Cutting the COX Cable cord.....

[FighttheGoodFight]

I apologize if this question has already been asked - but if a person were going to cut the cable cord, what special equipment would you need? I have NETFLIX on my blu-ray player. I'm beginning to shop for a new laptop to replace my almost 6 year old one. Would the new laptop need anything over and above what most laptops come with? I saw something about the laptop needing something special to allow it to talk to your TV. Will I need a new TV? I have a 4 year old LG flat screen.

What services are you wanting to watch? Just netflix? The blu ray player is fine.

As for laptops anything is fine. Maybe get one with an HDMI out port so you can plug into your television.

[SoonerDave]

What services are you wanting to watch? Just netflix? The blu ray player is fine.

As for laptops anything is fine. Maybe get one with an HDMI out port so you can plug into your television.

More and more, newer laptops come with *only* HDMI these days. VGA, SVGA etc etc are a dying breed.

[SoonerDave]

I apologize if this question has already been asked - but if a person were going to cut the cable cord, what special equipment would you need? I have NETFLIX on my blu-ray player. I'm beginning to shop for a new laptop to replace my almost 6 year old one. Would the new laptop need anything over and above what most laptops come with? I saw something about the laptop needing something special to allow it to talk to your TV. Will I need a new TV? I have a 4 year old LG flat screen.

If you want to cut the cable cord, all you need is a good UHF loop antenna to get over-the-air signals from the local stations. Do NOT get skunked by these "HD" or "Digital TV" marketed antennas that sell for $20-$30.

Your TV should be more than happy with an HDMI connection to play Netflix from the BluRay player and/or connect to your new laptop.

Those are the basics. If you want to record over-the-air programs, that makes things a bit more complicated, but that's a good starting point.

[MsProudSooner]

My favorite channels are PBS, HGTV, all the sports channels, STARZ, TCM, History Channel when it actually has history programs - stuff like that.

[FighttheGoodFight]

My favorite channels are PBS, HGTV, all the sports channels, STARZ, TCM, History Channel when it actually has history programs - stuff like that.

You might want a Roku or FireTV. You can get a service called SlingTV. It is 20 dollars a month and I believe covers the channels you enjoy. https://www.sling.com/

You will need good internet to run it in HD.

[BBatesokc]

Keep in mind, if you're going to have to have a fast Internet connection anyway, you can bundle it with the COX TV Economy package for less than the SlingTV subscription and not slow down your Internet because you're using it for TV streaming.

Economy TV is $35 according to my current bill. They took off $25 for my bundle, making the TV portion just $10/month.

Cheaper than any other add-on and I don't have to have an ugly antenna showing.

Speaking off.... While the "HD Antenna" is marketing hype - they are much more attractive than the old style antennas and some are more powerful (with electronic [plug in] boaster/filter capabilities)

For about the same price you can buy one to put in your attic and just connect it to your existing coax (with some modifications) or run new coax from the attic antenna to your TV's and only need the one antenna and its hidden in your attic. We did that at a relatives and it worked great.

We keep one TV connected to over-the-air signals so we can watch channels you can't get with cable and as a backup in case we loose cable for some reason.

To also save on your bill - consider buying a good factory reconditioned WiFi modem online. You save the $7/month COX charges to rent you theirs and with that savings your purchased one will be paid for in about 7 months.

[Patrick]

I apologize if this question has already been asked - but if a person were going to cut the cable cord, what special equipment would you need? I have NETFLIX on my blu-ray player. I'm beginning to shop for a new laptop to replace my almost 6 year old one. Would the new laptop need anything over and above what most laptops come with? I saw something about the laptop needing something special to allow it to talk to your TV. Will I need a new TV? I have a 4 year old LG flat screen.

Shouldn't need a new TV, as long as you have HDMI ports on it and your laptop has HDMI. Otherwise, they sell VGA to HDMI adapters. If it's a smart TV, you should just be able to connect via wifi. Are you planning on just receiving OTA broadcasts for the network stations?

[FighttheGoodFight]

Keep in mind, if you're going to have to have a fast Internet connection anyway, you can bundle it with the COX TV Economy package for less than the SlingTV subscription and not slow down your Internet because you're using it for TV streaming.

Economy TV is $35 according to my current bill. They took off $25 for my bundle, making the TV portion just $10/month.

Cheaper than any other add-on and I don't have to have an ugly antenna showing.

