Brighthouse Service remains poor

[Roaddog53]

Today I had an appointment for Brighthouse to put in a whole house DVR system. According to their customer service, since I had the current required DVRs, all it would take is no more than 5-10 minutes max to put in a network connection setup.
Two contractors for Brighthouse showed up on time 1 hour into the 2 hour window. They park in the driveway with an older truck and stated they were here to install the network. Brighthouse has a rule that they can not take off their work boots or put on booties when they walk into any house. I had experienced this on past occasions. As they walk in they reeked with smoke.
One goes in the garage and one on the main box. He installs the "connection" in the garage and the other works on the box in the house.
Here is the funny part. They call to get the boxes turned on (put on the speaker phone) and are put on hold as a normal customer. Finally after about 5-10 minutes customer service answers. They identify themselves and asked to reset the system. They asked if they could get a couple of "pushes" in case it did not work and the service said no. Bottom line... after waiting over an hour, and still on hold, I said I had another appointment soon. They were very polite and said they understood while still on hold and left. The system was never setup.
This is typical I have found of Brighthouse. I have had bad DVRs replaced more than once, over charged for digital converters, pixelated tv and guides, slow internet speeds not what was paying for, poor wi-fi operation, phone transferred without knowledge, and much more.
I believe they are no better and even worse from the other main companies I have also had in the past. At least with Comcast/Charter, you finally get a setup, better options (4+ recordings at once), similar pricing (called) and not NEARLY the issues. Perhaps it is time to move on.

[JoMar]

Have Brighthouse for a year and have no issues. My DVR's do 7 recordings so not sure what you are getting. Also the merger is between Brighthouse and Charter. Comcast has been identified as having one of the worst customer service capability in the industry and that was the opinion of their CEO. Change if you must, take Comcast if you feel better but please understand the playing field and the products.

[MikeV]

You could always go with an HD antenna and AmaZon Prime and/or Netflix.

[Jima64]

Sounds like you made a good statement for getting rid of Brighthouse. My personal choice is the attic antenna and netflix since I have necer found that much to need 4 or 7 recording dvr capability. Just my own view.

[Roaddog53]

Have Brighthouse for a year and have no issues. My DVR's do 7 recordings so not sure what you are getting. Also the merger is between Brighthouse and Charter. Comcast has been identified as having one of the worst customer service capability in the industry and that was the opinion of their CEO. Change if you must, take Comcast if you feel better but please understand the playing field and the products.

Not everyone has problems with every service. I for one north had very little problems with Comcast service. It was their "customer service" that was not so good. But if you had minimal service issues, no need for customer service. Now Charter and ATT was a different animal. Many I knew and me had problems with both often. That was why the initial switch from ATT to Charter, than I moved. Heard of Brighthouse so tried them. I understand most services may have some issues. Always give them chances. But the continuance is just frustrating.

You will have to let me know how you get 7 recordings at one time. Yesterday, and prior services, phone customer support, plus going to the Brownwood store and chatting with their manager while waiting for a new box they all say 4 recordings is in beta testing and will be out soon. It will require certain boxes but I already have them.

I have Netflix and is useful. We refuse to watch MOST network TV and news programs, but watch most cable programs such as ESPN, the Weather Channel, History, Military, Discovery, TNT, etc. so some sort of cable is needed.

Hey BTW. Has anyone else ever did the math on Direct TVs 99% uptime /reliability they state on commercials? That equates to about 7-8 hours a month DOWNTIME! Lol

[SCCHAMBY2000@YAHOO.COM]

We had Brighthouse when we moved last July. After 7 service calls because the system would not work for a day and then start working again they came out and found "a loose connection" every time. The next day we would lose phone, internet and cable. We had to change and went with Direct TV and centurylink. We have had only an occasional lose of satellite in a heavy storm.

[dotti105]

Centurylink Fiber Optic WiFi is very good. Although their customer service is like so many others, outsourced and unavailable after 5pm. We use an Apple Extreme instead of their router. (Better router and no rental fees)

We don't have a home phone. Our cell phones are with AT&T, which offers great service and the best pricing we could find.

DirecTV is hard to beat for picture TV quality and programing. For the sports enthusiast, DirecTV has it all. We have only had outages for 1/2 hr or less during the worst of rain storms. Usually there is no outage at all, even when it is pouring. We had more outages in Utah when we would have to go out and sweep the snow off of the dish.

