TiVo signs deal with Comcast

[SirFozzie]

(Sweet. Maybe this will get the "TiVo is DYYYYYINNNG" crew to drink a 20oz Diet Shut the Fuck Up With Lemon for a bit)

TiVo to Supply DVR Service to Comcast

March 15, 2005

NEW YORK (Reuters) - TiVo Inc. <TIVO.O> on Tuesday said it will supply its digital video recording system to No. 1 cable television operator Comcast Corp. <CMCSA.O> in a deal that will boost TiVo's distribution and could quiet lingering doubts about its growth strategy.

The pact may boost subscribers at TiVo, which has been under scrutiny by Wall Street analysts to prove how it will grow in coming years. The deal came about one week after Comcast set a $1 billion deal to buy television set-top boxes from Motorola Inc. <MOT.N>

TiVo shares jumped more than 30 percent in pre-opening trade on Inet Tuesday.

[KWhit]

Damn. I much prefer my current Comcast DVR to the TIVO I had.

And it's cheaper than TIVO.

[chinaski]

fyi, Comcast has a special deal for the networks.... if they pay them X amount of money they make it so you cannot fast forward whatever programs the network chooses. Fox right now is paying them to disable fastforwarding on American Idol and 24.

[wade moore]

Damn. I much prefer my current Comcast DVR to the TIVO I had.

And it's cheaper than TIVO.

From everything I've heard, no cable DVR is superior to TiVO.. in fact, no DVR is superior to Tivo..

but I've never actually used a cable DVR before...

[HomerJSimpson]

fyi, Comcast has a special deal for the networks.... if they pay them X amount of money they make it so you cannot fast forward whatever programs the network chooses. Fox right now is paying them to disable fastforwarding on American Idol and 24.


BS. I have Comcast, regularly tape AI, and fast forward all I want.

[HomerJSimpson]

Dola: I'm with KWhit. I love my Comcast DVR, and reading up on Tivo, it would be a step back and more likely end up charging me more.

[wade moore]

Dola: I'm with KWhit. I love my Comcast DVR, and reading up on Tivo, it would be a step back and more likely end up charging me more.

I'm very curious about this..

In what respect is it a step back? How is Comcast better than TiVO?

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm very curious about this..

In what respect is it a step back? How is Comcast better than TiVO?


I was just looking at the website, and let me put it this way. Everything Tivo says "digital cable" doesn't have, I have with my current digital cable. So, at best it is giving me nothing expect forcing me into a suscription to get things I already have! From other comments in threads about this stuff, I seem to remember several things that made my DVR preferable to Tivo, but I can't remember them off the top of my head.

[VPI97]

I was just looking at the website, and let me put it this way. Everything Tivo says "digital cable" doesn't have, I have with my current digital cable. So, at best it is giving me nothing expect forcing me into a suscription to get things I already have! From other comments in threads about this stuff, I seem to remember several things that made my DVR preferable to Tivo, but I can't remember them off the top of my head. Bingo...Comcast DVR was equal to Tivo as far as what was offered...but the bonus was that is way WAAAY cheaper. Now it's just more we'll have to pay. This sucks.

[chinaski]

BS. I have Comcast, regularly tape AI, and fast forward all I want.

its not BS here in Portland, you cannot fastforward (thru the commercials anyways) a Comcast DVR recorded episode of AI or 24 here, i know 2 people with this setup and they have confirmed this.

[HomerJSimpson]

its not BS here in Portland, you cannot fastforward (thru the commercials anyways) a Comcast DVR recorded episode of AI or 24 here, i know 2 people with this setup and they have confirmed this.

Sucks to live in Portland... oh, and that sucks, too. :)

[chinaski]

Sucks to live in Portland... oh, and that sucks, too. :)

lol :)

[yabanci]

Tivo's stock jumped 75% today.

[CentralMassHokie]

I've had a TiVo for over 2 years now. I love it.

But I was very much in the TiVo is dying camp. They missed the boat on HD. They walked away from the initial Comcast deal. TiVo thought they could have the best of both worlds - superior software and control the hardware platform. The Apple model. Except they'd never hit mass market doing that - they'd end up with 1 or 2% and never really grow (remember, Apple's basically been saved by the iPod and Pixar).

