Once the transition to an all digital format completes a mini-box will be required to decrypt the signal for it to be viewable. The digital tuners included in TVs were designed to work primarily with unencrypted over the air broadcasts.
What Chris meant to type was TVs were designed to work primarily with unencrypted...OR...over-the-air broadcasts.
Cox doesn't provide over-the-air broadcast...only your local affiliates (TV stations) broadcast their signals over the air.
Your TV has a tuner and a connector for an antenna to receive those over-the-air signals from your local stations. As of now, your TV can also be directly connected to a cable system (Cox) to receive signals. However, Cox will soon encrypt those signals and your TV won't be able to decrypt them.
All your TV sets will soon need either a mini-box, set-top box or Contour box to decrypt the Cox signal.
Over the air broadcast is actually a separate service from what we offer and only available via an antenna. We do carry the local channels as a convenience to our subscribers but they are not transmitted over the air. Once we finish converting to all digital they will be encrypted along with the rest of our programming. This will better position us to offer more self-installation options as well as reduce technician visits required to activate/deactivate services and keep costs down which in turn benefits the customer.
Thanks for that info. Do we know the real reason to start encrypting? Also my friend say he will not need a box because his TV has a QAM tuner where mine has a DTV tuner. Do you know if that is true?
Indeed there is a difference in digital tuners. The FCC for some time has mandated that all new TVs have an ATSC tuner so that they would be compatible with the switch to digital only over the air broadcast signals. Cable systems however use a system called QAM which was not affected by this mandate. Most TVs have opted to include QAM tuners as well as a convenience to the consumer however some do not. These QAM tuners are cable of receiving unencrypted signals only unless the TV has CableCard support.
DTV is Digital TV. You can receive digital TV signals two ways: a cable system (Cox, Verizon, Brighthouse, etc) or over the air. Your TV has a digital receiver for one type of signal.
QAM receiver is for cable systems. ATSC receiver is for over-the-air signals. There is no "DTV tuner."
Your friend can only receive unencrypted signals from a cable company to his QAM receiver. If his cable system starts encrypting the signal, he will need a box from his provider to decrypt the signal.
Yes. ATSC is the only receiver to not need a decrypt box. It doesn't need a decrypt box because the signal is not from Cox. The signal is from your local stations. The FCC mandates local stations will broadcast over the air. There is no reason for local stations to encrypt.
Tecknowhelp
Valued Contributor II
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2.8K Messages
9 years ago
Yes. If you want Cox cable, you need a box. (Minus cable cards)
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Karen_R
Former Moderator
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303 Messages
9 years ago
Yelnatsa,
Let us know if you have any additional questions. Thanks Technowhelp for helping out
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Tecknowhelp
Valued Contributor II
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2.8K Messages
9 years ago
Helping is learning. #SmarterEveryday
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RobertH
New Contributor
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9 Messages
9 years ago
Why? What is being done to the digital signal that stops the digital tuner in my TV from receiving the digital signal?
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ChrisL
Former Moderator
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7.1K Messages
9 years ago
Once the transition to an all digital format completes a mini-box will be required to decrypt the signal for it to be viewable. The digital tuners included in TVs were designed to work primarily with unencrypted over the air broadcasts.
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RobertH
New Contributor
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9 Messages
9 years ago
Ok, so the digital signal I receive now is not encrypted but Cox will be encrypting it soon or Cox will stop the over the air broadcast?
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Bruce
Honored Contributor III
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5.7K Messages
9 years ago
What Chris meant to type was TVs were designed to work primarily with unencrypted...OR...over-the-air broadcasts.
Cox doesn't provide over-the-air broadcast...only your local affiliates (TV stations) broadcast their signals over the air.
Your TV has a tuner and a connector for an antenna to receive those over-the-air signals from your local stations. As of now, your TV can also be directly connected to a cable system (Cox) to receive signals. However, Cox will soon encrypt those signals and your TV won't be able to decrypt them.
All your TV sets will soon need either a mini-box, set-top box or Contour box to decrypt the Cox signal.
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ChrisL
Former Moderator
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7.1K Messages
9 years ago
Over the air broadcast is actually a separate service from what we offer and only available via an antenna. We do carry the local channels as a convenience to our subscribers but they are not transmitted over the air. Once we finish converting to all digital they will be encrypted along with the rest of our programming. This will better position us to offer more self-installation options as well as reduce technician visits required to activate/deactivate services and keep costs down which in turn benefits the customer.
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RobertH
New Contributor
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9 Messages
9 years ago
Thanks for that info. Do we know the real reason to start encrypting? Also my friend say he will not need a box because his TV has a QAM tuner where mine has a DTV tuner. Do you know if that is true?
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ChrisL
Former Moderator
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7.1K Messages
9 years ago
Indeed there is a difference in digital tuners. The FCC for some time has mandated that all new TVs have an ATSC tuner so that they would be compatible with the switch to digital only over the air broadcast signals. Cable systems however use a system called QAM which was not affected by this mandate. Most TVs have opted to include QAM tuners as well as a convenience to the consumer however some do not. These QAM tuners are cable of receiving unencrypted signals only unless the TV has CableCard support.
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Bruce
Honored Contributor III
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5.7K Messages
9 years ago
DTV is Digital TV. You can receive digital TV signals two ways: a cable system (Cox, Verizon, Brighthouse, etc) or over the air. Your TV has a digital receiver for one type of signal.
QAM receiver is for cable systems. ATSC receiver is for over-the-air signals. There is no "DTV tuner."
Your friend can only receive unencrypted signals from a cable company to his QAM receiver. If his cable system starts encrypting the signal, he will need a box from his provider to decrypt the signal.
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RobertH
New Contributor
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9 Messages
9 years ago
Ok, so even the QAM will need a box if it does not have a cable card?
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RobertH
New Contributor
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9 Messages
9 years ago
Ok thanks again.
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Bruce
Honored Contributor III
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5.7K Messages
9 years ago
Yes. ATSC is the only receiver to not need a decrypt box. It doesn't need a decrypt box because the signal is not from Cox. The signal is from your local stations. The FCC mandates local stations will broadcast over the air. There is no reason for local stations to encrypt.
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RobertH
New Contributor
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9 Messages
9 years ago
So it looks like my only option if I want to keep my service with Cox and do not want my TVs to go dark is to now pay for a box for each TV.
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