Speaking off.... While the "HD Antenna" is marketing hype - they are much more attractive than the old style antennas and some are more powerful (with electronic [plug in] boaster/filter capabilities)

For about the same price you can buy one to put in your attic and just connect it to your existing coax (with some modifications) or run new coax from the attic antenna to your TV's and only need the one antenna and its hidden in your attic. We did that at a relatives and it worked great.

We keep one TV connected to over-the-air signals so we can watch channels you can't get with cable and as a backup in case we loose cable for some reason.

To also save on your bill - consider buying a good factory reconditioned WiFi modem online. You save the $7/month COX charges to rent you theirs and with that savings your purchased one will be paid for in about 7 months.

Is that with a box rental fee?

I just tend to stay away from TV as the fees are insane all the time just for basic features. I went with Sling because there are no real fees and no promo prices. It is just the same price forever. I am fed up with promo prices and calling all the time to lower the bill after it ends. /rant over

[BBatesokc]

Is that with a box rental fee?

I just tend to stay away from TV as the fees are insane all the time just for basic features. I went with Sling because there are no real fees and no promo prices. It is just the same price forever. I am fed up with promo prices and calling all the time to lower the bill after it ends. /rant over

I'm a TIVO user so I don't rent a box from COX. I much prefer TIVO's features. Plus I bought the box used and received the lifetime subscription for an extremely low rate.

[stile99]

I'm a TIVO user so I don't rent a box from COX.

So they actually backed down from that SDV horsecrap? Last I knew they had gone the other direction and not only do you not still need a tuning adapter with a TiVo, you also now need one (under a different name) just to run cable from the wall to the back of a cable-ready TV. Last time I checked you even need the Mini box if you have the very lowest tier, TV Starter, which Cox has upfront admitted will be free for the first year, then the charges start. Since this decision was made even after they lost a lawsuit in Oklahoma specifically over forcing people to rent unnecessary boxes from them, I'm really impressed if they've backed down.

[MsProudSooner]

Shouldn't need a new TV, as long as you have HDMI ports on it and your laptop has HDMI. Otherwise, they sell VGA to HDMI adapters. If it's a smart TV, you should just be able to connect via wifi. Are you planning on just receiving OTA broadcasts for the network stations?

I don't really know. I just know I might be interested in doing it in the future.

[BBatesokc]

So they actually backed down from that SDV horsecrap? Last I knew they had gone the other direction and not only do you not still need a tuning adapter with a TiVo, you also now need one (under a different name) just to run cable from the wall to the back of a cable-ready TV. Last time I checked you even need the Mini box if you have the very lowest tier, TV Starter, which Cox has upfront admitted will be free for the first year, then the charges start. Since this decision was made even after they lost a lawsuit in Oklahoma specifically over forcing people to rent unnecessary boxes from them, I'm really impressed if they've backed down.

COX makes you get a tuning adapter still - coax to COX adapter to TIVO to TV. But I don't pay for it. It sits on top of my TIVO. We then use a MoCA network to stream anything that's on the TIVO to other TV's in the house.

We also have AppleTV on 5 of our TV's.

[SoonerDave]

So they actually backed down from that SDV horsecrap? Last I knew they had gone the other direction and not only do you not still need a tuning adapter with a TiVo, you also now need one (under a different name) just to run cable from the wall to the back of a cable-ready TV. Last time I checked you even need the Mini box if you have the very lowest tier, TV Starter, which Cox has upfront admitted will be free for the first year, then the charges start. Since this decision was made even after they lost a lawsuit in Oklahoma specifically over forcing people to rent unnecessary boxes from them, I'm really impressed if they've backed down.

They've not backed down. You have to have a tuning adapter if you use a device based on a cablecard. And when they shut down analog entirely, you'll have to have the $3/mo converter to get anything. It's infuriating. And I've already ranted on the DRM crap. I hope OKC rakes Cox over the coals on their next franchise negotiation.

Bring on Google Fiber.

[SoonerDave]

COX makes you get a tuning adapter still - coax to COX adapter to TIVO to TV. But I don't pay for it. It sits on top of my TIVO. We then use a MoCA network to stream anything that's on the TIVO to other TV's in the house.

We also have AppleTV on 5 of our TV's.

How do you receive the stream from the Tivo? Does that not require another MoCA-enabled Tivo on the other end?

And how much is the Tivo service monthly?

[baralheia]

Interesting. I have one of Cox's DVRs which has a CableCARD slot in the back of it but they have said nothing to me about needing a tuning adapter...

[BBatesokc]

How do you receive the stream from the Tivo? Does that not require another MoCA-enabled Tivo on the other end?

