944. DISHNetwork technician 2nd Hopper + Kudos

I had a technician come out to resolve some Hopper-1 pixelization (?) and freeze problems since its install. This is the 2nd Hopper receiver since January when it replaced a Vip722 receiver which work working without problems. The first Hopper was faulty and did reboots when it felt like doing it! Plusr it had performance problems displaying guide and scrolling through it. I had already replace the SNAP Device which is supposed to help the performance of graphical interfaces, such as the guide, and Joey connections which I have none.

Back to this Hopper installation problem. The problem according to the technicians happen because of cable and connection issues. They replaced all the cable outside from satellite disch to cable running into house and tested the cable as best they could. The inside wiring had a splitter on it that led to the TV and previous connected TV using the Vip722 receiver. They replaced that. Then by the TV they attempted to replace cable and connections to receiver. They did get it all working and concluded that it was all fixed. 5 minutes after leaving I moved the TV back a little and signal was lost. Apparently just moving the cable out of the wall caused the signal loss issue. I retested that theory several time and sure enough every time I moved the cable the signal was lost.

Thus, I am on their schedule for tomorrow again.
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2/27/20 Update: Success. I knew the cable could not be fixed because it was now too short after their cutting to remove nicks. So, I cut a new wall opening 36" away and pulled the cable from the old hole to the new one. The technicians today checked the new length and found the damage, spliced new connections, and installed the wall cover. I then had to patch the reminder of the opening, but now it is complete except for repainting it. Finally! I hope this is last problem I have with the Hopper installs. DishNetwork gave me a case manager to ensure all problems are fixed too. I think I'm in business again.
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Update 3/2/2020 Update: There was only one outstanding problem and that was the OTA picture/sound disruption. To debug that further Dish Case manager and I decided that I should hook up antenna directly to TV and note differences. I did this by digging out an old antenna splitter (NOT a DISH splitter -- won't work), attached to attena cable out of wall and connected the splits to OTA Adapter on DISH receiver and the other directly to TV. Given 95%+ strength in the signal, the TV worked perfectly for the last 3 days.. I even recorded 2 hours of my  FOX OTA  station while I watched the same basketball game on the TV direct connect. Surprisingly, BOTH were perfect! I have not seen any disruptions on DISH OTA since installing the antenna splitter in front of the OTA adapter. Why it now works perfectly? I can only guess that the cable connected to the OTA was the original cable from the antenna and now is a new cable off the splitter. Unless the added resistance of the splitter figures in. I don't think I'll worry about it and want to thank DISH support and the Case Manager for their continuous support and interest. I've now been with DISH for 25 years and can't say a thing bad about them. They did a lot of work updating my cables and satellite dishes to upgrade my receiver from an old Vip722 to Hopper-1 at no cost to me other than having to buy an Internet adapter to get On Demand which I didn't have on old receiver. I highly recommend DISHNetwork. Kudos for DishNetwork and their Technical Support.

943. Suddenlink EZ PAY Bypass Fix

Both posts 942 and 919 document problems with Suddenlink's EZ Pay code failing. If you look at post 919 you will notice that this problem existed since their conversion to a new billing system and since at least November 9, 2019 when I first reported it. It is STILL NOT FIXED.

Problem: It is NOT possible to set up EZ Pay and/or UPDATE EZ Pay via the following browsers: Chrome on Windows 10, Edge on Windows 10, Internet Explorer on Windows 10, Silk on Amazon Kindles Android O/S. Worse yet is that NO Customer Rep via phone, CHAT, or in person at the local store can resolve this issue and, obviously, the software programmers also cannot or the problem was never reported to them! Pitiful! I rand into this problem again yesterday, 2/23/20, as reported in post 942. The reason did is because Suddenlink send me an email that they will not be able to process my Auto Pay (EZ Pay) in March because they increased prices and the amount now exceeds the maximum limit I set. Well, they set it back in November when I had forced them to set it up via their system again! The email stated that I would have to go to My Account/Autopayents and change the "Maximum Setting". This would require doing an Update EZ Pay. But when I went there I received an error and told to call them! Don't waste your time! Instead do the following:

Bypass Fix: Download the Suddenlink Support App from Google Play Store. It will allow you to set up Auto Pay via EZ Pay AND allow you to Update and see the Maximum Setting as in the email. Everything is handled by THEIR mobile app that no Suddenlink Curstomer Rep has yet discovered!

