Author |
Message |
Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Sunday, June 07, 2009 - 5:00 pm
I am so MAD!!!! I just found out that along with the analog change to digital you are basically screwed if you want to program any recording on your already owned VCR/DVD player! Apparently you have to leave the tv on the channel you want recorded, so you an only record one channel when you are not at home, and you can't watch a different show while you record. This is the most stupid change I have ever heard of, I will be forced to trash my VCR/DVDs and get a DVR, but then I guess I have to have both in case I want to watch a tape or DVD. Absolutely ridiculous and a total waste of resources. I am so MAD, I guess this should be in the gripe thread, I just wish I knew who to complain to, according to my cable guy, they don't care if you can't use your VCR and program recording so no one is trying to find a solution. He did say that the analog people are totally screwed, even with the boxes and stuff available. I knew we didn't really need this change and it was all about money!!
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Dogdoc
Member
09-29-2001
| Sunday, June 07, 2009 - 5:46 pm
I agree Dipo. I am in the same boat, except that my VCR part of the VCR/DVD broke. I may have to get the Comcast box that tapes shows.
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Kitt
Member
09-06-2000
| Sunday, June 07, 2009 - 5:56 pm
I think Comcast are the ones screwing you in this case. Cable should come to your house in digital. If they're using local channels (that are converting to digital) to add to your line up they should have added them in at their end, so they still would get to you over the cable in the usual way. I don't think most other cable users are having the same problem, I know satellite aren't. Try complaining to Comcast and see if you get anywhere, or whether they really are that broken in your area. One way to at least get you back to having two channels viewable at the same time would be to buy one of those digital coverters at somewhere like Target (about $40) plus a cheapish bunny ears inside antenna (about $15, but check it says it works with digital). You can plug that into an alternate input on your tv and watch locally broadcast tv on that if you were taping the other side. It's a solution but not inexpensive unfortunately. (And it might not work for all local channels, that'll depend on where you are, as will the signal strength.)
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Sunday, June 07, 2009 - 6:49 pm
I can easily use my VCRs if I am willing to give up some of my favorite channels. The digital thing is what is causing the problem, I don't have a cable box, I don't want a cable box, I should be able to get everything I want from the cable coming into my house. I have digital converters, that is what causes the problem, the VCR apparently can't change the channels and will only recognize what is on the TV.
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Kitt
Member
09-06-2000
| Sunday, June 07, 2009 - 8:02 pm
No, I meant take off your newly installed digital converter on your cable line and instead only use the cable channels from there (lifetime, and all those) and separately use a rabbit ears and digital converter for the broadcast tv. You should then be able to get one channel at a time from the digital broadcast tv (assuming of course your tv or the vcr has an additional in socket for the digital tv) and you should be able to use the comcast cable you have been using in the same way you have been doing - except the broadcast channels on their will no longer be watchable via that method. I don't know how well it would work though, because how good the rabbit ears+digital converter will be will depend on the area you're in. I'm so surprised comcast didn't think of this - or maybe they did and didn't care. I guess you're not alone though, as Dogdoc has the same problem. Maybe time to switch to a different provider?
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Denecee
Member
09-05-2002
| Monday, June 08, 2009 - 9:31 am
Thanks Kitt and that is a great way with the colored tickets!
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Monday, June 08, 2009 - 9:47 am
9:45 am and I've already had two people call to gripe at me about 1.) something that had absolutely nothing to do with me and 2.) a misunderstanding on the other persons part that had absolutely nothing to do with me! To top it off, I'm drinking this starbucks frappuccuno in a bottle, thought the lid was on it and shook it up without looking at it and ended up soaked. All I really want to do is go back to bed and sleep for a few more hours!
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Dfennessey
Member
07-25-2004
| Monday, June 08, 2009 - 10:16 am
I am thinking War you should go back to bed for a couple of hours and start your day all over
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Babyruth
Member
07-19-2001
| Monday, June 08, 2009 - 10:34 am
War, you can escape it all and come help me clean my house. That'll make you feel better 
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Monday, June 08, 2009 - 10:48 am
LOL BR, thank you for thinking of me! I really should Dfennessey. Or stop answering the phone. The morning did start out pretty badly. We let Kota go with sis and bil last night and they didn't get back til 10pm. We knew they'd be back that late, I knew it'd be a rough morning with Kota, but still wasn't prepared for it. Started out with Caleb....mom it's 7:30 and she's still not up! I went in and told her to get up and hop in the shower....and a little demon child popped her head out from under the covers. She reappeared to yell about not having panties after her shower and then got grumpier cuz they were in her drawer rather than laid out for her. Then Caleb was grumping cuz we're going to be late at 8am (school doesn't start til 8:40 and no way will we be late) and Kota was grumping cuz she had to grab breakfast and eat in the car cuz she overslept. After that I was kinda looking forward to a few hours of peace and quiet to myself and instead getting grumpy phone calls and throw my frappucini all over myself, oy.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, June 08, 2009 - 11:13 am
I hope the day is improving, War..
