As luck would have it..... over the weekend my TV started displaying the dreaded "Your COX Cable Tuning Adapter Card Cannot Be Accessed."

This is about a twice a year thing for me and my TIVO. COX swaps it out for free, but it's a pain. I noticed my previous tuning adapter card was dated 2009. The replacement isn't much newer at 2010.

I just picked up a TiVo myself. We lucked out and all but one of the channels we actually watch aren't broadcast using SDV, so I didn't even bother hooking up the tuning adapter Cox gave me. That thing is bigger than my TiVo!

For all of you that are thinking of switching you can call Cox and get 40% off for 12 months.

https://www.cox.com/residential/special-offers/come-back.html

For all of you that are thinking of switching you can call Cox and get 40% off for 12 months.

https://www.cox.com/residential/special-offers/come-back.html

Well, not really. The devil is in the details. You had to have already put in a disconnect order that is not older than 30-days. Plus, not good on the most basic TV package nor the better Internet speeds.

I had AT&T Fiber installed Saturday, and I cannot wait to call and cancel Cox. They have screwed up my billing twice now after I called and got them to give me a few promotions. The latest time, my bill actually doubled as a result of my calling and getting a "better" deal.

I figure after a year, I can see what Cox has to offer, and maybe get a better rate then. I really wish they'd just give all their customers the same deal as they offer to new customers. I still would have jumped to Fiber, but I'd be more inclined to stick with one provider instead of jumping back and forth.

With AT&T, my deal is 12 months of fiber for $80/month, unlimited data. Cox couldn't come close to that last time I called. We'll see what attempt they make this time, not that it will matter.

I had AT&T Fiber installed Saturday, and I cannot wait to call and cancel Cox. They have screwed up my billing twice now after I called and got them to give me a few promotions. The latest time, my bill actually doubled as a result of my calling and getting a "better" deal.

I figure after a year, I can see what Cox has to offer, and maybe get a better rate then. I really wish they'd just give all their customers the same deal as they offer to new customers. I still would have jumped to Fiber, but I'd be more inclined to stick with one provider instead of jumping back and forth.

With AT&T, my deal is 12 months of fiber for $80/month, unlimited data. Cox couldn't come close to that last time I called. We'll see what attempt they make this time, not that it will matter.

I would love to get AT&T Fiber because their current internet is sucking. But it's not in my area and no one can seem to tell me if and/or when it is coming.

I would love to get AT&T Fiber because their current internet is sucking. But it's not in my area and no one can seem to tell me if and/or when it is coming.

You'll know when it's coming because they'll dig up the front yards in your neighborhood, if our install is typical. Once they had a presence in our neighborhood, it was a few months before the service was actually available. My neighbors across the street to the west of me do not have it; AT&T hasn't started laying the fiber there yet. I'm shocked they came to The Village so quickly.

Today, I was thrilled to see AT&T trucks in my neighborhood, seemingly in conjunction with laying fiber and street-repaving.

I live south of NW 50th and just west of Penn.

I am hoping beyond hope U-Verse is soon available for me and I can ditch Cox entirely.

I also hope this is part of a strategy on their part to bring their service to established neighborhoods.

I think that fiber is being installed on Sara Rd just south of Reno. Lots of trucks out there burying large orange cable.

Okay, finally did it and cut the cord for good. We got rid of Cox Cable for TV service.

I was going to put an antenna in the attic with a amplified splitter and run coax to each TV through the attic. Ended up not needing to go through all that effort.

We put an over-the-air Tivo in the living room (for DVR and streaming purposes) with free lifetime guide subscription and then each TV has it's own set-top antenna for only $13/ea. Works perfect for our needs and saves some cash too.

We also have Apple TV on a couple of our TV's with a Netflix and Amazon Prime Video subscriptions.

Okay, finally did it and cut the cord for good. We got rid of Cox Cable for TV service.

I was going to put an antenna in the attic with a amplified splitter and run coax to each TV through the attic. Ended up not needing to go through all that effort.

We put an over-the-air Tivo in the living room (for DVR and streaming purposes) with free lifetime guide subscription and then each TV has it's own set-top antenna for only $13/ea. Works perfect for our needs and saves some cash too.

We also have Apple TV on a couple of our TV's with a Netflix and Amazon Prime Video subscriptions.
What model of Tivo do you have and where'd you get it? I've been thinking about getting one. I miss the convenience of pausing a live show.

What are you doing for internet? I've wondered what Cox will do for internet charges if I drop cable. I was paying Cox $100 a month for data at work and $200 a month for three business phone lines. I called them to drop a phone line (FAX) and they told me any changes and they would raise data to $200 a month.
(I moved to ATT. It was huge PITA but it's done.)


I've got a TIVO premier lifetime which has several streaming services but all of them work better with with Roku. I think the TIVO will work without cable.

Can't speak for him, but I have the TiVo Roamio OTA and love it. And I use it for Netflix and Plex streaming as well as recording from the antenna. And the picture quality is better than cable ever was.

What model of Tivo do you have and where'd you get it? I've been thinking about getting one. I miss the convenience of pausing a live show.

Based on the description, it sounds like a Tivo Roamio OTA; This model does not have a cablecard slot so it's OTA-only, but comes with the All-In Plan (lifetime service) out of the box.

