Cox Communications confirmed that it has initiated an all-digital upgrade in Topeka, Kan., the next stop in a deployment that the MSO intends to wrap up early 2017.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that Cox expects to reclaim its analog spectrum and deliver an all-digital video lineup by January 12.

Following an initial all-digital deployment in Connecticut last year, other Cox markets with upgrades underway include Rhode Island, Tulsa, Omaha, Orange County, Cleveland, New Orleans, NW Arkansas, San Diego, Greater Louisiana, and other sections of Kansas. Remaining Cox markets will start the process, with the aim of completing the upgrade by early 2017, a Cox spokesman said via email.

To fuel the all-digital migrations, Cox is using a “Mini Box,” a downstream-only Digital Transport Adapter (DTA) that converts digital signals to analog. Cox’s is using a new class of DTA with an HDMI port that supports HD. HD-DTAs will also come with a remote control, an on-screen guide, and parental controls. Evolution Digital and Cisco Systems are among Cox’s known HD-DTA suppliers.

In its all-digital markets, Cox is offering eligible subs one free Mini Box for up to 12 months, and leasing out additional units for $1.99 per month. Cox is also providing a free CableCARD for 12 months instead of a Mini Box for subs with TiVo boxes and other CableCARD-compatible devices.

Cox has set up a Web site, including the video below, that provides consumers with more details about the transition.

Time Warner Cable is on target to upgrade at least half of its more than 10 million residential video subs to an all-digital platform by the end of 2015, the MSO said in this blog post about its progress.

TWC, following a path blazed by MSOs such as Comcast, is trying to accelerate the upgrade by using Digital Transport Adapters, simple one-way boxes that convert digital video signals to analog. TWC said it has deployed nearly 2.4 million new DTAs for far in 2015. TWC is shipping those devices at no cost and providing them free to customers for the first year (as of January 2015, the price on TWC DTAs is $2.75 per month). 

Those all-digital upgrades factor into the MSO’s larger TWC Maxx initiative that will use reclaimed analog spectrum to offer more digital channels, expand its video-on-demand library (30,000 titles by end of year), and enable broadband speed upgrades, including a new 300 Mbps (downstream) DOCSIS 3.0 tier. TWC is also introducing an “enhanced DVR” outfitted with six tuners and 1 terabyte of storage in its upgraded markets.

TWC has completed the all-digital conversion in Los Angeles; New York; Austin/Central Texas; Kansas City; and Dallas; and expects to wrap it up this summer in Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C; and in San Antonio by the end of the year. TWC Maxx work will be underway in San Diego this year, with a plan to complete it in “early 2016.”

TWC is in the process of being acquired by Charter Communications, which completed its all-digital transition last year ahead of its expected broad deployment of a new cloud-based interface that will run on all classes of set-top boxes. 

Rovi said it has scored a deal to supply guides that run on high-definition Digital Transport Adapters (DTAs) that will be rolled out by Suddenlink Communications.

Suddenlink wouldn’t outline its current DTA deployment activities or say which vendors will supply those DTAs, but those one-way devices, which convert digital signals to analog for older TV and have been playing a significant role in the cable industry’s various analog spectrum reclamation efforts. All-digital upgrades are an element of “Operation GigaSpeed,” an initiative announced last year by Suddenlink that will enable the operator to raise high-end broadband speeds to 1 Gbps in 90% of its footprint by 2017.

Suddenlink has rolled out a next-gen video platform powered by the TiVo platform. TiVo has also developed a guide for DTAs, including models made by Evolution Digital.

“Our customers have relied on Rovi guides to inform and enhance their entertainment viewing experience,” said Suddenlink SVP and chief programming officer Kathy Payne, in a statement. “Suddenlink looks forward to improving the user experience in subscriber homes with Rovi DTA Guides.”

The Suddenlink deal marks more progress for Rovi’s DTA guide, which supports elements such as parental controls, on now/on next banners, and the ability to set language options. Last year, it announced a master agreement for the guide with the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC), and said Armstrong was the first U.S.-based MSO to deploy a Rovi guide tailored for DTAs. Cablevision Argentina has also rolled it out. Rovi has previously announced htat it has ported DTA guide to models made by Evolution Digital, Arris and Pace. 

Rovi said it has deployed guides on more than 500,000 digital terminal adapters (DTAs), the simple, one-way channel zappers that operators around the world are using to help fuel their all-digital migrations.

Rovi said it eclipsed the milestone following commercial deployments with more than a dozen cable operators, including Armstrong and Cablevision Argentina and via collaborations with several DTA makers, including Arris, Evolution Digital and Pace. In April, Rovi announced it had secured a hunting license to sell DTA guides to members of the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC).

DTAs serve as digital-to-analog converters for older analog TVs. While initial models did nothing more than switch channels, new models now support HD video as well as guides such as Rovi’s.

The Rovi DTA Guide supports baseline navigation capabilities, including channel tuning, parental controls, options for multiple languages, and on-screen On Now/On Next banners.

“Based on planned additional customer launches and new agreements, we look forward to bringing our guide solutions to more subscribers and, broadly, fueling the overall market’s transition to an all-digital footprint,” Rovi SVP Omar Javaid said, in a statement.

Rovi (booth 1942) is demonstrating its DTA guides at this week’s SCTE Cable-Tec Expo in Denver.