Time Warner Cable Navigator - Page 594

Ben,

Is the only thing you could really say that's good about Signature Home is that you get less wait and hold times, and you have at least a better chance of getting a decent tech than the regular sub? Oh yea, same mediocre guide. You'll just get a newer boxes with more storage.

I went through customer retentions and got down from $205 to $176 something with no reductions in service, just as a Triple Play w/ DVR/Showtime/HBO/Sports Pass sub. We did get a rate increase notice for January 2013, but it said that rates won't go up if you are in a promotion deal. They still seem to knock you up like $5.00-$10.00 even if you are in a deal, once to twice a year.

At least retentions was good. But we had to go through two reps in retentions to get someone good.

I don't think Signature Home is much better that regular Triple Play.

Jack

The Sig Home bundle is a good value only due to the 50/5 Ultimate Internet. You save some more by having the Whole Home DVR with two set tops as it would be two DVR fees plus an additional set top fee. However, because the DVR (Navigator) is so awful and the Whole Home is nothing more than sharing it's of no real value. I wanted to give them a fair chance to make improvements, but they've done nothing substantial in two years. Features added to Navigator have been mediocre at best and each new patch introduces another glitch.

When I first signed up for Sig Home they were very responsive trying to get the install issues worked out. The line tech I dealt with was good and listened to my input. I actually showed him how to disable the IP Flood Detection to solve the slow down issues. That said, the so called "White Glove" service has disappeared. I see no real advantage of staying with the service. I won't keep 50/5 unless retention gives me a decent rate. It's not worth $105 a month. I can drop back to 30/5 if need be. Same goes for phone, if they make it worthwhile then I'll keep it. Retention/Negotiation is one reason I'm staying with TWC and modifying the service versus canceling. Satellite isn't as willing to negotiate pricing once your initial promo ends. TWC seems more concerned with churn.

We shall see...

Anyone else still have this issue with Navigator?

I had the SA-8300HDC box here in Wisconsin with software version ODN 5.2.09. Most of the time, it is pretty fast, but there is still approximately every 30-45 days, a system slow-down in searching and browsing where the only work-around is to do a cold reboot.

A possible memory leak with the guide? Does anyone have version ODN 6.0 who can report as to whether or not it fixes this bug?

Satch

Hey Jack... I last rebooted the 8640 38d21h ago due to flaky FF/REW operation. Although I have experienced the slowdown before, it is running just fine at the moment. Still on 5.2.0_9, with host software version OHT2.0.0.2001_86xxHDC_STD.NOESATA_F.

Big News from Time Warner! They are going to make their line up available via Roku boxes for streaming!

http://www.tvpredictions.com/twroku010713.htm

Now, this won't have DVR functionality, but you could ditch you Navigator loaded piece of crap box and go with the Roku running the TWC TV app. If the app works like it does on my phone, this will be good. However, there is no indication if they are going to make it available in HD.

I still plan on building my HTPC because I need a solid Whole Home DVR solution, but when the HTPC replaces my Roku, I could move that into another room. If this goes well, Roku could see a run on boxes!

The problem with that is where you already have Roku you probably already have TWC. It works much better on the iPad which you can take with you around the house.

Who cares about taking it around the house. The point was that you can replace your Navigator loaded set top, which you wouldn't take around the house anyway. It's a decent solution (if implemented properly) for customers to turn in set tops. They will also save the set top rental fee.

Mine serves as a kitchen TV and finds its way into bathrooms, porches, etc. So I think the "point" is TV Anywhere using these types of devices, smartphones and media players all of which started replacing the last century fad of HTPCs a while ago.

And again, you miss the point completely. The app on a Roku player isn't intended to be portable. It's intended to replace the set top. Nothing is replacing an HTPC which isn't even close to being obsolete. Talk to me when your iPad operates as a full fledged DVR. You are comparing apples to oranges. We aren't even talking about the same thing.

And again, my point is the Roku app is a marginal, insignificant development in the bigger picture. Roku, Apple TV, Google TV, iPads, smartphones, etc. started replacing the STB (to some extent) long before a TWC Roku app. If TWC expected any big STB deactivates from a Roku app it would never be offered. TV Anywhere is still the overriding strategy. TWC sees this as another way to keep you locked into your cable subscription which more than offsets some box deactivates.

 

Sounds OK on the face of it, but equipping a whole house with these instead of conventional STBs might just cost you more once you figure out how fast your RoadRunner service will need to be to support them.  If someone will be streaming to several sets simultaneously along with other online activities, I think the starting point would be 30Mb/s service, with the ridiculously expensive 50Mb/s a serious consideration for some folks.  I'm pretty sure TWC is well aware of this and it is part of their master conspiracy to part us from our money.  There are very few here that don't already believe that selling us bandwidth is what TWC has made their priority over traditional video delivery services... this is just another step in that direction.

