COX Contour User manual

©2014 Cox Communications, Inc.
User’s Manual | Version 2.2.1 | Updated: 10/14
Contour
Program guide

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Contour Program Guide User’s Manual
Copyright © 2008-2014 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
The information in this document is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should
not be construed as a commitment by Cox Communications, Inc. Cox Communications, Inc. assumes no responsibility
or liability for any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies that may appear in this document, makes no warranty of any kind
with respect to this publication, and expressly disclaims any all warranties of merchantability, fitness for particular pur-
poses, and non-infringement of third party rights. This document and the software described in it are furnished under
license and may only be used or copied in accordance with the terms of such license.
Cox® and Contour are trademarks of Cox Communications, Inc. that may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other
products or name brands are trademarks of their respective holders.

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Contents
Chapter 1: Your Contour Program Guide .................... 8
A Visual Orientation to Cards .......................................................................................9
Navigational Clues......................................................................................................... 11
About the Remote Control ...........................................................................................16
About This Book.............................................................................................................17
Chapter 2: Getting Started.......................................... 18
Watch Live Television ....................................................................................................19
Change Channels ..........................................................................................................19
View Basic Program Information..................................................................................19
View Detailed Program Information ............................................................................19
Open the Main Menu ....................................................................................................20
Open the Actions Menu................................................................................................20
Switch Users ................................................................................................................... 21
Chapter 3: Guide......................................................... 22
Using the Guide......................................................................................23
Launch the Guide ..........................................................................................................23
Change Guide Views.....................................................................................................23
Notes About Grid View ................................................................................................. 24
Find Programs Playing on a Specific Date and Time.................................................24
Use the Guide to Find Available Channels................................................................. 24
Use the Guide to Find Available Programs.................................................................25
Get More Information....................................................................................................25
Watch a Program or Channel .......................................................................................25
Scroll Through the Guide.............................................................................................. 26
Exit the Guide................................................................................................................. 26
Browse Related Programs.....................................................................27
Browse Cast & Crew ......................................................................................................27
Browse Related Genre ..................................................................................................28
Watch Another Episode................................................................................................ 28
Browse Related Series................................................................................................... 29
About Info Banners and Channel Banners .........................................30
See Channel Banners While Watching Live Television .............................................30
See Info Banners While Watching Live Television .....................................................30
Switch Programs from Info Banners ............................................................................30
Change Channels from Info Banners .......................................................................... 30
See Info Banners While Watching On DEMAND....................................................... 31
Banner Icons................................................................................................................... 31

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Close Info Banners.........................................................................................................32
Service Messages .......................................................................................................... 32
Chapter 4: On DEMAND ............................................. 33
Using On DEMAND ...............................................................................34
Launch On DEMAND .................................................................................................... 34
Restrict On DEMAND .................................................................................................... 34
Browse On DEMAND....................................................................................................35
View Purchase and Other Program Information ........................................................ 35
Watch Free On DEMAND Programs............................................................................36
Purchase On DEMAND Programs................................................................................ 36
Notes on Subscription Channels ................................................................................. 36
Watch Preview ................................................................................................................37
Get More Information....................................................................................................37
Search On DEMAND..................................................................................................... 37
Browse Movie Posters ...................................................................................................37
Use Play, Pause, Stop, Fast Forward and Rewind ...................................................... 38
Use Instant Replay..........................................................................................................38
Exit On DEMAND...........................................................................................................38
Return to Other Episodes or Programs within a Category ....................................... 39
Return to Recently Viewed Programs .......................................................................... 39
Chapter 5: DVR............................................................ 40
DVRs Offered By Cox.............................................................................41
About Your Dual Tuner DVR ........................................................................................41
About Your Record 6 DVR ...........................................................................................41
Using the DVR.........................................................................................41
Scan a Live Program .....................................................................................................41
Use the RECORD Button .............................................................................................. 42
Record Programs from the
Contour Program Guide ............................................................................................... 43
Record a Program .......................................................................................................... 43
Record a Series ..............................................................................................................45
Set a Manual Recording................................................................................................46
Notes About Manual Recordings.................................................................................47
Notes on Start & End Times..........................................................................................48
Confirm a Recording ..................................................................................................... 48
Recording Icons .............................................................................................................48
About Recording Alerts ................................................................................................49
DVR List Views ........................................................................................51
Watch a Recorded Program..........................................................................................52

