Orange County, CA - Cox [Text View] - Page 14

AMRivlin

10-05-07, 02:44 PM

SOOOO Frustrating. How is Irvine not ready to be upgraded? I know I am b*tching and complaining, but COX really needs to get their act together. I will retract all these comments if I get home and get to watch LAA spank BOS in HD this weekend. I seriously want to look into Dish / Direct if they continue to LAG on content.

On another note... Anyone going to watch the Rugby matches this weekend (Not on TV, Cox doesn't offer Sentanta) PPV at Harp Inn $20 (Costa Mesa) and Mozambique Free(Laguna). Wallabies 6am, and All Blacks at noon. Let me know maybe we can meet up for a beer.

fenwayfan

10-05-07, 03:21 PM

skatensx

10-05-07, 03:24 PM

I've had the new HD channels for a couple of weeks already and TBS-HD (on channel 727) just shows up after I reboot my Sony HD-PVR.

For info, I live in Irvine zip 92618.

Eric

of course, the red sox fan gets the game is hd haha

gcwieka

10-05-07, 03:36 PM

fenwayfan

10-05-07, 04:15 PM

of course, the red sox fan gets the game is hd haha

Actually I don't really care much about baseball and I'm not a Red Sox fan either. I used to work near Boston for a year and thought it'd be a cool nickname on the internet forums.
I guess I need to change soon :).

Eric

skatensx

10-05-07, 05:02 PM

i find it interesting that i dont have any of the new hd channels, even though im a couple miles away from 92618 (irvine), which gets the all the new hd channels. cox is strange and needs to start upgrading or whatever they need to do to expand.

moyekj

10-05-07, 05:29 PM

Currently I'm on a Digital Calble/DVR promotion by Cox. I told them I wanted to continue the Digital Cable, but remove the DVR. They said that for HDTV service for the encrypted channels, I needed the DVR box. Its the only one they carry for HDTV. Total Monthly Fees would be about $75.

Now I know I can use the QAM tuner and get the local channels without the DVR, but is this my only option? Their web page on hdtv pricing seems to indicate you can rent an HD non-DVR box for $5.25/month:
http://www.cox.com/ocpv/hdtv/pricing.asp
If that's not the case you need to point out the above page and have them correct it. Or say you don't want DVR services and shouldn't have to pay the $9.95/month DVR service fee.

xcrappy

10-05-07, 05:56 PM

I thought I read the home game on Sunday was going to be on TNT-HD, but I guess I read wrong. Shouldn't have sold my 4 tickets!

pmsimon

10-05-07, 07:00 PM

Cox added TBS-HD in Palos Verdes effective today, channel 708. Yankees-Indians on right now.

irvinecox

10-05-07, 07:11 PM

xcrappy

10-05-07, 08:39 PM

Angel game on TNT-HD right now as the Indians-Yankees game goes into extra innings on TBS

TheRock

10-05-07, 08:43 PM

Has anyone experienced tiling, 'get this service now' banners and unrecordable channel on Motorola DVR in Irvine or actually anywhere in OC lately? This has been a big problem here in North Irvine and Cox has been somewhat incaoable of finding the root cause! Thanks

Yeah. It seems I have been seeing the subscription bug on a fairly regular basis lately. Don't know what COX/MOTOROLA did but in the past month the occurrence has increased drastically.

I just noticed that the 3 TEST channels that we have had for the past month or two in Mission Viejo are now gone. Hopefully this is a sign the final testing is over and they are getting ready to activate the channels.

skatensx

10-05-07, 09:07 PM

so awesome its on tnt-hd, thank you yankees indians. now they better not switch it back when its over!

OmahaTVAddict

10-05-07, 09:27 PM

Oh they will once the Yankees-Indians game is over.

skatensx

10-05-07, 09:41 PM

depressing

jlstang95

10-05-07, 09:48 PM

We have TBS-HD in Aliso Viejo. Watching the Angels right now. They must have added it today.

tjstoddard

10-06-07, 12:32 AM

Yup, I'm watching it in Aliso Viejo on TBS HD 727 as well, came home from the bar and was pleasantly surprised. I guess COX customer and tech support weren't pulling my leg when they said any day now....

Go Sox!!!!!!! :cool:

Yankees are thru.... :eek:

AMRivlin

10-06-07, 12:51 AM

gag. First I have to watch in SD, then I have to see Manny in SD standing there soaking it in. I guess the Angels are the weakest offense this post season. All I can hope is the Indians will smash the sox, in HD on FOX of course.

xcrappy

10-06-07, 02:18 AM

Its not completely the angel's fault, they are going through some tough injuries right now. No Matthews, no Vlad for the last 2 innings (hope hes alright), Garret's eye infection...

That fan who stole the ball really helped Boston out, otherwise they wouldn't have scored the run to tie the game that inning... kind of unfair seeing how it was in Mathis's glove and he took it out.

Don't give up, we are the best team in all of baseball at home.

twarren

10-06-07, 08:38 AM

Currently I'm on a Digital Calble/DVR promotion by Cox. I told them I wanted to continue the Digital Cable, but remove the DVR. They said that for HDTV service for the encrypted channels, I needed the DVR box. Its the only one they carry for HDTV. Total Monthly Fees would be about $75.

Now I know I can use the QAM tuner and get the local channels without the DVR, but is this my only option?

Someone is giving you bad information. I have only the HD box (not DVR) and its the same price as the non-HD box ($5.25/month). The HD channels are free, unless you want to watch ESPN/ESPN2/Discovery in which case you will pay an addiional $4.95/month.

irvinecox

10-06-07, 10:56 AM

skatensx

10-06-07, 12:44 PM

AMRivlin

10-06-07, 01:42 PM

Thank you for your email regarding TBS HD.

I apologize that I don't have more information, but there is an upgrade
in your area we need to complete before this channel can be available. I
do know that it is to happen shortly, but I do not have the exact
timeframe.

If you have any further questions, please reply to this email or contact
us at 888-222-7743.

Thank you for allowing us to assist you via www.cox.com.

Sincerely,
Carrie
Technical Support
SDCCC
Cox Communications - Video/Telephony Tech Support
Online Support Team

I don't even bother with this skatensx. Those Reps are morons and have no idea. I called last week and was told all of Irvine got those channels, when I explained we didn't she looked it up and said oh you are right, your node isn't on yet. Thanks lady.

What would be nice is instead of "Insider Tips from Cox" Bullsh*t Commercials, we could use an Insider Tip from COX Techs that could keep us informed about the network, upgrades and hard dates. It isn't like we could do anything bad with solid information that Irvine or others will be turned on to the new HD channels on Oct 13, (made that up) But this way we could stop bugging them and sit patient.

I did talk to a Cox source, and got this information. Take it or leave it:
Universal HD to be turned off when SciFi and USA come on
Discovery HD Theater to be turned off when the Discovery 4 come on

So we gain 6, lose 2: net 4 more.

Cox, make an insider website, or comment on here more often.

bltserv

10-06-07, 02:27 PM

Cox has been in our home repeatedly to replace DVR, connectors, check levels, even pulled in a new separate drop. Cox insists problem is inside our home but I'm convinced this is a more widespread problem! Need feedback from anyone else experiencing tiling, Get This Service Now Banner when changing channels and audio modulation issues. Somehow I am going to convince Cox that they have an issue that needs fixin'. If you also are having these annying issues, please reply and let me know where geographically you are. Maybe it is just in our neighborhood in North Irvine! Thanks

The Service Banner.
I have called and tried to get Cox to do something about this as well.
They know its happening. Something with the firmware is what I am being told. Audio Modulation is just horendous on Cox. Some Channels like KCBS 2
are blasting while HBO is about 1/2 as loud. I am over by Quail Hill FYI.

Its so nice to see the ENDLESS Cox commercials touting their service and technology when its just a pile of dung. "In my opinion".

Still waiting for those new channels they tell me I have. NOT.

I got an Idea. Going to get some targets made of the guy in the blue sweater
"Max". So next time we go target shooting at "On Target" off Avery. I can get some of my frustration with Cox out of my system.

scottvan

10-06-07, 04:13 PM

At least the commercials are nice, since WE'RE PAYING FOR THEM!

chomanfoo

10-06-07, 04:20 PM

scottvan

10-06-07, 05:32 PM

Not to change the subject too much, but has anyone tried swapping the hard drive in the 6412 with something larger? I know it's not as simple as that, but I was reading in the Comcast forum (before I found the Cox forum) that someone had removed the hard drive, and found (using Partition Magic) it had three partitions (Linux maybe?) I run Linux (Ubuntu) at home and have some experience partitioning with Gparted. I was thinking that a new larger drive could be 'ghosted' from the old drive so the 6412 would see the same contents as before, but the new drive would hold more. Someone over there said it wouldn't work because the 6412 formats drives to 120gb regardless of size. But I don't see why it would format the new drive if there is no reason to format it (already partitioned as the old drive, with the old drive's contents).

I just like to take things apart. And I know about the silver "don't open Pandora's box" sticker over the screw on the back of the 6412.

scottvan

10-06-07, 05:50 PM

Well, I think I found the answer... someone had tried what I was thinking of doing and the 6416 just repartitions his 500gb down to 160gb, so looks like I'm out.

moyekj

10-06-07, 10:39 PM

I've been meaning to do this for a while now and finally got some time this pm. Since I have Tivo S3 I can record both from Cox HD locals and from OTA broadcast of the same. So to test if Cox does much bit-rate shaping/degradation of the HD locals I recorded 30 min segments at the same time, 1 tuner recording Cox, other tuner recording OTA and then recorded the total file size of each (Tivo reports file sizes of each recording). Here are some results:

STATION OTA (GB) CABLE (GB) %DIFF
CBS (1080i) 4.00 3.87 -3.2
NBC (1080i) 3.96 3.84 -3.0
ABC (720p) 3.47 3.52 1.4
FOX (720p) 3.36 3.51 4.5

So the Cox versions of 1080i channels are a little smaller, but surprisingly the Cox versions of the 720p are a little larger?? In any case based on this admittedly very small sample looks like Cox OC is not degrading the HD locals by much if at all.

NOTE: There is some margin of error involved since the OTA version and Cox version are not exactly in sync (off by a few seconds), but that probably is negligible difference especially since these were 30 min samples.

wzlwzlwzl

10-06-07, 11:02 PM

AT&T did a demo of their dvr's where you can view shows recorded anywhere in the house on other dvr's... is this a feature that is coming to cox? any idea when?

AMRivlin

10-07-07, 02:08 PM

scottvan

10-08-07, 08:56 AM

scottvan

10-08-07, 11:01 AM

Well, from what I've been able to gather in the past hour or so, it looks like I could ditch the Motherola box, get a Tivo HD series 3, put in two cable cards and be able to add an eSATA drive to the Tivo! This is looking better all the time. I read something about Cox going to Switched Digital Technology, and how Tivo is not yet ready for that, might that be a problem in the future?

moyekj

10-08-07, 11:03 AM

I'm really getting fed up with Cox and thinking of going to Tivo HD. Can anyone tell me the pluses/minuses, how it's set up? If I get Tivo, do I need anything from Cox? What channels do you get or don't get? How about putting in a larger hard drive?

Thanks in advance!Here's a brief comparison I put together of Tivo vs. Passport Echo:
http://replayguide.sourceforge.net/dct6412/DCT6412_Passport.html#DCT6412Passport_Versus_Tivo_Series_3
Best resource for information/questions is the Tivo Series 3 forum:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=51

scottvan

10-08-07, 11:18 AM

Thanks for the quick response! I'll check it out.

scottvan

10-08-07, 11:58 AM

I take it we don't have the M cards here?

moyekj

10-08-07, 12:30 PM

I take it we don't have the M cards here? I have not asked (I have 4 S cards). But considering DCH3416 boxes are being deployed in Orange County which contain an M card screwed into the back, then certainly there are M cards available and supported - only question is are they available for customer rental or not? Also note only Tivo HD supports single M card, the original S3 still requires 2 cards - either S card or M card. If you do inquire about M card availability please post your findings here.

JETninja

10-08-07, 01:40 PM

nocturne1

10-08-07, 02:14 PM

So...am I the only one that noticed Discover HD was renamed? Caught me by surprise at first, almost thought it was a new channel. LOL!

Saddy, as of yesterday, nothing new in my woods of MV.

I am hearing talk of Speed adding a HD channel, I would love for that to be picked up sometime if true. (For Sports Car and F1!)

Discovery HD (well, HD Theater), changed to....what?

As far as ever seeing F1 in HD, it'll take a heck of a lot more than Cox picking up the upcoming Speed HD channel - Bernie would have to upgrade the world feed to HD - something that I haven't heard of happening any time soon (if at all).

