Comcast To Begin Beta Testing Their HD TiVo?
According to this thread on AVS forum, Comcast plans on beta testing their HD DVR with TiVo software next month! This could just be a rumor but it sounds legit since the Comcast TiVo deal has been in the open for quite some time now.
If anybody gets their hands on a Comcast TiVo DVR, I would love to hear about it. I’m not a Comcast user but, I’m sure there are a lot of people who would be interested in getting more information.
Thanks Mike!
May 31st, 2006 at 12:47 am |
Any ideas on how to get in on the beta test? I’m a current Comcast customer using an existing DVR and also have a TiVo unit.
June 1st, 2006 at 8:25 am |
[...] Comcast to begin testing HD TiVos [...]
June 3rd, 2006 at 9:21 am |
[...] According to a thread on AVS forum, Comcast plans on beta testing their HD DVR with TiVo software next month! This could just be a rumor but it sounds legit since the Comcast TiVo deal has been in the open for quite some time now.read more | digg story [...]
June 3rd, 2006 at 10:45 am |
Charter Communications has had a Motorla HD DVR product called MOXI on the market for more than 6 months now. They also have a multi-room unit available that allows you to play recorded shows in another room (dubbed MOXI Mate). You’d think Comcast could get their act together sooner…
June 3rd, 2006 at 11:59 am |
Hey Nick, Comcast has had an HD DVR for well over a year now, but this is a test for an HD Tivo DVR. Comcast uses the same Motorola boxes which your cable company probably uses.
June 3rd, 2006 at 12:34 pm |
Here in Seattle we have the Microsoft version of the Comcast HDDVR. I thought we were the test case for the rest of the country. Maybe they are ditching the MSFT version for Tivo?
June 3rd, 2006 at 2:09 pm |
[...] According to a thread on AVS forum, Comcast plans on beta testing their HD DVR with TiVo software next month! This could just be a rumor but it sounds legit since the Comcast TiVo deal has been in the open for quite some time now.read more | digg story [...]
June 3rd, 2006 at 2:39 pm |
Lots of cable companies have had HD DVRs for a year or more now. Those of us who’ve used Tivos and then had the unpleasant experience of dealing with these poorly thrown together miasmas they provide are in the know. For better or worse noone has come within a lightyear of touching Tivo’s software. That, my friends, is what this is all about. I would be willing to relocate and buy a new house just to get away from my Time Warner Scientific Atlanta 8330 series POS if someone out there offered Tivo’s software IN the receiver.
That’s been the standoff, cable companies figured they could make money by homebrewing a skunkworks POS and passing it off as another Tivo. They knew that the techies would point out an external Tivo unit includes yet another conversion process which may not be noticable to most people but just knowing it degrades the signal marginally will prevent people from buying Tivos. We should be able to pass judgement on the idiots in the meetings for all cable companies that made this call; the deadweight loss of our subscriber fees being spent for something so relatively lackluster should warrant a mandatory beat down.
Long story short: if Tivos software takes hold in Comcast, maybe it’ll take hold in other cable companies, and that would be worth a parade. If not, we’re screwed for the next 15 years while these turkeys try to hammer out their software to work like Tivos did 4 years ago.
June 5th, 2006 at 12:29 pm |
I agree. I have Time Warners DVR as well. Went cable to get away from Directv. I can’t wait for the HD TiVo this fall
June 5th, 2006 at 1:02 pm |
Three important take aways from this:
1.) This is a test of Tivo SOFTWARE on Comcasts existing DVR boxes.
2.) This is a test of Tivo SOFTWARE on Comcasts existing DVR boxes.
3.) This is a test of Tivo SOFTWARE on Comcasts existing DVR boxes.
July 7th, 2006 at 12:22 pm |
[...] The bottom line is that these types of advertising are just beginning their set-top box intrusions and are most likely here to stay — for example, both satellite and cable operators have also started rolling out similar “features.” In fact, TiVo’s “interactive advertising platform” was cited in partnering with Comcast. Additionally, one shady individual (a competitor? consulting firm?) offered me several hundred dollars to film and describe all of TiVo’s current ad technologies (I declined). [...]
