"Going All Digital"

Why so negative?  Simple rule of thumb ... if you already have a digital STB, DVR or cable card device (like Tivo) you're good to go, you don't need anything new.  If you have a TV connected directly to the cable, regardless if it has a digital tuner or not, you need at least a minibox or cable card device to continue watching.  Maybe their communications wasn't clear but a quick search here and you would find the answer over and over again.

You missed his point.  He knows he's good to go but the "ACTION REQUIRED" warning is just a ploy to sell superfluous services.

When we were going through the transition, Cox kept warning me with junk mail, spam mail and popups.  However, the warnings were emblazoned with Contour, DVR services, League Passes and Reward Points.  Hidden in the warnings was a teeny-tiny sentence stating no action required if I already have a box.  It's an obvious marketing ploy.

If Cox has no idea I have a cable box, how do you keep charging me rental fees?

Thanks Bruce,

Since I rely so heavily on the Internet (I'm disabled) and my Internet service is seemingly inexorably linked to my TV service I was concerned but 98% certain it was a marketing ploy. 

I have opted out of all marketing from Cox from the first month of service. I still get loads of Cox junk snail mail and trash stuck to my door but they have been pretty good about stopping the spam.

My specific E-mail had this gem as the fine print:

You are receiving this email message because Cox TV service is changing to an all-digital signal and you will need to obtain a mini box or other equipment to continue to receive service. Periodically Cox sends email about changes in our service that impact you. Please note that if you unsubscribe from promotional email we will continue to send you important or time sensitive email messages about your service such as this. 

So what was I to think? I'm already not allowed to use TV's that aren't connected to a digital set-top box, and the "more information" link was totally useless.

If I didn't live in a north-facing apartment (Mojave Desert) I could get satellite but Cox has a monopoly on the cable wiring.

Why negative? Because I am annoyed.

I have better things to do with my day then read an "Action Required" E-mail from my Cable/Internet provider, top to bottom, read the Online accompanying page, top to bottom, be shown "compatible" HD receivers, none of which look like my rented Scientific Atlanta HD digital receiver, search all over online with no clues found, read the support forums and find no mention, have to create a new ID and password to post a question when my 10+ year-old ID and password is good enough to use when paying my bill with.

Then, THEN I have to gauge the board and see how stern I need to sound in order to get anyone to comment. Maybe the moderators are very responsive and I owe them an apology for assuming they would be slow to answer. I certainly know they didn't write or approve the "info-ad" but I don't have access to those that did AND I'm opted out of all Cox advertising and have been for years.

Your "rule of thumb" (which was the size tree branch one could legally use to beat their wife) is pretty much moot when I have a digital STB but the E-mail says:

You are receiving this email message because Cox TV service is changing to an all-digital signal and you will need to obtain a mini box or other equipment to continue to receive service. Periodically Cox sends email about changes in our service that impact you. Please note that if you unsubscribe from promotional email we will continue to send you important or time sensitive email messages about your service such as this. 

Before you think I am a Luddite I used to build and perform QA on headends & equipment for Jerrold/General Instrument/Motorola.

You tell me to perform a "quick search here" (I did.) What search term do you suggest I use? Digital? Set-top box?

"If you have a TV connected directly to the cable, regardless if it has a digital tuner or not, you need at least a minibox or cable card device to continue watching."

If that is true, and I certainly think it is, why didn't they just say that instead of "You are receiving this email message because Cox TV service is changing to an all-digital signal and you will need to obtain a mini box or other equipment to continue to receive service?"

(I tried to rent a Cox CableCARD once and was laughed at and told they were all hard-wired into the STBs. I knew better but what could I do?)

Well, I was told by Cox that hooking up any TV without renting a box for it was illegal. But I didn't care because I only need one TV anyway.

I would cancel my TV altogether but Cox charges more for just Internet then they do when I "bundle" it with TV service. (At least at the same speeds I currently have.)

They should have stated it the way you did instead of an "Action Needed" message.

"It is not illegal to tune over the air television signal using an over the air antenna and a retail digital converter. This signal would not be provided by Cox. I hope this helps."

Sorry, I thought I was clear. I was referring to any TV being hooked up to a cable outlet. Obviously (to me) any OTA signal could be watched, just not if one is using the cable outlet at the same time.

I have an additional problem - it appears that now that I have the 'free for a year, then $2 a month thereafter' little box hooked up, my channel line up has vastly changed, all of the reasons I have cable for are gone.  I called and was told that it would take an additional $55.53 upgrade for me to have the same channels that I did before this move to 'all digital'.   This would almost double my bill, something I can't afford to do in this economy - how is this an improvement for the customer in any way?  It is NOT, just another way to force more money for what, to me, are the same services as before.  I hope it is worth the lost customers. 