JETninja

10-08-07, 04:08 PM

I dont remember it being called HD Theater on mine before this weekend. (I use the channel a lot) I did a double take when I saw it. I may have missed it, but like I said it was a surprise to me, for a sec I wondered if we has Cuban's HD Net Theater!

Yeah, I understand on the F1 front. But it has to be coming sometime. More for the local stuff like ALMS, SWC, MotoGP, Superbike, etc. (going to the finale at Laguna like I always do, may look for some HD trucks to see if any does it already and just down rez's) Auto racing is one of the better venues to take advatage of HD. I love watching ESPN2-HD NHRA broadcasts as much for the picture and sound as I do the actual racing. Beautiful on my 61" 1080P set....and blasting through my SVS Sub! :D

Edit, just saw DTV announced they will have Speed in HD this month!

TheRock

10-08-07, 07:22 PM

So...am I the only one that noticed Discover HD was renamed? Caught me by surprise at first, almost thought it was a new channel. LOL!

Saddy, as of yesterday, nothing new in my woods of MV.

I am hearing talk of Speed adding a HD channel, I would love for that to be picked up sometime if true. (For Sports Car and F1!)

I noticed the name change. I also noticed they have there logo on the screen all the time now. I rarely watch this channel but its a real shame they choose to do this. It used to be a wonderful example of what HD should look like. Now with the constant logo I will probably never tune in.

schmitter

10-09-07, 09:30 AM

In CT we have Discovery HD Theater AND Discovery HD. The latter is mirrored content from the analog Discovery Channel.

Quigs

10-09-07, 02:30 PM

Alright, I think I'm done with Cox's horrible customer service and lack of HD channels. It will be 2020 before we get the HD channels Direct TV offers NOW.

Anyone have or had Direct TV and want to share their experience/knowledge on the Pros and Cons of DirectTV?

Because I'm ready to bail on Cox and their ignorant service reps and snail-like pace to add HD channels.

Look at this lineup from Direct TV....

Current HD Channels on Direct TV:

265: A & E HD
282: Animal Planet HD
220: Big Ten HD
202: CNN HD
278: Discovery HD
206 / 73: ESPN HD
209 / 72: ESPN2 HD
70/501/509: HBO HD East
269: History Channel HD
76: HD Theater (was Discovery HD Theater)
79: HDNet
78: HDNet Movies
280: Learning Channel HD (TLC HD)
244: Movie Channel HD
212: NFL Network HD
284: Science Channel HD
538: SHO Too HD
71/537/543: Showtime HD
540: Showtime HD West
267: Smithsonian HD
519: Starz Comedy HD
520: Starz HD East
521: Starz HD West
522: Starz Edge HD
518: Starz Kids and Family
247: TBS HD
245 / 75: TNT HD
74: Universal HD
604: Versus HD / Golf Channel HD
362: Weather Channel HD
101: CD USA

Announced HD Additions
* = not a simulcast of the SD channel (if available), programming will vary.

September 2007
A&E
Animal Planet
Big Ten Network
CNN
Discovery
Food Network*
HGTV*
History Channel
MHD (MTV brand channel)
National Geographic
NFL Network
The Science Channel
Smithsonian Channel
TBS
TLC
Versus
Weather Channel
Cinemax-E
Cinemax-W
MoreMax
HBO-W
HBO2-E
HBO2-W
HBO Family-E
HBO Family-W
HBO Signature
The Movie Channel
SHO-W
STARZ-E
STARZ-W
STARZ-Edge
STARZ-Comedy
STARZ-Kids
Fall 2007
Bravo
Cartoon Network
Chiller
CNBC
Fuel
FX
MTV
NBA TV
VH1
SciFi Channel
Sleuth
Speed
USA Network
SHO TOO
December 2007
The Tennis Channel
Spring 2008
ABC Family
Disney Channel
ESPN News
MGM
Toon Disney
Channels in Test Mode with no official carriage announcement
NHL Network
Outdoor
Spike
Comedy Central
Nickelodeon East
CSTV
Regional Sports Networks
Available nationally, but local blackout rules still apply.
Fall 2007
Altitude
Comcast SportsNet Chicago
Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic
FSN Arizona
FSN Bay Area
FSN Detroit
FSN Florida
FSN New England
FSN North
FSN Northwest
FSN Ohio
FSN Prime Ticket
FSN Rocky Mountain
FSN South
FSN Southwest
FSN West
New England Sports Network
SportsNet New York
SportsSouth
Sun Sports
YES
Channels in Test Mode with no official carriage announcement
FSN Midwest
FSN Houston
FSN New York
FSN Pittsburgh
MSG
FSN Cincinnati
Comcast SportsNet West
MASN/SportsTime Ohio

AMRivlin

10-09-07, 04:58 PM

moyekj

10-09-07, 05:56 PM

My biggest hesitation with Satellite in general is the infamous "HD Lite" and the general poorer quality of digital channels (especially HD) compared to cable. Also now with DirecTV doing mpeg4 they have to transcode many mpeg2 HD sources to mpeg4 prior to transmission which inevitably means poorer quality right off the back. No doubt about it DirecTV wins on quantity, but to me quality is much more important than quantity, and cable catches up with quantity eventually while hopefully preserving quality.
Of course the other thing tying me to cable now are my Tivo S3 DVRs which I wouldn't want to downgrade to DirecTV DVRs.

twarren

10-10-07, 08:51 AM

Not every location will get all the FSN Regionals. But I am in agreement with you. I looked in to Dish or Direct very briefly. I noticed they are cheaper monthly, but you have to buy the HD DVR for some absurd amounts (I have 3 HD TVs at least 2 require a DVR)

I would love for some converts to comment and break it down.

Additionally, what do you do for internet, if you leave COX.

Cox has a stronghold on OC / Irvine, and they know it, we need FIOS!!!!

There are a other threads on AVS for DirectTV. EG, one is related to their new HD channels rollout (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=914047) and theres another with a poll regarding PQ for the new HD stations (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=918830). Don't know if you'll get many comments on this thread from converts as they may unsubscribe to this thread, but you can check out the other threads. I think both Dish and Direct offer DSL internet access (or you could keep Cox internet access for an additional $10/month).

tjstoddard

10-10-07, 11:54 AM

Just curious, I just got 2 DCH's last week, if I could take the M cards out of this and use it in a Tivo without having to have COX come install it? Would this work?

moyekj

10-10-07, 12:32 PM

Just curious, I just got 2 DCH's last week, if I could take the M cards out of this and use it in a Tivo without having to have COX come install it? Would this work? At bare minimum the cards would have to be re-married to a new host (your Tivo) so you would have to call in and have digops take care of that. However, I'm sure Cox would not appreciate you pulling the M cards out of the DCH boxes - they discourage you doing so by putting a screwed in metal plate covering the card. Also if/when you return the DCH boxes Cox would expect the card to be in there.

So I don't think there is any way around scheduling a visit by Cox to install cablecards - I think they have become more proficient at this by now and you are not charged for 2 separate CC installations as used to be the case.

xcrappy

10-10-07, 01:51 PM

"Generation Cox is here... are you ready?"

Haha, I always laugh when I see this commercial.

gcwieka

10-10-07, 03:26 PM

Their web page on hdtv pricing seems to indicate you can rent an HD non-DVR box for $5.25/month:
http://www.cox.com/ocpv/hdtv/pricing.asp
If that's not the case you need to point out the above page and have them correct it. Or say you don't want DVR services and shouldn't have to pay the $9.95/month DVR service fee.
Went to Cox in RSM, and they said the information I was given was in error, but they have heard it from other customers so they must be spreading the misinformation. They upgraded my box (larger HD and quieter) and gave me 2 more months of DVR service. If I cancel in the future I will keep the same box, but they shut off the DVR service from the home office. One thing that was surprising they indicated that HDTV service was free for 1 year. Apparently leaving themselve open to charging for it in the future.

tjstoddard

10-10-07, 03:55 PM

At bare minimum the cards would have to be re-married to a new host (your Tivo) so you would have to call in and have digops take care of that. However, I'm sure Cox would not appreciate you pulling the M cards out of the DCH boxes - they discourage you doing so by putting a screwed in metal plate covering the card. Also if/when you return the DCH boxes Cox would expect the card to be in there.

So I don't think there is any way around scheduling a visit by Cox to install cablecards - I think they have become more proficient at this by now and you are not charged for 2 separate CC installations as used to be the case.

An interesting note here is that one of my DCH's had a Cable-Card diagnostic screen that said something about the Cable Card not being registered and to call this number to activate it...number was disconnected btw... When I spoke to COX Tech Support the guy activated it all over the phone. Sure seems like a waste to have to send out a guy to do the TIVO installations, reminds me of when I first got HD, they required a tech to come install that too....

bltserv

10-10-07, 04:16 PM

So last night right at 3:00 AM. I just happen to be getting up for a nature call. I hear the Cox DVR doing its on and off trick. Like they are flashing it.
So I thought just maybe I have some new HD channels. Nope. Nada.

I mean whats the deal with these people. As normal my Mailbox is stuffed with the PHONE. YOU DONT HAVE THE PHONE. Then today my e-mail has more marketing for Higher speed internet and some scam for a $ 50.00 Coupon from Gift Certificates.com. I hope someone from Cox reads this forum. If you would just stop the advertising campaign and focus on some customer communication. Its almost a joke how bad this service has become.

Quigs

10-10-07, 05:03 PM

Quigs

10-10-07, 05:05 PM

There are a other threads on AVS for DirectTV. EG, one is related to their new HD channels rollout (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=914047) and theres another with a poll regarding PQ for the new HD stations (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=918830). Don't know if you'll get many comments on this thread from converts as they may unsubscribe to this thread, but you can check out the other threads. I think both Dish and Direct offer DSL internet access (or you could keep Cox internet access for an additional $10/month).

Thanks, I'll check those out and try to get some of their opinions.

my biggest concern in switching, and what Cox banks on, is the hassle of switching from one company to another and the setup and switchover, etc.

AMRivlin

10-10-07, 05:07 PM

I mean whats the deal with these people. As normal my Mailbox is stuffed with the PHONE. YOU DONT HAVE THE PHONE. Then today my e-mail has more marketing for Higher speed internet and some scam for a $ 50.00 Coupon from Gift Certificates.com. I hope someone from Cox reads this forum. If you would just stop the advertising campaign and focus on some customer communication. Its almost a joke how bad this service has become.

You nailed it! I got the phone when it was free, the day I got charged I called and canceled. Used the hard line 3 times. So 3 days after I canceled, I got an ad to sign up for the phone with 6 months of free service. I thought about taking it back, but the taxes on the line, and my lack of use = no go.

Instead of spamming our mail boxes or making pointless "Insider Tips from Cox Commercials" Why don'y you have the Techs spend some time upgrading the network?

Cox has become lethargic. I am giving them till Nov 1 to fix things.

moyekj

10-10-07, 05:23 PM

I don't know all the technical aspects of the different signals, but is there a noticeable difference to the eye when viewing "hd lite" as you call it? Would I even know the difference when I looked at a DirectTV HD channel and a Cox HD channel? Depends on who you ask and a lot of other subjective factors and how big your TV is, etc, but certainly "HD Lite" is not just a bitrate reduction for DirecTV but quite a horizontal line resolution reduction from 1920x1080i to 1280x1080i which is not HD - hence the term "HD Lite". See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_Lite
Anecdotal evidence I've seen in Tivo forums of former DirecTV owners switching to cable & FIOS mostly say what a big improvement they saw especially for HD channels.

scottvan

10-11-07, 11:21 AM

Went to Cox in RSM, and they said the information I was given was in error, but they have heard it from other customers so they must be spreading the misinformation. They upgraded my box (larger HD and quieter) and gave me 2 more months of DVR service. If I cancel in the future I will keep the same box, but they shut off the DVR service from the home office. One thing that was surprising they indicated that HDTV service was free for 1 year. Apparently leaving themselve open to charging for it in the future.

Which box did they give you? The 6416? I have the 6412 with the 120gb drive, did they give you a 6416 with a 160gb drive? If so, I'll be over there today!

skatensx

10-11-07, 06:39 PM

in the mail yesterday i recieved a notice that cox will be doing "upgrades" in my area on october 18th, so this is a little bit of hope for new channels in the near future

AMRivlin

10-11-07, 06:57 PM

in the mail yesterday i recieved a notice that cox will be doing "upgrades" in my area on october 18th, so this is a little bit of hope for new channels in the near future

Fat chance, the upgrades are for their commercial unit so they can sell internet and phone to that lady at the hospital on the commercial. HAHA

What streets are you at in the 92606, I am on Deerfield and Harvard. No sign of channels here and TBS is showing *NLCS tomorrow. Boo on you COX... BOO ON YOU.

skatensx

10-11-07, 07:32 PM

jamboree/bryan here, fox is carrying all of the alcs, but nlcs is on tbs

TheRock

10-12-07, 10:10 PM

Titantv.com is now listing TBS HD 727 for my area. This has been a good indicator in the past that the channel will be added within a week or two. No other "new" channels are listed.

moyekj

10-13-07, 03:06 AM

Titantv.com is now listing TBS HD 727 for my area. This has been a good indicator in the past that the channel will be added within a week or two. No other "new" channels are listed. I sent an email to both Tivo and Zap2it a while back to have them add all these recent HD channel additions to the lineup. I was surprised just a couple of days later they showed up in my Tivo guide and then a week later in zap2it listings. So I've had the guide data for a while (and TBSHD was added recently), now I just need to be able to tune the channels...

