Take a day off, miss some big 3D news. DirecTV offered us an update yesterday on one of its upcoming 3D TV channels. We knew ESPN 3D was coming, but now we know when: June 11. More notably, Cox Communications plans to air the upcoming Masters Tournament for all customers who have an HD receiver. That makes Cox the first cable TV provider in Orange County to make some sort of commitment to 3D.

Let’s start with Cox. The cable company will air the Masters Tournament next week from Augusta National Golf Club beginning Wednesday, April 7 (yes, that’s the event where we will all see Tiger Wood’s return to the sport). There will be two hours a day of live coverage, starting at 1 or 2 p.m, our time. The same coverage will also be available on demand (go to channel 1). If you’re not an eligible Cox subscriber, you can also view the 3D coverage at Masters.com if you have a 3D-compatible computer.

What will you see? “Viewers will be better able to depict the many subtleties and elevation changes of the course’s grounds,” says Cox.

The interesting note is that Cox is a cable company. And cable companies have complained about not having enough space to air more HD channels. Companies are tweaking the technology and playing with available bandwidth in order to squeeze more HD into a customer’s house. Cox, for example, has turned some regular TV channels into on-demand only so that they are not broadcasting 24/7. When a customer wants to view the channel, it starts airing as if it were broadcasting 24/7.

Comcast, the nation’s largest cable provider, is also airing the Masters Tournament in 3D. Here’s a good explanation about how Comcast is doing 3D by Engadget, “Comcast’s 3D Masters broadcast explained.”

Time Warner Cable and other TV companies have said very little about their 3D plans. The TV company leading the effort is DirecTV, which announced in January that it will offer three 3D channels this year (see earlier story,”Who’s bringing 3D content to 3D HDTVs“).

(Update: Time Warner will also air the Masters Tournament in 3D. More to come later.)

The big one is ESPN 3D, which plans to broadcast sporting events filmed with 3D cameras. It goes live June 11. The new channel kicks off with the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches. In its first year, ESPN 3D plans to offer a minimum of 85 live events in 3D, including X Games 16, 2010 college football ACC Championship, 2011 BCS National Championship game, college basketball and NBA games.

DirecTV HD customers who subscribe to ESPN will get the new channel at no extra cost. A software update will be pushed out to all DirecTV HD customers just before the launch. The company’s other two  3D channels — an on-demand channel and a pay per view channel — will also launch in June.

Either way, DirecTV and Cox customers will need a few things to get the 3D experience. Consumers must have a 3D HDTV, which are today available from several brands (see list below. Most of today’s 3D TVs also require 3D glasses.

More 3D TV news:

Despite a marketing campaign to promote the March launch of a new mobile phone service, consumers in the only city where Cox Communications actually launched service probably have no clue it exists.

That’s because in Omaha, Nebraska, only paying Cox employees there can get the service, said Jill Ullman, with Cox’s public affairs department. She declined to share prices, features or any other useful information.

Orange County was supposed to join Omaha this month as one of three areas nationwide that would get Cox’s “unbelievably fair” service first. But as we learned earlier this week, Cox nixed that launch in Orange County  in order to put “the final touches on the Cox Wireless,” said a spokesperson (see earlier story: What happened to Cox Cable’s mobile phone service?).

Around the Web, other news sites are reporting that Cox is gearing up to launch mobile service for business customers. Multichannel News says phone service is available in the three communities but only for “friendly” customers and testers.

If there are any “friendly” readers out there who are testing Cox’s mobile service in Orange County, please share your experience.

Earlier on Cox’s mobile phone service:

March is almost over and the “unbelievably fair” mobile phone service from Cox Communications has failed to make its debut in Orange County, which was one of three regions nationwide picked for the cable TV provider’s mobile debut.

The launch has been delayed indefinitely, said Lana Ong, the spokesperson for the local Cox operation.

“We didn’t launch Cox Wireless widely to the public on March 8 because we are taking a very deliberate approach to introduce new products and services to the marketplace to ensure an experience that customers expect from Cox,” she replied.

She continues, “We realize many customers were looking forward to it however, the most important thing to note is Cox is putting the final touches on the Cox Wireless experience. Holding true to our customers is our number one priority and Cox Wireless will be here soon.  We’re asking that interested customers visit unbelievablyfair.com if they want to be the first to learn more about Cox Wireless – and don’t renew that contract!”

