Why is Cox 10 Years behind Dish,DTV Etc.

[opsknight]

I just switched back to Cox from DTV..it was just easier to use Cox in my duplex, plus losing signal every rain storm was getting old. But good god, how does a Cable company fall so far behind. Cox's STB's are paperweights at best, the software is so old, that if you have a new HDTV it will drive you crazy.

I know Cox has some upgrades slowly in the works (NDS to replace SARA), but how did they fall asleep at the wheel for so long. They wouldnt be my friend in the Dark ages, let alone the Digital Age..its no wonder they have lost so much market share. They really ought to be ashamed, because they have gotten whipped.

Just wanted to see what everyone else's take is on it. It's just really frustrating.

 

[desiguy2447]

The COX HD receiver's are simply junk, and compared to DTV or Dish Network plus with COX's amazing 10 years behind technology.

If it wasn't a new customer deal COX offered me I would still be with Dish Network for all my TV programming. (I kept my international channels with Dish to keep my valued customer status) Since I'll probably switch back once the deal is over with COX.

Cox is good for Internet, and digital phone, but when it comes to TV service they simply suck here. (but cannot complain too much as they finally gave us some more HD channels).

 

[yourbeliefs]

Cox is absolutely horrible. They live up to their name. You really should just go back to D*. I'd rather than good programming most of the time instead of s**tty programming ALL the time.

Here's a letter I wrote once to my paper's editor that seems to share some of your sentiment.

SatelliteGuys Photo Gallery - Letter I wrote to Paper - Powered by PhotoPost

 

[desiguy2447]

Nice write up.. The information on the Cox Menu's are very true here as well, and the on Demand is a joke. (Half the time the on demand doesn't even load here). Gainesville FL.

 

[yourbeliefs]

Nice write up.. The information on the Cox Menu's are very true here as well, and the on Demand is a joke. (Half the time the on demand doesn't even load here). Gainesville FL.

I think that depends more on your STB than it does your actual provider. For example, my dad and my friend have Comcast in two different towns and they have the big, somewhat easy to navigate menus that are a nice, non-2-star hotel format. But my upstairs neighbor also has Comcast and his has that ugly interface like I mentioned. Also, my aunt has iO on Long Island and she has the ugly interface. It seems like you need to pray for a Motorola box when you get a cable service nowadays.

As far as the on Demand not working, try getting them to come out and look at your set up. My dad had issues with his on demand and the guy came out and installed an amplifier or something and we've rarely had On Demand issues since. Of course, that was Comcast, not Cox.

 

[digiblur]

Their cable modem service is awesome and that's about it for me

 

[opsknight]

Their cable modem service is awesome and that's about it for me

I agree, their Internet is very good and is very dependable here in OK. I'm looking at going back to the satellite..I jsut dont know If i can live with this. I'm so used to having so many more HD channels to choose from and it was great to be able to filter out the SD duplicates (A feature Cox is still 10 years from having).

I should note, I have also tried out AT&T's Uverse service and while their STB's are better than what Cox is throwing out their, the Uverse HD is so compressed it looks terrible, atleast Cox can deliver an acceptable HD signal, although not near as clean as what the Dish companies are delivering.

 

[opsknight]

Cox is absolutely horrible. They live up to their name. You really should just go back to D*. I'd rather than good programming most of the time instead of s**tty programming ALL the time.

Here's a letter I wrote once to my paper's editor that seems to share some of your sentiment.

SatelliteGuys Photo Gallery - Letter I wrote to Paper - Powered by PhotoPost

Excellent article and I agree almost 100%. I think the average user is content with mediocrity and that is what Cox has catered to. My in laws are perfect examples, still using a 32" CRT and Cox's Digital Cable (The Combo of the 90's) they see no issues. They have not embraced the HD Era yet. For me Cox was not exposed as crap until I bought a new HDTV, which leads me back to my OP...How did Cox not foresee that their system is garbage on HDTV's and not have a plan in place. I think Cox may have been our friend in the "Digital Age", but the problem is we are now in the "HD Age" and Cox was left behind.

 

[Zookster]

I switched to Cox from Dish about 4 years ago when Dish was asking $300 for the "privilege" of leasing their newest HD DVR. I reconsider with every new offer I get from Dish to come back, but the price I get for bundling all my services with Cox is just too good to pass up, especially since I would still need to pay for the limited basic cable for QAM an exclusive RSN Cox owns here in San Diego. A couple years ago we were supposed to get a firmware upgrade offering TiVo functionality on our DVR. For whatever reason, that never materialized and here we sit with the same basic firmware I remember using with my first digital cable box back in 1998.

Can you believe it's 2009 and I still can't bookmark a recorded program I am watching?

 

[desiguy2447]

Well at least here as soon as either Direct TV or Dish Network upload the Gainesville HD channels then Cox will start bleeding here. Once both or one of those providers have the local channels in HD there is no point having Cox for TV service as they provide nothing here that the other two providers would not offer.

Cox's main pitch in Gainesville is that "we offer your locals in HD". (Dish already offers Gainesville Locals (non HD).

 

[yourbeliefs]

Well at least here as soon as either Direct TV or Dish Network upload the Gainesville HD channels then Cox will start bleeding here. Once both or one of those providers have the local channels in HD there is no point having Cox for TV service as they provide nothing here that the other two providers would not offer.

Cox's main pitch in Gainesville is that "we offer your locals in HD". (Dish already offers Gainesville Locals (non HD).

Too far away for OTA?

 

[desiguy2447]

No, not far away to get them.. Actually did do the OTA stuff for about two years with an Attic installed Antenna. Got all of the channels most of the time, but had a lot of multi-path issues.

Now I'll just wait for Dish or Direct to get my locals in HD. (Unless COX has a price increase). If so I'll go OTA for them!!

 

[kb7oeb]

There are only two cable equipment makers, Cisco (owns SA) and Motorola and they both appear to have been coasting the past decade.

 

[desiguy2447]

Maybe one day COX will give us a new a menu guide with a nice software update sent to our outdated receivers...

 

[Mike500]

No need.......They are and act like a monopoly.

 

[yourbeliefs]

Their cable modem service is awesome and that's about it for me

Not for me. Granted it was fast, but it would go down CONSTANTLY. Granted this was for short intervals, but when you're into online gaming like I am, this is simply unacceptable. It did this like 5 years ago and then when I signed up with them again for a short time it did it again. Nice to know that they are consistent.

 

[raoul5788]

Not for me. Granted it was fast, but it would go down CONSTANTLY. Granted this was for short intervals, but when you're into online gaming like I am, this is simply unacceptable. It did this like 5 years ago and then when I signed up with them again for a short time it did it again. Nice to know that they are consistent.

I have had their internet service for 5 or so years in Cheshire where you were. I can remember only two or three times that the service went down.

 

[yourbeliefs]

I have had their internet service for 5 or so years in Cheshire where you were. I can remember only two or three times that the service went down.

Well when I say "Went Down," I don't mean that it would not work for a long period of time. The drop offs in the connection would last less than a minute, but it would happen quite frequently, and also we CONSTANTLY had issues getting Youtube to work. And as I said, it would be consistent enough where I couldn't do online gaming because the connections would drop off and people would view that as QUITTING as opposed to internet issues. Maybe there was just something weird at the house with the wiring, but in any case, it's not my problem anymore. Now I get to deal with the 6mb connection of U-Verse, as well as the inability to allow me to choose my DNS servers, a'la OpenDNS.

 

[opsknight]

Well back to DTV for me. I cant take it anymore.

 

[yourbeliefs]

Well back to DTV for me. I cant take it anymore.

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