I don't think in this case the "Titantv theory" applies since we know there are several Orange County areas that already receive these channels so they should have updated their listings soon after all these channels were added. Last I checked they hadn't even added 713, 763, 767, 790, etc. yet.
Just checked Titantv and they are requiring a (free) login now? Ridiculous.

Rich4av

10-13-07, 01:00 PM

rwb1921

10-14-07, 01:21 AM

I am also considering DirecTV. In Laguna Beach, we will get the new HD channels in 2009. That's over a year from now.

I read that the new DirecTV MPEG4 HD channels look excellent. I know people in town who are getting it installed this weekend and based upon their experience, I may jump ship as well. I could wait a few months but one year is too much.

In addition, Verizon is pitching their fiber TV service to the city but that's several years out... Also, I am getting really tired of the slow response of the box - crawling through the guide is painfully slow. The box can often take 3-5 seconds to respond to a button press.

If you decide to switch be sure to let us know how the picture quality is. Cox is almost out at our house too. Just the trouble switching right now is keeping me with them. I hate the hassle of going through the process. Cox seems to be way behind the times with their channel selection.

By the way, where are our October new channels in Mission Viejo??????

Bob in Mission Viejo

moyekj

10-14-07, 02:35 AM

By the way, where are our October new channels in Mission Viejo?????? I guess we should give them until Halloween comes and goes before the "October" deadline officially ends. I just hope to have FSNWHD in time for Lakers games broadcast on FSN. KCAL already has all HD broadcasts so will be nice to have HD option on FSN as well.

EDIT: I just checked the official Cox page and now Mission Viejo has changed to November 2007. I hope this doesn't become an ever-changing release date or what's the point! (There is disclaimer at the bottom: "Dates are updated regularly and are subject to change")
http://www.cox.com/ocpv/HDTV/city_List.asp

rwb1921

10-14-07, 10:57 AM

EDIT: I just checked the official Cox page and now Mission Viejo has changed to November 2007. I hope this doesn't become an ever-changing release date or what's the point! (There is disclaimer at the bottom: "Dates are updated regularly and are subject to change")
http://www.cox.com/ocpv/HDTV/city_List.asp[/QUOTE]

This is why I think my staying with Cox will be maybe short lived, how will they ever keep up with the others at this type of timetable. They will be so far behind by 2009 that it will not be funny. And we are talking about adding just a few channels. I am beginning to believe they do not have the means to stay competitive, at least in our area. It will be a pain to switch but they are not giving us much choice at this point.

moyekj, I am also hoping to watch most of the Lakers games on HD. Not sure why though, the team looks like it will not be very good like last year. It may be painful to watch......maybe more so in HD :)

Bob in Mission Viejo

tjstoddard

10-15-07, 10:14 AM

Depends on who you ask and a lot of other subjective factors and how big your TV is, etc, but certainly "HD Lite" is not just a bitrate reduction for DirecTV but quite a horizontal line resolution reduction from 1920x1080i to 1280x1080i which is not HD - hence the term "HD Lite". See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_Lite
Anecdotal evidence I've seen in Tivo forums of former DirecTV owners switching to cable & FIOS mostly say what a big improvement they saw especially for HD channels.

Moyekj,

Thanks for pointing us to this link, It is very informative. If you haven't read this I suggest you do before switching to Directv....quantity vs quality seems to definitely be the difference.

AMRivlin

10-16-07, 12:59 AM

This is like compaing Apples, Bananas, and Kiwi, but let us pretend the 3 systems have all planned HD channels operational.
Cox 28HD Year End (24HD Base) Includes Locals
Direct 100HD Year End (45HD Base) Includes OTA Locals
Dish 42HD Year end (37HD Base) Includes OTA Locals

Cox
I have 3 TVs and 6MBPS Internet (2 have HD DVRs, 1 SD: could possibly move to 3 HD)
OC has 16HD with 6HD more coming and 6 after that (USA, Sci, TLC, AP...)
I pay $145

Direct TV (D*)
http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=9937&d=1189317936 Channel Listing
Start up costs are $430 for 2 HD DVRs (After all rebates and cash deals $100 off(Rebate), 50 off(Visa), 20 off(4 month))
4 SD Receivers: Free

Monthly for Direct TV HD is $85 + (2 year amortization = $18 monthly for DVRs)
ATT 3MBPS: $54
COX 6MBPS: $48

SO for identical service to COX with more HD:
$155+Tax if you keep the service for 2 years
$175+Tax if you keep the service for 1 year.

Additions: (Not available on COX)
Sports Pak $12 per month (15 Regional HD Sports)
Premium Networks HBO/SHO $11 per month (12 HD Channels)
Premium HD $5 per month (5 HD Channels)

Dish Network (E*)
VERY CONFUSING (they have so many packages and choices for HD, DVR, TV) Supposedly the DVR is dual room viewing, but can only output in HD to one, making this even more complex.

Monthly Costs:
Americas 200: $44
HD Service: $20
2 HD DVR Lease: $18
Total: $82

18 Months required for free install and rebates: $120 off
ATT 3MBPS: $54
COX 6MBPS: $48
Can be combo billed with Dish, ATT, Cingular.

Total over 2 years: $130+Tax per month

Obviously on D* if you don't leave or get a new DVR the price goes down over time, but you can't replace your DVR as you do with Cox in Irvine or RSM. I did read you can talk your way into lower startup (DVR) costs, but I have no experience with this.

So it is my opinion the price points are identical on D* and Cox, actually D* can be more since you can add a jillion specialty packages.
Dish is cheaper, but I have read you get what you pay for, with them. I was frustrated just using their website, that can't be good.
Is all the hassle worth 50 HD channels and 2 bills per month?

And as everyone says, it is "HD Lite". To me I think I could live with HD lite.

Cheapest: Dish
Most HD: Direct
Best Picture: Cox

Feel free to comment or correct the above.

moyekj

10-16-07, 01:53 AM

Good summary AMRivlin. To me the DVR is a fundamental consideration as well and from what I gather:
- Current D* DVR from many accounts is a total POS. With change of ownership looks like D* and Tivo may be cozying up again so things could improve but not any time soon.
- E* DVR from accounts I have seen is pretty good, but they have been sued and lost a settlement to Tivo, so future is uncertain on the DVR front for them.
- Standalone HD Tivos don't work at all with satellite so they are thrown out as not an option once you go satellite.
- Cox/Tivo is supposedly coming sometime next year.

AMRivlin

10-16-07, 02:10 AM

Current D* DVR from many accounts is a total POS.

Good to know. I looked at the online PDF, it looks basic, but decent, (Kind of like a Moxi at first glance) This is my biggest fear, actually paying $215 and hating the DVR would really piss me off.

The HR20: 4.2 out of 10 on Cnet.
http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-video-recorders-dvrs/directv-hr20-directv-plus/4505-6474_7-32065196.html
The DirecTV HR20 is easy to use and offers plenty of features, but its operational bugs make use more of a headache than with other DVRs.

I will troll around, but I am still losing patience with COX. Are there any DVRs that I can buy and plug in to Sat or Cable?

The HR21 comes out in 1 month, has no OTA tuners.

schmitter

10-16-07, 09:00 AM

moyekj

10-17-07, 01:26 AM

Are there any DVRs that I can buy and plug in to Sat or Cable? No Satellite systems have closed and proprietary encryption schemes - there is no FCC requirement for removable security (like CableCards for cable) for satellite companies - as a result they have full control over hardware & software for their set top boxes.

rdenichilo

10-17-07, 12:17 PM

Tivo Series 3, seems to look really good, but I am holding out for a nice OCAP box. these things should be coming to market in the near future. My bet is a year or so. I can live with my combination of Cox DVR and OTA for now. BTW in CT we now have 30 HD channels on Cox, including the pay channels like HBO.
It's becoming almost impossible to resist :-)

Tivo Series 3 adds support for external storage!! (http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2007-10/tivo-series3-hd-external-storage-arrives/)

chronoxg3

10-21-07, 02:16 AM

rdsport323

10-21-07, 02:17 PM

I was wondering if anyone has been able to get the 30 second skip function to work on their DVRs from Cox?

I can't seem to get it to work on my box, but I was able to get it to work on the DVR at my other home which has the same box but is from TWC.

Anyone have any luck?... I tested the remotes on both DVRs and they both seem to work on the TWC box, but neither work on the box from Cox. I'm just guessing the firmware from Cox isn't compatible with the 30 second skip.

moyekj

10-21-07, 02:56 PM

moyekj

10-21-07, 02:59 PM

Hey guys,

What standard def setting on the cable box do you have best results with?

-Sidebar 4:3 Image
-Stretch 4:3 Image
-Keep 4:3 Image - 480p
-Keep 4:3 Image - 480i

The 480p is more vibrant but the colors seem to run together or the contrast is messed up, but the 480i seems a little faded or washed out in color, which I don't like.

Which do you have yours set to? Which box are you using? Back when I used the DCT3416 the SD digital quality was APPALLING no matter what output setting I used for 4:3 content (HD output was fine). When I switched to Tivo Series 3 one of my 1st comments was the huge improvement in SD digital quality. I think there's something wrong with DCT3416 decoder (don't know if DCH3416 has the same problem but I would guess it does).

chronoxg3

10-21-07, 08:47 PM

Which box are you using? Back when I used the DCT3416 the SD digital quality was APPALLING no matter what output setting I used for 4:3 content (HD output was fine). When I switched to Tivo Series 3 one of my 1st comments was the huge improvement in SD digital quality. I think there's something wrong with DCT3416 decoder (don't know if DCH3416 has the same problem but I would guess it does).

DCT5100

xcrappy

10-22-07, 02:46 AM

hope this fire doesn't give cox another excuse to delay the addition of the new HD channels!

AMRivlin

10-22-07, 03:13 AM

No Kidding. I am sure it will, they can't work in the smoke, I certainly wouldn't.

I keep seeing the adverts, "That's Crazy Big". :) At least the ISS astronauts can watch some HD on all those 200" plasmas Direct has floating around. Not sure why they have them on the satellite, seems like extra weight.

humdinger70

10-23-07, 01:45 PM

Are you getting any network programming (from either LA or San Diego)? Or is it wall-to-wall coverage of the fires on all local channels? This is as of 10:45 AM today (10/23/2007).

AMRivlin

10-23-07, 05:51 PM

mostly fires on ABC and CBS. Unsure what NBC is showing.

moyekj

10-24-07, 02:17 AM

OT: For those that may have missed the news, Tivo launched official support for Multi Room Viewing, Transfers to PC and eSATA hard drive expansion today for the Series 3 & HD units:
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/tivo-updates/tivo-upgrades-its-series-3-and-tivo-hd-313857.php

Also I'd like to express a thank you to Cox Orange County for properly handling the CCI flags. Some cable providers - most notably TWC & Brighthouse blanket most non-local digital channels as CCI=0x02 rendering them useless for MRV/TTG. Cox OC passes along the CCI flags according to content providers settings, and hence only premium channels, PPV & VOD are restricted as they correctly should be. I'm a very happy camper since everything I record is eligible for MRV/TTG and I now feel I have the almost perfect DVR setup and feel more committed than ever to sticking to cable instead of satellite. I hope Cox OC realizes the benefit of supporting Tivo users since it means multi-year commitments to stick with Cox service.

JETninja

10-24-07, 06:37 PM

Just a little addon to my prev post on Auto Racing in HD, this past weekend my 2 Teens and I went to Laguna Seca up in Monterey area (Our 5th year in a row) for the ALMS (Same Sportscars / Classes that race at the 24Hr of Lemans...ALMS = American Lemans) Finale as well as the Speed World Challenge Touring & GT Finales.

This time I paid attention to the TV camera's (even took a picture of one though I dont have it hear at work) and I can verify, they are shooting with HD Camera's & Equipment.

