With only 2 weeks of the season underway, Comcast has managed to screw me out of 3 games already. Supposedly it wasn't their fault, but the feed source's problem. I don't care who is to blame, because no matter whose fault it was, I missed the Burn game Saturday . If anyone taped it and would be willing to make me a copy, I'd really appreciate it.
One of the Burn fans is sure to be able to help out. Not me because I was also being victimized by comcast Grumble, hiss, rant. One Burn fan down in Austin who might be able to help has a great website for soccer game videos! http://www.davebrett.com/
Chaz, and anyone else who has Comcast cable: Get a satellite dish now! I wasted all last season with Comcast in Arlington. I paid for the package. EVERY weekend I'd tune in - and no game. After spending 40 minutes on hold I'd finally reach a rep. They were nice, they'd credit me a little money, but the best they could do for me as a customer is suggest that I tune in the NEXT weekend and IF the game didn't appear to call them. Another week, another missing game, another 40 min wait on hold, another credit on my bill. Eventually the reimbursed me the whole Shootout package but they could never deliver a game. I moved this off season and my first priority was to get DirecTV. With the TiVo it's the bomb. Dump Comcast Now!!!!!!!!!!
3 weeks into the seaon, my Time Warner Austin Indemand package has not worked for one game yet. I had folks over for the Chicago game and we got nothing. It doesn't even show up on the guide. We ended up going over to another person's house with the DISH who was recording it. Its all so predictable.
I can't tell you how nice it is to have others miserable with me. I've got TimeWarner in Houston and missed the match Sat. night...although I did spend 1.5 hours on the phone with one rep telling me "hang up and in a few minutes it will work" (RIIIIIIGHT) and another insisting for 15 minutes that I was on the wrong channel. At least the match did show up on the guide for me but on the actual channel I got the simple message: Subscription NBA/MLS package, Push OK for Ordering Info TimeWarner verified that I was signed up, that it was being shown on the channel I was on - and had NO IDEA why I couldn't see it. I posted this in the "Hope for Houston" thread (in Expansion and Stadiums) and turned out others had the same problem, including Comcast customers in Chicago - so I'm thinking this is a widespread problem. Unfortunately, it was obvious to me that the TimeWarner people had no clue, and I am pessimestic about it being corrected by Saturday. Frusterating.
That is the exact scenario I had. I called TW at 6:30 - when the Revs game started, one hour before the Burn game thinking that would be enough time. Wrong. I was on the phone til 8:15. I had 4 people over to watch teh game at my house. Man. They knew I paid for it, didn't know why I couldn't see the game even though it wasn't on the guide but the message bar for the game was viewable on a black screened channel reserved for NBA games. This thread reminded me to call the supervisor of Indemand Sports packages at TW - which I just did. I suggest calling today too. It will give them a few days to figure it out. I am waiting on a call back. They keep suggesting sending a technician out to the house - which won't help but I may do it because at least it will cost them money. I swear - I am going to start setting cars on fire if they don't get it fixed by this weekend. Just kidding about the cars - all you car owners.
Dump cable now!!!!! I went through all of this last season. Those of you who know me realize that I am not a patient/reasonable person. Had I not moved this offseason I still would have dumped cable for the Dish. Cable will fail you. And if ANY cable employee dares to contradict me I will crack him/her in the teeth, and burn his car! PS - I do not work for any satellite company, I'm just an experienced consumer.
I second Sweeper. I went through this 2 years ago when Comcast was ATT. I dumped them and got DirectTV and haven't missed a game due to technical problems since. What is really discouraging is their customer service, sitting on hold for the first half (45 min) and then them not being able to fix it. The last straw was during the playoffs when the channel was blacked out on Saturday for a Texas A&M football (pointy) game right before the soccer game. I called. 24 hours later on Sunday the channel was still blacked out for the next play-off game. I'd upgraded to digital just to get the MLS package. There were technical problems on almost 30% of the games.
Thank you all for sharing your stories - I spoke to my Comcast rep (s) for the entire San Jose game - they also insisted it would be on in just a minute that there was a code problem. Hah! no games at all on Saturday. I called in again yesterday and spoke to a soccer fan who happened to be a rep. I asked that he create a technical issue ticket and escalate it (he did) - I also pointed out that I had now missed 10% of the season due to their technical problems and wanted a refund for 10% of the price (I got it). They say it's fixed - I trust them, NOT. So I also sent an email to the MLS office in NY - to the media guys - pointing them to this thread and a couple of others. Hopefully they have some contacts with the cable companies that can actually get things done!
