Tag: cable companies

Coax Cable Splitter

On By Michel McDonaldIn TVLeave a comment

Something as easy and simple as a coax cable splitter should be cheap and easy to find, right?

A couple of years ago when all of the cable companies were forcing everyone to go digital, we decided that we would make the upgrade only because we wanted more channels.

I didn’t want to upgrade because our cable bill was only $50 and I could barely afford that.  After the upgrade to digital, my bill went up to $89.  It has gone up significantly since then but that’s not the point.

Before we were forced into the digital cable age, I was able to record shows on my DVD recorder which I had just bought 2 years before that.  Some nights I had 2 shows on at once so I would watch one while recording the other.  Other nights I would just record my shows so that we could go out to eat.

Then DVR’s came along and I couldn’t afford the monthly fees just to record my shows.  Why should I be forced to pay for that when I can do it for free?  Well, like I said, I bought a DVD recorder for $225 or so 2 years prior so it wasn’t really free.

When we switched to digital cable, our new cable box put a block on my DVD recorder so I couldn’t record anything.  Heck, I couldn’t even watch tv with it.

For reference, it’s a Panasonic DMR-ES35V which has a DVD recorder and a VCR.

So it has been sitting there not being used for a couple of years now, except when I rent movies at the Red Box.

I knew I was going to miss my shows last week so I decided to hook the cable up to the DVD Recorder to see if I could record it straight from the cable instead of from the cable box and it worked!

BINGO!

So, I went looking for a cable splitter.  I went to Walgreens on Saturday but they stopped carrying them.  I went to Radio Shacks website and they charge $15 – $30 for them now.  Screw that!  I remember when they only charged $1.

I went to the Sears and Target website and it was the same story.  There was no freakin’ way I was going to drop that kind of cash on something that I should get for only $1.

I found it on NewEgg for $5.35 with tax and free shipping so I bought it.  I’m still waiting for it to arrive by USPS mail.

Last night we went to the chinese buffet place and right next door to them is a Dollar Outlet Plus.  We decided to go in and look around and you will never guess what I found for only $1.49…

If you guessed a cable splitter you would be correct!

How can Radio Shack, Sears and Target charge such outrageous prices for something that a dollar outlet plus store sells for $1.49?  I’m sure it’s cheap and you probably won’t get great cable reception but I don’t get great cable reception straight from the cable to my DVD recorder anyway so it doesn’t really matter.

I’ve decided that I am not going to send my coax cable splitter from NewEgg back since I’ve waited such a long time for it to arrive but I now know for future reference that if the retail stores charge you up the ass, check the dollar store first.

Update: My splitter came and it worked and I was so glad to be able to record again.

DTV Transition

On By Michel McDonaldIn TVLeave a comment

OK, I’ve been seeing these DTV commercials since last year when they first started them.  It’s not only commercials but a ticker at the top of the screen all freakin’ day long.  Thank goodness I don’t have to see that while watching my shows at night.

If you don’t have a TV then you don’t know what I’m talking about but basically it says that if you use an antenna to watch TV you have to buy a digital converter box and you can get a coupon from the government who is forcing this upon everyone for a free box.  The cable companies are even offering a very basic cable for $10 a month which is unusual.  I was paying $55 a month for basic cable which was 2-77 so I’m sure that $10 cable is 2-13 and all the UHF stations like PBS and the Spanish channels.

They were saying that you have until February 19th or somewhere around there to get this box or you will get static on the tv.  Well, now they’ve decided to postpone it until June 12th.  Well, that’s good for all the procrastinators out there but it’s not good for those of us who are well prepared because we gotta hear about it for another 5 months.  Can we please just stop these commercials and tickers?  Or if not stop them just limit them to 1000 times a day lol.  I mean come on, I am so sick of hearing about it.  I get it.  Put billboards up and quit interrupting my shows with your tickers.

A lot of the commercials are from Bright House cable telling me that I am taken care of because I have Bright House Cable but that I need to tell all my Antenna friends to upgrade.  Please stop these commercials lol.  I don’t want to keep hearing about it.  Oh and after June 12th they are going to continue the commercials for another year telling me to tell all the people who don’t get a signal anymore to get cable lol.