# Is it time to ditch Tivo for an xFinity DVR?



## smbaker (May 24, 2003)

My new years resolution is to finally renegotiate my cable package, reducing cost and upgrading to gigabit internet.

Whenever I try to do this online, it selects a package that includes an xFinity DVR. I think the website is assuming that they're going to ship me all new equipment (DVR) and I'm going to return the equipment (cable cards) that I have now. My first instinct is "_No, I don't want to do that_", but I'm not sure how to convince the damn website that I want to keep the cable cards I have now and to not ship me some stupid DVR.

Does anyone here have recent experience with selecting a new plan, keeping your cable cards, and not having an xFinity DVR pushed upon you?

However, I'm also wondering if it's time to finally give up, and just go with Comcast equipment. Right now I'm using a lifetime Roamio and a lifetime Premiere, which are older equipment. I'm unable to use HBO Go apparently due to Comcast and Tivo not getting along. I think xFinity On Demand was dropped as a feature from the Tivo some time ago as well. My experience seems to be of dwindling capability. Sometimes I tire of being the pawn in this corporate game, and of having to explain what a cablecard is any time I talk to a CSR.

Does anyone here have thoughts on xFinity versus Tivo hardware/software? Have we reached the point yet where the cableco DVRs have feature parity with a Tivo? (I've never owned anything but a Tivo)


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

Adding HBO Go app to your Xfinity/Comcast with Tivo

-KP


----------



## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

smbaker said:


> Right now I'm using a lifetime Roamio and a lifetime Premiere, which are older equipment. I'm unable to use HBO Go apparently due to Comcast and Tivo not getting along.


You can get this to work now (i've done it on our Roamio Pro).

Adding HBO Go app to your Xfinity/Comcast with Tivo

Regarding switching to a Comcast DVR, as long as TiVo works with Comcast and we receive the channels that we want, I can't imagine switching.

Scott


----------



## MileHigh96 (Jun 17, 2019)

All the apps on the TiVo anymore are garbage. They're outdated and slow compared using them on another device, which for me is a Roku. The difference is night and day and I never use the apps on my Bolt anymore. We barely use the TiVo even as a DVR any longer either.

We haven't gotten an Xfinity DVR box yet, but we might end up going that way. But with having a Roku, you can see just how far behind TiVo is when it comes to supporting other apps. TiVo definitely seems to care less and less about its customers.


----------



## Chuck_IV (Jan 1, 2002)

I was very close to at least trying out the Spectrum World Box(I know functionally it is inferior) simply because I wanted to do something in protest of the ads and I am getting tired of dealing with the tuning adapter issues we always have. The Spectrum box would also give us better integration with Spectrums original programming and on demand. We can do it now but have to use the Roku app which is convoluted to use, especially for a non-techy wife. 

However, since I have been able to get rid of the ads in the guide and pre-rolls(until TiVo starts playing whack a mole), we will be sticking with it for now. But we will always be using a separate streaming box for streaming apps because they are faster, do 4K, handle the hi-def audio and have more apps. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Salacious Crumb (Jan 1, 2019)

no


----------



## randyb359 (Jan 3, 2009)

The trick play on the Comcast DVR is awful.


----------



## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

Order and just return the X1 DVR to a local store and tell them to keep the Cable Card as primary.

Run them both side by side for a week and decide which you like better.


----------



## MileHigh96 (Jun 17, 2019)

Honestly, the biggest reason that I haven't completely dumped TiVo for the X1 is because in addition to my Bolt, we are using 3 Minis in the house and I really don't want to pay Comcast a few to have one of their boxes in every room with a TV since the Minis on my MoCa network work like a charm.


----------



## mattyro7878 (Nov 27, 2014)

OP was interested in the functionality of the Comcast box. As was I. Too bad this turned into a "get the box and then return it" thread. My concern would be the cost for their best DVR. It would be my only Xfinity box so it would be free...no?


----------



## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

mattyro7878 said:


> OP was interested in the functionality of the Comcast box. As was I. Too bad this turned into a "get the box and then return it" thread. My concern would be the cost for their best DVR. It would be my only Xfinity box so it would be free...no?


OP quote
"I'm not sure how to convince the damn website that I want to keep the cable cards I have now and to not ship me some stupid DVR.

Does anyone here have recent experience with selecting a new plan, keeping your cable cards, and not having an xFinity DVR pushed upon you?"

As to the X1 it works just fine, but no commercial skip, multi tuner live TV, no My Shows guide and no DVR if cable is out.

Very good for on demand


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

smbaker said:


> Does anyone here have recent experience with selecting a new plan, keeping your cable cards, and not having an xFinity DVR pushed upon you?


yes, but not online - call customer service, using "disconnect" as your keyword for the vru - specifiy you'd like your cablecard listed as the primary equipment on the account.


----------



## heyted (Mar 4, 2012)

If you decide to keep a cablecard, you may want to consider getting a Roku device to use for VOD. If you decide to get a Comcast DVR, you may want to consider getting a Roku device to use for VOD or as a DVR in another room.

Ted | My vlog


----------



## smbaker (May 24, 2003)

heyted said:


> If you decide to keep a cablecard, you may want to consider getting a Roku device to use for VOD. If you decide to get a Comcast DVR, you may want to consider getting a Roku device to use for VOD or as a DVR in another room.


I have a fire tv somethingorother that I picked up last Amazon day and I managed to use that to watch HBO Go the other day. Seems miles ahead of the Tivo's apps. I expect the Amazon Prime experience will completely blow away Tivo performance too. Not sure if it does xFinity On Demand though.



NorthAlabama said:


> yes, but not online - call customer service, using "disconnect" as your keyword for the vru - specifiy you'd like your cablecard listed as the primary equipment on the account.


I may give that a shot. To be honest, I hate talking to those people (and my reluctance to talk to them and negotiate a decent deal has probably made Comcast thousands of dollars over the years).


----------



## Willy92 (Oct 12, 2018)

Chuck_IV said:


> We can do it now but have to use the Roku app which is convoluted to use, especially for a non-techy wife.
> 
> However, since I have been able to get rid of the ads in the guide and pre-rolls(until TiVo starts playing whack a mole), we will be sticking with it for now. But *we will always be using a separate streaming box for streaming apps because they are faster, do 4K, handle the hi-def audio and have more apps. *
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Same, same.


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

smbaker said:


> I may give that a shot. To be honest, I hate talking to those people (and my reluctance to talk to them and negotiate a decent deal has probably made Comcast thousands of dollars over the years).


i used to go in to the local office, but now that they've moved to the new "experience" store next to apple, they only do sales - zero customer service, even the store manager - anything else is directed to the phone number or online.


----------



## Falkor (Feb 7, 2004)

smbaker said:


> Does anyone here have thoughts on xFinity versus Tivo hardware/software? Have we reached the point yet where the cableco DVRs have feature parity with a Tivo? (I've never owned anything but a Tivo)


I'm seriously considering it. Both have Netflix, Amazon and Tubi. The differences are small but obvious: TiVo has a better interface, better fast forward/skip and Hulu. Xfinity has on demand programming for all subscribed channels.

Which is more important to you? Interface or On Demand?

p.s. it was mentioned that "they" are working on an Xfinity Stream or equivalent to replace the old Xfinity On Demand TiVo app. Don't hold your breath.

p.p.s. Slightly unrelated, it appears that Epix is being added in two weeks as a bundle, not an add on. Like HBO Go, Comcast does not want to authorize the Epix on demand app on TiVo.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

I can't see a reason. Roamio is lifetime and allows you to have multiple TVs through minis without additional fees.
For all the Apps I would always go through ATV (My choice) or Roku.


----------



## smbaker (May 24, 2003)

Falkor said:


> Which is more important to you? Interface or On Demand?


I love the Tivo interface and I rarely used On Demand. More and more often it was becoming the case that On Demand wanted to charge me $$ to watch some old season of a TV series that I had missed.

However, that's not necessarily the criteria I'm judging based on. It's more like Interface vs Get-Along-With-XFinity. In my experience, life as a cablecard user has always been more difficult than it should be.


----------



## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

smbaker said:


> I may give that a shot. To be honest, I hate talking to those people (and my reluctance to talk to them and negotiate a decent deal has probably made Comcast thousands of dollars over the years).


Sure it has. I go through retention every couple of years when my current promo is up and always get the new customer promo again. Saves about $40-50/mo. every time.

There's no way I'm trading out my Roamio + Minis for whatever Comcast feeds to the masses. No way.


----------



## dbperkins (Oct 21, 2003)

I switched from Spectrum with cable cards to Xfinity using their X1dvr(2) and have decided NOT to go back to Tivo. Both have their advantages and disadvantages My main grip with Tivo is many times you go to watch a recorded show and that spinning circle would pop up. Voice remote did not work good. Xfinity X1dvr does no have auto skip for ads. BUT I can live without it. Yes storage is small, BUT I realize I watch the program once and that's it. Voice remote runs circles around the Tivo voice remote. X1 platform seems more stable the Tivo platform. Cost wise for me is is a wash. I crunch the numbers and cost comes in a little lower with Xfinity. I had annual subscriptions on 2 Tivo's. App's work good and their is many to choose from on X1 platform. I only need to use my firestick or Roku for Disney plus because of the problems between Disney and Xfinity.


