It's not Cox who sets the 5c it's HBO.

ajwees41

It might be HBO but COX has something to do with it. At the very same time all of HBO, Showtime, and Starz channels had this feature turned on. I doubt they all gave the instructions to have it turned on that very same moment. I have heard from someone(with the same problem, different area) it might have something to do with new firmware. Once they complained enough COX turned the firmware back and then the PC recording worked again.

It might be HBO but COX has something to do with it. At the very same time all of HBO, Showtime, and Starz channels had this feature turned on. I doubt they all gave the instructions to have it turned on that very same moment. I have heard from someone(with the same problem, different area) it might have something to do with new firmware. Once they complained enough COX turned the firmware back and then the PC recording worked again.


Recording HBO through firewire has never worked in Omaha Nebraska. Who at Cox did they contact?

ajwees41

I don't think it's firmware related as in Comcast markets with older firmware (even prior to 12.27 on phase III units) they could not capture from any 5C=1 channels. Also, from my understanding when checking via DCT diagnostics only recently does it show 5C=1 on these premium channels. So this suggests that perhaps somehow via headend processing/multiplexing that Cox OC was accidently stripping out the 5C flag and that only recently this "problem" was corrected.

At the very same time all of HBO, Showtime, and Starz channels had this feature turned on. I doubt they all gave the instructions to have it turned on that very same moment
I don't see why not- I believe they're all owned by the same company (Time-Warner).

I don't see why not- I believe they're all owned by the same company (Time-Warner).


Showtime is CBS owned.

Starz is owned by Starz Entertainment Group LLC

ajwees41

5 more unencrypted simulcast added recently (02,04,08,37,38) with a few more on the sidelines ready for deployment as I mentioned recently.
DIGITAL SIMULCAST CHANNELS (51 out of 72 analog channels total using 6 RF channels)
02=KCBS 04=KNBC 06=KCET 08=KPXN 10=KOCE
12=KDOC 13=KCOP 14=CNN 15=ESPN 16=ESPN2
17=FX 18=TNT 19=FAMILY 20=DISNEY 21=DISC
22=USA 23=CSPAN 25=KAZA 27=TBS 28=WGN
29=KWHY 32=KXLA 34=KMEX 35=KSCI 36=KVEA
37=HSN 38=KLCS 40=KTBN 41=KRCA 42=KFTR
43=MSNBC 44=CNBC 45=HEADLINE 46=FOXNEWS 47=GALAVISION
48=BET 49=MTV 53=TRAVEL 54=HEALTH 55=BRAVO
56=TV FOOD 57=HGTV 58=LIFE 59=E! 63=FSNET2
64=FSNET 67=A&E 70=NICK 71=TOON 72=ANIMAL
73=TLC

5 more unencrypted simulcast added recently (02,04,08,37,38) with a few more on the sidelines ready for deployment as I mentioned recently.
DIGITAL SIMULCAST CHANNELS (51 out of 72 analog channels total using 6 RF channels)
02=KCBS 04=KNBC 06=KCET 08=KPXN 10=KOCE
12=KDOC 13=KCOP 14=CNN 15=ESPN 16=ESPN2
17=FX 18=TNT 19=FAMILY 20=DISNEY 21=DISC
22=USA 23=CSPAN 25=KAZA 27=TBS 28=WGN
29=KWHY 32=KXLA 34=KMEX 35=KSCI 36=KVEA
37=HSN 38=KLCS 40=KTBN 41=KRCA 42=KFTR
43=MSNBC 44=CNBC 45=HEADLINE 46=FOXNEWS 47=GALAVISION
48=BET 49=MTV 53=TRAVEL 54=HEALTH 55=BRAVO
56=TV FOOD 57=HGTV 58=LIFE 59=E! 63=FSNET2
64=FSNET 67=A&E 70=NICK 71=TOON 72=ANIMAL
73=TLC

how are you finding out that these things are being added? I'm curious if it's in the menu's or what? I know how to get into the service menu, but I didn't see anything like that.

EDIT: also, for those that are talking about HDMI vs. component, word of advise from an installer: USE COMPONENT! HDMI is just one big headache, and cox confirms this. for the handshake to work properly you have to turn your components on in the right order, and the component picture looks a tad bit better anyway.

appleboy_ there are several methods I am using to track digital simulcast additions. One of the easiest I outlined here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7602723&&#post7602723
(substitute channel 2 in that post for channel 3 since channel 2 is now digital)

Other methods I also use:
* Menu, Down, B, Up, B, Page Down - along with other info this page shows you the frequency of each tuner. I have a remote macro to enter the above sequence so I don't have to do it manually. This method can be used even if DVR is recording something since it doesn't disturb recordings.
* I have an unencrypted QAM tuner I use and a re-scan will pickup new additions - though it's not the easiest way to go about it.

I finally picked up an hdtv box from Cox. They gave me the dct 6416 III, they also threw in an hdmi cable. I hooked it up to my Panny plasma and nothing. There doesn't seem to be a signal going through. I can't figure it if it's the tv, cable, or box. I did not see any options on the stb settings to active the hdmi or anything like that. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get this thing working. I've already unplug the stb, plugged it back in, etc. no signal or message is present.

-Vic

I just got my Motorola HD DVR (silver), and just started setting up my cable service. However, I am not getting ANY audio from ShowtimeHD? Every other HD channel is working fine, audio wise...except ShowtimeHD. What is the problem?

Also, should I setup my "Output Format" to 1080i or 720p? And once I do that, there is like a secondary choice (I presume for SD), should I set it at 480P or 480i? What is the difference?

I'd appreciate if someone can the best method to set this box up. Thanks!!

Sorry twnmango but i'm not very tech savy. One thing that might help those who know how to help you is to list the make and model of your TV and any other equipment you have set up. It seems odd that every channel has fine audio except for Showtime. As for the 1080i or 720p I think that depends on your TV. I think I recall hearing that some TV's (mostly Plasmas) can be damaged if you set it to 1080i.

According to MHD.tv Cox is finally going to be adding MTV's HD channel on 12/30/2006. Several months away but still good news I guess.

Still VERY dissapointed at them for not putting ESPN2 HD in place at least just temporarily for the World Cup as some Comcast markets did. Having to watch a lot of good games in SD on ESPN2 compared to a few available in HD on ABC & ESPN really blows. Personally I would like to see more sports channels in HD such as FSN & ESPN2 rather than something like MTV which I never watch. HD really shines for sports and that is the big motivation for many HDTV purchases so it would make sense for Cox to have a strong HD lineup of sports channels which they currently do not have.

According to MHD.tv Cox is finally going to be adding MTV's HD channel on 12/30/2006. Several months away but still good news I guess.

Ironically, I just got it in Fairfax, VA today... perhaps that is hope for you?

I was checking that site quite frequently and it always said "At this time, there are no plans" etc etc... and I went today and it actually says "You can get it!" etc etc.

So for what it's worth, it never said I would be getting it... unless that was updated for the most recent two weeks, but I'd have expected more lead time than that...

Congrats. I doubt we will be getting MTVHD before that given date though. Seems to be a fairly specific time. It also might be a "at the latest" type thing but if that was the case they would have probably just said "before 2007". Who knows though. We do have 3 test channels. One of those might be it.

TheRock, I wouldn't expect any more HD channels to be added in OC until the digital simulcast additions are over, and there's still around 30 channels or so left. Cox claimed (in one of their magazines I quoted in this thread before) that by end of summer digital simulcast will be completed, so I wouldn't expect any HD channel additions until fall at earliest, and that's assuming there is any bandwidth left over after digital simulcast channels are all in place. We may have to wait for 750->860MHz network upgrades to be finished before there is enough bandwidth for more HD channels.

Thanks for the info. Like I said. I dont expect MTVHD to be added until 12/30/06. That is probably going to be the next HD channel added by COX. That is 6 months away. Plenty of time to finish the digital simulcast and any upgrades they need to make. Still a bit sad when you see almost every other provider adding several HD channels lately. I would love it if Verizon would offer FIOS in my area.

Note that the "ample bandwidth" assumption for Verizon FIOS is way overstated. For video distribution they are still limited to traditional 750-860MHz distribution systems - i.e. no more than existing cable providers. One difference is they don't need to take up part of that bandwidth for voice and internet, but only limited bandwidth is used up by Cox for those services anyway. Perhaps the biggest advantage being a new provider is that they are not saddled with having to carry analog channels which affords them a lot more bandwidth for SD and HD digital channels. However, for me one big advantage of sticking with Cox is exactly those analog channels - I don't need a digital set top box for every TV for a basic channel lineup as would be the case for Verizon or Satellite.

P.S. I'm in a Verizon Fios market as well, so perhaps Cox is getting it in gear?

I do not yet have fios, but other areas of my county do...

Fios (as some of you may know) already have WB, MTV and also several that Cox doesn't have - HDNet+Movies, NGC, ESPN2, NFL...

Competition is great!

Well, I was really looking foward to seeing my Angels in high definition on INHD, but not today! Some old movie is playing on instead of the game. I wonder if it is blacked out here? And they played this movie instead? Lame.

EDIT: Anyone else noticed that they moved the TV Guide channel back to 97? Wonder what they are going to replace it with.

I hate blackouts SOOOO much. There should be a law written that says another channel (provider) can offer the game if the main channel (for that specific location) isn't offered in HD. I hate watching FSW in SD when I could be enjoying the game in wonderful HD on INHD. I usually just refuse to watch when that happens.

EDIT: Anyone else noticed that they moved the TV Guide channel back to 97? Wonder what they are going to replace it with. Channel 26 (237MHz) that used to be TVGUIDE now has digital simulcast channels instead (you will note you can no longer tune to channel 26 and it's not in the guide). Cox moved the channels that were on RF 95 to this channel for some reason. Very interesting that a traditionally analog frequency now is being used for digital channels - guess that's one way to make room for digital simulcast.

In fact, looks like RF 23,24,26 will all be used for simulcast and/or digital channels (the analog channels that used to be there have dissapeared).

The more I look at it there has actually been a great deal of shuffling of channels & frequencies recently - still changing and will probably take a while to map it all out.

An observation and a couple questions:

I noticed that around the middle of last nights Angels/Giants HD broadcast that some severe sampling (I think) issues were occuring with the broadcast on channel 716. Did anyone else experience that? It made the HD broadcast unwatchable because the audio signal would pulse on/off every 1 or 2 seconds and the video would scramble at the same intervals.

Also, my Motorola 6412 has started to act up lately. I was watching a recorded World Cup telecast last night from ESPN-HD and when I was fast-forwarding (the fastest setting) for a minute or two the unit just reset. Again, this morning I was doing the same thing, fast forwarding on the fastest setting for a minute or two and the unit reset again! Does anyone have any insight on this? Is the 6412 overheating?

An observation and a couple questions:

I noticed that around the middle of last nights Angels/Giants HD broadcast that some severe sampling (I think) issues were occuring with the broadcast on channel 716. Did anyone else experience that? It made the HD broadcast unwatchable because the audio signal would pulse on/off every 1 or 2 seconds and the video would scramble at the same intervals.

Also, my Motorola 6412 has started to act up lately. I was watching a recorded World Cup telecast last night from ESPN-HD and when I was fast-forwarding (the fastest setting) for a minute or two the unit just reset. Again, this morning I was doing the same thing, fast forwarding on the fastest setting for a minute or two and the unit reset again! Does anyone have any insight on this? Is the 6412 overheating?

I had the exact same thing happen. I had to watch the broadcast in SD because of this, which sucks because we get so few angels games in HD to start with! I have a 6416 so its probably the the box.

There are a bunch more TEST channels now. Last time I checked there are 10. None seem to be viewable yet.

my dvr stopped working now.. gggrrrrr...

all of my scheduled recordings shows that its "Recording" but it doesnt record.. the red record light doesnt come on..

I have the new motorola box.. anyone else's dvr gone awry?

No problems here... my 6416 has been extremely reliable. Echo 2.5.x rocks.

n00b question on 6416 Model (Cox)
Hey All,

I just picked up a Motorola 6416 unit, from a local Cox Communications store, and since this is my very first time using a DVR, I had some questions:

1) Is there a link to the actual product on Motorola's web site for specifications and such? I couldn’t find one.

2) What is the use for the Ethernet connector?

Also, I noticed that this model comes with a Seagate 160GB Hdd, and as a result, a 40~50 hours recording time.

3) Is it possible to connect an external IEEE Hdd and see if I can transfer my recorded programs (World Cup matches!) from DVR unit to this external Hdd unit?

4) How does a DVR work? I mean I can't figure out how one can pause and rewind a broadcast, are these pre-recorded?

Many thanks in advance.

Cannibal, 3rd link in my sig below covers information that you are asking and a lot more (and has links to manuals).
2nd link covers firewire capture of recorded shows from DVR to WinXP PC. (external HDD transfer is not possible)

Basic manual to get you started: http://www.pioneerdigital.com/pdf/passportecho1.6gettingstarted.pdf

Thanks, you guys are awesome! OK, now why Cox tells me that this unit is 6416 model? Is this model even out? (I'm at work, and couldn't remember the model number, so I called them to look up my account info and see what model I have).

Thanks!