That’s a tough request, even for people who can’t wait to ditch their own wireless provider.

At this point, all we know is that Cox was building a mobile-phone network that uses Sprint’s CDMA 3G network. It would do away with overage fees, vanishing minutes and other consumer outrages. You don’t have to be a Cox TV subscriber. The company even produced commercials about it, which it’ll have to reshoot since they tout a March launch.

Orange County was one of three regions picked to be the first to get service. Hampton Roads, Va. and Omaha, Neb. were the other two areas.

Omaha, however, did launch, Ong said.

“While we don’t have a set date yet for our official wireless launch to the public, our Omaha system launched Cox Wireless in limited availability earlier this month,” she said.

In the mid 1990s, Cox tapped Omaha as a city it planned to launched cellular service using existing its fiber-optic cable network, according to a story in the Omaha World Herald. The service was pitched as something that would cost half the price of existing cellular service. The effort was later dropped.

Related stories:

One way to save some money on TV service? Commit for a year or two.

It’s a business model that both satellite TV companies have offered for years. Over at Verizon FiOS, new customers will save about $240 over a 2-year period for the company’s most popular TV, Internet and phone bundle. Time Warner Cable began offering its price-lock guarantee program last year, saving customers ordering 3 services a $432 over two years.

Cox Communications, too, is doing the same thing but as one reader discovered, not every  customer qualifies.

John, a Laguna Beach resident, asked for the discount after learning that Cox is raising cable TV and Internet rates in March. But he was told he wasn’t eligible. No one, not even the service manager, could figure out why.

Lana Ong, a Cox spokesperson, cleared it all up: Price lock is just a trial for the company in certain parts of the country, including Orange County. But if your account is delinquent or already getting a good discount, you don’t qualify. Ong responded:

Cox recognizes that customers appreciate predictability in their bills, particularly in today’s economy, so we wanted to offer Price Lock Guarantees on a trial basis to better understand demand for this offering. These Guarantees allow customers to lock in the rate of their Cox video, Internet and telephone services at today’s rates for the next two years. Cox is testing this new method of locking in pricing for customers in four markets – Orange County, San Diego, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Since, this is a trial taking place in certain service areas, the Price Lock Guarantee is not available to all customers at this time. Also, the Price Lock is not available to customers with delinquent accounts or who already have a discount offer on their services. At the conclusion of the trial period, Cox will determine whether to offer Price Lock Guarantees in other systems.

Ong didn’t say how much eligible customers can save with price-lock guarantee. But take a look at the published savings for the local TV services (I’ve added a separate 6-month offer from Cox):

Company	Package	Term	Price-lock	No Price Lock	Savings
Time Warner Cable	Phone, Internet, TV	24 months	$104.99	$122.99	$432
Verizon FiOS	Phone, Internet, TV	24 months	$99.99*	$109.99	$240
Cox cable	Phone, Internet, TV	6 months	$117.01**	$147.01	$180
Dish Network	TV (280+ channels)	12 months	$84.99	$99.99	$180
Direct TV	TV (265+ channels)	12 months	$83.99	$109.99	$312

* Verizon’s price is the average over 24 months. As part of its price-lock deal, the first 12 months are $89.99, the second 12 months are $109.99.
** Cox’s 6-month price isn’t part of the price-lock program. It’s part of the bundled-services offer.

If any readers have qualified for Cox’s price-lock guarantee, share the numbers with the rest of us. Thanks!

Recent Cox Cable stories:

Back in December, we learned that Cox picked Orange County to be one of three regions where it will first roll out wireless phone service. The service will begin in March 2010 and, as with any major move, a big marketing campaign begins this week.

In Cox’s ads, it promises “unbelievably fair” service and watching the commercial, that seems to say Cox is getting rid of surprise overage fees and vanishing minutes. Those interested can sign up on Cox’s new Unbelievably Fair web site to get notified (if you sign up and are a Cox TV customer, you’ll get a free movie on demand). You don’t have to be a Cox Cable customer.

The company expands further in a press release by pointing out how unfair it is that wireless phone customers have to pay for minutes in their plan that they don’t use. Cox’s research showed them that consumers want value and transparency in wireless plans.

It’s definitely a campaign of the 21st Century. Cox has set up a Facebook fan page to chat with customers Facebook to Facebook.