I own a Tivo Bolt because I wanted 4k compatibility, and I absolutely love mine. Unified Search is really freaking awesome - tell it what you want to watch, and it'll tell you everywhere you can get it from, between OTA recordings and compatible streaming services. And the interface is way, way, way better than Cox's old Scientific Atlanta set top boxes (couldn't compare it to Contour, I never had one of those boxes). Especially if you get a model that doesn't include All-In plan, Tivo boxes can be expensive, but I think they're very worth the cost.

What model of Tivo do you have and where'd you get it? I've been thinking about getting one. I miss the convenience of pausing a live show.

You really only have one choice for OTA compatible TiVo's - the TiVo Roam OTA 1TB DVR (retail $400). You'll want the newest version as they come with FREE lifetime subscription to their guide. Features: OneSearch - when looking for a show/movie, TiVo searches multiple sources (OTA, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc.) all at once. OnePass - Makes sure you don't miss a single episode of your favorite show (current or past seasons). SkipMode - No need to watch commercials on our recorded show and no need to hold down the fast-forward button. Skip mode seamlessly jumps past the commercials. QuickMode - Watch a show 30% faster than normal speed without distorting the audio. 150 hours of recording time. 4 built-in tuners - watch one show while you record 3 others. Or, stream one recorded show to the kids room while you watch another in the living room and record 2 more shows, all at once. Radio Frequency remote means you can control your TiVo from another room or put your TiVo inside a cabinet or closet. Stream anything your TV can air (live TV, streaming TV, recorded TV) to other TV's in your house or even to your mobile device when you are away from home.

I actually spent a couple of weeks scouring Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and social media selling apps looking for a newer model used system (I'm extremely frugal). I finally found the latest model with 3 minis (needed to stream to 3 other TV's - retail for $180/ea.) and accessories for $250 ($950 retail value). TiVo transferred and registered the ownership and lifetime subscription to me at no charge. Literally took about 5 minutes to install the hardware. You then call Tivo to complete the registration and 30 minutes later it was up and running.

Our biggest reservation about cutting the cord was the loss of a smart streaming DVR. I tried some 3rd party DVRs from Amazon, etc. and they just didn't work like advertised and I sent them back.


What are you doing for internet? I've wondered what Cox will do for internet charges if I drop cable. I was paying Cox $100 a month for data at work and $200 a month for three business phone lines. I called them to drop a phone line (FAX) and they told me any changes and they would raise data to $200 a month.
(I moved to ATT. It was huge PITA but it's done.)

I had to keep COX for internet. ATT is way to slow for my needs. What pushed me to cut the cord in the last couple of weeks was the fact, once again, my COX bill jumped by $30/month and I got tired of arguing every few months for a rate reduction. I'm now doing their 150MB for $70/month. For phone service we use MagicJake for the last 5 years with zero issues and it's only about $35/yr. with a promo code. To get more speed out of my Internet service I purchased a bulk roll of ethernet cable and did hidden runs to several of my stationary devices to get faster than wifi speeds.


I've got a TIVO premier lifetime which has several streaming services but all of them work better with with Roku. I think the TIVO will work without cable.

Unfortunately, as far as i know, it takes a OTA specific TiVo model to get antenna service. We have a Tivo series 5 with lifetime subscription (that we used with COX) and it won't work with OTA. So, it's soon to go on Craigslist.


Can't speak for him, but I have the TiVo Roamio OTA and love it. And I use it for Netflix and Plex streaming as well as recording from the antenna. And the picture quality is better than cable ever was.

Totally agree! We were shocked how great the picture quality is with just an antenna. We use the Tivo to stream, but we also have Gen. 4 Apple TV's and use them a lot too.


As for an antenna - I was so glad I didn't have to install one in the attic and run amplified coax lines to each TV. I didn't want one of those flat sheet style antennas you see everywhere that hang on the wall (ugly). I wanted a set-top style antenna that is inconspicuous. I've tried two models - one from GE and one from Monoprice. Both worked well. I settled for the GE model as an open box item on Ebay (bought 7 of them) and they were less than half the price Walmart and Amazon charges.

This GE model works well and is also available locally at Walmart ($35). (https://www.amazon.com/GE-37075-UltraPro-Amplified-Antenna/dp/B071S7GN8P/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1517057420&sr=8-7&keywords=ge+hd+antenna)

Also available 'open box' on Ebay for only $13.50. (https://www.ebay.com/itm/GE-ULTRAPRO-HOVER-HD-250-AMPLIFIED-ANTENNA-BAR-50-MILES-OF-BROADCASTING-SOURCE/112749133113?epid=18004051198&hash=item1a405f3d39:g:aIEAAOSwFO5aV4tG)

This is a similar model that worked for us just as well and is only $14 new (https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=15955)

You really only have one choice for OTA compatible TiVo's - the TiVo Roam OTA 1TB DVR (retail $400).

Please don't tell my OTA Bolt that.

That said, the Roamio OTA with built in lifetime is a very good bet. The Bolt does not come with it, but TiVo had a special where they wanted to migrate people from older devices so they offered the box itself for a steal and to transfer lifetime from the old device.

To address the working without cable: The series 5 (which is what the Roamio is) will happily work, just obviously you're not going to be recording. Watch anything recorded on it now, check. Stream online, check. Watch content recorded on another TiVo in the house, check. Same for the Premiere as well. Source: I cut Cox about 4 years ago and have continued to use every single one of my TiVos since. Including the series 3 before I accepted the lifetime transfer option.

