Wait DCTGoddes... are you saying that Rogers could offer a Pace or Pioneer dual tuner box, and it would work for us just fine, but they don't (because.. ??)

Since Rogers Atlantic doesn't even have a dual-tuner from Moto yet, the chances of other 'universal' makes of STBs being introduced are most likely nil.
What needs to be addressed first, before any dual-tuner of any stripe is introduced, is infrastucture, bandwidth, and possibly a dash of laziness & corporate bottom line mixed w/ politics. They need all of you. You are their customers, and without you people, they lose money. Don't let them push you around, because they should be here to serve you. Rogers isn't here to put their bottom line ahead of all else, and they need to be reminded of this fact, no matter how idealistic this may sound.
Vive Le Revolution! And let them eat 6208s! (Actually, that sounds like a tastey source of fiber, unless the air vents get stuck in your teeth. :o )

Do you want to know what type of people we are dealing with? Here's a prime example: I called 2 days ago asking why we don't have National Geographic HD and Showcase HD like the rest of the ROGERS customers? NewFoundland even maganged to get ti before us!!! :o
The answer I got after waiting online for over 15 minutes while "they" searched for my answer: The clarity of these channels have to be approved by the CRTC before they are added to the NB cable...
You read that right: These channels are not ready to be installed on our cable because their signal isn't coming high enough according to the CRTC.

I'd say most of all the FHC members of the ROGERS cable have called and or voiced their opinion about this dual tuner...but alas, we are kicking a dead horse. We are just too low in $$$ to substantiate any new hardware to be added.

The revolution will get shut down pretty quick. We won't even make it to the Quebec border that we will be asked to turn around or else we'll have to endure more black flies and mosquitoes this upcoming spring... :o

Danster, your frustration is understandable.

But, hey ... Rogers continues to upgrade services quarter by quarter.

Be fair: more HD channels continue to be launched; a full complement of On Demand channels is available; the VIP package is available which deliver very significant new value.

There remain legacy issues between Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland systems.

But again, be fair: skip back 6 months, one year, 18 months -- Rogers has bolstered the NB and NL product a great deal in that period, in each time period. Yes, there remain issues -- particularly the on screen guide and two tuner PVR -- and by all means push back for parity.

But also please acknowledge TV, Internet and Home Phone -- like Canada-wide Rogers free long distance calling or NB-wide any provider calling -- continues to improve and bring more and more value. And bundle all that stuff and get up to 15% off every month.

Yes, some thorns remain -- but the bigger picture is consistent improvement and consistent value improvement -- can Aliant or Bell match this in NB?

But all that other stuff really doesn't matter if we can't have some of the basic hardware advancments like our counter parts in Ontario. Realizing that our guide sucks and the fact that we can't have a dual tuner is one thing. But if the people of New Brunswick are the ones that give Rogers the cash flow to provide the Infrastructure that we want why are they not fixing it? So instead of trying to add more channels that add value which they probably do, and adding services like ROD and HDTV which is nice. Why not fix the system so that a system like in NF that can get the 2 HD channels that we can't get because our Infrastructure is not up to par with everyone else. I think that at this point, everyone that is on this fourm agrees that we have waited and waited for the changes and I doubt that anytime soon will the changes come. So to even get more HD channels our system needs to be upgraded regardless. And the other services Rogers has, cell phone, home phone, long distance between services and stand alone services and Internet are great! But how can Rogers keep putting off the cable upgrades? Understanding that since the very early days of Fundy Cable in NB our services and hardware have come a long way. But there is no excuss for getting us up to par. I would think that a investment is needed to secure the customers Rogers has today and the customers of the future. BEV and *C services have also come a long way and Aliant is trying the tv service again which means choices. I do think that Aliant's IPTV is really not a compared choice in services. But the others could very well be. So the sat co's don't have On Demand Services but from what I read hear in the forums it doesn't really matter to to many of us. So how much longer will Rogers keep pushing the consumer to the "other choices" before they don't have the money to upgrade?

Hey Rogers! Fix the problems at hand first before you lose customers. What is the point of adding channels that the system can't have and other cable services if the most basic of hardware on your end is not upgraded?

Like you said Sensualpoet, they upgrade quarter by quarter. We don't have enough population to even make 1/2 of Toronto. surely that is a small quarter to upgrade!!!
We are missing a poop load of channels compared to Ontario. We still don't have MMore on Demand for example, MPixHD, Showcase HD, NATGEO HD, WGNHD and so on. Dual tuner, I can live without it for now...but give me my HD movie channels.
Yet, we do get all the increases that the rest of Ontario gets...how can that be? We pay for something that is none exsitant on our side but the other 2 provinces gets the candy? Bull poop.