The thing that bothers us, is the billing for each. We have the services bundled and save a whopping $5 a month. Woo Hoo!

But Centurylink has a 1 year contract and you have to watch the calendar. YOU have to call them to renew the contract, otherwise your Internet bill will double. Then you call, go through the phone tree and get put on hold for way too long. You know the drill. They will renew your contract and the bill gets cut in half. But of course you have to stay on top of that and call to renew before your contract ends or have the bill increase again...they love it when you forget to renew....

DirecTV offers very inexpensive packages to new customers. But like many other companies, if you have been with them a while, those offers aren't available. You have to call "customer retention" and tell them your bill is too high and they will cut it down for 6 months to a year. Then YOU have to be on top of those promotion ending dates and call again to get a better price.

I hate playing the "Pricing Game", but from what I understand all the premium TV services do the same. To us, it is an inconvenience that we are willing to deal with to keep the great programing and picture of DirecTV. We have had them for 10-15 yrs (out west and here) and do love their quality of packages and picture quality. We just wish we could avoid the hard sell of pricing, much like buying a car!!! I'm not a fan of haggling.

[JoMar]

Not everyone has problems with every service. I for one north had very little problems with Comcast service. It was their "customer service" that was not so good. But if you had minimal service issues, no need for customer service. Now Charter and ATT was a different animal. Many I knew and me had problems with both often. That was why the initial switch from ATT to Charter, than I moved. Heard of Brighthouse so tried them. I understand most services may have some issues. Always give them chances. But the continuance is just frustrating.

You will have to let me know how you get 7 recordings at one time. Yesterday, and prior services, phone customer support, plus going to the Brownwood store and chatting with their manager while waiting for a new box they all say 4 recordings is in beta testing and will be out soon. It will require certain boxes but I already have them.

I have Netflix and is useful. We refuse to watch MOST network TV and news programs, but watch most cable programs such as ESPN, the Weather Channel, History, Military, Discovery, TNT, etc. so some sort of cable is needed.

Hey BTW. Has anyone else ever did the math on Direct TVs 99% uptime /reliability they state on commercials? That equates to about 7-8 hours a month DOWNTIME! Lol

We have 2 DVR boxes from Brighthouse and both have the ability to record 7 shows or 6 shows and watch one. The boxes and the service was installed September 2014. Everything continues to work fine (except when the landscaper cut the cable) and yes, both my wife and I watch a lot of programs. We record everything, including sporting events, and watch whenever we can find the time. We had Comcast in previous years when we rented and they were horrible. We came from PA where Comcast was the rock and they were horrible. Have friends in PA that are envious because we have choices and they have Comcast. As said before, to each his own and what we have works very well for us.

[jgm3279]

Our dvr box from Brighthouse will only record 2 shows at the same time, and that is without watching another channel..wonder why such a dicrepancy among our boxes?

[Roaddog53]

I thought maybe it was regionalized. I KNOW I asked at LEAST 4 times about >2 shows recorded at once and they tell me it is not out there yet. Beta testing . Although Comcast has it. Not sure of other companies. Great that some have it but odd. I just looked again and only 2. Anyone else get more than2? If so, it's worth a call no matter how long to find out what's going on.

[Jayhawk]

Our dvr box from Brighthouse will only record 2 shows at the same time, and that is without watching another channel..wonder why such a dicrepancy among our boxes?

Co$t. You can upgrade for a higher monthly rate.

[JoMar]

I thought maybe it was regionalized. I KNOW I asked at LEAST 4 times about >2 shows recorded at once and they tell me it is not out there yet. Beta testing . Although Comcast has it. Not sure of other companies. Great that some have it but odd. I just looked again and only 2. Anyone else get more than2? If so, it's worth a call no matter how long to find out what's going on.

It's on their website...Enhanced DVR. Record 6 shows.

[JoMar]

Co$t. You can upgrade for a higher monthly rate.

Exactly

[JoMar]

We currently offer two different stand alone DVRs. The normal 2 tuner DVR where you can record 2 shows at once. And we offer an Enhanced DVR where you can record up to 6 shows at once. With our Whole House DVR currently it's only a 2 tuner DVR, but with have begun Beta testing our new Voyager DVR, Voyager combines the recording
capabilities of the Enhanced DVR with the ability to stream to up to 7
HD boxes.