Yes, 6416 has been out for quite some time now and many Cox OC customers are getting 6416 instead of 6412 models (or swapping out 6412 for 6416). In terms of DVR functionality it's equivalent to the earlier 6412 models. The 16 signifies 160G internal hard drive as opposed to 12 that signifies 120G.

2) What is the use for the Ethernet connector?



It doesn't have a use.

ajwees41

I assume everything in your guide would be still applicable to 6416 model then?

The guide is awesome (haven't read it throughly though!) the thing I want to know, is that it describes how to capture programs to the PC, but what if you already have some recorded programs and want to transfer those instead?

Thanks again!

Yes, everything same for 6416. Firewire capture applies to anything currently being displayed by the 64xx box. Can be currently tuned channel or recorded content being played back. You are capturing the 64xx output in real time. NOTE: Some premium channels/recordings such as HBO, Show, etc. cannot be capture because of DRM. Also note that firewire capture screws up FF/REW which can be fixed by rebooting the box.

I assume everything in your guide would be still applicable to 6416 model then?

The guide is awesome (haven't read it throughly though!) the thing I want to know, is that it describes how to capture programs to the PC, but what if you already have some recorded programs and want to transfer those instead?

Thanks again!


Play the programs and capture them through the firewire. Does not work for movie channels.


ajwees41

I am using Optical Audio Cable (Toslink) but I don't get any Dolby Digital stream.

Is it because my service is not HD? (currently I have a SD Sony 36" WEGA TV, but that might change in the near future, convincing the wifey! ;) )

I just called and asked Cox to "enable" the 'free' HD service (the 7xx channel line-up?). This way, at least I can record my programs in HD and once the new HDTV is purchased! :), I would be able to enjoy them to the fullest!

Can I use my 24" DELL 2405FPW LCD into a HDTV?

Thanks a million times, you guys are amazing! :eek:

I noticed a few posts about Verizon FiOS. I wonder if anyone can check my research, it is very comparable to COX using the same Motorola HD DVR, and in lineup and in cost.

5mb/2mb $35 (Cox is 40)
TV Basic $40 (Cox is 57 for digital)
TV Expanded Movies and Sports $15 (Cox is Free)
HD DVR (More Channels) $13 (Cox is 15)

Compared Verizon undercuts Cox by about 10 dollars it appears and offers the below perks.

Do you have to pay for phone service??? (Cox is ~ 20)

Free MSN, Bit Faster, and More HD Service, Free Wireless router.

So it appears to me, if you live in Huntington Beach (The only OC area with FiOS) you would benifit from Verizon FiOS.

Anyone confirm my research?

Anyone else that recorded the Argentina/Mexico WC game today on ESPNHD have it freeze at the start of overtime? My 6416 played back fine for the whole game up to about 4 minutes into overtime then just froze. FF would go forwards but no picture displayed. Trying to tune to ESPNHD just froze as well. Eventually machine got unresponsive and I had to reboot, at which time ESPNHD tuned in just fine.

The 6416 had become so reliable I didn't think to have a backup recording on one of my ReplayTVs so I missed the deciding goal of the game. Hope it's not a trend...

They replayed it at 12am today if it is any consolation?

What's the high-def programming available on Verizon FiOS, btw? Do they have a better lineup than Cox does?

Quick question:

Can I still received HD signal, even though I have a SD TV? In other words, does the HD signal gets downgraded to SD signal?

The reason I am asking this, is that all of the 7xx channels line-up, are garbled on my SD TV. (I receive the Dolby Digital Sound, just fine though)

Thanks for your help!

Cannibal, for HD channels you need an HD capable digital set top box such as DCT62xx or DVR box DCT64xx or an HDTV with built in QAM tuner (and CableCard if you want encrypted channels). Those set top boxes do have S-video and composite outputs which contain downconverted HD outputs that can go to your SD TV. However in the past Cox required you to have an HDTV in order to get HD service and would insist on a house call to bring you the box.

Bottom line though, you need a device with built-in QAM tuner to tune digital channels (SD or HD digital).

Thanks for the info. All I got from Cox was a DVR-6416 unit.

Motorola only made a HD DVR no SD DVR. The have an all digital SD DVR, but I don't know if any cox area that will carry them.

ajwees41

I am sorry, so I won't be able to receive the HD signal with DVR-6416 on my SD TV, right?

Thanks.

I am sorry, so I won't be able to receive the HD signal with DVR-6416 on my SD TV, right?

Thanks. Incorrect. The DCT6416 does have S-video or composite outputs that you can connect SD TV to get a downconverted picture for HD channels. HD channels will be letterboxed (with bars on top and bottom) so as to preserve correct aspect ratio on your 4:3 SD TV but otherwise the picture will look pretty nice. However, one issue is that the Interactive Program Guide (IPG) will not display on your TV via these outputs. In fact no graphical overlays show up using those outputs so it really is limiting in many respects and not recommended.

As I said before however, you may have to check with Cox for sure if they will allow you to have a DCT6416 without having an HDTV. It used to be the policy that an HDTV was a must (because of the above IPG issue and because their supply of DVR boxes was limited so they wanted to make sure customers with HDTVs had priority in getting the boxes).

Hmm I get the local HD channels and feeds on my SD tv via the rca jacks. I just get the black bars at the top and bottom and I have a 6416.

Hmm I get the local HD channels and feeds on my SD tv via the rca jacks. I just get the black bars at the top and bottom and I have a 6416.


Which channels do you get? Do you get Universal HD and the others or just the local and 803 and 812?

ajwees41

Hmm I get the local HD channels and feeds on my SD tv via the rca jacks. I just get the black bars at the top and bottom and I have a 6416. Correct, as I posted above it does work. But you don't see channel guide or any overlay graphics via the rca outputs right?

Correct, as I posted above it does work. But you don't see channel guide or any overlay graphics via the rca outputs right?

I recently had my HDTV in for repair and had to use a 13 or 15 inch SDTV for over a month. I could have sworn I saw the guide and overlays. I believe I had it hooked up through my dvd player. I dont know if that changes anything.

Well, I have scheduled a Cox tech to visit my apartment this Wednesday. Hopefully he won't be complaining about the SD TV! They had PLENTY of 6416 and 6412 stacked on top of each other in the Cox store!

I recently had my HDTV in for repair and had to use a 13 or 15 inch SDTV for over a month. I could have sworn I saw the guide and overlays. I believe I had it hooked up through my dvd player. I dont know if that changes anything. Perhaps if you configure the output settings to be 480i Std then the overlay graphics will show up for S-video or composite outputs. I'm pretty sure when configured as 1080i output mode (the default) that you don't see any overlay graphics on those outputs but it's been a while since I last tried.

on my 6412 phase 3 on the local hd 802-812 on a non hd tv. I can use the guide, so it works through the rca outputs to a dvd/vcr to regular tv.

Only thing I am not sure about is if ESPN HD and the rest of the HD tier would show up on my regular tv. Omaha doesn't charge for the HD tier.

ajwees41



ajwees41

on my 6412 phase 3 on the local hd 802-812 on a non hd tv. I can use the guide, so it works through the rca outputs to a dvd/vcr to regular tv.

Only thing I am not sure about is if ESPN HD and the rest of the HD tier would show up on my regular tv. Omaha doesn't charge for the HD tier. If it works for one HD channel then it should for all - it's the box that matters here not the TV.

My box is in my living room. I feed the video out via HDMI to my main TV in the living room, and I use the S-video out to my bedroom. I have the box set to 720P and stretch the 4:3 override. Everything works great.

My Sony WEGA 36" aging SD TV has S-Video connection as well (currently I have connected it to my DVR 6416 using the Component output).

I have a hunch. I have one of these "System Selectors" (Component version) that I have conneced my Xbox, PS2, GameCube and finally DVR.

If I bypass this selector box and go directly to the back of TV, would I be able to see the HD signal? (of course it will be an interim solutuion untill I buy an HDTV, but I am curious to see if this is the cause of this issue)

Thanks!

Your problem is you're hooking up the PVR via the Component cables. As has been stated, you must use the Composite (RCA jacks) or S-Video connectors to see the HD signals downgraded on your SDTV. The component cables are only sending an HD signal which your TV cannot support. Use a type of cable listed above and you should get viewable signals.

Wow! I will do it!

14 more simulcast added recently:
05,07,09,11,50,51,52,60,61,62,65,66,68,69

Only Analog channels remaining without digital simulcast are the "junk" ones:
3=COX
30=CSPAN2
31=LOCAL
33=QVC
39=PEG
97=TVGUIDE

So it looks like digital simulcast is pretty much complete at this point.

Yay! It worked! Amazingly, the regular RCA image looks very similar (if not better or cleaner for that matter) than my Monster Cable COMPONENT connections!

One other thing that I noticed is that some universal HD channels (the 7xx) has black bars on right and left side of the image. Most of them have the top-bottom black bars.

Thanks!

well crap! i went to backup a few things from the DVR today and turns out that HBO has recently implimented this encryption now! under channel status it says 5c=1, so I think I'm screwed, right? any work arounds on this?

well crap! i went to backup a few things from the DVR today and turns out that HBO has recently implimented this encryption now! under channel status it says 5c=1, so I think I'm screwed, right? any work arounds on this? No workarounds, backup options for such recordings now are basically:
1. Buy a DVHS recorder (allows you to copy once a 5C=1 show)
2. Record from the analog outputs of the DVR

Ok,

someone please tell me if I have got a screwed up box or what.

It's my understanding that the 6416 has a 160gig HDD, which should have roughly 60 hrs of standard programming and rough 15 hrs of HDTV.

well with nothing saved on my harddrive when I view the disk info it tells me that there is only 33 hours available and less for HDTV content.

can anyone address this and inform me if there is something wrong with the dvr or what can I do to reset the Harddrive.

thanks

?? Where does it say remaining hours available? Do you have Passport Echo 2.7 or something? In Passport Echo 2.5 there is no such info. Any numbers about remaining hours available are based on assumptions about the bit rate of the content being recorded and will therefore not be accurate.

The only reliable information you can get is remaining hard drive space available. Quick way to see that number is the following sequence:
Menu, Down, B, Up, B

Also things to keep in mind:
* 160G hard drive doesn't mean 160GBytes of space - it's a marketing number. Actual space in GBytes is around: 160e9/2^30 ~ 149GBytes.
* Tuner buffers take up around 20GBytes
So that leaves around 130GBytes or so for actual recordings.

Incidently, now that digital simulcast is virtually completed recordings from channels < 100 take up only about 60% of the space that analog encoded channels used to take so you can fit a lot more recordings on the DVR compared to a few months ago for these channels.

?? Where does it say remaining hours available? Do you have Passport Echo 2.7 or something? In Passport Echo 2.5 there is no such info. Any numbers about remaining hours available are based on assumptions about the bit rate of the content being recorded and will therefore not be accurate.

The only reliable information you can get is remaining hard drive space available. Quick way to see that number is the following sequence:
Menu, Down, B, Up, B

Also things to keep in mind:
* 160G hard drive doesn't mean 160GBytes of space - it's a marketing number. Actual space in GBytes is around: 160e9/2^30 ~ 149GBytes.
* Tuner buffers take up around 20GBytes
So that leaves around 130GBytes or so for actual recordings.


Don't know what version of Passport Echo I have... I'll have to check that out tonight. the way i check my hard drive info is by pressing. DVRList, A, scrolldown to view info, and then select it. I'll have to get you the version of echo that I am using.

thanks for the help

Don't know what version of Passport Echo I have... I'll have to check that out tonight. the way i check my hard drive info is by pressing. DVRList, A, scrolldown to view info, and then select it. I'll have to get you the version of echo that I am using.

thanks for the help


You have Passport Echo 2.7.

ajwees41

:mad: I swear, sometimes I just want to say screw Cox and go to Direct TV. They put these huge ads in the paper and the mail about the Angel and Dodger games on HD 716 and then they black them out. What's the point of dvertising them then if your not even going to show them. Fricken idiots.

If they know the blackout rule why say you'll have the games in HD? And if you don't show them at least give me alternate prgramming. Basically I'm paying for a black screen on one of my HD channels 20 times for 3 hours each time in the next few months.

give me my money back then.

Please call Cox and complain as I did about this.

Please call Cox and complain as I did about this.
So, you'd prefer that when there's an eligible game on they won't/don't show it at all? This is really out of anyone's hands but that of MLB; perhaps that's whom you should be calling?

I fail to see how switching to D* would solve this problem as the MLB blackout policy applies to them as well. What you really need is for more people to buy tickets for the game so they won't be blacked out.

Well, first, the whole blackout BS is just that. How can they show "home" games on two channels (FSN and Ch. 9) but not show it on an HD channel? All they use is FSNHD feed anyways.

No, what i'm annoyed with is that Cox advertises these games LOCALLY (paper/mail/ch. 3) that they will be shown on HD, and then not show them. That's false advertising. There is no mention of any type of "blackout" rule in the ad.

But, again, the blackout rule doesn't even apply because it's shown by local channels anyways.

Regardless, the games were sold out. Eliminating any reason they didn't show it.

From ESPN.com, "The announced crowd of 44,233 was a regular-season stadium record and the Angels' 16th sellout."

