Monday, March 31, 2008

CHANGING CABLE

As if the hours involved in changing my email address weren't enough, the hours just spent in the cable provider part of it put me over the top. The learning curve is not easy. I have 5 TVs in the house. (I don't touch the 6th as it is my daughter's and I don't have to figure that one out). I had a TV card in each of my two desktop computers that will now work with a few analog stations only, and that for not too much longer, at which point I need to buy two new cards that will be digital and handle HD.

Two of my TVs have DVRs (video recorders and machines that will copy VHS and Hard Drive content to DVD) . One will now require 2 remotes and a button pushing license to operate. Two TVs have cable boxes and three have converters. The two with DVRs work somewhat similarly but not totally. One has a cable box and a DVR, the other has a DVD and VHS player as well, no cable box, but a converter. This last one will now require 3 remotes. A third has a cable box and a DVD/VHS player. This requires still different button punching to operate and two remotes. One of the TVs with a DVR needs the recorder to be set on Channel 3. The TV set has to be set on Video 2 for me to see regular TV programs. One DVR that used to have its own TV Guide, is forced to rely on the Cable provided Guide.

I never would have imagined that it would take me a couple of days of practice to be able to learn how to just turn a TV set on, let alone a different way for each of 5 TVs. I long for the days when all I had to do was find the power button! Now let me see....first I have to turn on the LG DVR, tune it to channel 3 then grab the cable remote to turn on the converter. I turn it on by pressing power and the stb button. With the cable converter box on, I then press the A/V input button to video 2 showing on the TV screen. This next step is not down pat yet. Somehow I also have to get the screen to give me a TV picture but, so far, I have only gotten there through trial and error and I'm never quite sure what I did on that last, successful step. I hesitate turning it off because I am not sure I can get a picture back. I think I have to press TV on the cable remote.

Oh well, where would we be if we didn't keep up with technology? I'll tell you where...reading a good book in a huge leather chair, getting lots more sleep, and being far less frustrated...that's where! Otherwise it is back to school for a degree in sound engineering, computer programming and maintenance, problem solving, anger management, improving frustration tolerance lessons, and how to survive in today's world with yesterday's education.

1 comment:

chris said...

I recently learned that my DVD player also plays CD's :(. That's a good thing because when I went looking for a new "independant" CD player (that isn't a boom box) all I could find were Ipod and some other thing (MP3?), whatever they are(:s). Figures..now that I have a really good (and large) classical & jazz collection on CDs, there next to obsolete.

Press "one" for English.