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Cox Communications vs. WOW! Television plan comparison


Headshot of Kathryn Casna
Researched by
Kathryn CasnaSenior Staff Writer
Headshot of Bri Field
Reviewed by
Bri FieldAssigning Editor
Updated 2/7/23

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Cox
Staff rating
3.2
Customer rating
4.2
(40)

  • Plans starting at $20.00
  • 250+ channels
WOW! brand
Staff rating
3.1
Customer rating
4.0
(2)

  • Plans starting at $9.99
  • n/a channels
Cox
Staff rating
3.2

Good for bundling and premium channels, but not the best standalone value

Cox Communications is one of the most expensive cable TV providers on the market, especially when you consider all the hidden costs. But if you want sports and premium channels, have only one TV, and bundle with internet and other services, this provider could make sense for you.

What we like

  • Large number of premium channels
  • Tiered DVR storage and recording
  • Searches streaming apps too
What we don't like

  • Pricey plans and hidden costs
  • Padded channel lineup
  • No free DVR storage
WOW! brand
Staff rating
3.1

Easy cord-cutting, limited DVR

WOW! (short for Wide Open West) offers a compelling case for switching to internet-based TV. You get a solid channel lineup at a great rate, all using top-notch Wi-Fi gear from eero—provided you’re willing to have a chillier relationship with your DVR and you don’t mind beta-testing the WOW! tv+ app.

What we like

  • Low prices
  • Top-notch Wi-Fi gear
  • Good sports lineup
What we dislike

  • Meager DVR features
  • Low-rated streaming apps
  • Limited availability
Cox
Value
2.0
A padded TV lineup makes this already expensive provider less appealing

Cox Communications has two types of plans. Cox TV includes live TV and on-demand TV. Cox Contour adds the ability to connect streaming apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime to your TV and search their content using a remote. All plans come with a one- or two-year contract, after which you’ll be on month-to-month pricing, which is around $15/month more.

Although it looks like Cox has a ton of channels, its lineup (which varies by plan and location) is padded with up to 50 music channels. (1) Other than that, Cox delivers a decent—but not outstanding—channel lineup, and it’ll cost you more than other companies. You’ll get the most bang for your buck (and some sweet premium channels) with the Ultimate plan, but a Premium plan has plenty of channels for most people and the option to add inexpensive premium channels à la carte, which range from $5-$15 per. We don’t generally recommend the Starter plan because you can get most of its channels for free with an HD antenna, though its signal is less reliable than the coax TV that Cox provides.

WOW! brand
Value
4.0
Solid lineups at great prices

With WOW! tv+, you can watch live TV or on-demand content, record your favorite shows, and use streaming apps like Netflix—all over WOW!’s Wi-Fi. You need to order a WOW! internet plan with a speed of at least 100 Mbps (which is inexpensive) and at least one WOW! tv+ box (which is included in most plans).

Most of WOW!’s channel lineups are decent. The Small TV plan has only 30 basic channels, but you get 120+ channels with a Medium plan and 185+ channels with a Large plan, plus 50 Music Choice channels. (1) You won’t get any premium channels (you have to add those separately), but with a Large plan, you get more sports (NFL Network and NFL Red Zone), music (CMT and MTV), and kids’ channels (all the Nickelodeons). At around $10 per month more, it’s definitely worth considering.

Cox
Features
4.0
A great experience overall, despite an overrated remote

Cox offers some solid features that make for a great entertainment experience. Its DVR service uses cloud storage so you can access recorded shows anywhere with the Cox Contour app. How much storage you get (50–1,000 HD hours) and how many shows you can record at a time (1 to a whopping 24!) depends on your plan, which seems sensible to us. When you have more channels, there are more shows to record, right?

While at home with your TV, you’ll use Cox’s “award-winning” voice remote. We couldn’t find the specific award Cox claims it won. Instead, we found it hard to remember which “convenient” feature each of the four lettered buttons commanded (help, accessibility controls, sports, and delete or cancel).

Away from your TV, the Contour app lets you stream shows, schedule DVR recordings, and adjust parental controls. The only casting device that works with the app is Chromecast, though, so you can’t stream with a Roku or Apple TV. (2) Unfortunately, this means many customers won’t be able to use the Contour app to avoid paying for cable boxes for multiple TVs.

As an Amazon Associate, Switchful.com may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

WOW! brand
Features
2.0
Meager cloud storage and low-rated (beta) apps

The WOW! tv+ box and remote are pretty standard, and you can find content and set up DVR recordings using voice commands or navigating through a guide. The downside is that all three of WOW!’s plans come with 50 hours of DVR cloud storage, which is pretty low. You can jump up to 100 (for about $20 per month) or 200 (for about $30 per month) hours, but that’s a steep charge when some competitors include 1,000 hours in their top-tier plans.

