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Local HD in-the-clear Channels No Longer Available - Did Cox "pull the plug"?
Cox customer for about 10 years in Norfolk VA. For the past 5 or so, I've had a cable box in my living room for the main TV, but only basic cable service to 2 other TVs in the bedroom. In addition to the basic cable channels in the bedrooms, I was receiving local channels (PBS, NBC, CBS, etc. in HD). This all changed about 3 days ago. On both bedroom TVs, those channels (2-1, 2-2, 15-2) now show "no signal". We changed nothing internal to the house. When I called COX customer service, I got a surly young woman who was less than helpful explaining that I should not have been getting those channels and they weren't in COX's broadcast lineup. They'd be happy to get me 2 more HD boxes though....
Question 1: Is it not true that a recent FCC decision (FCC 12-126) held that Cable companies no longer were required to transmit those channels unencrypted "in-the-clear", and as such, is it not true that COX could shut them off a at any time....say, 3 days ago?
Question 2: If it is the case that COX shut off those in-the-clear channels, Is COX not required by the recent law change to provide additional cable boxes at no charge due to removing them? My surly tech assistant said that I would get charged for new boxes, no ifs, ands or buts.
COX: Somebody please answer the mail here. Denying that some change was made re: the availability of these in-the-clear channels to avoid providing free-of-charge cable boxes is dishonest. It will also drive me to satellite TV...quickly.
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ColleenD
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1.7K Messages
We don't change the supplied frequencies provided to us by the broadcast station, but with a cable box we are able to maintain the mapping of the new frequency to the channel number our customers are familiar with in any given area. We don't have this capability with direct to set televisions.
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Domino
Valued Contributor III
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2.8K Messages
A. Again...huh? What are these "supplied frequencies provided to us by the broadcast station" Really, I don't know what these frequencies might be.
B. In this area, the frequency that a local station is on for the STB is the same as the ClearQAM frequency. [For example, local station KGTV-DT is 531MHz for both STB and ClearQAM usage.] These are frequencies decided upon by Cox. KNSD-DT is also on this frequency for both ClearQAM and STB usage. Cox decides which networks go on each physical and virtual channel.
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ColleenD
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1.7K Messages
Let me see if i can find more information pertaining to your specific question. I'll let you know what I find out once I hear back.
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ATPTourFan
New Contributor III
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114 Messages
Why are we beating around the bush here. Can ColleenD from Cox simply go on record saying that in the original poster's area, Cox DOES or DOES NOT transmit the local HD broadcast networks in ClearQAM?
Should they be there or not? The customer has had them for years and suddenly he doesn't and cannot find them via scan on two different TVs. This isn't the first we have heard in this forum about loss of ClearQAM broadcast HD networks, completely separate from the new All-Digital efforts.
The customer was told by Cox phone-based support that he SHOULD NOT be getting those channels via ClearQAM. What is the truth here?
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ATPTourFan
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The most recent edition of the Hampton Roads / Norfolk Virginia area channel lineup dated February 2015 ( http://media.cox.com/support/print_media/tv/cls/virginia/cl_hamptonroads.pdf ) mentions ClearQAM:
Digital or HD channel included with service level noted; requires rental of digital receiver or CableCARD,™ except TV sets with Clear-QAM digital tuner will receive local broadcast channels without equipment rental.
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CAPTDBG
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11 Messages
I don't know what you mean by "starter" and "essential" channels. I have no issues with the one TV hooked up to the box. The other TVs: Same issue as last week. Channel scan finds them but the over-the-air channels are useless. I've removed coax cable a dozen times and then rescanned. Same result every time. I'm very close to just throwing in the towel and getting Direct TV unless I get a reasonable explanation or a call from somebody.
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CAPTDBG
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Thanks, ATPTourFan. My sets have QAM digital tuners and as such, I didn't believe I would need any add on CableCARDs or other such nonsense. Never needed before.
Still NO answer to my original question. Did COX change ANYTHING, or will they take the familiar tack of claiming they know nothing and have no cognizance over these channels.? Truly frustrating, not only the nearly non-existent support in remedying this issue, but the rudeness with which I was treated by the "tech" over the phone. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I have to believe COX knows something but doesn't want to own up to it. Maybe they can prove me wrong, but so far, they don't seem to want to put in the effort other than some infrequent posts to this site.
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CAPTDBG
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Is it realistic to expect that ALL of these broadcast stations changed their frequencies on the same date?
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ColleenD
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1.7K Messages
I know that they haven't all changed so we have a tech checking your node to see if there's something going on. Can I call the telephone number listed on your account to discuss this with you?
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CAPTDBG
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11 Messages
Problem solved: Cox sent a tech out (Richard) who tested the signal: All good. He hooked up his own TV and it scanned and found the over-the-air channels and you could view them...my 2 Vizio's continued to find them but still no picture. Having determined that the signal was good, the question was whether or not it was possible for the QAM receivers to go bad on 2 TVs at the same time..unlikely. Perplexed, Richard made a call and determined that my somewhat old TVs have a 64 byte processor, while newer TVs have gone to 256 bytes. As over-the-air channels get ready for all-digital, they have shifted to a different signal that can't be processed without on older models of TVs. Seems to make sense. Nothing wrong with the signal or my TV, just older TVs that have fallen behind the technology. While I'm thankful to Richard for solving the mystery, I'm a bit surprised that the phone representative who "assisted" me was unaware of this change. Would have saved Richard the trip, and precluded my rant on this site. In future, similar inquiries should first be addressed with "Check you TV model to determine the QAM processor rate." My faith in Cox is restored as this doesn't appear like anything untoward. Sorry for the unjustified accusation, Cox. Perhaps we've all learned something from this.
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Mark_A_
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3 Messages
Same thing is happening in central Oklahoma. If you don't have a cable box, local channels in HD are being dropped, as well as the sub channels. You can still watch the main ones, like ABC, NBC, FOX in non HD, but the subchannels are gone. Darn, I really like MeTV and Grit.
Maybe it is the processor in the TV. I think it is 2-3 years old, low cost 19 inch.
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mattyro
New Contributor II
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there should be an offer for the "mini-box". it is $1.99/mnth and will get your basic 3-99 channels. 2-1 and 2-2 sound like OTA channels which are over the air. were u using an antenna as well as cable? m
aybe your antenna is down.
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ColleenD
Moderator
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1.7K Messages
The minibox is not yet available in all areas.
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KenK
Contributor
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76 Messages
Let them block the signal with a filter. The best solution is to offer the mini-box for free for any and all TVs in
the house. That solves as you mentioned someone getting it for the price of a splitter.
Let the price war begin.
Ken
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