varjohaltia (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
varjohaltia) wrote2007-08-17 09:53 pm
varjohaltia) wrote2007-08-17 09:53 pm
Work and Play
Work's been busy as usual. The new boss for the department will start on the 30th -- there are some good signs and some bad signs, but I'm still optimistic that he will bring a lot more drive and will result in more direction and resources.
We also moved 13 pallets of network equipment, about $1 million's worth -- including 1150 wireless access points for all the residence halls. It's going to be a busy year. Getting calluses from a day's work is rather satisfying on a very basic level.
I also went ahead and signed up for the HD DVR service from Brighthouse, now that I have an HD television. My HOA includes standard cable, and Brighthouse only charges me the difference, which isn't bad. Really, the Brighthouse back-end was great -- I spoke to one CS rep, and she took care of everything, with the attitude that "of course we can do that, and it's our business to figure out how to achieve it." This is relevant, because my account is a mess -- part is paid by my employer, part by the HOA, part by me, all with different billing and service addresses, numbers, and contacts. Frankly, I'm quite impressed.
On a technical note, however, Brighthouse sucks. The quality of the digital channels is atrocious, it's like watching Youtube -- I'll stick with standard analog, thankyouverymuch. The majority of HD channels are surprisingly good quality with quite few compression artifacts and consistent levels and colors. (The exception are the PBS channels which are totally unwatchable macroblock mush.) The DVR controls are very counterintuitive, compared to Verizon, and it has stupidity such as requiring SPIDF for Dolby Digital -- it won't output DD over HDMI. Huh? Their standard service of course also transports digital channels, including some HD ones, but my TV was only able to get some of them. Brighthouse furthermore removes all the useful digital program info from the channels, even from local broadcast ones (which is one more reason to get their STB for the channel guide.) Also, the installer must have been on pot, because he was horrible. Slurred speech, no digital audio cables, no HDMI cables, no channel guides, used remote, totally useless "training" and haphazard setup in the first place. He even left all his trash all over the floor.
Comparing Verizon FiOS and Brighthouse is entertaining, because they're almost exact opposites. Verizon's install was very good and thorough, and their picture quality is good, and apart from the freezing issue the DVR controls required no thought at all, they worked just as I expected. Verizon's back-end is totally useless, though. They can't get even the simple things right, and apart from dropping your call they just tell you that they can't do split billing, can't have two separate services at the same address and can't transfer service to another person.
But regardless, I now have a TV, a DVR, and a living room, and I'm getting addicted to HD very quickly. The simple pleasures in life.
Oh, speaking of pleasures in life! I just found out that not only is there a Pei Wei in Tampa, there are two! So much for not eating out anymore...
We also moved 13 pallets of network equipment, about $1 million's worth -- including 1150 wireless access points for all the residence halls. It's going to be a busy year. Getting calluses from a day's work is rather satisfying on a very basic level.
I also went ahead and signed up for the HD DVR service from Brighthouse, now that I have an HD television. My HOA includes standard cable, and Brighthouse only charges me the difference, which isn't bad. Really, the Brighthouse back-end was great -- I spoke to one CS rep, and she took care of everything, with the attitude that "of course we can do that, and it's our business to figure out how to achieve it." This is relevant, because my account is a mess -- part is paid by my employer, part by the HOA, part by me, all with different billing and service addresses, numbers, and contacts. Frankly, I'm quite impressed.
On a technical note, however, Brighthouse sucks. The quality of the digital channels is atrocious, it's like watching Youtube -- I'll stick with standard analog, thankyouverymuch. The majority of HD channels are surprisingly good quality with quite few compression artifacts and consistent levels and colors. (The exception are the PBS channels which are totally unwatchable macroblock mush.) The DVR controls are very counterintuitive, compared to Verizon, and it has stupidity such as requiring SPIDF for Dolby Digital -- it won't output DD over HDMI. Huh? Their standard service of course also transports digital channels, including some HD ones, but my TV was only able to get some of them. Brighthouse furthermore removes all the useful digital program info from the channels, even from local broadcast ones (which is one more reason to get their STB for the channel guide.) Also, the installer must have been on pot, because he was horrible. Slurred speech, no digital audio cables, no HDMI cables, no channel guides, used remote, totally useless "training" and haphazard setup in the first place. He even left all his trash all over the floor.
Comparing Verizon FiOS and Brighthouse is entertaining, because they're almost exact opposites. Verizon's install was very good and thorough, and their picture quality is good, and apart from the freezing issue the DVR controls required no thought at all, they worked just as I expected. Verizon's back-end is totally useless, though. They can't get even the simple things right, and apart from dropping your call they just tell you that they can't do split billing, can't have two separate services at the same address and can't transfer service to another person.
But regardless, I now have a TV, a DVR, and a living room, and I'm getting addicted to HD very quickly. The simple pleasures in life.
Oh, speaking of pleasures in life! I just found out that not only is there a Pei Wei in Tampa, there are two! So much for not eating out anymore...