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Mini Box - purchase rather than rental
As many of you know, COX is rolling out the "All Digital / All Encrypted / CableReady TVs Are Now Useless / R.I.P. Clear-QAM" campaign to most of the markets this year. They are offering most of the subscribers 1 mini box for *free for 12 months. After the 12 month period, you will be charged $1.99 per month rental fee for the equipment. The units COX is delivering are different in different markets. The set top boxes distributed are COX branded units including the following:
1) Evolution HD-uDTA DMS2004UHDS
2) Cisco DTA 170HD
These unbranded units are readily available from third-party outlets for a purchase cost between $19 - $36.
I called COX support to ask about getting a personal Universal Digital Transport Adapter (uDTA) compatible device registered to my account. I was told that COX will not allow subscribers to use their own DTAs nor will they allow you to purchase one from COX, as to avoid the additional recurring "rental" fee. Each uDTA downloads software from the cable provider, allowing the cable provider to have complete control over the device and allow them to disable service to the individual device at ANY time, remotely. This is exactly how a DOCSIS 3.x High Speed cable modem functions. This is why you can buy your own cable modem and not be required to pay a monthly rental fee for the use of a COX HSI Cable Modem.
According to the FCC Rule 76.1205(b)(5)(C):
Your cable provider must allow you to use your own set-top box without extra charge.
"Your cable operator may charge you to lease a CableCARD or tuning adapter, but may not charge you an additional service fee for using your own digital-cable-ready television or set-top box."
Has anyone been successful at registering a consumer owned device on the COX network? If so, which department is knowledgeable in this area beyond the "script" they are provided during their orientation? No one at my local COX Solution Center was able to assist me in getting an answer to this inquiry. I have a call into my Local Franchising Authority (LFA) on this matter to see if they can offer contact information for anyone at COX to assist me - still waiting on a call back.
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AllenP
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The Cox version of the Evolution uDTA is a DMS2344UHDS, not the 2004. I don't know the difference but I did try the 2004 IR codes with my Harmony remote and it didn't work. Harmony has since updated their database with the unique codes for the 2344.
Many customers use TiVo DVRs with the Cox system, so yes, you can use your own equipment on the network. It's not going to save you the $2/mo rental however. The TiVo units require a cable card rented from Cox for the same fee. That does follow the FCC rule you quote.
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OscarTheGrouch
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In the case of TiVo and a CableCard, you can purchase a compatible CableCard from the manufacturer. By the FCC Ruling, if you provide the TiVo units unique ID, the unique ID and MAC address of the CableCard, Cox can pair the devices and register it to your account/subscription. If they refuse, they are breaking the law.
You can file a complaint on the FCC website here:
https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us
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Cucubird
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I will be watching this post.
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OscarTheGrouch
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AllenP,
According to Evolution Digital the DMS2344UHDS is a Cox Branded functional equivalent to the DMS2004UHDS units. There is a slight hardware difference between the two that changes a few of the remote IR codes, but as for compatibility with the 2344, these units are firmware identical. The engineer stated that these units are 100% compatible replacements for the Cox Branded versions, assuming you do not try to use the Cox branded remote with the 2004 units.
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Domino
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Source for these gems of information?
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OscarTheGrouch
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@Domino
Since many of your other posts are full of snark, I'll have to assume that this one was as well.
Let me Google that for you...
http://www.tivopedia.com/cablecard.php
https://www.fcc.gov/guides/digital-cable-compatibility-cablecard-ready-devices
https://www.fcc.gov/guides/cablecard-know-your-rights
There is a lot of information available on how CableCARDs function with linear broadcasts.
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Domino
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Sorry to snark again, but.....non of the URLs you gave mentioned buying CableCARDs from retailers, or the FCC rule requiring a cable company to authorize (provision) these mythical devices. Remember? I asked you for your source on that. Try again...
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OscarTheGrouch
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Actually, you never asked for the source of legal CableCARDs, you asked for the source of my information. That is what was provided.
Thanks to your habit of repeated drive-by snark, we can now decipher what you were meaning to ask for. Here's a hint. Both Moto and Cisco CCs are manufactured in China. Really easy to get for about $45 USD. Also, many people own these because before 2009, many smaller cable providers would make people purchase them for $70 - $150 each.