Whole house DVR doesn't and I don't think will work for us which is why we went with two Enhanced units. But always open to new technology.

[Villages contractor]

In my experience working in the villages I have found quite a few people with centurylink fiber optic phone, internet, and TV service. They have a whole home DVR very similar to Verizon fios and the picture quality is very good. Tom from villages AV knows someone who can set you up with services if you want to go that route. They also offer 30 days to try it in your home risk free without a contract.

[HimandMe]

We have a HD antenna with excellent viewing and sharp images. $279 no contract.
Comcast Internet $29.99 for Netflix, roku's thousand channels and our VoIP phone.

Total monthly cost $29.99

[HimandMe]

We have a HD antenna with excellent viewing and sharp images. $279 no contract.
Comcast Internet $29.99 for Netflix, roku's thousand channels and our VoIP phone.

Total monthly cost $29.99

Also...we purchased our own HD DVR online...no monthly contract.

We try to keep monthly bills to a minimum so researched what the university students use.

[biker1]

Plus taxes and fees on the Comcast charges and $8/month for Netflix and VoIP phones typically have a monthly fee.

We have a HD antenna with excellent viewing and sharp images. $279 no contract.
Comcast Internet $29.99 for Netflix, roku's thousand channels and our VoIP phone.

Total monthly cost $29.99

[HimandMe]

Plus taxes and fees on the Comcast charges and $8/month for Netflix and VoIP phones typically have a monthly fee.

You are correct and VoIP costs us a little over $8 a month. Add it up. It's a pittance by comparison. Works for us.

[joldnol]

Brighthouse dvr tech is state of the art for 2005. Just switched to xfinity for the same cost as brighthouse but way more features and channels.

[Shimpy]

A year or so ago all we heard was how great Brighthouse was and can we get it north of 466a...........Now not so great. It shows to not jump into something new because it's new............Like windows 10?

[JoMar]

Brighthouse dvr tech is state of the art for 2005. Just switched to xfinity for the same cost as brighthouse but way more features and channels.

They got another victim....good luck.

[JoMar]

My favorite expression with broadband / TV content providers.

Quality, Service, Price. Pick two...

That applies to most everything and is good to remember.

[mixsonci]

I just switched over from Brighthouse to Centurylink. There are some minor features of Brighthouse that I like better, (but it may be that I am just used to them), but all in all Centurylink is much better. I can record at least 5 or 6 shows at once and I can record them and/or watch them on any of the four boxes I have in my house, even the wireless box that I can move around (like out on the Lanai). Plus, my monthly payment is almost $100 less.

[Roaddog53]

In looking at some of the other services, they all seem to offer MORE product now than Brighthouse at the same or reduced price. Plus their equipment is more up to date. Maybe they just got to much to handle now. Another odd instance is when Brighthouse was only getting 15-20 mbs on internet but was paying for 30+ mbs. They (technician) said they were aware of the problem and were trying to work it out. But... no discount from what was paying.
When it comes to the Quality, Price, Service question. I worked in the service industry supporting auto sales. Service was important obviously to get return business and it was part of our mission. However, IF you have GREAT quality and the price is RIGHT, service ranks last since you won't need it as often. Once in a while it is tolerable if you know up front.
But to have poor quality (inferior product), pricing the same or worse, AND very poor service, it does't bode well for a company.

[JoMar]

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” – Benjamin Franklin ...

[dbussone]

The quality of service provided by Brighthouse far exceeds that provided by Comcast. And the customer service of BrightHouse is decades ahead of the "off shore" Comcast staff. After canceling Comcast 2 years ago, my service is more stable and faster than what allegedly was "the fastest.". I have no contract and am paying less than I was before.

[Villages contractor]

The quality of service provided by Brighthouse far exceeds that provided by Comcast. And the customer service of BrightHouse is decades ahead of the "off shore" Comcast staff. After canceling Comcast 2 years ago, my service is more stable and faster than what allegedly was "the fastest.". I have no contract and am paying less than I was before.

