Comcast HD DVR - Which One?

[BeanMeScot]

I am going to be returning to Comcast. I know there are a couple of DVRs out there. Which one should I request and make sure I get?

[mtchamp]

DVR's from Comast will have some of the TiVo experience if you can get TiVo on Comcast in the first place. They are loading TiVo software onto Motorola DVR's in MA and NH, but the feature set is controlled by Comcast and reportedly sluggish.

Essentially you get hardware that was not designed to be the best match for TiVo and no TiVo-To-Go, no Multi-Mutiroom Viewing and no broadband features like Amazon Unbox Movie Downloads, Rhapsody Music Service, TiVoCast, remote internet scheduling and other features TiVo is adding to it's full service customers.

In order to get every TiVo feature and use it with Comcast without having to settle for their version of TiVo and a $20 monthly settop box rental fee, you need to buy a TiVo HD from Amazon for about $260 and then call TiVo and get Lifetime Service added for $399. You then call Comcast to have a M Card (Multi-stream CableCard) installed into the TiVo HD. Now you are in control and can access Comcast content except for VOD and PPV, but you get everything the TiVo Service has to offer.

Look in the Series3 TiVo HD forum for more info. This forum is for those who elected to try a Comcast TiVo or basically a TiVoLite upgrade installed on Motorola generic DVR's now being pitched to Comcast customers in MA and NH. This just starting rolling out a week ago, so it's not very polished even for the TiVo features you do get. It's for early adopters willing to work through bugs and wait for software updates, don't mind paying Comcast monthly DVR fees, deciding it's a better deal than buying a TiVo with TiVo Service Fees, plus an average $3.00 montly CableCard fee to Comcast and they want Comcast VOD and or PPV.

If you can afford the up front cost of owning a real TiVo, get the TiVo HD and buy Lifetime Service only available until the first week of February.

[BeanMeScot]

Is their version of Tivo that bad? I had been waiting for that. I was wondering which of their DVRs to get while I wait for the Tivo download to become available to me.

[mtchamp]

I don't have Comcast on TiVo but I might be getting it today if the bad weather doesn't cancel it. I'm only trying it because I already have 2 TiVo HD's and it will be a toy to play with. I don't expect to be wowed at this point. I'm sure some things might be cool to have again like VOD and PPV but they weren't important to me before.

I'm not reading that anyone absolutely loves it. Not enough people have it. Most say it's an improvement but slow. It seems to be generally dissapointing but good enough to keep. There are bugs as in freezes and guide glitches that you wouln't expect to see with TiVo software. Some boxes work better with TiVo and some don't work with Dolby. Fixes are promised. Only time will tell.

In this forum in the last pages you can read reports from the earliest adopters. Those who keep the TiVo version might also be keeping the Comcast only version and therefore are more forgiving any TiVo issues because they can go back to what they are used to. I think this group basically likes to test new products. Things get very technical in here and it's hard to know what the average person would do after installation, keep it or give it up.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=682350&page=110

So far I don't see any reason to wait for Comcast TiVo unless you want VOD and PPV. THe TiVo HD is by far the best way to go. If you have TiVo, you probably won't like Comcast TiVo. If you have Comcast TiVo you probably will miss things and like things from the regular Comcast DVR. The big features that TiVo provides is integrated VOD search, Wishlist search or your basic famous TiVo features except it tends to run slower than people would expect for TiVo. I think if someone orders DVR service for the first time with Comcast TiVo and and having no experience with anything before, they might be the most satisfied bunch.

[markp99]

Bean,

The Comcast TiVo is not that bad. The primary complaint among those of us participating in the trial is performance. Hoping around the menus and filtering the guide can be laggy. Everything else is very very similar to the native TiVo, minus 30 sec skip and MRV & related features.

The Comcast TiVo reps are very well aware of the issues and are working to improve things. We did note during our focus group meeting that guide filtering has improved (~60 seconds to a ~few seconds) - might have been we had a very short connection to Comcast (inside their facility), though it's hard to imagine how this might have affected guide filtering.

Apparently, the issue is related to a combination of Hardware, Software and Communications issues. Comcast is working these pieces before adding MRV & related features, which are reported to be on their roadmap.

If you're hesitant to make the hardware expense on the HDTivo, then Comcast TiVo might make sense, though I feel it may not quite be ready for prime time... If you're not in a rush for any of this, then I'd hold for a while and see how the performance issues wash out.

For us, the primary differentiator is having OnDemand inside the box. While The Comcast box is not our primary unit (Series 3 sits right beside it). This might help drive your decision.