All good points. The same BS happens to Lakers games in NBA - Ch. 9 and/or FSN will show the game but INHD will black it out. There's probably some stupid rules about local or regional TV markets getting the rights, so local ch. 9 and regional channels FSNW get preference. Bottom line is all major sports (NFL is among the worst, NBA, MLB) have these stupid restrictions theoretically to maximize revenues but I think end up alienating or pissing people off instead leading to less revenue.

Course if Cox would just get us FSNWHD problem solved!! Though after this simulcast deployment there is hardly and room left for anything else. They should just drop the TVGUIDE analog channel which is worthless and is not even TVGUIDE!

Yeah. It is an outdated rule that shouldn't apply in todays world. I rarely watch baseball but I was looking forward to that game on INHD.

Agree. The TVguide channel is worthless. Especially since its actually CSPAN2 I believe. But in the end I think I recall someone telling me that COX has to carry that channel by law. You would think they would at least be able to have the correct listings for it though.

I haven't emailed COX in a long time about adding new HD channels. I think its about time I do it again. I would love to see HDNET, HDNET MOVIES, FSW HD, CINEMAXHD, StarzHD, ETC....

I know Starz doesnt offer many movies in HD but it would still be an improvement to see them in digital quality. Hopefully someday they will get there act straight and offer some of those great movies in HD.

In the past, they have picked up the FSNHD feed over the INHD feed. What bugs me is INHD only piggybacks others HD cameras anyway. I really would like some more options other than NY BOS or Toronto.

Cox has my head spinning, so hopefully you guys can help. I have the Motorola 6200/1000 HD receiver from Cox that I at times use with my HD projector. To this point in time I've been running the video via component cables, but now I want to use the DVI output and run it to the projector. Before I go buy the cable, I wanted to find out if anyone here knows if the DVI jack is enabled on that beast.

The Cox user guide says DVI is NOT enabled but I've seen other people say they use it. Cox phone support thus far has been useless. Does anybody know if that DVI output works in Cox territory? Thanks in advance......

Back when I had the 6200 DVI did work. Cox has claimed in the past that DVI/HDMI is not officially supported. Note that if you are just thinking of using DVI for better picture quality from most accounts here DVI/HDMI does not look any better than component. In fact for me with the DCT6416 component looks better than HDMI.

Thanks. My projector has a problem with reds, and I have noticed it seems to have less of that problem with DVDs that I watch via HDMI as opposed to the HD channels via component. I want to see how it handles the colors for HDTV through a straight digital connection. And if it works out there would be one less thick cable to run.

I wanted to find out if anyone here knows if the DVI jack is enabled on that beast.
I'm using the same model. I have used the DVI connector out to my DVI-HDCP input on a Panny Commercial Plasma (6th gen). I saw a lot of strange behavior with the DVI output. There was a line of constantly-changing pixels along the left edge of the screen. It didn't change as I adjusted the plasma settings, oddly.

Additionally, I had problems with the overlays (guide, My Shows) causing unstable sync on HD channels (picture would flicker on / off the screen). Picture quality was indistinguishable from component. I ended up going back to component.

It appears they have enabled the 5c protection on DiscoveryHD within the past day or two. I haven't checked to see if TNTHD, INHD, INHD2, or ESPNHD have been changed.

Just checked the rest. Both of the INHD channels now have the 5c enabled. The other channels seem to be clear for now. I rarely watch INHD or DiscoveryHD let alone record anything from them but this is seriously disappointing non the less.

Yeah..the 5c protection on ESPN HD, INHD and Discovery HD won't allow my Panny plasma to output digital audio via Toslink to my recevier. This is very, very disappointing. I will be calling Cox tomorrow.

Well I don't know if Cox can do anything about it as it's up to the channels to enable the 5c or not.

I upgraded the firmware on my Panny Plasma -and thankfully it will now pass the SPDIF signals on ESPN HD and the others. I still don't like the 5c...but it certainly looks like DRM is here to stay (and there is not much we can do about it).

why is it that Angel games on INHD are blacked out, but dodgers games arent? is it a local issue? does the fact that the angels are located in OC means we get a blackout.. but the "out of town" team doesnt?

grrr!

Probably the reason why. Gotta blame it on MLB since they make the rules on what games get blacked out or not.

Does anyone run an HDMI connection from the cox STB through an HDMI capable receiver and then to the TV. I have heard mixed things on whether the box will allow the pass-through? Thanks.

I don't think it will work until the next version of the firmware. Right now it says "HDMI Switching not supported".

I am using an HDTV with a QAM tuner to receive the digital channels that are in the clear over Cox cable in Laguna Niguel. I am finding that CBS-HD and NBC-HD often have a very weak signal and are breaking up or so weak that I cannot receive them at all. Is anyone else having this problem or is it just my street?

JohnCalif, I have an unencrypted QAM tuner and both those channels (along with all other ones in the clear) have 99% or higher signal strength so I'd say it's a localized problem.

What information do I need to bring to the Cox Store at Quail Hill in order to exchange my HD-DVR for the newer model? Copy of the bill?

I've been trying to call the store and they wont pick up the phone!!!

Nope. Just show up. They "know where you live".

What information do I need to bring to the Cox Store at Quail Hill in order to exchange my HD-DVR for the newer model? Copy of the bill?

I've been trying to call the store and they wont pick up the phone!!! Usually they ask for your 10 digit phone number tied to your account. Obviously you will need to bring in the older DVR box - leave cables and power cord at home since you can re-use them with the new box and when they give you the new box they won't give you cables + power cord unless you specifically ask for them. Also make sure you get the right box - you want the one that says DCT6416 III in the front. I usually ask for a brand spanking new box if they have one (with clear plastic stuck on the front panel) otherwise you run the risk of getting a recycled reject from another customer that may give you trouble. At Quail Hill they are much more accomodating and customer friendly than at RSM.

Thanks!

I posted this in another thread, but Im posting it here b/c the other forum was an incorrect place to put it, so here it goes...Thanks for reading it over and for the responds.
Gary

Hey guys, I was wondering if I am paying too much for Cox Cable in the Orange County region (I currently reside in Laguna)

$55.49 For Cox's BASIC/STANDARD Digital Cable (This does not include any of the tiers so i just get what basic cable is getting along with the HD channels)
$4.95 For Cox's HD Tier (This adds Discovery HD and ESPN HD -which I think is ludicrous because they shouldn't really charge for this anyway but I got 12 months for free)
$9.95 For the HD/DVR Service
$4.95 for the HD DVR Box itself
$39.95 For My High Speed Internet Connection (4 Mbps but I rarely get above 2.5-3.0)
$9.95 For the local phone service
$9.95 For unlimited calling in California

I got the bundle so if you add this it comes close to 140, but I got the $99.99 service bundle and if things go correctly it should shine at about $130.00...

Do you think this is overpriced? Am I paying too much for Cox?

Thanks

$9.95 For the HD/DVR Service
$4.95 for the HD DVR Box itself I think these are reversed. The "DVR Service" fee is $4.95 and the HD DVR Box rental is $9.95. Your digital cable totals are very close to what I am paying. My employer is paying for Cox internet and I don't have Cox phone service so can't comment on those.

Has anybody noticed that ESPN HD quality is pretty bad right now. There is quite a bit of motion artifacts right now. I don't remember that channel being that bad. Is it just me.

ESPNHD looks bad for me also. I was just channel surfing and I stopped on ESPNHD briefly to check out part of a softball game. Truly horrid picture quality. Normally it looks good. I switched from that to the Yankees/Whitesox game on INHD and the difference was HUGE.

On an unrelated topic.... there are still 10 TEST channels. I thought all of the digital conversion was done. Guess not.

TheRock, no there are still around 5 "garbage" channels left to simulcast. Actually at least 2 of those are already being simulcast but the set top boxes are not mapped to point to them yet. I would imagine once simulcasting is complete the test channels will go away.

No sport of interest for me lately so I haven't been watching ESPNHD but will check it out sometime today.

Just checked out Sportscenter on ESPNHD and definately noticed quite a bit of artifacting. ESPNHD wasn't that good during soccer either. Now that 5C is enabled there isn't a way to capture to check out bit rate anymore. Think I'll probably save $5/month and ditch ESPNHD and the useless Discovery HD for a while until Monday Night Football starts.

argg! cox techs are really starting to piss me off!
when I go out to some of my company's client's houses because of their cable issues, it agravates me when I find that the cox guys have come out and move the splitter around so everything goes through an amp, and then into a splitter!

for all who actually feel brave enough to check out their cable box (that little thing on the side of your house labelled Television with two screws holding a plate) check to make sure that it's wired in this way:

dmarc (the wire that comes from cox to go to your house) ->
grounding coupler (a tiny box with a green wire connected to it) ->
2 way splitter
one side has one connection which the wire off the grounding coupler goes to
the other side has two ends
one should go to a big box-like thing that is the 15db amplifier, the other should go a line that connects to your cable modem. you can usually tell which one it is by it having a blue tag with an @ sign or that's labelled in some way that tells you it's the cable.

from there the amplifier should have a line going from one of the other plugs into a power supply, and one that goes into another splitter where all of your TV connections go off of.


YES! it is legal for you to connect the other coax lines and change the connection scheme any way you want to.

my recommendation: get some 5mhz-2ghz splitters, one 2-way one x-way where x is the number of TVs you actually use in your house. 5-1000mhz splitters will work, but I like to be prepared for the future. Thank you for reading the guide to properly splitting your cable line and actually fixing yours so I don't have to make an emergency run out to your house so you can record desperate housewives :rolleyes:

goodnight :cool:

I've done a lot of messing around with my cable drop to the house - completely re-did what Cox had initially installing my own 8-way amp/splitter (6 in use, 2 terminated) and moving everything to inside the garage. Once when a tech came he obviously questioned what I've done until I ask him to measure the signal at each split at which point he sees the signal & signal/noise level is almost perfect at every point so there is really nothing else for him to do. I also run the cable modem through the 8-way amplifier/splitter without splitting it from cable drop 1st. The return path is attenuated more than it should be but it's never caused me trouble after 5 years of use. So I personally don't see the need to split to cable modem first and then amp which is the "recommended way of doing things". As long as you use an amp with a return path that's usually good enough.

Also, currently most Cox OC locations are 750MHz and could potentially be upgraded to 860MHz so I really don't see the need for 2GHz splitters.

Appleboy - There is no one way to configure the cable in any home, and there are many variables to consider. Without a digital capable signal level meter it is impossible to generalize for optimum performance. If you amplify poor quality signal, you will get poor quality signal. Idealy you amp the cleanest signal you can, and split it after, unless you have return path attenuation to deal with.

moyekj
you are indeed correct that you don't need 2Ghz splitters, I just have a tendency to like to go future proof. The cox supplied splitters are perfectly fine

as for the cable modem going before the amps, I'm just going by what I have experienced with the cox supplied amplifiers. 90% of the jobs I've been out at I've found that the amplifier has killed the upstream signal killing the modem. You can check the signal by going to 192.168.100.1. check the link below about it's ranges.

you are also correct that if you have the right amplifier that you don't need to worry about having a 2way before the amp - I have mine hooked into a 4 way splitter after a motorola amp and it works like a charm.

so in short, I'm talking about the generic cox customer that had cox put in their amplifier.

schmitter - as for that, that's when you bitch at cox nonstop until they fix it :D


http://www.dslreports.com/faq/7124
A house or drop amplifier will NOT fix upstream signal problem because most house amplifiers don't amplify the upstream signals, they only pass the upstream signal through with some loss.(most house amps - aka when you have a decent one like some people here it will work fine, otherwise it hurts the signal)

The amplifiers that Cox uses in New England do indeed pass return. since they are one input two output amps, they do add 3.5db of attenuation to the return path. the same as a two way splitter. They also amplify the forward signals by 11db, actually it is a 15db amp with an internal 2-way splitter.

Hi guys. I have a couple questions. I will probably call COX for more info but I wanted to check here first.

I have a digital cable box that I dont use. I want to end my service on that box and return it. I then wanted to replace/upgrade/swap another digital cable box I have for an HD DVR (DCT6416 III).

I dont plan on signing up for the HD tier on this new HD DVR box. Will my bill stay the same price? It looks like the DVR is going to be $10 a month and the digital cable boxes are $5. So by my math if I get rid of one box and replace the other it should be the same price I am paying now.

Now for installation... It doesnt say on the DVR pricing page but on the HD pricing page it says that there is a "Professional installation fee $69.95*". Is there any way I can just pick up the new box (DCT6416 III) and install it myself? That seems like a big waste of money for something I can easily do(except for getting to the back of the big ass tv that is surrounded by an even bigger entertainment center). I have a HD DVR in my bedroom and I am very comfortable hooking it up and moving it.

Lastly, are there non HD DVR boxes? I couldn't recall if they still had any. Also do they still have non DVR HD boxes? I want a HD DVR (DCT6416 III) but I just wanted to know what all the options are.

Any help or suggestions are very welcome.

All the the Motorola boxes are HD/DVR's

ajwees41

I did the "self-install" at the OC place. Since I was getting internet and HD, maintenance let the tech in so he could do signal checks, then he left all the boxes and cables on the desk for me to install myself.

Hi guys. I have a couple questions. I will probably call COX for more info but I wanted to check here first.

I have a digital cable box that I dont use. I want to end my service on that box and return it. I then wanted to replace/upgrade/swap another digital cable box I have for an HD DVR (DCT6416 III).

