Cox DVR jacked up this week (anybody else?)

[Cats Cats Cats]

I have a few shows on series recording on my cox dvr on the hd channels. (House, Heroes,Family Guy, Etc.)

starting monday all my series recordings of these shows on the HD channels quit working.  Anybody else have this problem?

[sgrizzle]

Happened to me too.

[TheTed]

Just happened to me, too.

The DVR is no longer recording much of anything, even though various series and recurring manual recordings are set up.

I called Cox. They were worthless. Sending a repair guy in a week.

If you just delete your series from the series manager and set them up again, everything seems to work. Kind of a pain.

Too bad the guy at Cox seemingly had no idea. This is obviously a problem on their end, not with my DVR box.

[southerngirl]

This also happened to us.  We're on our third Cox DVR and I think I'm going to return it and go back to Tivo. We were told by the counter person at Cox after returning the second DVR with issues that these boxes are not extremely reliable and people bring them in all the time to trade them out.

[patric]

Some time ago Cox struck a deal with TiVo to use it's DVR's instead of the cheap knock-offs Cox uses now.  Did they back out or are they just slow?

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by patric

Some time ago Cox struck a deal with TiVo to use it's DVR's instead of the cheap knock-offs Cox uses now.  Did they back out or are they just slow?

Wrong; they struck a deal to use TIVO software in their current DVRs as an option that would cost a little extra.  Cox has rolled some of that in the Northeast, but nothing here yet.

And the DVRs Cox uses are not cheap or cheaply made by any stretch of the imagination.

[Jonette]

I just switched to ATT for my cable. My COX stuff was messing up and I was SO TIRED of dealing with COX.

The ATT DVR can record 4 channels at once, and you can watch all the recorded DVR programs on any TV with an ATT box. So if I record on the DVR in the living room, I can also watch it in my bedroom later when I go to bed.

I used to run the kids off from the living room so I could watch my stuff, but then I also could not lay in my bed and watch the DVR stuff. Now I watch my stuff when I am going to bed at night. It's rather nice to have access in any room to all the stuff I record in the living room.

Also the ATT equipment is SO much smaller and it's kinda nice to free up some space on the shelves and not have to deal with that BIG BOX any longer.

[sgrizzle]

I believe this problem is more with the EPG (Program Guide) than with the DVR itself. When you setup a recording for "Channel 9" what the DVR knows is a designator code for the channel #, format, signal provider, etc. The DVR is acting as if the channel 709 I have no is not the same one I had last week. That is why re-adding works because it adds the recording with the new designator.

The majority if cable and satellite providers use a guide created by Gemstar/TV Guide (71st and Lewis) but Cox had a contract with another company that sold out to TV Guide somewhat recently.

So in short, there is a lot more too it than "LOL COX SUX" and the call center is there to help you with the simple issues. Likely 90% if calls fall into "box not turned on," "batteries dead in remote," and that kind of thing so they don't need to be trained on the intricacies of EPG/DVR integration. They also are generally told to "send a tech" when they don't understand instead of sending a call onto level 2.

[carltonplace]

I have a consistant problem with the music channels on Cox digital cable. They work for a short time and then begin to lose signal. Its so annoying when a song you love is cutting out and in. I've unplugged the power and the cable, reset, and always make sure that the thing is powered down when not in use. Maybe I need a new box.

I don't have a poor signal for any other cable application. My internet works well as do the digital TV channels.

I did experience the same DVR issue listed above. I just reset the series manager as described above.

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by carltonplace

I have a consistant problem with the music channels on Cox digital cable.

I do too....they are crap.  Cox would do well to sign a deal with Sirius XM Radio like Dish did.

Cox Tulsa uses an EPG from Aptiv (formerly Pioneer Digital).....absolute junk.

The good news is Gemstar bought Aptiv, so hopefully Passport will go away soon.  The bad news is Macrovision gobbled up Gemstar...and that company has a horrible track record for overt control of digital media.

[sgrizzle]

Oh, and for the TIVO fans, I've got one in my garage, sell it to you cheap.

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by Jonette

I just switched to ATT for my cable. My COX stuff was messing up and I was SO TIRED of dealing with COX.

The ATT DVR can record 4 channels at once, and you can watch all the recorded DVR programs on any TV with an ATT box. So if I record on the DVR in the living room, I can also watch it in my bedroom later when I go to bed.

I used to run the kids off from the living room so I could watch my stuff, but then I also could not lay in my bed and watch the DVR stuff. Now I watch my stuff when I am going to bed at night. It's rather nice to have access in any room to all the stuff I record in the living room.

Also the ATT equipment is SO much smaller and it's kinda nice to free up some space on the shelves and not have to deal with that BIG BOX any longer.

Not everybody in town has it available to them yet.  Essentially, if you are getting AT&T landline phone via aerial, don't expect Uverse anytime soon.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

quote:Originally posted by carltonplace

I have a consistant problem with the music channels on Cox digital cable.

I do too....they are crap.  Cox would do well to sign a deal with Sirius XM Radio like Dish did.

Cox Tulsa uses an EPG from Aptiv (formerly Pioneer Digital).....absolute junk.

The good news is Gemstar bought Aptiv, so hopefully Passport will go away soon.  The bad news is Macrovision gobbled up Gemstar...and that company has a horrible track record for overt control of digital media.

From what I understand the same Gemstar/TV Guide people are still managing this without any real Macrovision influence.

[AngieB]

quote:Originally posted by carltonplace

I have a consistant problem with the music channels on Cox digital cable. They work for a short time and then begin to lose signal. Its so annoying when a song you love is cutting out and in. I've unplugged the power and the cable, reset, and always make sure that the thing is powered down when not in use. Maybe I need a new box.

I don't have a poor signal for any other cable application. My internet works well as do the digital TV channels.

I did experience the same DVR issue listed above. I just reset the series manager as described above.

We had really bad pixelization too. They came out and found that squirrels had chewed into the lines at the pole as well as some splitter issues in the house. It's a lot better now, but still occasionally shows up. We asked how much pixelizing we should be expected to tolerate and they replied "NONE". They should fix it.

Also, we had the series recording weirdness too. I went home for lunch and realized a show that was on right then wasn't recording...I went in to start it up and even though it wasn't showing on the DVR that it was recording, the whole show was picked up. AND when I turned the TV on, it was on a different channel so it wasn't just picking it up from that...it was like it was recording, but showed no indication that it was recording if that makes any sense.

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by TulsaMINI

quote:Originally posted by carltonplace

I have a consistant problem with the music channels on Cox digital cable. They work for a short time and then begin to lose signal. Its so annoying when a song you love is cutting out and in. I've unplugged the power and the cable, reset, and always make sure that the thing is powered down when not in use. Maybe I need a new box.

I don't have a poor signal for any other cable application. My internet works well as do the digital TV channels.

I did experience the same DVR issue listed above. I just reset the series manager as described above.

We had really bad pixelization too. They came out and found that squirrels had chewed into the lines at the pole as well as some splitter issues in the house. It's a lot better now, but still occasionally shows up. We asked how much pixelizing we should be expected to tolerate and they replied "NONE". They should fix it.

Also, we had the series recording weirdness too. I went home for lunch and realized a show that was on right then wasn't recording...I went in to start it up and even though it wasn't showing on the DVR that it was recording, the whole show was picked up. AND when I turned the TV on, it was on a different channel so it wasn't just picking it up from that...it was like it was recording, but showed no indication that it was recording if that makes any sense.

Which DVR do you have?  This one?:



Or this one?: