SYNACK
Just Firewall It
Premium,Mod
join:2001-03-05
Venice, CA
 ·Comcast Formerly ..
Host:
Networking
Virtual Private Ne..
Netgear
ZyXEL
| Is Time Warner getting desperate?
Well, I switched from Time Warner Cable as soon as FIOS became available here and never looked back. FIOS is so much better!
Anyway, yesterday I got a direct mail advertisement from Time Warner that seems to try to confuse the consumers again on the differences between Cable and FIOS, basically implying that cable is really the Metamucil of communications.
FRONT (Big headline):
Get the best value in fiber optic services.
Call Time Warner Cable today.
BACK:
Save on all three advanced fiber-optic service.
(digital TV, High-speed Online, home phone).
I thought it was funny, but also sad.  The word "cable" is nearly absent and only used in conjunction with the company name (Timer Warner Cable).
No more Cable TV, it's now "Digital TV".
No more Cable Internet, it's now "high-speed online"
It is much more blatant than anything I could find online, e.g. on the time warner cable website.
I wonder if this campaign is specifically targeted for areas where FIOS competition is available?  |
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Phil
Rojo Sol
Premium
join:2001-06-11
Camarillo, CA | FTTH > FTTN |
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maartena
Stacked.
Premium
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
1 edit | reply to SYNACK
Re: Is Time Warner getting desperate?
The only real difference is that the stretch of copper with cable is a bit longer. FIOS brings fiber to your door, but inside your house it runs on copper CAT5 cable. (Does the TV still run on your in-house coaxial cable?) TWC has fiber running to a local node.... at the end of your street or around the corner elsewhere on the block you live on, and has a couple hundred feet of copper running to your house.
There are a lot of people that think that fiber automatically equals better, and that is why TWC is using that as an advertisement trick. Copper on the telco side is pretty much maxed out, which is why Verizon wisely decided to go with fiber. Cable companies can squeeze a lot more out of their copper lines still. "Fiber is better" is just as much a marketing gimmick from FIOS as "we have fiber" is from TWC. One isn't better then the other, both have their advantages.
I will say though that FTTH is definitely better than the telco's copper, and definitely better than AT&T's Uverse solution, which I would be stuck with if I switched.
Also, Time Warner does actually deliver fiber to businesses, if you need more bandwidth (e.g. 100 Mbps up/down) then regular cable can provide, and you need a dedicated line.
--
"I reject your reality and substitute my own!" |
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SYNACK
Just Firewall It
Premium,Mod
join:2001-03-05
Venice, CA
·Comcast Formerly ..
Host:
Networking
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ZyXEL
1 edit | reply to maartena
Re: Is Time Warner getting desperate?
Actually, they run everything inside the house on MOCA, not Cat5. (Fiber-> ONT(side of house, GPON) -> MOCA -> DVR, router, etc..)
Having had both for a long time, my experience pretty much mirrors the DSLR ratings:
 Verizon FIOS
 Time Warner Cable.
On FIOS, the HD channels have clearly fewer compression artifacts and I have quite a few more of them. |
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Rombus
Premium
join:2007-04-11
Columbus, OH | Frankly, its all advertising, and you cant really believe it from ANY side. |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | reply to SYNACK
I've talked about this on the front page some. |
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SYNACK
Just Firewall It
Premium,Mod
join:2001-03-05
Venice, CA
·Comcast Formerly ..
Host:
Networking
Virtual Private Ne..
Netgear
ZyXEL
| Yes, I remember these discussion, but could not find the link. Thanks!
I was most intrigued by the near absence of the word "Cable" as if it were a dirty word. Maybe they think it is. 
Their Website still calls it "Digital Cable", while the mailing says "Digital TV".
This very strange choice of words will backfire again in February when everything over the air will be plain "Digital TV" by default.  |
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Pizz
Hi
join:2000-10-27
Astoria, NY | reply to SYNACK
They're trying to save their monopoly. So they'll do whatever it takes to keep customers from switching. I know when/if I switch, i'm prepared to be lured back with offers. But from what I've seen first hand, FIOS is the way to go. |
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NormanS
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
 ·Pacific Bell - SBC
| reply to maartena
said by maartena  :Cable companies can squeeze a lot more out of their copper lines still. "Fiber is better" is just as much a marketing gimmick from FIOS as "we have fiber" is from TWC. One isn't better then the other, both have their advantages. Can cable deliver symmetric Internet service over coax?
--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum |
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Kingcarcas
join:2006-09-05
Los Angeles, CA
1 edit | reply to SYNACK
Well obviously it works, just the other day my neighbor was asking me what internet provider we had, i told him TWC and he went on about oh yah i heard it's really fast because they use "fiber"
But i've read a few nightmarish stories having to do with Verizon customer support, doesn't mean everything is better on the other side.  |
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