Did anyone receive prior notice that Cox was stopping all ClearQAM service?

It was in the small print. They incorporated it into their "Going All digital" announcements. But as far as I know, no official announcement was made about QAM.

Tecknowhelp said:

It was in the small print. They incorporated it into their "Going All digital" announcements. But as far as I know, no official announcement was made about QAM.

All of Cox's digital channels are still QAM. In the "Going All Digital" transitioned areas, they are all encrypted QAM - no more ClearQAM.

As for the OP, all of the correspondence said you would receive NO channels without a box. And the loss of ClearQAM channels was first brought up here over a year ago.

Cox started mentioning the conversion to encrypted all-digital some time ago.

As for your reference material, check out their All Digital page found here:

https://www.cox.com/residential/tv/go-all-digital.html?sc_id=cr_dm_camp_z_GoAllDigital_vanity

How do I know if I will need to take action or I'm already digital?

Customers who have only wall-connected TVs will need to order equipment, like a mini box, to continue TV service. If all your TVs are currently connected to a Cox receiver, you’re all digital.

Will all my TVs be affected when Cox goes All Digital?

All TVs that aren’t already connected to Cox receivers are affected when we make the transition to All Digital. For TVs that are already connected to a Cox receiver, you’re all set. No action is required."

And here's a chart showing the date you received or will receive communication regarding it:

@tecknowhelp: Thanks, but I'm specifically looking for the phrasing in the small print. Looks like some subsequent replies come the closest with the information about any TVs currently hooked up to Cox cable without a receiver will need a mini box. However, this small-print, double-speaky blurb is massively outweighed by their continued misdirection about "Going all digital". The verbiage they most put in front of the public is that, "We're moving toward the industry standard of providing a purely digital signal to every TV in your home." Based on this content, no one would assume that Clear QAM which is ALREADY digital would be changing in any way.

@Domino:

> "... said you would receive NO channels without a box."

Even from the materials linked by people in this thread, I have yet to find a quote from Cox that explicitly states this. Can you provide one?

> "And the loss of ClearQAM channels was first brought up here over a year ago."

I can't speak for all of Cox's other customers, but I don't comb their support forums for direct policy changes that will affect the service I pay for. Major changes I expect to be clearly and accurately presented to me, and should particularly follow the explicit directives of the FCC.

@chris_c21:

Thanks, your links have provided me with the most on-point information I've seen so far. Their statements that "wall-connected TVs will need to order equipment," may be truthful, but are clearly worded to be deliberately deceptive when constantly contradicted by their own "going all digital" campaign. Even the migration date chart is introduced as, "Review the chart below to determine when it's time to make the switch to a purely digital TV experience." Clear QAM is digital, so what switch is necessary to be "a purely digital TV experience." I have found no statement saying that unencrypted digital programming you were previously receiving will be entirely encrypted after X date.

It seems clear to me that Cox has failed to transparently follow the FCC's directive:

> "Your cable operator must notify you at least 30 days before it begins to encrypt and notify you about the equipment to which you are entitled under Federal law."

Which is from https://www.fcc.gov/guides/cable-system-encryption . Considering a court precedent was recently set when Cox lost a similar case in Oklahoma:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/cox-loses-set-top-box-class-action-in-oklahoma-110215.html

I think they've opened themselves up to much larger liability and/or FCC fines here.

WheresMyClearQAM, you cut one statement out of the FCC directive to enhance your point, how about:

"If you currently rely on unencrypted cable service to receive broadcast channels from your cable operator (i.e., your digital television connects directly to the cable system without the addition of a set-top box or CableCARD), you will need a set-top box or CableCARD to continue to view those channels."

from the same document.  That says ClearQAM to me.  While I agree, Cox spin was removing the analog channels to save bandwidth, thank the cable lobby and the FCC for allowing ClearQAM channels to be encrypted.   IMHO, this is completely different than the case Cox lost in OK.  I think you are complaining about Cox not listing these channels specifically, in stead they just said you wouldn't receive any service without some kind of STB or cable card after conversion.

Maybe a class action against the FCC for allowing this to happen .........

FYI, the case against Cox in OK was overturned. Looks like 6 million dollars was given out though.

"The Court finds that plaintiff failed to offer evidence from which a jury could determine that any other manufacturer wished to sell set-top boxes at retail or that Cox had acted in a manner to prevent any other manufacturer from selling set-top boxes at retail. Because of this, there is no evidence that Defendant foreclosed any competition,”

http://www.cablefax.com/regulation/judge-throws-cox-set-top-box-verdict?hq_e=el&hq_m=3178780&hq_l=2&hq_v=4e13460746

@AllenP: I did not miss that part of the FCC page, but that would seem to follow IF Cox followed the FCC's other directives in good faith. I think a clear case can be made that they did not comply with the following:

• Your cable operator must notify you at least 30 days before it begins to encrypt and notify you about the equipment to which you are entitled under Federal law.

@Tecknowhelp: Thanks hadn't seen that the jury decision was thrown out. Although that's too bad, I feel like the case in question here is stronger. Instead of talking about premium pay channels requiring additional equipment, we're talking about broadcast channels including public television, public, educational and government (PEG) access channels, and C-SPAN. Even emergency broadcast notifications are now impacted.

WheresMyClearQAM said:

I can't speak for all of Cox's other customers, but I don't comb their support forums for direct policy changes that will affect the service I pay for. Major changes I expect to be clearly and accurately presented to me, and should particularly follow the explicit directives of the FCC.

I'm sure that you'll correct me if I'm wrong, but ClearQAM delivery of the local affiliate was never mandated by the FCC or any other entity. Cox and other cable companies just offered it as a service to basic cable subscribers, since basic cable was unencrypted. Now that the FCC has given to "go ahead" for cable companies to encrypt their digital basic cable channels, ClearQAM is gone.

@Domino, I don't dispute that Cox is allowed to do this stuff, just that they did it against regulations and in bad faith. With the lack of notification, or at the very least, with deceptive notification, they've essentially raised rates and deleted channels without telling their customers. In addition, any customer in a contract with Cox during the time that this happened has likely had their contract breached.

WheresMyClearQAM said:

@Domino, I don't dispute that Cox is allowed to do this stuff, just that they did it against regulations

Oh? What regulations might those be?

With the lack of notification, or at the very least, with deceptive notification, they've essentially raised rates and deleted channels without telling their customers.

Gee, I've been notified many times by mail, on my bill, and by email. What channels have been deleted?

@Domino: I don't know why you're such an apologist for Cox's unethical methods. I listed the FCC and CPUC regulations Cox violated above.

What you've been repeatedly notified of, just like all other Cox customers, is that Cox is "Going all digital". How would such a campaign lead anyone to assume this would include the encryption of previously digital Clear QAM channels?

As for what channels have been deleted, all Clear QAM channels have or will be deleted for Cox subscribers using digital-ready (non- CableCARD) devices without Cox receivers.