Tom brings up an excellent point. You aren't going to be a brighthouse customer much longer, give charter customer service a Google and that's what you have to look forward to. Also, brighthouse has some of the most dated inferior equipment I've ever encountered. Anytime I've ever installed a new service in a brighthouse customers house they are always blown away by the standard features of That other service.

Apples to Apples, brighthouse is behind. Customer service may be decent(ish) for now (which I don't agree with seeing as I've had them before and hated their customer service) but it will get worse with the merger. Look at past examples for proof of concept.

[Villages contractor]

I just switched over from Brighthouse to Centurylink. There are some minor features of Brighthouse that I like better, (but it may be that I am just used to them), but all in all Centurylink is much better. I can record at least 5 or 6 shows at once and I can record them and/or watch them on any of the four boxes I have in my house, even the wireless box that I can move around (like out on the Lanai). Plus, my monthly payment is almost $100 less.

Who did you sign up with for centurylink?

[dbussone]

Tom brings up an excellent point. You aren't going to be a brighthouse customer much longer, give charter customer service a Google and that's what you have to look forward to. Also, brighthouse has some of the most dated inferior equipment I've ever encountered. Anytime I've ever installed a new service in a brighthouse customers house they are always blown away by the standard features of That other service.



Apples to Apples, brighthouse is behind. Customer service may be decent(ish) for now (which I don't agree with seeing as I've had them before and hated their customer service) but it will get worse with the merger. Look at past examples for proof of concept.


I understand Charter is coming. I will never (I know) use Comcast if I have any say about it. It is a dishonest and unethical organization. Enough said.

[Villages contractor]

I understand Charter is coming. I will never (I know) use Comcast if I have any say about it. It is a dishonest and unethical organization. Enough said.

There are other options, I know for a fact centurylink is in the process of running fiber optic to the home through the entire villages, tom knows a guy you can call for quotes for them.

[dbussone]

There are other options, I know for a fact centurylink is in the process of running fiber optic to the home through the entire villages, tom knows a guy you can call for quotes for them.


Thank you. I appreciate that.

[Villages contractor]

Thank you. I appreciate that.

Anytime. I've worked quite a bit in sanibel and can confirm that you already have fiber ran to your home in that area. Might be worth giving centurylink a shake. If you can't get ahold of tom you can PM me for rates, I contract for them so I know quite a bit.

[TNLAKEPANDA]

Ok for those who love to be able t record lots of TV/Cable shows you need to look into Tivo
service. You get rid of all the cable company boxes and request a "cable card" which slides into the Tivo box and provides all the cable programing. On the down side you have to buy the Tivo DVR but the cost per month is so much lower than what you are paying for the crapy cable DVR's the Tivo will pay for itself in a little over a year. Reviews on Tivo are outstanding. Check out some Youtube videos. I think it also works with Direct TV.

[JoMar]

Thank you. I appreciate that.

Century Link DVR is behind Xfinity and Brighthouse. Fiber to the home really doesn't buy you much in a residential setting but it makes for good marketing. None of them provide great service but Brighthouse and Century Link are light years ahead of Xfinity.

[mixsonci]

I had Brighthouse and now I have CenturyLink. It is Fiber Optic here south of 466A, don't know about the rest of TV. And I can tell you for sure, that Century Link DVRs are far far superior to what Brighthouse has, no comparison at all and I was paying $100 a month more with Brighthouse. Although I do miss News13 and their "on Demand" is better and easier to use.

Villages Contractor, my salesman (he rang my bell and I invited him in because I was already looking to get rid of Brighthouse with CenturyLink) was Burt R., his phone number is 352 507 8556

[BHNtechXpert]

There are other options, I know for a fact centurylink is in the process of running fiber optic to the home through the entire villages, tom knows a guy you can call for quotes for them.

I find it a bit ironic, disturbing and frankly unprofessional that a contractor or representative of The Villages would openly berate one provider while at the same time clearly promoting another. There appears to be motive....

For everyone else...

My name is Gary Doda and I am the Forums Manager for Bright House Networks. The quality of your Bright House Networks service and experience matters greatly to me and obviously our company. If you have service, technical or account issues or would like to establish new service I encourage you to reach out to me here via IM, via email at BHNtechXpert@mybrighthouse.com or in our private (one to one) support forums here https://www.dslreports.com/forum/bhousedirect (you will need to register first).