Now I have to fix their billing statement for them that they again changed starting with this billing cycle!

942. My "favorite" Company screwed me AGAIN! SUDDENLINK!

Suddenlink has to be the worst company I have ever dealt with. Now they send me an email to me know that they cannot process my next payment via Automatic EZ Pay because I have my maximum settings set too low! They include instructions to change it: Go to Account, Auto Payments, Update EZ Pay and change the setting. Well, of course that didn't work! As if I didn't already know that would not work! You see, when I tried to set it up it didn't work then and someone from Suddenlink after at least five run-arounds finally set it up successfully. Thing is, this person must have also set up the maximum settings SOMEHOW. I have spoken to a rep 3-5 times already today. Each time she came back to ask me to try again. Like some miracle was going to happen to fix it. And again, I restated that the CODE is broken and doesn't offer me a place to change the settings and worse tells me there is an error in EZ Pay to go back to Manage Your Payments. Well, I finally did go to that and removed my old CC I used and added a new one. SAME PROBLEM! Update EZ PAY is BROKEN!

Of course Suddenlink doe NOT provide an email address, so you have no choice other that call. Then the crutch answer from the reps (this one included) is to run down to the local building to get it fixed. But when you do that, they scratch their heads because they can't do it either! What a losing company! Please AT&T get your Fiber down my street! I'll pay double just to get rid of Suddenlink!

Thing is, I originally called them because they changed their bill again and it isn't even correct. They decided to split out Internet from Phone and the new format still INCLUDED both in one section and then Internet again in another place. I tried to get confirmation on what Internet Speed I was supposed to be getting and its price and the Rep instead knocked down My Internet and the phone I was talking on! So useless. Finally when I was back up and she apologized for doing that, I was not able to discuss my bill because she had no information and I need to wait until a weekday.

Internet prices were jacked up this month I think (could never confirm with Rep) about $10-15 per month. I suppose when you are a MONOPOLY you can charge anything!

941."Some Days are Dark" by Miranda Smith – 3 Stars

Some Days are Dark   by Miranda Smith – 3 Stars

Publisher: Bookouture

ISBN: 9781838882198 

I struggled to keep reading this book until the last 25% when the action picked up and there was a surprising conclusion. I realize that the story needed information about Olivia’s life, however, I was annoyed with her poor-me attitude, excuses and naively bad choices. The mystery got lost in the overly long telling of her issues of being an unhappy wife, sharing custody of her young child and battling drug and alcohol abuse. Mostly she made her own problems.

I put this book aside several times to read something else. I came back to it because the author’s writing was strong and readable and I was curious to discover the conclusion. I would have enjoyed it if the focus had been more on the mystery and less on Olivia’s woeful life.

Reviewer: Nancy

 

940. "A Reasonable Doubt" by Phillip Margolin – 5 Stars

A Reasonable Doubt by Phillip Margolin  – 5 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

ISBN: 9781250117540 

 

A magician who disappears when he debuts a new illusion is a description that grabbed my attention. It has a unique twist. Robert Lockwood, the missing illusionist, is certainly an unlikeable man with a dark past. He is a womanizer, cheat, thief and maybe even a murderer. There are many people who have reason to hate him.

The story has a steady pace. There are lawyers and legal maneuvering but no lengthy trial proceedings to slow the plot down. It is a tangled web and fun to read.

Reviewer: Nancy