Cablemas is swapping out old digital boxes for new ones. If you have more than one, they will only swap out your "principal" box. Just take the old one, the power cord and the remote and they give you a new one in the box. If you go to the office on Chichen Itza, line up along the left side of the line to pay your bill. You do NOT need to take a number. I was there about 20-25 minutes today. Two guys working the desk. The first one accepts your old box and hands you off to the other guy who gives you the new one. It's not quite that simple. Be sure to bring a copy of your bill and a photo ID. They have a new channel line up, somewhat different from the current one. The new channels begin at 102. I have not hooked mine up yet. Curious if 284 and 286 will come up. Of course they told me they would but my money is that it will take a call or a visit to activate them. Any takers? I ran into V there who was establishing new service and they set an appointment for tomorrow morning. Same bet applies to the extent that I think they will not make it in the morning. Ja Ja.
TJ, Did channels 284 and 286 show up on your new cable box or was it an ordeal to get those channels again? Susan
Just a FYI... if you change your old digital box for the new HD ones.. you'll be charged an extra 99 pesos starting in the next months for the HD service... so it's not a "free" upgrade..... according to the fine print on the back of my cable bill anyway...
Susan, I need to go there tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder. I do NOT have 284 and 286 with the new box. Calling is a joke. I have gotten been unable to get anything but busy signal after numerous attempts. And the remote really sucks. It is NOT universal like the other one so now I have one that does nothing but turn on the tv, one for dvd, one for Sling Box and this damn new POS that Life just says is costing me $99 a month more.
What are 284 and 286, folks? When I signed up for the service, I contracted for "Paquete Plus" because it was the only way to get BBC and CNN International, I was told (the brouchure indicated likewise). I choose this package at a cost of about 85 pesos/month eventhough every other offering on it was useless to me. However, from the moment it was installed all I got on the two channels I was interested in, 651, and 656, was a message that there was no signal. I called, next day, to the sales rep, who said she'd take care of it. When there was no action, I submitted a complaint through the email system on their website: there has been no action, nor reply to that, either. I hate having to go into their office, but that will have to be the next step, with Profeca after that, if necessary.
V - I've been able to fix issues with them over the phone. I couldn't get through to customer service (wtf?), so I would always connect to the "technical problems" people and they took care of things pretty quickly.
V, Channel 284 is ABC and 286 is NBC. Both channels are from Miami so I can get US news and see all of my favorite TV shows when they first air....unlike waiting years, in some cases, to see them here. I can't remember how much extra the channels are each month, but they were a hassle to get (thanks again for helping me get them, TJ!) and nobody at Cablemas seems to know about these mysterious channels. It was totally worth the hassle though.
Ohhhh those are the channels I want! When hubby called they told him the channels were/are not available in Cancun. WTH. So, are they??? If so, hooooow???!!!!
When I very first got my cable box years ago, I remember watching the tech flip through lots of US channels which got me excited, then after he left I realized I couldn't get to any of them.. and later found out that Cablemas isn't licensed to rebroadcast them.. so while they do have access to many other channels you have to really persuade someone to configure your box to access them since they are not officially offered... several of us ex-pats bitched & moaned a while back that when purchasing the "international package" we should get those channels and for a while they we giving into the demands and adding them if you bothered them about it enough, but that was some time ago so finding anyone cooperative at the office today might be a real challenge.
Went there today to have them turn back on 284 and 286 which I have had since about 2007. Had them the day I swapped my box until I hooked up the new one. Today , after I got a tiny bit loud with the gal I started out with, Juan, with whom I have had 3 pleasant transactions, told me that they no longer were licensed to broadcast those channels, EXCEPT in the Hotel Zone. Customers who have 284 and 286 will be disconnected on Feb 15 or 16. Customers who swap boxes before then will not be able to connect with the crappy new box, with no display for clock or channel and the most basic remote in history. My remote for the bedroom fan is more technically advanced. Then another agent joined us (I now had control of 3 of the 7 on duty agents) and she said that "management" was working with the providers to see if they could offer the service to customers downtown. All this makes ZERO sense unless the can provide certain signals to commercial clients and not to residential clients. Please contact me my PM if you have Cablemas service and either have or want ABC and NBC in English. My most recent cost is $14.15 per month x the two channels. There may be strength in numbers and I am happy to be the ringleader. Tell your friends and neighbors who may be interested. Ask friends if they have or want this service. Even Cablemas might respond favorably if they can see revenue that can be captured. In talking by phone to two friends from the board we think it best to wait until a few days after Feb. 15 and follow up with Cablemas and ask our friends who have not yet swapped out their boxes what happened on this date. I might also go down and try to get the right person who will simply turn on this signal to get me to shut up. It is every one for themselves but you can bet I will report in.
