# COX Cable Adapter Needed? (Phoenix)



## azmojo (Nov 25, 2008)

Just got the Premier hooked up, cable guy came today and I am getting some channels but not all. Definitely no local, low-numbered channels. He says that I need a cable adapter. He didn't have one with him because they were all out this morning or some excuse. 

I'm really disappointed that the new Tivo requires additional cable hardware to work properly. Is this correct or did the guy just not know how to setup Tivo properly?


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## azmojo (Nov 25, 2008)

Nevermind... the signal strength wasn't sufficient for the digital channels to come through. Turns out I don't need an adapter. Thank god!


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## Vortec4800 (Jan 5, 2010)

I've got Cox in Phoenix too and you'll need a Cable Card (obviously) and also a Tuning Adapter. Cox uses Switched digital for some of the channels and without it you'll have some that won't work. For the time being it's a bunch of channels nobody cares about (CSPAN, etc) but in the future they'll be adding more. You can pick up a Tuning Adapter for free from any of the Cox retail outlets - there's one near the Chandler Mall.


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## hddude55 (Jan 5, 2007)

Vortec4800 said:


> I've got Cox in Phoenix too and you'll need a Cable Card (obviously) and also a Tuning Adapter. Cox uses Switched digital for some of the channels and without it you'll have some that won't work. For the time being it's a bunch of channels nobody cares about (CSPAN, etc) but in the future they'll be adding more. You can pick up a Tuning Adapter for free from any of the Cox retail outlets - there's one near the Chandler Mall.


 And get ready for the tuning adapter to have a mind of its own, Anytime your TiVo reboots you will have to mess with your tuning adapter to get the channels that it converts. I usually unplug it, plug it back it and turn the on-off button off and back on. With luck a few minutes to a half hour later you hopefully will get a message on your TV screen that a tuning adapter has been found. Between this piece of crap add-on hardware and the unreliable cable cards, the cable industry has pretty much assured TiVo's death. Of course TiVo doesn't need any help. The entire TiVo effort to bring HD to us has been a joke. One can only assume the great minds who developed the original SD TiVo's have moved on to more lucrative career opportunities.


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## Vortec4800 (Jan 5, 2010)

hddude55 said:


> And get ready for the tuning adapter to have a mind of its own, Anytime your TiVo reboots you will have to mess with your tuning adapter to get the channels that it converts. I usually unplug it, plug it back it and turn the on-off button off and back on. With luck a few minutes to a half hour later you hopefully will get a message on your TV screen that a tuning adapter has been found. Between this piece of crap add-on hardware and the unreliable cable cards, the cable industry has pretty much assured TiVo's death. Of course TiVo doesn't need any help. The entire TiVo effort to bring HD to us has been a joke. One can only assume the great minds who developed the original SD TiVo's have moved on to more lucrative career opportunities.


Hm, never had a problem with my Tuning Adapter. Sounds like you got a bad box?

When I first got it the light was always flashing and it wouldn't work - though the TiVo never lost communication with it like what you've experienced. I called and it turns out the tech never put the adapter on my account, once they did that it's been just fine ever since. Light is always solid, even when I need to reboot the TiVo. It's always worked with my HD, and now it's always been working with my Premiere.


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## culhwch (Jan 20, 2006)

Thanks for the info! I'll be ordering and upgrading my Series 2 to a Premiere this weekend, and this is the kind of stuff I wanted to know.

Some other questions: Is there a list of channels that won't show without the adapter? What are the chances the tech who has to come out to install the CableCard will have an adapter with him (they must know anyone who's going with CableCards will need one)?


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## Vortec4800 (Jan 5, 2010)

culhwch said:


> Thanks for the info! I'll be ordering and upgrading my Series 2 to a Premiere this weekend, and this is the kind of stuff I wanted to know.
> 
> Some other questions: Is there a list of channels that won't show without the adapter? What are the chances the tech who has to come out to install the CableCard will have an adapter with him (they must know anyone who's going with CableCards will need one)?


