Cablevision Update/iO Search

I told you I was going to hold Cablevision to their word, and sure enough, they’re delivering.  No really, they are.  I know, I know, it defies logic.  The sun will come up in the morning, men will never really understand women, and the cable company will never make you happy, right?  Wrong.  At least so far.  In the two months since I wrote my now infamous (well, at least to me) letter to Cablevision, I have received an unbelievable service call to my home (documented in previous posts), Remote DVR functionality and now Cablevision/iO is rolling out a brand new search function.  Aptly called “iO Search”, it allows the customer to search cable listings using keywords.  Accessed through the relatively new “Shortcuts” menu (by pressing the red “C” button on your remote), a new icon of a magnifying glass appears.  Select that icon and off you go.  Searching is done with a familiar telephone keypad type interface – the same you would use to type out a text message on your cell phone.  It’s quick, it’s responsive and best of all, it just plain works.   Once you search and find what you’re looking for, it will give a synopsis of the program, what channel it’s on, when it’s showing and the option to record it to your DVR.  You also have the ability to save searches, so if you’re a Foo Fighters fan and you want to check periodically if they’re doing any late night appearances, just save Foo Fighters and you can check as often as you want.

It’s also worth noting that iO has enhanced their web based DVR scheduler, rolling out a mobile compatible version of the service.  I accessed it successfully with my Verizon LG Voyager and if I do anything other than check my email with that thing it quits like the New York Mets in August.

So, to date, Cablevision has come through on two of my three main complaints.  They delivered remote DVR scheduling.  They have now delivered a solid search function.  The only thing that remains is the ability to share programs between rooms…and whispers in the wind tell me it’s in the works.

Under The Covers UPDATE

Lisa C. is so disturbed by the Shaun Cassidy cover of “One Bitten, Twice Shy” she seeks solace in Daffy Duck’s rendition of “Yesterday”.  So, here it is.

Under The Covers

So, in an effort to expand this blog past the trials and tribulations of Cablevision, I decided to start a series of spotlight pieces on cover songs.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, a “cover” is a song that was originally performed by one artist, and then re-recorded by another.  One famously covered song is “Yesterday” by The Beatles.  According to the Guiness Book of World Records, “Yesterday” has been covered more than 1,600 times by everyone from Bob Dylan to Daffy Duck.  Really.

There are two schools of thought regarding the cover song.  One is to be as faithful to the original as you can.  The other is to inject your own style and character into a song, to “make it your own” if you will.  I subscribe to the latter.  If you’re going to be faithful to the original, why bother?  It has become commonplace for artists to release entire albums of cover songs these days – see Rod Stewart – but for this series, I’m going to concentrate on the strange and great.  Cover songs that come from left field, and cover songs that might just best the originals.

My first selection is a doozy.  The song “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” was originally recorded by Ian Hunter in 1975, but it gained widespread popularity when it was covered by Great White in 1989.  During those 14 years, someone else covered “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” and you’ll never guess who it was.  Really, you can’t possibly guess.

By 1980, a certain teen pop star was having a bit of an identity crisis.  Having had tremendous success with his first two albums, his star had cooled as he fell out of favor with fickle teenage girls.  Looking to branch out to an older, more mature audience, he contracted the services of one Todd Rundgren.   Todd produced “Wasp” and, for better of for worse, did reinvent the former pop star’s sound.  Unfortunately, in regards to chart success, it was for the worse.  “Wasp” didn’t chart, and subsequently ended the recording career of Shaun Cassidy.

It’s difficult to categorize the sound of the following recording.  I suppose it’s a got a new wave feel to it, but it’s all around kind of…creepy.  The low register and lyrical content kind of make you want to go take a shower, but something about it makes you want to listen to the end…or not.  It ‘s up to you to decide…here it is, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” by none other than Shaun Cassidy:

The Web-DVR Process

It occurred to me that those of you following this blog might be interested in how to use the new “Web-DVR” interface that Cablevision offers, and you might not want to go searching for it.  So, I’ve posted some screen captures of what it looks like and here’s a brief description of how it works.

First off, be aware that in order to use the feature, you must have and iO DVR as well as Optimum Online.  Your first step is to log on to http://www.optimum.net and sign in.  On the front page there will be a group of “spotlight” stories.  One of those stories, as you’ll see in figure 1, is the “New TV Listings” feature.  Click on it.