----------



## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

smbaker said:


> Does anyone here have thoughts on xFinity versus Tivo hardware/software? Have we reached the point yet where the cableco DVRs have feature parity with a Tivo? (I've never owned anything but a Tivo)


Don't do that to yourself man! Seriously, just keep the TiVo and shrink your Xfinity cable package while moving your premium channel content to better platforms like a 4K streaming stick from Fire TV or Roku. When you're done with TiVo there are far better alternatives than a cable company box, but for now I'd keep that Roamio as long as I can! That's what we're doing here.


----------



## Falkor (Feb 7, 2004)

smbaker said:


> I love the Tivo interface and I rarely used On Demand. More and more often it was becoming the case that On Demand wanted to charge me $$ to watch some old season of a TV series that I had missed.
> 
> However, that's not necessarily the criteria I'm judging based on. It's more like Interface vs Get-Along-With-XFinity. In my experience, life as a cablecard user has always been more difficult than it should be.


Let me rephrase my question .. TiVo interface or ACCESS to Xfinity On Demand?

It sounds like there's nothing that Xfinity can offer you then. Don't bother switching. 

As far as charging for old TV, that's not just Comcast, that's the industry. Amazon and Apple do that too. That's only going to become worse with the next crop of services: CBS All Access, Peacock, Disney+, HBO Max, etc

For me, the on demand aspect is becoming more and more annoying. I see a movie I want to watch, but it started 30 minutes prior. So I can't On Demand to watch from the beginning. ...or I "discover" a TV series, three episodes after it started. Yes, I can hop from the TiVo box to the Fire/Roku/AppleTV and see if a Comcast-authorized app is available, but that's also hit or miss.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## KevTech (Apr 15, 2014)

X1 is not that bad and the UI is pretty much like TE4.
It is almost like Tivo decided to copy the X1 UI.
Since almost all X1 packages now include the box/DVR at no extra charge I can see why some would want to use it.


----------



## WVZR1 (Jul 31, 2008)

If a person has any TiVo w/PLS & Mini(s) it should NOT be that difficult to venture into a new Xfinity commitment that would include an XG1V4. I've a XG1V4 @ my main TV and a Mini, a Roamio 3TB (TE3) at another TV with Ethernet everywhere and I'm very happy. I had no difficulty accomplishing a 2 year commitment that was very competitive. A person needs to use Xfinity to their benefit. Very dependent upon maybe location if you're using anything other than Xfinity Mobile along with your Xfinity Internet & TV you're likely paying to much for total services.

There's things the XG1V4 does very well. Very, very well.


----------



## mazman (Nov 13, 2002)

I've owned several TiVos, the first in 2002. The loss of Xfinity On-Demand is a real problem in the household. No longer does TiVo tell us if a program is available on XVOD. While I can grudgingly live with that, other family members cannot and I understand why. 

One of TiVo's best selling points is (was) the search across platforms. Now, no XVOD, no Disney +, etc. I can see this issue getting worse as time goes by. TiVo has cheated death for years. I hope it can continue to do so but I'm not overly optimistic.


----------



## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

You don't lose XVOD if you get cheap Roku sticks.


----------



## mazman (Nov 13, 2002)

slowbiscuit said:


> You don't lose XVOD if you get cheap Roku sticks.


The issue is that the XVOD shows don't show up when searching TiVo. I am using a Roku stick and it's an infinitely better than the old TiVo app.


----------



## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Time to cut the cord! That's the way everything is going, and cable just doesn't make sense anymore. Most of the good content today is on streaming, and there is more of it than ever. Even without the cord, you'll still have too much to watch!



WVZR1 said:


> Very dependent upon maybe location if you're using anything other than Xfinity Mobile along with your Xfinity Internet & TV you're likely paying to much for total services.


XFinity Mobile is OK for some people with relatively basic mobile needs, but it is basically an MVNO-level service, with no Extended or Roaming coverage in the US, and poorly priced international roaming. I believe it is also depri.


----------



## KevTech (Apr 15, 2014)

Bigg said:


> Time to cut the cord! That's the way everything is going, and cable just doesn't make sense anymore. Most of the good content today is on streaming, and there is more of it than ever. Even without the cord, you'll still have too much to watch!


Depends on if you have a cap on usage.
I only stream Netflix and come close to going over the cap every month.
Everything else I watch/record is on cable TV.
I am not willing to pay an extra fifty dollars a month for unlimited usage.


----------



## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

KevTech said:


> Depends on if you have a cap on usage.
> I only stream Netflix and come close to going over the cap every month.
> Everything else I watch/record is on cable TV.
> I am not willing to pay an extra fifty dollars a month for unlimited usage.


I am not a cord-cutter, but I do watch quite a bit of streaming content--always in 4K when available. And I have yet to exceed the half-way point in my 1TB data cap, let alone take advantage of the two months per year that Comcast will waive the overage charges.

Of course, I would rather not have to think about a cap; but I can't say that it impacts me in any significant way.

YMMV if you have a large family or heavier than normal viewing habits.


----------



## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

mazman said:


> The issue is that the XVOD shows don't show up when searching TiVo. I am using a Roku stick and it's an infinitely better than the old TiVo app.


Yeah, but search has been broken ever since Rovi took over. Some stuff works, a lot doesn't.

The Roku app experience more than makes up for missing this on Tivo.


----------



## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

slowbiscuit said:


> Yeah, but search has been broken ever since Rovi took over. Some stuff works, a lot doesn't.
> *
> The Roku app experience more than makes up for missing this on Tivo.*


I agree completely.

I just helped my sister and BIL to subscribe to Comcast for the first time in their lives (leaving Dish). They signed up for the X1 Premier Pro Triple Play w/HBO that includes Gigabit HSI and the XG1v4 DVR. I told them to ditch the Comcast STB on their second TV for a Roku Stick+ within the first 30 days. Until Comcast starts charging an ADO fee for the Roku app, there's little point in renting a device for the service.


----------



## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

KevTech said:


> X1 is not that bad and the UI is pretty much like TE4.
> It is almost like Tivo decided to copy the X1 UI.
> Since almost all X1 packages now include the box/DVR at no extra charge I can see why some would want to use it.


I could not live without live buffers which the X1 does not have. I use them extensively with sports and regularly with other programming. And trick play on the X1 is clunky.


----------



## KevTech (Apr 15, 2014)

TonyD79 said:


> I could not live without live buffers which the X1 does not have.


Maybe the cloud X1 models this is true but the 4K XG1v4 has a 500GB hard drive and does have a live buffer.


----------



## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

chiguy50 said:


> I agree completely.
> 
> I just helped my sister and BIL to subscribe to Comcast for the first time in their lives (leaving Dish). They signed up for the X1 Premier Pro Triple Play w/HBO that includes Gigabit HSI and the X1Gv4 DVR. I told them to ditch the Comcast STB on their second TV for a Roku Stick+ within the first 30 days. Until Comcast starts charging an ADO fee for the Roku app, there's little point in renting a device for the service.


I'll pay the $10 to have a real remote that uses the system much better. Unless it's a TV that gets little use.


----------



## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

TonyD79 said:


> I could not live without live buffers which the X1 does not have. I use them extensively with sports and regularly with other programming. And trick play on the X1 is clunky.


DVR does, but only 1 tuner does live TV.


----------



## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

KevTech said:


> Depends on if you have a cap on usage.
> I only stream Netflix and come close to going over the cap every month.
> Everything else I watch/record is on cable TV.
> I am not willing to pay an extra fifty dollars a month for unlimited usage.


This is true for a small minority of households. Most are either nowhere close to the cap or way over the cap anyway. The thing is, moving from cable to streaming only moves a relatively small amount of content from cable to streaming, as most content today is either on OTA or exclusively on streaming.

If they haven't plugged the X1 streaming loophole then that would be another reason to have TV I guess. I'm not sure if they got X1 streaming to count against the data cap, since we don't have Comcast caps here. You can also put a Roku or whatever on xfinitywifi if you rent their crappy router and it won't count against the cap, so that's another workaround. Not that the cap isn't idiotic and illegal, because it is.

From a price perspective, they have priced their TV in an illegal and anti-competitive manner that makes it cheaper to have their TV service than a streaming service and Unlimited data, although compared to DirecTV, it's still cheaper to get Unlimited Data and a streaming service. That being said, I'd just pay the $14/mo for the router and use xfinitywifi instead of paying $50/mo for Unlimited Data. Unfortunately the town I'm in right now is Cox, which is far worse and there is no way around their cap. The towns that are Comcast don't have a cap.


----------



## Bruce24 (Jan 8, 2003)

mattyro7878 said:


> OP was interested in the functionality of the Comcast box. As was I. Too bad this turned into a "get the box and then return it" thread. My concern would be the cost for their best DVR. It would be my only Xfinity box so it would be free...no?