Please don't tell my OTA Bolt that.

That said, the Roamio OTA with built in lifetime is a very good bet. The Bolt does not come with it, but TiVo had a special where they wanted to migrate people from older devices so they offered the box itself for a steal and to transfer lifetime from the old device.

To address the working without cable: The series 5 (which is what the Roamio is) will happily work, just obviously you're not going to be recording. Watch anything recorded on it now, check. Stream online, check. Watch content recorded on another TiVo in the house, check. Same for the Premiere as well. Source: I cut Cox about 4 years ago and have continued to use every single one of my TiVos since. Including the series 3 before I accepted the lifetime transfer option.

I forgot the Bolt will do OTA - for some reason some of the online literature simply states... "TV Source: Digital cable and Verizon FIOS"

When I called TiVo about making sure a used TiVo would transfer any lifetime subscription they recommended if I was cutting the cable cord to do the Roamio OTA as it was specific to OTA.

I personally hate the Bolt's physical design. I have to stack my hardware near my TV and the Bolt doesn't play well in that environment with it's "hump."

The TiVo forums seem to indicate some Premier boxes can be used with an antenna and some are cable only. My box has both inputs labeled cable and antenna. I have an antenna in the attic that works great connected to the tv but haven’t connected it and see if it works with the TiVo. The manual isn’t clear, says it may be connected to cable but will require a cable card, which it has. I’m glad to know there are other options if it doesn’t.

The TiVo forums seem to indicate some Premier boxes can be used with an antenna and some are cable only. ...

Yeah, I got curious and plugged my antenna into my Tivo series 5 and it would not work. Apparently there were 3 or 4 different types of Series 5 Tivo's.

I do wish I had gotten the lifetime option. I paid $49 for my TiVo ota but pay the monthly fee. Still cheaper than cable.

Anyone here using a Slingbox with a TiVo?

Our OTA Tivo setup is working great, but I want to be able to send the signal to other TV's, my iMacs and my iPad when I'm away from the house. Looks like the SlingBox M2 will do just that.

My previous cable version of TiVo would do all that, but the new OTA Roamio's do not appear to.

Initially I was going to use a TiVo Stream to send the signal to others TV's in my house, but since TiVo no longer supports the Stream you have to buy them used and the reviews are hit and miss. The other option was to run ethernet cable and I really don't want to deal with that and it won't solve my remote viewing needs.

Wondering if anyone here utilizes a SlingBox M2 with TiVo or another setup to achieve the same results?

I did find the TIVO Premier version 4 works with antenna. It required connecting the antenna, pulling out the cable card and running guided set up. It would not do a channel search to discover the antenna channels without removing the cable card and starting over. Then it asks if you want to set up for antenna only, cable and antenna, or cable only. I went with cable and antenna and at some point it had me reinsert the cable card. I have all the COX channels and 40 or so antenna channels now.

So...like everyone else in this and the other thread, now I'm shopping to find some of the wife's can't miss shows on a streaming service. Five are Discovery, HGTV, TCM, Ion and AMC. Have not found Discovery or Ion, but have found most of the others in various services, just not the same one. I don't think I'm going to get there without staying with COX or maybe Direct TV. I started to sign up for Hulu live TV package last night but there are hundreds of posts on their forum with people having buffering issues with it.

Anyone tried YouTube TV? If so, what did you think? It seems to have a decent channel lineup with quite a bit of sports.

Anyone tried YouTube TV? If so, what did you think? It seems to have a decent channel lineup with quite a bit of sports.

I found a short free trial promotion. I actually think it's was pretty decent. I like the interface better than PS Vue. It is missing some popular channels though (I'm not a sports person so those channels didn't appeal to me). I had no buffering like I did with Sling.

I found a short free trial promotion. I actually think it's was pretty decent. I like the interface better than PS Vue. It is missing some popular channels though (I'm not a sports person so those channels didn't appeal to me). I had no buffering like I did with Sling.

I've seen a couple instances of announcements of channels being added (e.g. TNT) recently.

FYI - there is a pretty good promotion going on right now through DIRECTV NOW - Prepay for only 3 months of service ($35/mo = $105) and get a brand new Apple TV 4K for FREE! ($179 value) (https://www.directvnow.com/appletv).

Plus, there are some other promotions that can be stacked right now - like a Bank Of America $35 rebate, etc.

Good deal if you are in the market for a Apple streaming device for the best price in town - plus you can check out DIRECTV NOW for 3 months.

[QUOTE=BBatesokc;1020608
As for an antenna - I was so glad I didn't have to install one in the attic and run amplified coax lines to each TV. I didn't want one of those flat sheet style antennas you see everywhere that hang on the wall (ugly). I wanted a set-top style antenna that is inconspicuous. I've tried two models - one from GE and one from Monoprice. Both worked well. I settled for the GE model as an open box item on Ebay (bought 7 of them) and they were less than half the price Walmart and Amazon charges.