In figure two, you’ll see the TV Listings page, and if the Web-DVR service is available in your neck of the woods, a DVR tab will appear.  In the upper right hand corner you’ll also see the search box, something that’s painfully missing from the DVR interface itself.  That brings us to figure 3.  The results of your search will appear – and here’s where we start to experience the coolness.  Click on any of those results and figure 4 will appear, giving you the option to record that event to your DVR.  This, my friends, is progress.

Figure 5 is a capture of what you’ll find if you click on the DVR tab.  It shows everything that is recorded on your DVR, what is scheduled to record, and allows you to manage the DVR – deleting any programs you want to remove.

Check it out, I think you’ll be pleased.  The search function is great – it’s something that absolutely needs to be added to the Guide/Interface.  Cablevision assures me the upgrades are coming and they’re actions in the last two weeks have shown me that they are dedicated to customer service.

Cablevision UPDATE

So, after I sent my email to the folks at Consumerist (thanks for posting my story!), I got a call from the Cablevision Plant Manager.  He was following up on the work that had been done at the pole and was hoping he could send someone out to visit the house to confirm that signals were were they should be.  I told him I was working late but I would definitely be home by 8:30pm.  At 8:20, two trucks were outside at the pole.

Without boring you with gory details, eventually 4, count ‘em 4 TRUCKS were at my house.  They tested every signal, discovered places in the house where I had used Radio Shack splitters (which, being a bit of a techie myself, was pretty embarrassing) and cut all new connections for me.  All of this without an ounce of “stop doing our job you amateur” attitude.  They supplied me with a new cable modem (mine was outdated) and eventually dropped a brand new line from the pole to my house!  Keep in mind folks, this was all done at around 10/11pm at night.  My neighbors probably weren’t very happy, but I was ecstatic!

There has been some suspicion that I’m a shill for Cablevision…I assure you I am not.  I’m merely a picky consumer who was frustrated with the level of quality being supplied to me by a vendor.  One that commands a rather sizable sum of money monthly.  I took action, and they took care of me.  That doesn’t happen very often these days – certainly not to this level – and I wanted to do my part to spread the word.

Make no mistake, I’m still waiting for the delivery of the new Cablevision iO interface.  In fact, I’m looking forward to it.  In my opinion, the cable industry still has some distinct advantages in the home media game, and I hope they use them to the consumer’s benefit.   My plan is to update this blog with the progress.  In the words of one of the many Cablevision employees that has impressed me over the last week, “stay tuned”.

–DF

Complaint E-mail To Cablevision Results In Immediate Response, Cool Insider Info

Featured at the consumerist.com

Last week, I fired off an email to Cablevision voicing my displeasure at their apparent inability to keep up with the competition. I complained about things like the lack of remote access to my DVRs, their hideous interface and their repeated practice of pushing marketing over substance. I also took the time to give credit where I believed credit was due, commending them for their internet and phone services, which in my opinion are solid. To my surprise, within the HOUR I received a call from “Cablevision Executive Relations” confirming that my email had been received and that someone would be following up with me within 72 hours. Yikes. And follow up they did.

Within the 72 hour period, I received an email from a very high ranking individual in product management. He thanked me for my email, assured me that Cablevision was working hard to supply their customers with new technology, and that I should stay tuned. Form letter? Appeasement? I replied, inquiring about the web-dvr technology I’d been reading about. Sure enough, he replied, tipping me off to Cablevision’s new feature of being able to access your DVR(s) remotely via the internet. I checked it out, and instantly one of my biggest complaints was addressed and satisfied. I also mentioned my frustration with their On-Demand and Enhanced TV services, both of which have broken up/failed miserably in the past. He checked into my levels remotely and scheduled their head tech to visit my home. The head tech did indeed come out, on time, and checked everything. He was polite, courteous and answered every one of my questions. My levels were on the low end – he changed the connections on the outside of my house and said that someone would have to check the pole, something that would happen within a few days. Sure enough, when I arrived home after work the next day, a Cablevision tech was working on the pole. That night, I did everything I could to make my converter box/DVR fail. It could not be done.

I implore you to share my story with the Consumerist Universe. I never expected a reply, much less the intense, excellent customer service I was given. It’s difficult, if not impossible, for me to recall a better customer service experience. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still on the hook – they’ve promised me better technology and I’m going to hold them to it – but they have genuinely made me feel that they value my business, and that goes a long long way.