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A Note About Folders ...................................................................................................53
Recorded Program Icons .............................................................................................. 53
A Note About Auto-Clipping of Series Episodes ......................................................53
Scan a Recorded Program ............................................................................................ 54
Use Instant Replay..........................................................................................................55
Delete Recorded Programs .......................................................................................... 55
Get Details About a Recording ...................................................................................56
Browse Related ..............................................................................................................56
Manage Scheduled Recordings ...........................................................57
Change Recording Options for a Single Program.....................................................57
Change Options for a Manual Recording................................................................... 58
Cancel a Scheduled Recording....................................................................................58
Manage Series Recordings ...................................................................59
Change Series Recording Options.............................................................................. 59
A Note About Record To Option for Series Recordings ........................................... 60
Change Series Priority...................................................................................................60
Cancel a Series Recording............................................................................................61
Delete All Programs from a Series Recording............................................................ 61
See Your Missed Recordings........................................................................................62
Remote DVR Scheduling.......................................................................62
Chapter 6: Whole Home DVR...................................... 63
Multiple DVR Support............................................................................64
DVR Network Status....................................................................................................... 64
Naming of DVRs............................................................................................................. 65
Setting Default DVR....................................................................................................... 65
Notes About Multiple Whole
Home DVRs.....................................................................................................................65
Watch a Recorded Program..................................................................65
Pausing Live TV on Non-DVR Receivers..............................................66
Notes About Pausing Live TV on Non-DVR Receivers............................................... 66
Watching DVR Recordings on DLNA
Premium Video Certified®Products .....................................................67
Chapter 7: Recommendations .................................... 68
Getting to Recommendations......................................................................................68
Personalized Recommendations Notice..................................................................... 69
Browsing through Recommendations ........................................................................ 69
On Now...........................................................................................................................69
Later Today .....................................................................................................................69
Next Days........................................................................................................................ 70

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Recommended For You ................................................................................................70
Liking/Disliking Programs............................................................................................. 70
Ignore Recommendation..............................................................................................70
Chapter 8: Interactive Services ................................... 71
Launch Interactive Services ..........................................................................................72
Use Phone Tools.............................................................................................................72
See Calls You Missed.....................................................................................................72
See Who Is Calling......................................................................................................... 73
Watch Zone Channels ................................................................................................... 73
Listen to Music with Pandora®....................................................................................... 75
Activate Pandora on Contour Receiver .......................................................................75
Create New Stations...................................................................................................... 76
Delete a Station..............................................................................................................76
Listen to Music................................................................................................................77
Give Thumbs Up or Down ............................................................................................ 77
Bookmark a Track........................................................................................................... 78
Sign Out of Pandora......................................................................................................78
Exit Pandora.................................................................................................................... 78
Watch Music Videos from Music Choice.....................................................................79
Use Play, Pause, Stop, Fast Forward and Rewind .......................................................79
Use Instant Replay..........................................................................................................80
Exit Music Choice........................................................................................................... 80
Chapter 9: Customer Support ..................................... 81
Access Customer Support............................................................................................ 81
Get Answers to Technical Questions...........................................................................81
Receiver Test................................................................................................................... 82
View the Receiver Test Report...................................................................................... 83
View the Use Agreement ............................................................................................. 83
View the Cox Privacy Policy...........................................................................................83
Chapter 10: Search...................................................... 84
Start a Search..................................................................................................................84
Search for Programs ......................................................................................................84
Notes on Using the On-Screen Keyboard ..................................................................86
Search for Programs up to 14DaysAhead.................................................................86
Save Searches ................................................................................................................87
Chapter 11: Settings ................................................... 88
Users.........................................................................................................89
Add New User................................................................................................................ 89
Set Current User............................................................................................................. 90