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Monday, June 08, 2009 - 12:20 pm
No, in fact I'm back to gripe again! Just got my mail and a bill for Caleb's dermatologist. We rarely get medical bills, insurance pays for it and most of the time I pay the co-pay right there and then...there has been the occassional er visit where we asked them to bill us or the few urgent care appts where I just run out the door with sick kid in tow and leave everything at home (wallet, money, checkbook, etc.) Haven't even done that in a couple years. I opened the bill with curiousity more than anything. I know I don't owe them any money, I have the same conversation with the receptionist every month about having to forge Darren's signature since our FSA card is in his name only. We always chat about how silly it is they didn't give us the option of whose name to put on the card, or both, since almost always one parent is usually the one who takes care of all medical stuff. Bills for $65, which makes even less sense. Our co-pay is $30 for that dr. Reading it more closely, I see that they have my payment of $30, but the insurance co didn't pay their share of $65 and I'm being charged. Huh? I called the derms office (easier to get ahold of than the insurance co) and she's looking into it. Said it's either a billing mistake or the insurance co for some reason has decided to deny payment. But, all their billers are out to lunch so she'll call back later. I'm hoping for mistake but, I'm a little concerned. Last month the derm's office put in for the referral for Caleb's appt and after 3 weeks still hadn't recieved approval. I had to call the insurance co, she told me it'd been sent over the day before but she'd send another one over. I didn't even think about it til we went to the derm office last week, but I never did recieve the normal copy of the referral. Now I'm starting to worry about that. When he first started seeing the dermatologist, we had to have them fill out some forms and send to the insurance co to get the insurance co to pay for the acne treatments, dr had to state that it was for medical reasons and not cosmetic. Hoping they aren't deciding not to cover it now...if so, that's $65 for the last two months, another $65 for next and possible one more month after that, not to mention the cost of the medicine! Now I have to sit here and wait by the phone with fingers crossed it's just a mistake and not something else!
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Dfennessey
Member
07-25-2004
| Monday, June 08, 2009 - 12:43 pm
War i really think you need to go back to bed and start the day all over again.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Monday, June 08, 2009 - 12:56 pm
LOL me too, except then I'd miss the phone call from the derms office. If I'm going to have to call and fight with the insurance co I'd rather do it today when I have the time to do it.
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Dfennessey
Member
07-25-2004
| Monday, June 08, 2009 - 1:01 pm
I hope you can stay put tonight and try and relax.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Monday, June 08, 2009 - 5:25 pm
I hope everything worked out War - if not, I hope your rough day enabled you to give 'em heck!
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, June 09, 2009 - 12:11 am
No phone call back from them today. I was really hoping to get it straightened up by this afternoon.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 2:06 pm
Forgot to post last night! I finally got a call back from the dermatologists office yesterday afternoon. Once the billing people called her back to see why she'd called them, the lady looked at Caleb's records and said, definitely a mistake. Instead of charging the $65 to insurance, someone had charged it to us. So that is all cleared up and best of all they already had Caleb's referral back for his next appt so that's all set up for next month.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 2:17 pm
YAY!!  Always a big plus when there's a positive outcome AND an insurance company involved.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 2:41 pm
It is! When we started the accutane treatment and the insurance co didn't want to pay for the meds, we decided then and there if we had to pay for it ourselves, we'd just have to suck it up and do it. Were thrilled when their review board said they would pay for it. When I got the bill the other day, I was very worried they were changing their minds or something. We're 1, maybe 2 months away from being done with the accutane but that could add up pretty quickly between dr appts, blood tests, and medicine. So very glad it was just a mistake!
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Ginger1218
Member
08-31-2001
| Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - 6:31 am
Okay, I am beyond furious. I live in an apartment building. It is considered a "luxury building" The elevator has been out for 2 weeks. I have been crazy about this. It was supposed to be fixed today, and now they say that it may not be fixed till next week. Maybe. I am violent. I live on the 4th floor, and have terrible knee problems which initially started when I fell down the friggin steps when the building was on fire 5 years ago. <LC> I hate him with every ounce of my being. We cannot shop, do laundry, there are handicapped people who cannot even come home. I wrote <LC> a scathing letter yesterday. I am sure he probably threw it away. NOTE--No name calling; even if you are red hot angry. LC
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - 6:34 am
it's there a consumer rights reporter at any of your tv stations? i would contact that person.
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - 6:36 am
Ginger, depending on whether this is a private enterprise or not, you can contact your local Health Department about the Americans with Disabilities laws. You also might want to contact the fire department. For cripes sake, if there are wheelchair bound people who can not get in or out of the building without the elevator, he's a lawsuit waiting to happen. Maybe he would like to hear that one...
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Ginger1218
Member
08-31-2001
| Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - 6:40 am
He already heard that one Huk. He is a PIG Texannie, I am going to try to see if that might work, I don't know if any stations would be interested.
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - 6:44 am
So he already heard that one...he obviously hasn't been charged with any violations then, so he's just a blowhard. You might have to get some other tenants together with you and actually make some calls about it. He hasn't been really challenged, or he wouldn't be allowed to get away with that.
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