Force upgrade Ignite, refuse to fix Internet. Command from Rogers headquarter

[GoodWeather]

Just want to save you guys some hazard with my past week of experience if your internet is having problem. I have a defect cable from outside station to my house(initially I don't know). All departments(Ignite, regular tech, business tech and etc.) cannot book tech to visit, because the headquarter setup the system not able to book tech visit unless you are Ignite upgraded(which is much expensive and more profit for Rogers). So, I did the upgrade to Ignite, the guys finally show up, and he said, nothing wrong with the modem, it's the cable outside half broken, keep disconnection. He suggest me to call for service request for cable replacement or "modem move". But after I try to call, there is still no way to book appointment, even I know it's just cable broken. At this point, I could already tell what Rogers is up to, pretty much just force me to upgrade. But since I insist to refuse upgrade and I know the real issue, one of the ignite department guys send a manually request to tech, and got appointment booked. So, they do have a way to book an appointment, just don't want to do it. So, when it comes to appointment day, my appointment was just cancelled with one SMS notification. Apparently, Rogers internally reach an agreement, not to fix legacy internet plan, unless you do the ignite upgrade. I called them this morning, and ask how can I fixed the issue, and the guys clearly tell me: "That's what brought us here if you don't upgrade to ignite. So, do you consider the upgrade, so I could get you the appointment booked". At this point, I pretty much give up on Rogers.

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[RogersMaude]

Good day @GoodWeather,

Welcome to the Rogers Community and thank you for your post!

I appreciate your detailed account of events and I can understand the inconveniences this situation may cause you.

May I ask why you categorically refuse to consider upgrading your legacy services to the Ignite platform?

We appreciate your business, value your loyalty and surely want to keep you as a satisfied Rogers customer. We'd be happy to review your options if you give us the opportunity to investigate things.

For further assistance, we'll need to access to your account to discuss privately and go through the authentication process.

Feel free to send a message to @CommunityHelps, when you have a chance. To know how to send us a private message, check out this blog. Thanks!

RogersMaude

[GoodWeather]

Lol, look at this. This is the direction this agent is going too. Instead of talking about "Fixing existing issue" which has nothing to do with plan upgrade, the agent's suggestion direction changed to "May I ask why you categorically refuse to consider upgrading your legacy services to the Ignite platform?". For one clear reason, my plan is only $49.99 per month 500Mbps, instead of $59.99 per month 1.5Gbps. The speed increase is useless for me. And to upgrade, I need to lock another 2 years. 

Since the headquarter's command is more for "Get rid of all legacy customer at any cost", there is no longer good service. So, usually support agent will "Change the topic". I'm not here to look for solution. Just to warn all other customers that this might be happening if you own legacy service but contract is not over yet. I believe the dark time will eventually pass when all those old contract is over, since I used Rogers/Fido for 15+ years, I know this dirty trick is not forever.

[NotTVSavvy]

Hi Maude.  I'm going to jump in on GoodWeather's frustration with being forced to upgrade to IGNITE.

1)  We are happy with gateway system (not even bluecurve), works like a charm

2) gateway has ability to save 1000 hours worth of recorded programs (forever) vs 200 hours for up to 1 year

3) monthly cost is definately cheaper with what we have and we don't need anything faster as NOT streaming programs via ignite means doesn't impact any other of our devices

4) as per #3, this would then probably mean we have to upgrade from 500 GB to 1 T -ever more $$  per month

5) we have an older AVR (15 years old) which we connect from STB (cable Box) to our AVR (receiver) via optical / digital for our sound system to get DOLBY 5.1 surround sound, and the NEW ignite box doesn't have a digital/optical plug.  This means we now have to pay $1000 to buy a new AVR to keep our $5000 surround sound working with the IGNITE box

6) have been told by many users on the FORUM that even buying a NEW AVR receiver may not work with our older TV (with set up from IGNITE box VIA new AVR), because the new AVR's only have E-ARC and TV is older and only has ARC, so probably will not continue to get DOLBY 5.1 

7) as per 6 above , that now means we have to buy a new TV, for another $1200 + that has e-ARC connections

😎 We've also read on the forums that many channels are not Dolby 5.1, and somehow the Ignite box needs to convert this, and then pass it through the Ignite box

9) also read through forums that there is an issue with "recorded" programs, also not creating the DD5.1 sound

SO......

1) We are now out at least $1000 for the cost of the AVR,

2) have not yet got the IGNITE boxes, which we have no clue whether they will work with this new AVR (get 100% DOLBY 5.1)

3) more than likely expected to upgrade from 500 to 1.5 package, in order to handle this different "streaming" technology - extra money

3) are expected to lock into 2 year contract when the boxes arrive, even though the entire system may not give us Dolby 5.1

4) We called Rogers Tech to get assurances that it would, but he actually couldn't commit to that statement

in summary, we just want to keep our Gateway legacy system which we are happy with.  A simple alternative would've been to just have the ignite boxes have a digital / optical connection

I wonder what Anne Druwa on Global would think if she was aware of this strong arm tactic that Rogers is using to force people into having to upgrade to something they don't want.  

Why is there no option to just continue on with what people want to keep, and take the "option" of upgrading if they so choose?

[57]

@NotTVSavvy : I strongly suggest you do more research before spouting all this mis-information.  As you said in the other thread, your username is a clue.

1. It costs any service provider too much money to keep two systems like Legacy Digital Cable and IPTV (IgniteTV) operating.  It has been almost 6 years that IgniteTV has been available in Ontario (Similar or longer  in Shaw country IPTV).  I am pleased that Rogers will be shutting down Legacy Digital Cable to save Rogers (and its customers), huge amounts of money. Technology and time march on.