This GE model works well and is also available locally at Walmart ($35). (https://www.amazon.com/GE-37075-UltraPro-Amplified-Antenna/dp/B071S7GN8P/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1517057420&sr=8-7&keywords=ge+hd+antenna)

Also available 'open box' on Ebay for only $13.50. (https://www.ebay.com/itm/GE-ULTRAPRO-HOVER-HD-250-AMPLIFIED-ANTENNA-BAR-50-MILES-OF-BROADCASTING-SOURCE/112749133113?epid=18004051198&hash=item1a405f3d39:g:aIEAAOSwFO5aV4tG)

This is a similar model that worked for us just as well and is only $14 new (https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=15955)[/QUOTE]

I've found in Stillwater that the cheapest indoor antenna that Wal-Mart sells works good for bringing in all channels except for 62. It's a rabbit ears with small hoop for only $8.88. No amp included. No reception from low powered ones, like 42. Presumably, by actually being within the OKC Metro, it would bring in channel 62, unless located at the bottom of a valley or in a basement. The only other problem with rabbit ears is some may find them an eyesore. You can try to hiding them behind the set, but that results in breaking up reception at my location.

As for those thin and flat antennas, they were no good for getting channel 5 in addition to 62. Hanging it behind the set messed up more channels. I'd advise against them, if you think you can live with rabbit ears while wanting to save money.

For several years after cutting our cable, we had those flat antennas at each TV and my wife finally had enough of that. I invested in one of the Marathon HD antennas and mounted it to the chimney of my house. From there I ran the coax down to the Cox box on the side of the house and tied it into all the Cox cables running from there to all the outlets in my house. It is powerful enough to run all four of our TVs in our house and a fifth on our patio. It picks up every channel available and has excellent strength on each. We love it, and the best thing about it is I don't have to hear my wife complaining about all the cables and antennas everywhere. The Marathon was expensive, but I figured I was saving a ton of money by not paying for cable and it works perfectly.

https://nocable.org/reviews/freesignaltv-marathon-outdoor-antenna

Another option for local channels is the HD Homerun Connect, which accepts an external antenna input and provides two tuners service to your network. You can then receive those streamed channels via their app on any compatible device. The two- tuner model is about $70, and a newer four- tuner model, the Quattro, is about $150. I have a Prime device from them that was supposed to replace my cable boxes, but they are struggling to overcome DRM issues Cox imposes.

I'm considering one of these because I want to get local channels and can integrate a device like this into a whole home DVR setup.

I'm also considering dropping down to the absolute minimal Cox starter package that offers local channels, which are not DRM'd. I can use my existing Homerun Prime device for those channels and then turn in ALL my set top boxes. I'm also looking at Sling Blue plus DVR for the "prime" channels. That would drop my Cox to $125/mo: $99 for 300 mbps Internet service, plus $25/month for starter service, then $25/mo for Sling. I'd be saving about $50/month over my current $200/mo w/Cox.

The thing with dropping down to even the Cox starter is it's not $25, not even close. I might be off a couple cents, but I believe it is $25 PLUS $7.50 local broadcast fee PLUS $8 sports fee. I don't know if the sports fee is charged on the absolute bottom starter package, but I could see Cox charging it and saying they charge everyone. Plus any cablecard charges and I don't know if there are any SDV channels on the starter package, but neither does anyone at Cox, so you'll also need the tuning adapter.

The thing with dropping down to even the Cox starter is it's not $25, not even close. I might be off a couple cents, but I believe it is $25 PLUS $7.50 local broadcast fee PLUS $8 sports fee. I don't know if the sports fee is charged on the absolute bottom starter package, but I could see Cox charging it and saying they charge everyone. Plus any cablecard charges and I don't know if there are any SDV channels on the starter package, but neither does anyone at Cox, so you'll also need the tuning adapter.

To me, this is exactly why it can make sense for some people considering the most basic COX TV package to instead consider dropping to Internet only and then pick a 3rd party streaming service like DirectTV Now or YouTube TV, Sling, ETC.

See what COX basic plus fees and taxes will be to get your total monthly cost.

We are still using our 3-months pre-paid DirectTV Now (for the free Apple TV 4K) and their $35 plan gives us more channels we actually watch than COX basic did for the same price. I think their current plan is $10/mo for three months to give it a try.

The good thing about these streaming services is you can often take advantage of multiple "come try us" offers when your 1st expires by simply using a different email address (some, but not all, also require a different credit or debit card).

Another option for local channels is the HD Homerun Connect, which accepts an external antenna input and provides two tuners service to your network. You can then receive those streamed channels via their app on any compatible device. The two- tuner model is about $70, and a newer four- tuner model, the Quattro, is about $150. I have a Prime device from them that was supposed to replace my cable boxes, but they are struggling to overcome DRM issues Cox imposes.

I'm considering one of these because I want to get local channels and can integrate a device like this into a whole home DVR setup.

I'm also considering dropping down to the absolute minimal Cox starter package that offers local channels, which are not DRM'd. I can use my existing Homerun Prime device for those channels and then turn in ALL my set top boxes. I'm also looking at Sling Blue plus DVR for the "prime" channels. That would drop my Cox to $125/mo: $99 for 300 mbps Internet service, plus $25/month for starter service, then $25/mo for Sling. I'd be saving about $50/month over my current $200/mo w/Cox.

If you want to improve your DVR and TV guide experience you can combined HD Homerun Connect with a media server such as Plex or Emby. I'm using Emby and it seems to be working great on the firesticks so far.

The only issue people would have with this is that you have to a computer to act as a media server which most people don't have laying around. My desktop is sitting in my office acting as the media server.

Of course, you could always just use the HD Homerun Connect app and have it store recorded shows onto a Network Attached Storage.

If you want to improve your DVR and TV guide experience you can combined HD Homerun Connect with a media server such as Plex or Emby. I'm using Emby and it seems to be working great on the firesticks so far.