I look forward to hearing from you and will normally respond very quickly at any time of day or night.

[JoMar]

I had Brighthouse and now I have CenturyLink. It is Fiber Optic here south of 466A, don't know about the rest of TV. And I can tell you for sure, that Century Link DVRs are far far superior to what Brighthouse has, no comparison at all and I was paying $100 a month more with Brighthouse. Although I do miss News13 and their "on Demand" is better and easier to use.

Villages Contractor, my salesman (he rang my bell and I invited him in because I was already looking to get rid of Brighthouse with CenturyLink) was Burt R., his phone number is 352 507 8556

And how are they superior?

[SouthOfTheBorder]

And how are they superior?

mixsonci,

I have the same question as JoMar. Could you provide a few examples?

It would help those of us who may not be familiar with CenturyLink technology/interface.

Also how does CL distribute TV signal to each set-top box; via coax or using the RJ45 connection?.

I know that CL has fiber to the house.

Thanks for your input.
Don

[SouthOfTheBorder]

Prism uses ethernet, coax and wireless technology to distribute signals to the set top boxes. It doesn't really matter how the signal is being delivered as long as there is adequate bandwidth, it's all digital from front to back

Full disclosure : I�m a Comcast dealer


Thanks for the info, that gives me a better idea of how CL delivers signals.

It can make a significant difference if it is delivered only via a physical point on a wall and that wall is not where you want your TV located or if the room is absent any coax/ethernet outlets. :thumbup:

Don

[Retired75]

I find it a bit ironic, disturbing and frankly unprofessional that a contractor or representative of The Villages would openly berate one provider while at the same time clearly promoting another. There appears to be motive....

For everyone else...

My name is Gary Doda and I am the Forums Manager for Bright House Networks. The quality of your Bright House Networks service and experience matters greatly to me and obviously our company. If you have service, technical or account issues or would like to establish new service I encourage you to reach out to me here via IM.

I look forward to hearing from you and will normally respond very quickly at any time of day or night.

I agree, it does say a lot about a company if they have to come on here and be little another company just to make themselves seem better than the other. I have been looking on T.O.T.V and if you ask me there seem to be a lot more people very dissatisfied with Comcast and CL. I have had Brighthouse for over 1 year now, and I must say that I have never had such a great experience with a company from day one, when I contacted my Sales Rep, to my installation and to everytime I have had dealings with the company. I go to Ocala very often so I usually stop at the Belleview, FL office and pay my bill and the reps there are great. I would recommend Brighthouse over and over to all my friends and neighbors. My sales rep that has always given me and my neighbors is Lysander and he works directly for Brighthouse. I would say, don't wait any longer if you are not happy with who you have now, call him. His cell phone number is 352-414-6756.

[mixsonci]

As I said earlier, I have 4 set top boxes, each box can record 5 or 6 (not sure how many) shows at one time independently of each other and I can watch the recordings on any of the TVs. One box is wireless (also records) so I can move it any where I want in the house including the Lanai. With BH I had 2 DVRs,only one could record and it could only record 2 shows at a time and I could not watch a third show, I had to watch one of the 2 that was recording or go to another TV. The 3rd box I had was a small (not DVR) box that was not compatible with the DVRs. It had a separate guide, channels were different, no "on demand" and I could not watch what I recorded and less than half as many channels. And for these 3 boxes I was paying $319.00 a month, although that did include $32 for the home security system.

[Roaddog53]

I am considering CL but all I can see is a top speed of 10 Mbps. Now I don't need a lot of speed but since e play XBox, and stream movies, that is pretty slow. I prefer at least 30+ speeds but don't need the crazy 75+. Anyone know if CL can get higher than 10? I would like also the 4-6 recordings while watching tv.i have asked a few friends and the ones that have CL don't think the "99%" uptime is to bad. They get an excellent picture too.

[Roaddog53]

Too bad we couldn't set up some type of survey that includied BH, CC, And CL. Rate 1-5 on service, price, and customer service. Maybe add equipment type, programming. Anyone know how? Hopefully we old get honest updates from people having all three types.