2. True, but a hard drive failure (if you don't have a backup to an HTPC) will negate all those recordings. Also, a PVR should be used as a time-shifting device, not an archiving device.  Most programming is available online somewhere so the need for so much storage is no longer needed like it was 20 years ago.

3. The price of equivalent offerings with IgniteTV are often similar or less than renewing with a digital cable package, with the proper research and negotiations.

4. Many times, even with an upgrade to keep up with the times, the new packages can be equivalently priced, or less than your old package would become at renewal time. I go through this myself every year.

5. This comment is totally false and has been discussed extensively in the other thread where we have discussed how to get DD5.1 via an optical cable from the TV to the AVR.  I have exactly this setup on my 14-year old Denon.

6. Again, rumour and falsehoods are not the same as facts.

7. Rogers passes through the audio signal that the channel provides. This has nothing to do with Rogers. Some channels (at source) are DD5.1, while others are DD2.0.  Again, nothing to do with Rogers.

9. This is no longer the case and was resolved 16 months ago.  See the following thread on the topic.  Read the first and last posts of that thread - links below.

https://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/Ignite-TV/IgniteTV-Surround-Sound/m-p/493199#M14173

https://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/Ignite-TV/IgniteTV-Surround-Sound/m-p/499588/highlight/true#M1...

One additional point you may wish to be aware of is that Rogers licenses this technology from Comcast in the US, so Rogers relies on them for how the system works and also limits them to certain equipment, like the Gateways used and the IgniteTV STBs.  There is a lot of equipment today that no longer has older connections like analogue audio or even optical connections. If someone requires those connections if they have older equipment there are adaptors and workarounds for that older equipment.

Any time you compare different technologies or service providers there are going to be plusses and minuses on each side. I'm a firm believer that the plusses for IgniteTV far outweigh the minuses, but that's just my opinion.

[NotTVSavvy]

thank you 57. 

3) I did speak extensively with an agent about packages with Ignite, and literally the best we could get, being grandfathered, was an increase of $10 per month, with the new IGNITE system.

5) I'm just going off what the Denon support had advised.  that the old AVR just can't do passthrough.  As we are experimenting on the gateway Box vs the Ignite Box, We had left the connection from STB to TV, via HDMI, and Digital/optical from AVR to TV.  We did get DOLBY 5.1 when accessing NETFLIX, but we did NOT get DOLBY 5.1 watching TV channels that had DOLBY.  only Stereo.   We were advised by Rogers, that the  IGNITE BOX needs to be connected to AVR (Not to TV)  via HDMI, and AVR to TV VIA HDMI, and optical cable between AVR & TV.  we have not tried that.  Maybe that could be the difference.  we will try that today.

6) was more about streaming between TV (accessing NETFLIX / PRIME VIDEO) via TV ...not via the Ignite Streaming Option.  as mentioned the Rogers Rep did say that the DOLBY 51. would work with ignite box via AVR, however he was unable to confirm that if just accessing NETFLIX / PRIME etc via TV 's smart HUB, whether that would provide the DOLBY , without using digital / optical continuing to be between TV and AVR (as were advised that ARC had to be either ARC to ARC or e-ARC to e-ARC, and that if TV was only ARC and AVR was e-ARC, that using the access to apps via TV smart HUB, may not work, and that keeping the digital / optical may

My name point was to support the other user, in the frustration of having to go through this entire process (as you know... you patiently coached me through all of set up issues with the old gateway box), and perhaps comparing apples to oranges, and new technology definately is something lots of people don't want or need.

It may just help if the technicians that you call at Rogers support would also know about these issues (as the one we called..we did ask him if he was aware of the "conversion" issue, that you confirmed and he advised he was not aware that it was / had been.

Just don't want to be locked into something that doesn't give us what we want, hence all the pre-troubleshooting.  I do respect your comments and hope that we will be able to get to where we are smiling again.  🙂

[57]

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@NotTVSavvy wrote:

It may just help if the technicians that you call at Rogers support would also know about these issues..

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Yes, that would be great, however, you must remember that most of the people you talk to are getting close to minimum wage, working in a "boiler room" and are often simply working off a script that they read after punching in a few keywords based on your question.  Since they are not experts in the field of say AVRs, the answers you get may not be correct.

You'll be far better off doing your own research on forums like this one or Digital Home where there are experts available for most topics.

I'm not quite sure why you're getting stereo instead of DD5.1 going "through" the TV, however, I suspect there is a setting in the TV that is not correct for audio - probably currently set for PCM or Stereo instead of DD or passthrough or bitstream.  You need to find that audio setting in the TV.  This is assuming you got DD5.1 when you were connected from the STB to the AVR.   

You need to also set the proper "decoding" in the Denon AVR, where it should be set for DPLII Cinema (or similar) so that you don't see "stereo".  You should only see "stereo" for 2 channel signals when you don't want surround sound, for music purists for example.  Please ensure that you have the Denon set for surround and not for "direct stereo" or similar.  I'm guessing that it may be set up properly since you're getting Netflix with DD5.1, so that's why I mentioned the TV audio settings.  When the AVR receives DD2.0 Or PCM 2 channel (what you might call stereo), it is possible to use the Dolby Pro Logic II setting to provide surround sound for those signals and you should not see "stereo" on the front of the AVR.

PS. This topic should really be discussed in the other thread and not take this one off topic.  

[57]

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@NotTVSavvy wrote:

3) I did speak extensively with an agent about packages with Ignite, and literally the best we could get, being grandfathered, was an increase of $10 per month, with the new IGNITE system.

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What you are doing here is comparing your current package with a future package. This is not an apples to apples comparison, especially if your current package is a year or two old. What you need to compare is IgniteTV with how much it would cost you to renew the Digital Cable package.  Based on past experience, most people have found the latter to be significantly more expensive, as it should  be, since it's such a burden on Rogers to maintain.