Time Warner promoting "Basic Cable"

[UncleMeat]

Got a flyer in the mail today.  I know service like this has been offered for years out in S. California where people are in valleys and can't get a signal.

Channel lineup:
2   TV Guide Network         
3   TBS Superstation         
4   WTMJ         
5   WDJT         
6   WITI         
7   WMLW         
8   C-SPAN 2         
9   WGN         
10   WMVS         
11   Univision - TV         
12   WISN         
13   Educational Access         
14   Public Access         
15   WPXE         
16   WMVT         
17   ABC Family Channel East         
18   WVTV The CW Network   
19   WJJA   
20   Black Entertainment Telev   
21   WWRS   
22   Eternal Word TV Network   
23   WVCY   
24   mynetworkTV   
25   Government Access   
96   Local Access Programming   
97   PIN   
98   Shop NBC         
99   Cable Satellite Public Af

Offering it to new customer as standalone service for $9.95/month or free with digital phone or roadrunner.

I have their "All the Best" package right now and I'm going to see if I can get it free if I keep my phone/internet and shut off my current TV package.  I was going to cut cable completely, but it is frustrating as we cannot get a strong OTA signal.

[jjallou]

but it is frustrating as we cannot get a strong OTA signal.

You can't get a strong OTA signal in Wauwatosa? What are you using for an antenna? Out in Franklin I get everything with rabbit ears on one of my converter boxes.

[UncleMeat]

You can't get a strong OTA signal in Wauwatosa? What are you using for an antenna? Out in Franklin I get everything with rabbit ears on one of my converter boxes.

It's a joke, I know... but I think there are too many houses/trees close by that are causing issues.  I have an amplified Philips antenna and some little Radio Shack deal that is the better of the two, but still not great.  Both are small indoor ones, as I rent and am on the lower level.

[Xizer]

If you have Time Warner's Internet service, chances are good that you are already receiving the full analog cable signal (channels 2-99) and the local Milwaukee channels in high definition via unencrypted digital cable. Hook up a cable splitter and run one coaxial cable to your cable modem and the other to your television and see if you can pick up anything.

[Tom Snyder]

amplified Philips antenna

In Wauwatosa, the signal amplification could be the problem. You may have too much signal, and that's what's causing your reception issues.

[UncleMeat]

In Wauwatosa, the signal amplification could be the problem. You may have too much signal, and that's what's causing your reception issues.

You are right, but I am able to flip a switch and turn off the amplifier on the antenna.  It definitely improves it, but I am still getting 40-60% signal strength on almost all channels.  The big problem is that it spikes up and down randomly and is dramatically impacted by whether or not somebody is in the room.  I've tried moving the antenna all over the room to find better spots, but it has not worked out.

In the end it might be an equipment issue, I'm not sure.  Either way, I decided against dropping down to "basic" cable.

[oz]

With basic cable you can also rent a digital HD box from TWC and receive the local HD channels.  I think the box is around $8/month.

Now that I think of it, you should be able to get the locals via clear-QAM without the box if your TV has a tuner for that.

[ArgMeMatey]

Meat,

Here's another thread on the TW cheapo topic:

http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8345

Unless they are going to start stacking filters, you will probably also receive analog 62-74 and all the garbage sales channels between 74 and 99.  

TW also has a notice posted about a couple of changes to analog.  More of these to come, I am sure:

http://www.timewarnercable.com/wisconsin/programming/LegalNotices/legal_notice_SE.html.

Also I should point out that DISH offers an unadvertised "Welcome Pack" for $14.95 that includes some local stations:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r21597542-DISH-1499-for-20-channels-and-Locals-Local-HDs

Finally based on Antennaweb I live 0.8 to 3 miles from the towers and currently use just set-top unamplified antennas.  Yet, when it is windy, I get pixelation and even dropouts on 36-1 thru 8 and 58-1 thru 3.  Since I also have HD on TW Basic, I just switch over there if necessary, but long-term I am planning to add an attic or rooftop antenna.  Before I invest in that, I am waiting for someone around here to try a big antenna to see if they can get any Chicago stations ... waiting ... waiting.  

Good luck.

[Cheesehead Dave]

It's a nice "feature". Even though I dropped TWC for cable, I still get RoadRunner and phone service. On a whim, I plugged the cable back into my TV, and sure enough, there was programming. The only use I really have for it is tuning into the local access channel to see if Kenosha Unified announced a snow day.

[UncleMeat]

Funny story... funny and frustrating...

I was watching the Titans/Ravens game Saturday on CBS Ch 5 (TWC).  The picture is horrid and I couldn't tolerate watching it.  So I pulled out my little cheapo pair of rabbit ears and plugged them in to try and grab an HD signal.  I'm getting 95% signal strength on all channels.

I'm not going to question it...

[gparris]

I don't know what it is "promoting" right now, but its webpage is changing.
If you go to the link on this forum's main page, it is not directing you to TWC Milwaukee.:huh?:

[bsquarewi]

Does anyone have any more information on this?  I tried calling TWC the other day about dropping DigitalTV service with them because I only want RR at this time.  Asked about possibly keeping just the core local channels with RR and they said that it's $19.95 for basic cable on top of RR.    So much for the "free with RR" detailed in the first post here.

[WPXE ION]

Does anyone have any more information on this?  I tried calling TWC the other day about dropping DigitalTV service with them because I only want RR at this time.  Asked about possibly keeping just the core local channels with RR and they said that it's $19.95 for basic cable on top of RR.    So much for the "free with RR" detailed in the first post here.

I think its for new customers. $19.95 still seems high, my friend just dropped the basic service after purchasing his converter box he was paying $13.95. He may have been locked into a lower rate from years back though.

[brewtownska]

Does anyone have any more information on this?  I tried calling TWC the other day about dropping DigitalTV service with them because I only want RR at this time.  Asked about possibly keeping just the core local channels with RR and they said that it's $19.95 for basic cable on top of RR.    So much for the "free with RR" detailed in the first post here.

You'll find that if you cancel cable and just keep RR, you'll still have the High-def versions of the locals coming into the house in QAM form.  If you have a HDTV with a QAM tuner, or maybe a computer tuner that can decode QAM, it won't cost you anything else.

[bsquarewi]

That's what I figured, but there was some discussion here too about TW sending out a truck to make sure there was a yellow filter or some such installed at the junction to make sure that all channels are filtered out if the customer is RR only.