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Edit User..........................................................................................................................90
Delete User..................................................................................................................... 91
Parental Controls and Program Ratings ..............................................92
Set a Parental Control PIN.............................................................................................92
Edit Parental Control PIN ..............................................................................................93
Set a Purchase PIN .........................................................................................................93
Restrict Access to Programming ..................................................................................93
Temporarily Unlock........................................................................................................ 94
Lock Channels ................................................................................................................ 94
Lock Ratings.................................................................................................................... 95
Lock Content Advisories ............................................................................................... 95
Lock Times ......................................................................................................................96
Block Titles...................................................................................................................... 96
Lock Recordings.............................................................................................................97
Lock Purchases............................................................................................................... 97
Lock Services.................................................................................................................. 98
Lock Users.......................................................................................................................98
Channels ..................................................................................................99
Set Favorite Channels....................................................................................................99
Set Skipped Channels................................................................................................... 100
Set Power On Channel ..................................................................................................100
Guide Options ........................................................................................101
Set Default View.............................................................................................................101
Control Search and Browse Related............................................................................102
Control Recommendations...........................................................................................102
Notes About Recommendations .................................................................................103
Edit Banner Duration..................................................................................................... 103
Switch Keyboards ..........................................................................................................104
Add Closed Captioning................................................................................................104
Set Closed Captioning Status ......................................................................................105
Set Closed Captioning Status Using the CC Button.................................................. 105
Set Analog Service.........................................................................................................105
Set Digital Service.......................................................................................................... 105
Set Text Style................................................................................................................... 106
Set Text Size....................................................................................................................106
Set Text Color .................................................................................................................106
Set Text Opacity .............................................................................................................107
Set Text Character Edge................................................................................................107
Set Background Color................................................................................................... 107
Set Background Opacity...............................................................................................108

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Set Closed Captioning Window Color........................................................................108
Set Closed Captioning Window Opacity.................................................................... 108
Set the Guide Language............................................................................................... 109
Set the Guide Text Size.................................................................................................. 110
Set the Guide Aspect Ratio...........................................................................................110
Turn Guide Animation On or Off .................................................................................110
Audio & Video.........................................................................................111
Run Quick Setup Wizard ...............................................................................................111
Set Volume Level............................................................................................................114
Set Analog Output.........................................................................................................114
Set Digital Output.......................................................................................................... 115
Set Audio Language...................................................................................................... 115
Set Dynamic Range .......................................................................................................116
Set Video Output Format.............................................................................................. 116
Timers.......................................................................................................118
Set Sleep Timer ..............................................................................................................118
Set Power On.................................................................................................................. 118
Set Power Off.................................................................................................................. 119
Receivers..................................................................................................121
AC Outlet ........................................................................................................................ 121
Front Panel Display Options ......................................................................................... 121
DVR Network .................................................................................................................. 122
Change Receiver Name ................................................................................................ 122
A Note About Change ReceiverName....................................................................... 122
Change Network Status ................................................................................................ 123
View DVR Network......................................................................................................... 124
Set Default DVR..............................................................................................................124
A Note About Set Default DVR..................................................................................... 124
Turn Pause Live TV On or Off........................................................................................125
A Note About Pause Live TV.........................................................................................125
Power Manager for Energy Efficiency .........................................................................126
Front Panel Status ..........................................................................................................126
Chapter 12: Pay-Per-View ........................................... 127
Purchase Pay-Per-View Programming from the Guide .............................................. 128
PPV Countdown Timer ..................................................................................................129
Search PPV Content.......................................................................................................129
Cancel a PPV Purchase.................................................................................................. 129

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Chapter 13: Error Messages........................................ 130
Subscription ............................................................................................130
DVR...........................................................................................................131
Services....................................................................................................132
Pay-Per-View............................................................................................132
Guide........................................................................................................134
On DEMAND...........................................................................................134
Interactive Services ................................................................................136
Receiver Test ...........................................................................................137