August 23rd, 2006 at 1:05 pm |
[...] The worst part is the past 2-3 years showed a bit of a dropoff on the TiVoMania effect. Frustrated customers began doing the same move I did (although again, I was not frustrated by the company in any way) and switching to the freebies. I applaud TiVo for making great products. I sincerely hope the rumored Comcast-TiVo DVR is available in my area one of these days, as I’d probably make the switch. As long as it’s free, that is. Related stories: [...]
January 3rd, 2007 at 9:49 pm |
This is OLD news
January 11th, 2007 at 8:34 am |
I have only had a Moxi HD from comcast for about a month and it has a few problems.
#1 they did not tell me that I am a Beta tester and that all the user ports are dead.
#2 it locks up and I have to turn off the power to reset it.
#3 it studders.
#4 it has pixelation attacks and some so bad you can only give up watching.
#5 when a program is recorded the show starts one minute to soon and stops one minute to soon.
#6 Hard drive says it is full when it is not???
Does anyone know how much they are paying me to do this testing and were do I send the reports?
Thank you
Mac
January 11th, 2007 at 9:36 am |
Mac4tBH,
I’d contact somebody at Comcast. This site is dedicated to TiVo news. If you do however get a chance to try out the comcast TiVo let us know :). I’d love to hear how it works…
January 12th, 2007 at 11:37 am |
The new Comcast enabled box, will not be available immediately, due to Production schedules and coordination with our prime vendor, Motorola.
If you currently have a “series 3 DVR” your upgrade will be a software download. Beat testing will not generally with the general public, but with Comcast employees through out the various market, with simultaneous testing by Cable Labs for certification with FCC requirements..
Pricing has not been established by Corporate Marketing, and will generally roll out with an AD campaign when established..
January 12th, 2007 at 12:01 pm |
The reason you did not see a Tivo offering prior to the 2005 partnership, was that Tivo was under contract with most of the Dish Companies. These agreements wer terminated in 2005, as the dish companies negotiated separate deals with other hardware suppliers, and developed relationships with software providers to development channel guides. This move was made to improve cost controls, and more revenue to the dish providers.
Comcast purchased a minority interest in Tivo, and worked with Microsoft, Guideworks, and other software providers, to develop software which would throughout our entire national networks.
Remember, we do not sell equipment to our end users, as required by most Dish companies, and thus wanted a product in the field with all the standard functionality TIVO users were accustomed to, without having to make the up-front investment in hardware.
For example, The TIVO series 3 unit currently available at retail, launched with a retail price of $999.00. Currently available around $799.00, plus the cost of the TIVO service.
This unit has the ability to record/Watch 2 HD programs, has 2 cable card slots, and a 160 Gig HD.
Comcast will offer the same functions as the Series 3, but will also include:seamless OCAP platform access, Follow ME TV(think Sling Box),and Motorola’s Linux, Java base software Platform.
We weren’t dragging out feet, we just wanted to get it right.
January 12th, 2007 at 2:50 pm |
Can’t you already buy a Tivo box and a Comcast Cable Card for it? Being provided as a Comcast box would sure open it up to a lot more people though…
January 15th, 2007 at 12:44 pm |
I ordered a TiVo HD box after reading the TiVo/Comcast announcement. It wasn’t an easy decision. The TiVo box will be my 4th TiVo, so obviously I love TiVo. Plus I have a Comcast HD DVR.
The pros of going with Comcast/Tivo seemed to me to be lower cost: while the Tivo option added to Comcast has an unannounced cost, I would guess even at an additional $10/month it will be cheaper over 5 years than the $800 cost plus $200 lifetime service of the TiVo HD box. Note that the TiVo HD box requires two Comcast cable cards added to it, at $7/month in my area.
