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Cox’s special TiVo adapters now available in O.C.

November 27th, 2009, 8:10 am by

Cox working with Motorola on TiVo adapter.UPDATE, 11/30/09: Cox confirms the tuning adapters are now available at Cox stores in Rancho Santa Margarita, Quail Hill and Laguna Niguel.
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After what was an apparently successful test run, Cox Communications has begun rolling out a special adapter for customers who prefer to record cable TV using a TiVo rather than a Cox recorder.

Thanks to reader Roger Elliott who spotted the message on the TiVo forums, Cox notified users this week that “Tuning Adapters are now available and are being offered to Cox Orange County and Palos Verdes / San Pedro Digital Cable customers with a CableCARD in a TiVo Series 3, TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL digital video recorders at no charge.”

I’m still waiting to hear officially from Cox. I’ll post any update here.

If you’re among those affected, another reader Michael Taube encourages you to get your adapter today. In an e-mail, Taube said this after getting his adapter:

“Well, I reviewed every single blessed HD channel Cox offers, now that I have my free, trusty Motorola Tuning Resolver (MTS). The picture quality on ALL HD channels is simply amazing! It makes my previous HD reception look positively awful. Please urge your TiVo audience to run, don’t walk, to their nearest Cox store to obtain their MTS. It makes a HUGE difference!”

Without such a device, TiVo users who rely on CableCARDs are unable to get several channels.

Since cable companies have limited space in the cable pipes to a customer’s home, they are trying to find new ways to squeeze more channels in the available space. Cox is using “switched digital video” technology to free up its broadcast stream for new HD channels. But it means some channels turn to on-demand status, making it impossible for CableCARD users to tune in.

The majority of customers probably won’t notice the change to switched digital. There could be a slight delay when selecting a switched channel, but just like an on-demand movie, the channel should tune in quickly. To see the channels affected, read the earlier story, “Cox moving 100 channels to on-demand format.” Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • | 10 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 moving 100 channels to on-demand format

November 13th, 2009, 1:28 pm 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: Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • | 21 Comments »

Cox wants you to vote which O.C. high school should be on TV

November 4th, 2009, 4:57 pm by

Cox Game of the Week voting.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.

The Rancho Santa Margarita cable company, which serves much of South Orange County, airs a game of the week every Friday night at 11:30 p.m. Usually, the game is picked by Cox. But this week, Cox is leaving it up to viewers.

There are six possible games in the running and right now, it’s a close race between the Dana Hills vs. Mission Viejo and the Irvine vs. University games. The latest numbers are below:

Orange Lutheran vs. Santa Margarita   1.66%
Dana Hills vs. Mission Viejo   39.05%
Tesoro vs. Aliso Niguel   0.41%
Irvine vs. University   38.55%
San Juan Hills vs. Laguna Hills   3.51%
Northwood vs. Trabuco Hills   16.83%

Interested parties, or uninterested parties, can vote HERE.

Voting ends Thursday (Nov. 5)  at noon, so you better get your vote in! Around 15,000 votes have been received. Only one vote per IP address per day. While this sounds like it’s popular with the audience, Cox spokeswoman Lana Ong tells me the contest is just for this week’s game.  Stay tuned if Cox is moving coverage of high school games this way in the future.

The winning game will air Friday, Nov. 13.

Recent Gadgetress headlines:

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Cox to begin testing TiVo adapter this week — only in O.C.

October 28th, 2009, 2:31 pm by

Cox working with Motorola on TiVo adapter.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 • • • • • • • • • • | 8 Comments »

Cox finally coming out with multi-room DVR

October 23rd, 2009, 3:11 am by

Cox CableUpdate, 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. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • | 22 Comments »

Cox adds more primetime shows on demand

October 15th, 2009, 7:05 am by

Cox CableCox 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 • • • • • | 1 Comment »

Cable scores lowest in paid TV customer satisfaction survey

October 7th, 2009, 6:00 am by

J.D. Power and AssociatesIn 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 »

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