Add a second issue to the list with WOW cable — the Emergency Alert System implementation on the Cisco DVR moderately stinks. I understand the legal requirements, but they do not include cutting off normal audio to play the recorded statement. Not for a local weather bulletin, anyway. The system is there so the President can override the media when he chooses, at which point they must play the message. But the National Weather Service issues emergency alerts almost every day, so I effectively can't watch anything with this box. e.g. right now it's pointing out that it rained this morning. And the TV volume is low enough that I couldn't hear the actual program that was on from over here. The alerts comes on at twice the volume of any program that wasn't directed by Michael Bay.

I have a call in on my low signal problems. If they fix that, I'll decide whether I want to keep the Cisco box, buy/build my own DVR, or downgrade to a DTA (without HD ... no, not really). Or switch to Comcast anyway. They have a much better implementation on their Motorola DVR, or at least they did last year. They couldn't keep their cable modems up, but they did a good job with video. Or switch to DirecTV, which only has to carry national alerts.

It takes so much work to just sit in front of the TV for a bit. How do other people do it?