The pros of going with the TiVo box is that it has “800 hours” of non-HD storage (I’ll guess that that is 80 hours of HD storage?). The Comcast box I have now — which can be software upgraded to have the TiVo interface — has less than 10 hours of HD programming storage before it is full. That is a pretty paltry amount if you get behind in watching programs!
The Comcast HD box had a terrible interface, and its remote only makes it worse. I understand from the announcement that the TiVo upgrade will include replacement software, but it wasn’t clear if you’d get a TiVo remote or not. The remote matters, I’ve found.
So, I decided to go with TiVo. My two cents (or $1000, I suppose).
John
January 20th, 2007 at 7:44 am |
Sorry I am off topic but to end such I post this update. thanks
UPDATE:
They exchanged the Moxi box for another and two days later I called them. I requested a 6414 or a 6416 and to make this short I now have a working 6416III and after one week it is working just fine. Rummer has it that they are “soon” to make a change…LOL
now back to my easy to see and use menus and HD TV shows.
Mac4TBH@hotmail.com
BTW I have used the internet to FIX problems that I have had under my HMO therefore posting what others do to me gets results.
January 25th, 2007 at 4:59 am |
So should I upgrade my series II to a series III now? Or should I just wait? I assume that the series II DVR will not support the TIVO software from what I am reading?
January 25th, 2007 at 10:08 am |
I’m not exactly sure what you are asking. Are you currently a Comcast customer? If yes, I would probably wait on upgrading to the Series 3 TiVo since Comcast is going to start rolling out the Series 3 TiVo shortly.
January 25th, 2007 at 12:32 pm |
Sorry for the misunderstanding Alex.. was pretty late when I wrote that
I am asking if I should swap out my 6412 Series II for a III. From what I have heard, the Series II will not support the update. Just wondering if you guys could shed any light on if this is the truth?
January 25th, 2007 at 10:35 pm |
The Comcast TiVo software will run on your existing set top box not a TiVo. Series 2 & Series 3 TiVos will NOT be upgraded to this software.
January 25th, 2007 at 11:45 pm |
OK Alex… but there is a series 1 2 & 3 of the 6400 series Moto DVRs and 3400 series. I currently have a 6412 Series II. I have “heard” through the grapevine that I will need to upgrade to a series III Moto STB in order for it to be able to handle the TIVO software…
Was just wondering if this was just a empty rumor or if there was some truth to this.
January 26th, 2007 at 12:11 am |
I’m sorry! I thought you were talking about the Series 2 & Series TiVos :). I don’t know the answer to your question but maybe somebody else will….
January 28th, 2007 at 7:47 pm |
I hope the Comcast TIVO unit comes available very soon. I’m about to move and am giving up my DirecTV TIVO capable unit (yes, TIVO vs. thier below par non TIVO dvr units), and hope I time it right so I can get the Comcast TIVO unit.
If not, what appears to be the right track is to ensure they give me a Motorolla 3412 (since I need HDMI) series III and then get a software upgrade from Comcast, and a new remote mailed to me. Do I sum it up right here?
February 19th, 2007 at 4:15 am |
Question
I want to set up a wireless connection from my computer to the new HD Dish DVR. Can I run Tivo software for file transfer to the TV?
February 23rd, 2007 at 4:08 pm |
I was wondering if there is anyway to keep the guide up to date without a phone line? and if so how?
February 24th, 2007 at 3:39 pm |
Im trying to figure this thing out. Thanks for all the info. I want cable since my directv switches channels so slowly. Comcast is now available, and im just trying to get it right. Im not sure the comcast tivo remote will be user friendly so i guess ill go with tivo series 2.
February 24th, 2007 at 3:44 pm |
The Comcast TiVo remote is supposed to look a lot like the Series 2 remote. Check out this post…
March 29th, 2007 at 1:27 pm |
Any update on this???
When is Comcast finally going to release this to the public?
March 29th, 2007 at 4:57 pm |
I think they were saying they would start deployment in the second quarter of this year with full deployment by the end of next?