The only issue people would have with this is that you have to a computer to act as a media server which most people don't have laying around. My desktop is sitting in my office acting as the media server.

Of course, you could always just use the HD Homerun Connect app and have it store recorded shows onto a Network Attached Storage.

My original plan, which I started about two years ago (?), was to do exactly that. I bought Prime 3-tuner box, and got the Cablecard and TA to get ALL the channels I'm paying for. I'd already built a VM to serve as a MythTV backend and EPG frontend for whole-home DVR and scheduled recordings, with all the recordings plopped on a nice, big hard drive and shared out via Myth as DLNA. Everything was great - my basic tests were working *exactly* as I wanted - until I started playing with the "premiums" - and then I noticed that every channel other than the locals were slapped with DRM. So I had this great solution working, but it only worked for local channels. And it was obvious Cox was slapping DRM on all the non-locals to make sure you had to rent their converter boxes. Cox told me this absurd lie that they "had" to put DRM on all their channels by their content providers - and it was a lie because Cox had numerous non-DRM cities where Homeruns (like mine) were working happily. It happened to be a matter of where Cox wanted to apply it, or where they didn't. I had already built two Raspberry PI boxes with OSMC to serve as my front-ends, and an old PS3 media player worked in one room to playback even DRM channels. So I had everything....until...DRM.

So, right now, my Homerun Prime sits primarily as a doorstop. The "Green" HD app worked beautifully on Android until a later Android release broke it, and some legal/internal issues prevented SiliconDust from ever actually "fixing" it. RIght now, their only solution for DRM viewing is Windows 10, and getting the certs/keys to "validate" you have a technology offering a DRM-required "protected path" is a process that costs *thousands*, effectively locking out everyone - but the cable guys. Geez, what an evil, bloodsucking, incestuous, self-perpetuating setup.

Keep this keenly in mind: DRM is the devil. It is a completely superfluous "technology layer" that adds absolutely *nothing* to the legitimate consumer except hassle, expense, and needless aggravation. I would have had a completely workable whole-home cable TV DVR solution without one drop of Cox hardware other than the CC/TA tandem were it not for DRM.

As I just become old and cranky about the notion of sending Cox any more of my money than necessary, I start looking at the minimalist package of local channels only that I already know I can tune with my Prime device. And I can rebuild a DVR setup for things on those local channels - that amounts to building a new VM. And the Sling option gives me the other channels with a "cloud" DVR that isn't what I wanted, but is better than giving Cox more $. But I'll have to see just how "cheap" my bill can get with only the starter layer and none of their equipment (again, other than my TA and CC).

Sorry for going on so long; I relize for most this will be TL/DR, but I've been trying to fight this situation for a while now. We'll see how it goes.

A bit more info: stile99 is right-on: The Cox "starter" package, advertised at $25, is another lie: You get zapped (minimally) with a $7.50 "broadcast fee surcharge," and an additional $2-8 sports broadcasting fee (depending on region). And you'll have to have one minibox converter per TV, at $3/month. So the total gouge factor means the $25 package is actually $39. I suspect you could rent a CableCard and use a third-party tuner, but even that is $3/month, so that's a wash.

FYI - We are only subscribing to COX's Internet at this time. From time-to-time I walk into the COX storefront in Edmond and ask them if there are any promotions going on (they are easier to talk to, more friendly and more open with information). The lady told me about a current promotion; Ultimate Internet (300MB) for the same price as the 100MB plan I am currently on. So, right there she upgraded me to the faster service for the same price I'm paying now ($82/mo)

So, if you have a less than 300MB Internet plan now, you might give this a try. It's a typical 12 month promotion and then you either pay the normal rate, drop back down to your old plan or call (walk in) and ask them to extend the promotion.

I tested it when I got home. Getting 401MB downloading and 32MB uploading.

did you have to get a new modem? I am using an Arris SB 6190 right now for my 100MB plan.

I have whatever one Sam's is selling. Bought it some time ago for about $59 on sale. Clocks in very fast speeds with no issues.

Okay - okay - PLEASE let me beg forgiveness for being That Guy to do an IT nitpick on something here. Please. But I can't help it. It comes with the territory as an IT guy.

The term "MB", with the "B" capitalized, refers to megabytes. A byte is eight bits.. Cox's Internet service is 300 mbps, not MBps. Believe me; if they were truly pushing 300MB downstream they'd be selling it as 2.4Gbps as sure as I like MASH reruns. :) :)

I know, I know, I'm being Anal IT guy. I realize it. Mea culpa in advance. It's an IT adjunct to also being Anal Grammar Nazi Guy, which I have totally suppressed in most social media :)

Okay - okay - PLEASE let me beg forgiveness for being That Guy to do an IT nitpick on something here. Please. But I can't help it. It comes with the territory as an IT guy.

