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View Full Version : when talking about cable company DVRs, please indicate the model AND software!


cwerdna
04-09-2006, 07:51 PM
Can this thread be made a sticky or can one of the mods make a post similar to this a sticky?

When people are talking about "cable company DVRs", too many people are posting about [Comcast, Cox, Adelphia, Time Warner, etc.] DVR or just referring to it by model like Motorola DCT-6412 or Scientific Atlanta 8000/SA8000.

That's not specific enough and things are just WAY too confusing. Who knows which software is running on the poster's box? We can't read your mind and we don't have a camera pointed at your TV.

People NEED to be more specific. A "Comcast DVR" could mean one of MANY models along one of many different pieces of software. What's offered in your area by your branch of cable co might be totally different than that's offered elsewhere. For example, the software running on a "Comcast" DCT-6412 DVR in Seattle is totally different than those in say the SF Bay Area.

For instance, the DCT-6412 runs at least 3 totally different possible pieces of software that look nothing alike:
- MSTV [I hear this is only in the Seattle area]
- iGuide
- Passport [not sure where this is deployed, but for instance Cox has some of these http://replayguide.sourceforge.net/dct6412/DCT6412_Passport.html]

The DCT-6208 can also run the above 3. See http://broadband.motorola.com/dvr/dct6412_multimedia_demo_lo.asp and http://broadband.motorola.com/dvr/dct6208_multimedia_demo.asp (click Interactive Program Guide in the flash movies) to see what I'm talking about.

The SA8000 could be running at least these 2 (are there any others?):
- SARA [see shots at http://www.pvrcompare.com/sciatlimages.html)
- Passport [see shots at http://www.pioneerdigital.com/passportecho/passportecho.asp]

Adelphia (http://www.adelphia.com/cable_entertainment/dvr.cfm) has at least 3 Motorola boxes: one running Moxi and 2 running iGuide and a SA box running what looks like SARA.

phox_mulder
04-09-2006, 08:13 PM
Thought we weren't supposed to talk about DVR's other than TiVo on this board?


phox

cwerdna
04-09-2006, 09:44 PM
Thought we weren't supposed to talk about DVR's other than TiVo on this board?
phox
Hmm, that seemed to apply to the R15 in the DirecTivo forum since the R15 isn't based upon any Tivo software.

People seem to be bringing up random "cable company DVRs" here quite frequently though esp. because they're asking for a comparisons between whatever they've got [sometimes unknown] and TiVos.

cwerdna
04-25-2006, 01:28 PM
^bumping thread
I saw yet another thread and more discussion about random Comcast and Scientific Atlanta DVRs w/unidentified software.

RCflier
04-25-2006, 01:33 PM
I'd be happy to... My Scientific Atlanta 8300HD with SARA from Cox in Phoenix is the biggest POS... I can't wait for the series 3

lajohn27
04-25-2006, 03:15 PM
CWERDNA:

You make this a vendetta.. but the fact remains.. ok.. they've told you exactly what the software and version is - so what...? It doesn't change their complaints in the least.

A BAD Comcast DVR is still a bad Comcast DVR.. who cares what version of SARA or PassPort it's running. If they are specific, how does it change their complaint or your ability to address it?

J

ZeoTiVo
04-25-2006, 03:34 PM
there is something besides a TiVo ?

ask in the trhead if you care about what specific version. This is not sticky worthy at all


put the request to post the model number/software in your sig if you want ;)

cwerdna
04-26-2006, 02:16 AM
CWERDNA:

You make this a vendetta.. but the fact remains.. ok.. they've told you exactly what the software and version is - so what...? It doesn't change their complaints in the least.

A BAD Comcast DVR is still a bad Comcast DVR.. who cares what version of SARA or PassPort it's running. If they are specific, how does it change their complaint or your ability to address it?

J
Actually it does to some degree. It would help identify which software is bad. It'll be even more confusing once TiVo finally starts shipping their software on Comcast DVRs. :)

From what I can gather (not limiting myself to Comcast's 3 choices: iGuide, MSTV and what looks like SARA), so far it seems:
SARA: terrible
iGuide: lousy (not as bad as SARA?)
MSTV (in Seattle and Spokane area): not good either
Moxi: haven't heard much, some good, some bad [their UI is very distinctive]
Passport: sounds like it's not so horrible

Am I missing any other cable co software?

People here complain about foo DVR not being able to do this or that or being unreliable, etc. It would be nice to know which it is since someone else w/bar DVR may not have those problems. When people ask for a comparison of foo DVR to TiVo, we need to know which it's running to provide meaningful info.