I have a pair of Bolts and three X1 boxes; an ARRIS XG1v3 DVR and a pair of Pace Xi3 STBs. In the den I have both a Bolt and the X1 DVR, in my bedroom a Bolt and then in my kitchen and office the X1 STBs. Note there are newer X1 boxes.

IMO the Bolt is still better at setting up/managing recordings as well as playing them back. However, with some Tivo patents having recently expired and Comcast adding their own commercial skip the gap is getting kind of small. The X1 commercial skip works by hitting fast forward (multiple time for a faster skip) when a commercial starts; one nice thing about their implementation is when the recording status bar appears, you see where and how long each of the commercials are. Like with Tivo, the commercial skip is only available with popular shows. The Tivo patents expiring now allows for remote scheduling and deleting of recordings. You can also watch any of your recordings in or out of the home via their Stream app, or if you like you can download them. If your into using Quickmode, you're out of luck with X1.

If you have any specific questions, just ask and I'll try to answer them.

-Bruce


----------



## WVZR1 (Jul 31, 2008)

Bigg said:


> Unfortunately the town I'm in right now is Cox, which is far worse and there is no way around their cap. The towns that are Comcast don't have a cap.


It's good to see that you're in a circumstance that even you consider 'far worse' that the Comcast/Xfinity you 'slam' on a quite regular basis!! It matters not where you post - get over it. There no one specific plan you can present us that is 'BEST OF ALL'. I'm very happy with my current Xfinity subscriptions and BTW the PQ/VQ on a premium 64" plasma (and I had L3TV streaming with HDD storage) is comparable.


----------



## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

WVZR1 said:


> It's good to see that you're in a circumstance that even you consider 'far worse' that the Comcast/Xfinity you 'slam' on a quite regular basis!! It matters not where you post - get over it. There no one specific plan you can present us that is 'BEST OF ALL'. I'm very happy with my current Xfinity subscriptions and BTW the PQ/VQ on a premium 64" plasma (and I had L3TV streaming with HDD storage) is comparable.


Comcast deserves to be slammed for their crappy TV service. For internet, their internet service is good for cable internet. It's way too expensive (most are, unless you're in a competitive market), and the upload is way too low (again, most are because they are low-split).

The VQ is objectively terrible. It's bit-starved and blurry. Cable news is fine, because talking heads don't move much, but most sports content, anything with fast motion, nature scenes, etc, is atrocious.


----------



## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Bruce24 said:


> I have a pair of Bolts and three X1 boxes;


I can provide a side by side comparison as well. I have used both side by side as well as in close proximity time wise to each other.

The first thing to keep in mind is that the TiVo is a DVR, the X1 is a Comcast box that equally balances DVR, VOD, and live TV functionality. I believe some (all?) areas have lost TiVo VOD on Comcast, but X1 is far better anyway, as it is native to Comcast, and most (all?) are now using IP-VOD as opposed to QAM-VOD. Meanwhile, the TiVo has a better interface for using the DVR and trickplay sorts of things.

With X1, there are a couple of generations of hardware, the XG1v1 and Xi3 are slow and laggy, and generally frustrating to use compared to a TiVo Roamio or newer (or even a Premiere post-Haxe). I have heard that the XG1v4 is MUCH faster, and I have used an XiD running as an XG1v1 client, and it was FAR faster than either the XG1v1 or the Xi3. It was VERY responsive, and I was able to button mash through that thing like nobody's business. I will note that the XiD is on what I believe to be an RFoG overbuild in a bulk MDU, while the XG1v1 and Xi3 are on traditional HFC in an exurban area, but I don't think that matters, I believe it's the hardware itself.

The overall interface in the X1 is relatively easy to use, but doesn't seem to have as many options as TiVo does. It's very click-heavy, it seems like Nokia designed it, which is a HUGE negative on the XG1v1 and Xi3, but not a big deal on the XG1v4 and XiD, since they are so fast. TiVo's interface is still aesthetically much more pleasing, but the X1's interface is mostly functional, and offers easy access to live TV, apps, and VOD. The apps aren't actually that bad, but they are very slow on the older hardware. They are much faster and more responsive on the newer hardware.

The TiVo Peanut is generally superior to the X1 remote (note there are several types of each). The Peanut feels better in your hand, and like the entire TiVo box, is made for a DVR, where the X1 remote is made to be equally as good with live TV, VOD, and DVR, so it's not great at any of them. The one HUGE advantage of the X1 remote is that you can use the number pad as a T9-esque text input system, and it is a REALLY easy way to find channels or shows that you want, even when you can't remember the third version of Comcast's HD channel lineup (varies by system and region).

In terms of trick play, TiVo is WAY ahead, due to commercial skip as well as 30 second skip and 6 second back. The back functionality on the X1 isn't too bad, but you have to manually FF the commercials, as opposed to 30 second/ 6 second mashing them, which is an acquired skill, but a skill that any TiVo user has down. I find the X1 transport controls downright aggravating, but I will say that I have only used them for one show on the XiD, and it was WAY easier to use than the XG1v1 and Xi3.

In terms of raw hardware, the XG1 boxes all have 5 or 6 tuners, although those can be used for live TV by Xi3/6 and XiD boxes, and a 500GB hard drive. They also mirror 60 hours to the cloud, so you can watch it on a PC or mobile device when you are out of the home. TiVo definitely has the advantage in terms of hard drive space, although the 500GB drive will hold 250 hours of Comcast's extremely over-compressed MPEG-4 video, and an average of at least 160 hours of HD, even when accounting for some MPEG-2 local channels until those are converted to over-compressed MPEG-4 as well.

Lastly, in terms of VQ, there is some discussion about whether the VQ is slightly less horrendous on the X1 boxes, and I believe it likely is, although it's very hard to tell. It's the same over-compressed disaster coming into to both boxes, but I believe that the XG1 is applying some sort of scaling or smoothing to hide what few artifacts are in the video, and saturate the colors a bit more. Comcast does't have too big of an issue with artifacts since they throw a TON of CPU power at encoding, the main problem is that bit-starving and CBR constraining their video causes motion to become blurry and lacking detail, which is why it jarringly goes from looking like the 720p that it is during relatively still scenes, or scenes with easily compressed graphics to looking like barely DVD/480p quality during motion, especially in sports and nature scenes, resulting in the jarring sensation of changing resolutions constantly. That being said, the XG1 video looks slightly better to me, although it's really hard to tell since I've compared them mostly on different TVs, which could have an even larger effect on processing than the box itself. AFAICT, newer TVs with more processing power are able to clean up the mess a little bit more than older TVs with less processing power, but in the end, garbage in equals garbage out, and that is the case with any box on Comcast.

All that being said, we're comparing one dinosaur to another dinosaur, given that TV is moving away from traditional MVPDs and linear pay TV and towards OTT SVOD and vMVPDs. I haven't tried YouTube TV for myself, but I have heard really good things about both it's VQ and it's UI/UX, as well as the DVR functionality, which is fundamentally different from a local DVR and is better in some ways but worse in others.


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

yes, _that's _what'll convince them to change their minds and agree with me, after i've been asked repeatedly to give it a rest - a wall of text!


----------



## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

NorthAlabama said:


> yes, _that's _what'll convince them to change their minds and agree with me, after i've been asked repeatedly to give it a rest - a wall of text!


The answer of whether X1 or TiVo is a better DVR or cable box or whatever isn't as simple as a few lines. I have used both, and I tell it exactly like it is. I can both compare the relative merits of the devices themselves and observe the fact that linear TV is dying, and that Comcast's VQ sucks, just in the same way people surely had discussions about the merits of various buggy whips as the Model T was taking over.


----------



## WVZR1 (Jul 31, 2008)

Bigg said:


> The answer of whether X1 or TiVo is a better DVR or cable box or whatever isn't as simple as a few lines. I have used both, and I tell it exactly like it is. I can both compare the relative merits of the devices themselves and observe the fact that linear TV is dying, and that Comcast's VQ sucks, just in the same way people surely had discussions about the merits of various buggy whips as the Model T was taking over.


You sound like Schiff!!! But you actually can't 'verify' squat!!!


----------



## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

Bigg said:


> The answer of whether X1 or TiVo is a better DVR or cable box or whatever isn't as simple as a few lines. I have used both, and I tell it exactly like it is. I can both compare the relative merits of the devices themselves and observe the fact that linear TV is dying, and that Comcast's VQ sucks, just in the same way people surely had discussions about the merits of various buggy whips as the Model T was taking over.


Linear TV has been dying since affordable VCR's became available. Time shifting has been a thing for a very long time. Linear TV in some form will outlive all of us.


----------



## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

tenthplanet said:


> Linear TV has been dying since affordable VCR's became available. Time shifting has been a thing for a very long time. Linear TV in some form will outlive all of us.


Sure but buggy whips are still here too so what are you saying? Cars will replace horses but there will always be buggy whips?


----------



## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

WVZR1 said:


> You sound like Schiff!!! But you actually can't 'verify' squat!!!


If I sound like Schiff, then my case is even more airtight and obvious to anyone with half a brain that half works than even I thought!



tenthplanet said:


> Linear TV has been dying since affordable VCR's became available. Time shifting has been a thing for a very long time. Linear TV in some form will outlive all of us.