April 5th, 2007 at 8:54 am |
MAY 2007
OHDOH
May 15th, 2007 at 5:48 pm |
It’s May 2007… anyone know the current status? I called Comcast last month, and got the runaround, before finally being told that it’s still being tested internally. Which is strange, since it’s been a year since this release. I loathe my Motorola DVR. Grrrr…
May 21st, 2007 at 10:53 am |
RESELLERS LEAKED IT:
NEW HAMPSHIRE ROLL OUT REVEALED A BUG
SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD PROCESS IS DELETING (OR NOT RECOGNIZING) CONTENT RECORDED FROM BEFORE THE INSTALL
ALL ARE INSTRUCTED TO NOT OFFER PRIDUCT UNTIL FIXED
IT WONT BE LONG
June 21st, 2007 at 1:04 pm |
Any word on whether the New Hampshire bug was fixed and when the rollout will begin. I use to be a DirecTV customer with TIVO and I am back with comcast and their DVR. Really looking forward to getting my TIVO back…. Hints of a push date for New Jersey would be greatly appreciated.
July 18th, 2007 at 1:22 pm |
Still waiting to hear about the Comcast/Tivo rollout in NJ–is it ever going to happen? I hate the Comcast DVR!
July 24th, 2007 at 2:32 am |
Call me silly. Really. Dunno…Er…what if Tivo wrote the code for comcast??? Would that speed up the rollout? I mean, we are dying in Directv limbo here.
Is Miami getting the Comcast Tivo love yet? Huh? Anybody? I can’t wait to take a sledgehammer to that DirecTv DVR. Make that four (4) sledgehammer whacks for each of my 4 DirecTv boxes. The Tivo code job with DirecTv seemed to work famously right? Again, call me…er…better not!
July 25th, 2007 at 10:40 am |
This was posted on CNet’s review of the new TiVo HD unit (http://tinyurl.com/2b7oqk):
“Cox and Comcast customers may want to wait: Both Cox and Comcast have partnered with TiVo for the company to deliver a TiVo-like interface to the cable providers’ existing DVRs. While the so-called TiVo Service for Cable will be somewhat stripped down–it won’t have any of the online features mentioned below–it will access SDV channels, video-on-demand, and pay-per-view content with no problems. That’s because it will be a software upgrade from the cable company itself, and won’t be reliant on CableCard technology. The oft-delayed TiVo Service for Cable is finally supposed to begin rolling out to certain Comcast and Cox markets in late 2007. Check out a video demo of the service on CNET TV.”
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:56 am |
COMCAST IN NEW HAMPSHIRE JUST INCREASED DVR PRICES SLATED TO BEGINING SEPTEMBER 3RD
August 14th, 2007 at 2:59 pm |
HEY COMCAST WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO START MARKETING THIS PRODUCT!!!!
September 2nd, 2007 at 5:00 pm |
What is taking so long?? The software on the Motorola DVR is amazingly crappy. Comcast needs to get on it.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:22 pm |
What is up with this, i just spoke with a comcast rep. at the nation call center today as they haven’t even heard of this. I give them this link and they told me to talk to my local comcast rep. for information. Why is comcast not marketing this or even making employee’s aware? do they want to keep there shitty DVR service alive a little long? i would buy a comcast cable and internet service TODAY if they told me i could get Tivo software on my box, but they couldn’t so i continue to hold out. So, no TV at my new place cause comcast is being little bitches with the Tivo software. I am really close to saying F***K it and getting DirectTV service just for the Tivo box. If anyone know a time frame for northern California to get Tivo software please let me know.
September 27th, 2007 at 4:12 pm |
Just talked with a Comcast rep. about when we’d get service out here in the SF Bay Area. Apparently the rollout in NH is still in the “testing” phase, but when that’s done they’ll be doing some sort of media announcement. So in other words the frustration will continue for an unknown amount of time…
October 1st, 2007 at 6:20 pm |
OK guys I am a Comcast Tech in Florida….. I have heard this rumor for over a year and nothing yet.
We are launching alot of other services as well that Im sure will make alot of you very happy..
