Andy Wood

I just talked about this and now –

That botched DirecTV software update a couple weeks ago that locked up DVRs everywhere, causing missed shows, global warming, spousal abuse and general melancholy amongst the populace? It’s back and locking up boxes across the land again, however this time, after rebooting their HR2x units and wondering how they’ll go on without a DVR’d episode of this afternoon’s Judge Judy, DirecTV subs will be greeted with a message proclaiming them the proud owners of a 1080p video on-demand capable set-top box, with improved “cellphone style” search via the remote and enhanced channel guide info including more actors. We probably can’t expect more than another apology letter from the satcaster, but tell us, does knowing what all this pain was for make it any easier?

Son of a B*&%( !!

About 4 weeks ago, we got this in the mail:

IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT YOUR HD SERVICE

Dear ****,

We have changed the manner in which we broadcast HD channels. Soon, your current DIRECTV® High-Definition equipment will not be HD compatible. Please call 1-888-763-7772 today and DIRECTV will replace your incompatible HD equipment FREE OF CHARGE. No strings attached.

MORE CHANNELS IN HD
The new HD broadcasting method will allow DIRECTV to deliver more channels in HD. We recently launched 95 HD channels with this new method, and many more are coming soon.

THE LATEST EQUIPMENT–FREE
The HD programming you currently enjoy–NFL games, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, HDNet, HBO®, SHOWTIME®–and others will need the latest HD equipment to be viewed in HD.

CALL NOW FOR YOUR FREE HD REPLACEMENT
Just call us at 1-888-763-7772 to schedule your appointment. Mention the “FREE HD SWAP” and we’ll get your replacement HD equipment set up ASAP.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but we just want to continue to improve your HD experience with us. Thank you for being a loyal DIRECTV customer.

Best Regards,
Your DIRECTV Team

I first called to make sure that this wasn’t a gimic from another company that wanted to swap of out for their service.  It turned out to be on the up and up.

I had scheduled something for Mid-November (yes, that was the earliest upgrade date that they had), but in about 5 days we got a call that we have been moved up and DirecTV wanted to know which day would be best.

The 1st attempt at the swap wasn’t a great impression, the ‘technician’ did not want to get up on roof, he basically wanted to do the quick and fast way and just attache a new dish on the side and not even remove the old one. 

“Thank you… you mean leave now”.

I then called DirecTV back and complained, letting them know that the tech was nice enough, but this isn’t what we agreed on.  They escalated it and we a call back the next day from someone posing as a DirecTV supervisor and said that they would come out and do whatever it took to swap it out. 

“Fine”

Next Sunday came (today 10/19/2008) and we now have a new dish and a new HD receiver.   Not a Tivo receiver, but it will do.

Now that the new dish is pointing to a new satellite, we are getting some additional HD channels that we didn’t get before and all for the same price as before.

The one that I glad to see is the SciFi HD.  (Sweet)

Needless to say, it would appear that the 2nd time was the charm.

Needless do they know, in about 3 weeks we are going to be swapping to the AT&T U-verse anyways! (hello fiber)

If you have never watched this series, now is the time! We laughed so hard, we had to pause the Tivo as we were missing parts of the show.

This just shows you that the Internet pretty much has everything.

The big race to Earth is over, and the fleet has found a "home" that is just as destroyed as the other twelve colonies. Does this mean the Cylons from Col. Tigh’s generation were the ones that nuked Earth and wiped it out?

The prophecy was that the five came from Earth, so did they leave as the planet was frakked by the toasters? It will be interesting to see how Ron Moore and company will continue the series beyond the goal for the last three and a half seasons.

Will it ever explain how Starbuck survived death?  What about the whole Opera House dreams.  Does the human/ Cylon children thing mean anything?  Is Laura Roslyn going to die, or will another ‘Cylon’ miracle bring her back?

Ahh Frack this, I need Star Trek!

This was great stuff.  Well conceived, well executed.  I really liked the dream sequence with Claire begging Kate not to return to the island with Aaron.  (shivers)

See John Locke in the box was creepy, but in a good creepy way. (if that is possible)  The two hours, as a memorable finale should, have answered question after question, while posing even more and setting the stage for season five.

Is Locke really dead and, if he is, does dead mean dead?  If they get him back to the island, we he reanimate?

Emmy-winning actor and all-around nice guy Harvey Korman passed away at the UCLA Medical Center today. The eighty-one year old had been fighting for his life the last few months after a rupture in his abdominal aortic aneurysm

I barely remember the original “The Andromeda Strain”; it was provative in areas that you didn’t dare attempt to go. (back then)

The Andromeda Strain was a good sci-fi television events for A&E. They did a great job at creating this miniseries based off of Michael Crichton’s best-selling novel by the same name.
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Fans have been waiting almost a year for the return of "24." On Sunday, November 23 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), the wait will be over as Fox presents a special two-hour prequel event.

When Toshiba stopped making its HD-DVD players, the logical assumption was that consumers might finally start adopting a high-definition movie format, now that Blu-ray had been declared "the winner." Turns out, consumers’ logic was more focused on their pocketbook than their desire for 1080p movies and DTS Lossless Master Audio.

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