Now, if only someone besides DTV will get SpeedHD. I know some of you all like your Nascar, but Porsches/Ferrari's/Panoz's/Vettes/Aston Martins/GTO's/and all those Prototypes from Porsche/Audi/Acura/Mazda/Lola etc, on the best Road Courses and City Streets in the USA & Europe....in brilliant HD would be an awsome sight (and sound!) in my Home!

schmitter

10-25-07, 10:50 AM

Ah yes, HD, better resolution than real life.

moyekj

10-29-07, 10:41 AM

Looks like recently Cox OC is now passing through PSIP information properly as my unencrypted QAM tuner now picks up a bunch of channel names for local broadcast channels:
KCBSHD
KNBC HD
WX-Plus
KCALHD
KABC-HD
KABC SD
KABC-WN
KTLA HD
KTTV HD
KOCE-HD
TheOC C

fumanstan

10-30-07, 03:57 PM

I noticed over the weekend that the digital channels picked up now seem to show up next to the corresponding channel, so i dont have to go to 84 for NBC in HD. Yay

gcwieka

10-31-07, 03:15 PM

scottvan

11-01-07, 12:11 PM

I'm in RSM and I have not noticed any problems with the picture.

moyekj

11-01-07, 02:06 PM

Over the last several days I have noticed frequent breakups and pixalation of small areas of the screen image while watching HD broadcasts. I'm in Mission Viejo area. Is this signal distortion being noticed by others or should I request a service call? I'm in Mission Viejo as well but haven't noticed any excessive/frequent breakups lately (I watch mostly the HD local channels). My internet download speeds have been very crappy lately - around 3 Mbps.
Since Mission Viejo bandwidth upgrades are scheduled to complete sometime in November it could be that things have changed recently in your local node to screw up your signal strength.

moyekj

11-01-07, 04:24 PM

Now that SciFI HD and USA HD have been officially launched (available via satellite for about 1 month now) I really hope Cox OC has plans to add those in the near term. Those are the last 2 channels in HD I care about (assuming we get the last round of additions by Cox in Mission Viejo sometime soon). With those 2 the HD channel lineup would be complete for my purposes.

TheRock

11-01-07, 07:59 PM

There were a tremendous amount of trucks around my neighborhood today. I don't know if this is part of the COX "upgrades" but it looked promising. I saw one COX truck, a couple phone company trucks, and several (4-7) generic electric company vehicles. They were/are really busy because they were set up at 6am and still working at 4pm.

NOVEMBER 1, 2007

moyekj

11-02-07, 12:37 AM

What's weird is lately I've seen Time Warner Cable trucks in Mission Viejo too??

scottvan

11-02-07, 03:43 AM

Yeah, in RSM I saw TW trucks, Cox trucks and Elvis in a Pink Cadillac!

moyekj

11-05-07, 01:16 AM

Had to watch Lakers game tonight in SD - hope they get FSNWHD up and running soon in Mission Viejo... it's November.

xcrappy

11-05-07, 02:03 AM

actually the game was on MOJO tonight in HD

moyekj

11-05-07, 11:40 AM

actually the game was on MOJO tonight in HD Oh darn - I have that crappy channel disabled in my lineup so no wonder I didn't see it.

rwb1921

11-05-07, 09:31 PM

Oh darn - I have that crappy channel disabled in my lineup so no wonder I didn't see it.

I guess until we get the new channels, MOJO will be the place to check still. I watched it also last night on MOJO.

Bob in Mission Viejo

rwb1921

11-05-07, 09:41 PM

I just check web page again - Mission Viejo now moved to December 2007 for the new channels. Why even post dates, I believe they are doing this to keep people from going somewhere else where HD lives and thrives, because certainly it is not Cox where HD can grow.

All I need is FSN and I am covered for the most part, but hard to keep seeing other companies keep adding more and more HD. Makes me almost feel stupid for staying so long with Cox. If weren't for the hassle of changing.......

http://www.cox.com/ocpv/HDTV/city_List.asp

Updated 11/05/07:

Coming soon to . . .
Mission Viejo December2007
Laguna Hills December2007
Irvine December2007
Tustin January 2008
Orange January 2008
Rancho Santa Margarita March 2008
San Clemente July 2008
San Juan Capistrano July 2008
Camp Pendleton July 2008
Dana Point August 2008
Lake Forest October 2008
Laguna Beach October 2008

At least now no 2009 dates...........

Bob in Mission Viejo

moyekj

11-05-07, 09:49 PM

Grrr. The original date was October 2007, then November 2007, now December 2007 and I'm sure when we go check in December it will be January 2008. That web page is basically worthless... :(

Since the FSNHDW channel is basically not broadcasting most of the time would be nice if they just throw it into an existing QAM < 750MHz for now so at least all locations can get that channel (and all Lakers games on FSN in HD).

TheRock

11-05-07, 10:03 PM

Another delay?! Are you f*cking kidding me? :mad:

AMRivlin

11-05-07, 10:22 PM

What can we do?! My friend just got fios in LB. Why is cox struggling. I really want to switch, just want a good dvr.

AMRivlin

11-05-07, 11:40 PM

So Direct TV dropped their prices, they are now 10 a month cheaper than cable. And their new DVR is out shortly. I think I am out. Too slow COX, see ya later! Actually Ill keep your internet, but your TV SUCKS.

TheRock

11-06-07, 12:11 AM

Just sent an email to Cox expressing my frustration over this issue. I suggest you all do the same.

xcrappy

11-06-07, 01:18 AM

On a positive note, the upgrade has been moved from April 2008 to January 2008 for Tustin/Orange. Probably shouldn't get my hopes up though....

moyekj

11-06-07, 03:10 AM

scottvan

11-06-07, 08:57 AM

Wow, they moved the RSM date up from late in 2008 to March 2008...

AMRivlin

11-06-07, 11:58 AM

I am going to order DirecTV this week. $130 per month, (VS 145 with Cox) that includes keeping my Cox Highspeed internet. Right now this will net me 2 100hour HD DVRs (Since they use mpeg4) and 42 HD channels, and no waiting.

Even when everyone FINALLY gets the upgrade, COX will have nothing on Direct.

I will document the process for everyone. I will keep cox running until the day Direct steps in. I gave Cox until November, like their website stated back in the day. No more...

Quigs

11-06-07, 12:44 PM

Could you let us know your additional costs as well? I know DirectTV is lower per month, but what keeps me from switching is the additional costs of purchasing the DVR's and the different add-ons to get all the HD channels and sports channels. And if it was a pain in the a$$ to set it all up and have them put it in.

If you could list what it costs for the DVR's and rooms that would help us who are seriously thinking of switching.

Oh, also, let us know how the picture quality is. :D

Quigs

11-06-07, 12:51 PM

HD channels I still want from Cox.

NFL Network HD - NFL games and replays of games in other markets.not the SD crap they have now.
NBA HD-NBA games
HD NET- Movies
Versus HD- College sports, NHL Hockey
CSTV-College sports
DisneyHD- for my 3 year old 8)

and one idea for an HD channel that I wish someone would create.....

a HD "web cam" or multiple web cams or cameras that would show views of cities around the world in real-time. I'd love to just be able to turn my 53" big screen tv to a still shot of people out and about in Paris or London or Rome or Sydney or NY. we have something like this on the net, but in HD would be like you were right there. it would great to see the sunset in Europe or over the Sydney Opera house. It would also be helpful as an educational tool for my kid.

moyekj

11-06-07, 01:06 PM

The frustrating part is I know I can receive channels > 750MHz already since my Fusion PC tuner can see them and I can watch the unencrypted 713=KCOPDT=RF 121=778MHz (no glitches and SNR ratio is even pretty good @35dB). So there should be no problems tuning 763=FOXHDWE=RF 119=766MHz (lower frequency).
Perhaps I'll try calling tomorrow to see if they can authorize my account for these channels or at least FOXHDWE which is the one I really care about right now. Well, not surprisingly when I called to see if they could authorize my account for these channels (since I know they are coming down the pipe since I can see them) the answer was they have no way of doing that - they have to wait until all nodes in the city are updated before they can enable anyone in the city. When I asked for an estimate of when it would happen in Mission Viejo I was told at least 2 months and that the fires have set things back...

OCMike

11-06-07, 06:00 PM

Hi Guys,

Reading the latest, I have to jump in and share...Just last week I had Directv installed and cancelled my 8-year-running Cox Cable TV service (I still have internet and phone through them - for now.) I investigated thoroughly all of the different packages, read through everything I could find at the dbstalk forums, and looked at my neighbor's picture quality before coming to the decision.

I even performed some cost/benefit analysis (see jpg) with the following assumptions:

I will cancel Starz in February (maybe...not sure on this yet)
Cost of D* installation amortized over 24 months
Cost of D* HD-DVR player amortized over 24 months (I did this to compare to my monthly rental fee for a Cox DVR player)

The benefits weighed heavily on the D* side...

I would be getting more channels overall including many more HD channels
Two additional receivers in two bedrooms (which I had given up with Cox to save money.)
More DVR space on the HR21.

The picture quality is equal, if not better, than Cox...I was surprised at this. Overall, I'm extremely happy with my decision.

If there are any questions you have regarding my experience, let me know.

Thanks,
Mike

AMRivlin

11-06-07, 07:49 PM

That is great OC Mike!!! Thanks. How long was the installation and how do they wire it? Through the attic or crappy along the walls?

I pay 145.72 monthly with Cox

Here is my math / logic:
Assuming 2 Years of Service:
$450 for 2 HD DVR's + 1 SD / 24 months=18.75 ($600 less $150 in rebates)
$65 per month for HDDVR Channel Package ($75 reg minus $120 discount)
$10 Lease Fee ($5 for every receiver over 1)
$45 per month for Cox Highspeed (I asked Cox)
Total = $138.75 (Plus Taxes)

Positive: 40+ HD Channels. HD VOD (Beta now). Big 10 HD, FSN Regionals HD, 50 Hour HD DVR, Good Customer Support
Negative: DVR's don't offer DLB Pausing (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=62118)

Install is free for upto 4 sets. You can opt for the new HR21 DVR w/out OTA (since LA is on sat now) or go with HR20 with OTA for the little stations.

I have heard/read good things about the PQ.

Original Post about Cox vs Dish vs Direct in this thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11917442#post11917442

My DBS Post for more information:
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=1267494#post1267494

Direct TV Free install on Move: (Requires Lease Renewal)
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPage.jsp?assetId=1100061

OCMike

11-06-07, 09:05 PM

Hey AMRivlin,

The installation was 3.5 hours from start to finish. The installer showed up with all the required components (one slimline dish, one HR21 and two SD receivers.) I had read over many of the installation stories/debacles at dbstalk.com so I felt like I knew what I wanted him to do and how he should do it.

I showed him where the central cable panel was (in a 2nd floor closet) and we both climbed up into the attic to determine the best place to run the cable from the roof. The install is free, however, they do charge you for any kind of wall-fishing. I had read that they can charge anywhere from $50 - $75 per cable for wall fishing. It was a really easy install for him, so it only cost $100. He ran the four wires along the roof, through the vent, into the attic, under some plywood, and down into the wall to where the cable panel was. I also had two cable outlets where I wanted to put the DVR so it was a really simple hookup. If you only have one, you might want to ensure they bring along a Single Wire Multi-Switch.

I was able to start watching stuff right away, however, it probably took about 24 hours to bring down all of the guide data (another plus is that the guide goes out about 2 weeks instead of the 6 days that the Cox guide does.) The next day I called Cox, cancelled my service, and returned the box. It's interesting that one of the reasons I gave for cancellation was that my area wasn't going to get any new HD channels until January 2009...looking at the messages yesterday, they moved my area up to July 2008 at the expense of other areas. I wonder how many other folks are leaving Cox right now?

All-in-all a pleasant experience. I probably got lucky with a really good/friendly installer.

Hope this helps. Oh and by the way, if you haven't already, find a friend who has Directv and have them refer you from the website, you both get a $50 rebate - that's what my neighbor and I did.

Thanks,
Mike

AMRivlin

11-06-07, 09:37 PM

My condo is from 1980, it has no "Cable Closet" If I have "1 Coax Plate" drops in all the rooms through the attic is this acceptable, and will not require "finishing"?

I also do not think I can mount to the building Irvine HOA BS. Is a Tripod free?

Oh and sorry to have flooded the "OC Cox" Thread, but I feel this is pertinent considering COX OC is slipping way behind.

Reasons to consider not switching:
You don't have HD
You like Tivo
You swear by Mpeg2 vs 4

Otherwise I think we should all abandon the old system and let Cox know they have 2 years to clean up their act.

chomanfoo

11-06-07, 10:00 PM

Funny story, checked out the release date site, Irvine got moved to the back of the line (screenshot). Also, I emailed Customer Service, and I got a canned response about how we get all of the Padre games that satellite cannot bring...Good thing we live in OC.

So, Dish or Directv?

AMRivlin

11-06-07, 10:07 PM

moyekj

11-06-07, 10:16 PM

Oh I am furious. Well I guess not since I am switching. This actually helps seal the deal, and if there is a $50 rebate, makes it even more worth it.