Except that it hasn't. Pay TV peaked in 2010, and in 2018 and 2019, the losses have accelerated to a rate of what appears to be over 4M for CY19. Meanwhile, ratings on the networks are tanking, with the top show today getting lower ratings than the 11th show a decade ago. The whole pay TV ecosystem is going to implode. I probably should have said pay TV specifically before, but pay TV comprises most of what we know of as linear TV. While there will be some form of linear TV for a very, very long time, it won't be the primary mode of content consumption in even a decade, and it will be airing stuff that's already streaming, or is primarily delivered through streaming, not it's own content.



trip1eX said:


> Sure but buggy whips are still here too so what are you saying? Cars will replace horses but there will always be buggy whips?


Exactly. Someone still makes buggy whips. They are great for Mackinac Island or the Equine enthusiast. Doesn't mean most people care about them or they have any bearing on the greater economy, which, last time I checked was dominated by gasoline, diesel, and an increasing number of electric vehicles.


----------



## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

OTA TV will be the last linear TV, sub channel digi nets will keep the zombie going. Internet streaming isn't affordable for more people than you think. The future will be expensive... There is no escape.


----------



## mschnebly (Feb 21, 2011)

WVZR1 said:


> It's good to see that you're in a circumstance that even you consider 'far worse' that the Comcast/Xfinity you 'slam' on a quite regular basis!! It matters not where you post - get over it. There no one specific plan you can present us that is 'BEST OF ALL'. I'm very happy with my current Xfinity subscriptions and BTW the PQ/VQ on a premium 64" plasma (and I had L3TV streaming with HDD storage) is comparable.


When I still had Comcast last year I could see my streaming via Roku or ATV sharp and clear while the Comcast channels were always very soft.


----------



## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

tenthplanet said:


> OTA TV will be the last linear TV, sub channel digi nets will keep the zombie going. Internet streaming isn't affordable for more people than you think. The future will be expensive... There is no escape.


Correct. OTA and some form of DBS will survive for a very, very long time, but the primary mode of consuming that content will be online streaming by the late-2020s at the latest, and linear TV will simply be a re-broadcast of what's available on streaming, syndicated content, re-runs, etc.


----------



## WVZR1 (Jul 31, 2008)

mschnebly said:


> When I still had Comcast last year I could see my streaming via Roku or ATV sharp and clear while the Comcast channels were always very soft.


I ran my Layer3 (streaming) side by side with my Roamio Xfinity on a 64" Premium 1080P Plasma for several days expecting to see differences. I didn't see noticeable differences for anything I considered 'broadcast'. When I returned to Xfinity I did the same with my Roamio, Mini and an XG1V4 before shipping the L3TV (now -T--Vision) back.

There's much for an Xfinity or any other user to consider before leaving QAM.


----------



## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

WVZR1 said:


> I ran my Layer3 (streaming) side by side with my Roamio Xfinity on a 64" Premium 1080P Plasma for several days expecting to see differences. I didn't see noticeable differences for anything I considered 'broadcast'.


You're either talking about local broadcast channels that Comcast is not re-compressing, or you need to visit your local optometrist very badly.


----------



## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

schatham said:


> DVR does, but only 1 tuner does live TV.


Just 1 live TV buffer? Why the heck would they do that.

Scott


----------



## Saturn (Apr 10, 2001)

I just popped in to say this is a really sad thread - "Should I ditch my TiVo for a cable box".  Oh, how the mighty have fallen, (and cable companies have maybe gotten their stuff together).


----------



## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

tenthplanet said:


> OTA TV will be the last linear TV, sub channel digi nets will keep the zombie going. Internet streaming isn't affordable for more people than you think. The future will be expensive... There is no escape.


But the future will bring more choices and competition, which, in theory, should lead to either lower prices or better quality for premium-priced content.


----------



## KevTech (Apr 15, 2014)

Saturn said:


> I just popped in to say this is a really sad thread - "Should I ditch my TiVo for a cable box".  Oh, how the mighty have fallen, (and cable companies have maybe gotten their stuff together).


Kinda funny to me is the X1Gv4 and Tivo Edge are both made by Arris.


----------



## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

tarheelblue32 said:


> But the future will bring more choices and competition, which, in theory, should lead to either lower prices or better quality for premium-priced content.


Most people will never see broadband/high speed internet below 40 to 50 dollars, content doesn't matter if you can't afford to stream it. The price wars are never coming.


----------



## mattyro7878 (Nov 27, 2014)

WVZR1 said:


> You sound like Schiff!!! But you actually can't 'verify' squat!!!


Come over my hous and look at my Xfinity picture . It won't take long for you to agree.


----------



## LarryR2 (Apr 21, 2006)

I'm in a forced mode to do the original topic (ditch Tivo for Xfinity DVR). I've had Tivos for many years, and even a DirecTV THR22 for 5 years. However, my building has switched from DTV to Comcast, so I now have an XG1-A. The picture is indeed nice, but the remote will take much getting used to, and I already miss Tivo's Wishlist function, where I can automatically record a set of programs (not an official "series"), even if nothing is scheduled to air within 2 weeks. I already did the trickplay hack on the Xfinity remote (exit exit exit 0030) to restore the Tivo-ish skips, but I still don't like the remote.

I bought an inexpensive refurbished Tivo Premiere XL4 and ordered a CableCard from Comcast. If it works, I might use the XG1 only to support IP channels and the Roku Xfinity app (which seems very good). If not, I'm pretty sure I can sell the Premiere, and use my (still working) Series 2 as a fancy Guide/Wishlist. I don't like change.


----------



## mikeb33 (Dec 10, 2001)

I have a Roamio and a 1080p Samsung 65". For christmas I want a new QLED TV which will be 4K so then I need a new source. Do I get an Edge or Bolt, or an X1? I have a couple Tivo Minis too. I also have a 4 way HDMI switch off my tivo leading to my main tv, my bedroom and screen porch. The Tivo remote is RF so since all 3 sets are close to the Tivo I have 3 remotes and they all can work the Tivo. We only watch one of those TVs at a time so it works well.
Does anybody know if the X1 remote is RF or IR?
Also one of my favorite Tivo features is the multi tuners. I often set all 6 to my favorite channels and when I switch to channel and a show I like is on, I can rewind it a half hour. Or I can pause a game, switch tuners, watch another for a while, then switch back. Does anybody know if X1 can act this way?


----------



## LarryR2 (Apr 21, 2006)

The X1 remote is RF. I believe it can be set to IR, but then you lose the voice control. In my limited experience with X1, there is only one live channel at a time - even though there are 6 tuners. The remote has a "Last" button which shows the current and previous 8 watched channels, but only the current channel can be rewound (and only until you started watching it).


----------



## mikeb33 (Dec 10, 2001)

LarryR2 said:


> In my limited experience with X1, there is only one live channel at a time - even though there are 6 tuners. The remote has a "Last" button which shows the current and previous 8 watched channels, but only the current channel can be rewound (and only until you started watching it).


Thank you for the info. That is my favorite feature and a deal breaker. I'm ordering a Bolt cable 6 tuner 1TB to be ready for my Christmas QLED TV. I didn't see enough difference between the Bolt and Edge for the price.


----------



## Beryl (Feb 22, 2009)

LarryR2 said:


> The X1 remote is RF. I believe it can be set to IR, but then you lose the voice control. In my limited experience with X1, there is only one live channel at a time - even though there are 6 tuners. The remote has a "Last" button which shows the current and previous 8 watched channels, but only the current channel can be rewound (and only until you started watching it).


So you can record up to 6 shows and must go to the actual recordings to view them and not switch to a tuner and backtrack?

If so, that is disappointing. Being able to switch to another tuner and backtrack during commercials is valuable. I do that frequently.


----------



## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

KevTech said:


> Kinda funny to me is the X1Gv4 and Tivo Edge are both made by Arris.


Ironically, Midcontinent has TiVo running on the XG1, which was developed by Comcast for X1, and offered to other MSOs as hardware, or with X1 licensed. Cox licensed X1, Midcontinent ran TiVo on it.

http://mediacomcc.custhelp.com/ci/fattach/get/172/1461017208/redirect/1/session/L2F2LzEvdGltZS8xNTc1ODM3MzE2L2dlbi8xNTc1ODM3MzE2L3NpZC9mVXdxX2NHc3U5RUJOWVp0X2Uwd1N4Z2VVclVFR0k2QnU4cWxSNElkWVBDNlVIMVJYcWM5ckRKaU1zamJheUZINiU3RXU0c1FxUEhMT2dtUHFmVTN0cHl0RHFFWmZQSWlHTUV4MDl1UmlfbTlqbGdQVm9OdGRNcDQ2dyUyMSUyMQ==/filename/TiVo-Pace MG1 User Guide.pdf



tenthplanet said:


> Most people will never see broadband/high speed internet below 40 to 50 dollars, content doesn't matter if you can't afford to stream it. The price wars are never coming.


Or $75/mo+ in many areas where cable is the only option.

