Comcast DVR with TiVo: pics, features
By Barb Dybwad 
posted Jan 9th 2007 9:30PM
posted Jan 9th 2007 9:30PM
We snagged a bunch of pics of the Comcast DVR with TiVo software for you -- pictured above is a new way to find shows, different from previous TiVo searches -- as you search it simultaneously looks for title, actor, director, etc. and if there are no results, there's an "add wishlist" option which saves you from having to look for that same show again. Once it's on the wishlist, it will be recorded automagically the next time something fits that query. Click on for more pics of the interface after the break.
The wishlist in action, above.
The guide filtered to show only movies.
Season Passes with option to "Get in HD, if possible"
Now when in a folder, you can see the description of the show without actually selecting it.
Dual tuner support has been enhanced; it now shows the name of the program on the other tuner.
Only the Comcast unit will have this On Demand interface feature, unless the Series3 starts to support VOD.
To Do List has been updated to make it easier to view; again they are using the "TiVo list" style view.
VOD screen with price.
New dual tuner control banner.
Tivo on comcast is the most buggy POS software i've EVER USED (vista jokes aside) it's slow, gives me black screens when switching res's, and resets the cable box every few weeks, requiring them to re-upload the software to my box. FUUUUUCK THAT! I wish I had any other service here; comcast disgusts me.
According to TIVO's site it will be an additional $2.95 for the TIVO service on top of the price for DVR/HD ($13.95 in the CO market.) Here's a link to the article. http://www3.tivo.com/abouttivo/pressroom/pressreleases/2008/pr2008-01-22.html I can't find when they are launching it nationwide.
We've had TiVo 1 and, more recently, TiVo 2 as well as Comcast.
Somewhat recently (possibly since Comcast and TiVo joined forces), we've had a problem with Comcast's "On Demand" schedule "taking over" a program that we're trying to record. This will happen for 20 minutes of a 30 minute program, such as The Chris Matthews Show or Inside Washington on a Sunday morning.
We've called and had technicians come to the house, but the problem goes on, sometimes with a "respite" period.
I've also noticed that a program will get "messed up" or "shaky" with black screen "gaps" and green horizontal stripes. I ask myself whether Comcast and TiVo are "fighting" with each other.
Has anyone else had a similar problem? If so, have you been able to resolve it satisfactorily?
"automagically," interesting though I don't believe any magic is involved.
I wish I was on Comcast sooooooooooooooooo bad. F TimeWarner...
Great pictures.
Please, oh please let this be real.
Please have the developer gods bless whoever is really working on this.
Please let this be available very, very soon.
Mike
Oh please let this be available in the Seattle area soon. I'm ready to throw my Comcast DVR box out the window because the software on it is so terrible.
Could not agree more. I hate how there is no "Standby" mode like there is on the Tivo. It is either on or off and it gets really quirky when it starts recording a program from off but you turn it "on." Grrr. Can't wait for this to come out.
What I really want to know is if these enhanced features are going to ever make their way onto my Series 2 DT TiVo box?!?! My guide isn't that nice, it's all text. How come no one else is asking this?
Does this trump a Series 3 with Cablecards on Comcast?
(are they even available on Comcast?)
Erik,
You might as well give it up since Directv is only supporting the TiVos for a few more years and they are moving on with their own stuff. TiVo and DTV have parted ways.
Also that guide is available on most Tivos already. There are two styles, the side by side text guide (which I prefer) or the bar style they show above. Check your guide settings you probably can switch to it.
Sweet! Now I have another option if/when my DirectTiVo dies or I want to go to HD, since my sucky local cable co just got bought out by comcast :)
I'm sooo happy that comcast traded my area with T/W. [/angry sarcasm]
But the magic acronyms still aren't showing up: MRV and HMO. I really want to know if there is going to be anything that will make my Moto 6412 play nicely with my Humax TiVo in the bedroom... I will live without HMO, and I really will survive without moving Moto/TiVo recordings over to TiVoToGo (but it would be nice), but I do want to be able to have my recordings follow me around the house.
One winning spot: The OnDemand interface looks slick.
OK - I know people with tivo love it - and I know everyone who's had tivo then switches to the regular Comcast box hates it.... and yes, I've had the software (or hardware) freeze up on me when recording HD content...
But - is this really going to make much of a difference? Once you've learned the current interface - who cares? - it's not that hard
I don't think I'd pay any extra for this, I just don't see any serious value added.
am I crazy? what big features am I missing?
I have had both and the Tivo software is superior. Knowing that I have already recorded, watched and deleted an episode of a series that shows the same episode repeatedly and NOT recording it 6 times is a HUGE plus amomgst MANY others...
