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Archive for the 'Cox HD' Tag

Cox getting EPIX movie channel in April

January 13th, 2010, 11:27 am by

Epix HD, a new movie channelNoted: 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:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • | 3 Comments »

Cox adding 15 HD channels in December

November 13th, 2009, 3:18 pm by
Visit the Gadgetress Guide to Cox Cable services in Orange County at <a href=

View complete HD channel lineups:

View list of Cox Cable's HD channels
Time Warner Cable HD channel list
HD channels from Verizon FiOS.

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:

Cox HD Ch. # Channel Name New
1 E! HD Added 11/11/09
2 Fox News HD Added 11/11/09
3 734 KMEX HD Added 12/15/09
4 735 KFTR HD Added 12/15/09
5 737 MLB Network HD Added 12/15/09
6 738 NBA TV HD Added 12/15/09
7 719 ABC Family HD Added 12/15/09
8 720 Disney HD Added 12/15/09
9 778 HBO2 HD Added 12/15/09
10 775 Hallmark Movie Channel HD Added 12/15/09
11 776 Lifetime Movie Network HD Added 12/15/09
12 743 MSNBC HD Added 12/15/09
13 726 MoreMAX HD Added 12/15/09
14 779 The Movie Channel HD Added 12/15/09
15 780 Encore HD Added 12/15/09
16 742 Fox Business HD Added 12/15/09
17 729 Biography HD Added 12/15/09

Most recent Cox Cable news:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • | 15 Comments »

Cox rolls out new On-Demand software, features

September 24th, 2009, 7:02 am by

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.

New Cox On-Demand software is Rovi Corp.'s ShowRunner.

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:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • | 27 Comments »

Cox O.C. will be first to test TiVo adapters from Motorola

September 2nd, 2009, 1:23 am by

Cox working with Motorola on TiVo adapter.Some local Cox subscribers got a nasty surprise when the cable provider unleashed a slew of new HD channels last month: They couldn’t view  them.

That was the case of reader Lori Belski, a Cox customer and TiVo user who wrote to me voicing frustration with Cox’s lack of customer service about her issue.

What happened is that Cox is using a different technology to offer the new HD channels. The “switched digital video” technology turns content into on-demand channels so instead of a regular broadcast stream, the stream starts only at the customer’s request. Once requested, these “switched” channels should appear as normal channels. Most Cox subscribers probably didn’t notice the difference because Cox’s equipment can handle the two-way communication needed.

TiVo boxes equipped with special Cox CableCARDs, however, cannot. CableCARDs are one-way communicators and need an adapter to make requests. Cox currently offers no adapters.

Well, there’s good news and bad news. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • | 25 Comments »

Cox delays roll out of new HD channels one week

July 30th, 2009, 12:50 pm by

Cox CommunicationsFor the astute readers who noticed that Cox Communications failed to roll out 9 new HD channels to Orange County customers Monday, there indeed has been a one-week delay. Obviously, the launch date of July 28 has come and gone (see earlier post “Cox Cable adding 9 HD channels in Orange County“).

Lana Ong, a spokeswoman for Cox’s Orange County operation, said the company is having some technical difficulties.

“We know that our customers were eager for the new HD channels however, we had to push back the launch to August 4th because we had trouble getting the feeds from our corporate office in Atlanta,” Ong said.

The new channels will appear starting Aug. 4.

Those channels are:

Channel Name Channel
FX HD 717
BET HD 748
MTV HD 749
VH1 HD 750
Spike HD 752
CMT HD 759
Comedy HD 760
Nickelodeon HD 770
Cartoon Network HD 771
New from Cox, July 2009

To see what channels will be displaced, please read the earlier story, “Cox Cable adding 9 HD channels in Orange County.”

More TV news:


Check out the Gadgetress Guide to local TV services

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • | 19 Comments »

Cox Cable adding 9 HD channels in Orange County

July 1st, 2009, 7:21 am by

UPDATE, July 30, 2009: Astute Cox customers noticed that these 9 new HD channels did not show up on July 28 as expected. Cox’s O.C. office says the new channels have been delayed until August 4 due to “trouble getting the feeds from our corporate office in Atlanta,” said Lana Ong, a Cox O.C. spokeswoman.
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Cox CommunicationsOrange County’s Cable TV companies slowly plod along in the high-definition race. Cox Communications in Rancho Santa Margarita plans to add nine new high-definition channels beginning July 28. The new HD channels will be available to customers with digital cable and HDTV service.

 This brings the number of Cox’s HD channels to 62, by my count, which is still above Time Warner’s approximately 55 HD channels (a number that is higher or lower depending on what city you live in).

Overall, Verizon FiOS still ranks at the top of the HD heap with 127 HD channels. DirecTV is a close second with124 HD channels (DirecTV’s number includes 20 “regional sports channels”). Anyway, here’s the latest tally, according to my research: 

 

TV company Jul-09
Verizon FiOS 127
DirecTV 124
AT&T U-verse 112
Dish Networks 93
Cox Cable 62
Time Warner 55

For Cox customers, the new channels come from Viacom, which were also recently introduced to FiOS customers (and I haven’t mentioned yet). The new channels are: Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • | 13 Comments »

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