I dont plan on signing up for the HD tier on this new HD DVR box. Will my bill stay the same price? It looks like the DVR is going to be $10 a month and the digital cable boxes are $5. So by my math if I get rid of one box and replace the other it should be the same price I am paying now.

Now for installation... It doesnt say on the DVR pricing page but on the HD pricing page it says that there is a "Professional installation fee $69.95*". Is there any way I can just pick up the new box (DCT6416 III) and install it myself? That seems like a big waste of money for something I can easily do(except for getting to the back of the big ass tv that is surrounded by an even bigger entertainment center). I have a HD DVR in my bedroom and I am very comfortable hooking it up and moving it.

Lastly, are there non HD DVR boxes? I couldn't recall if they still had any. Also do they still have non DVR HD boxes? I want a HD DVR (DCT6416 III) but I just wanted to know what all the options are.

Any help or suggestions are very welcome.


As for installation, just go the Cox store and pick up the box.

Hi All-

Just moved up to the OC from San Diego, where Cox was my provider as well.

One thing I must say is, that with the same TV watching the same stations (INHD1 & 2), the quality of the "high definition" image here in OC is nowhere near as crisp as the one available in San Diego.

What are they doing to the signal here? Sure, the box will tell you it is sending a 1080i signal to the TV, but are they (cox) downconverting it from the source? I'm watching a MLB baseball game on INHD that appears to be more of an EDTV program than HDTV (esp when compared to the signal in San Diego).

Programs such as the converted IMAX films (which INHD1&2 replay way too much) have quality that is far degraded when compared to the same signal further south.

Again, I am viewing this on the same TV (RCA 52" CRT Projection). The only difference thus far in connection is the Motorola converter as opposed to the Scientific Atlanta box, and my DVI connection to the TV (now) instead of component (the cables provided weren't making a good connection).

I didn't read the other 70+ pages, so I apologize in advance, but has anyone else noticed this?

This all sucks as I've specifically ordered a replacement LCD TV capable of full 1080P.

i was just bored browsing the web, i didn't know there was such a forum.. kinda cool i guess, i work for Cox Communications Orange County. Need anything, I'll try to help.

Hi All-



Again, I am viewing this on the same TV (RCA 52" CRT Projection). The only difference thus far in connection is the Motorola converter as opposed to the Scientific Atlanta box, and my DVI connection to the TV (now) instead of component (the cables provided weren't making a good connection).


This all sucks as I've specifically ordered a replacement LCD TV capable of full 1080P.


mbodo,

The DVI/HDMI out of the MOTO box is notoriously poor in comparison to the component. And yes, In comparison to the picture that Cox used to provide three yares ago, it does suck.

niesman

The DVI/HDMI out of the MOTO box is notoriously poor in comparison to the component.
Interesting- I thought DVI/HDMI was all-digital?

niesman - fwiw, the component connections coming out of the back have an outside diameter that is juuuust a bit too small for the ground shield of the cables to connect to. Anytime someone walks by the set, you can see one of the three "jiggling".

ohdamnitst - maybe you can help shed some light on why the picture quality of the high definition shows is superior in San Diego (and apparently here three years ago)? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

mbodo the HDMI output of the Motorola box is not as good as Component for these Phase III boxes. I find picture quality very washed out using HDMI - Component has much better contrast and colors. For network HD channels the resolution is identical and bitrate almost identical to the OTA broadcasts - you can firewire capture them and see for yourself using TSReaderLite. Also at least for my TV the decoded sharpness level is also way too high for SD digital channels - I have to turn sharpness level down to it's lowest setting on the TV for SD digital channels. I think a lot of the differences compared to SA boxes are due to the Motorola box inferior decoding.

Thanks for the info guys. Its always nice to know as much as possible before talking to COX. Most of the time you guys know more about there products than they do.

On an unrelated topic... There appears to be only one TEST channel now.

On another unrelated topic... They are tearing up the street near my house according to the markings that are painted on the road. I hope it is Verizon installing there new fiber-optic cables. Unfortunately its probably just the city working on the electric lines again.

On an unrelated topic... There appears to be only one TEST channel now. It's most likely Cox channel 3, the only analog channel left without a digital simulcast being deployed. All other analog channels have digital simulcast and digital boxes map to the digital versions of them. Must say that for the most part with proper TV tuning for sharpness level they look generally better than their analog counterparts now.

mbodo the HDMI output of the Motorola box is not as good as Component for these Phase III boxes.

.. I must have an older box? I only have DVI, no HDMI.

I'm thinking about your comment re: bitrate OTA vs. what the box puts out. Based on the way this system works, I think it may be skewed. Once I get my PC unpacked, I'll check it out for myself.

I'm curious to know what happened as of 3 years ago when the HD channels were reportedly clearer?

mbodo yes you must have older phase I or II box. Phase III boxes have HDMI instead of DVI. I've never paid much attention to INHD channels since I never watch them, but as far as network HD channels which I watch all the time I've compared them several times to OTA HD and there is no visual difference that I can distinguish and as I mentioned TSReaderLite analysis shows they are for all practical purposes same as OTA.

i work for Cox Communications Orange County. Need anything, I'll try to help.

Can you tell us when the OC market will be getting Passport Echo 2.7 on our DVR's???

i was just bored browsing the web, i didn't know there was such a forum.. kinda cool i guess, i work for Cox Communications Orange County. Need anything, I'll try to help. Welcome! A few questions for you for starters:
1. Can we expect any additional HD channels anytime soon?
2. Will Cox OC be implementing Switched Digital Video (SDV) for certain channels (possibly new HD channels) anytime soon thus rendering UDCPs (1-way only boxes & CableCard 1.0 devices) useless for tuning to those channels?
3. Is Cox OC still looking at transitioning to Iguide software for DVR boxes? Iguide has some horrible limitations/problems compared to the current Passport Echo software so I'm hoping that will not happen.

Has anybody noticed that ESPN HD quality is pretty bad right now. There is quite a bit of motion artifacts right now. I don't remember that channel being that bad. Is it just me.

I have also noticed that ESPNHD quality is bad. I don't think it was that bad before. I live in San Clemente. I called Cox and they said nothing will be done unless they get 5 calls about the same problem and I was the only one who called - they need 4 more calls. I would urge whoever has this problem to call them. Otherwise nothing will be done.

I have also noticed that ESPNHD quality is bad. I don't think it was that bad before. I live in San Clemente. I called Cox and they said nothing will be done unless they get 5 calls about the same problem and I was the only one who called - they need 4 more calls. I would urge whoever has this problem to call them. Otherwise nothing will be done.

It's my understanding that Cox doesn't convert the source content like DirecTV and Dish do. Is that right? If so wouldn't that imply a problem at the source?

b

It's my understanding that Cox doesn't convert the source content like DirecTV and Dish do. Is that right? If so wouldn't that imply a problem at the source? For OTA HD re-broadcasts that is the case, so that would be my first inclination as well. Keep in mind that ESPN HD Cox source most likely is from Satellite so is likely to be same as on Dish/DirecTV.

lol. I think we scared that COX guy away.

I skimmed the recent posts and didn't see anything about it...but why did KOCE stop broadcasting HD? I mean, it always looked like horrid crap, but it's just a stretched KOCE SD now (it actually looks worse than the SD version).

C'mon, give us MHD TV since it seems as if this is going to be (or we can hope at least) deleted.

Given KOCEs recent struggles I'm surprised they are still broadcasting at all:
http://www.koce.cccd.edu/urgent.htm

With recent digital simulcast taking up much of the available space that was left I don't hold out much hope for many HD channels any time soon unless some analog channels can be dropped or number of channels dedicated to VOD reduced. Assuming it's mostly correct my headend spreadsheet is showing basically 1 RF channel remaining for video right now which is enough for around 2 HD channels or 10-16 SD digital channels. Interestingly at least for now there is a maximum of 10 simulcast channels per RF channel right now presumably to preserve fairly good bitrate & picture quality. Hopefully that won't change in the future such that more SD digital channels get crammed in there along with the simulcast ones.

Oy, I see. Too bad they wouldn't just switch it to KCET's HD service since it actually follows a normal schedule and has good programming.

And, what was the point or benefit of the digital simulcast if it wouldn't lead to reducing the number of analog channels? I mean, I know it leads to smaller files sizes on recordings and mildly better picture quality (I'd argue, worse).

Ack.

I'm sure in due course the # of analog channels should go down but the core base of popular analog channels should (I hope) remain for a long time to come.

That just goes to show how little I watch KOCE. I didnt even notice them stretching content. Maybe they saw that TNTHD gets away with stretching content and calling it HD and decided to do that themselves. I was personally very disappointed when COX added KOCE HD to begin with. I thought that was a cheap move by COX. There were tons of other (better) HD channels available that we dont have yet. Hopefully they will replace it with something better. I have heard very good things about HDNET MOVIES. I would even prefer STARZHD at this point. Even though STARZHD doesnt offer much HD content. I have probably watched less than 2 hours of programming on KOCEHD the entire time COX has offered it. If COX does decide to stay cheap they should at least replace KOCE with KCET HD. That is by far the superior PBS channel in my opinion.

Is anyone using the TV Guide On Screen Program listing? Mine hasn't worked for a couple of months now (I am using a cablecard with a Panny Plasma with the TV Guide listings system). I've made a few calls to Cox Cusotmer Service--but to no avail. They always just want to reset my cablecard--which accomplishes nothing.

Any ideas or help?

Is anyone using the TV Guide On Screen Program listing? Mine hasn't worked for a couple of months now (I am using a cablecard with a Panny Plasma with the TV Guide listings system). I've made a few calls to Cox Cusotmer Service--but to no avail. They always just want to reset my cablecard--which accomplishes nothing.

Any ideas or help? This came up a few months ago when they first started digital simulcasting. TVGOS only works for analog channels so your TV needs access to the analog version of the channel (one of the PBS channels I think in this area). If you are using CableCard then you get the digital version of the channel which doesn't have the TVGOS information which is probably why it's not working. You can try pulling out the CableCard from the TV (to ensure it has access to the analog channel) to confirm if that's the case. If it still doesn't work that means Cox is doing something at headend to strip out the information. The onus really should be on TVGOS to provide a digital version of the service.

Hey COX, I know that you monitor this thread. What is going on with ESPN HD?
The station has so many motion artifacts, that were not there 10 days ago, that I can no longer watch it. I am now forced to watch the SD ch15. :mad: :mad: :mad:

niesman

Here's a newbie question about the Moto 6200 tuner: Should it be displaying a "mini" version of the tuned station in the upper right hand corner (like most other boxes do) when I'm using the channel guide?

I've seen just about every other tuner I've had do this. The only way I can acheive that functionaltiy has been bypassing the guide built into the tuner and using something like SageTV (oh yes, it only took me a day or two to figure out that firewire port was active!)

Ok guys. I could use a bit more help.

I just installed the new HD DVR 6414 III replacing a basic non HD box for my parents.

One of the first comments my father gave on the non HD channels was "The picture looks horrible. The colors seem dim and it seems to lack the crispness that the previous box delivered on those same channels". I have always thought the programming looked horrible on that TV but he would probably know better than me. He watches it several hours a day.

I think I recall hearing that the DVR boxes (6416 in particular) have problems decoding SD channels especially when you use a Component Cable hookup. Would using a composite connection for SD programming improve the SD Picture Quality? And if so, how do I include audio on that composite connection? The DVR box only seems to have one Audio output and I want to leave that to the HD component setup. I thought about just splitting the signal and sending a coax cable directly to the TV but unfortunately that wouldn't include the premium channels.

As for the HD channels.... I haven't been wowed when viewing them on there TV. I have been a bit spoiled with my Sony KV-34XBR910 so my standards are very high. They still look decent. Although there was a green line on the top left hand of the screen(TV isn't widescreen).

Some info:

TV = unfortunately I dont know the specific model number at this time. Its a 53 inch Sony Rear Projection HDTV that is about 5-7 years old. It is fullscreen not widescreen. I guess that makes sense since they have watched nothing but SD material on it for the past 5-6 years.

I have checked all the connections and they are tight. I also tried tweaking some of the Televisions settings but that didn't help much. Does anyone know any tricks or tips on how to improve the SD picture quality? If not I think I will be returning this box and getting the basic digital cable one again. I had my doubts that my parents would utilize the DVR and HD functions anyway.

Yeah. ESPNHD has really gone downhill lately. I will be calling COX tomorrow (hopefully) to complain about the picture quality.


Holy crap! Is that an Angeles game on INHD that isnt blacked out?! It is! Looks like they got the FSN HD feed. Hopefully this isnt just a fluke one time thing.

I just spoke with Cox and they said they have received numerous complaints about ESPN HD. They said the more people that complain the more likely they will take action. They said that they just rebroadcast the signal that ESPN sends out. So they are making sound like its ESPN's problem. I don't care who's problem it is, I just want it fixed.

Does anyone know the bitrate for Digital Simulcast? I'm seeing so many motion artifacts now with the locals.

KOCE HD 710 doesnt seem to be digital (HD) anymore. I know they have been stretching SD content lately on there HD channel but I just tried to tune onto 710 and my box responded as if it was a basic SD channel. The screen adjusted and now the guide date fills the whole screen(for SD channels) as apposed to just the middle (for HD channels). Hopefully they will replace KOCE HD with something better. Lots of HD channels available that we dont currently have.

