TiVo and Comcast Strike a Deal

[monster]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050315/ap_on_hi_te/tivo_comcast

[dark knight]

Good news - I knew I should have bought some stock when everyone was jumping ship over the recent news. Not that long term there aren't still lots of viability issues.

[Quango]

I think this is good news. Comcast released DVR in our area late last year, and I'm enjoying it. Having the user-friendlyness of TiVo would be an improvement, but it is my understanding that TiVo does not have dual-tuners, which I think is great on the Comcast DVR I have now. Q

[Goodsport]

I think this is good news. Comcast released DVR in our area late last year, and I'm enjoying it. Having the user-friendlyness of TiVo would be an improvement, but it is my understanding that TiVo does not have dual-tuners, which I think is great on the Comcast DVR I have now. Q

I agree on both the user-friendliness of TiVo and the dual-tuner sweetness of the Comcast DVR (the latter also plays HD channels even if you don't have an HDTV - though the resolution is obvoiusly down-graded, it's still much clearer than other analog and digital channels). :)

Hopefully they'll incorporate the best features of both into the Comcast/TiVo DVR's.


-G

[obie]

I think this is good news. Comcast released DVR in our area late last year, and I'm enjoying it. Having the user-friendlyness of TiVo would be an improvement, but it is my understanding that TiVo does not have dual-tuners, which I think is great on the Comcast DVR I have now. Q
You have a dual-tuner Motorola set-top from Comcast? I'm stuck with first-gen single tuner. What's the model # so I can ask for it directly?

My read on this is that it is going to be a software upgrade on the existing boxes, so you can keep the hardware you have now and get the TiVo search and Season Pass features. I had DirecTivo before moving to a place where I couldn't get satellite, and while the Motorola DVR is OK (HD capability is nice but only 7 hours is wa-a-a-ay too little) it's nothing compared to TiVo.

[chad]

Motorola 6412 = dual tuner hd box from Comcast. The front of the unit even says "dual tuner" and "hdtv capable".

[obie]

Sure enough, I called Comcast saying that I was having a hardware issue with my first-gen DVR (Motorola 5100) and the guy came yesterday with a 6412. No $30 install fee since it was a replacement of a defective product, and no add'l monthly service cost. Nice deal.

Thing is, it appears the 6412 may be as buggy as the 5100, with occasional pixelation on the digital channels and FF / REW commands that can't be stopped. And, the recording of the US / HON match yesterday skipped about 40 seconds of the match at the start of the 2nd half without warning. But the channel guide is a huge leap over the 5100 version, the HD is bigger and, of course, dual tuners.

It ain't Tivo, but for as long as Tivo doesn't record in high def, this will have to do.

[ElJefe]

I think this is good news. Comcast released DVR in our area late last year, and I'm enjoying it. Having the user-friendlyness of TiVo would be an improvement, but it is my understanding that TiVo does not have dual-tuners, which I think is great on the Comcast DVR I have now. Q
The DirecTV boxes with integrated TiVo (DirecTiVos) all have dual tuners. However, none of the standalone TiVo boxes do.

This new Comcast TiVo box looks to be pretty much the Comcast equivalent of the DirecTiVos. And as a very happy DirecTiVo and standalone TiVo owner, I gotta say that if that's the case, then it's very good news for Comcast subscribers.

On the other hand, Comcast is my local cable company, and it'll be a cold day in hell before I ever subscribe to them. Their rates are absolutely ridiculous.