What's going on with Comcast TiVo...? Still not available in Denver...

[Adam1115]

So I punched in my zip code at www.comcast.com/tivo still nothing.

What is up with it...? I had expected it years ago...

[bicker]

Trying to get TiVo software to work on a very under-powered piece of hardware has been difficult. They're just beginning to expand TiVo software deployment beyond New England.

[Adam1115]

I thought Denver was a test market though....

Are there any forums tracking the progress?

[bicker]

Well, this one. :confused:

[Adam1115]

Ah, here we go...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14536764#post14536764

Technology Notes
Comcast Preps TiVo Marketing Launch
MSO Expands Availability of DVR Service to Connecticut; Expects to Fund Tru2way Development
By Todd Spangler, Multichannel News, 8/27/2008

Comcast, after expanding the availability of its TiVo service in its New England market to customers in Connecticut, plans to “light up” a full marketing campaign around TiVo in September and is preparing rollouts in additional markets before the end of the year.

The cable company also continues to fund development work for the TiVo product, which will include expanding the feature set and adding support for Tru2way infrastructure, according to an announcement TiVo issued Wednesday.

In addition, TiVo service on Cox Communications, which is currently in trials, is on track for a launch in Cox’s New England market later this year, the DVR company said.

TiVo provided updates on the rollouts with the two MSOs as part of reporting results for its second fiscal quarter, which ended July 31. Revenues were $65.2 million for the period, up 4% from a year ago, and TiVo posted a net profit of $2.9 million for the three-month period compared with a $17.7 million loss a year prior.

For its fiscal third quarter 2009, TiVo anticipates service and technology revenues in the range of $49 million to $51 million and a net loss in the range of $7 million to $9 million.

TiVo president and CEO Tom Rogers cited the company’s “continued efforts to focus on efficient marketing spend” and its work with third parties “who make their own marketing expenditures on behalf of TiVo” as contributing to the decline in its quarterly subscription acquisition costs. For the quarter ended July 31, subscription acquisition costs were $135, compared with $758 during the same period last year.

TiVo-owned subscription gross additions were approximately 36,000, compared to 41,000 gross additions for the year-ago period, to stand at approximately 1.7 million as of July 31.

TiVo reported a net decline in MSOs/broadcaster subscriptions during the period, dropping to 1.9 million from 2.5 million a year ago, as DirecTV no longer deploys new TiVo boxes.

TiVo also noted that a contempt hearing in its patent-infringement litigation against EchoStar is scheduled Sept. 4 to determine whether EchoStar is in contempt of the injunction that has already been upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. That injunction enjoins EchoStar from selling and operating infringing DVR units.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/...?desc=topstory

[sjashe]

Get the real thing.. you eventually will anyways.

After suffering with the Comcast TIVO for months and months, I eventually bought a refubished TIVO HD through tivo.com and have had zero problems since.

They should have paid US to take that comcast product. what a piece of junk

[1999cobra]

Comcast (at least in my area) offers Scientific Atlantic boxes that are out dated and prehistoric.

The menu system looks like it was developed by the Three Stooges (guessing together with each other while taking shots of Jim Beam) on a drunken weekend excursion. Simply put it's pathetic, convoluted and extremely difficult to navigate through.

The remotes look they are put together for and by mentally challenged monkey's. Buttons are all over the F'ing place and nothing in any order, unlit, IR, junk.

They bring beat up refurb'ed boxes - that look to have come out of white trash trailers or out of dumpsters in the back allies of the ghetto. You better make sure you spray them with insecticide first before you allow them into your house to kill the cockroaches that are embedded in the boxes, mice droppings, etc, etc...

They basically, drop the equipment at your door and tell you to hook it up. Guy I had said: "Hey - think you can finish this up as I'm supposed to meet my ex down at the pub for a few - looking to get lucky tonight" ... HUH....????

No baloney - I looked at the junk equipment and told him to take his crap equipment and his F'ed up attitude directly off my property and therefore he would have even more time to get lucky with his overweight man-woman....

Comcast, don't walk away - RUN and then - - - HIDE ....

[Adam1115]

And still nothing..... :(

[gfilicetti]

Spoke to a friendly guy in the Chelmsford, MA office about my comcast tivo's refusal to record anything at the moment (and its various other flaws this past month)....

I ended up telling him to scrap the trouble call he was going to put in, and just schedule me for a service call in a week to install an M-card in the new Tivo I'm about to buy tomorrow....

Then I started in on my rant about having to pay for a beta test (and a bad one at that), and that these problems the last month were the straw that broke the camel's back... I asked for charge to be refunded for the past month and he had no problem putting that in.

So yeah, stick with the real thing, VOD just isn't worth this crap.

G

[Adam1115]

I have a series 3.

I REALLY love kidzone and wanted an on-demand capable box.

But I guess I'll just get a basic box....

[Adam1115]

Have they just given up?

[VivaLasVegas]

I'm in Mass. where this is available and I've suddenly started seeing TV commercials and hearing radio ads, so no they haven't given up...

[Mindflux]

My buddy is in Denver and could care less about a Comcast TiVo box. He's happy with his TiVoHD.

[Dad]

I'm in Mass. where this is available and I've suddenly started seeing TV commercials and hearing radio ads, so no they haven't given up...

Comcast had a flyer in the Sunday Globe touting their TiVo boxes with screen shots and everything. I'm moving from DirecTV (and TiVo. A sad day.) to Comcast today (trees are blocking the HD sats) and I will see how the Comcast DVR stacks up. Then I may pull the trigger on the Comcast TiVo (I think I can get a few months free) depending on my impressions of the Comcast box.

