

[MarkF2]

Wow this sucks - now I'm nervous about my Sunday afternoon appt with Cablevision (LI, NY). I'll keep you posted about my experience.

 

[frostrambler]

rcamille, another poster here from LI just had his/her cards installed from cablevision in LI.

Seems to be affecting Brooklyn/Bronx

 

[MarkF2]

I had my install done yesterday. It went pretty smoothly, the techs were done in 20 minutes but it ended up taking another hour to straighten out a a screw up in the dispatch office b/c they reversed the codes/ID# on the cards in the system. So far so good, no pixelation problems either.

I'm on LI.

 

[sting0r]

rcamille, another poster here from LI just had his/her cards installed from cablevision in LI.

Seems to be affecting Brooklyn/Bronx

Frostrambler, you should post your issue to the Cablevision_Digital Yahoo group. One of there top guys Wilt monitors the forum. He will get your sorted out.