A Comcast deal is perfect for TiVo. Concentrate on the software that makes their offering superior to the cable DVRs (Season Passes, Wishlists, even Suggestions) and get a huge install base to work with. I'm guessing this was driven by the TiVo board and not the current Chairman/former CEO, but we'll find out more as info leaks out.

[kingfc22]

This is awesome news. I could not go on without Tivo and the season pass options.

[KWhit]

I'm very curious about this..

In what respect is it a step back? How is Comcast better than TiVO?
I'm glad you asked. I have been singing the praises of my Comcast DVR to anyone who'll listen.

The main thing is that it has 2 tuners built in. That means instant picture in picture. It means you can record two shows at once or watch something while you record something else. Or record 2 things while watching something else that you've already recorded. You get the idea. You don't need a splitter. It's just more seamless of a setup to do this since both tuners are inside the DVR.

Another ease of setup bonus. You have a cable box and DVR inside the same component, instead of having the cable box seperate from a TIVO unit. Less wires. And for me, this means a much better picture. I had serious onscreen picture "noise" with my TIVO. i have little to none now.

You don't have to hook it up to a phone line or wireless adapter. The program updates just come through your cable.

Price! With Comcast, you only pay 9.99 per month with NO EQUIPMENT COSTS!! And that's for a DVR with 120 gig HD.

Setup was a snap. It couldn't be easier. When I was setting up my TIVO, it took about an hour to go through all the setup screens (and I had to do it twice cause my first TIVO didn't work).

This is a pretty rambling post. Sorry, but I have my 8 month old in my arms now and I'm lucky to be able to form a sentence at all cause he's trying to get into everything!

[KWhit]

And FYI, the Comcast DVR does have a season pass feature. The only real feature it is missing that Tivo has is suggestions. But that just got on my nerves - I never watched what it recommended.

[ISiddiqui]

The main thing is that it has 2 tuners built in. That means instant picture in picture. It means you can record two shows at once or watch something while you record something else. Or record 2 things while watching something else that you've already recorded. You get the idea. You don't need a splitter. It's just more seamless of a setup to do this since both tuners are inside the DVR.
You must have a different box than I do, because I got Comcast DVR and if I'm taping something, that is the only channel I can watch, and I can't tape anything else at the same time. If I try, the pop up comes up saying you are taping something at this time and you can't tape another.

[KWhit]

Yeah. The guy who installed it said that it was a brand new model, and much better than their first attempt at a DVR. This was about 2-3 months ago.

You might want to see if you can get a new one.

[KWhit]

Dola -

Does your remote have a "swap" button?? That's how you switch between tuners.

[ISiddiqui]

Nope, I don't have a "swap" button. I haven't seen anything on the website about a new model for DVR. Grumble... it may be work getting a new one, but I have to pay the bastards again to come and install it.

[ShaqFu]

Tivo needed a deal with somebody, since Rupert Murdoch is going to use his existing technology on the next generation DirecTV DVR boxes. Rupert's boxes likely will outshine anything Tivo does.

[wade moore]

I'm glad you asked. I have been singing the praises of my Comcast DVR to anyone who'll listen.

The main thing is that it has 2 tuners built in. That means instant picture in picture. It means you can record two shows at once or watch something while you record something else. Or record 2 things while watching something else that you've already recorded. You get the idea. You don't need a splitter. It's just more seamless of a setup to do this since both tuners are inside the DVR.

Another ease of setup bonus. You have a cable box and DVR inside the same component, instead of having the cable box seperate from a TIVO unit. Less wires. And for me, this means a much better picture. I had serious onscreen picture "noise" with my TIVO. i have little to none now.

You don't have to hook it up to a phone line or wireless adapter. The program updates just come through your cable.

Price! With Comcast, you only pay 9.99 per month with NO EQUIPMENT COSTS!! And that's for a DVR with 120 gig HD.

Setup was a snap. It couldn't be easier. When I was setting up my TIVO, it took about an hour to go through all the setup screens (and I had to do it twice cause my first TIVO didn't work).

This is a pretty rambling post. Sorry, but I have my 8 month old in my arms now and I'm lucky to be able to form a sentence at all cause he's trying to get into everything!


For you and VPI...