I don't have the actual list, but I know they're mostly ones most people don't watch anyway. The guy who did my install had he adapter on the truck, I think they keep a few around all the time just in case. Make sure the light in on solid and not flashing before he leaves, or the adapter isn't paired to the account correctly.


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## Melcox (Apr 9, 2010)

Thanks a lot, very useful because I've got the same problem...

______________________________________
Creation of essays requires inspiration (c)


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## moguitars (Apr 4, 2010)

hddude55 said:


> And get ready for the tuning adapter to have a mind of its own, Anytime your TiVo reboots you will have to mess with your tuning adapter to get the channels that it converts. I usually unplug it, plug it back it and turn the on-off button off and back on. With luck a few minutes to a half hour later you hopefully will get a message on your TV screen that a tuning adapter has been found. Between this piece of crap add-on hardware and the unreliable cable cards, the cable industry has pretty much assured TiVo's death. Of course TiVo doesn't need any help. The entire TiVo effort to bring HD to us has been a joke. One can only assume the great minds who developed the original SD TiVo's have moved on to more lucrative career opportunities.


I've only had mine for a couple of weeks, but there's been no issues with the Tuning Adapter, unlike the Tivo unit which has frozen up on me several times. My installer told me to reset the Tuning Adapter BEFORE the Tivo if I ever had to. On the Tivo freezes, I've reset the Tivo and haven't touched the tuning adapter and it has recovered just fine.


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## crxssi (Apr 5, 2010)

azmojo said:


> Just got the Premier hooked up, cable guy came today and I am getting some channels but not all. Definitely no local, low-numbered channels. He says that I need a cable adapter. He didn't have one with him because they were all out this morning or some excuse.


I know you think the problem is "resolved" in your next post where you said you fixed it due to low signal quality. But it isn't. In Hampton Roads they have been slowly moving channels to SDV, so there are already channels that you can't get without a tuning adapter. Fortunately, they are all crappy channels, and mostly SD. So for now, I haven't even bothered to get a tuning adapter.



> I'm really disappointed that the new Tivo requires additional cable hardware to work properly. Is this correct or did the guy just not know how to setup Tivo properly?


I am too. TiVo knows that just about every carrier will be using SDV eventually, has known about it for YEARS, and designs a new box that doesn't have it built-in???? *STUPID* So:

1) More physical space
2) Something else to break
3) More cables
4) More power usage
5) Have to find yet another outlet
6) Splitter is one more thing to cause video signal loss
7) New customers won't know they need one, and neither will the braindead cable company reps
8) Another excuse for the cable company to possibly charge for equipment
9) Have to deal with in/stock out out stock issues when setting up
10) More time and complexity to set everything up.

It just amazes me that they didn't address this. And I am further floored that it is 2010 and TiVo still has NO WAY to save your many hours of programming, settings, ratings, and season pass selections to a USB flash key so you don't freaking lose EVERYTHING when your TiVo fails of when you decide to upgrade to a newer unit.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

crxssi said:


> I am too. TiVo knows that just about every carrier will be using SDV eventually, has known about it for YEARS, and designs a new box that doesn't have it built-in???? *STUPID*


Even Moxi needs a tuning adapter. No one can build them in without a standard being done by all cable companies and the cable companies agreeing to support 3rd party hardware for SDV. The standard can technically be done but it is the cable companies who need to do it.


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## gary712 (Apr 3, 2010)

I ordered a cablecard and cablevision came friday while I was at work. My daughter called when he finished and said all was ok.On saturday when I started checking it out I saw he also installed a tuning adapter. I also notice I am missing 2 HBO HD channels. Is the tuning adapter no good? Is it necessary? Do I call cablevision, be on hold 45 min and talk to idiots?


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## psknapp (Feb 10, 2008)

There was a previous question about a lit of channels that use SDV, and you can actually tell on the standard channel guide:

http://ww2.cox.com/wcm/en/residential/datasheet/arizona/channel-lineup/phoenixarea.pdf

Anything with an asterisk is an SDV channel. (Makes sense if you look at the footnotes: "* Requires a two-way capable device and CableCARD rental or a digital receiver to view these channels." (I know this is old and everybody's probably gotten their answers, but if I found this looking for TiVO SDV adapter help, other people might too.)