Sorry moyekj, I know you are a staunch supporter, but I think the only thing Cox OCPV has going for it, is the ability to hook into Tivo, (Not even a Cox device)

Comcast has made an effort, Cox has not. Checking out competition is always a good thing. Please post back here with how picture quality looks, especially for HD locals since those are transcoded from mpeg2 to mpeg4 I would expect degradation. Aside from "HD Lite" concerns I've posted about before the other major factor is that the DirecTV DVR from many accounts is pretty lousy, so if DVR is important to you I'd suggest checking out their DVR forums for more info. In contrast I've heard the latest Dish VIP DVRs are pretty good and in some respects better than Tivo.

bigtuna

11-07-07, 11:15 AM

Hi All

I am new to Cox and OC, a former DirecTV customer in Chicago. My experience with DTV was nothing less than amazing for the past 8 years. These forums help a lot in getting free services, account credits, free HD Tivos etc. The quality of the signal was always pretty good and I think will get much better with the introduction of MPEG4 (which I never got a chance to experience).

I hate Cox, the HD DVR simply blows. I had them replace the first two with the newer Moto version 6416 because it has a larger HD. What a joke, I can barely record 2 footbal games before the drive is full. I would get a thrid box to connect with a different input on my display, but I don't want to give them another $17/month. If the boxes were better, I would be less angry, but what's the point of HD if you cant record it and watch later.

If you can get DTV, get it. The content will be amazing and the signal compression should get better with the new birds. I wish I could get NFL ticket somewhere else, but they have a corner on the market for the next couple of years.

BigTuna

skatensx

11-07-07, 12:58 PM

they moved Irvine from December 2007 to December 2008...what bs

moyekj

11-07-07, 02:14 PM

they moved Irvine from December 2007 to December 2008...what bs I suppose now it makes sense that I was told they can't authorize certain areas of a city until all nodes in the city have been upgraded. Since Irvine probably has the most nodes in Orange County it makes sense it will be the longest one to complete. However totally agree that extending the forecast completion by a full year is ridiculous and goes to prove the original forecast dates were way off base.
Seems to me they need to fix billing systems to allow these channels to show up for individual nodes in a city that have been completed so that they can release the channels on a per node basis instead of a per city basis.

rwb1921

11-07-07, 02:30 PM

And to think we are all waiting for just 6 HD channels to be added. I have a family friend who works for DirecTV and I am going to call him to see what he can offer. I need 5 TV's connected, only 2 with DVR's. I want to see how hard this would be and what it would cost. Maybe now is the time to leave Cox. Very frustrating what I am hearing.

Bob in Mission Viejo

skatensx

11-07-07, 03:56 PM

rdenichilo

11-07-07, 05:06 PM

im going to start researching direct tv also and see what my options are
I am of the same thought. My concern is PQ more than anything else. I have a 65" Mits, and I don't want to take a hit in PQ just for higher quantity of HD channels.

Does anyone know of a discussion evaluating the Cox vs. Direct TV PQ?

chomanfoo

11-07-07, 05:17 PM

Dont mean to thread jack, but is there a reason that everyone is choosing Directv over Dish Network? Just looking to make an educated choice...

moyekj

11-07-07, 05:56 PM

Dont mean to thread jack, but is there a reason that everyone is choosing Directv over Dish Network? Just looking to make an educated choice... I think the recent flurry of DirecTV adding a whole bunch of HD channels is the biggest reason...

AMRivlin

11-07-07, 06:56 PM

Dish has less HD than Direct, and their DVRs are funky, only one HD tuner.

OCMike

11-07-07, 09:39 PM

I think the recent flurry of DirecTV adding a whole bunch of HD channels is the biggest reason...

I have to admit that this is what got me thinking about a change in the first place...along with all of the folks on this board keeping me informed about the upcoming plans for Cox. Oh, and envisioning first-run Battlestar Galactica in HD - Yes! :D

Ignorance really is bliss...I was OK until I realized that I wasn't going to see any new channels until 2009 (thanks to you guys here), and that was it. I bought my TV for its HD capabilities, not just to hang on the wall. :)

Also, the picture quality is really very comparable. I think D* may look a bit sharper in some cases - but it is tough to really say. There are also no sound drops...I was starting to get a lot of that in October.

Not to bash Cox completely, one thing that I miss is some of the functionality that the Cox DVR software had (e.g. being able to pick a specific day/time to record a show.) I've found a "Manual Record" function in D*'s software but it just wasn't as intuitive as I would have liked. Oh well, nothing is perfect.

Thanks,
Mike

Rich4av

11-08-07, 01:33 AM

I am also thinking of abandoning Cox before the end of the year. I do not know how Cox will compete if it cannot add more HD channels quickly.

AMRivlin

11-08-07, 02:04 AM

Here is my question. Why doesn't COX respond to our posts. This can't be good PR!!! I emailed them my concerns and have yet to hear back.

Here is what I propose. Put the HD on Mpeg4 while they upgrade, so we can get the content, and once they update the system switch it back to high quality.

I know some would be mad in the beginning, but in the end everyone wins, whereas with DirecTV they will never get the quality.

twarren

11-08-07, 06:33 AM

What was the source of your information? When I view the OC webpage for the completion dates (cox.com/ocpv/hdtv/city_list.asp) it shows December 2007 for Irvine.

they moved Irvine from December 2007 to December 2008...what bs

moyekj

11-08-07, 10:11 AM

What was the source of your information? When I view the OC webpage for the completion dates (cox.com/ocpv/hdtv/city_list.asp) it shows December 2007 for Irvine. Well looks like in update on Nov 06 someone screwed up and put the wrong year. Now it was updated again yesterday and shows Dec 2007 again:
http://www.cox.com/ocpv/HDTV/city_List.asp

moyekj

11-08-07, 10:15 AM

Here is what I propose. Put the HD on Mpeg4 while they upgrade, so we can get the content, and once they update the system switch it back to high quality. The Motorola set top boxes deployed don't support mpeg4 decoding and I highly doubt Cox currently has the infrastructure in place for transporting mpeg4 as well, so it's not an option.

irvinecox

11-08-07, 10:33 AM

skatensx

11-08-07, 11:53 AM

What was the source of your information? When I view the OC webpage for the completion dates (cox.com/ocpv/hdtv/city_list.asp) it shows December 2007 for Irvine.

your right, they changed it back to december 2007...if they cant get their website information right, how can you even trust the company. ill give them until jan 1, otherwise its off to direct tv

skatensx

11-08-07, 11:55 AM

...and wasnt mission viejo october 2007 then november 2007 and now december 2007

moyekj

11-08-07, 12:31 PM

I spoke with a very knowledgeable and articulate person at Cox yesterday (not a talking head). I am confident that they will have added 50 new HD channels by mid 2008 in Irvine. From my conversation, it is apparent they are going to be very aggressive in competing with Direct and Dish! Stay tuned. If they are so confident that this will indeed happen then their PR is doing a very lousy job since AFAIK there has been no public communication from Cox Orange County about it. The only public news related is Cox Corporate announcement stating goals to make room for 50 HD channels at all locations by the end of this year (which obviously many Cox areas will not achieve). But that was to be accomplished with the help of Switched Digital Video which is bad news for me (or anyone using CableCards):
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6470803.html

bubu

11-08-07, 03:35 PM

...I wholeheartedly agree that the DirecTV HD offering is very attractive but they are also being less than honest in their marketing. I can't help but offer my two cents and a tad of insider info from COX.

First, DirecTV is still embroiled in a class action lawsuit from their MPEG2 HD-TIVO days; they were allegedly compressing and downscaling the resolution in their signal. DirecTV advertised as full HD, but were transmitting in 840x480. The MPEG2 HD TiVo's unconverted the signal back into HD...but the PQ loss was quite noticable...if the source material is not TRUE HD, it never will be. That's exactly what they are doing with their MPEG4 signal (they now have fine print to cover themselves, courtesy of the ongoing lawsuit). Don't get me wrong MPEG4 HD looks great...but you start seeing a night & day difference on really large screens 60in+. I was a DirecTV customer for years (recently went to cox) so a lot of this is coming from first hand experience.

Now here is the dirty catch-22, ...ever notice the "brought to you by directv" sign when watching prime time TV on COX? I notice it on FOX 711 quite a bit...guess what, the picture is not TRUE HD...its that compressed 840x480 crap. I have no idea where or how cox gets its HD feeds...but if you get a "brough to you by directv" banner @ the start of some of the shows you can draw your own conclusion. Discovery HD Theater looks so amazing all the time...vs. some shows looking great in HD on network tv...others...not so great.

If you dread the motorola dvr's COX dumps on us, you wont find much salvation in DirecTV's boxes...both companies seem to have the "rush to market...sort the bugs after release" approach. I gave up and bought cable card hd tivos personally.

Now the juicy bit of insider info, cox in orange county is rolling out a "switched" network...and we will see 50 TRUE HD channel offering with availability loosely based on their current "6 extra hd channel" roll out schedule. Expect it by mid 2008, they will add 20 to 25 specialty cable networks in HD (ALA FX-HD & SCI-FI HD)...those not yet converted will have to suffer longer...but folks in Irvine and most of south orange county will get the channels.

One negative rumor based partially in fact is that the current HD cable card tivos wont work on a switched network...but cox is rolling out some sort of "hybrid" so who really knows.

...anyway, my 2 cents. Don't blindly rush into DirecTV's arms & 2 year contract. Really do your research and have some faith in cox, which is a very well run privately held company. They tend to disclose much less, and have much less need to "hype" their offering due to being a monopolistic franchise.

-bubu in Irvine

moyekj

11-08-07, 04:22 PM

One negative rumor based partially in fact is that the current HD cable card tivos wont work on a switched network...but cox is rolling out some sort of "hybrid" so who really knows. Cox is supposedly using BigBand's Switched Digital Video solution so I don't think there is anything "hybrid" about it. The implementation already being rolled out in Cox Fairfax, VA has already locked out some non-linear channels to CableCard users. I guess regardless of the specific implementation ultimately 2-way communication is required which Tivos don't currently have, so we have to pin our hopes on this so-called USB dongle solution to handle SDV channels, but that must be ultimately be supplied by the cable companies themselves so I don't have much hope of getting that any time soon, if ever. I just hope Cox OC doesn't get too carried away with SDV and decide to throw "popular" channels into the mix as well...

bubu

11-08-07, 05:07 PM

moyekj, ...you are right which which likely means HD Cable Card TiVo is going to go the way of the DirecTV HD TiVo :(

Anyone who is a heavy TiVo user is praying that

http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/10/04/switched-digital-videos-magic-number/

gets implemented...if its going to be an end to end SDV deployment.

To explain my "hybrid" comment; I read somewhere that the cox solution may not be direct to the set top box, but rather SDV to the local node...then going the traditional cable card compatible route to the 1000 or so customers the node services. Then again I also read something about having to subdivide the current nodes by a magnitude of 4 (4 new nodes for every existing node) in order to see any bandwidth gains from the cable providers end. Not sure how they'd accomplish the hybrid approach either, the more I think about it the less technically feasible it seems.

...can always pray for that "interface" dongle.

AMRivlin

11-08-07, 06:19 PM

Wow, this is exactly what I wanted to hear. Hopeful Progress. What is still lacking is a PR rep from COX to explain the upgrades and the time it requires.

IF Irvine is indeed Dec 2007! I do not wish to "Switch" If they have the intention to have 20-30 more HD channels over the next 4 months.

IF This upgrade is Feb 08 and nets 3 HD channels, I don't want to wait.

I actually don't mind the DVR, the software is finally stable and I rarely get a skipped recording.

Now if the Lead Tech at Cox, or A Regional PR Rep could just have a Blog!!! Or Newsletter, With notes and thoughts, it would ease many people's minds. Including mine. INSTEAD of wasting postage on PHONE Letters, spend 1 hour a week ($100 in Overhead) to inform your valuable customers!

It is not so hard to say, "Hey OC Customers, we know you want your HD, and per our website we are working on it, the delays came from this this and fires, but as an update, we have contracts with TBS, FX/USA, Discovery4, MTV, Food/HGTV and as soon as the network is setup you will get this rich HD content, thank you for your patience. And for the technical bunch who care, we are going to "this network". Cable Cards / TIVOs will or won't work beginning in..."

This way I don't buy a Pioneer 50" Koru, and kick myself when cable cards don't work.

Then offer a 5 dollar rebate to those who can't get the new channels, to cover for free DTHD/ESPNHDs while we wait.

HOW HARD IS THAT? STOP leaving us in the dark COX!