Thanks Russ - how much better is it? $2/month? $5/month? $10/month? where's the point where you think it's worth it
What Tivo is worth depends on how much you need the features. I used to have the Comcast DVR, and in the summer, every week I have to spend 30min looking for HD copy of my local team's baseball games (FSN and one of my local SD station also carry a lot of them in SD), then I have to manually set everyone of them to record 30 min longer at the end to catch extra innings. In Tivo, I set a wishlist, and it's done, I never have to worry again. Same goes for other sports, where Tivo's wishlist search cleans Comcast DVR's clock. Saving 1-2 hour a month messing with the DVR alone is worth $5-10, plus the added stability (Comcast DVR loses cable signal once every 1-2 months), smooth trick play (Comcast DVR response really slow in 1 speed rewind).
Hmm, this is not really TiVo by my definition--I don't see any of the innovations that make TiVo so good, like the compact 2-column guide. Not to mention, if the TiVo peanut remote isn't available, it's really not much like the TiVo experience. Certainly, this seems better for the poor Comcast customers, but it's not interesting for TiVo customers like me. I suppose that's part of the goal, to avoid cannibalizing their own DVR sales, but it's hard to see how this can be a good long-term plan for TiVo.
Yeah, the advantages of the TiVo software, such as dealing with adjusted timeslots, reruns, etc. make it so much better than the current Comcast offering. I got a little ahead of myself though because after I got all excited that they're finally making good on the plans to incorporate the TiVo software into their DVRs I remembered that the branch of Comcast in my area got bought out by Time Warner Cable. Oh well...
Yeah, TiVo has a great ‘look’, but it’s wonderfulness is more then the graphics: It just works right. That’s where the Comcrap DVR blows goats; it’s a weird wonky beast that you just want to beat with a shoe ‘til it works, but it never does get it right (then it crashes.)
Want every new episode of a series? The TiVo will get it for you, no cleverness req’d on your part. The show ran late? TiVo will do it’s best to accommodate that too. And the day you discover your TiVo had found a show that you’d really have wanted to watch if you’d known about it, and it already recorded it for you, is the day you realize you realize you can’t go back.
Will the ComTiVos have TiVoToGo? I doubt it, why would they? Comcast wants you in front of their box watching their material, not streaming it to some un-fee-paid-for device. TiVo does it only ‘cause they thought it would sell more TiVo’s, and instead it has turned into a minimal feature that has instead disgusted lots of folks with how poorly TiVo has handled it.
I look forward to the no-messy-analog-steps/record-2-digital-channels-at-once/no-serial-cable-or-IR-blaster-required possibilities of the ComTiVo, but at the same time it’ll be a tighter locked-down box retrofitted with a TiVo overlay and controlled by that unresponsive beast, Comcast. I suspect they’ll still find a way to mess it up.
Does it do the TiVo "Plip Plop" noises?
I have some photos here too: http://www.tivolovers.com/Photos/CES2007/
And some details here: http://blog.tivolovers.com/408326.html
Evo - The first release has all of the TiVo features, except for those that require networking and KidZone. KidZone is definitely being added in an upcoming update. Networking is also being added in a future update, and Comcast is eager to offer network features. They may not offer all of them, but Comcast hasn't stated which they'll be enabling. For example, if TiVo adds TiVoCast video on demand, I can see Comcast not supported that as they have their own OnDemand service.
And it DOES have the peanut remote. Similar to the S2 remote, with the addition of an OnDemand button and A,B,C,D buttons, as required by OCAP.
There are a number of features in this software that I really, really hope make it to the S2 & S3. If this were an option for me, I would seriously consider replacing my S2 with it. And I may have not purchased my S3 if I could use this.
Until Comcast makes it possible for reasonably lease a catv dvr with tivo for under $10 per month and had a storage capacity for 30 hours of HD recording then I am not interested.
How does it compare to the current Motorola box? Did it respond to remote clicks in under 120 seconds? If so, that would be a great upgrade.
Does look really cool. Might make a great second HD box... or a replacement should anything happen to my Series 3.
One question... I wonder what the pricing is. As evo said, it's not really a good longterm plan for Tivo unless they make money on this deal. That probably means the reasonable comcast DVR rental fees are about to go up. Hopefully not to Tivo levels.
And, as per the usual course...us VERY unlucky few in a Comcast market that can only use Scientific Atlanta boxes are left out in the cold. (Howard County, MD)...of course, Verizon FiOS is here...but not for apartment complexes. Double-DOH! Damn Comcast.
At least you guys don't have charter cable.
I have internet only from them for 55/month and it's RARELY on. It's down between 1/3 and 1/2 the time.