It is frustrating that so few Cox people understand what SDV is and how it affects us. I called specifically to get the TiVo Premiere set up with a CableCard and asked about SDV and either they didn't know what it was or told me it was only about 5 channels. Well, there are closer to 40 spread throughout the program tiers (including BBC America for me and NickJr for my kids). The people at the Cox store were better, though they forgot to note on my account that I have the adapter, so I'll have to call today. Crossing my fingers that this is the last step.

(And I'm more than a little annoyed at needing a new box when I finally got it down to 2 (Premiere and PS3).)


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## crxssi (Apr 5, 2010)

psknapp said:


> It is frustrating that so few Cox people understand what SDV is and how it affects us.


If you think it is frustrating NOW, you should have tried it over a year and a half ago when Cox first started to roll out this SDV crap and didn't tell ANYONE what was going on. I suddenly could not get any of the new HD channels on my TiVo HD and EVERYONE, including all their techs and upper support were TOTALLY CLUELESS. After hours on the phone with different people, with techs coming to my house, etc, etc, Cox finally dropped SDV and my channels came back. Only then was I finally told by someone what they had done, and that SDV would eventually come back, but hopefully by then they would understand things better.

This was also at a time when there was no such thing as a "tuning adapter". I was *FURIOUS*. Supposedly they have been implementing SDV again, but they are doing it on stupid channels here (Hampton Roads) so I don't care and still don't have a tuning adapter. But I know one day they are going to hit important channels and I will have no choice but to get one of those damn adapters...


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## Dvhsskater (Jun 16, 2010)

So I live in Tucson, have Cox as well and just purchased a Tivo premiere. I had so many idiots come out and not even know if i needed a tuning adapter. I finally got it settled. I get most of my channels now but am missing a few (usually channels I don't care about) but I am missing The Science Channel which I would like back.

Second issue that is most annoying. The fox channel has SERIOUS sound issues. When I record family guy the sound glitches so bad every few seconds. Its not a total drop of sound but the best way to describe it would be: you know how video sometimes pixelates? well this is a "pixelation" of sound. its very brief temporary but happens continually. It happens when tv is live and recorded. animated shows are the worst but it still happens with normal people tv. Is anyone having this same problem? Fox is the only channel that does this.


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## crxssi (Apr 5, 2010)

Dvhsskater said:


> The fox channel has SERIOUS sound issues. When I record family guy the sound glitches so bad every few seconds. Its not a total drop of sound but the best way to describe it would be: you know how video sometimes pixelates? well this is a "pixelation" of sound. its very brief temporary but happens continually. It happens when tv is live and recorded. Fox is the only channel that does this.


I assume you are tuning that over cable and not over-the-air (might want to verify that). That could actually be a problem on the head-in (where Cox is tuning from the satellite). If it continues more than a few days, should should probably contact Cox again (yep, fun).


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## Dvhsskater (Jun 16, 2010)

So Cox is telling me I need to pay 5 dollar for "advanced Tv" package so that i can get programming guide. Isnt that what the tuning adapter is for? Is anyone else paying this 5 dollar fee, has anyone. had this problem


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## rocko (Oct 29, 2002)

Dvhsskater said:


> So Cox is telling me I need to pay 5 dollar for "advanced Tv" package so that i can get programming guide. Isnt that what the tuning adapter is for? Is anyone else paying this 5 dollar fee, has anyone. had this problem


No - that's what you pay TiVo for. Are you taking about another TV without a TiVo ?

I sense confusion here. The tuning adapter is to recieve SDV channels and has noting to do with guide data or a guide channel.


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## Dvhsskater (Jun 16, 2010)

My cable Provider, COX tucson, says that I need the advanced Tv package. Is there any other Cox user that is paying for this package?