BTW Moy, did u see Tivo Lifetime is back for $400?

bubu

11-08-07, 06:33 PM

doug_p

11-08-07, 07:15 PM

You're totally right, AMRivlin, this is almost all a PR and communications issue. Since we know Cox doesn't want to lose current customers, we are left to assume they are completely incompetent with their upgrade project based on what we know officially from these clowns (info which is usually inaccurate). That makes us think we have no option but to jump ship.

I have just been catching up with this forum since I hadn't been reading it for a few days, and I was almost convinced to say screw COX and sign up with DTV. But I have a HD projector giving me a huge image that it sounds like would have a degraded picture with DirecTV, right? I don't want to sacrifice quality for quantity if there really are 50 new Cox HD channels right around the corner (I live in Mission Viejo). I wish I could believe them! C'mon Cox, assign someone to do the PR thing and do right by your customers!

moyekj

11-08-07, 07:33 PM

...the $400 lifetime sub for TiVo HD is back, with a catch. Offer is only valid for existing customers who purchase a new unit between now and feb 8th.

Honestly, it seems like a bad investment considering all the uncertainty with SDV support. Agreed, with SDV uncertainty right now I wouldn't want to commit to lifetime service, plus the other big problem with lifetime is it is tied to a particular box unlike the monthly or pre-pay options which you can re-assign to any Tivo box.

Vessvess

11-09-07, 01:37 PM

Hi all
I live in Laguna Beach and about 10 day ago switched from COX to DirecTV. Wanted to share my experience with you.
The only reason for the change was the schedule showing new HD channels for LB by Jan 2009.
I ordered their HDDVR program package. Install was very smooth and hassle free. Called COX the next day and cancelled TV service, keeping phone and Internet.

I love all the new HD channels. The new MPEG4 stuff looks great - I would say comparable to the best of COX. Shows on FoodHD or SmitsonianHD are stunning. Even old movies on MGMHD are looking amazingly good. Have not noticed any breakups in the picture - had those with COX.

Unfortunately the old MPEG2 channels, including local HD, are not so good. For me there is a dramatic difference in quality and if all you plan on watching is CBS, NBS, ABS etc. I would suggest staying with COX. I have heard of rumors that D* is planning on switching all MPEG2 channels to MPEG4 next year, but who knows. I have read that some people say they can't see a difference between D* MPEG2 and COX, but on my TV - 46" LCD I can.

I really like the D* HDDVR. It has an amazing amount of hard drive space - have already more stuff on it then I could fit on my Moto, and it still shows 60% free space. There are some minor bugs, but overall I am pleased with it. The only thing I miss are the dual buffers I had on the Moto box - pause one show, switch tuners and watch another, switch again, press play and continue watching the first one.

I am happy I made the switch. Really wish for better quality on the HD locals, but the quantity of other HD channels beats that hands down. I am locked for two years with D* and hope by then COX gets their act together, especially in my area - now it says Oct 2008 for LB - sheesh - a whole year!!!

moyekj

11-09-07, 02:54 PM

Unfortunately the old MPEG2 channels, including local HD, are not so good. For me there is a dramatic difference in quality and if all you plan on watching is CBS, NBS, ABS etc. I would suggest staying with COX. I have heard of rumors that D* is planning on switching all MPEG2 channels to MPEG4 next year, but who knows. I have read that some people say they can't see a difference between D* MPEG2 and COX, but on my TV - 46" LCD I can. Thanks for the feedback. This is consistent with my expectations and is kind of a deal breaker for me as most of what I watch are the HD locals. When D* switches them to MPEG4 they should improve a little as they will no longer downrez them to HDLite, however they will still be transcoded from MPEG2->MPEG4 so will not be as good as the OTA/Cox feeds still.

Vessvess

11-09-07, 03:16 PM

When D* switches them to MPEG4 they should improve a little as they will no longer downrez them to HDLite, however they will still be transcoded from MPEG2->MPEG4 so will not be as good as the OTA/Cox feeds still.
Thanks for the info - I was not aware of that. Yeah, I was watching "The Office" last night and could tell there was less quality in the picture - I am not sure if it is HD-Lite or what, but it was there. Don't get me wrong - it is still way better then SD but not like it used to be. The good thing is soon I will forget what it looked like on COX and just enjoy it the way it is :D

OCMike

11-09-07, 03:19 PM

Vessvess

11-09-07, 03:32 PM

I remember feeling the pressure to watch everything before Sunday morning before the HD football games came on and deleted shows I had not yet watched...this past weekend...I left 2 football games on the DVR until Tuesday...Watch out now! Life just got a bit more dangerous. :D

Same here - especially when the new Fall season shows started - could not keep up with all the new ones and had to erase some to record a few of my favorites. No need to worry about it anymore :)

bltserv

11-09-07, 04:19 PM

I spoke with a very knowledgeable and articulate person at Cox yesterday (not a talking head). I am confident that they will have added 50 new HD channels by mid 2008 in Irvine. From my conversation, it is apparent they are going to be very aggressive in competing with Direct and Dish! Stay tuned.

I heard this exact line a year ago. And this year and I bet next year too. Tomorrow Tomorrow its only a year away. It says we have them on the website. They say "anytime soon" when I call. But as the old saying goes.
I will believe it when I see it.

At least they dont BOMBARD us with this lie like they do with the ENDLESS Cox TV commercials.

chomanfoo

11-09-07, 04:54 PM

moyekj

11-09-07, 05:05 PM

Looks like "Generation Cox" is finally doing something...
http://cox.com/ocpv/hdtv/new.asp

Brings the total to:
26 free
3 "HD Tier"
4 Premium (HBO, Starz, Sho, Cinemax)

I think at this point, I might stay, I hope they get the HBO/Starz/Cinemax HD On Demand going, it sure would be nice to be able to watch those things for free in HD... Looks like Switched Digital Video will be coming online then:
Televisions and other consumer owned devices equipped with a CableCARD may require a digital set top receiver in order to receive all programming options offered by Cox Digital Cable. No mention exactly which channels will not work with CableCard.

jlstang95

11-09-07, 06:03 PM

We finally get HD NET. There is a God.

xcrappy

11-09-07, 07:04 PM

Is it really worth $5 bucks a month, $60 dollars a year for HDNet and theater?

moyekj

11-09-07, 07:10 PM

Is it really worth $5 bucks a month, $60 dollars a year for HDNet and theater? That is strange, before the HD tier was for: ESPNHD, ESPN2HD & Discovery Theater HD. Now looks those will go back into normal digital tier and the HD tier will be for the HDNets & Discovery HD, so I may be able to drop that tier now :)

doug_p

11-09-07, 07:47 PM

I'd like to think the good folks at Cox were reading this forum and scrambled to get this word out after seeing all the posts about people getting ready to jump ship!

Nah.

Looks like I can stay now, as long as December 2007 really is December 2007 and not 2008!

nocturne1

11-09-07, 08:13 PM

Great, they actually list Foothill Ranch now as March 08. Before, I figured that it was bundled in with Lake Forest, which was the end of 08. I feel at least a little bit better.....but still going to be a long wait.

TheRock

11-09-07, 11:17 PM

Wow. Now THAT is the type of announcement for a HD channel lineup I have been waiting for. Like others have said.... I really hope the December timetable is correct. I DO believe COX listens to emails and might even browse this forum. I do find it odd they arent lambasting there TV ads touting all of these new channels though. Guess they are to busy dissing DirecTV and pimping there telephone service.

I would also like to say I am happy the general public is finally getting into the whole HD thing. It has been a long time of networks and service providers dragging there feet treating HD as a niche and unimportant. Nice to see them finally feeling the pressure to add more HD. I have had an HDTV for about 3-4 years. I have been viewing HD on my computer for a long time before that. Its about time we get some serious content.

MJCS

11-09-07, 11:26 PM

Well there telephone service is pretty damn good. :p

skatensx

11-10-07, 04:43 AM

this is good news, ill be very happy if it happens as they claim

moyekj

11-10-07, 02:21 PM

Flipping through channels this morning on my Tivo I see the new HD channels are now online in Mission Viejo, at least in my area. :) Which probably means when all those other HD channels come online Dec 17 we will get them too. Wish I'd checked last night for the Lakers game on FSNWHD but happy to finally get them.

rwb1921

11-10-07, 02:32 PM

Moyekj,

Are you receiving them now? I just checked and nothing thru cable box.

Thanks,

Bob in Mission Viejo

Flipping through channels this morning on my Tivo I see the new HD channels are now online in Mission Viejo, at least in my area. :) Which probably means when all those other HD channels come online Dec 17 we will get them too. Wish I'd checked last night for the Lakers game on FSNWHD but happy to finally get them.

moyekj

11-10-07, 02:43 PM

Moyekj,

Are you receiving them now? I just checked and nothing thru cable box.

Thanks,

Bob in Mission Viejo Yes, just checked again on both Tivos. I can tune and see:
713=KCOPDT, 727=TBSHD, 763=FOXHDWE, 767=AETVHD, 790=NGCHD
(724=MAXHDP and 781=STARZHDP also can be tuned but I don't subscribe to them)
(All of them have complete guide listings as well)
Are the channels even in your guide? If not perhaps try rebooting the box.

rwb1921

11-10-07, 03:22 PM

I will try rebooting, then call Cox to see if they can try. We are very close to each other so I would think possible I would have them also.

Thanks,

Bob

Yes, just checked again on both Tivos. I can tune and see:
713=KCOPDT, 727=TBSHD, 763=FOXHDWE, 767=AETVHD, 790=NGCHD
(724=MAXHDP and 781=STARZHDP also can be tuned but I don't subscribe to them)
(All of them have complete guide listings as well)
Are the channels even in your guide? If not perhaps try rebooting the box.

rwb1921

11-10-07, 03:41 PM

Ok, still nothing, called Cox and of course standard reply is they are not available in your area. No estimate of when either. He said it could go block by block, which I have not heard before. Just more useless information from Cox as I expected. I will give them until December now probably, do not want to get tied up in a 2 yr. contract with Direct TV. The latest comments seem promising, but as one person said, we have heard it all before.

Glad you are getting the channels, that means hope at least since we are just a few blocks from each other (I am at La Paz and Olympiad).

If anyone wants to learn patience, stay with Cox and you will be tested greatly.

Bob in Mission Viejo

I will try rebooting, then call Cox to see if they can try. We are very close to each other so I would think possible I would have them also.

Thanks,

Bob

moyekj

11-10-07, 03:59 PM

Maybe they figured out how to activate individual nodes now. Last I talked to a Cox CSR he seemed to think they could only activate channels at city level, not individual node level - obviously he was wrong. Either that or maybe by some fluke CableCard devices can tune these now but the digital boxes cannot. I'm sure you are getting the signals too - it's just a question of having the channel map on your box updated so you can actually tune them.

As a side note, I just re-scanned with my PC QAM tuner and there are now a bunch of other encrypted channels showing up in new slots - so looks like many of the new HD channels slated for launch on Dec 17 are already active and perhaps being tested by Cox.

TheRock

11-10-07, 06:56 PM

Tried rebooting my box but I also don't see any new HD channels.

nocturne1

11-10-07, 07:20 PM

Wow, just checked, and a bunch of the new channels are now showing up in Foothill Ranch, despite the March 08 date.

The new ones I got are:
713 MY 13 HD (KCOP)
727 TBS HD
763 FSN HD
767 A&E HD
790 National Geographic HD

Would assume Starz HD and Cinemax HD would show up too, but I don't have subscriptions. None of the newly announced channels are there yet though.

Quigs

11-10-07, 09:12 PM

Anyone else not getting TBS HD 727 the last two days? It just says "off the air" please try later.

I'm in Laguna Niguel and it had been fine since it came on a few weeks ago.

We get new HD channels and now they don't show up. :mad:

moyekj

11-10-07, 09:19 PM

doug_p

11-11-07, 12:43 AM

Yes, just checked again on both Tivos. I can tune and see:
713=KCOPDT, 727=TBSHD, 763=FOXHDWE, 767=AETVHD, 790=NGCHD
(724=MAXHDP and 781=STARZHDP also can be tuned but I don't subscribe to them)
(All of them have complete guide listings as well)
Are the channels even in your guide? If not perhaps try rebooting the box.Weird. I live within a couple of blocks of you (west side of Felipe @ Barbadanes) and I have none of these channels yet. I haven't tried rebooting though.

rwb1921

11-11-07, 01:04 AM

Maybe then it is node by node now. Seems strange that we would not have the channels. But since some are getting them, I can only assume we are close to getting them. I guess we need to post when we get them so others will know.

Gotta love Cox.......

Bob in Mission Viejo

Weird. I live within a couple of blocks of you (west side of Felipe @ Barbadanes) and I have none of these channels yet. I haven't tried rebooting though.

irvinecox

11-11-07, 10:57 AM

As for the extremely annoying Get This Service Now Banner and Unrecordable channel problem, this will allegedly be fixed in FEBRUARY 2008!!!! If they would fire the guide provider and get Tivo based application we would see a major improvement! Why does it take until February to fix a software issue? Help me understand this. Maybe Cox needs some new technical management!