This thread is not about CableCARDs. It is about DTAs which do not contain a CableCARD. the decryption is done via software and shared public/private keys. If you do not have anything to add to the topic then please move on to the next thread to target. Thanks.
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bryaninphx
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No, you cannot purchase a CableCARD with any of the Major Cable Cos. If you purchase one on ebay, Cox will not Authorize it. Cisco and ARRIS/Motorola defiantly will not sell you one.
CableCARDs are purchased in batches, by the Cable Cos, and only those batches are "Staged" by the local Cox headend.
There are a few very small local Cable franchises around the US that do sell equipment to customers, and a CableCARD costs $99
There is no FCC regulation that requires a Cable Co to sell either Set-top-boxs or CableCARDs. I agree it would be nice if they did.
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OscarTheGrouch
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There are companies that refurbish many of the popular set top boxes, and they sell them with the factory installed M-Card.
http://www.hddvrtv.com/
Their site even makes the following statement for Comcast/Xfinity offering free M-Cards if your factory M-Card does not work with their system:
I'm really not trying to have a discussion about CableCARDs here, since the new Mini Boxes do not contain these. But I thought I would throw this out there as food for thought. Hope this helps.
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bryaninphx
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I am not going to argue, but I guarantee, no Major Cable Co is going to Authorize a DVR/STB that is not registered in their system, meaning they purchased it directly from the manufacturer. I am not saying I agree with their policies, I do not. Everyone should be able to own their own equipment. But that does not work in the US, you can do that in Canada however.
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/category/rogers/28560.aspx
hddvrtv.com must have a lot of returns. Go ahead and purchase one and give it a shot, then report back your results.
One other tid-bit, you notice hddvrtv.com does not have any Scientific Atlantic or Cisco equipment. That is because the SA/Cisco headend has much tighter security controls than a Motorola system does.
If by chance you do get a Motorola box Authorized, you will not get any Guide data, for the device to use, it will be manual channel changes only, and you will not receive any SDV channels. The software on the box will be outdated and most likely not compatible, Cox will not update the software.
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Domino
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OscarTheGrouch: "This thread is not about CableCARDs. It is about DTAs which do not contain a CableCARD. the decryption is done via software and shared public/private keys. If you do not have anything to add to the topic then please move on to the next thread to target."
Then why did you claim: "In the case of TiVo and a CableCard, you can purchase a compatible CableCard from the manufacturer. By the FCC Ruling, if you provide the TiVo units unique ID, the unique ID and MAC address of the CableCard, Cox can pair the devices and register it to your account/subscription. If they refuse, they are breaking the law." ??
And when I requested that you back up your claims, you post several URLs that didn't even mention what you claimed.
Another troll for you, Brian.
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OscarTheGrouch
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The cost of the Cox Mini Box has just been increased over a span of 10 days!
10 days ago I received the letter stating: "You will get 1 mini box FREE for 1 year ($1.99/month value).*"
Pamphlet ID: L_GAD2_IB_DE_CL
Today I received an updated letter stating: "You will get 1 mini box FREE for 1 year ($2.99/month value).*"
Pamphlet ID: L_GAD3PB1_DE_CL
I'm assuming the cost of CableCARD rental will also be increasing to $2.99/mo. I guess Cox thought nobody would notice?
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ColleenD
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OscarTheGrouch,
The purpose of the Cox TV Support Forum is to allow customers to discuss technical topics related to residential Cox Cable Television services with other customers. If you need help with billing or other account specific issues, or would like to submit a channel request, please reach us on Twitter at @CoxHelp, visit us on Facebook, or email at cox.help@cox.com.
Please email me so I can look into the discrepancy with the fliers you received. Please include your full name, complete street address, forum user name and Cox PIN in your email.
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Health_Edge
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You can buy cable cards and cable card adapters. Just like you can buy eMTA's and DVR's. That doesn't mean any provider will allow you to put them on your account unless they are from that provider. This is the norm. Since Cox and Comcast doesn't sell cable cards or adapters, any on that site were most likely rented and never returned; AKA stolen.
As for talking about adapters, and not cable cards, I don't see how you can talk about the former and not the later. A tuning adapter does nothing without some kind of tuner for it to authorize. What else would you use a TA for?
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