[Grovenet] Satellite TV (WAS: Verizon FiOS v. Comcast)

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Interesting. Thanks for your experience! I was concerned about signal
levels.

I'm surprised you're being asked to sign up for a "contract" with a cable
company. Neither Millennium or Charter (owned by Comcast, I understand)
require any commitment beyond the current month's service here! Indeed, when
Millennium turned out to have abysmal reliability and even worse customer
service, Charter offered to run their cable from several hundred feet down
the street and then cross the street to bring it to me. We have underground
utilities so that involved a crew trenching the whole distance and running a
pipe under the road! They did it without any assurance I'd keep the service
for even a month! Of course, they're now ready to hook everyone on this side
of the street who doesn't want Millennium! 

It sounds like my concerns about signal levels were justified, especially
here where a satellite antenna would be looking directly through a copse of
at least 30 fir trees that are much higher than the satellite's elevation! 

Have you complained to the Dish company? I ask because, if what one neighbor
told me is correct, that might help you. He has a son in Toledo using Dish.
His property is also surrounded by trees (funny, how that happens in a
forest <G>) who complained about losing signal in bad weather so they came
out and, at no charge to him, installed a second antenna and coupled it to
the first to double his signal strength.

I don't know if we lost cable TV signal here during the power outage: I
don't have a battery powered TV. But we were missing a few channels from the
Portland area for a few days after power was restored (we were dark just
about 30 hours here). Either they were still off the air or their repeaters
serving the coastal communities were still without power. 

Thanks for the information Chuck. I think I'll leave well enough alone now
that Charter has gone to all the trouble to bring me signals!

Ron D'Eau Claire 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
Behalf Of chuck
Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2007 10:00 AM
To: Forest Grove local interests list
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Satellite TV (WAS: Verizon FiOS v. Comcast)


Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> Sounds like you have an issue with "dish" Chuck. Can you elaborate?
>
> We're currently on cable: we even have our choice of two carriers in 
> this neighborhood! But I've considered trying a satellite system such 
> as dish or direct TV.
>
> Ron D'Eau Claire
>
>   
Hi Ron,

Yeah, I have a few peeves with DISH.  There are times when we lose the 
signal.  During the big storm was one.  Many things can attribute to 
signal loss, cloud cover, trees, snow, etc.  I understand it is a 
satellite system, but when the weather is crappy - that's when you 
want/need your TV the most!  This is just a gripe towards satellite in 
general - and yeah - I could switch to Comcast or now Verizon - but I 
hate getting locked into their bundle contracts.  So I put up with it.

chuck


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