It's amazing how crappy electronics still are today. Take my cable box. Please.
One example: Despite it being over 15 years ago I heard that TV programmes now had little codes that indicates when a program starts and stops, this company (Virgin) and the box clearly has not heard of it. It will always stop at the planned time, even if there's a couple minutes left of a program, thus lopping off the end.
And the "time left" indication on the recording hard disk is a mystery in itself. Ten minutes ago, it was at "critical", meaning virtually no time left, obviously. Then I deleted a half hour recording, and it jumped to 24 hours free!
This is so fokking lame, the box is surely not using any technology which has not been in use in one form or another for over 20 years. You'd think they'd have it right by now.
When someone gets it right, we'll all adopt it in a second and leave the wanna-be's wondering what happened.
ReplyDeleteTRUE! But...what makes them continue to be "tolerated" for this LONG, I wonder! It *is* CRAP when things work like that; then, I get PISSED OFF, when *I* have to go to buy something like that and it's STILL going on after MUCH feedback, I'm SURE!! Issues like this WASTE EVERYBODY'S TIME...in starting up and ending services; returning the CRAP (not to mention the fricken HOURS on the phone w/"customer service" OR online w/a USELESS tech trying to get it right, first, before coming to the conclusion that "there is nothing else that we can offer, at this time,") etc., etc.! UGH!!
ReplyDeleteI know that there are social networks that do product review things but...I wonder how much that type of feedback is even taken into consideration IF there are even design re-does. It would be NICE if MORE peeps who actually *do* know how to make BETTER PRODUCTS could come forward; present their product design IDEAS; get sponsored, say, via a collective group of INTERESTED PARTIES...of which *some* of them would get the opportunity to put their product *in* the forthcoming product(!!); make a prototype; and...FINALLY GET IT RIGHT!!!!!!!! But...I guess that there is "job security" to "worry" about, in the other method (of just "putting up with" CRAP and knowing that SURPRISINGLY, there is no one else in that market *but* the CRAP!!!!!! :-(
If you have not already done so, talk to support at Virgin. Unfortunately you will almost certainly end up talking to someone in Bombay (or similar) ... and don't get me started, but that should NOT be happening, for so many reasons!
ReplyDeleteApart from anything else, it's 'unfortunate' because of the level of support typically available from their resources there, which is usually somewhere between comical and abysmal!
Hang up as soon as you here the accent, and redial, and keep doing this (I know, it's tedious) until you eventually get a familiar sounding voice (more often than not with a cute Geordie or Irish accent!)
It's a total lottery, as you are answered by the first available techie, and the numbers of them overseas is VASTLY greater than the numbers in the UK.
From experience though, I've found that the levels of service and knowledge on offer are incomparable ... whenever I've had to make contact (to the UK) they've been amongst some of the best tech-support people I've dealt with, though invariably they all start off with the 'reboot' and then take it from there ... on the very odd occasion that they have been unable to resolve a problem, thay are able to 'elevate' the issue to a higher level of support, when I have ended up talking with someone who was not only obviously well clued up about their subject, but enthusiastic in their approach too!
Now I think from an earler post that I've the same box as you and have had for some time ... I have to say that it's been flawless in operation, though your point about end times on programs is well made ... I had VCRs with that precise function, more than 10 years ago!