Archive for the 'Cox' Tag
October 28th, 2009, 2:31 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
 Cox Cable will begin testing this week a brand new Motorola device to help TiVo users access all the TV channels Cox offers.
A small handful of customers have been clamoring for such a device for months after realizing that they couldn’t get all the channels and video-on-demand options other customers do.
This only affects customers who use TiVos and CableCARDs, a small device that slides into a TiVo (or some computers and TVs) so the customer can skip the bulky set-top box. Customers with TiVos and set-top boxes are not affected.
According to Cox spokeswoman Lana Ong, TiVo has already pre-selected 50 Orange County customers to participate in the test. If all goes well, Cox will offer the free adapter to any customer sometime in late November.
I mentioned this Motorola test in early September (see “Cox O.C. will be first to test TiVo adapters from Motorola“). The test was scheduled to start in September but was postponed when Cox rolled out new video-on-demand software instead (see earlier story, “Cox fix for TiVo users delayed“ Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Video & TV • beta • Cox • Cox Cable • Motorola • on demand • Rancho Santa Margarita • switched digital • switched digital video • switched video • TiVo | 4 Comments »
October 23rd, 2009, 3:11 am by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
 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.”
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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. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Video & TV • Cox • Cox Cable • Cox Communications • DVR • multi-room DVR • Rancho Santa Margarita • TiVo | 19 Comments »
October 15th, 2009, 7:05 am by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
Cox Communications in Orange County expanded the number of TV shows available on demand to customers with digital cable service — at no extra charge.
Starting the day after the broadcast, shows will be available from more than one dozen TV networks, including ABC, NBC, USA, AMC, TBS, TNT Comedy Central and Disney.
New fall shows that let viewers watch the show at any moment include the following:
- ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Flash Forward
- NBC’s The Office, Parks and Recreation, new shows Community, Trauma and Mercy
- USA Network’s Monk and Psych
- Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and Colbert Report
- Disney’s Jonas
Of course, many of these shows are already available for free to anyone anytime they want on sites like Hulu.com, Joost.com and others. But this allows viewers to conveniently watch it on their big TV.
Cox plans to add more shows throughout the new TV season. The on-demand feature is free to Cox digital cable customers. Just go to channel 1 and find the appropriate show.
Cox has offered primetime TV shows on demand since 2007. Time Warner began offering its Orange County customers the same opportunity to watch primetime TV shows anytime in March 2009 (see “Time Warner Cable looking more like Hulu“).
Recent stories about TV service:
Posted in: Video & TV • Cox • Cox Cable • on demand • primetime • Rancho Santa Margarita | 1 Comment »
October 7th, 2009, 6:00 am by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
 In a report out this morning, traditional TV service providers continued to get pounded by consumers. Ratings company J.D. Power and Associates ranked cable companies the lowest out of all available TV services in the company’s 2009 TV Service Satisfaction report.
Here in the West, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications scored the lowest out of the six TV services available in Orange County. Newer TV alternatives AT&T U-verse and Verizon FiOS took the lead, with satellite TV services DirecTV and Dish Networks tied for third place.
The annual report said overall scores improved from 2008, indicating that TV providers really are paying attention to their customers, said Frank Perazzini, director of telecommunications at J.D. Power.
Consumers said they didn’t have to wait on hold for as long as last year — falling 13 percent to 9 minutes, 5 seconds. Customers also experienced fewer outages — 11 percent this year, compared to 15 percent last year.
Overall scores were at 632 on a 1,000-point scale, up 23 points from last year. This year’s study was based on 28,118 U.S. households who were surveyed in January, March and July 2009.
Still, 632 out of 1,000 doesn’t sound too hot. Here’s where the local companies landed:
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Video & TV • AT&T U-Verse • Cox • Cox Cable • customer service • DirecTV • DISH • DISH Network • FiOS • JD Power • JD Powers • Time Warner Cable • TV service • U-Verse • Verizon FiOS | 44 Comments »
September 29th, 2009, 12:01 am by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
 Fixed spelling of Mormon in headline. Apologies!
The 179th general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will once again be broadcast at no additional cost to cable TV subscribers in Orange County.
I mention this because of an interview I had last year with Time Warner’s local boss. He said that the request for coverage of the annual Mormon gathering was so great, the cable provider couldn’t ignore it and offered full coverage.
Apparently, if enough people ask for it, the cable company will cave offer it. (Another channel that appeared locally because of demand? NASA TV.) [Updated note, 8:46 a.m.: My point is that if readers make a unified effort to ask for new channels, we just may get them. This paragraph wasn't meant at all to degrade anyone's beliefs. A bad choice of words, apparently. Apologies to those who were offended. ]
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TAKE THE POLL:
What channel do you want next?
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According to the Association of Religion Data Archives, there are 115 Mormon congregations in Orange County. That’s enough to make us the nation’s 9th largest county for Mormon population.
Time Warner customers can tune in to channel 698 for the broadcast Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 3 to 4. The broadcast runs from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. (Time Warner adds that it also carries other religious programming, such as KTBN and Inspiration Network).
Cox Communications has offered the meeting for about a decade, said Lana Ong, a Cox spokeswoman. “This conference seems to be popular with our community,” she added.
Cox is airing the conference during the same days on Channel 31, a public access channel. For customers with analog cable, it’ll be on Channel 96. The conference will also be broadcast on the BYU channel on 361 for digital customers. Air times are between 9 to 11 .m. and 1 to 3 p.m. daily.
More on TV channels:
Posted in: Video & TV • Cox • Cox Cable • LDS • Mormon • public access • religious • Time Warner Cable | 52 Comments »
September 25th, 2009, 5:05 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
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:
Posted in: Video & TV • broadband • Cox • Cox Cable • Cox Communications • espn • espn360 • Internet TV • Rancho Santa Margarita • sports • Web TV | 5 Comments »
September 25th, 2009, 12:02 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
 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:
Posted in: Video & TV • CableCARD • Cox • Cox Cable • Cox Communications • DVR • Rancho Santa Margarita • switched digital • switched digital video • switched video • TiVo | 16 Comments »
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As the local cable companies delve into adding extremely local flavor, Cox Communications is offering a new twist on broadcasting local high school football games. It wants viewers to choose which one gets to be on TV next.
1.66%
39.05%
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Tamara 'the Gadgetress' Chuang
Here's a list of TV/mobile companies helping consumers one tweet at a time. 