Hey COX, I know that you monitor this thread. What is going on with ESPN HD?
The station has so many motion artifacts, that were not there 10 days ago, that I can no longer watch it. I am now forced to watch the SD ch15. :mad: :mad: :mad:

niesman

I just spoke with Cox and they said they have received numerous complaints about ESPN HD. They said the more people that complain the more likely they will take action. They said that they just rebroadcast the signal that ESPN sends out. So they are making sound like its ESPN's problem. I don't care who's problem it is, I just want it fixed.

It sounds like Cox is playing with rate shaping in OC.

Does anyone know the bitrate for Digital Simulcast? I'm seeing so many motion artifacts now with the locals. Turn your TV sharpness setting down to it's lowest... I think you'll see an improvement. For the most part all the Digital Simulcast channels are muxed in up to only 10 per QAM compared to up to 16 per QAM for other SD digital channels so they do have better bitrate & resolution than those. Haven't measured bitrate in a while but last I did it wasn't too bad. Motorola box I think does a bad job decoding SD digital overall though and as I mentioned the sharpness level is way too high. Overall I still think many of the analog broadcasts look better than the digital simulcast versions especially when viewed directly (instead of through a digital box where they have been re-encoded to digital). Some channels I care about such as USA and SciFi I think the SD digital versions look better than analog despite some artifacting during motion.

Turn your TV sharpness setting down to it's lowestNah, that ain't it- and won't help with the lessening of macroblocking artifacts, anyway. I'm seeing it mostly in the office set with the 6412 connected to a regular old SDTV via S-Video.

Motorola box I think does a bad job decoding SD digital overall thoughIt's not the same MPEG decoder chip that does a wonderful job with HDTV? After all, "Garbage in- Garbage out".

Some channels I care about such as USA and SciFi I think the SD digital versions look better than analog despite some artifacting during motion.Good- so you see it, too! :)

Nah, that ain't it- and won't help with the lessening of macroblocking artifacts, anyway. I'm seeing it mostly in the office set with the 6412 connected to a regular old SDTV via S-Video.

It's not the same MPEG decoder chip that does a wonderful job with HDTV? After all, "Garbage in- Garbage out".

Good- so you see it, too! :) I was among the first to start complaining about the digital simulcast channels in this very thread a few months ago so none of this is new to me. Not many others chimed in at the time agreeing with me. For my LCD HDTV reducing the sharpness level helps a great deal to reduce artifacting.

As far as my decoder comment I think it is valid. I have a Samsung SIR-T451 which is capable of unencrypted QAM tuning and the unencrypted digital simulcast channels look quite different (generally better) when using it instead of the Motorola box and displaying on same TV. So it's not just a case of garbage in/garbage out, the decoder certainly makes a difference.

It seems to me that the issue is the quality of the signal that COX is receiving. All of my other HD sets exhibit the horrible macroblocking on ESPN HD ( I have a RP LCD and two CRTs with one DVR and two standard moto HD boxes). The other HD signals are fine. Yes the simulcast stations do suck, but it is really only obvious on the 60" LCD.

niesman

Just captured a short clip of RF 103 which carries ESPNHD & TNTHD and analyzed with TSReaderLite. There are 3 encrypted streams in RF 103:
ESPNHD (720p mpeg2) = 12.14Mbps
TNTHD (1080i mpeg2) = 17.09Mbps
?? (DCII=Motorola Digicipher II video) = 5.07Mbps

The fact that a DCII stream is one of the streams seems to confirm the source of these channels are from satellite.

The ESPNHD bitrate is marginal (approaching bad) for a 720p stream according to this site:
http://www.widemovies.com/dfwbitrate.html
For 720p (Mbps):
<11.6 = bad
<14.2 = marginal
>14.2 = good

TNTHD 1080i bitrate for this measurement can be classified as good.

Keep in mind this was a short 1 minute capture so may not be a good indicator of the real averages of each stream.

There seems to be quite a lot of headroom to carry these channels within QAM 256 which supports total bitrate up to around 38Mpbs so it doesn't look like Cox needs to do any aggressive bitrate shaping here so to me it would seem the source satellite feed is to blame for the marginal quality of ESPNHD.

Finally, an Angel game in HD! How sweet it is!!

So what happened to the guide channel graphics
702 has a KCAL 9 logo
704 has Discovery Kids?
705 has TBN
710 shows CBS HD
718 shows TMC xtra
740 shows SHO Next
and 744 has TV LAND

guide error?

They're almost ALL off. Some others:

100 Disc Kids has UPN13
103 Times has Tennis Channel
104 Miltary is Music Choice

... and on and on.

FYI I didn't report it since I thought I was the only one but I was having all kinds of problems with "No Data" in guide a couple of days ago and eventually ended up rebooting the DVR and it seemed to fix it last night. If you still see something funny I would recommend rebooting the DVR to re-download guide data - refreshing guide data didn't work, I had to actually reboot.

Yeah. I saw that the guide channel graphics were incorrect for several channels lately. There appears to be another TEST channel also.

What happened to the Cox employee that was going to address our questions and concerns?

What happened to the Cox employee that was going to address our questions and concerns? Out of town until around Aug 14 as he reported a few posts up:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8103167&&#post8103167

lol. Yeah. Its kind of funny. He came here long enough to tell us he was going to leave. Hopefully when he comes back he can help us out a bit. Hopefully his knowledge of COX and there services is better than most other COX employees.

On an unrelated topic... There dont appear to be any TEST channels anymore.

There is nothing in the calender for any additional HD channels as of now.

That's pretty dissappointing -

Given the number of HD channels that are out there, and watching the other providers (Dish, Direct TV, Fios, etc.) and the coming IPTV all adding more channels, I would guess Cox will lose a lot of HD customers pretty soon if they don't start introducing additional channels.

I know for myself and my family, as well as my neighbors and freinds that I've spoken with that have cox, we're all about ready to jump ship because of the poor quality of the signals (recently), slow additions of new HD channels and slow updates to the HD PVR capabilities and capacity.

Interestingly, I'm hearing about other Cox areas that ARE getting new channels - so why doesn't Cox like the OC?

:confused: :mad:

Yeah. It has been awhile since any new HD channels have been added. We've had UniversalHD for a LONG time and that was the most recent addition. Hopefully now that the digital simulcasting appears to be done they will have the time and space to add some new HD channels.

This post has reminded me that I haven't emailed COX with HD channel requests in a LONG LONG time. I think I will do that later today. Is there a list anywhere with all of the HD channels that are available. I think I know all of the major ones we dont have but I would hate to forget a good one. Here are the ones I can currently remember:

Cinemax HD
Starz HD
TMC HD
HDNET
HDNET MOVIES
ESPN2 HD
MTV HD (On its official site it says we will have this channel before 2007)
Encore HD

I believe National Geographic also has an HD channel.

Also, HGTV and Food Network are supposed to have HD channels

That's pretty dissappointing -

Given the number of HD channels that are out there, and watching the other providers (Dish, Direct TV, Fios, etc.) and the coming IPTV all adding more channels, I would guess Cox will lose a lot of HD customers pretty soon if they don't start introducing additional channels.

I know for myself and my family, as well as my neighbors and freinds that I've spoken with that have cox, we're all about ready to jump ship because of the poor quality of the signals (recently), slow additions of new HD channels and slow updates to the HD PVR capabilities and capacity.

Interestingly, I'm hearing about other Cox areas that ARE getting new channels - so why doesn't Cox like the OC?

:confused: :mad:

What cox areas? In the Omaha NE cox market we aren't getting any new HD or SD until the digital to the nodes are done. They say they don't have enough bandwidth.

ajwees41

What cox areas? In the Omaha NE cox market we aren't getting any new HD or SD until the digital to the nodes are done. They say they don't have enough bandwidth.

ajwees41 And in OC the digital simulcast is complete and there is basically no room left for HD channels - as I mentioned previously last I checked there was only 1 free QAM left.

IMO the most important HD channel to add is FSN HD which wasn't listed above. Don't really care about others.

And in OC the digital simulcast is complete and there is basically no room left for HD channels - as I mentioned previously last I checked there was only 1 free QAM left.

IMO the most important HD channel to add is FSN HD which wasn't listed above. Don't really care about others.


I should have been more clear. Cox Omaha is upgrading the nodes so that they are digital to the neighborhoods then they will have a piece of hardware to convert the digital 1-71 back to analog for customers who don't want a digital box or new tv.
That's how Omaha plans to get more bandwidth. Maybe that will be the same in the OC.

ajwees41

I should have been more clear. Cox Omaha is upgrading the nodes so that they are digital to the neighborhoods then they will have a piece of hardware to convert the digital 1-71 back to analog for customers who don't want a digital box or new tv.
That's how Omaha plans to get more bandwidth. Maybe that will be the same in the OC.

ajwees41 That's interesting... Not sure how that would work though since the pipes from the node to customer premise would still have to carry the digital pipeline + the decoded analog versions. i.e. you have X bandwidth to the node but X+Y to customer premise, which would mean they would have to increase pipeline to each customer premise by Y. Also, since each analog channel occupies a full 6MHz slot the "Y" bandwidth is very substantial. So not sure how that can work unless they plan on using switched digital for the entire X pipeline - even then it's hard to fathom... do you have a link to more information on this?

Digital Simulcast DOES NOT FREE UP Bandwidth.

It takes more bandwidth as they now have Two of every channel. They still run the Analog channel and they also have the same channels on QAM 256 also taking up even more Analog channels.

The savings starts this fall on back end upgrade it will be all done by next spring.

For the back end upgrade they will then take all Analogs off the line going to each area hub. They will then be 100% all digital to the hub. They then have a box that converts digital to analog and then they send both the digital and analog to the houses from the hub.

The saving somes in that each hub now has tons of free bandwidth as the line to each hub only has the Digital Qam 256 channels (there is no analog on it).

Since the run to the house form the hub is short they can then put more channels on the line in QAM 256. Ala more HD

Thus lots of free bandwidth is gained when the back end is upgraded. We are only at Phase One of the ugprade (the Digital simulcasting to each house).
This will take a long time.

This is copied from the Omaha Lincoln AVS forum from a guy who nows someone who works at the local cox.

ajwees41

That's interesting... Not sure how that would work though since the pipes from the node to customer premise would still have to carry the digital pipeline + the decoded analog versions. i.e. you have X bandwidth to the node but X+Y to customer premise, which would mean they would have to increase pipeline to each customer premise by Y. Also, since each analog channel occupies a full 6MHz slot the "Y" bandwidth is very substantial. So not sure how that can work unless they plan on using switched digital for the entire X... The end user would probably either continue with the (now reconverted) analog, or go all digital with potential additional tiers (for extra cash) a choice *activated* at nodes.

Of course the analog quality will likely suffer from the additional over-compressed stage... causing more to rent STBs... so they can view the over-compressed digitalcast directly without the extra decoding back to analog. And analog TVGOS will get stripped out in that process? Perhaps they'll keep a single analog TVGOS station *analog* until analog cutoff.

More channels down the pike... but increasingly digitally over-compressed to make way for all the new infomercial options and staggered familial duplication of the same limited programming.

Some day we may look back in awe @ the days of unfettered HDlite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD-Lite). :(

Thanks KenL now that explanation makes a lot of sense and is likely what Cox Omaha is implementing.

what I don't get is if they are doing only digital to the hubs, why not run fiber? that would alot tons of bandwidth to the hubs, among many of the other advantages. four fiber runs (why not; 2 send, 2 receive, that's bitchen :)) and the runs to the hubs would no longer have to be worried about. then it's just upgrading the clients' end to allow more bandwidth to the house. hell, running fiber to the house would make for good competition with verizon at this point.

I just wish that OnDemand wasn't so damn slow :/

I just wish that OnDemand wasn't so damn slow :/

Yeah. My sister just came out from New York and she commented on that. She was surprised how slow the On Demand was here. She also commented on how terrible the SD channels look.

ComCas- er, TimeWarner- 's OnDemand is much faster and better looking and even has a barker screen in real time.

UniversalHD now seems to have 5C protection. Looks like the only ones left are the free over the air locals.

UPDATED:

Sorry. It looks like my computer was just acting up. UniversalHD and TNTHD are still viewable. Sorry for the mix up. ESPNHD still seems to be protected though.

Anyone else see a lot of "digital blocks" in the far camera shots on tonights Raider Viking game on ESPNHD? Looks horrible when the camera pans to follow action.

hope this isn't how all MNF games will be for now on. ABC was clearer.

Is everyone's DVR programs starting late? I called Cox today to tell 'em about it- I hope they do something soon.

Well, it looks like our HD DVR box 6412 2000 has had it. We have been getting "No Data" probably 3-4 times a week and have had to reboot and hope it came back. Usually it would but for the last two days we have had no data and even Cox rebooting it couldn't get it back and said we should replace the box.

We used to have the 6416 (last year) but the SD pic quality was horrible (little blocks on anything moving) we took it back and got the 6412 and the SD pic quality was much better.

Those of you who have the 6416 on big screen tv's, have they improved the quality of the SD channels picture yet or is the litlle "micro blocks" still there?

