Cox Targets 50 HD Channels by Year-End
Cable Operator Readying Campaign to Take On DirecTV
By Todd Spangler Multichannel News 6/20/2007

Orlando, Fla. -- Cox Communications president Pat Esser said the operator is aiming to have the capacity to offer 50 HD channels across its systems by the end of 2007, and it hopes to double that to 100 by the end of 2009.

“We’re seeing an explosion in interest [from subscribers], and I think we have to get ready for that,” Esser said, speaking on a CEO roundtable here at the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers’ Cable-Tec Expo 2007.

Esser said Cox recently revised its goals for the number of HD channels it would be able to deliver. The operator will get there using a combination of bandwidth-optimization tools and techniques, including system upgrades, retiring analog channels, statistical multiplexing of HD signals and switched digital video, he said.

“I’ve asked Chris [Bowick, chief technology officer of Cox] and his team to find the capacity to offer 50 HD channels by the end of this year, going into 2008,” Esser said. “Whether we do or don’t offer that many channels, I want to have the capacity to do that.”

What Esser didn’t say explicitly is that Cox -- along with the rest of the cable industry -- is looking to blunt the effect of DirecTV’s HD hypermarketing push. Backed by aggressive TV spots, the direct-broadcast operator is promising “a future of 150 HD channels.”

According to Esser, Cox will soon launch a Pepsi Challenge-style marketing campaign that will compare the quality of Cox’s HD picture against satellite. “The industry just did a taste test … [and] consumers thought our product was better,” said Esser, who declined to provide further details.

Comcast last month kicked off a similar campaign, citing a survey that found that two-thirds of consumers preferred Comcast’s HDTV to satellite. DirecTV promptly sued Comcast, alleging false advertising and deceptive trade practices.

Asked about the DirecTV suit, Esser replied, “Well, that’s the response if you want to suppress the information … You don’t want to let it get out.”

Esser did acknowledge that historically, DBS operators “got a product jump on us with digital and DVRs [digital-video recorders].” But he added that satellite growth has slowed, and that what’s driven growth for the sector is reseller partnerships with telephone companies.

http://www.multichannel.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6453819

Esser said Cox recently revised its goals for the number of HD channels it would be able to deliver. The operator will get there using a combination of bandwidth-optimization tools and techniques, including system upgrades, retiring analog channels, statistical multiplexing of HD signals and switched digital video, he said.


I hope that statistical multiplexing of HD signals doesn't mean what D* or E* do to their signals.

Donald :)

thanks for posting the news but

...100 by the end of 2009. ...
http://www.multichannel.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6453819

http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/roll.gif i'm sorry but thats funny to be, because comcast says 800 channels but this cable co only says 100...

Wow. I think this is the first time I have ever heard COX make an announcement like this. Very cool. I hope my local Cox offers more HD soon. I just wish they would say what HD channels they have signed deals to carry.

Sounds like another HD lite provider coming on board.

Since Comcast and Cox don't directly compete it doesn't really matter if one promises more HD than the other. Their common enemy is DBS, and -- in this case -- DirecTV specifically.

Each has taken its own path in trying to combat the impression that DirecTV is about to become the HD leader.


thanks for posting the news but ... i'm sorry but thats funny to be, because comcast says 800 channels but this cable co only says 100...

According to Esser, Cox will soon launch a Pepsi Challenge-style marketing campaign that will compare the quality of Cox’s HD picture against satellite. “The industry just did a taste test … [and] consumers thought our product was better,” said Esser, who declined to provide further details.

I hope that Cox has all their i's dotted and t's crossed, because you know D* will automatically sue them.

But as a D* sub, I hope that this is more of a push to get them to offer better HD PQ.

I hope that Cox has all their i's dotted and t's crossed, because you know D* will automatically sue them.

But as a D* sub, I hope that this is more of a push to get them to offer better HD PQ.

Well if Cox Cable every place else is like it is here in Tulsa, D* has nothing to worry about on PQ battle.

I hope that statistical multiplexing of HD signals doesn't mean what D* or E* do to their signals.

Donald :)
That's exactly what D* does.

thanks for posting the news but


i'm sorry but thats funny to be, because comcast says 800 channels but this cable co only says 100...
Two different technologies in play. To each their own.

Oh, and the Comcast announcement has been discussed here since the 12th....

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=860371

All those Comcast and Cox cable subscribers expecting to join in on the HD bonanza in September might find themselves waiting as cable gets caught up to the mpeg4 world...

(from the HBO HD announcement thread)

Interesting ...

HBO will be using MPEG-4 to distribute the new HBO / Cinemax HD channels to MSOs (at about 8 Mbit/s each). MSOs without MPEG-4 boxes in the field (cable, Verizon) are going to have to be transcoding to MPEG-2 ... though HBO says they've left "enough headroom to ensure the quality of the signal is not damaged when transcoded to MPEG-2".