More commercials have been posted on Youtube.

Cox is also launching the mobile service this spring in Hampton Roads, Va. and Omaha, Neb.

More on Cox at the Gadgetress Cox Cable page. Recent news from Cox:

Noted: Cox Communications is the latest to sign up to get EPIX, a newish HD network featuring movies from Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer STudios and Lionsgate. Cox plans to offer the channel as a movie tier to customers nationwide beginning in April 2010.

Cox customers in Orange County should get the channel at the same time as the rest of the nation, according to the local Cox folks.

A few EPIX movies coming in April include Star Trek, GI Joe, Paranormal Activity and the Tyler Perry film franchise.

EPIX launched in 2008 and signed up its first customer, Verizon FiOS, in July 2009. FiOS TV customers began receiving the channel in the fall. The three studios launched EPIX in early 2008 after pulling its movies from CBS-owned Showtime. Showtime wanted to cut the fees it paid to broadcast their movies.

Terms of the Cox deal were not disclosed.

Update, Jan. 14, 2010: EPIX also signs cable provider Mediacom (Paid Content)

Latest news on Cox:

Cox Communications customers in Orange County can hang on to their money for just a bit longer. The Rancho Santa Margarita cable TV provider said that no cable price increases are planned for 2010. At least not yet.

“As far as rates, at this point Cox has nothing set in stone regarding rate increases in 2010,” said spokeswoman Lana Ong in response to my query about 2010 price increases.

December and January tend to be prime time to notify customers of upcoming rate hikes. During these months a year ago, Time Warner, AT&T U-verse and Cox all told customers monthly bills were going up.

So far, for 2010, Time Warner has notified customers that some will see their monthly bills increase a few dollars in January. See the earlier story: “Time Warner 2010 price hikes mostly affect those who order the least.”

Of course, this doesn’t mean Cox won’t raise its rates in 2010. This year, the company upped rates in March. Last year, rates also went up in March. The official word today, however, is no increases are planned.

Cable providers are losing subscribers and not making as much money as they used to. A big reason for annual price increases is because the TV networks they offer are asking for more money themselves.

The nation’s largest cable company, Comcast Corp., took steps this month to offset some of those rising costs by buying a TV network. The deal, valued at $30 billion, will make Comcast the owner of NBC, which includes the channels such as USA, Bravo, SyFy, CNBC, MSNBC and Universal.

Currently, Time Warner is negotiating with News Corp. (Fox TV) and Scripps Networks Interactive (Food Network, HGTV). In an effort to publicize what it considers unfair price hikes for the channels, Time Warner launched a marketing campaign asking customers whether it should cave to the increases or get tough, even if it means losing the channel. While the campaign is obviously a marketing tactic, it attracted 400,000 consumers who told Time Warner to get tough.

Cox, meanwhile, just let go of the Travel Channel, selling most of it to Scripps Networks. Cox kept a 35 percent ownership.

For their part, both Orange County cable providers have added several new channels this year. Most recently, Cox customers should have seen 15 new HD channels show up this week. See the earlier story, “Cox adding 15 HD channels in December.”

Related stories:

Internet still on the fritz? Cox Communications in Orange County knows about it but you can still call if you’re experiencing Internet issues.

Most customers are already back online and the company is restoring service to the rest, said Lana Ong, a Cox spokeswoman.

“Last night, a software upgrade in our network, which is part of our routine maintenance, caused an unexpected outage for some Internet customers,” she said. “Engineers at both local and national levels began troubleshooting the event immediately.”

Reports of the outage began at 10:23 a.m., according to Cox. The company rebooted the system at 10:45, which restored service to most customers. Cox won’t disclose how many customers were affected.

“The duration of the outage lasted approximately 22 minutes and most customers were back online within 20 minutes. We are working as quickly as possible to restore services to the remainder our customers,” Ong said.

If you know a local Cox customer still experiencing Internet issues (since, presumably, they are unable to read this online report), you should call customer service at (949) 546-5955. Online help is also available through live chat or e-mail. Contact info is on this page.

Visit the Gadgetress’ special page for Cox customers at gadgetress.freedomblogging.com/cox.

Recent Cox Cable stories:

Cox customers in Orange County are getting a free preview of  TV Japan starting today.

