Contour freezes when changing channels

Investigating? How long does the investigation take?

I had this problem more than 6 months ago, and had my box replaced with a different model. Never had the problem again, but the new model had it's own problems, which eventually led me to drop Cox TV service.

Hi Box Freezes,

We want you to enjoy your services, not worry about chronic issues. I am sorry to hear you are having problems with your box freezing. I'd like to look into what is causing this. Please send me an email to cox.help@cox.com with your name and service address and be sure to include the link to this thread. I look forward to hearing from you.

Latitia
Cox Support Forums Moderator

Yes, this happened to me frequently and had to have my Contour box replaced. Exactly as you describe - it happens while changing channels. You will hear the sound from the new channel, but see a frozen picture from the channel you are changing from. You then have to reset the box.

Unfortunately, the replacement box was a different model, and unacceptable to me. My original box was a CMX013, and was fine except for this freezing problem. They replaced it with a GSX9865, and frankly I'd rather have the frozen pictures and occasional reboot back!

GSX9865:

- almost impossible to control with IR, if you use an IR emitter, "blaster" etc. I had (note the past tense) to keep moving the ir emitter around a fraction of a mm this way, a fraction of a mm that way... and then it would work for a few minutes, an hour or at most a day before I had to fiddle with it again.

- This box reboots/"updates" itself every night. As a software engineer, this is bad news. I would be fired if I suggested that something I need needs a nightly reboot! Problem is, in the nightly reboot, the box loses your settings - it always resets back to 720P and stereo, so if you want 1080P 60Hz and Surround sound 5.1, you have to change the setting every day.

There have been 4 attempts to replace the GSX9865. First time, I didn't know better. They brought me another GSX9865, which of course acted exactly the same as the previous one. I then requested to go back to the "box I had before". It was like pulling teeth to get somebody to tell me what box I had before. (Wish I had written it down before they took it away.) But I am sure it was a CMX013. Cox's record were wrong, though, and indicated that the first replacement was another CMX-13 - it wasn't. It was a GSX9865, because I saw the second and third boxes at the same time when the tech cam out and they were identical in appearance and model number.

So, once establishing the first box I had, I had to get switched around to multiple Cox employees and finally was promised a CMX013. Tech came out with a GSX9865. I explained the situation (does ANYBODY at Cox ever read the account notes?) and he said he would order a CMX013 and it would be in on (last) Monday. Nobody showed up Monday, but they set an appointment for Tue. morning with asking me. I caught that, and changed it to afternoon. Tech came out Tue after with the wrong box again.

After going round-and-round on the phone again, a rep called around to the stores and found a CMX013 at the Hillcrest store. I asked if one had been set aside for me, and she said "they have plenty". So, I went into the Hillcrest store with my box, and was handed... a GSX9865. They claimed that they did not have any CMX013. They offered a different box that doesn't have the voice remote feature (at same price!) but was still a junky Cisco box. (CMX013 is Arris.) Do some Google searches, and you will see the sad reliability history of the Cisco HDC9865/Cox GSX9865.

And this is why I cut the cord. I left my box at the store, and cancelled my cable service. I kept the Internet service, but am shopping Internet services as well. I already had Netflix and an Apple TV. I'm testing Sling TV, and will try DirectTV, Hulu TV, Playstation Vue. So far happy with Sling TV and much less costly, and not forced to buy sports I don't want in order to get news that I do want.

We do.

As i_cut_the_cord wrote (below):
Exactly as you describe - it happens while changing channels. You will hear the sound from the new channel, but see a frozen picture from the channel you are changing from. You then have to reset the box.

This is exactly what we are seeing. About every 3 days or so. I would add that all the box menus also function perfectly.

It also seemed to happen when the box was waking from power-down, so we've disabled power-down.

We are investigating reports of Contour receivers freezing when changing channels. At this time we suggest rebooting the receiver to resolve this issue. We will let you know as we get further information.