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## aztivo (Feb 23, 2005)

There is no advanced package. You are talking to a cox drone. Just ignore them.

The Tivo is supplied the guide data by a third party


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## Dvhsskater (Jun 16, 2010)

aztivo said:


> There is no advanced package. You are talking to a cox drone. Just ignore them.
> 
> The Tivo is supplied the guide data by a third party


What I am saying is that I am being charged for the Advanced TV package. They say I have to have it. It costs 5 dollars. Are you not paying for this?


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## John T (Sep 12, 2011)

azmojo said:


> Just got the Premier hooked up, cable guy came today and I am getting some channels but not all. Definitely no local, low-numbered channels. He says that I need a cable adapter. He didn't have one with him because they were all out this morning or some excuse.
> 
> I'm really disappointed that the new Tivo requires additional cable hardware to work properly. *Is this correct or did the guy just not know how to setup Tivo properly?*


From Apr 10 to Sep 11, a year and a half later, and Cox *still *doesn't have it together.

I called to find out how to pick up a CableCard and save a few bucks on the install fee (a self-install is still $30 vs the $50 to have them come out to do it) and to find out if I'd need a tuning adapter. Nice lady said she'd have a card waiting for me at the Camelback store and "No, you don't need a tuning adapter for an HD Tivo".

Got to the store, picked up the card and the nice lady there asked if I needed a tuning adapter. I told her the rep I talked to said I didn't need one for the new Tivo so I left without one.

Pulled out the old Tivo, got the new box hooked up, installed the card and called to activate it. Nice fellow from the far side of the world took down the info, hooked the card up, told me to restart the system and that he'd call back in 20 minutes to check on things. Well, I'd lost my all "Expanded Pack" channels, couldn't get a number of channels that were supposed to be in the "Variety Pack" included with the card and could get only a few HD channels.

"Any chance I need a tuning adapter to get this to work?" I asked.
"Not in Arizona. Only in California. I'll send out a tech rep to look things over. I think you have a poor signal."

The "sometime between 10am and noon" guy showed up at 2pm and knew *absolutely *nothing about Tivo. He said I had (I kid you not) "an old style splitter" and that was the problem. "Ok, let's take the line straight from the wall and see what happens." I said. Surprise, surprise, no change. He called to see if the signal was feeding back to Cox, said it was and that I should consult Tivo.

"Any chance I need a tuning adapter to get this to work?" I asked. 
"With a Tivo... I don't think so."

He did leave a new splitter (I actually did LOL) which I discovered is also a FILTER! It *blocks *HD signals from going straight to a TV tuner. (Dirty rotten scoundrels!) Actually, I'm quite sure he was totally unaware of that little fact and he was just passing out what they gave him.

So today I called to have the card reset (get back the lost channels) and get the straight answer on the adapter.

The nice lady said, "I'm sorry for the misinformation. Everyone with a CableCard needs an adapter or you'll miss half the channels. There will be one at the Camelback store for you to pick up."

I've concluded that while the Cox people are universally nice, they are not very knowledgable about non-Cox equipment.


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## Vortec4800 (Jan 5, 2010)

John T said:


> From Apr 10 to Sep 11, a year and a half later, and Cox *still *doesn't have it together.
> 
> I called to find out how to pick up a CableCard and save a few bucks on the install fee (a self-install is still $30 vs the $50 to have them come out to do it) and to find out if I'd need a tuning adapter. Nice lady said she'd have a card waiting for me at the Camelback store and "No, you don't need a tuning adapter for an HD Tivo".
> 
> ...


They're barely knowledgable about their own equipment. I've had to *beg* them on the phone, on multiple occasions, to let me do things like swap my CableCARD from one unit to another, and they all insisted that a tech had to come out to do that. Knowing that the techs know less about this than even I do, I pleaded with the reps and basically walked them through their own system to put in the numbers where they need to go. After multiple insistences that "this isn't going to work" low and behold it did. Drove me crazy.

Now I have DirecTV.


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