Is the Comcast DVR's "Season Pass" feature as 'in-depth' as Tivo's? I know in the past this has been the biggest criticism of other DVR's, that they're Season Pass feature was no nearly as dynamic.. will it:

Adjust to non-standard showings (special night, etc)
Record only new episodes?
Record only episodes you have not recorded in xx days (i think 30 for Tivo)?

[KWhit]

For you and VPI...

Is the Comcast DVR's "Season Pass" feature as 'in-depth' as Tivo's? I know in the past this has been the biggest criticism of other DVR's, that they're Season Pass feature was no nearly as dynamic.. will it:

Adjust to non-standard showings (special night, etc)
Record only new episodes?
Record only episodes you have not recorded in xx days (i think 30 for Tivo)?
Adjust to non-standard showings (special night, etc) Yes, absolutely.

Record only new episodes? Yes, there are 3 settings - First run only, first run and repeats, or all episodes

Record only episodes you have not recorded in xx days (i think 30 for Tivo) - No. It doesn't have this ability.

[KWhit]

Dola - It also has the ability to set how many episodes you want to save. And it has a setting so you can tell it to "erase if space is needed", or to "save until I delete".

[wade moore]

KWhit,

Ok.. both of those are features TiVO has..

So it seems (without actually seeing/using the comcast DVR) that they essentially mirror almost all features... but cost alot less and have two tuners (directivo has, cable tivo does not)....

Too bad I have Cox ;)... good to know that solid competitors are coming though... when I got mine Replay TV was really the only serious competitor and it is far worse IMHO...

Thanks for the education... I wonder if Cox has anything with all of these features in the works...

[KWhit]

I knew that TIVO had those 2 features. I was just pointing out that Comcast does too. Just giving you more information than you asked for. :)

Yes, the feature set is pretty similar. No recommendations on the Comcast (I don't miss that), and the interface is probably a bit better on the TIVO. But the 2 tuners, the cost, the ease of setup, and having 1 piece of equipment instead of 2 gives the nod to Comcast in my book.

[ISiddiqui]

Adjust to non-standard showings (special night, etc) Yes, absolutely.

Record only new episodes? Yes, there are 3 settings - First run only, first run and repeats, or all episodes

Record only episodes you have not recorded in xx days (i think 30 for Tivo) - No. It doesn't have this ability.
DAMN! I really need the new box! The old box doesn't do this at all!

[ISiddiqui]

Wooot!

Set up an appointment on Tuesday from 2-5 to set up a new dual tuner box :D.

[ZXTT]

It's not clear to me that everyone writing in this thread is aware of the details of the TiVo Comcast deal:

1. The TiVo software will be running on the Motorola boxes, so it will make use of the exact same hardware that the current DVR software is, ie. two tuners, HDTV, etc. This explains the amount of time that it will take to get TiVo to Comcast's customers (2006).

2. Comcast customers will have a choice of the current DVR software or TiVo. TiVo will cost more, although it is believed that Comcast will be paying TiVo less than $1 per customer with the TiVo service, although there will also be an up-front fee for development.

My own comments:

TiVo is easier to use than the standard Motorola DVR software. One feature I miss is the To Do list - the TVG way of displaying that info isn't as good.

A terrible shortcoming of the Moto DVR software is that it cannot fast forward very fast and there is no way I know of to jump forward significantly. Sometimes, when resuming playing a show it starts from the beginning instead of where I left off. It can take over five minutes of sitting through FF to get back to the right place in a long show, like a football game.

Finally, I haven't noticed any blocking of FF on 24 in Portland. We're probably about three or so episodes behind the current, so perhaps it will start soon for us. Or maybe it only blocks when trying to FF in the current show buffer.

[KWhit]

Good points ZX. You're right. I knew nothing about the deal other than what I read here. Good to know I can stay with what I have if I wish. And it's great that I'll be able to use the same box.

You also bring up a couple of good points about the TIVO software that I liked. I really like the fact that if you're fast-forwarding and then press play it jumps back a few seconds to compensate for your reaction time. That's such a little thing and something I really like about TIVO (the Comcast software doesn't do this).

But I have never had the problem of it starting a show from the very beginning if you stopped it somewhere earlier. It always resumes from where it left off for me.