WOW Cable Cards

[buckeye3d]

Does WOW provide cable cards to customers? If so does anyone know how much they cost per card per month? I tried looking on their website but its pretty attrocious.

[soundmix]

The WOW website is terrible.

I had to call customer service and inquire about upgrading my service to get the following info:

Starting from Basic Analog service, adding the Digital Basic package costs $12.49 more per month. Renting a digital cable box costs $6.99 per month. However, they will provide you with one cable card for no rental fee. The second cable card will cost you $3.50 per month.

The other info I squeezed out of them was that adding the HD local channels costs $8 per month on top of the Digital package, and adding the HD Pak channels costs another additional $9.99

Needless to say, I'm sticking with HDTV OTA.

[buckeyeskeeve]

I had 2 cards installed by WOW on Monday for my Tivo S3. So far, so mostly good. The pricing is certainly nice, with my bill decreasing.

A few problems tuning some channels off and on, but there was a head-end problem yesterday, so I may be reacting to that. However, one unsolved problem remains...a single digital channel won't come in, no explanation by WOW and the tech guy says to let them work on it and then call back if it doesn't come in.

With only one channel out, on both cards, seems like a head-end issue to me.

Anyway, any other CableCard customers from WOW, feel free to contact me and we can compare notes on any outages. WOW told me that there is separate equipment feeding the cards and that they don't have good diagnostics on them, so it sounds like customers are going to have to stick together on them.

Oh, and good riddance to that SA piece of garbage DVR. Never again, I hope.

[rossl]

I am switching to WOW 4Mbs internet and digital cable with HD pak and 2 cablecards. Install on Friday 11/17. :D

I am dumping Time Warner cable and Road Runner !!! :eek:

[barney]

I just talked to WOW service, and they said that they now broadcast the locals unencryped and an HD tuner should pick them up in the 200 channel range w/o a STB. Any idea if this tech knew what they were talking about?

[rossl]

I just talked to WOW service, and they said that they now broadcast the locals unencryped and an HD tuner should pick them up in the 200 channel range w/o a STB. Any idea if this tech knew what they were talking about?

I will let you know after my WOW install tomorrow. I have a MyHD MDP130 PCI card in a computer that has OTA antenna and cable hooked up to it. It tunes the unencrypted QAM locals from Time-Warner now (minus the Sinclair stations of course).

I will do a scan after the cable is cut over to WOW. I should be able to record all locals to unencrypted hard drive after tomorrow. :D

[bullwinkle]

WOW unencrypted local HD's systemwide about two weeks ago. I'm having problems receiving WCMH-HD & WOSU-HD. I suppose the problem could be with my receiver but the other local stations work fine.

Interested in hearing what others have experienced.

[rossl]

WOW unencrypted local HD's systemwide about two weeks ago. I'm having problems receiving WCMH-HD & WOSU-HD. I suppose the problem could be with my receiver but the other local stations work fine.

Interested in hearing what others have experienced.


I have WOW ! It is working and the cablecards are OK.

I did a scan for unencrypted QAM channels on both the MyHD PCI card and a ATSC/QAM tuner that uses a new generation LG chip.

I did not detect WOSU-HD on either scan. The LG QAM scan found
WCMH-HD NBC-4 on 94
WSYX-HD ABC-6 on 103
WBNS-HD CBS-10 on 82
WTTE-HD FOX-28 on 103
WWHO-HD CW-53 on 113

The MyHD card didn't detect WCMH-HD on its auto scan. It did find it (4-HD) when I manually tuned to 94-digital told it to scan 94. Then I could save it to the favorite channel list. There may be something wrong with the PSIP ... ???

It doesn't really bother me not having WOSU-HD on the MyHD cable input. I can get it on the antenna. I haven't ever recorded a show from WOSU anyway..:D

[bullwinkle]

Thanks for the info. At least I can assume that my receiver (JVC) is OK. WCMH-HD is acting wierd. When I first turn on the receiver I can usually tune to WCMH (203) and the channel is listed in the menu as an active channel. But when I go to another channel and then try to return to WCMH I get nothing and the menu now doesn't list WCMH as active. Very strange.

I still can't receive WOSU-HD either but, just like you, I don't watch it much and can receive it with an antenna.

{Update 11-30}

WOW seems to have fixed the problem with WCMH & WOSU HD. I now receive all local HD programming.

[barney]

Thanks for the info from both of you.
I went by a neighbor who has wow - and tried to tune in the HD's on his new Olevia set and it locked in on most locals between 200 - 208 I think - but no picture or sound. Maybe they've got issues out our way. I tried to get him to call service to find out - It would be nice to start seeing 6 and 28 - but I'd miss 34 if it won't tune in anymore...

[bullwinkle]

Thanks for the info from both of you.
I went by a neighbor who has wow - and tried to tune in the HD's on his new Olevia set and it locked in on most locals between 200 - 208 I think - but no picture or sound.

I don't think Olevia make a receiver with QAM capability. Their specs sheet lists dual ATSC/NTSC tuner for their higher end models :(

[barney]

I don't think Olevia make a receiver with QAM capability. Their specs sheet lists dual ATSC/NTSC tuner for their higher end models :(

We both have the 537h - and, honestly, I'm not really sure what I'm talking about regarding QAM. I tune in 4-1, 4-2, 10-1, 34-1, 34-2, 34-3 and 53-1 digitals & HD with mine on Time Warner (plus a few others like Travel DT) - but no 6 or 28. This is without any box. The neighbor doesn't actually tune in any locals except 53 (as 111-something I think) with WOW - but does see that it locks in (?) on some channels above 200 that "Say" they're CBSHD, NBCHD, FOXHD, etc - but no picture. Do you think WOW's format would be different than TW's and therefore not bring those locals in? I'm only thinking of changing to WOW to be able to add 6 and 28 without digital / HD boxes.

The sets scan choices on cable are IRC, HRC, Standard or AUTO.

Thanks again for the points!

[bullwinkle]

Do you think WOW's format would be different than TW's and therefore not bring those locals in?

I don't know. All of the cablecos have agreed to use the same standards (64/256 QAM). Olevia's website makes no mention of QAM capability on any of their receivers.

[barney]

I don't know. All of the cablecos have agreed to use the same standards (64/256 QAM). Olevia's website makes no mention of QAM capability on any of their receivers.

Several vendor sites selling these models make the claim of "Clear QAM" - and I think I read on another forum that they have QAM tuning, but they won't support it. Weird.

I guess that means if TWC comes in, GREAT. If WOW doesn't... Too Bad. Or maybe WOW service can find a problem.

Thanks again for the info.

[bullwinkle]

Several vendor sites selling these models make the claim of "Clear QAM" - and I think I read on another forum that they have QAM tuning, but they won't support it. Weird.

I've seen those sites too. Because Olevia's sets don't have cablecard slots they can't advertise their sets as DCR (digital cable ready), and in order not to confuse their customers with terms like "clear QAM", they just don't include it in their specs.

I guess that means if TWC comes in, GREAT. If WOW doesn't... Too Bad. Or maybe WOW service can find a problem.

I wouldn't hold out any hope. WOW is only providing the local channels in the clear because they have to. They make money by renting STB's that you need for premium channels.