Good news and bad about HD in my area (1 Viewer)

I've been holding off getting an hdtv until Cox started offering HD in my area. Well, it's finally coming this summer. Of course, now I find out that we are one the markets that will have to purchase an STB to get HD. Admittedly, I used to work for Cox, and I would stick up for them whenever anyone complained about them, but this is just a monumentally stupid idea, I think.


So, to everyone else out there who has to purchase their STB, do you regret it, or should I go with satellite, since I'm going to have to purchase equipment anyway. I'm not a big fan of satellite and would prefer not going that route, but I might have to.

I'm the same boat as you, Steve. Cox of Fairfax (VA) has leased me an STB since October but, according to their website, that will end on July 1, 2003. Then I'll have to buy it. Any feel for how much it'll cost? My sense is that if I'm forced to buy, I'll buy a regular STB (DSS isn't an option where I live). I'll lose HBO-HD and Discovery HD Theater, but, with any luck, I'll gain CBS, the WB and PBS in High-Def -- a worthwhile trade-off.

I know there are others here who have actually already had to purchase one who might know for sure, but I think the price is either $400 or $500. Not any cheaper than any other STB. You would think if they are going to make us purchase a box to watch their signal, they would at least give us a deal on the price. I still know some people who work there, I'll try to get some more info. You might also ask your local office who will be selling the boxes for them, that way you can ask the store directly. My understanding is that you won't purchase from the Cox office, but from a local store. I think Best Buy has even partnered to sell the boxes in some regions. I was talking to someone at one of the local high end shops and he was saying his store was going to be the exclusive retailer for the cable STB's, which is how I found out about the roll out this summer.

I just got off the phone with Cox of Fairfax and in turns out that people, like me, who already have their HDTV service will be allowed to continue leasing the box -- $9.99 a month -- until December 2005. People signing up for HDTV after 7/7/2003 will be in the same position that you are unfortunately in: having to buy the darn things. It wouldn't be so bad if, as you said (a) they cut people a price break and (b) you could use to decode over-the-air signals from stations that Cox doesn't transmit: in my case, the ones I mentioned above. I might actually buy the thing under those conditions.

I asked the Cox rep if the goal was to drive people to DSS, since as Cox's ads so famously proclaim, the "advantage" of digital cable is that you don't have to purchase the equipment. Well, now you do.

Steve,

Where in TX are you?

Gotta love Cox of Fairfax. Moves like Molassas to upgrade the area (They are finally upgrading my community in Burke to digital, a year and a half after I had gotten upgraded in my old place in Annandale.), and now they want to SELL HDTV boxes? I wasn't going to sign up for it anyways, since I get good OTA reception right now anyways, but man, they really don't want people to sign up, do they? I mean, it might be worth it if they actually had some content, but I think all they are offering is ABC, NBC (Which I get already), HBO HD (which I wouldn't buy, since I don't do premium channels), and Discovery HD. Not worth it.

Jason