1 new service coming is cell phones slated for spring of 2008. When and if I hear an announcement about the Tivo box I will post more
October 9th, 2007 at 5:48 pm |
CNet is reporting more delays: http://tinyurl.com/yumgl7
October 9th, 2007 at 8:56 pm |
I just moved into a new house and had comcast out to hook up my service. I only receive extended cable that is connected to my Tivo. In making small talk with the tech, he told me he just received the user guide to start learning about the new Comcast/Tivo offering. He showed me the user guide and it had everything a user would need to start using the new service. I only read through it for a few minutes but the screen shots and features were fully integrated into one box and looked GREAT. The website on the sheet was http://www.comcast.net/tivo. This site is not active yet but I keep checking.
October 10th, 2007 at 9:25 am |
It sounds like the technology is only going into Alpha now (Alpha = internal, employee testing), regardless of the CNet article, from what “Bob” is telling us. God, I hope it happens soon. I’m so tired of the crappy interface on the Comcast DVR!!!
October 12th, 2007 at 6:17 pm |
WOOHOO! They just had it on the news! It will be “out in the next couple of weeks to ALL Comcast users”
Channel 7 Chicago News!
October 23rd, 2007 at 8:19 pm |
i am a comcast tech in the new england area. i actually have been beta testing this thing for the past few weeks. i have been the lucky one deemed with this task. it is alot better than the comcast gui. and u can use the tivo box with the comcast remote but it has a nasty delay, i would highly suggest ordering the tivo remote.
as for the boxes, there is a brand new box out there that is ocap cetified that we r working on getting it on there but it is available with the older style hd dvr boxes, all it is, is a download they will sent to the box and wholla u have the interface, it is going to be 3 bucks more a month extra and the download takes aprox 10 mins. and is scheduled to be released in 2 weeks, but i heard it has been pushed back to mid november to early december
if anybody has any questions on this topic feel free to ask.
first time i have seen this forum so i am saving it to my favs since i will/am a new comcast/tivo owner
October 24th, 2007 at 11:35 am |
Hi,
I too love Tivo, and have been a comcast customer of all 3 services. Chris, can you tell us what type features will be support? Like tivo2go?
Thanks.
Paul
October 24th, 2007 at 1:55 pm |
There won’t be any of those options Paul. Pretty much a very plain jane TIVO.
October 25th, 2007 at 7:44 pm |
Comcast has a tivo page at http://www.comcast.com/tivo that tells a little bit about it and allows you to check for availability in your area. Unfortunately for me, it’s only available in the new england area at this time, but I was able to sign up to be alerted as soon as it’s available here. Hopefully, that will be soon….this DVR I currently have from comcast is driving me insane!
November 13th, 2007 at 1:02 am |
[...] with their box’s. Though rumor has it that cocmast will be implementing the tivo software/interface on to their box’s, we’ll have to wait and see about [...]
January 4th, 2008 at 10:20 pm |
soory for the really late reply, but it has been released to the hardcore tivo ppl in the new england area. and as of monday 1/7/07 i know in the new england area it will be open for purchase.
January 6th, 2008 at 9:50 pm |
So, my Motorola DVR has been agonizingly slow lately.
When the hell is Comcast going to get moving already? I’m so tired of the substandard software in this DVR box! I WANT MY TIVO!!!
January 8th, 2008 at 6:32 pm |
Well, apparently some people have it…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWOcymQBxT4
January 12th, 2008 at 3:05 pm |
I’m having the Tivo/Comcast service installed as we speak in Massachusetts. It’s an unbelievably cumbersome process. They’ve had a tech here for 2 hours talking with someone at Comcast on the phone to a)get the software downloaded and b)get it to work on the existing box. The idea that this will simply download to your box overnight and you’ll be ready to use it in the morning is a myth, at least at this point. Plus I’m apparently going to lose my existing recordings on at least one of my boxes. I’ll post more once I get a chance to use it.
January 13th, 2008 at 4:10 pm |
I had the Comcast Tivo update installed yesterday. I have only used it for a few hours but I can tell you this, Its worth it.