The channel, usually $24.99 per month, offers live news programs mostly in Japanese with English subtitles. There’s also some anime, cooking and lifestyle and entertainment shows.

Cox’s free preview is only for digital subscribers.  The five-day freebie ends on Monday, Dec. 7. TV Japan is on channel 422.

Sorry, no free previews for everyone else. All the other TV providers here charge about $25 per month. Time Warner offers the TV Japan on channel 607, Dish Network has it on channel 641, AT&T U-verse on channel 3680, and Verizon FiOS on channel 1770.

Related Cox cable news:

View complete HD channel lineups:

Cox Communications just told me that Orange County customers will be getting 15 new HD channels by Dec. 15. Two others were added this week.

The Rancho Santa Margarita cable provider can do this because it is shifting some non-HD channels to the new technology and freeing up space. For more on how this technology works and why certain customers won’t be able to access the affected 100 channels, read the earlier story “Cox moving 100 channels to on-demand format.

Cox is set to end 2009 with 82 HD channels, ahead of Time Warner Cable, with 75, but behind local leader Verizon FiOS, which has 133. See the full list of Cox HD channels HERE.

Here are the newest HD channels:

Most recent Cox Cable news:

Beginning 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:

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:

Update, 1:11 p.m.: Added a few more details about Cox’s upcoming service.

Cox Communications has confirmed that the elusive multi-room DVR is on target for an end-of-the-year launch. That’s right, in two months, Cox cable TV subscribers should have the option of a DVR that can be accessed from other rooms in your house.

“At this time we can’t talk about specifics yet, but our plans are still on target,” said Lana Ong, the local Cox spokeswoman who told me about the DVR’s 2009 launch.

I first heard about this device from Cox in March 2007 during a visit to its Rancho Santa Margarita headquarters. At the time, Cox officials were just exploring new cable TV technologies. See my earlier story, “New TV tricks from your cable company.”

EXTRA: Got a question for Time Warner Cable? Get it answered. Click HERE

Now, 2.5 years later, Cox could be the first Orange County cable company to offer the multi-room DVR. (Sorry, Time Warner customers — no updates are available on when we will get ours although the company had said it plans to have one this year.) Nationwide, Cox did announce earlier this year that it will offer a multi-room DVR, but no updates have been offered. The news today is specifically for customers in Orange County.

A multi-room DVR becomes the only DVR a home needs. Instead of having multiple DVRs at home with each recording different and sometimes duplicate TV shows, you only need one, presumably for the living room. Other rooms of the house just need a receiver that will be able to access any show stored on the main DVR in the living room.

Why would you want this? If you start watching a TV show in the living room then feel like watching the rest in bed, you can pause it, move to the bedroom and hit play on the bedroom TV. Also, you won’t take up valuable storage space by recording the same show on separate DVRs. And if people in different rooms are watching the same show, it won’t be interrupted if one person pauses the recording.

Unfortunately, Cox won’t reveal details. So, I’ve tracked down the competition’s offering for clues. Cox corporate, however, did say earlier this year that a multi-room DVR won’t replace existing DVR services.

In Orange County, both Verizon FiOS and AT&T’s U-verse offer multi-room DVRs.

Verizon’s FiOS TV Home Media DVR is $19.99/month. Up to 3 TVs can access shows at the same time. Looks like you can only record two shows at the same time.

The AT&T Total Home DVR allows all connected boxes in the house to manage and schedule DVR recordings. Users can record up to four shows simultaneously and up to eight TVs can access recorded programs on the multi-room DVR. The best part is that the feature is built in to all U-verse DVRs so there’s no extra cost. More comparisons of U-verse vs. everyone else are HERE.

TiVo offers a multi-room DVR, which works with any paid-TV service.

In other parts of the nation, Time Warner has played around with the multi-room DVR. In 2005, it offered one to residents in Minnesota reportedly for $8. That region has since switched over to Comcast.

Previous stories about DVRs:

Cox Cable in Orange County will start offering free access to ESPN360.com beginning Sept. 30.

The site launched in August with cable provider Comcast Corp. It  provides live coverage of several types of sporting events, from college football and NBA basketball games, the FIFA World Cup and golf’s U.S. Open. The site says it offers more than 3,500 live global sports a year.

