Metrocast change

[longislander]

Yes our section of West Alton is served by FairPoint (formally Verizon) and not by TDS. The only way that we would have an alternative to Metrocast is if FairPoint suddenly offered quality high speed service here. Not likely anytime soon.

Fairpoint broadband is DSL, not "Cable". Verizon offers/offered limited FIOS ("cable") in limited areas.

Your town would still have to"franchise" competition (see RSA 53-C). Competition is not going to string new lines (fiber) throughput the town ... cost prohibitive. Reason for limited competition.

Wireless broadband, fixed and mobile, could/would provide another way for high speed broadband. See "streaming"; e.g. recent AT&T and potential buyout of Time Warner (needs gov.'t approvals).

Cable and broadband are not "regulated" the same way.


http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/...3-C/53-C-2.htm

[BroadHopper]

Originally Posted by longislander

Fairpoint broadband is DSL, not "Cable". Verizon offers/offered limited FIOS ("cable") in limited areas.

Fairpoint does offer FIOS to commercial customers. O'Shea's Industrial Park and commercial customers downtown Laconia has Fairpoint 'cable'.

Fairpoint don't offer FIOS to residential customers. With the exception of customers along the seacoast that originally had FIOS from Verizon. They continue to have a subscription.

Original intent of Verizon is to offer FIOS to all customers. That was the original deal when Fairpoint took over. It was settled out of court that it will not be the case. =(

[Fargo]

My neighbor just stopped by. He informed me that the new remote controls the channels but my old remote is needed to adjust the picture brightness etc. good thing he stopped by because I was getting ready to trash my old remote. FYI save your old remote. I didn't see that info anywhere in the instructions. Geez

[longislander]

FIOS was too expensive to install for residential, other than densely populated areas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verizon_Fios

3. FIOS was an experiment to begin with, and Verizon found out it was even more expensive to implement than they had planned. That's why there is no more planned build-out of FIOS services; it is only available in areas where it is already installed.

https://forums.verizon.com/t5/Fios-I.../687221/page/2

Even when I worked (now retired) for Verizon/Fairpoint (17 years), cost was controversial. My nephew was one of the crack FIOS installers, before going into phone company "management".

It was/is a good product, however.

[Taz]

Has anyone noticed poor picture after connecting one of these adapters? Much better picture before adapter, color looks washed out, any writing like sports scores look fuzzy, called Metrocast and suggested using another HDMI port or maybe HDMI cable is poor, HDMI cable comes with adapter.

[longislander]

Just noticed: RE: Remote Control Extenders

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

I had to buy a device to send a signal back over the cable to be able to change the channel.
What did you get to do this?

Thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ij_Fa7jtOY

I'd used one of the following, quite a while back.

http://www.terk.com/docs/common/LFIRX/LFIRX_OM.pdf

https://www.amazon.com/Terk-Leapfrog.../dp/B000069EV0

[Woodsy]

Taz....

1. Make sure you connect with an HDMI cable.... I used HDMI 1 port on my tv.

2. Check your TV settings for the HDMI port...

3. Make sure you go to the correct HD channels.... Ch 9 is low def... but Ch709 is the HD version.

The only thing that really sucks (other than the upcoming rental fee for a silly $25 box) is the channel guide is not digital... you still have to go to CH 8 to see what is scheduled!


Woodsy

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Taz

Has anyone noticed poor picture after connecting one of these adapters? Much better picture before adapter, color looks washed out, any writing like sports scores look fuzzy, called Metrocast and suggested using another HDMI port or maybe HDMI cable is poor, HDMI cable comes with adapter.

When you use the HDMI cable it probably changed the pictue quality settings. You will have to use your TV remote to set them back to what you had before using the set-top box.
Make sure that the energy saving setting is off because your TV will go dim when it is on.

Also after you attach the set-top box don't use your TV remote to change channels because your TV needs to stay on channel 3 for the box to work.

FUN, FUN, FUN!

[eyenotall777]

Can anyone tell me that got or changed over to TDS if Internet ONLY was an option for you?

Thank you

[RUGMAN]

yes it's hard to believe that in todays day and age you still have to go to channel 8 and look at the upcoming shows, I end up almost asleep waiting to see whats on.
Back home with comcast you can see anytime whats going to be on. When will metro cast get with the technology.

[Merrymeeting]

Originally Posted by RUGMAN

yes it's hard to believe that in todays day and age you still have to go to channel 8 and look at the upcoming shows, I end up almost asleep waiting to see whats on.
Back home with comcast you can see anytime whats going to be on. When will metro cast get with the technology.