Dad

[Ceciliachavez75]

I actually asked a lady at comcast about this, she tyold me that they m,ost likely will not have the combo comcast/tivo here anyway ( here is santa clara or bay area). She said that there is just too many bugs and its not worth making them.

[Adam1115]

My buddy is in Denver and could care less about a Comcast TiVo box. He's happy with his TiVoHD.

Thanks, that's very helpful. :rolleyes:

[bsoft]

Comcast had a flyer in the Sunday Globe touting their TiVo boxes with screen shots and everything. I'm moving from DirecTV (and TiVo. A sad day.) to Comcast today (trees are blocking the HD sats) and I will see how the Comcast DVR stacks up. Then I may pull the trigger on the Comcast TiVo (I think I can get a few months free) depending on my impressions of the Comcast box.

Dad

iGuide (Comcast DVR) is BAD. VERY VERY BAD.

Lose power? Forget anything recording in the next 4 hours (as the box re-downloads guide data).

Push the standby button on the box? It might start randomly recording nothing. FOR 48 HOURS. FILLING THE HARD DRIVE AND DELETING ALL YOUR SHOWS.

Go buy yourself a TiVo HD. It's worth the $300.

[VivaLasVegas]

Comcast had a flyer in the Sunday Globe touting their TiVo boxes with screen shots and everything. I'm moving from DirecTV (and TiVo. A sad day.) to Comcast today (trees are blocking the HD sats) and I will see how the Comcast DVR stacks up. Then I may pull the trigger on the Comcast TiVo (I think I can get a few months free) depending on my impressions of the Comcast box.

Dad

I was also on DirecTv with 2 Tivos until I upgraded to an HD set and couldn't get line-of-sight to the new sats. I tried the ComcastDVRw/Tivo for a couple of months and it was terrible. I bought a TiVoHD and I LOVE it! Now it's been almost a year since my experience with the Comcast-Tivo, so things may be much better - I can't say...

[jmace57]

Delete

[Adam1115]

Still nothing....??

[Adam1115]

Ok, this is getting ridiculous...

[bicker]

No, not really. When a product or service causes more trouble than it is worth, suppliers are generally unwilling to expand their offering of it until those issues are resolved, if they are ever resolved. Despite your apparent confusion, it is no mystery. If TiVo didn't need the money, they may never agreed to port their code on to the 1999 technology of the DCT- DCH- series DVRs. However, they did need the money. That inherent conflict, between the millions of pieces of hardware currently in service, and then substantially higher needs of TiVo software, will prevail over and all exhortations driven by consumer desire.

In the end, it all boils down to: If you want a TiVo, buy a TiVo.

[Adam1115]

Sure, but they should announce / admit it...

[bicker]

Announce what?

[Adam1115]

That they've given up? A new release date?

[bicker]

Who said that they have given up? or that they have a "new" release date? I think you're assuming a lot without sound foundation for those assumptions.

Also, keep in mind that their primary responsibility requires them to say nothing that doesn't specifically serves one of their objectives.

[CuriousMark]

Also, keep in mind that their primary responsibility requires them to say nothing that doesn't specifically serves one of their objectives.

Isn't that more of a choice on their part rather than a requirement. Yes there are laws that require businesses to provide a high level of transparency or none at all, especially in reporting financial matters, but I don't believe that forces the businesses to stay mum on things they might simply find embarrassing. Of course not talking about embarrassing things is sensible, but I don't believe it is required in any specific form.

[Adam1115]

Who said that they have given up? or that they have a "new" release date? I think you're assuming a lot without sound foundation for those assumptions.

If I knew what the hold up was, I wouldn't be complaining about them not explaining what the problem is and what they're doing about it.

[bicker]

Isn't that more of a choice on their part rather than a requirement.No. The right of choice is in the hands of the owners. The people who work for the owners don't get to disrespect the owners of the company like that, just because they want to (or you want them to).

If I knew what the hold up was, I wouldn't be complaining about them not explaining what the problem is and what they're doing about it.Then let me ask you the next logical question: What make you think that you were owed an explanation? (You're not.)

Why can't you just say that you're sad and frustrated, instead of trying to make it into something else?

[nirisahn]

Adam, why are you so anxious to get a Comcast DVR when they have so many problems, especially since you have a TiVo? If you want VOD, all the packages come with at least one box included. Use their box for the VOD. There's no way I'd trade a regular TiVo for a Comcast TiVo. AFAIK, you don't get full TiVo functionality, and you get a crappy Comcast box that's more trouble than it's worth.

[Adam1115]

Then let me ask you the next logical question: What make you think that you were owed an explanation? (You're not.)

Why can't you just say that you're sad and frustrated, instead of trying to make it into something else?

I never said owed.

I said they should. Just an opinion. Don't put words in my mouth.

Adam, why are you so anxious to get a Comcast DVR when they have so many problems, especially since you have a TiVo? If you want VOD, all the packages come with at least one box included. Use their box for the VOD. There's no way I'd trade a regular TiVo for a Comcast TiVo. AFAIK, you don't get full TiVo functionality, and you get a crappy Comcast box that's more trouble than it's worth.

No free box offer last time I called... Yea, VOD and PPV would be the main reasons.

I don't want one that has problems. It's odd that a year and a half later they would still have so many issues unless they gave up.

[Gene5301]

I went to my local Comcast office in Connecticut the other day to get an HD DVR box (with or without Tivo) and, guess what...they were backordered. Apparently from what I have read in another forum, Comcast is switching to the Motorola DCX3400 box which seems to be a better platform for running the Tivo application.