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Chapter 1: Your Contour Program Guide
Welcome to your new Contour Program Guide. The consistent look and feel is designed to work specifically with
High Definition televisions and the way you watch TV. New features and simplified navigation make it easier to find
the programming you want when you want it – whether it’s live, On DEMAND or recorded to a DVR.
The starting point for everything in the Contour Program Guide is the Main Menu, which is launched by pressing the
MENU button or the LEFT or RIGHT arrow on the remote control. From there, you can browse the TV listings or
On DEMAND, search for programs or change the guide’s settings.
Once in the Contour Program Guide, navigating your choices – from watching a program to personalizing the settings –
is incredibly consistent. It’s as simple as pressing the UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. The only other remote control
buttons required for seamlessly navigating all areas of the Contour Program Guide are the SELECT, A, B, C and EXIT
buttons.
We’ve also added a number of shortcut buttons to the remote control. The GUIDE, ON DEMAND and SETTINGS buttons
take you directly to the TV listings, On DEMAND program choices and settings, respectively, without going through the
Main Menu.
You can also browse channel listings without leaving the show you are watching by pressing the INFO button on the
remote control. An INFO Banner will appear across the bottom of the screen that lets you find out what is playing
on other channels or later in the day. Simply press the UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT arrows to navigate. For more
information on INFO Banners, turn to Chapter 3.
You can Change Guide Views with the Contour Program Guide. From within the guide, pressing the GUIDE button will
switch the listings from List View to Grid View. Pressing GUIDE repeatedly will let you see Theme-based programs, HD
channels, Favorite Channels and eventually returns you to live television. Turn to Chapter 3 for more information on this
feature.
The Contour Program Guide features a Universal Search function that lets you run one search to quickly find all the
programming available through TV, On DEMAND, Pay-Per-View and even items saved to your DVR, if one is connected.
In addition to traditional title searches, you can search for new programs by keyword or by your favorite actors or
directors. Searches can be saved and re-used to find new content as it becomes available. To learn more about using
Universal Search, turn to Chapter 9.
The new Browse Related feature is a powerful way to look for new programs that might interest you based on the
programs you already watch. Beginning with a program, genre, actor or director, this function finds other shows and
movies that fall into the same category or feature the same cast or crew members. To learn more about using Browse
Related, turn to Chapter 2.
To make browsing On DEMAND seem more like a trip to the video store, we have added a new feature that lets you
Browse Movie Posters. With the press of a button, On DEMAND can switch from an ordinary list of available movies
to a view of the posters or cover art that came with the movie’s release. See Chapter 4 for more information about On
DEMAND.
Each family member can personalize their TV watching—from setting a personal list of favorite channels to customizing
certain features of the guide—with the new Users feature. For more information on setting user profiles and other
settings, see Chapter 11.

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In the image below, the Channels Card on the left shows available channels, the Programs Card in the center shows
upcoming programs, and the Summary Card on the right gives a brief description of the highlighted show. In this
image, the Channels Card is in focus. It’s a little darker and has the yellow highlight bar over channel 703.
Moving from one card to the next is very simple. Use the
RIGHT and LEFT arrows to move between cards. Every time
you press one of these arrows, a new card will come into
focus. The card will become a little darker and the yellow
highlight bar will appear at the top of the list on that card.
Use the UP and DOWN arrows or PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN
buttons to scroll through the information on any specific card.
On most cards, the SELECT button works just like the RIGHT
arrow.
As you move through the cards, using the arrow buttons to
make your choices, you will see a second screen. Notice the
Summary Card has moved to the right side of the screen.
Thecard in the center is called the Actions Card. It lets you
tune to your program or perform other functions such as
watch a program preview. In the image below, the Actions
Card is in focus and the highlight bar is over Watch Now.
Card on the Left
In this document, we call cards by
the information they show so in this
image is the Channels Card.
Card in the Center
In this image, this is the Programs
Card. Use the arrows to get to this
card and select a program.
Card on the Right
In this image, this is the Summary
Card. No functions are available
on the Summary Card.
A Visual Orientation to Cards
To get you to your programming faster, the new Contour Program Guide puts program information into columns,
called cards. Each screen has three cards. Most cards contain a list of channels, program titles or similar information.
Other cards offer information such as instruction or program summaries. Throughout this guide, we have defined cards
by the kind of information it contains – channels, programs or action items – or by its position on the screen – left,
center or right.