Also, I do firwire transfers form my recorded shows a lot with my 6412, can you do that with the 6416?

Thanks for any input on the 6416 or 6412 would be great.

Anyone else see a lot of "digital blocks" in the far camera shots on tonights Raider Viking game on ESPNHD? Looks horrible when the camera pans to follow action.

hope this isn't how all MNF games will be for now on. ABC was clearer.

I also hope that ABC doesnt follow in the recent trend that ESPNHD has been having. Especially since ESPN is taking over ABC's sports division. The picture quality for ESPNHD has gone WAY downhill lately. It looks truly horrid. Even stationary objects that dont move seem to have a weird motion distortion.

I am going to be calling COX soon to complain. I know they just send out what they receive but if enough people complain Cox might ask ESPNHD to make some changes on there end. I dont know what they have been doing lately but whatever it is isnt satisfactory. Especially since ESPN is the main reason why my damn cable bill keeps getting higher.

On a side note... is this ESPN HD picture quality the HD LITE people are talking about? If so, I can see why they hate it so much.

ESPN HD is very bad, tonights Raider game was the worst. However I did notice a degradation of quality once Cox swapped my 6412 with a 6416. It was during the World Cup and even the stationary objects - like the field - would have motion in them. However the lower channels seemed to be clearer on this box so I didn't complain at the time.

We all do need to call them and complain...we even pay extra for ESPN!

ARRGGHHH!!! Well, now my box is rebooting itself every 2-3 hours since called Cox to try to get my guide back. Coincidence? :mad:

So the 6416 HD is worse than the 6412? Ah, jees! Can Cox do anything right. :confused:

Does anyone know if Cox (or motorola) has ever fixed the quality issues the 6416s? I saw the question asked before, but didn't see anyone with a recent machine answer.

Also, how's the quality of the HiDef recording? Doesn't the 6416 have a bigger capicity drive? If the HD recording is ok, and the capacity is bigger, it might be worth getting just for HD shows...

Quigs

When is the last time you had your signals checked? Sounds like a signal problem to me.

ajwees41

Well, it looks like our HD DVR box 6412 2000 has had it. We have been getting "No Data" probably 3-4 times a week and have had to reboot and hope it came back. Usually it would but for the last two days we have had no data and even Cox rebooting it couldn't get it back and said we should replace the box.

We used to have the 6416 (last year) but the SD pic quality was horrible (little blocks on anything moving) we took it back and got the 6412 and the SD pic quality was much better.

Those of you who have the 6416 on big screen tv's, have they improved the quality of the SD channels picture yet or is the litlle "micro blocks" still there?

Also, I do firwire transfers form my recorded shows a lot with my 6412, can you do that with the 6416?

Thanks for any input on the 6416 or 6412 would be great.
what you have sounds more like a signal issue than a box issue. off hand I can't remember the steps to have you find the signal strength information, but I'm sure you can find it in here by searching the thread.

as for the firewire transfers, yes you can do that with the 6416. it's basically a 64xx series, the last two numbers being the HD size, so 6412 is 120GB, 6416 160GB, etc. hopefully a bigger one will come out soon :)

Kyle

Well, whatever it is is hard to figure. But, we replaced the 6412 2000 with a 6412 III and bingo the guide popped in as soon as I started it up. Whereas my old one could not get a guide for 2 straight days.

what you have sounds more like a signal issue than a box issue. off hand I can't remember the steps to have you find the signal strength information, but I'm sure you can find it in here by searching the thread.

as for the firewire transfers, yes you can do that with the 6416. it's basically a 64xx series, the last two numbers being the HD size, so 6412 is 120GB, 6416 160GB, etc. hopefully a bigger one will come out soon :)

Kyle


The 6416 is the biggest Motorola dvr then it goes to the all digital 3412-3416's.

ajwees41

When do they start to issue the 34xx Motorolas?

Also, anyone know if INHD channels have 5c encryption now? My next door neighbor said he tried to do a firewire transfer like usual and the INHD program he taped wouldn't copy.

I know HBO and Showtime HD are 5c but didn't think INHDs were.

Both INHD channels are now protected.

In fact here is a list of what is 5c protected and what isnt:

HBO 700 = 5C
CBS 702 = NONE
NBC 704 = NONE
KTLA 705 = NONE
ABC 707 = NONE
KOCE 710 = NONE
FOX 711 = NONE
ESPN 715 = 5C
INHD1 716 = 5C
INHD2 717 = 5C
TNT 718 = NONE
DISCOVERYHD 721 = 5C
SHOWTIME 740 = 5C
UNIVERSALHD = NONE

I was able to get all of the HDTV channels in Laguna Niguel by adding an antenna in the attic and let my panasonic scan for the digital channels.

After a year of being unhappy with the price and quality of hdtv over cox cable I've decided to give OTA a try. I went to the attic and experimented with an old Radio Shack amplified antenna ( Model: 15-1892 is the equivalent current model)

Hooked up to the tv and let the panasonic scan for the digital channels. It added them all cbs-hd, nbc-hd, abc-hd, ktla-hd, fox-hd, kcet (kcet-hd, kcet-sd, koce-hd, koce-sd, klcs, even the spanish channel are broadcasted digitally. Picture is superb and I am not exagerating. Much better than the compressed images of cable. I am cancelling my cable today.

Thread: Los Angeles, CA - OTA Reply to Thread

Yeah. I was also surprised by how many stations I could receive with my antenna. For some reason I have issues with UPN and CBS though. Other than those 2 I believe I can receive all of the ones available in my area. I can even receive some stations from San Diego and Tijuana if I adjust my antenna just right. Its crazy to me that an old technology (Antenna) often times is superior to the new technologies.

With all of that said I still wouldn't ditch free HD cable channels completely though. My antenna reception usually goes totally down the drain when it rains. It stays that way for days even after it stops raining sometimes. I also dont like how even the smallest changes (trees blowing, birds flying, etc...) can cause major breakups while viewing. During the summer it isnt as noticeable but during the winter (like last year) I was very happy to have HD channels from Cable.

Digital Simulcast DOES NOT FREE UP Bandwidth.

It takes more bandwidth as they now have Two of every channel. They still run the Analog channel and they also have the same channels on QAM 256 also taking up even more Analog channels.


As evidenced by the horrible HD and SD that is being broadcast in the past few days.

All HD is marred by compression artifacts and audio drop outs.

I am calling Cox for a discount until reasonable signal quality is restored. The more of you out there that do the same, the more likely Cox will lower the price. Remember during the initial release (fiasco) of the 6412 DVR, Cox was not charging customers that called and complained.

No charge for beta testers!!!!

niesman

Where is the Cox employee. We need answers about the terrible ESPN HD picture. I hope it's fixed for football season.

Where is the Cox employee. We need answers about the terrible ESPN HD picture. I hope it's fixed for football season.

I believe his last post was on 7-30-06 and he said he was going out of town for a couple weeks. Hopefully he will be back soon.

When I call COX to complain about the picture quality for ESPNHD what department should I use?

Hooked up to the tv and let the panasonic scan for the digital channels. It added them all cbs-hd, nbc-hd, abc-hd, ktla-hd, fox-hd, kcet (kcet-hd, kcet-sd, koce-hd, koce-sd, klcs, even the spanish channel are broadcasted digitally. Picture is superb and I am not exagerating. Much better than the compressed images of cable. I am cancelling my cable today. I have an OTA HD receiver and have compared the channels you mentioned many times to Cox re-broadcasts of them with no visible difference. If you had issues with Cox then it must have been signal strength related at your local drop.

It's crazy to me that an old technology (Antenna) often times is superior to the new technologies.
Actually, what's making that viable for you is the new-technology improved carrier method (8VSB) vs. the old-technology FM that terrestrial analog TV uses.

Remember, no matter how old or new a technology, if it comes in over-the-air, an antenna will always be used to recieve it!

Where is the Cox employee. We need answers about the terrible ESPN HD picture. I hope it's fixed for football season.

ESPNHD is absolutely horrendous in the New Orleans MNF game tonight.

ANYONE have the exact number we should call. Is there a specific dept?

It used to be much better. Tiling all over now.

Update:

Well, I gave Cox a call and, of course, they said I was the first to call and complain about the picture quality. She kept on trying to insist it's probably my box or my signal.

So, if you have poor quality too, CALL COX and complain.

Update:

Well, I gave Cox a call and, of course, they said I was the first to call and complain about the picture quality. She kept on trying to insist it's probably my box or my signal.

So, if you have poor quality too, CALL COX and complain.


Most of the CS people are out of San Diego and give "company" answers to everything. The usual "splitters, box, we don't see it here... blah blah blah........

I have now called 5 times about ESPN and the overall loss of PQ on all HD.
Each time they insist that it is my box, so I swapped it out, and guess what, same garbage on ESPN on all three of my sets. I have asked for a discount and have been denied.

niesman does cox charge for service calls in your area? If not call and request one.

ajwees41

Does Cox carry FSN HD? If not, do they use another channel for the Lakers games that are shown in HD?

b

niesman does cox charge for service calls in your area? If not call and request one.

ajwees41


I had cox come out two weeks ago. Nothing is wrong with my signal into my home and all of the signals to the three HD boxes were within spec. I begged the tech to spread the word that ESPN HD is horrible. The signal that the rep saw was a 4:3 non HD quality on ESPN HD. The macroblocking is most noticeable on live HD broadcasts and Sports Center. When the camera pans, the field on a baseball diamond looks like the surf at the beach, and the crowd in the stands is completely blurred.


niesman

Does Cox carry FSN HD? If not, do they use another channel for the Lakers games that are shown in HD?

b Nope, they don't carry FSN HD. Once in a while INHD channels carry the HD Lakers games but every time I checked last season the games were blacked out. FSN HD is the highest priority HD channel that we need IMO. I know there are some that don't care about sports but the reality is sports is a huge driver of HD related purchases so Cox should have all the sports HD channels in their lineup including FSN HD and ESPN2 HD. I'm glad we have TNT HD which carries many NBA games in HD (including some Lakers games).

Ok, guys...needs some help.

In the "specs" I guess of the DVR (Turn cable box off and hit select 2x quickly) under "d04 Inband Status" I get the following for my two tuners.

Tuner 1: SNR: 31.9% FAIR
AGC: 79% POOR

Tuner 2: SNR 31.4% FAIR
AGC: 82% POOR

What do these numbers/% mean? I don't like that I have "Poor" on these eventhough I don't know what they mean. lol

Any info on these? Am I getting poor signals or something?

thanks

SNR = Signal to Noise Ratio. The higher this number the better.
AGC = Automatic Gain Control. The lower this number the better.

Your readings definately indicate you have a signal problem that should be looked at. Mine are "good" and "good". It's likely you are getting correctable and non-correctable errors as well which would mean picture quality even on your digital channels is suffering.

Thanks for the info. Jees, it was just two weeks ago I called Cox and they siad my signal was "fine". I wish I could meet one person that works for Cox that is truthful.

What are your numers/%? I know my next door neighbor has about two points better on each for "good" and "Fair" ratings.

Numbers vary a little depending on tuned channels but here is a snapshot right now of mine:
Tuner 1
SNR = 34.7dB GOOD
AGC = 54% GOOD
No correctable or uncorrectable errors

Tuner 2
SNR = 35.9dB GOOD
AGC = 50% GOOD
No correctable or uncorrectable errors

I know there are some that don't care about sports but the reality is sports is a huge driver of HD related purchases so Cox should have all the sports HD channels in their lineup including FSN HD and ESPN2 HD. I'm glad we have TNT HD which carries many NBA games in HD (including some Lakers games).

I agree, since we have 2-3 Science Channels (Discovery InHD1 InHD2) and we have 2-4 Movie Channels 744, TNT, InHD1 and 2, and we have the local split, and 2 Premiums, the sports which are shown on ESPN HD, can be added to by obtaining ESPN2HD, to me FSN HD doesnt offer enough original programming, and if they would not black out all the local games, then I think it would be acceptable to preempt stuff for FSN games/matches.

Signal to noise of 32db or better should give you a stable picture without any dropouts. If you see dropouts or audio glitches, check your correctable/uncorrectable error counts. All zero's is the preferred reading, uncorrectables are sound/picture breakups. Correctable you won't see. There is no way that a telephone rep can read your signal levels. A technician needs to be on site for that.

do you guys have the cable going straight from the wall to your box or through a splittr then to your box?

do you guys have the cable going straight from the wall to your box or through a splittr then to your box? I go through an 8-way amplified splitter (Electroline) from the drop to the DCT6416. You should check a direct connection from the drop before any splitters/amplifiers to make sure the Cox signal from the drop entering your house is OK. If that looks good then it's just a question of using proper splitters/amps to get a clean signal to your box. The Electroline amp/splitter I use does not negatively impact the Signal to Noise Ratio. There are many cheap amps out there that add too much noise to the signal so if you are using an amp make sure it's a good one. If you are not using an amp then you probably have split the signal from the drop too many times by the time it reaches your box.