And how much is the Tivo service monthly?

You have to have a MoCA adapter on any TV you want to receive a network signal from.

I took advantage of a special and only paid a couple hundred dollars for a lifetime subscription to the TIVO service (so, no monthly bill). Its 10x better than a COX DVR and service IMO.

[SoonerDave]

Interesting. I have one of Cox's DVRs which has a CableCARD slot in the back of it but they have said nothing to me about needing a tuning adapter...

The Cox STB's, I believe, actually have a type of "cablecard" and TA equivalent built into the hardware, so you don't need an external one. I don't think it's exactly the "retail" cablecard you go in and rent for $3/mo, but functionally it either doesn't need or already encompasses the functionality of the TA. I've had the same STB since before Cox implemented SDV, thus necessitating TA's for "external" CableCards, so I'm inferring that what the TA does is artificial and implemented in the STB's firmware (via download).

Getting a TA to work is a royal pain in the tookus.

[SoonerDave]

You have to have a MoCA adapter on any TV you want to receive a network signal from.

I took advantage of a special and only paid a couple hundred dollars for a lifetime subscription to the TIVO service (so, no monthly bill). Its 10x better than a COX DVR and service IMO.

So, presumably, this would be of higher value to someone who doesn't already have Ethernet drops at regular locations, correct? It really is just a bridge to a different physical media.

[shawnw]

An HDMI to VGA adapter is not particularly expensive. My current laptop is HDMI-only but I have a VGA monitor I sometimes connect to so it's handy to have the adapter, plus I don't know what else I might be connecting to to make a presentation...

[BBatesokc]

So, presumably, this would be of higher value to someone who doesn't already have Ethernet drops at regular locations, correct? It really is just a bridge to a different physical media.

In short, yes.

My only real desire was simply to transmit anything on my TIVO receiver to any other TV in my house. I'm guessing this is probably the same basis for COX's 'Contour' system. My TIVO has 6 tuners, so we can be watching, streaming and recording lots of things all at once.

TIVO also lets you transmit anything on your TIVO (even live TV) to your tablet or smartphone.

Recently TIVO also launched a website where you can watch and control your TIVO from a desktop or laptop computer.

[SoonerDave]

In short, yes.

My only real desire was simply to transmit anything on my TIVO receiver to any other TV in my house. I'm guessing this is probably the same basis for COX's 'Contour' system. My TIVO has 6 tuners, so we can be watching, streaming and recording lots of things all at once.

TIVO also lets you transmit anything on your TIVO (even live TV) to your tablet or smartphone.

Recently TIVO also launched a website where you can watch and control your TIVO from a desktop or laptop computer.

Now realizing that you can stream whatever you want, under your setup, can remote clients control a particular tuner? That is, could a remote user (from a laptop or whatever) with an HTML5-compliant (presumably) web browser contact the TIVO and tell it to tune to channel XYZ and start watching or recording?

Edit: Re-reading your post, I think that partially is already answered in the last bit - I'm just thinking about in-house users being able to use the TIVO as a complete STB replacement, esp. with *six* tuners...

[zookeeper]

***** TODAY ONLY ******

This is a steal.
Cord cutters! Add TiVo functionality to your setup with this refurb Roamio DVR deal: $30 + $5 shipping (Orig. $50) | 9to5Toys-Woot Deal

[BBatesokc]

***** TODAY ONLY ******

This is a steal.
Cord cutters! Add TiVo functionality to your setup with this refurb Roamio DVR deal: $30 + $5 shipping (Orig. $50) | 9to5Toys-Woot Deal

That's a good deal. I'd just have a hard time justifying a monthly rate to enhance over the air programming. I'd think the money would be better spent on Hulu or something similar where a DVR is not necessary because you watch on demand. Just thinking out loud.

[zookeeper]

That's a good deal. I'd just have a hard time justifying a monthly rate to enhance over the air programming. I'd think the money would be better spent on Hulu or something similar where a DVR is not necessary because you watch on demand. Just thinking out loud.

That's very true. With on-demand, everything is available on our own schedules anyway. I remember recording shows on VHS tapes when everybody called it "time shifting." Of course, I also remember when there were basically 3 channels, no recording anything, and if you missed an old movie, you might not have a chance to see it again for a couple of years.

[Kemotblue]

I'm saving money up to purchase a Channel Master DVR+ so I can record my favorite shows or when I can watch LIve sports shows I can record the games and watch at a later date.