EDIT: Combine posts


----------



## LarryR2 (Apr 21, 2006)

Beryl said:


> So you can record up to 6 shows and must go to the actual recordings to view them and not switch to a tuner and backtrack?
> 
> If so, that is disappointing. Being able to switch to another tuner and backtrack during commercials is valuable. I do that frequently.


I received and activated my Comcast CableCard yesterday. It is so nice to be able to cycle among buffered live stations. I checked the 330 (approx) channels I should receive (ignoring 1xxx and IP-only channels) and found 9 local HD channels I don't receive. I'm afraid to call Comcast to fix this since it might break something else (I can receive the SD version of those channels).


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

LarryR2 said:


> I received and activated my Comcast CableCard yesterday. It is so nice to be able to cycle among buffered live stations. I checked the 330 (approx) channels I should receive (ignoring 1xxx and IP-only channels) and found 9 local HD channels I don't receive. I'm afraid to call Comcast to fix this since it might break something else (I can receive the SD version of those channels).


When you select the SD channel, does it prompt you to hit "D" for the HD version? It's also possible that TiVo has an old or wrong channel list. That can be harder to troubleshoot, but not impossible. TiVo has diagnostics, but finding someone at TiVo to help is impossible. Are you running TE3 or TE4?

First question is: what error does the TiVo display when you tune to the bad HD channel?


----------



## LarryR2 (Apr 21, 2006)

JoeKustra said:


> When you select the SD channel, does it prompt you to hit "D" for the HD version? It's also possible that TiVo has an old or wrong channel list. That can be harder to troubleshoot, but not impossible. TiVo has diagnostics, but finding someone at TiVo to help is impossible. Are you running TE3 or TE4?
> 
> First question is: what error does the TiVo display when you tune to the bad HD channel?


When I tune to one of those 9 channels I used to get "Trouble with signal - V53". I just now tried it and I get a pixelated frozen image on those channels after a few seconds - but the image is not from the tuned channel. Every other channel works fine. THANK YOU for telling me about the "D" button (there was no prompt). If I ever knew about that button, I forgot, since I had a DirecTV Tivo for 5 years and SD/HD were the same channel number (before that I was SD only).

I doubt anything is wrong with the Tivo (Premiere XL4 with SD menu) and the channel list looks fine for my lineup (and "D" works). I think I'll just live with those 9 bad channels for a while, since I have the SD version if I need it.


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

LarryR2 said:


> I doubt anything is wrong with the Tivo (Premiere XL4 with SD menu) and the channel list looks fine for my lineup (and "D" works). I think I'll just live with those 9 bad channels for a while, since I have the SD version if I need it.


you may want to reconsider waiting, i've found it's best to get the service fully working at activation to avoid any other potential problems later on. if you change your mind and decide to fix it later, they may even try to bill you for the service call to repair what never worked from the beginning - just something to think about.


----------



## JammasterC (Aug 9, 2005)

LarryR2 said:


> When I tune to one of those 9 channels I used to get "Trouble with signal - V53". I just now tried it and I get a pixelated frozen image on those channels after a few seconds - but the image is not from the tuned channel. Every other channel works fine. THANK YOU for telling me about the "D" button (there was no prompt). If I ever knew about that button, I forgot, since I had a DirecTV Tivo for 5 years and SD/HD were the same channel number (before that I was SD only).
> 
> I doubt anything is wrong with the Tivo (Premiere XL4 with SD menu) and the channel list looks fine for my lineup (and "D" works). I think I'll just live with those 9 bad channels for a while, since I have the SD version if I need it.


That error may be a cable or splitter issue too. Seems like you're not getting as strong a signal as you should.
There is a signal test for the channel you can run.
Settings/Channel Settings/Cable Strength


----------



## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

@LarryR2 are those channels near each other? Any good HD channels in-between? When the problem is in a continuous range it's often caused by connectors, relays, or other provider equipment at your home entrance or out on a pole somewhere.


----------



## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

LarryR2 said:


> I received and activated my Comcast CableCard yesterday. It is so nice to be able to cycle among buffered live stations. I checked the 330 (approx) channels I should receive (ignoring 1xxx and IP-only channels) and found 9 local HD channels I don't receive. I'm afraid to call Comcast to fix this since it might break something else (I can receive the SD version of those channels).


What do your levels look like? SNR? Sounds like you might need a truck roll if you can't flesh it out. Don't let it go on, as you're on the edge of additional channels not working, or large chunks of channels working intermittently. Ironically, if there is water in a line somewhere, it can cause channels to go out when it rains, like cable constantly accuses satellite of, except that instead of a few minutes a year, it can be for hours or days on end.


----------



## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

Bigg said:


> Ironically, if there is water in a line somewhere, it can cause channels to go out when it rains, like cable constantly accuses satellite of, except that instead of a few minutes a year, it can be for hours or days on end.


That happened to us once when we first moved into a new house. Water was in something down the street, but all channels were fine until temperatures were 40 degrees F or less, which didn't happen often that month. Only at those times did we have problems with a specific range of channels. Took me weeks to get crews out there at exactly the right time to convince them, and only then got a network/line crew authorized to go hunting for it.


----------



## LarryR2 (Apr 21, 2006)

JammasterC said:


> That error may be a cable or splitter issue too. Seems like you're not getting as strong a signal as you should.
> There is a signal test for the channel you can run.
> Settings/Channel Settings/Cable Strength


Thank you, JammasterC. Except for the 7 bad channels, the signal strength is at least 85%. Those 7 channels are very low.


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

LarryR2 said:


> Thank you, JammasterC. Except for the 7 bad channels, the signal strength is at least 85%. Those 7 channels are very low.





LarryR2 said:


> THANK YOU for telling me about the "D" button (there was no prompt).


The lack of a "D" prompt usually means you don't have an HD version (according to TiVo). It might be informative if the 9 channels were close in frequency. This is the Diagnostic display that includes that information. Program number should be considered a sub-channel.







My signal is 90% since that's a basic Roamio.


----------



## LarryR2 (Apr 21, 2006)

Pokemon_Dad said:


> @LarryR2 are those channels near each other? Any good HD channels in-between? When the problem is in a continuous range it's often caused by connectors, relays, or other provider equipment at your home entrance or out on a pole somewhere.


Thank you, Pokemon_Dad, the bad channels seem to be in a group, but there are good channels intermixed with the bad ones. 183 and 184 are bad but 185-188 are good, 189 is bad but 190-191 are good. 192 is bad but 193 is good. 194 is bad but 195 is good. The next bad one is 239. Then they're good until 367, which is bad. The rest are good. Strange? The only "pattern" is that the bad channels are all HD "local" (OTA) channels, but there are many good HD "local" channels.


----------



## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

LarryR2 said:


> Thank you, Pokemon_Dad, the bad channels seem to be in a group, but there are good channels intermixed with the bad ones. 183 and 184 are bad but 185-188 are good, 189 is bad but 190-191 are good. 192 is bad but 193 is good. 194 is bad but 195 is good. The next bad one is 239. Then they're good until 367, which is bad. The rest are good. Strange? The only "pattern" is that the bad channels are all HD "local" (OTA) channels, but there are many good HD "local" channels.


That is similar to the problems we were seeing. Turned out to be a problem somewhere outside the house, as I described above. You'll need to request a truck roll. They will test all outlets and the service entrance, then if they determine it's outside they can request a network (line) crew for you. Hope I'm right and this solves it for you. Good luck!


----------



## LarryR2 (Apr 21, 2006)

JoeKustra said:


> The lack of a "D" prompt usually means you don't have an HD version (according to TiVo). It might be informative if the 9 channels were close in frequency. This is the Diagnostic display that includes that information. Program number should be considered a sub-channel.
> View attachment 45024
> 
> My signal is 90% since that's a basic Roamio.


Oh, my! I went to that diagnostic screen for the bad channels (a few at a time) and all 7 channels are the same frequency (subchannels 1-7 of 309000). Does that mean the card might be bad? I can get to those channels fine on my X1 receiver.


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

LarryR2 said:


> Oh, my! I went to that diagnostic screen for the bad channels (a few at a time) and all 7 channels are the same frequency (subchannels 1-7 of 309000). Does that mean the card might be bad? I can get to those channels fine on my X1 receiver.


NO! It means your cable feed has a problem with that channel. Tell them what you posted. A TiVo (and cable card) treats all channels the same. Tell your feed that Hyperband channel 38 has a problem and ask them if they think it's a bad cable card. Let them decide.

Pan-American television frequencies - Wikipedia

BTW, having 7 HD channels on one frequency usually means a poor quality. It's also possible the channel mapping is bad. A new card will force you to get a new channel list which might fix your problem.


----------



## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

JoeKustra said:


> NO! It means your cable feed has a problem with that channel. Tell them what you posted. A TiVo (and cable card) treats all channels the same. Tell your feed that Hyperband channel 38 has a problem and ask them if they think it's a bad cable card. Let them decide.
> 
> Pan-American television frequencies - Wikipedia
> 
> BTW, having 7 HD channels on one frequency usually means a poor quality. It's also possible the channel mapping is bad. A new card will force you to get a new channel list which might fix your problem.