Source:
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=127163&site=cdn

All those Comcast and Cox cable subscribers expecting to join in on the HD bonanza in September might find themselves waiting as cable gets caught up to the mpeg4 world...

(from the HBO HD announcement thread)
Comcast has some sort of plan (from the same article):

"For its part, Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) has been cooking up a new series of Residential Network Gateway (RNG) set-tops that can decode both MPEG-4 and MPEG-2 signals. Comcast expects to test some of those products in the second half of this year, with commercial rollouts beginning in early 2008, said John Schanz, Comcast Cable's executive vice president of national engineering and technical operations."

I saw some of the new StatMux encoder demonstrations during NAB. I even got to crank them down myself and watch the changes in realtime.
They were VERY good, even to a finicky eagle eye like me and nothing like current or past generation encoders in use now.

vegggas

That's exactly what D* does.

great :(

Donald :)

Here's to hoping it's not HDlite. Mpeg4 via cablecard would be a dream (with an expanded HD offering)... Who knows if it will happen :(

I heard the Cox "taste test" commercial here in OKC today.

Well if Cox Cable every place else is like it is here in Tulsa, D* has nothing to worry about on PQ battle.
Here in OKC, Cox’s PQ is quite good, the equivalent of OTA HD. Have you done any A/B comparisons between OTA and Cox’s cable transmissions of the same shows? I have and the PQ has been uniformly wonderful via either transmission method. There are a bunch of things I don’t like about Cox OKC but its HD PQ is not among them.

I hope that statistical multiplexing of HD signals doesn't mean what D* or E* do to their signals.

Donald :)


So what do you experts think about these providers claims? I know D* has been taking a lot of hits for their hdlite. But if their claims come true and they have what they are saying come september, do their competitors have any concrete solutions for their claims? I'm not technically savvy but how do you cram 100 hd channels where previously 5-10 existed without any equipment or technology upgrades?
Joe

So what do you experts think about these providers claims? I know D* has been taking a lot of hits for their hdlite. But if their claims come true and they have what they are saying come september, do their competitors have any concrete solutions for their claims? I'm not technically savvy but how do you cram 100 hd channels where previously 5-10 existed without any equipment or technology upgrades?
Joe
video on demand using switched video (?). The program will only come if you request it.

I heard the Cox "taste test" commercial here in OKC today.

lol, so Cox is doing a "taste test" between D*'s mpeg 2 HD and their current HD, knowing that D* is about to go mpeg 4 and Cox is apparently planning on multicasting soon?

Might as well tout better PQ while they've got it.

video on demand using switched video (?). The program will only come if you request it.

That would work... as for live events though?
Joe

That would work... as for live events though?
Joe
They could still used switched video for live events.

lol, so Cox is doing a "taste test" between D*'s mpeg 2 HD and their current HD, knowing that D* is about to go mpeg 4 and Cox is apparently planning on multicasting soon?

Might as well tout better PQ while they've got it.

D* has already gone MPEG-4 with Locals and some of the full time sports nets. I've done and A/B comparison to OTA many times on the locals and can't see any difference. I think the MPEG-2 channels are not as good at times. ESPN PQ in particular seems to come and go.

FYI...
Last years state of the art Mpeg2 encoders look like Radio Shak novelty toys compared to this years crop of encoders, which are light years above what are mostly in the field now. With the same source feeds, the outputs can be up to 30% less than previous years AND STILL LOOK BETTER at the same resolutions.
While mpeg4 will have a much higher compression ratio, mpeg2 is getting closer to those ratios. The sat companies will surely use the new mpeg4 encoders, since the cost factor will be amortized into all their new subscribers, but even the mpeg2 encoders will get a facelift to better algorithims. Cable co's can employ the same idea and use high cost encoders to bring the datarates downs and share that data with multiple headends.

vegggas

Well if Cox Cable every place else is like it is here in Tulsa, D* has nothing to worry about on PQ battle.
D* can't touch Cox's PQ here in Tulsa. I can't agree with you.

Even though D*'s plans to add extra capacity and HD channels have been public for some time, it sure looks like the cable cos are scrambling all of a sudden. They must have grossly underestimated the appetite for HD that is out there.

I'm glad to see the sudden rush to provide HD no matter where it is coming from. It can only benefit all of us.

I just hope CSNHD is one of the channels that Cox ends up carrying. For NOVA sports fans it sucks not to be able to see Wizards/Capitals games in HD.

I just hope CSNHD is one of the channels that Cox ends up carrying. For NOVA sports fans it sucks not to be able to see Wizards/Capitals games in HD.

I would've loved to see the Nats in HD but who knows when (or if) MASN will go HD.

Does anyone else think that Phillip Swann is onto something when he points out that all the cable companies have actually promised is more capacity, unlike D* which has actually named some of the channels they plan to add?

I also think that FIOS may also be driving some of the Cox's announcements.

Who knows if these announcements will add up to anything - it amazes me that DBS has been plowing forward in the HD service charge, and yet cable seems to be sputtering on the curb with very few (in comparison) channels. Here's to hoping.

