HDTV

What model TV? Which cable box are you using? How is the cable box connected to the TV? To which Cox package are you subscribed?

It's a Magnavox 32-inch something or other.  Not an expensive TV.  We don't have a cable box on this TV.  Is that what we need to get in order to get the HD channels?  Right now we've got two boxes in the house - a master downstairs and a slave upstairs.  Wondering how much this is going to add to our monthly bill.  Yikes.

Instead of renting an HD Cable Box from Cox for $8.50/mo, you could purchase the following and then get a CableCARD and Tuning Adapter from Cox for $2/mo

Samsung now has the answer for owning your own HD CableCard STB, unfortunately it does not have a Composite output (RCA) for older SD TVs.

Samsung GX-SM530CF Cable Box and Streaming Media Player with Built-In Wi-Fi - $138.00
http://www.samsung.com/us/video/blu-ray-dvd/GX-SM530CF/XAA

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-GX-SM530CF-Streaming-Player-Built-In/dp/B00EYO241Q

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Samsung-GX-SM530CF-Smart-Media-Set-Top-Box/32478996

jmckay said:

It's a Magnavox 32-inch something or other.  Not an expensive TV.  We don't have a cable box on this TV.  Is that what we need to get in order to get the HD channels?  Right now we've got two boxes in the house - a master downstairs and a slave upstairs.  Wondering how much this is going to add to our monthly bill.  Yikes.

Either a HD cable box (like the Cisco 4642HDC) or the Samsung receiver mentioned earlier (if you don't need VOD), or nothing if the TV has a QAM tuner and all you want is ClearQAM HD. The 4642HDC receiver from Cox is $8.50 per month. What programming packages do you get from Cox?

Would a Roku do the same thing as the smart media set top box?

jmckay said:

Would a Roku do the same thing as the smart media set top box?

I'm not familiar with Roku, but I doubt it has any sort of cable tuner in it.

If you purchased an HDTV there is no box needed.  All you need if you want cable tv is the actual cable from the wall and connect it to your TV.  Very simple.

Be sure in your menu settings you have chosen the right picture display so you can see the HD channels in HD.

This is how my 5 year old HDTV is set  up and you get about 99 channels doing it this way with just the basic Cox programs.

When they first set it up in my new location 3 years ago they connected it wrong and put the cable into my DVD player but when I had service a couple of months ago the tech found this and corrected it so that now I get all these extra channels.

jmckay said:

It's a Magnavox 32-inch something or other.  Not an expensive TV.  We don't have a cable box on this TV.  Is that what we need to get in order to get the HD channels?  Right now we've got two boxes in the house - a master downstairs and a slave upstairs.  Wondering how much this is going to add to our monthly bill.  Yikes.

You do not need either of these boxes.  Getting rid of mine right now.  I got 2 Rokus to replace both boxes.  There are so many channels on the Roku and many of the free that I will not need this Cox service any longer.  This is the way it is going and in the future will not need cable venders any longer.

I paid my dues for 13 years so now it is time to move on to newer technology.

I will continue my internet service with them as it is needed for Roku. That is unless I find a better and faster internet provider.

AZDesertGal said:

If you purchased an HDTV there is no box needed.  All you need if you want cable tv is the actual cable from the wall and connect it to your TV.  Very simple.

Be sure in your menu settings you have chosen the right picture display so you can see the HD channels in HD.

This is how my 5 year old HDTV is set  up and you get about 99 channels doing it this way with just the basic Cox programs.

When they first set it up in my new location 3 years ago they connected it wrong and put the cable into my DVD player but when I had service a couple of months ago the tech found this and corrected it so that now I get all these extra channels.

The OP was asking about HD channels. With the cable inserted directly into the TV, the OP will only receive 5-6 HD ClearQAM local network affiliates, a few SD affiliate sub-channels, and 50-60 analog cable channels. Your above reference to 99 channels includes all these channels, not just the 5-6 HD channels.

Don't get me wrong, Roku are nice, but it only fills part of hole cutting cable creates. You can do it, with a mixture of streaming, newsgroups, a PVR, maybe a micro ATX running something linux like.But to get real time network programing is tough. Its one of the reasons Tivo and 3rd party solutions are becoming more popular but they cost money themselves. I think alot of it depends on the person and how much effort they are willing to put into it. That effort is what you save yourself by paying Cox. Its either worth it to you or it's not Personal choice IMHO.