Miniboxes don't work unless HD receiver present

There is no technical reason why you would need a HD receiver to make a mini box work. However, it could be a account issue. I wonder if it's a bucketing issue, which is how services are assigned to different Cox equipment in the customer database. Maybe having the service for the HD receiver assigns the same service codes to the mini boxes, allowing them to get channels they wouldn't normally get? So a work around at best, and misinformation at worst, but not a technical requirement. 

I agree. I don't think there's a technical reason, just another way for Cox to recoup some money from subscribers who don't have one of the upper tiers. I'm going to talk to a few other representatives, but if this is indeed true they should be really ashamed of themselves.

jerryrip54 said:
I don't think there's a technical reason, just another way for Cox to recoup some money from subscribers who don't have one of the upper tiers

To be clear, I think the suggestion to have a HD receiver was only a work around to receive more channels. If you want mini boxes you can go to a Cox store and just pick them up. They can't force you to have equipment you don't want. But remember, at best, the mini boxes will only get you what old CATV gave you, minus a few channels until they are switched to work with the new mini boxes. Mini boxes are NOT replacements for digital or HD receivers. 

No that is not true. We talked to a representative on Cox's chat line and she told him she could not activate his minibox unless he had an HD receiver on at least one of his sets. Go check it out. It wasn't a suggestion. It IS a requirement; you have no choice. You have to pay the $7.99 rental fee for an HD receiver if you want cable. Period. She told him he could NOT receive all of the channels on the Minibox until he went to the Cox store and picked up an HD receiver. He received this same information from a Cox rep he talked to at the store AND 2 Cox technicians who came to his house. I think Cox's end game is to force every one of their customers to have to rent one of their decoder/receivers.

"At best, the mini boxes will only get you what old CATV gave you." Really? Well then what is their purpose? They're designed to be stand-alone decoders. That's the whole point. They're supposed to take care of delivering all your channels to every one of your television sets. Everyone needs to get a Minibox if they want to "enter the digital age", as Cox advertises. That's all you need, according to Cox. The Miniboxes should at least give you the channels you are paying for, without having to get additional equipment; that's what Cox is advertising. In fact, before he cancelled his cable completely, one of my friends had gotten a Minibox for his old analog television, and he was able to get all of the channels on his Cox Essentials plan!

You said that they can't force you to buy a piece of equipment you don't want or need. Well apparently they are. Then you say that the Miniboxes aren't replacements for digital or HD receivers, and that they can't get all the channels you're supposed to get according to your plan! So again, what is their purpose?

By the way, if there are any Cox representatives on this forum, please explain this to me. I have been with Cox for over 25 years. I've been a loyal customer. I have a bundled plan right now but am thinking of calling and changing my plan, but I don't know what to expect. Recently I have been hearing all kinds of horror stories from people I know, and I just want to get some consistent information (but I really doubt that).

But aren't they all digital now? And if they aren't, what is Cox going to do when they make the final transition to all digital? Will the Miniboxes still work? Or will everyone have to get an HD receiver? This doesn't make sense to me. My brother changed his package to Essentials and tried to hook up his Minibox, but the rep he talked to on a chat tried to activate the box but couldn't. She then told him specifically that he had to go pick up an HD receiver from the Cox store before he could get all of the channels in his package. Even after he did that it still wouldn't work, so he was then told that he needed to return that one and get an older receiver (the silver ones) before it could work. Ever since he's been getting all of his Essentials channels, but he's currently paying the extra $7.99 to rent the HD receiver. That's not fair.

jerry, let me try to explain:

The minibox will receive the digital version of the old analog channels you received direct off the cable once the digital conversion is complete.  Those are the channels below 100.  If connected via hdmi to an HD receiver, the minibox will give you the HD version of those channels.  You should get everything in the Essential package.

It won't receive On Demand, Premium channels like HBO or the Advanced digital paks like Sports & Information.  Those require a full digital box or DVR.  These are the digital channels Stephanie was talking about, those 100 & up.

If you currently have all tvs connected direct to the cable, you need at least a minibox on each to continue receiving your current lineup after the digital conversion,  If you are happy with what you receive off the cable, a full digital box should no be required, as confirmed by Stephanie in her post.

I can't explain what the reps told you

I don't doubt your story happened, actually, I am not surprised. I just think it must have either been incompetence, or a attempt to get you to buy something you don't need. Both are bad, but can you agree now that it was misinformation? If they are adamant, ask them to put it on paper and send it to you then get the FCC after them. See here for more information.

That's what I think I'm going to do if I get this same problem myself. But if you read StephanieA's 2-sentence explanation, she said that you need an HD receiver to get any of the DIGITAL channels, not premium channels. I don't know if that was a mistake or what, but I guess that's the extent of the explanation I'm going to get. And you're right; misinformation seems to be Cox's problem. Thanks for your help anyway.

Since hooking up the mini box last week, we don't get WGN on any tvs (every once in a while it will pop back on) and occasionally other channels or the TV Guide will disappear. Tonight both my sister and I in different towns, lost ABC right in the middle of a favorite program. I have been repeatedly been told that we will need a tech out to take care of the problem, but with four TVs and four different mini boxes, I don't think it is on our end, especially when we can unplug the mini box and get all channels. Also when switching channels, we often get several seconds of pixellating before we see clearly. The Reference code we get is 3.2.1 but no one seems to understand what that means. Even on the TV Guide, there will be a yellow triangle that says Program Unavailable. 

As long as he doesn't have to go in our attic which is not accessible at this time. A friend posted on your Facebook page that she had to rewire the whole house to resolve the mini box situation. 

Momnick8 said:
As long as he doesn't have to go in our attic which is not accessible at this tim

What cable wiring do you have in the attic? Alot of old houses are wired in a "daisey chain" configuration, which worked fine for CATV without boxes. Thats because CATV only cares about the signal into the TV, where boxes also need signal coming OUT of the box towards Cox. Here is a good page describing the issue better.