Comcast TiVo makes it into the wild

Not that it comes as a huge surprise, but it looks like those Comcast TiVos have now started to make their way into the homes of a select few New Englanders, as evidenced by the shot above courtesy of Dave Zatz. As Dave points out, however, there are still plenty of unanswered questions, including any word on a price for the service, any indication of a time frame for deployment, and any firm word as to exactly what hardware it'll work on. In the meantime, those looking for a taste of things to come can find plenty of more pics by hitting up the read link below, including a few shots of the Comcast-branded hardware.

[anthony @ Oct 22nd 2007 10:54AM]

Unanswered questions?

[Cupajo @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:00AM]

42

[anthony @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:13AM]

Thanks for fixing it up! :)

(The article was changed from saying "there are still plenty of answered questions" to "there are still plenty of unanswered questions")

[Justin B @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:16AM]

Damnit. And not just a month ago my parents bought the TiVo HD Box. Oh this riles me something unpleasant.

[Angel @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:03PM]

Trust me...you're still a lot better off with the TiVo HD DVR. The hardware for these DVRs are just as unreliable as the old software.

[Eric @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:18AM]

Im not sure I quite understand the difference between this and Comcast's regular PVR service and hardware. Anyone care to explain? What can a Tivo do that the Comcast PVR can not do? Whats so special about this?

[gibber9583 @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:23AM]

Comcasts regular PVR kinda sucks. The Tivo interface is much more intuitive.

Also, you will lose the entire comcast guide, which all of us know is quite hideous.

[NHAnimator @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:27AM]

"kinda" = really

[Patrick @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:37AM]

"Really" = unbelievably.

It's just a moronic piece of equipment-- i.e., if I just deleted a program, no, I don't, in fact, want you to record the same episode tomorrow. No way to set a recurring manual recording. No wishlist. Et cetera. (Still, it's better than no DVR.)

I'm very jealous and can't wait for this program to get more widespread.

[Mike Cohen @ Oct 22nd 2007 4:44PM]

Comcast's DVR is a turd. It lacks TiVo's best features like being able to record a particular title or anything matching a particular actor or director whenever it appears in the schedule, rather than being able to choose only titles that appear in the schedule.

It's also horribly slow. A lot of times I'd be mashing buttons with no response, and then a few minutes later it will start processing all of those button presses. Several times it just reset itself at random.

It's extremely dumb about recording new episodes only. If the same new episode is played several times in a week and I watch & erase the first showing, it will record it again since it forgot about the one that was recorded, watched, and erased.

I'll upgrade to TiVo in an instant. I really hate their DVR. It's the worst device I've ever used.

[gibber9583 @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:26AM]

That cable box looks like an older model. The newer model (DCH3416 i think) looks much nicer. The fact that its on the older box makes me think that this is pushed via a firmware/software upgrade.

SWEET!

[gibber9583 @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:29AM]

model in the pictures - DCT3416

newest model comcast has available - DCH6416

[wasabichimera @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:29AM]

Am I the only one that thinks it is ridiculous for Comcast to charge customers even MORE for something that Comcast should already provide, a well designed highly usable UI.

[alex @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:56AM]

You mean more ridiculous than blocking BT and other types of traffic.

[Brodie @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:30AM]

Anyone know where this is being rolled out? New England doesn't quite narrow it down.... Boston, however, would be sweet. I've been meaning to get a Comcast PVR but I'd be all over this instead.

[Michael @ Oct 22nd 2007 12:32PM]

The pictures show WMUR Channel 9 in the guide, a New Hampshire channel. So I am guessing this is in NH.

[Go Red Sox! @ Oct 22nd 2007 1:32PM]

WMUR is a Manchester, NH public television station; WMUR-DT on channel 809 is on Comcast's Boston channel lineup. The other stations seen in the view of the Guide are also consistent with Comcast's Boston channel lineup.

[Dave @ Oct 23rd 2007 11:26AM]

Funny... I live near boston, but when talking to comcast service this weekend the tech I was talking to was in Manchester, and had indicated that the supervisors are starting to test the Tivo on comcast setup. I asked if I could get onto that list somehow (having come from a series 1 Tivo I've been a bit disappointed by the interface as expected, but we wanted the on demand feature), and the tech said they wished they were on the list too. Anyway... seeing a manchester station kinda makes sense in a way.

[rich @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:32AM]

Does anyone know if cablevision will also license the Tivo software?

[Nick Franklin @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:33AM]

The TiVo interface is far superior to Comcast's (iGuide). I have no experience with the Comcast TiVo, but I own an S3 and fell in love with it from day one. There is no controller lag. It records what I tell it to. It remembers what I have recorded for 28 days (so it doesn't record things I have recorded, watched, and deleted). It 's search functions are amazing. I can schedule a recording using the internet. I can download movies from Amazon. I have 250 gigs of space for recordings. I can use the eSata port to expand that also. I can go on and on. "Justin B" you should not be upset that your parents just bought the TiVO HD. I guarantee it is far superior to anything ComCrap makes or distributes.