[mtchamp]

I live in Acushnet MA 02743 and had a new Comcast TiVo MoTo DCH3416 installed today. I have 2 TiVo HD's and wanted to try it out. No lag that I would complain about. All seems normal with that. Feels like a TiVo. The Ba-Doop sounds were on. I don't use them, but I left it on for an hour. After each successful button press you get a Ba-Doop but also a sort of low audio Bong as in an incorect button press. I believe this was a reported bug but is by no means a big deal.

I heard that program info does not include the year or if it's a repeat and this is true. On Demand free stuff works great. You can only FF at double speed with OD and everything else can go faster up to four arrows instead of 2. 8 second rewind works, FF, RW, Pause, Play all respond normally. I don't find any nasty bugs, no freezing, rebooting etc. I have a couple of weeks of guide data. Upcoming shows display properly. It feels right.

I have not used the latest version of Comcast without TiVo, so I can't compare, but this implementation of TiVo on Comcast is damn good. I'm not using Dolby Digital as some report it doesn't work after the TiVo upgrade. So I can't confirm that. I hear that the DD will be fixed by March. I wonder if fixes are being done on this software very rapidly, because I have not experienced, at least yet, any issues that would make me want to revert back to a generic Comcast DVR. Some complain about the missing 30 second skip, but again not an issue for me, I never use it and maybe most people don't even know it existed.

This experience so far is better than I expected after some complaints I read in the AVS forum. In fact I had cancelled my appointment then changed my mind after reading that some people were happy. I like the PIP while in the menus. It's just great to see a TiVo logo on the same page as a Comcast logo. I made a Season Pass and a Wishlist for an Actor. Everything is working like it should. There are probably a lot of little details some will get into as far as preferences for sorting and the like which are there, but I couldn't tell you if they are better or worse, it's not something that concerns me. I'm just happy the damn thing works after hearing a few people were not happy and reverted back.

Aside from knowing my TiVo HD's can do a lot more like MRV, TiVo-To-Go, TiVoCast, Amazon Unbox, Rhapsody, Photos etc., this Comcast TiVo feels like the real deal to me.

[JohnnyO]

Aside from knowing my TiVo HD's can do a lot more like MRV, TiVo-To-Go, TiVoCast, Amazon Unbox, Rhapsody, Photos etc., this Comcast TiVo feels like the real deal to me.

Thanks for the review. I'm curious if you have experienced the DirecTV TiVo units. At the end of the day,the TiVo User Interface is more important to me than the difference in content between DirecTV and Comcast.

One of the reasons I haven't purchased a TiVo Series 3 or TiVoHD is the advent of SDV. While it has not yet been deployed here in the Twin Cities, it is probably coming. While TiVo and the cable companies have supposedly come to an agreement for some device to work with SDV, I get the feel that it will be years before non-cable company provider devices will be treated with equality in comparison to Cable Co. provided equipment.

[emoney14]

The Comcast TiVo is not that bad. The primary complaint among those of us participating in the trial is performance. Hoping around the menus and filtering the guide can be laggy. Everything else is very very similar to the native TiVo, minus 30 sec skip and MRV & related features.


Mark,

Take out the "not" from your first sentence and I'd agree w/ you. As a long time TiVo customer... I'm very disapointed with comcast TiVo and have a Tuesday appointment for Comcast to remove the TiVo software. Comcast DVR is better right now. I am w/ you re: the primary complaint: performance of menus and guide is SLOW. I have a bunch more complaints that I discussed at length w/ two very nice and helpful Comcast reps over the phone. They understand. I'm hoping that it improves and I'll look here to see the results. "not that bad" is glossing over a big problem (relatively speaking, of course :) ), in my opinion.

Ed

[jamesbobo]

Is their version of Tivo that bad? I had been waiting for that. I was wondering which of their DVRs to get while I wait for the Tivo download to become available to me.

You have a choice of DVR's from Comcast? My understanding is that some areas offer a Motorola box while others have an Atlantic box. You can't choose which one you get.

[Bruce24]

You have a choice of DVR's from Comcast? My understanding is that some areas offer a Motorola box while others have an Atlantic box. You can't choose which one you get.

In my area you can currently choose between the Motorola DCT-3416 and the DCH-3416, if you are running the Tivo software. They give you the choose because you can't currently get Dolby Digital on the DCH box.

[bicker]

You have a choice of DVR's from Comcast? My understanding is that some areas offer a Motorola box while others have an Atlantic box. You can't choose which one you get.In our area, you can choose to have either iGuide software or TiVo software running on the Comcast DVR.