This is exactly what happened to me here in Round Rock. They sent a technician out Tuesday to "fix" the problem....but I know it's not fixed. He says, "Well, it looks like it's okay and everything on the box is right. But you won't know until the games actually come on. If it doesn't work, give us a call." Yeah, right. So you can "reboot" my box....and I still won't get it. At least I know I'm not the only one. Misery loves company, I guess.
That sounds similar to my experience over the phone - the same lady who kept telling me I was on the wrong channel finally said - check the cords on the cable box and make sure their connected. "But I am getting the rest of my digital cable fine - just the MLS channels", I reply. "Okay, could you check it anyway?" And I apprecite the advice to dump cable - but I live in a condo complex and the unit as a whole gets TimeWarner cable. I could get a satelite service on my own - but I'd be paying for double, and my financial mind can't rationalize that (much less trying to convince my wife!!!). Hopefully we'll be getting a house soon and I can move over to the promised land of satelite. BTW - last year I had nary a problem with Shootout!, and TimeWarner has always been extremely accomidating until this problem.
ya know,some folks just won't see the light..you cable sufferers..i'm reminded of a quote"how many times ya gotta get beat on the head before you realize who's doing it"..churchill i believe..7 year Dish network, 2 problems*(my fault)..dolby digital 5.1,pvr(sorry i missed chi game)..not trying to be an ass here..but what exactly are your'e reasons for not dumping the "pig"?cable?
Add me to the list of Comcast Direct Kick Subscribers who has yet to actually see a game. I have Comcast Digital Dallas. The time spent with Reps on the phone and the almost comical lack of help has convinced me that this will be my first and only year to try to order this package. I can't even get a rep to tell me what channels this is supposed to be on. At various times I have been told (421-425), (435-438), (447-450). I am thinking it is supposed to be 447-450 as I can see the games listed for my cable system here: http://tvlistings4.zap2it.com But I have yet to see them in my onscreen listing and worse yet I now cannot even get to channels 447-450. I used to get the message that "Subscriber Service click OK to order" but now when I try to change to these channels it just kicks me back to the previous channel I was on. The problem seems to be getting worse rather than better for me.
Here, here! I'm going on third year of shootout/direct kick and zero problems! Heck, get dish's top 150 and you get both Fox Sports World and GolTV! You'll have more soccer than you can watch. Stop getting hit over the head and make the switch! (I liked the quote frankc!)
I got the following response from MLS today: Dear Charlie - Thank you for your letter and strong support of MLS and the Burn. We truly appreciate it. Sorry for the delay in responding; I wanted to look into the situation in more detail first. In order for MLS to maintain its presence on In Demand we had to switch to a new transponder. The previous transponder is no longer available to In Demand. As a result, some local affiliates around the country cannot or may choose not to access MLS Direct Kick on the new transponder. The new transponder, however, reaches many more homes nationwide in the aggregate than the old one. The best way to try to activate MLS Direct Kick in your local areas is to submit e-mails to sports@indemand.com explaining your interest (or complaint) and providing your name, address and phone number. Such feedback may encourage local affiliates to pick up Direct Kick on the new transponder. If not, you're right; DirecTV and Dish Network are alternatives. Please share this information with your BigSoccer friends and others that you know are inquiring. Thank you for your understanding and for caring. Regards, Brad Pursel
[]i have direct tv sat , i did not have that game either...[/QUOTE] as overhere doesn't tell me..unless you are over there as in europe...the dal-chi game shows to have been on ch796 on direct tv..can't confirm as we are dish network
For you cable subscribers getting screwed, remember that mlsnet.com is providing FREE broadband broadcasts of most games this year. Broadband picture quality isn't quite up to what you'd see on ESPN2, but I'd say it's comparable to Fox World broadcasts.
AND GUESS WHO PROVIDES THAT FEED??? YES YA'LL'S BUDDIES AT COMCAST...WHACK....ANOTHER BLOW TO YOUR HEAD...FRANK
Another vote here saying "go to satellite, quickly". I had Comcast digital cable last year and ran into this several times. I'd sit down on Saturday evening to watch a game on the Tivo, only to find that I'd recorded 2+ hours of a black screen. When I called, customer service sucked out loud. Toward the end of the season, it happened on the same day that a notice came in the mail that Comcast rates were going up. At that point, the decision was made... go with satellite before the new season start. We chose DirecTV a few months ago and it's been great. Customer service has been awesome when we've called with little questions, the installation was totally painless, and the quality is great.
Everybody that said "DUMP COMCAST" are 100% correct. I switched to DirectTV and the picture and sound have never been better and I don't miss any of the games any more. Comcast are a money sucking machine that don't give a crap about their costomers.F*** Comcast