WOW is WOW!
Written: Feb 13 '09 (Updated Feb 13 '09)
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Pros: Knowledgeable employees, minimal problems, clear picture and sound.
Cons: Limited On Demand and service area.
The Bottom Line: Glad we switched to WOW. Everything working flawlessly. Great service.
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| tram409's Full Review: WOW Cable Service |
Like millions of other people, we have been looking for ways to save money. Our first targets were the phone and cable service. Leaving Comcast and AT&T actually took about a half second to decide, since we were fed up with rude and crabby employees, lousy cable picture, and lack of cooperation. At the urging of our neighbors who have had WOW service for about a year, we called and made an appointment.
The WOW prices for each service (phone, Internet, and cable) were individually not bad, but as a bundle for what we needed, it fit the bill and actually saved us about $150 a month. The person taking our order for service also threw in a few small freebies, and guaranteed our price/plan until the end of 2010. After making the appointment, they came out within a few days, and we were up and running in no time. The installer provided us with an extensive (over 180 pages) instruction book that covered all three services, equipment, troubleshooting, and other information concerning WOW. The installer also left us his cell phone number in case we had a question or problem after he left.
Cable reception is excellent. The picture is sharp, consistent, onscreen listings guide is far superior to Comcast's, and the DVR is so simple to operate and set recordings, that I don't know how we ever lived without one. The channel selection is almost the same as what we had with Comcast, and offers a wide variety of programming. (Because the channel lineup is so extensive, I won't list it here, but would suggest you visit WOW's web site (http://www.wowway.com) to view the various packages.)
The VOIP (Internet phone service) is also excellent. Reception is clear as a bell, there was absolutely no interruption in service with the changeover, and all our equipment -- phones and fax -- work flawlessly with the WOW modem (which handles both Internet and phone, by the way). And my favorite thing about the phone -- and this still thrills us every time we see it -- is that if the TV is on and there's an incoming call, the caller ID is displayed on the TV screen. No more getting off the couch to see who's calling. It's an ultimate couch potato's dream! As far as options/features to the phone service, there are many, including free local and long distance, call forwarding, call waiting, selective blocking (nice feature!), keeping your same phone number, and many others.
One very important factor to consider when going with VOIP is 911/emergency services. Depending on your local area, 911 dispatchers may not be able to see your address. WOW has remedied that and by calling 911, the dispatcher see not only your phone number but the location, which would greatly assist in an emergency.
The second big concern with VOIP is if the power goes out, the modem won't receive power and that would cause the phones not to work. But the modem WOW provided has battery backup, which is good for four hours of down time. That should {{{knock on wood}}} be sufficient for most power outages in our area.
The Internet has been no problem, and we're getting speeds in excess of the 4 megs in our price plan (usually around 6 megs download). They do offer different packages with higher speeds, should you require it.
We had to call the support line with a very minor problem -- the cable was not receiving the higher channels. Our call was answered in less than a minute by a female who -- excuse me for not being PC -- spoke English and knew what she was talking about. She had us up and running in less than two minutes by rebooting our DVR/cable box. She was polite, friendly, and it was obvious she knew what she was doing.
On Demand is also offered, but unfortunately is not as extensive as we'd like, although we do usually find something to watch in the free listings.
We have friends and family who would like to jump on the WOW wagon, but they are unfortunately not servicing all areas. They're apparently still growing and expanding. I am sure if they keep up the excellent service we have received, they should have no problem competing with the likes of Comcast.
Finally, I'd like to add that one of the things that really turned me off about other cable services is their advertising. I don't like ads that are political -- I hate sarcasm and pointing the finger and "he said, she said" type arguments. WOW's advertising isn't like that. They're not out to point out the faults of other companies. Their ads are low key and we don't fast forward through them like we used to do with you-know-who.
Bottom line is we're very happy we switched and have no plans to go anywhere else.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 130
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Epinions.com ID:
tram409
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Reviews written: 24
Trusted by: 0 members
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