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Cox moving 100 channels to on-demand format

November 13th, 2009, 1:28 pm · 21 Comments · posted by

Cox CableBeginning Nov. 25, Cox Communications in Orange County will roll out a new technology that will change how viewers watch 100 channels. Most won’t notice a difference but a small number — less than 1 percent — won’t be able to see the channels at all. (Thanks to reader TiVoGirl for the tip.)

In a letter mailed to customers this week,  Cox said it is migrating to the Switched Digital Video platform, which is one way cable companies can offer customers more channels. This opens up space for Cox to offer more HD channels. I’ll get to those new channels in my next post. UPDATE: And here’s that post: “Cox adding 15 HD channels in December.”

Cox, like other cable providers, is operating at maximum channel capacity. It can only air a certain number of channels 24 hours a day. But some channels take up more room than others — one analog channel occupies the same space as about 12 to 15 digital channels. Switching those analog channels to digital is one way for cable companies to free up space. This is what Time Warner is doing (see story: Time Warner makes room for 100 HD channels, kicks out others“).

The other method is by moving to switched digital video, which converts channels to a type of on-demand-only service. Customers still use their remotes as normal, turning to the channel they want. The majority of customers won’t notice the change — only, I’m told, a slight delay when they turn to a switched channel. But customers who don’t have a set-top box and rely on CableCARDs won’t be able to access the channels. Alternatives for these users are below.

“Switched Digital will allow us to maximize our network capacity, enable increased HD channels and entertainment options in the future. For example, now we have over 400 HD programming options [hours] and we continue to launch more HD channels,” said Cox spokeswoman Lana Ong. (Corrected at 4:45 p.m. Ong says she meant to say 400 HD hours of programming is available.)

Here are the affected channels — 100 in all:

Channel Affected channel Channel Affected channel
1 Discovery Kids 100 67 NHL Network 333
2 Science Channel 101 68 VERSUS 334
3 Planet Green 102 69 Tennis Channel 337
4 Investigation Discovery 103 70 NBA TV 338
5 Military Channel 104 71 NFL Network 339
6 Discovery Health 105 72 Disney XD 341
7 National Geographic 108 73 PBS Sprout 342
8 Gems TV 112 74 Hallmark 343
9 MLB Networks 119 75 Lifetime Movie Network 345
10 to 21 HBO Channels 201-212 76 BBC America 346
22 to 29 Cinemax Channels 222-229 77 SOAPnet 348
29 to 35 Showtime Channels 241-247 78 Great American Country 349
36 to 38 TMC Channels 260-261 79 EWTN 350
39 to 45 Starz Channels 283-289 80 TruTV 352
46 IFC 300 81 Boomerang 353
47 Sundance 301 82 Nick Jr. 354
48 Flix 302 83 Nick Toons 355
49 Encore Love 303 84 TeenNick 356
50 Encore Western 304 85 MTV Hits 357
51 Encore Mystery 305 86 VH1 Classic 358
52 Encore Action 306 87 CMT 359
53 Encore Drama 307 88 BYU 361
54 DIY 316 89 Oxygen 362
55 Speed Channel 318 90 Logo 364
56 Bloomberg 321 91 Centric 365
57 CNN International 322 92 MTV U 367
58 Gold Channel 323 93 Chiller 370
59 History International 325 94 We TV 371
60 ESPN News 326 95 Encore WAM 372
61 ESPN U 327 96 Style 373
62 ESPN Classic 328 97 MTV2 374
63 Biography Channel 329 98 MTV Jams 375
64 Fox College Sports Pacific 330 99 NHL Network HD 733
65 Fox College Sports Central 331 100 Game HD 798

There’s good and bad news for CableCARD customers. Those who use a CableCARD with a TiVo — about half of Cox’s CableCARD customers — will soon get an adapter so they’ll be able to get all those switched channels. The device, which will be free for all Cox customers, is expected to be available before the end of the year. See my earlier story: “Cox to begin testing TiVo adapter this week — only in O.C.”

For all other CableCARD customers, you’ll need to get a set-top box.  Cox is offering these customers a free HD receiver for six months or a standard digital receiver for $1.99 for the first year. If you’re interested in one of these, you can call Cox at 888-246-3465.

More on switched digital video:

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 21 Comments

  • Bobomo says:
    November 13, 2009 at 1:52 pm

    Tamara – I am wondering about something that maybe you can find out from the cable companies. All broadcast TV is now digital. All other TV providers (Satellite, Fiber) are all digital. Why is cable the only service that still has analog channels? If, as you say, they take up much more bandwidth, you would think cable companies would be racing to replace them. Are they mandated by the FCC to provide analog channels? I can’t believe this is the case, as the FCC is mandating that all broadcast television be digital. Or are they, as I imagine, just behind everyone else for no good reason?

    • Crazy Commuter says:
      November 13, 2009 at 2:08 pm

      Digital signals on coax cable and digital over the air signals are completely different beasts. Also digital is not necessarily better–the ones on Cox are compressed a lot and have poorer visual quality than the analog ones.

      With analog channels you can plug the cable into a tv without a box and get TV channels, you can’t do that with digital because it requires an adapter.

      Digital is still “better” in many cases, but analog has far higher compatability

      • Bobomo says:
        November 13, 2009 at 2:39 pm

        I am aware of all of this. However, I think we can all agree that Cox, Time Warner and Comcast are not keeping analog around for higher quality video (they look terrible, too). And while I agree that compatibility might be an issue for customers, cable companies would just LOVE to rent out more boxes… it’s like printing money for them.

    • Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress says:
      November 13, 2009 at 2:31 pm

      Cable co’s are taking the digital signals and reconverting them back to analog for all their analog TV customers. That’s why in the big digital TV transition, cable users didn’t have to worry about a thing. It was a great way to market themselves and gain customers but really, the cable companies just delayed their own digital transition. IMHO, they should have switched everyone over when the over-the-air broadcasters did and thus utilize that marketing to help inform customers of the switch. That would have helped them free up a ton of space for all the HD channels customers want. Cable companies do plan to drop analog in favor of digital eventually but I don’t have the actual dates (they’re out there… it’s a future topic for me). I don’t believe the FCC is forcing them to keep analog, but don’t hold me to that statement until I research it.

  • LGT says:
    November 13, 2009 at 2:12 pm

    They need to just run fiber already, this is stupid. I’m this close to jumping ship for DirecTV.

  • RSBuletz says:
    November 13, 2009 at 2:20 pm

    What exactly does “a type of on-demand service” mean? Do the channels stay where they are (and this is just a behind the scenes thing), or do viewer have to go to Channel 1 then go to the desired channel. I’m just trying to understand if this is just a technical change, or a real change that viewers need to enact.

    • Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress says:
      November 13, 2009 at 2:24 pm

      Thanks for asking.. I’ll try to clarify in story. This version of on-demand means that most users can turn to the normal channel, which tells the cable box to turn on the broadcast of that channel to your house. There could be a slight delay, I’m told, but I haven’t personally experienced switched digital. This isn’t quite the same thing as on-demand and that’s why I call it a type of on-demand service.

  • safedriver says:
    November 13, 2009 at 2:26 pm

    They still have analog signals transmitted on the cable system. Remember that was their big selling point during the DTV transitiion. You can take an analog TV and connect a basic cable package to it to watch analog TV without a converter box. They take their digitized fiber feeds or over the air satellite feeds and convert them to analog and send them out. They are just using their spectrum a bit better by enabling this on-demand method.

  • Mr. Foothill says:
    November 13, 2009 at 3:21 pm

    “now we have over 400 HD programming options” well spun Cox!

  • LGT says:
    November 13, 2009 at 3:29 pm

    Mr. Foothill says:
    November 13, 2009 at 3:21 pm

    “now we have over 400 HD programming options” well spun Cox!
    —–
    No kidding, biggest misrepresentation I’ve ever seen!

  • beachdoc says:
    November 13, 2009 at 4:38 pm

    what about comedy central?

    • Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress says:
      November 13, 2009 at 4:51 pm

      Looks like Comedy Central is popular enough that it is staying on the regular lineup. And according to my Cox HD channel list, Cox already offers Comedy Central HD on channel 760.

      • DanO says:
        January 3, 2010 at 12:37 pm

        So, is the on demand format responsible for the frequent pixelation and audio dropouts I experience on these channels? Sometimes it’s so bad the program is unwatchable and I end up changing the channel. I’m sure the advertisers wouldn’t be too happy to find out that their ads aren’t being seen because the cable company can’t deliver a reliable signal.

  • Lisa says:
    November 16, 2009 at 10:49 am

    Cox recently re-did their On Demand and we personally think it sucks. While the menu itself does run faster now, the programming has been cut significantly. For instance, hubby and I wanted to “rent” a “new” movie over the weekend from In Demand and we literally had FOUR movies to choose from, when there used to be 50 or so. Back episodes of HBO series no longer exist, as well as free in-demand movies from HBO, Showtime, Cinemax.

    This and the fact that you can only DVR two programs at the same time while having to watch one while doing it — and we’re almost ready to quit Cox.

  • tvmaster says:
    November 20, 2009 at 8:28 pm

    Any news on BBC HD? I noticed we are now going to get the oh-so-dynamic Fox News HD and Fox Business HD, but still no BBC HD.
    Why on earth would we want to watch Doctor Who, Primeval, Torchwood, Robin Hood etc etc etc in HD when we can watch Hannity and O’Reilly’s pimples close-up?
    What is Cox thinking? I’ve been sending them email for three years about adding Current TV, but because they have a hate-on for Al Gore, that’s not going to happen (even though thousands of Fullerton students would benefit and even be able to produce material for this channel), only to be told “we don’t have the bandwidth”. Lies.
    And now the BBC HD delay and lies continue.
    What are all of you being told by Cox? I’m told there’s “no bandwidth”

    Here comes Direct TV – tick tick tick

  • Nadia Ibrahim says:
    November 21, 2009 at 5:51 pm

    Where /to whom do I complain about loosing C-span 2?
    I am Cox cable subscriber, we pay enough monthly, I do not want to pay for another box…or service….it all adds up.
    Customer Service said” keep scanning you HDTV !!!!
    Thanks.

  • C.Criner says:
    November 30, 2009 at 9:58 am

    Wondering if any of the cablecos thought to maybe send out a customer survey to see which channels we really ARE watching, & take out the ones that are barely used? Wouldn’t that help free up some bandwidth?

    Not that I’m expecting logic from them, but still…

  • Jim says:
    February 9, 2010 at 8:43 pm

    Doesn’t the FCC have a mandate allowing a customer to use a none cable company device to receive their signal?

    I could have sworn that a few cable companies had received FCC fines due to lack of none cable company equipment support?!

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