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November 3, 2005

If your Cox digital cable box is blinking 8s, you need to call Cox

If your Cox digital-cable settop box is blinking all 8s (continuously or occasionally) where the time should be displaying, you need to contact the company to restore your service.

My colleague Tim Barmann reported today (Glitch with Cox program guide interrupts some cable service) that a bad channels-listing file sent to Cox digital-cable boxes in Rhode Island caused the outage.

The original problem was that a page was missing from the channel-listings file sent overnight to settop boxes, which caused some Cox DVRs to keep trying to connect to get a complete file. Eventually the complete file was sent, and most systems were restored. But if your service isn't operating normally by now, it won't fix itself.

And if you have a DVR (a digital video recorder such as TiVo or a Cox DVR), it may be involved, too.

Here's an explanation from Leigh Ann Woisard of Cox Public Affairs:

Yesterday morning a corrupt file interrupted service to some digital video customers. While the immediate problem for most digital customers was corrected by about 10:30 a.m. yesterday, Cox has since detected additional problems caused by the corrupt file. About 2 percent of digital receivers are not responding. The corrupt file has also disabled some Digital Video Recorders (DVRs). Cox estimates that about 2 percent of DVR customers may still be impacted by this problem.

Digital customers experiencing problems should call the Cox Customer Care Center at (401) 383-2000. In most instances, the digital receivers can be made operational via the phone.

Some DVR receivers may need to be replaced; in which case customers can go to any Cox Service Center to swap their boxes, or the company will send field service personnel to customers' homes to replace receivers.

As I have mentioned here before, I have an early Replay TV, a Panasonic Showstopper model that's precious because it came with a free lifetime subscription to the nightly channel listings, so there's no monthly fee.

My box's red power light and clock weren't displaying, but my TV worked. When I tried to use the Showstopper feed, though -- which lets me pause the TV and do instant replays if I like, as well as watch one channel and record another -- I saw only a very snowy but colorful poker game. No matter what channel I tried, I was stuck on poker.

Because my Showstopper doesn't get its channel listings from Cox -- its modem dials a telephone phone number maintained by Panasonic to honor the lifetime subscription -- I knew the missing listings page wasn't its problem.

I had already called Cox tech support this morning and made an apppointment to have a new receiver delivered, but after reading Woisard's statement, I feared for the life of my Showstopper. I emailed her that I was one of the blinking-8s bunch, and asked,

Is there an expectation that replacement of my digital receiver will restore my dvr?

I restrained myself from asking outright if my Showstopper had been fried. When Panasonic discontinued them, there were still plenty in stock and these are still being sold on eBay, but it would hardly be convenient to replace it.

Woisard called almost immediately to say they were confident that the Showstopper would come back after the settop box was replaced. A Cox tech explained that because all three devices were interconnected (the cable box, the TV and the DVR), the settop box was the weak link disturbing the Showstopper's function, but it had probably not been directly affected.

A colleague with a Cox DVR mentioned that he lost his previously recorded shows during the outage, but otherwise his service is restored. If you're not one of the lucky ones whose digital cable is back to normal, call and make an appointment.

Posted by Sheila Lennon at 6:40 PM | Permalink

Comments

I am rather perturbed with Cox. I have tried for 2 days to get some help and to no avail. I am always put on hold. I got to customer service through the billing department. They told me to unplug the cable box and press power and select and it still flashes 8. Now I can no longer get anything through your box. I have an appointment on Saturday between 3-5. I feel your service is terrible. Why can't I get through to anyone to discuss my problem and now to have to wait until Saturday to have it fixed Your serivce is deplorable. Diana Glashow

Posted by: Diana Glashow on November 3, 2005 7:44 PM

TROUBLE WITH COX. SO WHATS NEW

Posted by: robert norcliffe on November 3, 2005 9:31 PM

You say this happened over a period of 2 days? I lost my DVR last week and all the shows I record never got recorded. I know for a fact it was last Tuesday (Oct 25th) because "My name is Earl" did not record. (I blamed my wife ... oops!)
On Monday I was going to bring the DVR box in and have it replaced but unplugged it and when I plugged it in it worked fine again. Of course that was when the cable started to screw up too.

Hurry up Verizon! Get us hooked up so we have a choice!

Posted by: JohnO on November 4, 2005 12:59 AM

I too have had issues with cox.

For some reason they continue to battle with Lin Broadcasting over offering High Def programming to COX customers for CBS and FOX Networks.

I've sent E Mails every month for 18 months to COX and have received replies from Channel 12 stating that COX is the problem.

In fact Channel 12 (our CBS Affiliate)runs a notice during the NFL Games advising COX customers that they can receive CBS HD programming for free by visting Bernies Applicance and purchasing a converter box.

Can't wait for Verizon as well.

Need some competition here soon.

Posted by: Jim Hunt on November 4, 2005 9:44 AM