But ESPN360 may be overlooking the fans who appreciate sports the most: HDTV viewers. Access is limited to Cox Internet subscribers — business and residential customers included.

So, don’t expect big-screen TV action here unless you have a large computer monitor. Users must sit in front of their PC to watch games. At least widescreen and standard options are available. Users will also be able to pause, fast forward and rewind the video.

ESPN360 can deliver 15 simultaneous live events and viewers can toggle between games in a main viewing window. Besides the live games, there are also archived events.

Cox users will be able to access the site on Sept. 30. The notice about the new feature is available HERE (thanks Jim!).

Recent stories about sports and TV service:

The local Cox Communication delayed plans this week to be the first company wide to roll out the first Motorola- TiVo adapters. Cox was busy unveiling new software for its video-on-demand service. Cox now hopes to offer the TiVo device in Orange County before the end of the year.

That leaves some TiVo users without access to on-demand movies and shows, plus any channel that has been turned into an on-demand channel.

Because of a change in technology, TiVo users who rely on CableCARDs are unable to request on-demand shows without this adapter. This change doesn’t affect TiVo users who have a set-top box from the cable provider.

Cable companies are moving to the new switched digital video technology in order to use the pipe to a customer’s home more efficiently. By reducing the number of nominal channels streamed 24/7, a cable company can add new high-definition channels to the stream. The other channels are still there, but only broadcast when requested by the subscriber. To watch those, a TiVo user with a CableCARD will need this new adapter.

“We’ve maxed out on bandwidth,” said Lana Ong, spokeswoman for the Rancho Santa Margarita cable provider.

Earlier stories on TiVo and switched digital technology:

• Cox O.C. will be first to test TiVo adapters from Motorola
• No TiVo love from AT&T U-verse
• More HD channels coming to cable TV, TiVo users impacted

Cox cable customers should soon notice that watching TV shows or movies on demand looks a bit different. It’s “easier to navigate and control,” says the company.

The Rancho Santa Margarita cable provider began rolling out a software upgrade called “ShowRunner” this week. The upgrade updates only Cox’s video-on-demand offering.

The noticeable feature updates to the On Demand service include:

• Instant replay button to rewind 10 seconds.
• Movies and shows now organized by categories and accessed using the remote control’s arrow keys.
• An “Info” button to see more details about free previews or the show itself.

ShowRunner  is part of the existing “Passport” software used by Cox to power the on-screen TV guide. It was developed by Rovi Corp., previously known as Macrovision. Interestingly, the company has also revamped its guide technology with “Liquid,” which comes out next year. It looks really cool offering a 3D-ish look at what’s on TV.

But  Cox has “no plans right now to roll out the (Liquid) Rovi guide,” according to spokeswoman Lana Ong.

Cox, however, is bracing itself right now in case customers have trouble with the new ShowRunner system. I haven’t received any complaints about it, unlike when Time Warner Cable introduced new software in July. Cox says that if any customer is having issues to please call 949-240-1212.

Cox offers a ShowRunner video tutorial online at this link. More tutorials on the new system are available on Cox Oklahoma site, at this link.

Recent Cox cable news:

Cox Communications is offering its Orange County customers a free preview of Versus, the sports channel known for broadcasting bull riding, hockey and college football. Versus is the channel that caused a big hubbub last month when DirecTV customers stopped carrying it. (Whoops, I didn’t mean customers.)

Versus, on channel 334  and channel 717 765 for HD, is free to all Cox digital customers until Nov. 30. (Corrected 9/21/09)

The channel, previously called the Outdoor Life Network, changed its name to Versus in 2006. Cox picked up the HD channel in 2007, and it’s now is part of Cox’s Sports and Info digital tier. That tier starts at $62.49 and includes standard digital cable TV service.

Versus is also part of Time Warner Cable’s lineup (channel 267 and 469), Verizon FiOS (Channel 90 and 590), AT&T U-verse (channel 640 and 1640) and Dish Network (151).

Dish is also offering its customers free access to the channel until Dec. 2.

More TV news:

In this wacky world of telecom service, the highest ranked telephone service in the West isn’t a telephone company, according to the 2009 J.D. Power report on  Residential Telephone Customer Satisfaction.

Cable TV provider Cox Communications took the lead in the West and East regions of the United States for having the most satisfied telephone customers. (The North and South regions also had TV companies offering phone service ranked at top.) It was the third year that traditional cable  TV companies were at the top. (Click image below to enlarge)

This may sound like a coup, but don’t forget, last year’s TV service winners were the traditional phone companies, AT&T and Verizon. (Read earlier story: “What TV service has most satisfied customers? (Hint: Not cable)“)

Consumers are looking for alternatives to their long time TV or telephone provider. And in Orange County in the last few years, we’ve been getting that as Time Warner and Cox add phone service, and AT&T and Verizon add TV service. What the JD Power reports really show is that competition is improving service.

J.D’s latest report looked at local and long-distance home telephone service and considered five factors in this order:

1. customer service
2. performance and reliability
3. cost of service
4. billing
5. offerings and promotions

In the West, Cox ranked the highest in every category, earning a score of 684 points out of a possible 700. That was 27 points above second-place winner Qwest. The average score in the West was 652.

But not everything was perfect. Hold times are still 8.8 minutes, which is better than last year’s 9.5 minutes.

Overall, the study said that telephone service has improved because more customers plan to recommend their service. Nearly 70 percent said  they “probably will” or “definitely will” recommend their service provider, compared to 64 percent last year.

Orange County’s major telephone providers, Verizon and AT&T, ranked 3rd and fourth, respectively. Verizon scored 651 points, and AT&T 650.

Recent stories on Cox:

Football season officially starts Sunday and the NFL has created a new channel allowing TV providers to offer more games and coverage to viewers.

But neither cable company in Orange County has signed on to offer the NFL RedZone. Other TV providers — including AT&T U-verse, Verizon FIOS and Dish Network — are offering the channel.

For Cox Communications, the cable company has “no plans to carry the NFL RedZone channel,” said Lana Ong, a spokeswoman for the Rancho Santa Margarita company.

“However,” she added, “Cox knows how important football coverage is for our customers so this year, Cox will offer up to 375 football games including over 170 NFL games and more than 350 football games in HD at no additional cost for Cox customers.”

Cox offers digital cable customers access to the NFL Network, NFL Network HD and NFL On Demand including NFL Replay which offers extended highlights from every single NFL game played that week.

No response yet from Time Warner Cable, which isn’t offering RedZone or the NFL Network. But according to several reports, it looks like football fans won’t get the same coverage on Time Warner.

Earlier coverage on sports TV:
OCRegister.com football page

As mentioned earlier, Cox Communications, Orange County’s main TV provider in the south, has $17,500 to give away to charity. Now, it’s time for the public to chime in on which organization is most worthy.

The Cox Cares program narrowed down a record 114 applications to 10 finalists. Last year, the program received 42 applications so obviously, non-profits are seeking out new funding. Cox has grants of $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000 available.

The 2009 finalists include: the American Diabetes Association, Art & Creativity for Healing, the Assistance League of Capistrano Valley, the Blind Children’s Learning Center, Family Assistance Ministries, Fristers, Human Options, the Illumination Foundation, My HERO Project and Shanti Orange County.

Vote at www.cox-cares.org/grants/finalists before Sept. 4. A detailed summary of each finalist’s purpose is posted on Cox’s site. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in mid-September.

Much of the money, says Cox, was donated by its 1,000 employees in Rancho Santa Margarita. The local office has donated $600,000 over the years to 95 local nonprofit organizations.

Recent Cox Cable news:

UPDATE, 12:36 p.m.: Added a poll

More so now than last year, Americans are more satisfied with airline service, fast food, restaurants, and, well almost everything, according to the latest results of The American Customer Satisfaction Index. 

The one exception? Their TV provider. Not a big surprise here. 

While the overall index from the University of Michigan report was up 0.4 percent to 76 points on a 100-point scale, customer satisfaction with cable and satellite TV fell 2 percent to 63 points. (And one local exception here: Cox Communications, which improved its score to 66. More below on Cox.)

Individual results shouldn’t shock readers, who know which TV company they like to complain about most. And looking at the historical chart below, TV companies have never fared that well. If we were to grade this on an A-F ranking, that means the services scored a D- with most of the cable companies landing a big F, with the exception of Cox. (Maybe next year, the organization will include newcomers AT&T U-verse and Verizon FiOS TV.)