[dave @ Oct 22nd 2007 11:58AM]

WANT!!!!

[Timothy @ Oct 22nd 2007 12:40PM]

The only real addition I see here is OnDemand, which I have little interest in. I've got my two CableCard TiVo HDs, my Amazon Unbox and--by end of year--expandable storage, TTG and MRV. Who needs Comcast and their ugly logo cluttering up the beautiful TiVo screen?

[Matt M @ Oct 22nd 2007 1:21PM]

WANT++

[DCGUY12 @ Oct 22nd 2007 1:22PM]

I'm fine with the Comcast Channel Guide and my whole house has no problem with navigating through it. We already pay enough as it is, we have no need for a "Tivo" brand.

[culbeda @ Oct 22nd 2007 9:19PM]

That's kind of like saying "My family is perfectly happy with our cold cheese sandwiches. We don't feel the need to grill it."

[S4Rs @ Oct 22nd 2007 1:27PM]

According to a comcast rep in the store, The Tivo service will be pushed onto existing Comcast DVR's via a software update that will happen in our sleep. It will replace the existing DVR services comcast currently has.

Hopefully its more intelligent than the existing Service. If I want to tape the Baseball game (go Sox) it will stop recording after 3 hours (the scheduled time), where as a Tivo box will record till the game is actually over.

[Nick Franklin @ Oct 22nd 2007 1:48PM]

Actually, when you record a live program TiVo recognizes it and asks if you want to extend the recording.

My worry for the ComCrap users is whether or not the new interface will use the Tribune media info for shows or will it use the old crappy one.

[Anton @ Oct 22nd 2007 2:02PM]

FUCK COMCAST!

[FAUguy @ Oct 22nd 2007 2:03PM]

Hope it doesn't take a year before Florida gets this!
It would also be nice to use Motorola's Fllow Me service, where you can access DVR programs from other rooms.

[Nicnac @ Oct 22nd 2007 2:11PM]

You guys DO realize that this is Comcast right? As in, they will gimp and handicap the box to death. None of the ports besides the ones they feel you should use will work, and you will probably be limited in what you can do to improve the box beyond factory specs just like you are with the stinking Moto boxes Comcast currently uses. BTW, I'm in Florida and Comcast is CURRENTLY giving the 6200 boxes to new customers, both HD and DVR. At that rate, we'll get their Tivo box in about 6 years.

[lladnar @ Oct 22nd 2007 2:39PM]

So, comcast accidentally gave me a dvr box. I don't pay for the service but it still works just fine. I wonder if they update it to the Tivo software if I'll lose my free dvr.

[Wwhat @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:06PM]

A tivo by comcast who were just exposed as to throttling P2P traffic in nasty ways, how timely..

[Jason @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:07PM]

I gave up waiting for this thing and bought a $250-ish TiVo HD, which is working pretty well. Other than the fact that Comcast missed their first 3 appointments and took 3 different techs to finally get my CableCard installed in the TiVo. The Comcast techs are sadly not trained very well about CableCards, if at all. My first two techs had no CableCard training at all. Comcast doesn't care about CableCard customers because they're required by law to provide them, but they don't make money on them like they do for leasing you their DVR. So they provide shitty service and very little help when dealing with CableCards. But once it's set up, it works quite well.

[Kenneth Lawson @ Oct 23rd 2007 7:09AM]

Sounds like most of you folks are ready to Jump to Dish, The service is great, programing is great and the pvr interface is good. I have have been using using a older 510 model pvr for a couple of years and except for a few minor glitches once in a while it pretty much works and dose a nice job doing it,

check out the new models that allow for up to 750 gig external hd plugged into the usb plug.

[Jerry @ Oct 23rd 2007 7:33PM]

The Tivo software will be launching in the Derry NH market first, sometime around November / December and then later markets in 2008. Pricing for the Tivo softer has not been announced. But I would probably guess around the $5-$9 range. The employee rate is $1.50 per month.

The software is launching on the older model Motorola boxs due to the fact the the 6400 series was unavailble during the time production. There is a separate remote for the TIVO software that resembles the current remote.

[Zenny @ Oct 26th 2007 12:57PM]

"There is a separate remote for the TIVO software that resembles the current remote." ... by this do you mean the remote is like a Tivo Peanut remote or the craptastic comcast motorola remote?

[Skidpalace @ Oct 31st 2007 2:04PM]

Hey Kenneth Lawson,
Might you work for Dish Network, by any chance?
Nice try to jack this thread.
Good luck with your dish sales...

[jay @ Nov 4th 2007 7:02PM]

Will the comcast/tivo have dual live buffers?

[Dean Merritt @ Nov 15th 2007 9:46AM]

comcast has a page up on it now:
http://comcast.com/tivo