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Card on the Left
When you select a program, the card set
shifts to the left, revealing a new card set.
This is the Summary Card.
Card on the Center
The new center card is the Actions Card,
where you can tune to your program.
Card on the Right
In this image, this is the
Instructions Card. It offers
instructions or other messages.

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Navigational Clues
The Contour Program Guide offers a number of visual clues to help you move easily between screens and through
the lists.
Carets signal when there are more cards to the left or right. Pressing the RIGHT arrow will reveal the next set of cards
to the right until you reach the final card. Pressing the LEFT arrow will reveal the cards to the left, or the Main Menu,
depending on where you are in the Guide.
Carets show when you can move to the left or the right.

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Carets are also used in long lists — such as channels or programs — to indicate that there is more information above or
below. These carets only appear when the card is in focus – when the card’s color is slightly darker and the yellow highlight
bar is present. Use the UP or DOWN arrows or the PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN buttons to scroll through long lists.
Carets show when you can move up and down in long lists.

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Arrows in the yellow highlight bar let you know that you can move up or down in the list, and right or left between cards.
Use the UP and DOWN arrows to scroll through lists and the RIGHT and LEFT arrows to move between cards.
Arrows on and around the highlight bar show when you can move
up and down in lists as well as right and left between cards.

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When an item is actionable – choosing a program or changing a setting – the right end of the yellow highlight bar will
show a SEL button. Press SELECT to confirm, or UP or DOWN arrows to move to the next choice in the list. A black dot
or check mark will appear at the left end of the yellow highlight bar when SELECT is pressed, indicating your choice has
been registered.
Actionable items have a SEL button at the end of the highlight bar.
A black dot, or a check mark in some cases, indicates the selected choice.

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With the Contour Program Guide, you can browse, search, flag and record programs up to 14 days in the future. When
looking for programs available in the future, there are several on-screen clues to help you see the day and date a
program is scheduled to air.
There are multiple places to find out when the program will air.

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LIVE
Returns to live television
VIDEO NAVIGATION
Scan a recorded or live program
with Play, Fast Forward, Rewind,
Instant Replay, Pause, and Stop
SELECT
Selects the highlighted item
PAGE + -
Scrolls any menu up
or down one page
A, B, C, D
Provides options (A),
Confirms options (B), and
Closes windows (C)
GUIDE
Opens the Guide
with one push
SETTINGS
Opens the Settings menu
COX MENU
Opens the Main
Menu with one push
LAST
Returns to the last channel or
last Guide screen viewed
Number Pad
Enter channel numbers and PIN
directly into the remote control
POWER
Turns on or off the television,
cable receiver, DVD player or
other component
USER
Switch between different users
HD ZOOM
Zoom and stretch video
INFO
Get more information about
programs
DVR LIST
One touch access to
recorded programs
RECORD
Records the highlighted
program with one push
FAV
Tune to favorite channels
LIGHT
Turns on backlighting
EXIT
Exits the current screen
ON DEMAND
One touch access to
On DEMAND
CC
Turns on or off closed
captions
About the Remote Control
The image below shows a Cox remote and highlights the buttons that are discussed in this guide. Your remote control
may appear differently, but button functions remain the same.
Though your remote may include buttons for Picture-in-Picture, the new Contour program guide does not
offer this particular feature.

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About This Book
This manual will help you get started using the Contour Program Guide. It includes instructions for:
• Using the Remote Control
• Tuning to Programs
• Launching and Using the Guide
• Browsing Related Programs
• Displaying the Info and Channel Banners
• Using On DEMAND
• Searching for Programs
• Setting User Profiles
• Using Parental Controls
• Changing Other Settings

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Chapter 2: Getting Started
This Chapter discusses ways to find channels and programs, watch live television, learn more
about the program you are watching, change channels and open the Main Menu.