Right on Dan!!!

The reality on VOD services is that they are basically crap no matter what. The second you have a PVR, you will instantly hate VOD. The simple reality is that if you have a dual tuner PVR, you do not need VOD services.

As for choices, as I pointed out in another thread elsewhere in DHC land, Microsoft is working with Dish and DirecTV to produce an off the shelf available PCI card for their services. So that means that when they are ready to market, it is just a matter of time for BEV to allow the cards to be used. If this happens, I guarantee you that no matter the expense, I will drop Rogers "Personal TV" like a hot brick of crap. Where Rogers in NB drove me to have to build my own HDPVR solution that met my needs, I have all of the hardware short of the PCI cards. For me, the decision will be exceedingly simple.

Actually, I have a complaint about the VIP services. We pay the same as Ontario for the package, but we get fewer channels. I am specifically talking about Treehouse, they even mailed me a flier that said that Treehouse was included in the package, but as soon as I switch to the VIP it stops working. I call back to complain and the CSR tells me that it's only included for people in Ontario and that the flier has fine print that says 'not all channels available in all areas'.

Although we do have VOD, it seems to be poorly implemented. If I want to watch Rome, I have to wait for over 2 minutes before I can actually start watching it. I don't know why it needs 30 seconds between button presses. Here's what I have to endure: Press VOD on Remote - wait for 45 seconds - Select TMN - wait for 30 - Select HBO - wait for 30 - Select Series - Wait for 30 - Select the episode - wait for 15 - Watch it

The guide software hasn't been updated since I first got digital cable with Shaw. The software on the PVR boxes is a slight improvement, the biggest one being that the menus are in blue instead of brown. If you compare the Rogers software to other PVR software, you'll find that it lacks a lot of features. The most annoying one is the inability to do series recording, or for it to detect that the show ends 2 minutes later this week. We also only have a 3 day guide, you would think that since there's a HARD DRIVE on the box, that they could put more data there, but for some reason, they don't.

A buddy of mine has a 42" HD LCD and the DCT-6200 box. Despite the fact that his TV is widescreen, the menus and guide only work in 4:3. If it used the whole screen, it would give him another 1/2 hour of guide (and another 1/2 if they were to get rid of the ads). It also uses the brown menus.

I'll stop ranting now as I've gone a little off topic, but I think the reason most of us are frustrated is because they keep telling us that the 2 tuner box is coming in another few months. It's been close to 3 years now.

I moved this thread from the original sticky post about 6208 since we were going way off topic.

I agree with you all. The frustrations just keep getting bigger each time I get an increase in price or when a new channel is out but misses the NB province altogether. When you call them up for some clarification, I get more smoke blown up my poop chute. I don't mind getting screwed but at the end, please be polite and give me a kiss and tell me I was good at least.

As for the problems the VOD has, I still don't understand why they don't initiate the PIP of the DCT's in NB. All of them are capable of providing the PIP. The rumor was that we needed dual tuners in order to get PIP....a good example of blowing smoke in my wazoo.!!! :o

Dan, my solution last week was to further trim my services. Knocked another $12/month off. Unfortunately, they are about as trimmed as I can go now.

The only option I would have left would be to reduce my internet service from the highest to the "normal" package. I am not there yet.

Sensual:

Yes, we can agree that while things have gotten better for Rogers Atlantic customers.. It's a long way from ideal.

Especially given that (for example) the guide we have now on the PVR units, is pretty flaky and frequently doesn't record correctly. That's the primary reason for having the unit -- to record. If it doesn't allow you to record your shows, it's a pretty bad PVR.

I am STILL using my TIVO boxes hooked up to a 2500 series AND the 6208 unit. I lose the HD on recordings.. but hey.. it actually records the show... which is apparently a bonus if it happens on the Rogers unit. ;)

The 6208 will go back (see below) in July because it doesn't work right. Not because it's not a dual tuner. I can live without HD for now.

AND that's another annoying thing at least here with Rogers NB... Rogers won't rent me an HD cable box only. If I want HD, I MUST have a PVR it seems. (I've asked several times about this)

que:

I've been following that lead as well.. I'll be trimming expenses again in July when my Rogers 2 yr commitment is up.

The 6208 will land back at their office... and the channel selection I subscribe to will be reduced even further from my already lowered selection.