I go through an 8-way amplified splitter (Electroline) from the drop to the DCT6416.

with digital being.. well, digital (its either there or not) what seems to be the lowpoint cutoff when it comes to signal quality? One would suspect one would need a digital repeater , not an analog signal amplifier.

with digital being.. well, digital (its either there or not) what seems to be the lowpoint cutoff when it comes to signal quality? One would suspect one would need a digital repeater , not an analog signal amplifier. QAM 256 used for carrying digital channels is just another form of analog transport - if noise level becomes too great demodulation and decoding won't work properly resulting in non-correctable bits and picture droupouts for the digital channels. NTSC for analog channels we are all familar with the effects of noise. i.e. Signal/noise is still important no matter what modulation scheme is being used.

256 QAM has a Modulation Error Rate threshold of about 32db, which is NOT the same thing as SN/R.

Did anyone catch the Angel game on InHD last night? At around nine, I start getting artifacting and shortly there after the game becomes unwatchable. It's happened, only with the Angel game, the last few times it's been on HD. Is anyone else noticing this or any guesses as to why this is happening? Thanks.

Jason

256 QAM has a Modulation Error Rate threshold of about 32db, which is NOT the same thing as SN/R. That's right, they are not the same thing but are closely related. Bit Error Rate and SNR are very closely tied together. See following for example as a reference:
http://www.mpdigest.com/Articles/2004/Oct2004/analogd/Default.htm
Bottom line is if you don't have high enough SNR you are going to have problems no matter what the modulation scheme.

Did anyone catch the Angel game on InHD last night? At around nine, I start getting artifacting and shortly there after the game becomes unwatchable. It's happened, only with the Angel game, the last few times it's been on HD. Is anyone else noticing this or any guesses as to why this is happening? Thanks.

Jason

I experienced the same problem you did. It seemed to be cyclic - the artifacts coupled to interruptions to sound occurred about once per second, making the game unwatchable. I tuned in the SD version of the game, it was fine. The program on InHD after the game was fine. I checked the d04 status page, it showed I was getting no errors, so the problem wasn't in the final transmission to my home, must have occurred upstream.

Bob

I know I haven't been around much lately, but is this new news or old news?

http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2006-08/tivo-coming-to-cox/

Either way, cool news, IMO -- TiVo without spending godsknowshowmuch on a new box!

Was in talks, but officially announced today. Will have to see, will they be charging for this? Will I be able to return to Passport 2.5/7?

Was in talks, but officially announced today. Will have to see, will they be charging for this? Will I be able to return to Passport 2.5/7?


Yes they will be charging $3-$4 more. It will be a choice between Iguide and Tivo. Passport Echo is likely done with cox.

ajwees41

I experienced the same problem you did. It seemed to be cyclic - the artifacts coupled to interruptions to sound occurred about once per second, making the game unwatchable. I tuned in the SD version of the game, it was fine. The program on InHD after the game was fine. I checked the d04 status page, it showed I was getting no errors, so the problem wasn't in the final transmission to my home, must have occurred upstream.

Bob

The Angels game on InHD last night was fine - no transmission problems.

I've heard some very good things about TIVO but I have yet to use it myself. That sounds cool but I have some concerns. What do they mean by "advertising features"? Will I no longer be able to fast forward? Will I be bombarded with **** on my screen telling my to drink this, use this shampoo, or take this pill to increase the size of my "confidence"? Will this change the ability to record through firewire to the PC?

I just hope it's better than what we currently have. I also hope COX doesnt charge us extra. My bill is already insanely high. It would also be nice if the new software took advantage of all the features the box has. Picture in Picture would be cool.

In the end this sounds like a cool upgrade. Unfortunately these press releases can be a bit misleading. I remember reading several in the past that made it seem like ALL Cox areas would be getting MTVHD and National Geographic HD the moment they launched. Turns out they were only released in select areas. We still dont have either. We might also have to wait a long time for this to be offered in our area.

Cox just called today and offered me a free preview of HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax for two months. Pretty good deal if you ask me :) . This includes the HD channels along with onDEMAND (I think).

If they didn't call you, call them and demand that you be offered this free preview also!

Angels and Yanks on INHD tonight :cool:

Rock read my post above the Tivo software will cost an extra $3-$4.


It will not even be on the 6412 until mid 2007 at the earliest. It will launch first with SA dvr's


ajwees41

ESPNHD is unwatchable again tonight. Is this a problem for all ESPNHD customers, or just us in OC (or is it just some of us)?

ESPNHD is unwatchable again tonight. Is this a problem for all ESPNHD customers, or just us in OC (or is it just some of us)?


Totally agree. It is beyond dreadful. I put off calling COX but I think I might have to call tomorrow. This is absolutely unacceptable. I dont know if it is just the OC experiencing the ESPN problems.

It's truly a shock to the system going from ESPN's horrid HD football game to the wonderful HD of INHD's Angels/Yankees presentation.

Speaking of INHD.... I hope that they show all of Cadyshack. It was scheduled for 10pm but the game went way beyond that time. I was really looking forward to seeing this movie in HD and logo free.

Google searches didn't reveal any recent complaints about ESPN HD so perhaps this is a Cox OC problem. Have to admit I hate baseball and I don't watch pre-season football so I haven't watched ESPN HD lately so can't comment on picture quality myself. I'll be very upset though once NFL real season starts if this continues.

ESPNHD is unwatchable again tonight. Is this a problem for all ESPNHD customers, or just us in OC (or is it just some of us)?

CALL CALL CALL!!! Everyone please call. I called last week and the rep said I was the first to complain. (Sure I was.. 8( It can't hurt to have everyone bombard them as much as possible. The difference between ESPN and INHD is undeniable.

Whether it's cox's fault or espn's feed i dont know, but cox needs to admit there is a problem.

CALL CALL CALL!!!

Whether it's cox's fault or espn's feed i dont know, but cox needs to admit there is a problem.


I pulled aside a cox service rep who was working at my neighbors home and asked him if he was aware of the horrible PQ on ESPN. His reply was that COX was well aware of the situation and that they have been battling with ESPN for weeks. Evidently ESPN went to a new encoding software that is somewhat incompatible with the chip set in the Motorola line of HD boxes and that ESPN was working on a fix. I do not know if he was feeding me a line, but it seems that this is a feed issue. What bothers me is that I have not seen this issue written about in the Comcast or other cable companies using Moto boxes.


niesman

I joined the ranks of the complainers by sending an email a few nights ago explaining the problem. I specifically mentioned this board and the number of people complaining about ESPN-HD. The response I got was basically the typical power cycle your cable box and see if it fixes it, then call them if there is still a problem, LOL. I also threw in some bitching about the lack of FSN-HD, ESPN2-HD, etc and threatened to leave for Directv if this doesn't resolve soon. I guess I will be calling them tomorrow.

All the ESPN Hubbub. I live in Irvine, so I am on Cox OC. I will admit HD on inHD and Discovery is beautiful. ESPN and FOX (HD programming) isn't as nice, but it isn't unwatchable. ESPN HD seems to have some fuzzyness over their shows, and FOX HD Baseball seems to be very crappy, like LowDef displayed in widescreen, I hope they fix that for October!

So I find ESPN ok, and not worth my call? Can it be better sure I hope, but it is totally better than 15 and 16. Now when can we get somemore HD channels?

All the ESPN Hubbub. I live in Irvine, so I am on Cox OC. I will admit HD on inHD and Discovery is beautiful. ESPN and FOX (HD programming) isn't as nice, but it isn't unwatchable. ESPN HD seems to have some fuzzyness over their shows, and FOX HD Baseball seems to be very crappy, like LowDef displayed in widescreen, I hope they fix that for October!

So I find ESPN ok, and not worth my call? Can it be better sure I hope, but it is totally better than 15 and 16. Now when can we get somemore HD channels?


I sure hope you don't think tonight's MNF game on ESPNFuzzyD is "OK". It's jaggy as hell with any movement. Even blocks of white light start to appear on the field.
Plus, for all the money we pay, I don't think "ok" is acceptable. we pay for "good" reception on aLL channels, not just ok.

The biggest complaint i have is that ESPNHD was crystal clear a few months ago. I loved it! So, something changed somewhere. Either on ESPN's side or Cox. It's a rip off to charge money for ESPNHD and discovery when ESPNHD is a bad as it is. Even for just 4.95 a month.

I go through an 8-way amplified splitter (Electroline) from the drop to the DCT6416. You should check a direct connection from the drop before any splitters/amplifiers to make sure the Cox signal from the drop entering your house is OK. If that looks good then it's just a question of using proper splitters/amps to get a clean signal to your box. The Electroline amp/splitter I use does not negatively impact the Signal to Noise Ratio. There are many cheap amps out there that add too much noise to the signal so if you are using an amp make sure it's a good one. If you are not using an amp then you probably have split the signal from the drop too many times by the time it reaches your box.

I have two different splitters that the cox man installed plus at least two amplifiers, I was having significant problems watching espn-hd on one of my tv's but not the other, so I went to the box and found that the problem child had an extra powered amplified(yet not powered) inline after the splitter, I removed that amplifier and that solved all my pixeling problems. Why would they have put that amplifier in there in the first place????

My real questions now are:

Are these cox splitters any good, or should I get an- 8 way like you have?

I have the whole cox suite as well, Internet, Phone and TV, so I think the first thing that happens is the cable get run to the phone box and then comes out of there where it is split for the Internet and TV, then it is split again cause I have 6 TV outlets.

Any advice on the best way this should be configured is appreciated.

Thanks,
Tom

I was able to get all of the HDTV channels in Laguna Niguel by adding an antenna in the attic and let my panasonic scan for the digital channels.

After a year of being unhappy with the price and quality of hdtv over cox cable I've decided to give OTA a try. I went to the attic and experimented with an old Radio Shack amplified antenna ( Model: 15-1892 is the equivalent current model)

Hooked up to the tv and let the panasonic scan for the digital channels. It added them all cbs-hd, nbc-hd, abc-hd, ktla-hd, fox-hd, kcet (kcet-hd, kcet-sd, koce-hd, koce-sd, klcs, even the spanish channel are broadcasted digitally. Picture is superb and I am not exagerating. Much better than the compressed images of cable. I am cancelling my cable today.

Thread: Los Angeles, CA - OTA Reply to Thread

vtanious - May I ask where you generally live? I'm in Mission Viejo near the Pacific Hills area (La Paz and Olympiad) and am trying to find a decent indoor antenna. If your geography is similar to mine, I'll definitely try this 15-1892.

As a side note - I was going to store my indoor amplified directional UHF antenna away in my garage (Southern Mission Viejo with hill-obstructed path to the NW) but on a whim decided to try out OTA reception with my Samsung SIR-T451 tuner. I was shocked to find the reception from the garage was by far the best area I had seen in my house - I haven't counted all the channels I now receive with strong signal but there are quite a lot and has all the ones I would care about. So I ran a coax through the garage wall to the living room HDTV so I could get OTA reception there to compliment the Cox HD lineup. The HD local channels looked pretty much identical for OTA vs Cox on the HDTV which was encouraging.

EDIT: I decided to write them down for my records. 38 channels (mostly junk):
(Looking at the list of HD channels below I am quite happy to have Cox now compared to what is available OTA)

02-1 KCBS-DT (HD)
04-1 NBC4-LA (HD)
04-2 WX-Plus
07-1 KABC-DT (HD)
07-2 KABC-NN
07-3 KABC-RD
09-1 KCAL-DT (HD)
11-1 KTTV DT (HD)
13-1 KCOP DT (HD)
18-1 KSCI-DT
22-1 KWHY-DT
28-1 KCET-HD (HD)
28-2 KCET-SD
30-1 KPXN DT
30-2 PaxEast
30-3 Worship
30-4 Faith
34-1 KMEX-DT
34-2 KFTR-DT
40-1 KTBN-D1
40-2 KTBN-D2
40-3 KTBN-D3
40-4 KTBN-D4
46-1 KFTR-DT
50-1 KOCE-HD (HD)
50-2 KOCE-SD
50-3 KOCE-LB
56-1 KDOC-DT
56-2 KDOC-SD
57-1 KJLA-DT
57-2 KXLA-DT
57-3 KVMD-DT
58-1 KLCS-DT1
58-2 KLCS-DT2
58-3 KLCS-DT3
58-4 KLCS-DT4
62-1 KRCA1
62-2 KRCA2

moyekj - Do you know what kind (manufacturer and model no.) indoor antenna you have? Looks like you are in my general area.

moyekj - Do you know what kind (manufacturer and model no.) indoor antenna you have? Looks like you are in my general area. Not home right now but the latest one I have is a Philips indoor amplified UHF+VHF antenna I picked up from Lowes in Rancho Santa Margarita. Works even better than the one I was talking about in my post you quoted from a while ago and has a smaller form factor. It looks like pretty much any indoor amplified UHF antenna you can find should suffice.

I have two different splitters that the cox man installed plus at least two amplifiers, I was having significant problems watching espn-hd on one of my tv's but not the other, so I went to the box and found that the problem child had an extra powered amplified(yet not powered) inline after the splitter, I removed that amplifier and that solved all my pixeling problems. Why would they have put that amplifier in there in the first place????

My real questions now are:

Are these cox splitters any good, or should I get an- 8 way like you have?

I have the whole cox suite as well, Internet, Phone and TV, so I think the first thing that happens is the cable get run to the phone box and then comes out of there where it is split for the Internet and TV, then it is split again cause I have 6 TV outlets.