The term "MB", with the "B" capitalized, refers to megabytes. A byte is eight bits.. Cox's Internet service is 300 mbps, not MBps. Believe me; if they were truly pushing 300MB downstream they'd be selling it as 2.4Gbps as sure as I like MASH reruns. :) :)

I know, I know, I'm being Anal IT guy. I realize it. Mea culpa in advance. It's an IT adjunct to also being Anal Grammar Nazi Guy, which I have totally suppressed in most social media :)

SoonerDave,
As a retired IT man (I started in data processing in 1962, retired in 2004) I have known for a long time that the transfer rate is bits per second, but I didn't realize there was a difference based on capitalization. But it really is immaterial since as far as I know that bits per second is all that is sold and the fact is, most folks don't know the difference. What they know is that when streaming (or gaming) it is fast or slow and they make a decision to buy more speed. We used to call speed "baud rate" and I don't know where that came from. I think it's an old communications term but when I first started dialing into my systems at work it was a 300 baud modem, or 300 bits per second. Thanks for the information.
C. T.

SoonerDave,
As a retired IT man (I started in data processing in 1962, retired in 2004) I have known for a long time that the transfer rate is bits per second, but I didn't realize there was a difference based on capitalization. But it really is immaterial since as far as I know that bits per second is all that is sold and the fact is, most folks don't know the difference. What they know is that when streaming (or gaming) it is fast or slow and they make a decision to buy more speed. We used to call speed "baud rate" and I don't know where that came from. I think it's an old communications term but when I first started dialing into my systems at work it was a 300 baud modem, or 300 bits per second. Thanks for the information.
C. T.

Thanks CT. The term "Baud Rate" originated from the French telecom engineer Emile Baudot back in the late 19th century. He invented one of the first digital communication codes, called Baudot codes. The early acoustic couplers and, later, true modems adopted the code and the transfer rate reference. As speeds and transfer modes increased/ changed, the reference more or less outgrew itself...

I dialed into an old 300-baud, 5-line (I think) rotating phone bank into the OU Engineering Computer Network back in the 80's. It fed into a PDP 11/70, and as a commuter student I sure learned to appreciate not having to wait in the basement of Felgar Hall for terminal time. I manually dialed in, over and over (no autodial) to get a line, do my homework, and sometimes even send remote card images to the IBM in the Nuclear lab.... good times lol. I was and am thankful to have learned in what i think is already a bygone golden era in the computing industry. I still envoy writing software, but its surely not the undiscovered country it once was.

i think I caught the very tail end of that era in the mid 90's at ou... we had windows nt workstations in the felgar labs (room 300) and would telnet into dec alpha servers to do our homework in vi and then compile from the command line. good times. i think some of the dec terminals still survived in a dusty corner of a lab in the basement of carson or maybe sarkey's. somebody must have been ex-military as all of the servers were named after aircraft carriers and the huge epson line printers were each named after missile systems. there was still a lab in the felgar basement but it was dedicated to multimedia work with access to a flatbed scanner and a color laser printer... both common now but pretty fancy at the time.

edit: oh... and in the earlier 90's before actually going to ou, i remember accessing their bbs on my parent's blazing fast 2400 baud modem. i still remember the very first file i ever downloaded... a vga game called 'scorched earth' that weighed in at a whopping 640kb. it took all of 45 minutes to download and i had to figure out what to do with an ".arj" file. again, good times.

Waking this thread back up as it seems more appropriate than starting a new one.

So, long story short, earlier this year Dish had some issues, Cox was firm on raising the cable only bill and talked me into a bundle. So I left Dish for Cox, and the nickel and dime fees (they add 40 freaking percent!) are reminding me why I left them (on top of the bad customer service). So it seems my options are Dish (customer service is a joke), Cox (customer service is a joke) or AT&T (customer service is a joke). I'm quite well-versed on the streaming options, my question at this point is if anyone can recommend someone to install a rooftop antenna? I have had very bad luck with the little indoor ones, with the signal for 5 being iffy and it taking a miracle to get 13, with random pixelation on the other channels. I'd really like to get a winegard or a clearstream and get it professionally installed. If I can get it patched into Cox's system to get signal throughout the house, that would be great. I'm really looking to get it on the roof rather than the attic for maximum signal, but if it's a good installer and the attic works, fine. Honestly access to the roof is going to be easier.

So, there's the question. Can anyone recommend a GOOD professional installer? (If the response is "just do it yourself", you just volunteered, I ain't getting on the roof). If I can't find a good person to do it, it seems the Amazon installers get good reviews, but that's nationwide. I've no idea who their local people are or if they are any good, and the problem there is the quoted price is to connect to the tv or set top box. I don't want some joker padding the install a hundred bucks just to patch it into the existing wiring from Cox, which would be easier anyway.

Waking this thread back up as it seems more appropriate than starting a new one.

So, long story short, earlier this year Dish had some issues, Cox was firm on raising the cable only bill and talked me into a bundle. So I left Dish for Cox, and the nickel and dime fees (they add 40 freaking percent!) are reminding me why I left them (on top of the bad customer service). So it seems my options are Dish (customer service is a joke), Cox (customer service is a joke) or AT&T (customer service is a joke). I'm quite well-versed on the streaming options, my question at this point is if anyone can recommend someone to install a rooftop antenna? I have had very bad luck with the little indoor ones, with the signal for 5 being iffy and it taking a miracle to get 13, with random pixelation on the other channels. I'd really like to get a winegard or a clearstream and get it professionally installed. If I can get it patched into Cox's system to get signal throughout the house, that would be great. I'm really looking to get it on the roof rather than the attic for maximum signal, but if it's a good installer and the attic works, fine. Honestly access to the roof is going to be easier.

