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New Contributor
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Completely frustrated with minibox/cox support
I've been a Cox customer for almost 12 years, and this Mini Box debacle is going to be what forces me to switch to FIOS.
I've got one digital TV with a TiVO that works fine. I've also got three SD TVs that have been hooked up to the analog connection. All three of these also have TiVOs with lifetime subscriptions that I paid several hundred dollars each for. This setup has worked fine for years. Now that Cox is forcing me to rent these Mini Boxes to change the channels, my TiVOs have essentially become worthless, as they cannot change the channels on the Mini Box.
OK, as much as it bothers me, I know this is old equipment, and I decide to just bite the bullet and get the Mini Box. I get one for testing, install it, aaaand... it does not receive the channels I pay for. These aren't high-level channels, it's simple stuff, like AMC, FX, USA, Food Network, etc. The Mini Box simply does not recognize or acknowledge these channels. I reboot multiple times, channel scan multiple times, nothing changes. I don't get an error message, it just doesn't show the channel in the guide, and changing to that channel just switches to the closest channel I do receive. I think maybe the signal is degraded due to analog splitters where it comes into the house, so I spend $50 on a powered splitter/amplifier. Still doesn't work.
I call Tech Support, they have me unplug, reboot, channel scan several times. Nothing works. I disconnect the box, drive to the local Cox office and swap out the box for a new one. This one gives me a slightly better result-- the channels show up in the guide, and I get an on-screen error message (3.1.3) telling me I need a subscription to see the channel. I call tech support back. She reboots my box from her end, I rescan the channels... and I'm back to square one. No channels in guide, no error message, etc. Her only solution is they can roll a truck in two days.
The most frustrating part of this is that if I disconnect the Mini Box and re-connect the TiVO, everything is back to normal. I get all the channels back I used to get, except for those 8 or 10 that now display a "this is a digital channel now" screen. Of course, those are the ones I actually watch, so essentially, I am paying for a service I can no longer receive.
So I end up having to decide: do I spend the time & energy to solve this problem with Cox, knowing the end result means I have to throw away my TIVOs just to "enjoy" basic cable, or do I just invest that time & energy into setting up FIOS? I'll end up in the same place-- the TIVOs will be useless, but at least I'll get some bonus compensation for the effort of switching over.
Please do not suggest a) CableCARD for TiVO, this is the older series 2 that doesn't take a card; or b) Cox DVR, whose interface is a nightmare.
Rashere
New Contributor
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I had a similar problem. Two Tivos, one of them worked fine, the other wouldn't return any of the premium channels giving the error you described. After a bunch of time on the phone, I eventually figured out the problem by myself: the USB cable from the mini-box to the Tivo wasn't fully plugged in. Fixed that and everything worked fine.
Something to check.
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bryaninphx
+6 more
Valued Contributor
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What model TiVo is at the Main TV? I assume it already has a CableCARD.
How about one TiVo Roamio at the main TV and a TiVo Mini at the other older TV's
Or buy a used TiVo Premiere 4-Tuner for the main TV, and then TiVo Minis.
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Domino
Valued Contributor III
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The Mini-box has a USB cable? What model of Mini-box is that? And Cox maintains that the Mini-box does not receive premium channels.
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DaveA
New Contributor
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bryaninph: I've got a Series 3 with dual CableCARDs on my main TV. That one works with no problem. It's these ridiculous Mini Boxes I have a problem with. I understand I'm going to lose the use of my Series 2 TiVOs,I'll accept this as the cost of the future. What makes me angry is that these simple Mini Boxes should work right out of the box. I can't be the only person in the world with this problem-- I don't have a unique custom setup I can guarantee my problem has cropped up already. It should be something that Tech Support should be able to address with something more than a virtual shoulder shrug. I have already spent almost 2 hours between phone calls with Tech Support and going to the store to get a replacement box, and now I have to sit through a half-day truck roll just to get back what I had a month ago? What is the benefit of this for me? When I'm finished I get to pay Cox more money each month?
The truth is that I'm pretty lazy when it comes to this stuff. I pay the same amount each month, the service works with no problem, so I don't look at it very closely. Now, in the pursuit of squeezing a few extra bucks out of their customer base each month, they've made me pay attention to my Cox service, and I've come to the realization that I'm not getting very much value for my money. That money could be spent on streaming service, where I have access to much more content. The time invested in getting my Cox service to work properly could be spent setting up a more modern service like FIOS with a faster connection.
So has anyone else encountered a problem with the mini box just not seeing expanded channels? Is it a box problem, or is it possibly an external wire problem (maybe the signal coming into the house isn't strong enough)?
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Accepted Solution
ColleenD
+2 more
Moderator
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I was able to locate your account and think I've fixed the problem with your Mini Box. Please run your channel scan again, check the channels that have been missing and let me know what you find.
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DaveA
New Contributor
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ColleenD-- you are a miracle worker! The problem has been solved, and I now receive the channels I'm supposed to. Thank you for fixing my problem without a truck roll!
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ColleenD
+2 more
Moderator
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DaveA,
No problem! I'm glad it worked. Let me know if you need anything else.
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