It sounds like 2 local stations with channel sharing, so either 3HD/4SD or 4HD/3SD MPEG-2. Obviously something is wrong that one RF channel. Comcast channels numbers don't mean a whole lot, they can be all over the place on the physical RF channels.


----------



## LarryR2 (Apr 21, 2006)

JoeKustra said:


> NO! It means your cable feed has a problem with that channel. Tell them what you posted. A TiVo (and cable card) treats all channels the same. Tell your feed that Hyperband channel 38 has a problem and ask them if they think it's a bad cable card. Let them decide.
> 
> Pan-American television frequencies - Wikipedia
> 
> BTW, having 7 HD channels on one frequency usually means a poor quality. It's also possible the channel mapping is bad. A new card will force you to get a new channel list which might fix your problem.


Thank you, JoeKustra, I called Comcast CableCard support and told them about the 7 bad channels on one frequency. They suggested I swap the card at a service center (which might be like Russian roulette) and then have the new card activated. I suppose it's worth a try, but I can't to do that until next week. All 7 channels work fine on my X1 receiver, so the feed is probably ok.


----------



## hybucket (Nov 26, 2004)

An older topic, but I'll give it a shot. My Roamio just bit the dust...and with TiVO slipping (constant Guide problems, as well as the Skip function and some other minor stuff), I am considering an Xfinity X1. I don't watch much cable any more...most of the time spent on the streamers like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, which I watch on a FireStick, which is significantly better that TiVO's streaming functions. Any thoughts?


----------



## Bruce24 (Jan 8, 2003)

hybucket said:


> An older topic, but I'll give it a shot. My Roamio just bit the dust...and with TiVO slipping (constant Guide problems, as well as the Skip function and some other minor stuff), I am considering an Xfinity X1. I don't watch much cable any more...most of the time spent on the streamers like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, which I watch on a FireStick, which is significantly better that TiVO's streaming functions. Any thoughts?


IMO the gap in functionality between a TiVo and the X1 isn't that big any more. If you to that the bad TiVo guide data and inconsistent Skip data, if my TiVo stops working I wouldn't buy another I'd just use the X1 DVR.


----------



## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

hybucket said:


> An older topic, but I'll give it a shot. My Roamio just bit the dust...and with TiVO slipping (constant Guide problems, as well as the Skip function and some other minor stuff), I am considering an Xfinity X1. I don't watch much cable any more...most of the time spent on the streamers like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, which I watch on a FireStick, which is significantly better that TiVO's streaming functions. Any thoughts?


Sounds like you need to consider alternatives to X1 or even cutting the (cableco) cord entirely! Try these threads:
• TiVo Alternatives?
• SOAK: Tell Me About Your Cord-Cutting Experience!


----------



## CommunityMember (May 22, 2020)

hybucket said:


> Any thoughts?


As others have said, the X1 experience is not a TiVo experience. And the only way to know if an X1 can work for you is to try it. Depending on what bundle pricing you are on I believe the cost for adding an X1 to your account to see if it is adequate as a replacement would not be excessive for a few weeks (or month).

And, as you probably know, roamios tend to die due to harddisk and/or power supply failures. Both can be replaced or repaired if one is somewhat inclined (or via 3rd party repair).

And if you choose the TiVo experience perhaps you should contact TiVo to see if they will offer a deal on a replacement/upgrade (especially as repair/replacement also has a cost, so compare/contrast the costs).


----------



## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

hybucket said:


> I am considering an Xfinity X1. I don't watch much cable any more...most of the time spent on the streamers like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, which I watch on a FireStick, which is significantly better that TiVO's streaming functions. Any thoughts?


I've been running an X1 alongside my TiVo Roamio since last July. Here's what I wrote back then:

TiVo versus X1 review after two weeks

We use an Apple TV for streaming.

I can say now that we've been using the X1 exclusively ever since. The Roamio is still running and supplies TV to my kitchen, bedroom and family room. It's cheaper than paying Xfinity $10 per month for a slave box in each room.

The X1 and TiVo are more alike than different. Switching over is easy.


----------



## CommunityMember (May 22, 2020)

DeltaOne said:


> ... It's cheaper than paying Xfinity $10 per month for a slave box in each room.


While a roamio+minis are still probably cheaper, as I recall if one is under S&E pricing additional boxes are only $5/mo, but as with everything Comcast, your location and bundle pricing will vary.


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

hybucket said:


> An older topic, but I'll give it a shot. My Roamio just bit the dust...and with TiVO slipping (constant Guide problems, as well as the Skip function and some other minor stuff), I am considering an Xfinity X1. I don't watch much cable any more...most of the time spent on the streamers like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, which I watch on a FireStick, which is significantly better that TiVO's streaming functions. Any thoughts?


the good news? you can try it before you switch.

x1 is slow..._really _slow. i've set it up at my neighbors and helped her with voice command (which is very accurate), but as mentioned above, tivo it's not, and with the january 2021 price increase, it's pushing the price barrier, too.


----------



## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

CommunityMember said:


> While a roamio+minis are still probably cheaper, as I recall if one is under S&E pricing additional boxes are only $5/mo, but as with everything Comcast, your location and bundle pricing will vary.


NOT any more; they went up in Jan in ALL areas to $7.50/month (in non S&E areas, they were lowered from $10, to 7.50...so it's the same regardless if you're in such an area)


----------



## Phil T (Oct 29, 2003)

I am running the XG1v4 X1 4K box on my main TV and a Tivo Bolt and 2 minis for other rooms. The XG1v4 is a solid piece of equipment and not hard to get used to.

I've had quite a few issues with the Tivo's and minis staying connected over the past few months which made me try the X1. All seems to be stable now that I am back on experience 3.

More and more channels are going to IP on Comcast and I notice all the C-SPAN channels are gone on Tivo now. This may become a bigger issue for Tivo as more channels get converted.

I discussed cutting the cord with Comcast and using my Bolt and minis for OTA recording with my wife recently. She said no, that she did not want to go backwards with Tivo's, which tells me she really likes the X1 experience.


----------



## spiderpumpkin (Dec 1, 2017)

dishrich said:


> NOT any more; they went up in Jan in ALL areas to $7.50/month (in non S&E areas, they were lowered from $10, to 7.50...so it's the same regardless if you're in such an area)


Still $9.95 in MN and then there's a $5 credit.


----------



## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

spiderpumpkin said:


> Still $9.95 in MN and then there's a $5 credit.


I believe you are referring to the Additional Digital Outlet (or "Digital Service") fee and the Customer-Owned Equipment (COE) credit.

CommunityMember and dishrich are addressing Comcast rental STB's, which are $7.50 each under Simple & Easy as of January 1.


----------



## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

CommunityMember said:


> While a roamio+minis are still probably cheaper, as I recall if one is under S&E pricing additional boxes are only $5/mo, but as with everything Comcast, your location and bundle pricing will vary.


I just checked my current bill. I am on Super+ More but there's no charge for additional outlets boxes. I see the following sections: Your Xfinity Package, Equipment & Services*, Other service providers**, Service Fees, Other Charges, Taxes and government fees. No mention of additional box or outlet charges.

*Equipment & Services is $7.50 for "TV Box + Remote, DVR Service for primary TV included in your package." This is for my X1 set top box.

**Other service providers is the $4 upgrade to the otherwise free Netflix add-on. We pay $4 extra and get HD and four screens.


----------



## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

NorthAlabama said:


> x1 is slow..._really _slow. i've set it up at my neighbors and helped her with voice command (which is very accurate), but as mentioned above, tivo it's not.


Finding the UI laggy was probably my biggest fear when I decided to try an X1. I had heard stories about every button push on the remote having to travel up to the cloud and back.

I do not find the X1 to be any slower than my Roamio running TE4. And, as you mention, the voice remote works very well.


----------



## KevTech (Apr 15, 2014)

dishrich said:


> NOT any more; they went up in Jan in ALL areas to $7.50/month (in non S&E areas, they were lowered from $10, to 7.50...so it's the same regardless if you're in such an area)


X1 DVR is only 5 dollars a month in my area.


----------



## WVZR1 (Jul 31, 2008)

hybucket said:


> An older topic, but I'll give it a shot. My Roamio just bit the dust...and with TiVO slipping (constant Guide problems, as well as the Skip function and some other minor stuff), I am considering an Xfinity X1.


Bit 'the dust' isn't what I'd consider particularly descriptive. What is the issue? Is it a Roamio, a Roamio Plus or perhaps a Roamio Pro? You might post your TSN less the last few digits to get better comments regarding moving forward. Do you also use Mini(s)?

I have an XG1V4 and a Mini at my primary display and I watch mostly the XG1V4 and use it's recording for more specific recordings ie. Indy Car, F1 and sports of sorts. I've a Roamio for all Network recordings. I got my XG1V4 back in 7/2019 and I've expressed satisfaction since then. I'm quite happy with the XG1V4. My Xfinity 'agreement' expires 7/2021 and I expect I'll continue with the XG1V4 and also a CableCARD or maybe 2.

