Cable TV Woes

To the Editor:

My beef is not specifically with Charter, although they are indeed my cable provider...a pragmatic old timer, I, but hardly a techie.

When the television signal briefly stops, and/or is briefly pixilated and/or audio and video are out of sync like the early “talkies,” I conclude there is a problem with the television signal. When I hear of similar complaints from local friends, I conclude it to be a problem with Charter. When I hear of similar complaints from folks in New Britain serviced by Cox Communications, I conclude it to be something awry in a possible antiquated cable delivery system.

Now, this appears logical to me but not when I call customer service (oxymoron). Sir, a technician will have to come out, because we have no other complaints of outages in the area. But, it’s not an outage...it is a delivery issue I plead in exasperation. Is it on all TV sets? (only have one)… it’s probably a defect with your TV. Well, no technician can access my property until May due to the volume of snow. Where are you physically located anyway, I ask? Florida. So, I guess I shall return the cable box to Commerce Road, cancel the service (another oxymoron), violate the two-year contract and fight the monetary penalty to do so. Watch for my apparently unavoidable appearance on Judge Judy in all its “freeze-frame, pixilated and out of sync audio” splendor coming to a station near you.

Sam Mihailoff

54 Lakeview Terrace, Sandy Hook                          January 27, 2011