So, there's the question. Can anyone recommend a GOOD professional installer? (If the response is "just do it yourself", you just volunteered, I ain't getting on the roof). If I can't find a good person to do it, it seems the Amazon installers get good reviews, but that's nationwide. I've no idea who their local people are or if they are any good, and the problem there is the quoted price is to connect to the tv or set top box. I don't want some joker padding the install a hundred bucks just to patch it into the existing wiring from Cox, which would be easier anyway.

I had an old satellite dish that I removed, installed an outdoor antenna I bought off amazon on the dish mount, and used the cable running to the dish to patch the antenna into the Cox’s cable splitter and boom, antenna to all my TVs. The only issue I’ve had is with signal strength at times. Im downtown so I’m very close to most of the broadcast antennas and my antenna came with a small amplifier but it seems that splitting to 5 TVs causes some signal loss even with the amp. I’m thinking about replacing the cox splitter with an amplified one or replacing the old cable from the dish with a newer one that may be less susceptible to signal loss (my coax cable is probably 20 years old). That being said, KFOR and KWTV modifies their broadcast signals a few weeks ago and I’ve had almost zero signal issues since rescanning my TVs after that.

All of that to say, if you have a sattellite dish that isn’t too high up the roof and easy access to the cable splitter (might have to call cox to have them unlock it for you, I did), you might just try ordering an outdoor antenna, replacing the dish with it, run the cable to your cable splitter and see what kind of results you get. I have a basement so rerouting the cabling was pretty easy so it just depends on how your system is wired. If your dish is at the peak of your roof and you can’t easily access it....disregard haha.

Hmmm. That might be an option, the old dish is at the edge of the roof, could probably get there with just a ladder, not even have to get on the roof. I made Dish install their own lines (although in a couple rooms they did re-use the existing Cox outlet, just rewired it for their stuff) so it's already got a network built in. Thanks!

I was fortunate enough to find out that Synergy Datacom (around 4th and Classen/Western) carries high quality signal boosters and other support items for Over The Air television. I wound up with about 8 drops and 300 ft of cable running all over the shop through the years, and signal strength became a major problem.

I recall reading somewhere that the channel 5 signal is always a challenge, due to it's place in the spectrum, or somesuch.

I think channel 5 has a directional signal to protect some other station. I've found the more expensive of the two indoor amplified bar antennas from Wal-Mart gets channel 5 good.

Most of the OTA TV stations in OKC broadcast on UHF frequencies, but channels 5 (KOCO) and 13 (OETA) broadcast on VHF frequencies instead. Most modern TV antennas perform best with UHF frequencies and don't work well (or at all) with VHF signals. To reliably receive channels 5 and 13, you must have an antenna capable of receiving both VHF and UHF signals.

Wal-Mart's more expensive indoor bar antenna gets channel 13, too. Unless in a basement, I doubt most metro residents have much trouble getting all channels with most indoor antennas.

I also think KOCO has a directional signal to protect either or both of KWSO in Lawton and a station in Wichita Falls.

I have been very interested in looking at an attic-mount OTA antenna that I could run to a network streaming device, such as a Silicon Dust HDHomerun Connect, that would then let me get local signals on devices without tuners (an increasing trend).

I have both HD Homerun Connect and Plex. They both do a good job letting me watch Over The Air TV on different devices. I do not use the HD Homerun to DVR. Rather, I use the Plex for that.

I also think KOCO has a directional signal to protect either or both of KWSO in Lawton and a station in Wichita Falls.

I have been very interested in looking at an attic-mount OTA antenna that I could run to a network streaming device, such as a Silicon Dust HDHomerun Connect, that would then let me get local signals on devices without tuners (an increasing trend).

This used to be correct, but the situation has since changed. I found this post from 2010:


Eyewitness News 5 has received a new digital antenna to help improve its over-the-air signal.

The state-of-the-art antenna stands nearly 1,500 feet high and uses an omni-directional, multi-polar signal that should help viewers tune in KOCO-TV better.

Construction crews will take the old analog antenna down from the tower and replace it with the new one over the next few weeks.

This means KOCO is no longer using a directional signal. KSWO (broadcasting out of Grandfield, OK, near the TX-OK border) used to operate on Channel 7 (the actual RF channel that KOCO broadcasts on), but they moved to Channel 11 in 2009, right before KOCO replaced their broadcast antenna. A report from TVFool shows no other transmitters in the state of Oklahoma or in the Wichita Falls area that operate on Channel 7 that would require protection from KOCO's signal.

Ditto on why channel 5 comes in less strong in outlying areas. On the S meter here channel 5 has 2-3 bars out of 10, while channel 4 has 8.

So...I dropped Cox TV back at the middle of summer. I had installed an antenna in the attic a few years ago and then we backed out of using it. But it's working, except for issues bringing in ABC. I can adjust my antenna and get FOX clearly and not ABC, or the other way around. I ordered a booster but haven't installed it yet.