I use a S3 on OTA broadcasts and it's beautiful. I could only dream of this comcast setup that adds on demand video and downloads.
here's my question -- WHEN CAN I HAVE IT? I've been waiting for this for over a year (remember when they promised late 2006?) I have a DirecTivo -- and they're great -- but I want HD and Tivo -- if they add MRV i'm sold.
For those asking about price, I remember reading somewhere that the service is $5/month. That's on top of what you already pay to lease the box and have DVR and HD service. I hope there is a package deal or something, but it's still more cost-effective than a $700 S3.
My question is, if it's just a software download, what happens if you download it then decide that you don't want it? Do you have to swap your box for one without the interface?
To MegaZone and other in-the-know peeps:
Does the TiVo software update to the Comcast/Motorola DVR boxes turn off output via the box's Firewire port? If not, that would be one more advantage to using the Comcast box over the TiVo S3 (since TiVo did not include a Firewire port) in addition to the VOD support until the S3 gains that.
Just got on Comcast's live customer service chat to inquire about availability, and they said they had no information about this. They referred me to their 800 number. Typical.
Now the $1,000,000 unanswered question: Will the interface be covered with intrusive banner ads, like the standard Comcast interface? That's the main reason I still refuse to use their cable boxes. I'm not paying them an outrageous amount of money so I can be a captive audience.
Does anyone have any experience with the FIOS Motorola DVR? I'm curious as to how people like it and how it compares with these other unliked cable DVR boxes. I have DTV with the Hughes HD Tivo box, but I'm currently experimenting with FIOS on one TV on a free trial for a month. Also, does anyone know if a similar Tivo option will be offered with the FIOS DVR?
Fyi, I wouldn't even be considering switching to FIOS if it wasn't for 2 things. First, once DTV goes to MPEG-4, my Hughes HD Tivo box won't get any of the new HD channels they roll out (although I understand that I will continue to receive what I get now), so at some point I'm going to lose Tivo anyway. Second, the FIOS boxes come fully networked, so you can watch anything you record on any box on any TV in the house. I know Tivo boxes can be hacked to do this, but I don't feel like going to that much trouble.
Finally, let me add that the FIOS DVR only has a 125 gb hard drive (1/2 the size of the Hughes HD Tivo box), which can store a less than impressive (to say the least) 12 hours of HD content. How FIOS, as a hungry new player to the market, could come out with an HD box that has a miniscule (compared to what's necessary) hard drive is beyond me.
Anyway, thanks in advance for any opinions/info you can provide.
Todd Serota
Have they announced availability yet? Also, from the coverage it sounds like this will be a software download to the existing Comcast Motorola DVR box - true? I had heard that those boxes didn't support tuner switching but maybe it is just the software.
The current Motorola boxes definitely support tuner switching. You just need to sometimes program in the "swap" code to the remote. Similar to how you have to program in the 30-second skip.
Any chance this will make it to Cablevision (uses only Scientific Atlanta's boxes which are IMHO the worst pieces of crap ever made). I will never leave DirecTV until I can get TiVo from cable/FiOS for the same price of what I'm paying to DirecTV (and not some cheap knockoff box)
What about TivoToGo/Tivo Desktop support on these things?
Come on people! This Tivo software is the perfect solution for both Comcast and Tivo's problems. For Comcast it will stop the many complaints from thier customers that hate the DCT-6412 boxes. Now Comcast can stick to enhancing thier infrastructure instead of box programming work. For Tivo the big help will be the access to a new business model that Tivo needs badly. Tivo just cannot compete in the hardware business thanks to the digital rights nazi's and the crippled CableCard system that can't access VOD. Just look at the series 3 boxes costing 700 bucks and no VOD, COME ON NOW! Now Comcast foots the hardware prices and Tivo can perfect the software.
About the Tivo networking features, one way or another they are comming to comcast. Tivo might add the feature or Comcast may use Motorola's new Follow me tech they recently developed. There was a announcment by Comcast and Sprint that Comcast will be selling Sprint wireless as a bundled service soon and Comcast says Sprint users will have access to thier Comcast DVR's scheduling, viewing, and media sharing capabilities over Sprints EVDO network.
I count the days....
my 6400 comcast box sits awaiting it's upgrade
hopefully the picture quality is better. the current box looks worse than my tv's tuner(hdmi), although the box has better sound. so ill tune to the channel on TV-tuner(cable card) and put the box in PIP using its sound. still cant get the pip on the box to work. they say its the remote, yet ive gone through 3 w/ the same problem. this tivo will be most welcome.
Had COMCAST/TIVO DVR for one day and hated it, biggest problem it was so slow loading the guide , each page took several seconds to fill in YUCK. Also had trouble coming out of HD 1080 in to 480 SD would show blank screen , I could hit TIVo menu and get the 480 to kick in after that. ALL in ALL I hope it gets better but not worth 2.95 a month right now.....