I warn you all... ;) I have a Starchoice system still in a box someplace and I'm NOT afraid to use it. :)

Knox

lajohn27

I have a 6200 that I got from up on Prospect at the Rogers Video store...

Just go on in and they should be able to set you up. I got mine in October just gone by...

Que:

Frustrating. I've been told on the phone (from the Moncton call center none theless) three times.. that there was no 6200s avail in NB.

I knew people had them... but I was told they were no longer avail.

Frustrating.

Come July.. I'll see if I'm keeping Rogers. IF I do.. I'll geta 6200 if I can find one.

Knox

Goto Future Shop in Saint John, NB or any FS in New Brunswick in fact and you can get one for $299. I seen them there Thurs this week. Infact they had tones of them. :D

I think I'm going to call BS on the Rogers / TV Guide / Prevue conflict as the reason we don't have 6412s. There are a few other companies that make software for the 6XXX, namely Tivo and Microsoft (ugh). I don't know why they just don't go with one of them.


Here's a report on the Tivo software:
http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2007-01/the-comcast-motorola-tivo-ces/

and Microsoft (ugh)

That is an odd attitude...

I would take an MCE box any day of the week over just about anything but perhaps TiVo. If MS made their STB software generally as well as MCE 2005, I would be very pleased.

Yes, a very tiny group of people using Cox Cable, in the northwest of the U.S. use the MS S/W, and seem to have no major issues. (To be fair, there will always be minor issues, no matter what S/W is used.) I do find it odd it's such a small market, though.

As a friendly reminder, please let's keep this thread clean. No need to put swear words up the ying yang as it doesn't help anything with ROGERS inactivity in giving us a dual tuner. Trust me, I have an arms length of the words I'd like to yell at them!!! :)

On that note, I do understand how ridiculous the explanations that come out of the CSR's when you call them. I find that very odd that there are no 6200's in the province. Is this a repeat of the sidecar 200 when we had to wait 3 months before getting the 6207's? Does this mean they don't have 6200's in hopes of getting us another machine that has the dual tuners inside?

Right now, I have 2 6208. One is in my theatre and the other in the living room. I don't know what software/hardware/firmware revision combo the theatre one has but it sure is buggy it seems. It doesn't fast forward or rewind like the "old" one that is in the living room. It doesn't seem to record as much HD programs as well. 7 1 hour HDNET programs and this thing is full. I'm thinking of buying one and installing a bigger drive....oh the pain when you're addicted to TV.... :(

I don't believe the Microsoft solution has anywhere near the functionality of MCE, I believe it would be closer to what we have on our boxes currently. My biggest gripe about Microsoft in general is their monopolistic business practices and how that provides less choice for the consumer. However, their cable software may actually be better than what we have now from Rogers. I suspect that when the cablecos do get to offering networked cable boxes, the Microsoft solution would be the most limited.

As for them being out of 6200s, maybe they are expecting to get a lot of 6208s once the 2 years are up? I know a few people who have them, but don't even use the PVR functionality at all. I doubt they'd pay $24/month for a feature they don't use.

I had to have a new cable line installed today in my apartment. Been having a few problems and the tech thinks that I may have had a break in the line so to be sure they ran a new line. Any way I was asking some questions about our NB cable system. He tells me that all major areas of NB (SJ, F'ton, Moncton etc.) are indeed as of right now 860 Mhz! So then I ask about the corner box and the addition of HD channels. His response is this:

"As far as the 6412 it is now outdated and has been replaced with moto's newest box. SJ did have a warehouse full of the corner boxes ready to go (but...wait hold on for this one...) Rogers has decided at this time to focus it's money and resorces on Home Phone. And in the comming months Rogers is releasing Video Home Phone. As for a D/T box it could be later this year or sometime next year."

It sounds like a bunch of BS to me. Then I asked about why our channel line up is not the same as our counter parts in Ontario including HD selection. His answer was:

"At this time Roger Atlantic is getting its channels from Ontario VIA Satellite and not hard-wired from ontario and therefore until that has been fixed we are probably at max cap. for the time being"

Sounds like another load of BS. So what are your thoughts on this info?

I think that he is blowing smoke up my/our waz-zoo's. I also asked him how long has he been in NB doing tech work and he said apx 6 years. Sounds like a rookie eh? I asked someone about the Satellite and he said it sounded like bull cookies. All I know is that the folks in the maritimes are getting the big shaft and we should be paying lower prices not the same prices like in the land of rogers until we can have the same setup as them.

"Home phone"?! Oy vay, are their priorities outta wack. My sympathies from way down here in Comcastic-ville.