JETninja

11-11-07, 11:58 AM

Whoa, this is weird. I thought I had one more channel. This morning when I turned it on, I saw DTV 721 (8am had some Joel Osteen preeching which I thought was strange) and HDTHTR has moved to 791. Half an hour later, 721 is gone. Did a reboot, still gone.

This is Sunday morning just before 9am....wierd happenings!

Good feedback on the DTV vs Cox stuff. I have a 61" 1080P LcOS Set (max Pixels you could get) and I enjoy many programs on the locals (Football, The Unit, Greys Anatomy, Boston Legal, etc...) so degredation in quality is not something I want. I'll keep watching DTV's offerings, but they need fix the locals for a true HD worthy experience.

rwb1921

11-11-07, 12:09 PM

Looks like HDTHTR has moved from 721 to 791. I checked mine this morning and now no 721, but have 791. Still no new channels though. No DTV or any other new channels. Just a channel move.

At least now I have something to look forward to the next few months, coming home and checking to see if I have new channels or not. Thanks Cox for all the excitement.

Bob in Mission Viejo

Whoa, this is weird. I thought I had one more channel. This morning when I turned it on, I saw DTV 721 (8am had some Joel Osteen preeching which I thought was strange) and HDTHTR has moved to 791. Half an hour later, 721 is gone. Did a reboot, still gone.

This is Sunday morning just before 9am....wierd happenings!

Good feedback on the DTV vs Cox stuff. I have a 61" 1080P LcOS Set (max Pixels you could get) and I enjoy many programs on the locals (Football, The Unit, Greys Anatomy, Boston Legal, etc...) so degredation in quality is not something I want. I'll keep watching DTV's offerings, but they need fix the locals for a true HD worthy experience.

moyekj

11-11-07, 12:28 PM

Whoa, this is weird. I thought I had one more channel. This morning when I turned it on, I saw DTV 721 (8am had some Joel Osteen preeching which I thought was strange) and HDTHTR has moved to 791. Half an hour later, 721 is gone. Did a reboot, still gone. On my Tivo Discovery HD Theater has also moved to 791 and has the Cox channel name (instead of zap2it name THD) and no guide listings. 721 still has guide listings for me but can no longer be tuned.
Note that in order to properly stick to conventions, 721 should become the upcoming Discovery Channel HD (HD version of channel 21) so this move was probably intentional in preparation for the new channels.
791 is still on frequency 519MHz (as it was on 721) so it was just a channel number re-assignment.

rwb1921

11-11-07, 12:57 PM

FYI, Cable Box has guide updated for 791.

Bob in Mission Viejo

On my Tivo Discovery HD Theater has also moved to 791 and has the Cox channel name (instead of zap2it name THD) and no guide listings. 721 still has guide listings for me but can no longer be tuned.
Note that in order to properly stick to conventions, 721 should become the upcoming Discovery Channel HD (HD version of channel 21) so this move was probably intentional in preparation for the new channels.
791 is still on frequency 519MHz (as it was on 721) so it was just a channel number re-assignment.

moyekj

11-11-07, 01:03 PM

FYI, Cable Box has guide updated for 791.

Bob in Mission Viejo Yes, that's one disadvantage of using the Tivos - sometimes guide updates don't happen right away as Cox doesn't always notify other providers of changes. I've already submitted a lineup change request to Tivo for this one so should get the update in a few days.

phdeane

11-11-07, 02:15 PM

Well, at least here in Newport Beach - just barely over the Irvine border, not only have I had 713=KCOPDT, 727=TBSHD, 763=FOXHDWE, 767=AETVHD, 790=NGCHD for a few weeks, I now have the recently announced December 17 channels, as well.

This includes Animal Planet HD, CNN HD, History Channel HD, TLC HD, Discovery Channel HD, and NFL HD. I even have guide data. As mentioned HD Theater is now on 791.

Strange, no HD Net though.

phdeane

11-11-07, 02:39 PM

bigslickak

11-11-07, 02:46 PM

took a closer look - no Food HD, HGTV HD, or HDNet Movies yet either - only really care about the latter though.

Same situation here in Aliso Viejo. Nice little surprise this morning. Just tuned in to CNN HD, DISC HD, NFL HD, AP HD among others.

skatensx

11-11-07, 05:54 PM

still nothing here in irvine for me, except the 721 changed to 791 like everyone else

tjstoddard

11-12-07, 12:14 AM

Just noticed we now have these new channels:

CNN 714
NFL 739
TLC 754
HIST 762
AP 772 (animal planet)
HD Thtr 791

Tom...

p.s. fyi... for those waiting for FSN HD laker games, they are usually simulcast on MOJO HD....

p.p.s. also noticed according to the website we are still getting 2-3 more

moyekj

11-12-07, 02:56 AM

p.s. fyi... for those waiting for FSN HD laker games, they are usually simulcast on MOJO HD.... Unfortunately they don't broadcast every FSN Laker game on MOJO and when they do Cox doesn't always switch it in and out properly on MOJO which is why it's nice to have the dedicated channel now (for those in an area that can tune it).

I cannot yet tune any of the brand new HD channels such as 714=CNNHD.

scottvan

11-12-07, 09:16 AM

moyekj

11-12-07, 10:50 AM

Anyone watch the Colts/Chargers game last night? Very jumpy and annoying picture, I was almost tempted to just watch it on SD 4. It seemed like all the local channels were jumpy last night, but HDTHTR (which is now 791 in RSM) and ESPN HD were crystal clear. I recorded and watched that whole great game on my 47" 1080p LCD - didn't notice any problems at all here other than the usual NBC crappy artifacts when zooming in on motion which they are famous for. Of all the HD broadcasters NBC ranks among the worst - it's been that way ever since I can remember starting with the Olympics a few years ago.

tjstoddard

11-12-07, 11:31 AM

Yes I was going crazy screaming at the TV,but not because of the picture....The picture was fine for me on HD, I don't recall any blips and I was glued to the game....

AMRivlin

11-12-07, 12:10 PM

Wow, missed all the excitement this weekend. I noticed 791 here in 92606 Irvine, but no new channels.

I wonder why they didn't sign USA and FX. I guess they like to build anticipation HA.

Well good news nonetheless, I would surely hope this arrives for Irvine before the official deadline, if not at the deadline at the latest.

tjstoddard

11-12-07, 12:20 PM

Unfortunately they don't broadcast every FSN Laker game on MOJO and when they do Cox doesn't always switch it in and out properly on MOJO which is why it's nice to have the dedicated channel now (for those in an area that can tune it).

I cannot yet tune any of the brand new HD channels such as 714=CNNHD.
yes, but I'm pretty sure they do it for the ones that are on FSN-HD, so you aren't missing anything.

tjstoddard

11-12-07, 12:22 PM

I recorded and watched that whole great game on my 47" 1080p LCD - didn't notice any problems at all here other than the usual NBC crappy artifacts when zooming in on motion which they are famous for. Of all the HD broadcasters NBC ranks among the worst - it's been that way ever since I can remember starting with the Olympics a few years ago.
that wouldn't happen to be the vizio, would it? If so, what do you think about it? I have it and so far it's been great.

moyekj

11-12-07, 12:30 PM

yes, but I'm pretty sure they do it for the ones that are on FSN-HD, so you aren't missing anything. Actually the last broadcast on FSN was not on MOJO - I checked.

moyekj

11-12-07, 12:34 PM

that wouldn't happen to be the vizio, would it? If so, what do you think about it? I have it and so far it's been great. Westinghouse LVM47W1. I've heard great things about Vizio as well and I have a friend with one who loves it. In my case I didn't need/want any tuners since I DVR everything, so the Westy for the price I got it at the time was a steal. Great picture and unparalleled set of inputs. Works great as a computer monitor as well.

MJCS

11-12-07, 01:58 PM

I always see people returning vizio brand tv's to costco...cant be that good

rwb1921

11-12-07, 02:33 PM

I see that too, and you must return within 90 days now. So not sure what is going on. Several reports I read said they are ok though.

I always see people returning vizio brand tv's to costco...cant be that good

Quigs

11-12-07, 02:38 PM

anyone else not getting TBSHD 727 the last few days? It's been "temporarily off the air" for 3 days now for me.

Quigs

11-12-07, 02:45 PM

oh, also an FYI to anyone looking for a great 720p HDTV and a great bargain.

At Circuit city online they were offering a 32" Olevia HDTV 232T for $475, originally $599. Then add 10% off if AAA member.

I went down and they did not have the 232T in stock, but they had the 232V, but it was still at $599, originally $699. Only difference is the speakers are on the side instead of the bottom for the T model.

So, I asked the sales guy if they both are 32" and really the only differnce is the speakers, can I just get the 232V instead for the advertised price online.

He checked with his boss (I was expecting a NO) but said sure. So, with my AAA discount I got an orignal $699 tv for $420....with tax came to a total of $468.

The picture is AMAZING!! And I can use it as my PC monitor as well. Looks great!

so, check it out and if you need another HDTV for a bedroom or den I recommend it!

bubu

11-12-07, 03:19 PM

...have all the new HD channels reported here in North Irvine (Portola Springs) 92618 as of last sunday morning.

I can only pray that SCI-FI HD and FX-HD won't wind up on their SDV network or I'll have some really gimped TiVo's.

Oh...there is a silver lining to our HD TiVo's loosing their value due to the SDV roll-out, if/when TiVo ever releases an updated HD TiVo for SVD...we'll always be able to use the MRV on the boxes to move recordings between all the TiVos anyway.

Time to start praying...

moyekj

11-12-07, 04:18 PM

tjstoddard

11-12-07, 04:22 PM

Westinghouse LVM47W1. I've heard great things about Vizio as well and I have a friend with one who loves it. In my case I didn't need/want any tuners since I DVR everything, so the Westy for the price I got it at the time was a steal. Great picture and unparalleled set of inputs. Works great as a computer monitor as well.

I've got the VIZIO 47" LCD 1080P and it's great!

tjstoddard

11-12-07, 04:24 PM

anyone else not getting TBSHD 727 the last few days? It's been "temporarily off the air" for 3 days now for me.

Just checked, 727 is working fine for me in Aliso...

skatensx

11-12-07, 04:32 PM

I always see people returning vizio brand tv's to costco...cant be that good

I bought and returned a 42 inch Vizio at costco. The tv itself was nice and I had no problems with it before I returned it, I just found a better deal on a tv and with 3 hdmi inputs and wanted to upgrade to 1080p (even though I know its not a huge difference). After buying a 40 inch samsung, I now realize that the Vizio had pretty bad audio and the SD channels looked terrible, but the Vizio HD channel quality was pretty good for the price.

Quigs

11-12-07, 07:55 PM

Just checked, 727 is working fine for me in Aliso...

hmmm, I'm just over in Laguna Niguel so I wonder why. My neighbor doesn't get it either lately.

Figures it would happen over the weekend/holiday so I can't cal to get anybody.

Anyone in Laguna Niguel get 727 to come in?

Oh, 772 Animal Planet HD doesn't show up either.

pmsimon

11-12-07, 09:39 PM

The HD versions of CNN, Discovery, Animal Planet, History, TLC, and NFL Network showed up today on the Palos Verdes part of Cox OCPV.

This is wholly unrelated, I'm sure, to the fact that Verizon strung up fiber on the poles behind my house a couple of weeks ago.

FiOS still looks like a good alternative.

tjstoddard

11-13-07, 09:12 AM

hmmm...Unrelated

Competition is good for all of us!

tjstoddard

11-13-07, 01:32 PM

on analog they are showing USA channel, says temporarily off air on digital....anyone know whats up?

10:51am update.....CNBC is back to normal now...that was weird.

Whitearrow

11-13-07, 02:04 PM

My love/hate relationship with Cox has reached an all-time high :)

I was at my brother's on Sunday and he just got the new DTV dish and DVR... I was so jealous of all the channels, basic cable ones I actually watch, like Sci-Fi and FX and USA. I mean, A&E and NGC are very nice and all, but seriously, they're channels I maybe watch once or twice a year. For the first time ever I was seriously thinking of switching.

Then I saw that Cox would be getting HDNet, finally -- Torchwood, yay! So I'm feeling some love again for Cox. But seriously, how are they picking these HD channels? I get the sports-heavy nature of it based on the assumption that this is a male-driven service (annoying but I admit probably true). But why A&E and NGC instead of FX, USA? I don't get it.

Rick Johnston

11-13-07, 02:57 PM

I may add a cable card to one of our sets. I just wanted to check and see if I will be able to access the MLB / NHL packages with the card.

