Cable/Internet Providers

[DroFiveOh]

So I'm in the process of buying a house and trying to plan on what service to get when I move in. Just looking for your thoughts / pros&cons on some of the internet/cable tv providers you guys use.

At my parents house they just use Comcast TV and internet. We've had nothing but issues with the internet service and techs haven't been helpful. I like the cable tv from Comcast but that's probably because when I go to someone's house who has Verizon I feel clueless when I have the remote.

Prior to this thread my plans were to go with DirecTV and Verizon fios for the internet. I have heard some stuff about DirecTV with hidden charges and terrible customer service, but I've also heard the exact opposite about them. Depending on the info in here I could be easily swayed.

[DroFiveOh]

HALP

[RyanNicholson]

Wirelessly posted

If Fios was offered in my area they'd have my business. Fuck Comcast.

[aldend123]

Grew up with Comcast, had a taste of Fios, now stuck with Comcast because FIOS isn't in the area.

Highly recommend FIOS, half because I hate Comcast so much, and half because it's a better service. Besides Comcast's BS commercials jammed with what I still believe to be lies/false advertising, their phone support is terrible, and their business scheme is sleezy at best. Growing up with Comcast, outages were common enough that I thought it was beyond acceptable, but that seems to have gotten better. My time with FIOS was mint service, crazy fast performance, a pricing scheme that made sense without too much hidden cost, channel selection was great, phone support and online support was great and intelligent. Keep in mind that download speed is not the only factor in internet performance. Upload speed is important as well (and fiber is much faster than cable's copper. Ping is also important as well. FIOS is better in both departments.

I'm on FIOS's email notification list as soon as it becomes available. I'll sign up the very day I get that email. Sadly, I'm not holding my breath and think I'll be moving out of here before that happens.

[R7]

I've had verizon for the past 6 years, the service is OK, but I wouldn't call it great.
I've had several issues with the equipment failing, and it seems it's always 3-4 days before someone can get out to solve the issues.
I'm also on the phone with billing questions what seems like every 2-3 months, somehow they generate charges and when I call about them, they come up with some bogus reason for them. Not sure how that happens when I've had the same bundle with a fixed price! Sucks seeing your bill so long with added carry over charges, but i'm used to it after seeing it like that for the past 2 years.
I guess I have it, because it's my only option where I live

[KB]

Ryan check out www.BayRing.com What sort of bandwidth you looking for? We can get you 25x5 over copper with one of our solutions that has multiple redundant copper loops so if one goes down you're not down totally.
I'm not talking about throttled back bullshit either at peak times that is real deal speeds all the time.
We don't offer TV.

KB

[yzedf]

Verizon FiOS and I use their cable card in my TiVo.

[rice_rocket]

I had comcast for a while, then fios was available.. I was in heaven... then I moved, and comcast was the only one available yet again... and now a year and a half later, they dug in the fios lines, and I've had it back since Sat..

Comcast had some issues billing, they had no effort in trying to make me happy and keep my service until I actually ported my phone number. No, not when I said I wanted to cancel, when I actually started the ball rolling. Price.. I'm saving almost $30 before taxes for the same thing.. MINUS HBO, because at the time all comcast could say was that its free now so you can have it.. whoop de doo..

Internet speeds, now I'm trying to figure this out exactly.. I got a promo to get 75mbs/35mbs. yeah you got that right it is that fast. The problem is, the wireless router doesn't go faster than 22mbs both ways. I plugged in my own 300mbs N router and same thing. As soon as I get an ethernet cable to anything.. it's actually blasting at 82mbs! Either way, comcast was only able to get me 10mbs even after all the "boosts" etc they were going to give me.

The Fios DVR either a) has more space or b) compresses it better.. because I can get a buttload more hours on the DVR than the comcast one. I thought I was dreaming when I had to get comcast when I moved, so I just lived with it.