I have a short run to the display where the Roamio is so I use an HDMI 'splitter' and a 25' premium HDMI cable to use the XG1V4 on both with no additional boxes. A 2d Xfinity RF remote and life's good.

If you've an Xfinity store in the area - walk in pick one up and try it. Make sure you ask for the XG1V4!


----------



## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

NorthAlabama said:


> the good news? you can try it before you switch.
> 
> x1 is slow..._really _slow. i've set it up at my neighbors and helped her with voice command (which is very accurate), but as mentioned above, tivo it's not, and with the january 2021 price increase, it's pushing the price barrier, too.


Was it one of the older X1 boxes maybe?


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

PSU_Sudzi said:


> Was it one of the older X1 boxes maybe?


nope, the newest, but speed is relative, and not always the user's biggest concern - i could use it if needed.


----------



## spiderpumpkin (Dec 1, 2017)

I had the XG1V4 for a few months but ended up returning it. The thing I didn’t like is not being able to hide all the channels and duplicate channels that I don’t want in guide. 

Yes, adding the channels I want to favorites is a solution that should work but it doesn’t. I only wanted the channels in the 1000s to show in favorites, but it also still shows the lower numbered duplicate channels in addition to 1000s. So every time I went into guide I had to scroll all the way through a hundred channels to get to the ones I want.


----------



## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

KevTech said:


> X1 DVR is only 5 dollars a month in my area.
> 
> View attachment 57567
> View attachment 57568


Your area (Seattle) is not on the Simple & Easy system at this point in time. However, according to the on-line plan-builder, each additional STB (the issue under discussion here) would cost a Comcast subscriber in your area $9.95, which presumably reflects the "Digital Service" charge for the additional outlet.


----------



## WVZR1 (Jul 31, 2008)

Bruce24 said:


> IMO the gap in functionality between a TiVo and the X1 isn't that big any more. If you to that the bad TiVo guide data and inconsistent Skip data, if my TiVo stops working I wouldn't buy another I'd just use the X1 DVR.


I've been 'tinkering' a bit with some 'network' recordings on the XG1V4 and the first thing that came to mind was: I wonder if a Harmony or other 'Remote' might be able to accomplish the 3X 'Smart Resume' feature of the box with a single button request. I haven't used it much but there's maybe an advantage to only a 3X Rapid FF.

I'm not a Harmony user and it's never generated enough interest for me to buy but it certainly came to mine the first few times I used the 'Smart Resume'.


----------



## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

spiderpumpkin said:


> I only wanted the channels in the 1000s to show in favorites, but it also still shows the lower numbered duplicate channels in addition to 1000s. So every time I went into guide I had to scroll all the way through a hundred channels to get to the ones I want.


No, while in the guide just key in a ch# (like 1000) then press OK, which DOES take you right to that part of the guide...just like you can on Tivo  
But I do agree it's stupid the way Comcast setup the logic in assigning favorites, that it's either BOTH (duplicate) channels or NONE.


----------



## spiderpumpkin (Dec 1, 2017)

dishrich said:


> No, while in the guide just key in a ch# (like 1000) then press OK, which DOES take you right to that part of the guide...just like you can on Tivo
> But I do agree it's stupid the way Comcast setup the logic in assigning favorites, that it's either BOTH (duplicate) channels or NONE.


I also missed having 6 channels in the buffer and being able to switch between them like with Tivo. Just a lot of little things Tivo does well that I miss when not using Tivo.


----------



## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

dishrich said:


> No, while in the guide just key in a ch# (like 1000) then press OK, which DOES take you right to that part of the guide...just like you can on Tivo
> But I do agree it's stupid the way Comcast setup the logic in assigning favorites, that it's either BOTH (duplicate) channels or NONE.


Why aren't X1 boxes smart enough to know if they're connected to an HDTV and, if so, simply hide the SD duplicates completely from all iterations of the channel guide? And if someone keyed in the number for an SD channel that has an HD version (e.g. 4), then it would simply automatically tune in the HD version (e.g. 1004). The only reason I can think of not to do this is to give folks the option of recording in SD in order to save disk space on their local DVR. (Although on Comcast's cloud DVR, I think you're just given a set number hours of storage, regardless of whether the content is in HD or SD.)


----------



## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

spiderpumpkin said:


> I had the XG1V4 for a few months but ended up returning it. The thing I didn't like is not being able to hide all the channels and duplicate channels that I don't want in guide.
> 
> Yes, adding the channels I want to favorites is a solution that should work but it doesn't. I only wanted the channels in the 1000s to show in favorites, but it also still shows the lower numbered duplicate channels in addition to 1000s. So every time I went into guide I had to scroll all the way through a hundred channels to get to the ones I want.


It is difficult for me as a longtime TiVo user to grasp why Comcast's current generation X1 STBs don't allow you to pare the favorites list to eliminate unwanted/duplicate channels. Unless you are missing something in the operation, that is a major fail in my book.

Just to confirm (I have never had any X1 gear myself and have only limited hands-on experience), when you perform the "Add a Channel" function described here, it adds duplicate channels as well and does not allow you to remove them individually?

I imagine that you could nevertheless use the voice command to go to a specific channel, right?


----------



## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

NashGuy said:


> Why aren't X1 boxes smart enough to know if they're connected to an HDTV and, if so, simply hide the SD duplicates completely from all iterations of the channel guide?


Because NOT all HDTV's can probably give the proper "handshake" to an external device (TV box) for that to happen - tell me one TV box provider that does this??? Even both satellite providers do NOT have that capability; but to your point, it's a one-time setting in the sat receiver that you can either show or hide SD dupes. (remember, NOT all sat subs have HD channel service, as there are some subs that do NOT get it as part of their pkg)



> And if someone keyed in the number for an SD channel that has an HD version (e.g. 4), then it would simply automatically tune in the HD version (e.g. 1004). The only reason I can think of not to do this is to give folks the option of recording in SD in order to save disk space on their local DVR. (Although on Comcast's cloud DVR, I think you're just given a set number hours of storage, regardless of whether the content is in HD or SD.)


Again, you also need to remember that unlike most other cable providers, Comcast STILL charges (some) customers extra for HD channels, & there are MANY subs that refuse to pay...so unlike Cox, Spectrum, etc. they can't unilaterally hide the SD dupes &/or program their HD boxes to internally go to the HD version, even when you key in the SD ch#...Cox actually does this on BOTH their X1 (Contour) & legacy boxes, which I understand Spectrum also does on their HD boxes.
(Comcast probably COULD, but then they would have to do a bunch more extra coding, to make the boxes determine if a sub paid for HD service or not...so they just decided to go with their 1000+ MCLU lineup & call it a day)


----------



## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

chiguy50 said:


> Just to confirm (I have never had any X1 gear myself and have only limited hands-on experience), when you perform the "Add a Channel" function described here, it adds duplicate channels as well and does not allow you to remove them individually?


Unfortunately yes & it even does the same thing thru their mobile TV apps 


> I imagine that you could nevertheless use the voice command to go to a specific channel, right?


Yes, & as long as you have HD service, it does go to the HD version at least


----------



## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

dishrich said:


> (Comcast probably COULD, but then they would have to do a bunch more extra coding, to make the boxes determine if a sub paid for HD service or not...so they just decided to go with their 1000+ MCLU lineup & call it a day)


Right. Comcast *could* have coded it to work if they wanted but they didn't. Or a simpler route would just have been to do what Cox, Charter, etc. had done and not charged extra for access to HD channels. They could've just charged a little more for rentals of HD-capable STBs.


----------



## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

There are always some channels that are SD only though, like CSPAN. Rather than keep track of the exceptions, it's best to just allow users to hide channels. If both TiVo and Channels DVR can hide channels, I don't see why big Comcast cannot. Maybe they don't want to deal with support calls on that topic. Or maybe I'm giving them too much credit for thinking this through.


----------



## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

Pokemon_Dad said:


> There are always some channels that are SD only though, like CSPAN. Rather than keep track of the exceptions, it's best to just allow users to hide channels. If both TiVo and Channels DVR can hide channels, I don't see why big Comcast cannot. Maybe they don't want to deal with support calls on that topic. *Or maybe I'm giving them too much credit for thinking this through.*


If you think about it, I think they actually DID, when they created the 1000+ MCLU lineup...
As long as you do all your channel surfing about 1000, it does NOT matter if a channel is SD-only or not - if a given channel is HD, then ONLY the HD version is presented there; any SD-only channels are also presented in their proper channel "neighborhoods" - no need to remember "SD exceptions". (edit: this now is ONLY on IP-capable X1 boxes, as legacy boxes no longer even show channels that are only in IP-HD, in the 4-digit MCLU range)
Of course if a sub would rather stay in the 3-digit range, then that doesn't work...guess can't please everyone...
The bigger problem IMHO, is that after Comcast went to the trouble of creating their MCLU, they did a horrible job of even getting the word out & explaining it all, to their sub base, that this system even exists


----------



## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

dishrich said:


> If you think about it, I think they actually DID, when they created the 1000+ MCLU lineup...
> As long as you do all your channel surfing about 1000, it does NOT matter if a channel is SD-only or not - if a given channel is HD, then ONLY the HD version is presented there; any SD-only channels are also presented in their proper channel "neighborhoods" - no need to remember "SD exceptions". Of course if a sub would rather stay in the 3-digit range, then that doesn't work...guess can't please everyone...


