I want to pay for exactly the channels I want...I don't want Lifetime...or VH1..or MTV. I want all 20 Espin..Fox Sports...Golf Channel...NFL Network and 1 HBO...that's it.

The odds of that are still slim........A company like ABC is going to force you to take all of their stations no one watches to take ESPN. That's just how it works.

If you would have read I'm also not paying for digital cable, same issues.

That will probably never happen, and if it did it would just greatly reduce the number of choices we actually have.

Companies can afford to take risks with new channels by tying them to channel packages that they know cable companies will buy. If every new channel was forced to survive the market on it's own, it wouldn't be worth the risk to try and put them out. You may be forced to get WE and Oxygen, but it may have allowed you to get the Golf Channel.

Besides, all you have to do is program the receiver to only display the channels you like. Or in the instance of DTV, you can use multiple user set-ups so that Dad can only watch his favorites, while daughter chooses the set-up that only displays her favorites.

Ahhh, I missed that.

Here in Des Moines, they've eliminated all analog cable. Our only choice is over the air, digital cable, or dish.

The analog cable signal is still there.

If you took the input to your digital box and plugged it into your TV, you'd have basic cable.

At least that's the way it works for me, and I'm fed off of the same network as you are (for Mediacom).

I didn't know that. I was told that I had to go pick up a digital cable box from some temporary trailer set up in the Hy-Vee parking lot, and that in a matter of months, digital would be our only option.

Of course, none of that mattered when those buffoons at Mediacom fucked up my service and lost my patronage forever.

Ahhh, I didn't know anywhere was doing that yet. I'm sure it is coming everywhere, but telling everyone that they are suddenly going to have to start renting boxes again and paying the extra for digital cable had to lose them a chunk of customers.

AFAIK, there was no additonal expense involved with the switch.

At least not up front. I'm sure they cover there ass in the yearly price increase anyway.

And Medicaom is pretty adept at losing customers as it is.

Well, at least they went that route. Of course I can't say that I have ever heard anyone say anything good about Mediacom.

Well, compared to DirecTV, Mediacom is the ****ing bomb.

Honestly, I've had zero problems with them at all. And they're cheaper than the dish was for the same programming because I can buy Internet from them and sever ties from the LEC altogether.

Our opinions on the two companies couldn't be more opposite.

Wait until Mediacom inadvertantly disconnects your service, then tells you that you'll need to schedule an appointment for a week later to reconnect it.

Yeah, getting away from the LEC was a happy day for me.

:hmmm:

I had not one, but TWO, instances with DirecTV that are nearly identical to what you describe.

The final straw was when the CSR told me I was "free to find another service provider" if I was unhappy with their service.

Good to see TimeWarner is doing all it can to please their customers. :rolleyes:

I'm not thrilled with DTV, but atleast I do not have to deal with this crap...