[JoMar]

As I said earlier, I have 4 set top boxes, each box can record 5 or 6 (not sure how many) shows at one time independently of each other and I can watch the recordings on any of the TVs. One box is wireless (also records) so I can move it any where I want in the house including the Lanai. With BH I had 2 DVRs,only one could record and it could only record 2 shows at a time and I could not watch a third show, I had to watch one of the 2 that was recording or go to another TV. The 3rd box I had was a small (not DVR) box that was not compatible with the DVRs. It had a separate guide, channels were different, no "on demand" and I could not watch what I recorded and less than half as many channels. And for these 3 boxes I was paying $319.00 a month, although that did include $32 for the home security system.

Might want to investigate current technology before you compare to old technology. BH offers the boxes you describe as base units today, but they have boxes that record 6 at a time, have on demand and a bunch of other capabilities. We have two of the boxes (my wife and I have different viewing habits). The have whole house capability where you can watch anything anywhere but that doesn't fit our lifestyle. We also have phone and internet (110mbs) and don't approach $319.00. There service has been outstanding although I have only called them twice and one of those times was because a landscaper cut their access cable. Not sure how long ago you had BH but what you had is ancient history, not current availability.

[tuccillo]

If you live in an area that has fiber to the house, I believe they offer 10, 40, 100, and 1000 Mbit/sec download speeds.

I am considering CL but all I can see is a top speed of 10 Mbps. Now I don't need a lot of speed but since e play XBox, and stream movies, that is pretty slow. I prefer at least 30+ speeds but don't need the crazy 75+. Anyone know if CL can get higher than 10? I would like also the 4-6 recordings while watching tv.i have asked a few friends and the ones that have CL don't think the "99%" uptime is to bad. They get an excellent picture too.

[mixsonci]

Might want to investigate current technology before you compare to old technology. BH offers the boxes you describe as base units today, but they have boxes that record 6 at a time, have on demand and a bunch of other capabilities. We have two of the boxes (my wife and I have different viewing habits). The have whole house capability where you can watch anything anywhere but that doesn't fit our lifestyle. We also have phone and internet (110mbs) and don't approach $319.00. There service has been outstanding although I have only called them twice and one of those times was because a landscaper cut their access cable. Not sure how long ago you had BH but what you had is ancient history, not current availability.

Well you are lucky. I have only been here since January, so i assumed they gave me their latest and most updated equipment (so it wasn't exactly old technology) and I had what I stated in my last post and I paid $319.00

[Chatbrat]

When we first moved to the Villages, had Comcast--they immediately made me feel I was being ripped off--they charged us for installation in brand new pre-wired house,then e had a small service problem-after experiencing their wonderful customer service-dumped them after 6 weeks

Tried Dish stayed with them for about 2 years. Billing hassles--drove us away.

Been with Century Link Prism for the last 2 years-good service, no problems.

[Retired75]

I too was charged for install even though my home is prewired, all the installer did was tie into the lines in my garage. When i switched to brighthouse, my sales rep got all my prewired outlets done for free. I was going to try centurylink but i have had a copy of my neighbors who switched, and werr promised one price and every month the price has been different. So i did not want to deal with tons of billing problem. I switched to Brighthouse and it has been the best decision yet. I think my salesman has a post on here with specials. His name is Lysander.

[JoMar]

Well you are lucky. I have only been here since January, so i assumed they gave me their latest and most updated equipment (so it wasn't exactly old technology) and I had what I stated in my last post and I paid $319.00

Did you deal directly with BH or go through a third party? We moved in Sept 2014 and have what I explained in my post. Something strange since the enhanced services have been available since we moved in, not sure how earlier than that. We also didn't ask what they had, told them and Century Link what we wanted. Century Link at the time couldn't provide what we wanted, BH could and it has been working great since day 1.

[mixsonci]

Directly through Brighthouse, Lysander in fact, (as mentioned above). And when I returned their equipment they asked me why and when I told them, they never offered me anything better. (Can't imagine what they would have charged me if I did try to upgrade). Anyway, glad you're happy with BH, I'm happy with CL and my new, lower monthly bill now.

[JoMar]

Directly through Brighthouse, Lysander in fact, (as mentioned above). And when I returned their equipment they asked me why and when I told them, they never offered me anything better. (Can't imagine what they would have charged me if I did try to upgrade). Anyway, glad you're happy with BH, I'm happy with CL and my new, lower monthly bill now.

Which is why the free market works :)