Verizon and comcast.. nobody is an angel with their business , but service and price.. well I get more/faster service, the same if not more channels, and a lot lower in price.

[KB]

WWW.BayRing.com

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- - - Updated - - -

WWW.BayRing.com

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[markbvt]

I've heard generally nothing but complaints from people with Comcast in more urban areas, but they've been the only available choice for me for many years up here in Vermont (previously Adelphia, who were bought out by Comcast seven years ago). And I have to admit, I've had no complaints. Comcast actually improved things after they took over Adelphia, and their service (both TV and Internet) has been reliable, even out where I live now. And when I moved into my house, the tech they sent to hook up my TV/Internet was awesome -- super helpful, super professional, and he did an excellent job.

So my point is, your experience may vary depending on location.

But if you have access to Verizon FIOS, I've heard basically nothing but good things about it...

--mark

[MikeyZ]

I have Verizon FiOs. I like it, however the one thing that urks me is the delay on the box. When searching through the guide and menus of the box, it has a serious lag and can be pretty annoying.

[SRTie4k]

My parents have Comcast (formerly Adelphia), and I always loved it. Getting a 35Mbps connection in a rural area was fantastic. Never had any problems with them.

Time Warner on the other hand (what I have right now) absolutely sucks. Internet speeds are a complete joke for what you pay, the digital cable is CONSTANTLY glitching and stuttering. It's really annoying, but its the only land-based service they offer here.

And I've always heard that DirecTV is terrible and a bitch to get working right 100% of the time.

Never had FIOS though.

[mzdagrl]

We had Comcast at our old place, and the choice between Comcast and Dish at the new house. We went with dish with the hopper. Loving all the little things about it so far - it automatically hops over commercials on DVR'ed shows (not fast forward, and it hasn't messed up yet), the Dish anywhere app so we can watch live TV on our tablets, and the Sling, which lets me watch DVR'ed stuff on my iPad. It's perfect for us, since we travel so often during our downtime. Plus, with the Joey boxes,w e can watch DVR'ed stuff anywhere int he house, so we can record a show for our daughter on the downstairs TV and let her relax in her playroom with it on a lazy afternoon (sow e don't have to remember to record on her TV or lose ours if it's raining or ungodly hot). don't know how they are long-term yet, but loving it so far, and our interwebz are plenty fast through TDS.

[tsanterre]

Ive been stuck with Comcast for years because they are the only cable internet provider in my area. I HATE them with a passion. I have a million stories i could share, but they suck for so many different reasons.

Ive had directTV for about a year now, and I'm not that impressed with them either. The actual tv service had been okay (no interruptions), but you need a secret decoder to decipher the bill, and if you ever do need help (add a tv to a room, billing questions, etc) you may or may not get answers depending on who you talk to, and you may or may not get what you actually are asking for. I've had to call them up about every three months for one issue or another, and generally after taking to a few people and putting up a fuss...the problem gets resolved along with a credit to the bill.

Add others have mentioned...id 100% go with FIOS for TV and internet if it was available in my area.

[aldend123]

I have Verizon FiOs. I like it, however the one thing that urks me is the delay on the box. When searching through the guide and menus of the box, it has a serious lag and can be pretty annoying.

I do remember that now that you mention it, however I'm pretty sure my original cable box with Comcast had the same problem. I upgraded (at a monthly cost on top of the HD package) to renting the HD-capable box. It was much smaller, newer hardware, and much faster. I've been to people's houses and seen the older larger HD box, so I think they aren't "rolling it out", but just upgrading as people request. You might have luck by calling Verizon and asking if they have a more modern box.

Soapbox : Yes, if you pay extra for the HD package, you still have to pay more to rent an HD box. They are separate costs.

and now a year and a half later, they dug in the fios lines, and I've had it back since Sat..

So they are still digging lines? So there is still hope for me??? Praise jeebus.

Oh and the whole speed wars thing... average joe probably won't know the difference between two fast connections, and will not have the kind of usage that would stress them.

