PVR Wire

1. I hate my Comcast PVR so much, I'm ditching cable altogether. While it wasn't the only the reason, it served very much as the catalyst. It's really troublesome to pay so much for something that sucks so bad.

Anyhow, I've started a website called ditchingcable.com to talk about how I'm getting rid of cable and the legal ways to watch tv online, via download or simply recording tv over the air.

Posted at 7:22PM on Dec 1st 2006 by Randy Stewart

2. I like all the improvements except for one, and it's a biggie for me. In the old menus, pushing DVR took you straight to your 'recorded shows' screen, and you had to navigate menus to see your schedule and lists.

In the new menus, pushing DVR takes you to an interim screen to select from these choices, then you have to select 'recorded shows.' The problem here is this: 90% of your usage time with the DVR is viewing recorded shows. I really can't stand that they'd add more steps to the MOST COMMONLY USED function in order to make accessing the infrequently used features a little easier.

Bad UI decision.

Otherwise, it's definitely better.

Posted at 7:40PM on Dec 1st 2006 by Jeremy Toeman

3. Yeah... Sorry but this is a case of "Too little, too late". I'm with #1 Post, I'm getting rid of my Comcast Cable Jan 2, 2007. I'm totaly done with them. $100 bucks a month for what? I am SO SICK of having to deal with them for every little thing, and nothing by bullsh*t for my money.

That "Verizon Fios" is around the corner and I can watch EVERYTHING on "You Tube". So who need's ya Comcast, we're breaking up, and no boot-calls later.

Posted at 10:41PM on Dec 1st 2006 by I, Robot

4. Sure, the improvements worked...just like chocolate covered feces. It certainly is better!

Posted at 2:07AM on Dec 2nd 2006 by formulaben

5. Has anyone heard when Comcast will begin its trials with TiVo? It was supposed to begin internal tests this month with more general availability of the TiVo service next month..

Posted at 6:36AM on Dec 2nd 2006 by mark seavy

6. I agree with Jeremy. One step forward, two steps back. The improvements in the user interface are pretty minor considering all of the other non-UI issues (slowness, tuner switching).

Posted at 9:06AM on Dec 2nd 2006 by Tim

7. Although Comcast states that if offers a PVR this service is nothing more than "personalized video-on-demand". After our the huricanes here in South Florida last year I had thought I would be able to watch the shows I had stored on the Comcast PVR when the service went out. If you do not have an active connection with Comcast you cannot access the stored shows on the PVR cable box. In addition when I had a box PVR cable box fail on me I was unable to retrieve the data from the hard disk on the PVR because Comcast does not allow you access to the stored media via a network nor would comcast retrieve the data for me. Better options exist that will let you stream programming and also backup and save that programming. Comcast should not call this a PVR since access is limited. This service is nothing more than a personalized on demand service since you do not have access to the media unless you have an active connection with Comcast. If this service was a PVR I would have the ability to manipulate the recordings in this case I do not.

Posted at 11:16AM on Dec 2nd 2006 by Jason

8. The new upgrade is a huge improvement when it comes to the ability to switch between tuners while a recording (or recordings) are going on. The extra step to get to recorded shows is a bit annoying. The 1st week or so with the 'upgrade' was rough, the box locked up a bunch and had some serious delay issues with FF or rewind commands.

As for the bashers, I don't know where you'll find a dual-tuner HDTV PVR that you only pay $5/month for without making a huge investment in a computer for your TV or something. The Comcast PVR isn't the perfect solution, but for $5 I don't think it can be beat.

Posted at 1:50PM on Dec 2nd 2006 by Jeff

9. Bug:

While recording and watching a separately recorded program change channels. You are presented with the Swap option. seems great, but once you select Swap the screen goes black and there is no way out!

You have to power off the DVR.

Seems like they fix one bug but add another worse bug.

Hurry up TiVo!

Posted at 3:12PM on Dec 12th 2006 by Mark

10. I like the new menu, however I do not like the new quick tip menu found at the bottom of the search by time, you can't see much it's in the way, I wish I could get ride of it.

Posted at 1:16AM on Dec 23rd 2006 by lori