Anyone else notice such a vast difference in the programming you had versus what you actually have now, or the upgrades it will take to get your channels back?  

Grrr, I'm a customer like you, only my market went "all digital" in Mar-Apr '15.  I too received some very poorly worded, misleading communications from Cox about the conversion.  Even the title is misleading, "all digital" should be "all encrypted" that's why you need a box, not to receive digital signals.  Over the last year+, there have been many, many posts asking about the need for equipment and why their brand new digital TV can't receive straight cable and need to rent a box.  I'm as frustrated as you, really don't like a 2nd remote on my nightstand ... a minibox remote to change channels and the TV remote for things like it's sleep timer.

Mazemaster1, what plan are you on?  Are you getting the channels you subscribe to?  You can check the channel lineup here, just enter your market in the upper right.  The minibox only works for the starter and Essential levels, if you subscribe to Economy you may need a full digital STB to get your channels.  The other thing I've seen here, before digital, is a customer subscribes to Starter and Cox did not come out and install a trap so the customer was getting all the Essential analog channels, Cox bad.  Now that it's all digital, the box is programmed for the subscribed plan and the customer looses those channels that should have been trapped.  Not saying that's your case but just something I've seen posted here in the past.

i just got notice. less than a week ago i contacted the online support and specifically asked then if i was gonna need a mini box. we have one hooked to digital box from cox and 2 directly connected to cable. both have digital tuners no cable card. i was specifically told i would not need mini box with digital tuner in tv. my digital box i know will be fine. now as i'm reading this cox is misleading everyone. someone else stated this isnt all digital its all encrypted. why was online support misleading me. ive just about reached the point ill put all tvs on local ota digital signals and just keep internet. hasnt been a darn thing on worth watching in months anyhow. think im smelling some class action going to happen over this **. only reason im still with cox is internet is only game in town now. think its time to unplug. the few things i would need i can do with my android, and its cheaper!!

So if I buy this or something like it:

Samsung GX-SM530CF Cable Box and Streaming Media Player with Built-In Wi-Fi (2013 Model) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EYO241Q/ref=cm_sw_r_taa_SoeRxbJDFH68Z

Cox has to give me 1 free cable card?

https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/guides/digital-cable-compatibility-cablecard-ready-devices

And then I don't have to rent a stupid box from them to watch the already overpriced basic cable I have?

Just wondering if I understand this correctly.

I am in the same position as Mazemaster1. I have the 'Economy' TV package which Cox started in about 2014 and has now discontinued.  When I hooked up the mini-box, I lost 2/3 of the channels I have on my main TV - Food, Travel, News, A&E - you know, all the good stuff.  What I had left was channels 2 - 17, some Music Channels, jewelry TV and a few other useless stations. 

The Cox customer retention rep said that the mini-box is not programmed to run 'Economy' TV.  So all I had to do was rent another $8.50 per month box for each of my three other TVs!  Or upgrade to TV 'Essential' for another $40 per month plus the cost of the mini-boxes, of course. (Or Cox could program the mini-boxes to work with Economy TV, but we know where that argument is going.)

So, the mini-box will deliver 1/3 of the channels I am paying for already, at the cost of only $9.00 per month for the three TVs!  By the way, I could get most of these channels over the air with an antenna so why pay for the mini-box?

Cutthecord, I didn't see anywhere in the FCC article about free.  They did say the cableco may charge $2-4/mo rental.  You may qualify for one cablecard free for a year but after that I believe it will cost $1.99/mo rental.

Mr. Wiggles, your analysis is spot on.  This entire thing makes you rethink your need for cable tv.

Mostly due to the increasing popularity of streaming but also the fact cablecos are requiring a box to watch, it's changing the TV market.  Displays (can't call them TV's because a TV requires a tuner) are starting to show up on the shelves tunerless.  They are smart displays, will do streaming and hdmi input but no tuner.

I just spoke to a Cox tech-rep on the phone.  She said that both the Home Run Prime and Samsung Media Player would work about equally well with the Cox system.  All that's needed is the cable card for $1.99 per month.  Same price as that stupid mini-box and I should get all my channels.  She said they may give me a year free because I am a long time customer but that it's up to the local Cox office.  She was even nice enough to order a cable card for me to pick up!

Since the boxes are available new for around $125 or used for about half that, it's seems crazy to keep paying each month for set-top boxes and/or mini-boxes.  The only regret is that I should have done this five years ago when the FCC passed the rule (8/8/11)!  And here's the Rule: <https://www.fcc.gov/media/cablecard-know-your-rights>