BTW, we are in Portola Hills and re: recently added HD here. The only change I have seen is 721 is now 791, as reported elsewhere. No additional new stations as of now

Oddly, I can access KOCE HD on a QAM tuner, I think it was 50.1 or 50.2

Thanks,
Rick

rwb1921

11-13-07, 09:17 PM

Got home today and saw a Cox truck in neighborhood, but still no new channels yet.
Also 791 has no info in guide now. Been that way all afternoon and evening.

Sugrat

11-13-07, 10:30 PM

Still no new channels here in Trabuco Canyon (even after the reboot)...... same with 791, no data

Dr. Shrinker

11-15-07, 03:39 AM

Just checked, 727 is working fine for me in Aliso...

I'm also in AV...it's been out for days for me.

doug_p

11-15-07, 05:10 PM

Went over to the Cox RSM office yesterday to pick up another HD set top box for a new TV I just bought. Got it home and turned it on, and the damn thing sounded like a freight train. And I couldn't get it to work anyway. Taking it back.....sigh. What do they do, just take broken returns and put them back on the shelf for the next unsuspecting sap?

Anyway, I digress.....while I was there the lady told me that the new HD channels are on in Aliso Viejo and elsewhere and will be "coming soon" to Mission Viejo. Nothing new there I guess.

moyekj

11-15-07, 05:59 PM

Anyway, I digress.....while I was there the lady told me that the new HD channels are on in Aliso Viejo and elsewhere and will be "coming soon" to Mission Viejo. Nothing new there I guess. When you say "new HD channels" are your talking about TBSHD, FSNHD, etc. or the ones that Cox is advertising for Dec. 17 launch (like CNNHD, etc)?

tjstoddard

11-15-07, 06:47 PM

When you say "new HD channels" are your talking about TBSHD, FSNHD, etc. or the ones that Cox is advertising for Dec. 17 launch (like CNNHD, etc)?

It's gotta be the Dec. 17th launch ones.... we've had most of these that are listed for the launch since 11/11 in Aliso.

We have 29 of these now, that are listed on this page below

http://cox.com/ocpv/hdtv/programming.asp

...all but 792 & 793....

moyekj

11-15-07, 07:12 PM

It's gotta be the Dec. 17th launch ones.... we've had most of these that are listed for the launch since 11/11 in Aliso.

We have 29 of these now, that are listed on this page below

http://cox.com/ocpv/hdtv/programming.asp

...all but 792 & 793.... doug_p is in Mission Viejo, and seems like not everyone in MV is even getting the last round of HD channel additions yet (I do) which is why I ask.

phdeane

11-15-07, 07:49 PM

It's gotta be the Dec. 17th launch ones.... we've had most of these that are listed for the launch since 11/11 in Aliso.

We have 29 of these now, that are listed on this page below

http://cox.com/ocpv/hdtv/programming.asp

...all but 792 & 793....

you mention 792 and 793, but do you have Food HD (756), HGTV HD (757) yet? - not that I care about those two, just curious as the Cox Website has a double asterisks next to those two (among others that we do get in NB), which refers to this note: "Available in select areas, coming soon to all locations. Click here for areas of availability."

tjstoddard

11-15-07, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by tjstoddard
It's gotta be the Dec. 17th launch ones.... we've had most of these that are listed for the launch since 11/11 in Aliso.

We have 29 of these now, that are listed on this page below

http://cox.com/ocpv/hdtv/programming.asp

...all but 792 & 793....

you mention 792 and 793, but do you have Food HD (756), HGTV HD (757) yet? - not that I care about those two, just curious as the Cox Website has a double asterisks next to those two (among others that we do get in NB), which refers to this note: "Available in select areas, coming soon to all locations. Click here for areas of availability."

You are correct, we get 754 TLC which is next to the 756**, but neither 756 nor 757 yet...

rwb1921

11-15-07, 10:37 PM

doug_p is in Mission Viejo, and seems like not everyone in MV is even getting the last round of HD channel additions yet (I do) which is why I ask.

I agree, because I still do not have any of the new channels. Same old channels for the past year.......still waiting for anything new.

moyekj

11-16-07, 12:40 AM

I agree, because I still do not have any of the new channels. Same old channels for the past year.......still waiting for anything new. My Tivos just got guide listings for several of the HD channels:
714, 721, 739, 754, 762, 772, 791
Can't tune any of them (other than 791) however.

JETninja

11-16-07, 12:46 AM

Did you folks in MV get the email today, you have to click to accept the new HD Tier (With HDNet ect..) You have until Dec 4th it says to accept the change.... LOL!

nocturne1

11-16-07, 01:21 AM

Did you folks in MV get the email today, you have to click to accept the new HD Tier (With HDNet ect..) You have until Dec 4th it says to accept the change.... LOL!

Got the email, and a phone call about it tonight as well!

skatensx

11-16-07, 01:21 AM

wow irvine is way behind, no tbs, no new channels, but im cool with waiting until dec 17

moyekj

11-16-07, 01:47 AM

Did you folks in MV get the email today, you have to click to accept the new HD Tier (With HDNet ect..) You have until Dec 4th it says to accept the change.... LOL! No. What email? What phone call? Can you post the contents of the email?
Thanks.

moyekj

11-16-07, 03:38 AM

Here's an interesting article revealing Cox's plans for bandwidth expansion in the next few years:
http://www.onetrak.com/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2870&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
Some intended plans to take advantage of increased bandwidth: # scale back the analog channel count from 74 to 68
# increase standard definition channels from 110 to 200-plus
# raise HD channels from just 8 in 2006 to 100-plus
# boost data bandwidth to 25 Megabits per second downstream, 4 Mbps upstream.
NOTE: Article mentions Cox's 3rd market SDV rollout starting in 2008 - Orange County is the 3rd market after Fairfax VA & Phoenix AZ.
ALSO NOTE: It would seem the current OC upgrades are likely to be up to 1GHz instead of 860MHz as I had previously assumed.

Falcon_77

11-16-07, 04:22 AM

No. What email? What phone call? Can you post the contents of the email?
Thanks.

This is the e-mail I got. It looked like a phish (especially with bad formatting), which is why I decided to verify it here.

On December 17, 2007, Cox will be changing our current High Definition tier. We will be
adding HDNet and HDNet Movies to the tier along with HD Theater (formerly Discovery HD
Theater). ESPN HD and ESPN 2 HD will now be included with your current HD service. If
you would like to continue to receive the HD Tier with HDNet and HDNet Movies for no
more than you are currently paying today, please submit "Yes" on this form by December 4th.

Cox is now working in your area to upgrade our network so that we can soon offer you even
more HD Channels. You can visit our website here to see when new channels will be available.

Please submit "Yes" on this form to confirm that you would like to continue to receive the HD tier. This will also ensure that you have access to any new HD channels that we launch on the HD Tier in the future. If you respond "Yes" by December 4th, we will give you 5 FREE On DEMAND movies (a $19.75 value)! Information on how to redeem your free movies will be emailed to you once you respond "Yes".

If you have any questions, please call us at 949.240.1212. At Cox, we truly appreciate your business.

Sincerely,

Colleen Langner
Vice President,
Marketing and Sales

JETninja

11-16-07, 10:28 AM

Yeah, that's the Email.......

moyekj

11-16-07, 12:46 PM

OK thanks. Looks legit enough considering the HD tier is changing. Sure seems less valuable for me to keep without ESPNs in there now.

Whitearrow

11-16-07, 01:54 PM

I'm sure I'm in the minority (being a girl and all) but I plan to *add* the HD tier after the change because I want HDNet! I wish they'd offer me some benefit for doing so... instead, I haven't even heard from them about it yet.

jlstang95

11-16-07, 05:11 PM

I got a customer service call asking me if I wanted to keep the HD Tier, and if I did want to keep it, the tier would now consist of HD NET and HD Theater. I decided to keep the tier so the gave me 5 free on demand movie coupons.

nocturne1

11-16-07, 05:32 PM

I decided to keep the tier so the gave me 5 free on demand movie coupons.
Decided to keep the tier as well. Unfortunately, since I have a TiVo HD, I can't use the 5 free on-demand movies. :(

And since they are credited directly to an account, I can't even give them away either. :(

rwb1921

11-16-07, 09:54 PM

Decided to keep the tier as well. Unfortunately, since I have a TiVo HD, I can't use the 5 free on-demand movies. :(

And since they are credited directly to an account, I can't even give them away either. :(

I decided to keep also, of course that means if I ever get any more HD channels. These days I just will not believe until I see. Many promises, no action. I guess I should have moved close to moyekj, then maybe I would have some more channels :)

Still waiting on the promises of more HD...........

twarren

11-17-07, 10:09 AM

Here's an interesting article revealing Cox's plans for bandwidth expansion in the next few years:
http://www.onetrak.com/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2870&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
Some intended plans to take advantage of increased bandwidth:
NOTE: Article mentions Cox's 3rd market SDV rollout starting in 2008 - Orange County is the 3rd market after Fairfax VA & Phoenix AZ.
ALSO NOTE: It would seem the current OC upgrades are likely to be up to 1GHz instead of 860MHz as I had previously assumed.

that is quite interesting. Regarding SDV, what impact will it have on our qam digital tuners (seems like it would make them stop working)?

twarren

11-17-07, 10:31 AM

I decided to keep also, of course that means if I ever get any more HD channels. These days I just will not believe until I see. Many promises, no action. I guess I should have moved close to moyekj, then maybe I would have some more channels :)

Still waiting on the promises of more HD...........

I also got a phone call and decided to keep, although I asked the question: I am in an area that is not scheduled to get the new HD lineup until 2008, so are you saying that I will get these new stations in December? Response was "yes" and even though I don't believe it I guess I could cancel in December if I don't get them based on the verbal response, as I am not going to pay $4.95/month for nothing (unless that was the purpose of their offering 5 free movies)

moyekj

11-17-07, 04:00 PM

that is quite interesting. Regarding SDV, what impact will it have on our qam digital tuners (seems like it would make them stop working)? TVs without CableCard or PC QAM tuners won't really be affected as they can only tune clear QAM channels and those channels are local channels and cannot be put under SDV (since they have to be made available with only limited basic cable subscription). However, the vast majority of deployed CableCard devices out there don't support 2-way communications and therefore will not be able to tune any channel put under SDV. In simple terms, with SDV, when you tune to a channel it has to send a message upstream to request the relevant frequency and sub-channel needed to tune that channel so you can view it. The digital set top boxes Cox deploys has the hardware/firmware/authentication necessary to do that, most none cable company boxes & tuners do not. Thus SDV is bad news for CableCard and CableCard Tivo customers and depending on how far Cox OC goes with the implementation it could be terrible news...

doug_p

11-17-07, 10:16 PM

When you say "new HD channels" are your talking about TBSHD, FSNHD, etc. or the ones that Cox is advertising for Dec. 17 launch (like CNNHD, etc)?Sorry for the late response.....yeah, I assumed she meant the Dec 17th launch, but I didn't think she was playing with a full deck so I didn't ask for any more detail.

In the meantime, no email or phone call at this house.

macinfosys

11-18-07, 12:33 AM

TVs without CableCard or PC QAM tuners won't really be affected as they can only tune clear QAM channels and those channels are local channels and cannot be put under SDV (since they have to be made available with only limited basic cable subscription). However, the vast majority of deployed CableCard devices out there don't support 2-way communications and therefore will not be able to tune any channel put under SDV. In simple terms, with SDV, when you tune to a channel it has to send a message upstream to request the relevant frequency and sub-channel needed to tune that channel so you can view it. The digital set top boxes Cox deploys has the hardware/firmware/authentication necessary to do that, most none cable company boxes & tuners do not. Thus SDV is bad news for CableCard and CableCard Tivo customers and depending on how far Cox OC goes with the implementation it could be terrible news...

I have read on a couple pages back that you have been getting the new HD channels showing up on your Tivo HD's. I was thinking the new HD line up in OC was going to be SDV. I live in Foothill Ranch so I am not sure if I am going to get mine early or have to wait till March 08.

I have been reading everywhere trying to figure out how badly SDV is going to effect me. I could no longer handle the Cox HD DVR boxes and broke down and bought the Tivo HD boxes (3 of them) a week ago and have been VERY happy with the new configuration, especially with the new 9.2 OS features on being able to stream the shows from each unit. But now I am torn on if I should keep them since Cox is moving to SDV on HD channels and I really enjoy watching HD channels as much as possible. And I have not heard any new info on when we might actually see the dongle option from either Tivo or Cox to allow for two way communications.

So am I to understand the NEW HD lineup that Cox has been talking about and showcasing on their website is also going to be available to us Tivo users or is that wishful thinking ?

Appreciate any input you may have for me.

Thanks in advance.

Bob