D* can't touch Cox's PQ here in Tulsa. I can't agree with you.

I can't really comment on D*'s picture quality ,but i have cox and it seems very good. However, as of late it seems like there has been more 'skipping/macroblocking/' on some of my DVRed shows, I have really noticed it on Standoff which i just got done watching. I think it may be time to turn in my dvr and get a new one.
I have wondered if the increased numer of HD channels is the cause, but i don't normally watch non-dvred shows, so can't tell if it is a dvr issue or a single issue. The time to tell will be when NFL starts again.

I hope S*Link does something like this. Im a current subscriber to S*Link, and I'm about to switch to D*TV because of the new HD channels coming. And of course, my local area College Station, Texas used to be COX. If it still was, I would stay a subscriber with this kind of news.

Cox Adds HD Flicks On DEMAND

By Jonathan Hemingway -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/2/2007 5:28:00 PM

Cox Communications, the third largest cable company in the U.S., announced today the availability of high definition (HD) movies in its On DEMAND library. The service is currently available to its digital TV subscribers in San Diego with rollouts in Northern Virginia and Oklahoma City to follow and additional launches expected during the summer.

On DEMAND currently offers 20 movie titles in high definition and Cox said it plans to offer more HD content in the future.

“As more of our customers upgrade their viewing experience with high definition televisions, we will continue to expand our HD offerings both by adding more HD channels and through interactive options like On DEMAND,” said David Pugliese, Vice President of Product Marketing for Cox.

This is the latest in a series of recent announcements from MSOs touting their HD capabilities and offerings as they respond to pressure from satellite operators.

“Recent consumer research shows that satellite companies can't match cable's high quality HD picture,” added Pugliese. “Plus Cox is the only place to get a true On DEMAND experience, making it even clearer why Cox is the best choice for entertainment and communications in our markets.”

http://broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6456946.html

I wonder if any of the HBO and Showtime On Demand stuff will also be in HD or if it will just be the PPV On Demand stuff in HD.

I am looking forward to the day when Cox actually rolls out OnDemand HD in OKC. In the meantime, though, I won't hold my breath. :)

I wonder if the HD offerings will be available for rent with a telephone call? I have a TiVo Series3 HD DVR, which does not support the two-way communications needed for interactive OnDemand, so in order for me to benefit from the new HD service I would need to be able to order movies over the phone.

Operators keep talking about x00 HD channels by the end of some period, but seeing the list of new additions is what I want to see.

Glad that COX is adding HD VOD including movies, recently announced for three markets. Bandwidth concerns with HD VOD are minimized as server space is easy to address.

The HD on-demand for NOVA is supposed to start today. I think it's on channel 700 and will have about 20 movies at $5.99 each. They say it will be expanded in the future.

Operators keep talking about x00 HD channels by the end of some period, but seeing the list of new additions is what I want to see.

Glad that COX is adding HD VOD including movies, recently announced for three markets. Bandwidth concerns with HD VOD are minimized as server space is easy to address.
Cox historically has been silent about any type of announcements, usually with any kind of announcement coming some time AFTER a rollout of a new service. Hearing them in the news with their recent announcements is very unusual and considered to be a confident view of such products and claims being availble very shortly. Their goal seems to be to get all or most franchises getting the same feeds with similar lineups.

vegggas

The HD on-demand for NOVA is supposed to start today. I think it's on channel 700 and will have about 20 movies at $5.99 each. They say it will be expanded in the future.
...And how many days (hours) ago was that even announced? As mentioned in the previous post, Cox usually doesn't announce something until it's already available.

vegggas

...And how many days (hours) ago was that even announced? As mentioned in the previous post, Cox usually doesn't announce something until it's already available.

vegggas

The quote I saw was from July 2.

I think Verizon Fios will have HD VOD before Cox. Cox seems to move very slow here. They only do something if competition is coming. I have had video problems with Cox HD very a year and now I have switched to Verizon Fios and had no issues and better picture quality. Cox now is going around my neighborhood fixing their lines. Go figure, very time I called them they said it was on my end.

Cox OKC’s PQ and Internet speeds are excellent but they have been very slow to add new HD channels.

I've never seen an HD pic on anything but Cox so I can't comment on the comparison. My biggest issue with my HD on Cox has been the "skipping" I experience occassionally. It is hard to describe (I'm not an expert like most of you), but the best I can do is say it looks like it is a lower framerate or somthing so anything in motion looks like it is skipping. This is especially annoying when watching sports. I have though about switching to Sat before but all the price comparisons has kept me on Cox. I have three TVs in my house and with Sat, it costs $5/month per extra TV. Also, HD/DVR combo boxes are expensive. With Cox, HD is free assuming you have DVR. I had DVR for about 6-9 months before getting my HD TV and when I got it, all I had to do was call Cox and turn it on. No increase in my bill. We'll see if this changes with the additional channels but I'm definitely very excited to hear something about this from Cox. Oh yeah, I'm in Tulsa.