Fairfax County General :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Cox Clear-QAM Missing Channels
Posted by:
rugger
()
Date: October 23, 2009 09:30AM
I have Cox cable for internet and television. I don't have a set top box and only subscribe to the expanded basic "analog" service. I have a Vizio LCD and an HTPC that both have QAM tuners. I used to be able to get all of the local stations digital signals via clear-QAM which enabled me to get ABC, NBC, FOX, and CBS in HD.
About a month or two ago my HTPC tuner stopped receiving a few of these stations but my TV still could. Now in the past week my TV started having trouble with these stations. The digital stations were really spotty. I rescanned the channels and now I can only get NBC and ABC. Fox and CBS dropped off. I can also get all the WETA channels and a few others that I rarely watch.
Anyone else having the same issue? I have read that calling the cable company about clear-QAM issues is usually fruitless so any hints anyone can provide before I try my chances with customer support will be greatly appreciated.
About a month or two ago my HTPC tuner stopped receiving a few of these stations but my TV still could. Now in the past week my TV started having trouble with these stations. The digital stations were really spotty. I rescanned the channels and now I can only get NBC and ABC. Fox and CBS dropped off. I can also get all the WETA channels and a few others that I rarely watch.
Anyone else having the same issue? I have read that calling the cable company about clear-QAM issues is usually fruitless so any hints anyone can provide before I try my chances with customer support will be greatly appreciated.
Re: Cox Clear-QAM Missing Channels
Posted by:
MrMephisfo
()
Date: October 23, 2009 09:36AM
Hello everybody. I am a HOMOSEXUAL! Are there any others out there like myself?
---------------------------------
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I am now in control of your internets. http://www.ipnow.org/
Re: Cox Clear-QAM Missing Channels
Posted by:
_someguy
()
Date: October 23, 2009 09:49AM
I gave up on the clear qam stuff a while back and got a hdhomerun + outdoor antenna.
You might want to try it out. Broadcast hd looks better anyway.
If you're using a htpc you might want to check out the hdhomerun either way since it can do broadcast and qam, even simultaneously.
You might want to try it out. Broadcast hd looks better anyway.
If you're using a htpc you might want to check out the hdhomerun either way since it can do broadcast and qam, even simultaneously.
Re: Cox Clear-QAM Missing Channels
Posted by:
Juan
()
Date: October 23, 2009 09:55AM
Dee Springfield office is now closed. Pleez goto the 7-11 in Herndon.
Re: Cox Clear-QAM Missing Channels
Posted by:
rugger
()
Date: October 23, 2009 10:43AM
I would prefer to go the antenna route but I am in a condo and the HOA has restrictions. I'm also hoping to move in a year so I don't really want to invest in an installation like that until I move.
Re: Cox Clear-QAM Missing Channels
Posted by:
Spacy
()
Date: October 24, 2009 08:53AM
The HOA cannot stop you from putting up a satellite dish. Go read on the FCC web site for info.
Re: Cox Clear-QAM Missing Channels
Posted by:
trogdor!
()
Date: October 24, 2009 11:00AM
Spacy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The HOA cannot stop you from putting up a
> satellite dish. Go read on the FCC web site for
> info.
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html
-------------------------------------------------------
> The HOA cannot stop you from putting up a
> satellite dish. Go read on the FCC web site for
> info.
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html
Re: Cox Clear-QAM Missing Channels
Posted by:
Registered Voter
()
Date: October 24, 2009 12:38PM
rugger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would prefer to go the antenna route but I am in
> a condo and the HOA has restrictions. I'm also
> hoping to move in a year so I don't really want to
> invest in an installation like that until I move.
With all the hand wringing, you can't afford to pay the $10/month for an HD box until you move?
If you can’t model the past, where you know the answer pretty well, how can you model the future? - William Happer Cyrus Fogg Brackett Professor of Physics Princeton University
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would prefer to go the antenna route but I am in
> a condo and the HOA has restrictions. I'm also
> hoping to move in a year so I don't really want to
> invest in an installation like that until I move.
With all the hand wringing, you can't afford to pay the $10/month for an HD box until you move?
If you can’t model the past, where you know the answer pretty well, how can you model the future? - William Happer Cyrus Fogg Brackett Professor of Physics Princeton University
Re: Cox Clear-QAM Missing Channels
Posted by:
ffxWorkerbee
()
Date: October 24, 2009 03:40PM
There was an article I cannot seem to locate again, on a cursory search, that described this problem. A box is the only solution at this time, or at least until in-set tuners are upgraded.
As I recall, the problem has to do with a second wave of digital upgrades from the all digital changeover. Many cable companies are doing this, but the down side is it may make certain channels not receivable by the set. Honest quality upgrade or a means for Cox, Comcast and others to increase revenue with more box rentals?
I'd like to think it is all about better service, but it seems I'd be mistaken.
As I recall, the problem has to do with a second wave of digital upgrades from the all digital changeover. Many cable companies are doing this, but the down side is it may make certain channels not receivable by the set. Honest quality upgrade or a means for Cox, Comcast and others to increase revenue with more box rentals?
I'd like to think it is all about better service, but it seems I'd be mistaken.
Re: Cox Clear-QAM Missing Channels
Posted by:
3rugger
()
Date: October 26, 2009 07:13PM
Spacy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The HOA cannot stop you from putting up a
> satellite dish. Go read on the FCC web site for
> info.
I don't want a sattelite dish. I want an antenna which is pretty useless unless installed on a roof. They can prevent installs on shared areas such as the roof.
Registered Voter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>With all the hand wringing, you can't afford
>to pay the $10/month for an HD box until you move?
The box may only be $10, but the digital "teir" adds another $40 per month. I ended up calling Cox and they did send someone out who replaced a decades old splitter outside and it fixed the signal issue. Overall the service was much better than expected, and now I can get all the locals in full HD while only paying for expanded basic - pretty much the same I would pay for internet only.
ffxWorkerbee, I think you are referring to switched digital video. Basically it allows the cable companies to only send channels that are being watched to a local hub that subscribers connect to. That should not affect the locals though since I beleive the cable companies are required to redistribute their signals which is why their digital feed is available in clear-qam.
-------------------------------------------------------
> The HOA cannot stop you from putting up a
> satellite dish. Go read on the FCC web site for
> info.
I don't want a sattelite dish. I want an antenna which is pretty useless unless installed on a roof. They can prevent installs on shared areas such as the roof.
Registered Voter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>With all the hand wringing, you can't afford
>to pay the $10/month for an HD box until you move?
The box may only be $10, but the digital "teir" adds another $40 per month. I ended up calling Cox and they did send someone out who replaced a decades old splitter outside and it fixed the signal issue. Overall the service was much better than expected, and now I can get all the locals in full HD while only paying for expanded basic - pretty much the same I would pay for internet only.
ffxWorkerbee, I think you are referring to switched digital video. Basically it allows the cable companies to only send channels that are being watched to a local hub that subscribers connect to. That should not affect the locals though since I beleive the cable companies are required to redistribute their signals which is why their digital feed is available in clear-qam.
Re: Cox Clear-QAM Missing Channels
Posted by:
ffxWorkerbee
()
Date: October 28, 2009 02:19PM
3rugger,
You may indeed be right, as I do recall mention in that article of channels that are cable, not local.
You may indeed be right, as I do recall mention in that article of channels that are cable, not local.