 

That said, I think it would be a good option for me in a few secondary viewing areas such as in bedrooms and possibly the kitchen.  The $50 cost for the Roku HD is a pretty low hurdle to jump for rooms that currently just have analog/clearQAM, too.  If only my house had as much network cabling as it does coax...when we built it in the early '90s I put in over 3000' of RG-6 and almost 2000' of 12ga speaker cable... but not a single foot of UTP.  Great foresight!!!

Edited by jcalabria - 1/7/13 at 8:47am

Now they just need to stop blocking rooted android devices, from using the mobile app.

i was using it on my rooted sprint sgIII

Exactly. The average joe (no pun intended!) isn't going to replace their set top with a streaming device. However, my point is at least they have another option. It's a nice solution for a kids room or kitchen set, etc. I have to give credit to Time Warner for allowing it. When they do something right, I'll be the first to admit it.

Odd. I cant get live streaming to work on my Nexus 7 nor my Galaxy Nexus.

what rom's are you using? i'm using strongsteve's odexed blue, might wanna ask over on xda

WMC has been included in the last few versions of Windows. Windows 8 doesn't include WMC. Microsoft removed it because they felt no one was really interested in it anymore.

Only the top of the line Roku ($99+) has an Ethernet connection, everthing else is wifi only. Your Internet speed quickly becomes unimportant.. Wifi speed is the limiting factor. Try streaming video to 3+ devices and see what you get.
Edited by rdgcss - 1/7/13 at 4:54pm

Many people are. Windows 8 is the new Windows Me with its interface anyway. Most people I'm talking to are staying with Windows 7. Yes, WMC is a niche market but, the HTPC crowd is alive and well as I research my build. Windows 8 is more of a touch screen/tablet OS and that's fine. For PC based users, Windows 7 is better suited.

Then the hurdle is $99 for me... would not even think of doing it WiFi (and if anybody could, it would be me with three APs covering the house so each area of the house would have its own bandwidth "cell", but I also like the freedom of using that bandwidth to stream live TV wirelessly to our laptops using HDHR/WMC).

Totally agree. I have Sig Home with 10/5 to a Wireless gigabit router, to 2 8 port gigabit switches, one of which is in the den directly behind the equipment. TV, Blu-Ray, Wii, Apple TV, Roku, wireless access point all connected via cat6. Much smoother & reliable than wifi. Wifi reserved for IPad, IPad Mini, IPhone, notebook with XP. To me wifi should only be used for portable devices.

I concur, I try to connect via network cable whenever possible. Years ago I pre-wired some rooms with CAT 5e, but now I have some other runs to do. I'm debating just installing a MoCa network since every room is wired with RG-6.

My daughter was happy when I upgrade from the four port to an 8 port switch in the living room because I was able to connect the Xbox directly which really improved latency on Xbox Live.

This was happening on my rooted nexus 4. The twc tv app checks for superuser.apk on your phone. What i had to do was rename superuser.apk to something different. I went with 'su.apk'. All your rooted apps will still work and superuser will also.

I'm gonna have to try that. But they shouldn't even check at all. It's not like being rooted will let me get around the fact that when I login the server does all the heavy lifting in terms of verification.

 

 

1SaleADay has the top model Roku 2 XS for $49 today... refurbs, of course.

Dang it. I can't pass that up. I was trying to be frugal since I have a (very slow, annoying) blu-ray player that does pretty much what the roku does.

Roku claims to have over 600 channels. You basically have to install an app for each one. There isn't enough memory in any of the units to install anywhere this many. I have no idea how many you can install. The top-of-the-line XS has a micro SD slot that allows you to insert a card and expand the memory. The card slot can't be used for anything else. There is a USB port that can be used to display pictures or view movies stored on a USB stick. Grab one, you will love it.

Finally have a working CableCard!!!! WMC absolutely smokes Navigator in every conceivable way! Even the tech that swapped the bad card they gave me was amazed with it. He couldn't grasp that the Xbox was streaming content off the network and that I had this beautiful guide with all these options.

Going to do a trial run of it and I'd that goes to plan build my HTPC and convert everything over. The Ceton Echo is working nicely, but sometimes stutters. The Xbox did the same. It very well could be my PC as its loaded with crisp right now. If I build a full on HTPC it will have an SSD for running tasks and an AV drive for storage.

With any luck, I'll be Navigator free shortly!

Great Ben! I wish more TWC field techs, and all TWC personnel in fact, could see how competing guides from other companies blow Navigator away! Ben, when you get your whole equipment set-up, you should make a You Tube Video Presentation! Very cool!

Jack

PS. Is the guide and content in HD? (On the HD channels?)

Sorry you won't see encryption being dropped. In fact FCC gave permission to encrypt even broadcast basic. Expect to see that in urban areas that have high theft rates.