On Demand and HDTivo

[rbro]

What are my options for having a TivoHD and using On Demand? I assume I need both a comcast cable box AND the Tivo? Will Comcast install both for me or is it easy enough to do it myself? What's the additional cost to have both boxes and the cable card?

[mtchamp]

I have 2 TiVo HD's with Comcast. I pay no digital outlet fee for the first TiVo HD Cable Card and $1.50 for the second. TiVo HD's are by far the best to have if you can live without OnDemand and you can buy a TiVo HD outright rather than rent monthly from Comcast. You can buy a TiVo HD for around $250 from Amazon and cheaper refurb units are available from TiVo for $180. Then you pay $399 for TiVo Lifetime Service to avoid monthly subscription fees for the first TiVo and $299 for additional TiVos.

I won't get into the reasons why a TiVo HD is worth having over a Comcast TiVo, there are many and you can do the research here and at TiVo.com, but it won't do OnDemand. I just ordered a Comcast DVR with TiVo service and it's going to cost me $16 extra per month. $13 monthly DVR rental fee plus TiVo subscription fee $3 plus a another digital outlet fee of $1.50 (first one is free) so about $17.50 extra a month added to my Comcast bill. Now I can play with a TiVo type device with OnDemand on a different TV. I used to be a DirecTV customer untill the TiVo HD's came out, so Comcast can be grateful for my business because of TiVo and because satellite has no new TiVo HD options at all.

[rbro]

What is a Comcast DVR with Tivo service? I have a Comcast DVR but it's not Tivo related in any way. I don't recall seeing a Tivo/Comcast option.

[ajwees41]

Originally Posted by rbro

What are my options for having a TivoHD and using On Demand? I assume I need both a comcast cable box AND the Tivo? Will Comcast install both for me or is it easy enough to do it myself? What's the additional cost to have both boxes and the cable card?

The Tivo S3 or HD will not take inputs from the cable box.

You would need a Tivo and comcast cable box on different tv's or different inputs of the tv.

[mtchamp]

Originally Posted by rbro

What is a Comcast DVR with Tivo service? I have a Comcast DVR but it's not Tivo related in any way. I don't recall seeing a Tivo/Comcast option.

You can have your Comcast DVR upgraded to TiVo service for $2.95 a month extra. You will get the TiVo interface and powerful search and record functions like Season Pass, Wishlists and a unified search including PPV, OnDemand and your channel lineup. You will not get all of the PC, 3rd party applications, broadband content and networking functions of a TiVo HD.

TiVo as an upgrade is only available in the initial launch area around Boston and maybe up to 75 miles out including SE MA and Southern NH. Call Comcast for availability. TiVo.com will tell you what a TiVo HD can do as a replacement box for your Comcast box. If you don't mind loosing PPV and OnDemand, you get lots of TiVo extras. Keeping your Comcast DVR and ordering a TiVo upgrade to your Comcast box will be an improvement in many ways.

I don't know where you can find a good comparison of TiVo HD versus Comcast DVR with TiVo, but try this Comcast TiVo forum for more insight.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=979925

[jrmjr67]

I must have jumped on right in time (i.e. after the latest software update)

Had the new box for 5 days and so far so good

Still slow to navigate and once in awhile I get the "no live tv" message if navigating too fast, but from the exp I have seen with the "normal" Comcast DVRs (terrible)- I am willing to live with it

I have a Series 2 and have been awaiting the Comcast TiVos ever since I got the HD set last year. My brother has is on his 3rd Comcast DVR in last 2 years so while I dont expect this Comcast TiVo to run circles around a Series 3 - it should beat paying the kings ransom they want for one

[Naugahide]

Originally Posted by jrmjr67

I have a Series 2 and have been awaiting the Comcast TiVos ever since I got the HD set last year. My brother has is on his 3rd Comcast DVR in last 2 years so while I dont expect this Comcast TiVo to run circles around a Series 3 - it should beat paying the kings ransom they want for one

I'm going the refurb route at tivo.com: $179.99 for 180GB unit, also buying the $199 500 GB external drive. This is because I'm finding the Comcast hardware quality sucks (I just have had my 4th Comcast DVR installed since November) and 180GB is not big enough for anything but a trivial amount of HD recording. So, we shall see if Plan B works out OK. Given how much time I've wasted waiting for techs to install boxes and for me to reprogram them, and all the information I loose every time a new box is installed (i.e. all my recording history), I'm darn sick of replacing boxes.

I can't imagine Comcast is making a cent on their DVRs, given how bad the quality is.

[BlackBetty]

Originally Posted by Naugahide

I can't imagine Comcast is making a cent on their DVRs, given how bad the quality is.

The quality has greatly increased since the latest software upgrade.

Also for about $160, you can get a WD 1TB drive and you could just upgrade the internal drive. Save yourself $40 and have an extra 320GB's. Plus no extra box to have to plug in and take up physical space.

[Naugahide]

Originally Posted by BlackBetty

The quality has greatly increased since the latest software upgrade.

Software quality is improving, but I had four different Comcast/Motorola DVRs in my house since November, so hardware quality is dreadful. My point was each of those replacements were pretty expensive to Comcast. They had to send out a tech, and couldn't charge me a cent. Then they had to repair the hardware before they could send it out again. Given what I was paying a month, they could not have made any money off me.

Originally Posted by BlackBetty

Also for about $160, you can get a WD 1TB drive and you could just upgrade the internal drive. Save yourself $40 and have an extra 320GB's. Plus no extra box to have to plug in and take up physical space.

Not sure what you are talking about: putting your own drive into Comcast's box, or updating a TiVo HD unit?

In my case, I bought the external unit from TiVo. I liked the idea of having a supported drive. I liked the idea that I could return the entire package within the first 30 days if it didn't work out, which might have been difficult had I hacked the unit. The drive is really quiet, I never hear it running. With 500 GB external and 180 GB internal, I have 86 hours of HD capacity. That's more than the 60 hours of standard def I had on my Series 2 unit. I have more than enough space for what I record. In fact, I've gone into TiVo and disabled all the analog channels, and I'm recording 100% HD these days.