Here is my experience with the install. My brother had it installed 2 weeks ago and he hates it.
My brother had never used tivo before. I have a series 2 box that I still use. The comcast tivo usnit was installed in my bedroom. He is not used to the remote, I was. He said it was slow. I think its faster than the comcast motorola os that was installed. My brother lost all his recorded shows. ALL my shows were kept.
I called last week and had a Saturday install scheduled. The tech arrived promptly at about 8:15. When walking in he noticed my tivo box in my living room. I instructed him that we were updating the dvr in the bedroom. When getting in the bedroom, he said he would go get the tivo from the living room. I said “no, you are going to update the os on this motorola box.” He said “You can’t do that, you don’t know what you are talking about.” It went downhill from there. I said ” you are 100% incorrect.” He left angry.
Five minutes later he returned, and said another tech would be out later that day, and that he was incorrect.
The second tech arrived around 1PM. He had his act together. He had just done 1 other tivo install that AM. The first one was a nightmare he said. He said the signal strengthg was very important. He tested my lines and I had some number that was a 46. He sdai it had to be lower than a 55 or something. He rand the update and was done in an hour.
As compared to my series 2 tivo, I think its pretty quick. I would reccomend this service at this point. The giude is a little slow. I found that paging down was much faster than going line by line. The only change I did was the info screen at the top, I made it smaller. It was too big and distracting. The info screen seems to stay longer than you would expect.
I give this service 2 thumbs up.
January 13th, 2008 at 8:54 pm |
Matt -
What is your location?
Jeff
January 15th, 2008 at 11:17 pm |
had Comcast install Tivo software over the weekend, Techs were very good, but still took several days to figure it out. My screen would keep losing video signal, that problem is still ongoing, I think the box is now heating up since the new Tivo install, swapped out boxes with same results. Ive been around Tivo for many years, 9 years with Directv before jumping back to cable, comparing Tivo services, comcast version is lacking alot, stuck with 1 type of guide menu, software is very slow,it looks alot the the Tivo of old, but its a distant second for now. I replaced the Tivo box twice and now at the point of removing all Comcast Tivo’s from the home, lost video signal twice during the pats game and had several viewers scrambling to the kitchen to watch the game on a 12 inch tv, while the 15 minute reboot was going on. i will agree, its a step in the right direction, I just got in too early and it’s obvious that they did not learn too much from the beta release, because after spending 2 days at my home , they still left scratching there heads..
January 15th, 2008 at 11:18 pm |
and FYI, I live in the southcoast region of Mass, New Bedford/Fall River area..
January 19th, 2008 at 4:24 pm |
Just had the comcast/Tivo box installed a few weeks ago. Pretty happy with it so far. You can read my full review on my blog here:
http://comcastenthusiast.blogspot.com/2008/01/comcast-and-tivo.html
February 14th, 2008 at 7:43 pm |
I have had the new TiVo installed for four days now, after jumping back to Comcast from DirecTV. I have been using a Phillips TiVo on DirecTV for years now, so the that was why I chose TiVo over their own POS DVR. Anyway, I am totally frustrated. Not only are there far fewer features than my really old low def TiVo (upgraded over the years), but it locks up constantly. Now this wonderful TiVo is unable to figure out how to record anything, almost like it forgot that it has a hard drive. They have sent the software three times in four days, each time blowing away any settings, wishlists and recordings I have done. THIS THING IS GARBAGE!!!
I hated the DirecTV HD DVR as well, with it never working right, and now I hate the Comcast HD DVR/TiVo running on a Motorola DCH3416. Is it that hard to record things in high definition? My low definition true TiVo on a Phillips box always ran like a champ so why are companies trying to run TiVo software in emulation mode?
May 20th, 2008 at 1:13 pm |
I live in Massachusetts and recently got the comcast Dvr with tivo software. I’m on my third box and I wish I purchased a TIVO box. The software is buggy and very slow. Comcast service is good but the equipment sucks.