UPDATE, 12:36 p.m.: Editors wanted me to add a poll so here it is:
_____________________________________ 

_____________________________________ 

However, the standout has to be DirecTV, which scored 71 out of 100. That’s been a pretty consistent number over the years, and is several points above all the cable TV companies. Check out the chart from ACSI (also posted HERE on the organization’s site). Numbers are out of a possible 100 points: 

DirecTV, which rose 4 percent to 71, was also a big winner this year in attracting new customers. It gained 460,000 net new customers during the first quarter of 2009. Rival Dish Network, which fell to 64 points, lost customers during the same period. As the ACSI report notes, “Two years ago the satellite companies were tied at 67; now a 7-point gap separates them.”

Among cable companies, Orange County is home to the most satisfying: Cox Communications, which has its local operation in Rancho Santa Margarita. It led cable TV providers for the sixth straight year, reaching its all-time high of 66.  (Also noted, Cox’s telephone service led the phone category with a 74.)

And for those unwilling to read the chart, Time Warner Cable held steady at 59 points, after sliding from 61 back in 2006, which was before the cable company acquired Comcast and Adelphia here in Orange County and wound up with a major headache.

Interestingly, Comcast, which is not in O.C., had been on the fast track to customer dissatisfaction but it managed to change course last year and rise 9 percent to 59 points. How so? Addressing customer issues on Twitter (via #comcastcares).

More TV news: Check out the Gadgetress Guide to local TV services. Latest TV services headlines:

Unlike Time Warner Cable and AT&T U-verse, Cox Communications in Orange County hasn’t notified customers that its cable TV prices will go up this year. That’s because the actual increase has not been determined.

Prices are expected to go up in 2009, Lana Ong, the media representative with Cox’s Orange County division, said Friday.

Cox already raised its video prices last March, and upped its Internet service by $2 in October.

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With the economy still in sad shape, TV companies are moving ahead with plans to squeeze more money from their customers. Time Warner Cable and AT&T U-verse both plan 2009 rate increases (Read “Time Warner Cable raising prices in 2009 ” and “AT&T U-verse raising TV prices.”)

A very public battle showcasing the TV industry’s quest for more money occurred on New Year’s Eve, when Viacom Inc. — the owner of popular channels Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and MTV — threatened to halt programs to Time Warner Cable customers at midnight. Viacom asked for more money per channel, which Time Warner  called outrageous. The midnight blackout was averted after the two sides came to a private agreement.

The latest round of price increases are around 5 to 50 percent, depending on the package and plan. Time Warner’s largest increases affected the lower-priced packages while AT&T’s U-Verse rate hike impacts new users the most.

Back in March, Cox’s digital TV tiers went up by $1. In exchange for the price increase, Ong said that customers got 18 more HD channels (for a total of 51 by year’s end), 13 more international channels, and more OnDemand shows. The price of its analog TV service, which includes basic and expanded service, did not increase.

“At this time, we intend to do a price increase in 2009 but we don’t have a confirmed date yet,” Ong said.

Earlier:

• AT&T U-verse raising TV prices
• Batter up! Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, Cox debut MLB channel
• Time Warner Cable and Viacom reach deal
• If MTV goes dark at midnight, will Viacom offer $819,178 refund?
• No Dora, SpongeBob or Jon Stewart? AT&T U-verse has ‘em
• Time Warner Cable may lose Jon Stewart, MTV, more
• What has Time Warner Cable done for you lately?
• Digital TV transition gets 30-day delay
• Time Warner Cable raising prices in 2009
• Time Warner Cable ‘adopts’ O.C. families

With 78 days left before TV’s broadcast switch to all digital, it’s about time someone in Orange County hosts a forum to answer all remaining questions out there.

Cox Communications is behind the Digital Transition Town Hall meeting on Dec. 11 in Irvine. The free event will include speakers from the Federal Communications Commission, TV station KDOC and Cox and a question-and-answer session. The event is open to the public — you don’t have to be a Cox customer.

To get questions answered ahead of time, check out my past stories on the topic:

::details::

What: Cox’s Digital Transition Town Hall

When: Thursday, Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m.

Where: The Lakeview Senior Center Dining Room at 20 Lake Road, Irvine. Here’s a MAP.

When: Thursday, December 11, 2008, 6:30 p.m.

Cost: FREE (cookies and beverages will be provided). RSVP not required.

More info: cox.com/ocpv/news/townHall.asp