Any advice on the best way this should be configured is appreciated.

Thanks,
Tom I also have 6 total devices to feed which is why I went with an 8-way splitter. From previous Cox visits things were a mess, with 5 splitters and trying to amp after splitting - it just resulted in awful analog channel picture to most TVs. So I decided to re-haul everything Cox had done, removing all their splitters and purchasing the 8-way Electroline. I made a hole through to my garage from the outside cable TV box and took the Cox main drop through that hole along with all the coax feeds to the various rooms in the house. I connected everything up to the Electroline and also labeled each connection so I know exactly which is which. So with my setup now I amplify the main drop and then split it once 8 ways through the Electroline. 6 of the splits are active (1 internet, 5 video) and the 2 remaining splits I terminated with 75ohm resistor caps. Resulting picture quality was much better as were the statistics measured using the Motorola DCT6416 diagnostics.

Since I did that Cox has visited once and though at first the tech was very skeptical, after he measured the signal strength at 1 of the splits and saw it was "perfect" he was satisifed that what I had done was OK.

All the ESPN Hubbub. I live in Irvine, so I am on Cox OC. I will admit HD on inHD and Discovery is beautiful. ESPN and FOX (HD programming) isn't as nice, but it isn't unwatchable. ESPN HD seems to have some fuzzyness over their shows, and FOX HD Baseball seems to be very crappy, like LowDef displayed in widescreen, I hope they fix that for October!

So I find ESPN ok, and not worth my call? Can it be better sure I hope, but it is totally better than 15 and 16. Now when can we get somemore HD channels?

Ahh, the perfect Cox customer

non discriminating, non complainer... Give me 5000 channels with marginal PQ for $200/month. What me care? It is only money.

I also have 6 total devices to feed which is why I went with an 8-way splitter. From previous Cox visits things were a mess, with 5 splitters and trying to amp after splitting - it just resulted in awful analog channel picture to most TVs. So I decided to re-haul everything Cox had done, removing all their splitters and purchasing the 8-way Electroline. I made a hole through to my garage from the outside cable TV box and took the Cox main drop through that hole along with all the coax feeds to the various rooms in the house. I connected everything up to the Electroline and also labeled each connection so I know exactly which is which. So with my setup now I amplify the main drop and then split it once 8 ways through the Electroline. 6 of the splits are active (1 internet, 5 video) and the 2 remaining splits I terminated with 75ohm resistor caps. Resulting picture quality was much better as were the statistics measured using the Motorola DCT6416 diagnostics.

Since I did that Cox has visited once and though at first the tech was very skeptical, after he measured the signal strength at 1 of the splits and saw it was "perfect" he was satisifed that what I had done was OK.

I wish I had been as successful.

I have intermittent signal problems on the HD broadcast channels. I bought the Electroline to try to replace the cox amplifier and all the splitters that were hooked up to the cable coming out of the living room wall -- and it didn't work. Not at *all*. Nothing came in.

I went back to the Cox amp/splitters and it's still the same with the intermittent problems. I record anything really important on the analog TiVo as well as the Cox DVR.

From my living room wall, I have the Cox DVR, cable modem, TiVo and the Panasonic player to get signal to. Analog cable is ok in the rest of the house, but I don't use it all that much.

if i have an HDTV with an ATSC tuner with built in QAM, could I just order the digital gateway with HDTV programming for $6.50 a month extra and get HDTV programming without renting out their $10 set top box?

if i have an HDTV with an ATSC tuner with built in QAM, could I just order the digital gateway with HDTV programming for $6.50 a month extra and get HDTV programming without renting out their $10 set top box? If you have extended basic cable then you should have access to the unencrypted QAM channels already without the need for digital gateway. For example the network HD channels you should be able to find on RF channels:
84, 85, 86, 99
NOTE: The sub-channel numbers vary depending on the tuner which is why I don't list specific sub-channels in the above.

I also have 6 total devices to feed which is why I went with an 8-way splitter. From previous Cox visits things were a mess, with 5 splitters and trying to amp after splitting - it just resulted in awful analog channel picture to most TVs. So I decided to re-haul everything Cox had done, removing all their splitters and purchasing the 8-way Electroline. I made a hole through to my garage from the outside cable TV box and took the Cox main drop through that hole along with all the coax feeds to the various rooms in the house. I connected everything up to the Electroline and also labeled each connection so I know exactly which is which. So with my setup now I amplify the main drop and then split it once 8 ways through the Electroline. 6 of the splits are active (1 internet, 5 video) and the 2 remaining splits I terminated with 75ohm resistor caps. Resulting picture quality was much better as were the statistics measured using the Motorola DCT6416 diagnostics.

Since I did that Cox has visited once and though at first the tech was very skeptical, after he measured the signal strength at 1 of the splits and saw it was "perfect" he was satisifed that what I had done was OK.


K-

Thanks for your reply --- where do you get the Electroline splitter?

Tom

K-

Thanks for your reply --- where do you get the Electroline splitter?

Tom http://www.dropamp.com/

I also have 6 total devices to feed which is why I went with an 8-way splitter. From previous Cox visits things were a mess, with 5 splitters and trying to amp after splitting - it just resulted in awful analog channel picture to most TVs. So I decided to re-haul everything Cox had done, removing all their splitters and purchasing the 8-way Electroline. I made a hole through to my garage from the outside cable TV box and took the Cox main drop through that hole along with all the coax feeds to the various rooms in the house. I connected everything up to the Electroline and also labeled each connection so I know exactly which is which. So with my setup now I amplify the main drop and then split it once 8 ways through the Electroline. 6 of the splits are active (1 internet, 5 video) and the 2 remaining splits I terminated with 75ohm resistor caps. Resulting picture quality was much better as were the statistics measured using the Motorola DCT6416 diagnostics.

Since I did that Cox has visited once and though at first the tech was very skeptical, after he measured the signal strength at 1 of the splits and saw it was "perfect" he was satisifed that what I had done was OK.


OK, So you have inspired me to do the same thing and I want to make sure that I do this correctly. So far I have moved all my wires from the dropbox outside to the inside of my garage...connections untouched. I have ordered the Electroline EDA FT8100.

Here is a top down view of what my current wiring mess looks like with the " | " and "-" denoting the cable run between devices. All splitters are 5-1000MHz


CABLE DROP
|
|
COX Telco Box------------Phone lines
|
|
Signal Circuit Protection gizmo(has copper ground wire attached)
(looks like a splitter, but only 1 input&output)
|
|
2 way splitter--------------Cable Modem
|
|
15dB gain AMP-DC
|
|
2 way splitter--------------4 way splitter----{4 TV's
|
|
|------------------------3 way splitter----{3 TV's


Now when I receive the Electroline, I plan on putting that inline after the "signal circuit protection gizmo", unless someone tells me that I don't need this.......

Do I really need this circuit protection gizmo? Does anyone know what this does if anything other than grounding the cable? If all it does is ground the cable, can't I just do this at the Electroline when I install it?

This seems pretty straightforward, is there anything else I need to know about doing this?

I am also thinking of moving my cable modem & wireless gw into the garage right next to the electroline, these are currently in my office.

All advice is appreciated.

Thanks,
T

I did just as you propose - output of the "gizmo" goes to the Electroline. One thing you should try is take the output from the "gizmo" and connect it directly to the DCT6416 coax (using a male/male coupler) and then check the diagnostics for SNR + AGC + errors. This is the signal you are going to amplify, so you want to make sure it's clean - the Electroline will amplify & split it very cleanly so resulting splits should look a lot like that one. If it is not that great then you may need a Cox visit to clean it up, but in all likelihood it should be fine.

that giszmo is to ground the wire to your house (that's more for others reading the thread as I believe you already know that), I can make several guesses as to why, but which one it is I don't know. Anyway, most splitters have a ground screw in them so you might be able to bypass that first part to get it out of your way. I don't see why it would make any difference as to which one it is attached to, as long as you have it attached to something there.

also, it would be a female to female connector, the cable end is the male side ;)

moyekj: did you find that it helped or hurt to put in a signal amp before the splitter? or not enough difference at all to make it worth it anyway?

appleboy, for splitting 8 ways definately a signal amp was needed in my case. Previously I tried an amp before the mesh of 5 2-way splitters started but that didn't improve things much either. The Electroline is nice because it amps the input signal and then splits it evenly 8 ways all in one shot and is designed with the right low noise amplification to keep the signal level at each split equivalent to the input signal level. I verified that by running the drop directly to the Moto box without going through any splits compared to 1 of the splits out of the Electroline that both signals are pretty much equivalent in terms of SNR & AGC readings. Also during my trials I tried amplifying the drop and connecting that directly to the Moto box (without any splits) and found in that case the readings were actually worse - i.e. over-amplifying was a bad thing (or the amp I was using was lousy).

By "male/male coupler" I was describing what you are coupling together (males at both ends) - obviously that requires a connector with female ends on each side. I'm sure tjstoddard knows what we mean.

I joined the ranks of the complainers by sending an email a few nights ago explaining the problem. I specifically mentioned this board and the number of people complaining about ESPN-HD. The response I got was basically the typical power cycle your cable box and see if it fixes it, then call them if there is still a problem, LOL. I also threw in some bitching about the lack of FSN-HD, ESPN2-HD, etc and threatened to leave for Directv if this doesn't resolve soon. I guess I will be calling them tomorrow.

Although I observed the same poor quaility watching MLB, I find that today's football game on ESPN-HD has excellent quality. Perhaps they are less compressed (using more bandwidth) than the baseball broadcasts.

I'm giving up on Cox totally. I've had five different Motorola DVR boxes in the past year and a half. The last two lasted between one and two weeks each before they basically failed. I'm switching my entire lineup of channels over to DirecTV. I can't believe I stayed with Cox this long. They deserve to go out of business. :mad:

Enjoy the HD lite, smitty.

/me can't wait for the TiVo < > Cox partnership to pan out.

Enjoy the HD lite, smitty.

me can't wait for the TiVo < > Cox partnership to pan out.


Prepare for price increases. Omaha is increasing rates Orange County can't be far behind.

Complete a $2.21 increase Digital TV $1 CHSI $2 Increase

ajwees41

Quick questions for you guys.

I rarely set the DVR to record a series but I am going out of town soon and need to use this feature. In the past when I set it to record reruns it would record the same episode several times. Is there any way to set the DVR to record reruns but not the same rerun over and over? I want to record Firefly on UNIVERSALHD and am worried with all of UNIVERSALHD's reruns I would fill my box up with the same episode 10 times. I need the box to record several shows while I am gone so DVR space is very important and cant be wasted.

Oh. I almost forgot... Is there any way to have the DVR "save until manually erased" automatically? I would hate to have the shows I record early in my trip deleted simply because they have been on the box for awhile or because it needs more space.

Any help is cool.

TheRock, you can restrict series recordings to a particular channel and particular time slot which usually lessens the problem (except for the case when the time slot shifts around), but if the show repeats on that channel and time slot it will get repeat recorded. And yes, you can set "keep until I delete" priority on any series setup as one of the options - you will see a diamond by the series recording name. Setting up smart series recordings and avoiding recording the same thing over and over are very much the strong suit of Tivo software so hopefully Tivo/Cox will be an option for us by mid next year.

Thanks moyekj. Hopefully those tips will really help.

Anyone have a recommendation for an installer in South Orange County, CA? Specifically looking for someone to run one or two additional coax cables that would involve fishing the line through the walls from the attic down to the ground floor of a two-story house.

I am having serious issues with KTTV (FOX) KTTV-DT 711 right now. I am having serious breakups(audio and video) and it is stopping and showing the same scene over and over on COX and also from OTA. The SD FOX doesnt seem to be affected. Even the commercials are having issues so it isnt just the HD Prison Break program. I was hoping it would be fixed after the first commercial break but that doesnt seem to be the case. It seems to be a bit better as I type this. Hopefully they fixed whatever the problem they were having.

Prison Break was unwatchable for me tonight. I keep wondering if it's my signal or some more widespread problem.

I'm glad I back up on TiVo.

(ETA: Yeah, it got better for me after 8:15 too. I wouldn't be surprised if others had the same problem.)

I had the same problems for Prison Break, but the breakups only lasted for about 7-8 minutes, then playback returned to normal. The trick is not to fast foward through the break ups, but let them play through.

Same problem for me with OTA on Prison Break. As this was my first "real" program I was recording (not just testing) with my new HD setup I'm glad it was not just me!

I used to run an Electroline Amp...for years. But it's a E4AG or something like that, and could not pass the outbd signal for PPV. (not that I use it, but like the option to if they ever offer PPV HD).

So Cox came out an installed there own unit, it was much better quality then the old crap they used to use. Anyways, it's split into 4 rooms and my Cable Modem. (which feeds into a wireless router and feeds 3 pcs and a PS2, and my hardwired Desktop PC and one more PS2)

I just ran the Signal test and same Good/Good ~ around 36.XX / 54.XX for each.....so no complaints and no hurry to rush out and get a $90 8 way Electroline...for now.

I will say some of my recordings on Speed over the weekend were just aweful.....every few seconds I'd get pauses and lost sound....one of the most unwatchable recordings ever. Maybe the heat was an issue, I don't know. A few pauses seems normal, but this was 1000% times worse.....