When you pay them the extra bucks for a full-fledged set-top-box that gives you the interactive user guide.

That's the whole scam the cable companies are running in the charges for set-top-boxes, a monopoly that will hopefully end soon with industry standardization and competition.

[wifi]

Originally Posted by RUGMAN

yes it's hard to believe that in todays day and age you still have to go to channel 8 and look at the upcoming shows, I end up almost asleep waiting to see whats on.

Try this:

http://www.aol.com/video/guide/tv/

[BroadHopper]

Call Metrocast a number of times to register the DTA for technologically challenged folks yesterday. The message says the system is down. Good thing they did not start scrambling the channels.

Replace my HD DTA with another one. The signal is the same as before 1040 SD rather then 1040i. Dolby Stereo rather than 5.1. Even with a Best Buy 'gold' HDMI cable, TV reset and on the HDMI(DVI) 1 socket.

I've been using the Roku stick for most of my video last month. Notice my streaming keep losing connections. Netflix and others blamed it on Metrocast slowing the streaming down when you reach a 250 GB monthly limit. Netflix pointed me to a metrocast site that shows usage. http://portal.metrocast.net/usagemeter/

Call Metrocast and they deny slowing down the internet speed. The website is just FYI and the 250GB is just a reference.

Hopefully there will be competition soon. Fairpoint will be a formidable player if they adopt the g.fast technology. http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/16/tech...eds/index.html

[BroadHopper]

Originally Posted by wifi

Try this:

http://www.aol.com/video/guide/tv/

I use to use the Peel remote app on my smartphone to get my TV listing and to control the TV. https://www.peel.com/

Unfortunately I can't get it to work with the DTA. But I still use it for TV listing.

Another note. Many elderlies have the large button remote with back light. I tried setting them up to control the DTA. Can't get them to work. Oh the horror!

[BroadHopper]

I hit the 250 GB limit fairly early using the Roku stick. Guess my plan to eliminate the tv subscription and replace it with the more economical roku stick is futile.
Metrocast gets you coming or going. They actually throttle the speed down to almost nonresistance but still allow you access. For more information see https://www.metrocast.com/policies/h...ble-use-policy

Excessive bandwidth consumption,

[wifi]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

I hit the 250 GB limit fairly early using the Roku stick. Guess my plan to eliminate the tv subscription and replace it with the more economical roku stick is futile.
Metrocast gets you coming or going. They actually throttle the speed down to almost nonresistance but still allow you access. For more information see https://www.metrocast.com/policies/h...ble-use-policy

Excessive bandwidth consumption,

Wow, TW is unlimited. How about investigating if you can get a business account, are they limited ?

[BroadHopper]

Talked to internet subscribers of TDS and GSI (Granite State Internet). Both are located in remote areas, Chichester and Weare NH.

Both have high speed internet over copper wires. The companies do not call then DSL but rather fiber net. Both customers have 25+ mbps with no limits.
They are very happy with their ISP. The customers told me they have a rather large white modem which has a battery back up installed inside their home!
Not sure why a modem will have battery back up but sounds like a plan.

I just called Fairpoint and they now offer 25+ mbps fiber net in my area (Laconia). Funny, I called a month ago and at the time 5mbps was the limit.

Fairpoint claim unlimited use of data. 25+ is about $10 a month cheaper than Metrocast comparable plan. Plus Fairpoint will lock in the rate for 4 years.

Just wondering if I should make the switch. Has anyone have any experience switching from cable to fiber net?

[longislander]

Pays to shop around ... and even more importantly ... pays to ask around.

Fiber, as opposed to copper, is universally accepted as the better connection; two-pair-wire of DSL v. glass etc.

DSL is more "distance from the CO" dependent; further away, to slower speed. There are many improvements on-going, however.

25 Mbps is much better than 3-6 Mbps, but in light of gigabit speeds, remains relative to the user.


https://www.fairpoint.com/document/F...cm12-23102.pdf


Gfast and 5G speeds, on the horizon, may be other factors to be considered.

[shifthappens]

I'm currently subscribed to AT&T but when I move they have a 'transfer' program. When I contacted AT&T to ask if they serve the Laconia area they told me 'yes'. Can anyone confirm this? They have been good for me since I've had them here but will have to find new service when I relocate to the area next July. Thanks.

[shifthappens]

Can anyone tell me if AT&T/DirecTV services the Laconia area? Thank you.

[longislander]

YUP!

https://www.att.com/directv/packages.html


https://www.att.com/shop/unified/ava...=WBFC_REFERRAL


https://www.att.com/local/tv/new-hampshire/laconia/

http://www.attexperts.com/new-hampshire/laconia