The best way to use the WOW! tv+ app is with an Amazon Firestick. Its Android and iOS apps are in beta, which means they’re still working out some of the kinks. The apps have a pretty low rating on both Android and iOS (2, 3), which is a bummer. If you end up throwing your phone across the room in frustration, you can circumvent the app altogether by going to an individual channel’s website and logging in with your WOW! credentials. But you might still end up frustrated—and watching your shows through a cracked phone screen.

Cox
Equipment and installation
3.0
Reliable equipment and average installation

Cox TV uses cable infrastructure to keep you reliably binging your favorite shows. Your first Contour box is free, and every additional one is $8.50/month. So if you have multiple TVs, you’ll have to rent more boxes.

If your house is already wired with cable jacks for all your TVs, self-install is a free, easy option. Professional installation varies by location but will run you around $75, which is pretty inexpensive. Learn how to choose between self installation or profressional installation.

WOW! brand
Equipment and installation
4.0
Great gear at a great price

Since WOW! tv+ uses WOW! Internet, you need Wi-Fi gear. WOW!’s modem is free for your first year ($14/month after that), and its eero Wi-Fi system ($9.99 per month) is reasonably priced to rent. It’s also some of the best, most reliable Wi-Fi gear we’ve seen. WOW!’s TV boxes can get pricey if you want more than one ($10 per month), but since you can use WOW! tv+ with Amazon Firesticks, you shouldn’t need more than one box to get your shows on multiple TVs. You just need multiple Firesticks ($29.99 and up), but these will be one-time purchases instead of a monthly rental rate.

Self-setup is free and fairly easy, but you can hire a pro to come by and get you set up for $75.

Cox
Sports and premium channels
4.0
Decent sports and premium options on a Preferred plan—or go for the gold with an Ultimate plan

Cox cable TV includes a decent sports lineup in its Preferred (mid-tier) and Ultimate (top tier) plans, but not its Starter (lowest-tier) plan. ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports, and the Golf channel are all included in a Preferred plan, and the Ultimate plan adds NFL Network, NFL Red Zone, the Tennis Channel, and the elusive MLB channel.

If you spring for the Ultimate plan, you’ll also get an extensive list of premium channels—including ten HBO, eleven Cinemax, five SHOWTIME, and nine STARZ channels—at no extra charge. If you want all the premiums, this top-tier plan is definitely your best bet! But if you want only a few, grab a Premium plan and add your faves when you check out. Unfortunately, Cox doesn’t let you add premium channels to a Starter plan.

WOW! brand
Sports and premium channels
2.5
Most sports channels are included, but premiums are extra

WOW! tv+ doesn’t include premium channels in any of its plans, but you can add them to a Medium or Large plan for $11–$19 per month. We’ve seen STARZ and Cinemax for as little as $5 per month with some providers, so we’re a little bummed about WOW!’s pricing, but it’s not a deal-breaker.

When it comes to sports channels, you win some and lose some. You get the Tennis Channel in a Medium plan, whereas some providers only include it in their top-tier plans. NFL Network and NFL RedZone are both included in the Large plan, which is hit or miss among competitors. However, WOW! tv+ strikes out completely when it comes to the MLB channel, and there’s no way to get NFL SUNDAY TICKET.

Endnotes and sources
1. "Channel Lineup," Cox Communications. Accessed 11 October 2022.2. "How to Use the Contour App," Cox Communications. Accesed 11 October 2022.
Endnotes and sources
1. "What's on TV?," Wide Open West. Accessed 7 December 2022.2. "Watch WOW!," Google Play. Accessed 7 December 2022.3. "Watch WOW!," App Store. Accessed 7 December 2022.As an Amazon Associate, Switchful.com may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.
Cox Communications
4.2
(40)
5 Star
40%
4 Star
45%
3 Star
12%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
3%
L
Lynnfrom Olmsted Twp, OH
Cox Communications Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 7/26/2022
I normally have no problems with the service, it is just they continue to raise the price and nothing gets any better in the TV or the internet.
C
Chrisfrom Ocala, FL
Cox Communications Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 7/20/2022
I'm very happy with cox The only thing they could do better is to add more channels
R
Richardfrom Salina, KS
Cox Communications Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 7/4/2022
The service has been pretty decent. The picture and audio quality is good. The service has been surprisingly reliable. It's rare when we have an outage. If there is an outage it doesn't take long for a repair person to come out, and fix the problem. I would like to see a better quality remote control system for their wall-mounted digital cable boxes. It's pretty east get out of range where the remote doesn't work. Also, I'd like a way to record programs, and be able to play the recordings on other devices. It makes a person wish that analog TV was still available.
F
Francisfrom Wethersfield, CT
Cox Communications Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 6/22/2022
I like that they broadcast all channels in 1080 resolution and lower the bill
WOW!
4.0
(2)
5 Star
0%
4 Star
100%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
J
Jimmyfrom Columbus, GA.
WOW! Customer for 4+ years
Reviewed on: 8/27/2022
They show ever thing that I want to see and they could lower the payment
R
Rexfrom Roseville, MI
WOW! Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 7/19/2022
They are ok but need to ofter more for the price
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