[KB]

WWW.BAYRING.COM

just saying

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[tsanterre]

Spent another 2hrs in the phone with Comcast tonight after spending 1.5hrs in with them yesterday...just to activate a new cable modem.

I HATE COMCAST!!!

Bayring says it's just commercial...no residential?

[DroFiveOh]

Bayring says it's just commercial...no residential?

^ This

[ZX-12R]

I currently have Comcast (no choice) and had Comcast at my previous residence (also no choice) and can count on 1 finger the number of issues I've had over the past 9 years with them. I have their TV and Internet service and use Vonage for my house phone. I don't know why some people always seem to have problems no matter what they use.

[KB]

Call them. Tell them you have had it with Comcast and you want something reliable and good customer support. They will try to accomodate you. They don't advertise that they do residential.

^ This

[rice_rocket]

I called Comcast, and as I said.. they did not try to correct the problem TWICE.. only when I had already ported the phone number out.

Comcast box has just as much of a delay as the Fios box.

[jasnmar]

I've had comcast for ~11 years and have been overall extremely happy with them.

In total I've contacted them on 2 issues.

1. I was trying to do "something" to my wife's Comcast account. Change some sort of setting on the account (I'm our comcast admin). I'm not a complete idiot, but the thing I needed to change I couldn't fine. Searched through all of the documentation and found where it was... Went to my version of that same screen and it wasn't there. Just wasn't there. Call them... Person on the phone, who is nice enough, is bound and determined to teach me how to fish rather than giving me a fish, when I really, really, want a fish. I explain I've read, I've found, not there. They have me log out, close browser, log in, navigate to the page and tell me where it should be. Nope. Not there. They don't believe me. I end up giving them my password so that they can try it as me (I'd already tried from multiple devices and browsers). After about an hour on the phone, they finally just change the damn setting for me.

2. A few years ago I moved. I moved to a new construction home. I had, before hand, scheduled the move with comcast using their "move scheduler thingy". I'll have TV / Phone / Internet on the day of the move... Yea, right. Turns out Comcast didn't yet have authorization from PSNH to use the poles to string cable lines (which of course really isn't any more than a formality). No install that day. No install about 3 weeks later. We're on the phone at least 3 times a week trying to get someone to tell us when this might happen. In the mean time, because I was moving, I was told by comcast to simply take all of my equipment to the new house (as it would be reused), I get a bill for ~$1500 for all of the comcast equipment that I have not returned. Did I mention that I have 2 teens in the house, with no TV or internet (fortunately we were still on VZW Unlimited at the time) No phone call this time. I drive to the Comcast office in Concord. I explain the situation to the lady, hand her the bill. She actually rips it up for me while shaking her head. She then calls the "field guy" who will be stringing the cable to my house (which is different from the install guy that will wire the house) to investigate status. She finds out that the authorization is in place and that I'm on his schedule in something like ~10 days. She says nope, I'm scheduled for tomorrow. She tells the guy that she's giving me his cell number, and that I'm to call him if when I come home from work tomorrow if there isn't a cable run to my house, because the wire the house guy is set to show up the following day. Wire the house guy was great. Set everything up where I wanted it.

Service has been extremely reliable. I can't think of more than a handful of times in 11 years when I've not had TV and / or internet and had power. I do boot the modem and router every once in a while. Digital boxes will misbehave every once in a while. Nothing rebooting ever hasn't fixed.

[jwm2k3]

I didnt read all the responses but just wanted to toss in my opinion real quick...

Whatever you do, dont get satalite tv...

[DroFiveOh]

I didnt read all the responses but just wanted to toss in my opinion real quick...

Whatever you do, dont get satalite tv...

Why's that?

[rice_rocket]

Wirelessly posted

I'm my case I asked my neighbors, and all said there was bad reception in my area.. another thing to check if you want to go to a dish..