But the reason for resurrecting this thread...DVRs for antenna only. (I don't think we'll be going back to cable anytime soon.) I have a TIVO Premier with a lifetime license that is still working fine and works with the antenna. I want a DVR for another room, or a way to watch recorded programs in another room. Amazon TV Firecast and a fire stick for each TV? Any other recommendations for antenna only DVR?

https://www.amazon.com/Fire-TV-Recast-over-the-air-DVR-500GB-75-hours/dp/B01J6A6H74/ref=pd_cart_vw_crc_1_3/134-3049531-2058515?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01J6A6H74&pd_rd_r=a0cab9e1-d63a-45fd-9f05-50d2379f8bbc&pd_rd_w=TwQyE&pd_rd_wg=dhjw9&pf_rd_p=aa9f3def-b8ac-4b15-aa4b-c6a8313c2f5e&pf_rd_r=XK6E78D08NT7SA364490&psc=1&refRID=XK6E78D08NT7SA364490

You can build a perfectly usable media player from a stock Raspberry Pi box running OSMC that has its own version of Kodi. I've got two of them and I don't think I paid more than maybe $25-30 each, along with a FLIRC IR remote receiver. My prices are a little old, but if you just want to stream DVR recordings from a NAS or SMB share, that'll serve such a purpose very well. Connect them to your TV vida HDMI and you can use HDMI-CEC to use your TV remote to control it.

Alternatively, you could consider a Silicon Dust HD Homerun Quattro four-channel network OTA tuner with its own DVR capability, then play back your recordings on any compatible device on your network.

So...I dropped Cox TV back at the middle of summer. I had installed an antenna in the attic a few years ago and then we backed out of using it. But it's working, except for issues bringing in ABC. I can adjust my antenna and get FOX clearly and not ABC, or the other way around. I ordered a booster but haven't installed it yet.

But the reason for resurrecting this thread...DVRs for antenna only. (I don't think we'll be going back to cable anytime soon.) I have a TIVO Premier with a lifetime license that is still working fine and works with the antenna. I want a DVR for another room, or a way to watch recorded programs in another room. Amazon TV Firecast and a fire stick for each TV? Any other recommendations for antenna only DVR?

https://www.amazon.com/Fire-TV-Recast-over-the-air-DVR-500GB-75-hours/dp/B01J6A6H74/ref=pd_cart_vw_crc_1_3/134-3049531-2058515?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01J6A6H74&pd_rd_r=a0cab9e1-d63a-45fd-9f05-50d2379f8bbc&pd_rd_w=TwQyE&pd_rd_wg=dhjw9&pf_rd_p=aa9f3def-b8ac-4b15-aa4b-c6a8313c2f5e&pf_rd_r=XK6E78D08NT7SA364490&psc=1&refRID=XK6E78D08NT7SA364490

We cut cable a long time ago. We currently have Apple TV's in every room and a Tivo in the living room. The Tivo can send it's signal to our bedroom or my office (via a smaller Tivo add-on box) or our phones/tablets. I can schedule/watch recording remotely and even watch live anything the Tivo can pick up. Works great. I think we paid about $80 each on sale to extend our Tivo to two additional rooms.

TIVO route, I'd have to start completely over, as none of my TVs are Apple TVs. They make a box to put at the TV end but it isn't compatible with my existing TIVO, I'm one series older. When my largest TV needs replacing I'll get an Apple TV. It's getting old but still working well at the moment. TIVO is old as well, so I might be replacing it soon too. It's a lifetime license. They sometimes run sales where you can roll that over to a new box for $100.

Looks like the Silicon Dust HD Homerun Quattro might be the best option for now. Thanks for the recommendations.

I am looking at replacing our cheap TV antenna to a more powerful one. My question is what is the best way to hook up multiple TVs to the one antenna?

I am looking at replacing our cheap TV antenna to a more powerful one. My question is what is the best way to hook up multiple TVs to the one antenna?

Do you have existing cable to rooms in your house? If so just connect the antenna to the the cable infrastructure and use them.

This is tricky if you are using the cable lines for internet. In that case a HD Homerun is nice.

Do you have existing cable to rooms in your house? If so just connect the antenna to the the cable infrastructure and use them.

This is tricky if you are using the cable lines for internet. In that case a HD Homerun is nice.

We tried that route. Problem was, there was way too much cable going to to too many outlets and it degraded the signal too much. So we had to do shorter runs and to the specific outlets we wanted to use. We also bought a signal booster.

Like mkjeeves described, I have trouble with my antenna getting a clear signal from all networks at the same time. I’m always having to move it. Also, the subchannels are a big hit and miss for me. I watch MeTV, Justice, CourtTV, and sometimes get some of the others and sometimes not. It’s really tempting to get that Cox $25 package with local channels. It would almost be worth it just for perfect reception of all networks, and all subchannels. Grrrr

Like mkjeeves described, I have trouble with my antenna getting a clear signal from all networks at the same time. I’m always having to move it. Also, the subchannels are a big hit and miss for me. I watch MeTV, Justice, CourtTV, and sometimes get some of the others and sometimes not. It’s really tempting to get that Cox $25 package with local channels. It would almost be worth it just for perfect reception of all networks, and all subchannels. Grrrr

There is at least one other option to getting cable, you can install a second or even third antenna pointed at other towers and use a combiner to combine the two signals. My attic antenna goes into a four way splitter right off the antenna. I have no idea how my house is wired from there, and there is other wiring under the house where cable comes in, and a powered splitter there too. '50s house, many modifications over the years. I'm going to replace the splitter in the attic with a powered distribution block and see if that fixes the problem. If not, I'll probably put an antenna outside higher up and see what that does.

But, I also have LAN cable drops I installed to several places in the house, including media areas, so I might put a new antenna on the outside of the house, connected straight to the Silicon Dust HD Homerun Quattro I just ordered and use my LAN for signal everywhere, which would bypass all the coax, splitters and stuff. Could also use wifi for other new locations. We'll see how it goes.