You're right, I suppose they did think about it, in a brute-force sort of way, lol. Seems to me there are some HD channels that are only in the lower ranges and frustrate that solution, but oops my example of CSPAN is not correct - if your box can receive IP-only channels. Even if you have an X1 box, it has to be a recent model to receive those.

The CSPAN HD feed on is channel 1128 here, but IP-only. That's why I forgot it even existed in the 4-digit range. CSPAN2 and CSPAN3 are in the 3-digit SD range and in the 4-digit HD range, but also IP-only. That leaves only CSPAN SD on regular cable, at channel 22. I'm not going to subject myself to a Comcast box just for more CPAN though, lol, so I can only watch those channels on Xfinity Stream or using the TVE feature of Channels DVR.


----------



## mattyro7878 (Nov 27, 2014)

for the first time in ever I was about to rely on the XFINITY STREAM app. However to watch my beloved UCONN HUSKIES I must "connect to my home wifi". Cant watch at work on the work computer nor can I watch on my phone. It is an xfinity mobile phone and still I am denied. I guess I could use my 1gb of data and watch 25 minutes of the game but that is not a solution. I will have to keep my eyes closed and then watch it at home after the fact. Thanks Comcast!! Why have me sign in if it means nothing. I also signed in on my xfinity phone and it meant nothing. Its like out of home streaming with TIVO


----------



## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

mattyro7878 said:


> for the first time in ever I was about to rely on the XFINITY STREAM app. However to watch my beloved UCONN HUSKIES I must "connect to my home wifi". Cant watch at work on the work computer nor can I watch on my phone. It is an xfinity mobile phone and still I am denied. I guess I could use my 1gb of data and watch 25 minutes of the game but that is not a solution. I will have to keep my eyes closed and then watch it at home after the fact. Thanks Comcast!! Why have me sign in if it means nothing. I also signed in on my xfinity phone and it meant nothing. Its like out of home streaming with TIVO


Bummer. If that channel is compatible with the TVE feature in Channels DVR, it would have worked remotely because all Xfinity sees is the home DVR logging in.


----------



## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

Pokemon_Dad said:


> Seems to me there are some HD channels that are only in the lower ranges and frustrate that solution, but oops my example of CSPAN is not correct - if your box can receive IP-only channels. Even if you have an X1 box, it has to be a recent model to receive those...The CSPAN HD feed on is channel 1128 here, but IP-only. That's why I forgot it even existed in the 4-digit range. CSPAN2 and CSPAN3 are in the 3-digit SD range and in the 4-digit HD range, but also IP-only. That leaves only CSPAN SD on regular cable, at channel 22.


You are ALSO correct; I forgot the MCLU really now only completely works if you have X1 boxes...I have edited my previous post to note this.
Also FYI, the ONLY X1 box that is NOT IP capable, was in fact, those "bastardized" RNG150N 1st non-DVR versions...which for anyone that has one, Comcast will be happy to exchange for a newer one at no charge & is actively trying to get out of their systems. They also are the only ones that do NOT support any TV apps.



> I'm not going to subject myself to a Comcast box just for more CPAN though, lol, so I can only watch those channels on Xfinity Stream or using the TVE feature of Channels DVR.


I went ahead & got an X1 DVR box; I don't like messing with the (Roku) stream, it costs the same as any other TV box & I'm getting FREE Comcast DVR service for it for the next 2 years on my current promo. Quite honestly though, I've used it VERY little & may evaluate it when my promo runs out.


----------



## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

dishrich said:


> I went ahead & got an X1 DVR box; I don't like messing with the (Roku) stream, it costs the same as any other TV box


When you say "it costs the same as any other TV box," are you referring to the Roku? Or the X1 box? Because if Comcast is now charging you $7.50/mo to use your own Roku/Fire TV/smart TV with the Xfinity Stream app, that's news to me.


----------



## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

ANY Comcast rental TV box...at least in areas that are on S&E pricing


----------



## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

chiguy50 said:


> It is difficult for me as a longtime TiVo user to grasp why Comcast's current generation X1 STBs don't allow you to pare the favorites list to eliminate unwanted/duplicate channels. Unless you are missing something in the operation, that is a major fail in my book.
> 
> Just to confirm (I have never had any X1 gear myself and have only limited hands-on experience), when you perform the "Add a Channel" function described here, it adds duplicate channels as well and does not allow you to remove them individually?
> 
> I imagine that you could nevertheless use the voice command to go to a specific channel, right?


I've been running an X1 alongside my TiVo since July. All this talk of X1's Favorites feature made me check it out for the first time. Seems to work just fine. The URL you provided is the way I did it.

So now I've got about twenty channels in our Favorites list. No dupes, just the channels I added. And I can still punch in or use the voice commands to tune to any channel that's not in the new Favorites list.


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

since x1 streaming and cloud dvr are included in my package, i've set a few series recordings on the same channel, and it's been a mess. missed recordings due to "conflicts" (on the same channel?), partial recordings, etc. i've edited the recording preference in settings countless ways, but it doesn't seem to help. if i use x1 solely in the future, they'd better have this fixed, or be ready to credit my account, especially if the content isn't available on-demand.


----------



## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

chiguy50 said:


> It is difficult for me as a longtime TiVo user to grasp why Comcast's current generation X1 STBs don't allow you to pare the favorites list to eliminate unwanted/duplicate channels. Unless you are missing something in the operation, that is a major fail in my book.
> 
> Just to confirm (I have never had any X1 gear myself and have only limited hands-on experience), when you perform the "Add a Channel" function described here, it adds duplicate channels as well and does not allow you to remove them individually?





DeltaOne said:


> I've been running an X1 alongside my TiVo since July. All this talk of X1's Favorites feature made me check it out for the first time. Seems to work just fine. The URL you provided is the way I did it.
> 
> So now I've got about twenty channels in our Favorites list. No dupes, just the channels I added. And I can still punch in or use the voice commands to tune to any channel that's not in the new Favorites list.


IOW, you are confirming that it is in fact possible for the user to create a discrete channel list (HD or otherwise) without duplicates?



dishrich said:


> Unfortunately yes & it even does the same thing thru their mobile TV apps


This is seemingly contradicted by DeltaOne's post above.

I'm just trying to wrap my head around the X1 experience in anticipation of the day when I might have to resort to actually using one myself.


----------



## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

chiguy50 said:


> IOW, you are confirming that it is in fact possible for the user to create a discrete channel list (HD or otherwise) without duplicates?


If I understand the post by dishrich, when he adds HD channels to a Favorites list it also adds the SD channel. That did not occur when I created my Favorites list.

I created the Favorites list by bringing up the guide (set to all HD channels). Cursor over to the channel ID and then press OK. Along the bottom options I select Favorite. That's it. My Favorites list shows the 20 or 22 channels I added, nothing more.

My biggest gripe about the X1 guide is that if you press Guide, the Guide comes up, then if you inadvertently press Guide again...it takes you to a view where you can choose guide options (All, free, HD, favorites, trending, movies, sports, kids). I seem to have a problem where I inadvertently get in to Guide Options when that was not my intent.


----------



## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

DeltaOne said:


> If I understand the post by dishrich, when he adds HD channels to a Favorites list it also adds the SD channel.


Not at all what myself (& others) are saying...re-read spiderpumkin's post again:
Is it time to ditch Tivo for an xFinity DVR?

First, I assume you understand that in many Comcast markets, most channels actually have at least TWO duplicate channel positions, one 2 or 3-digit & one in the 1000+ MCLU range, for both a given HD & SD-only channel...which means it's possible for a given channel to have up to FOUR duplicate channels, if you add up both SD & HD versions.
Now that you understand this, what we're actually saying for example, on our system, CNN-HD is on ch's 919 & 1111 - so regardless if I add or delete it from EITHER position, it does it to BOTH. Same thing applies if (for some "weird" reason) I was to add/delete the SD version of CNN on ch's 26 & 407...though it does NOT affect the HD versions above.
But it ALSO applies on SD-only channels such as TV Land, which on our system actually appears THREE times, on ch's 72, 256 & 1426...again ALL are SD-only; it's IMPOSSIBLE to make ONLY one of these as a favorite...you end up adding or deleting ALL THREE positions as favs! 

Make sense now???


----------



## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

dishrich said:


> Make sense now???


Maybe.

I've added NBC 804 to my Favorites list. This adds a star to the left of the NBC 804 icon in the Guide. I also see a star next to NBC 1004. NBC 804 and NBC 1004 are the same channel. I think this is what you're describing.

But...once I have my Favorites list...I set the Guide view to Favorites. And it only shows NBC 804. It does NOT show NBC 1004.

It sounds like you forgot to set the Guide view to Favorites after you were done adding channels to the Favorites list.


----------



## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

DeltaOne said:


> Maybe.
> 
> I've added NBC 804 to my Favorites list. This adds a star to the left of the NBC 804 icon in the Guide. I also see a star next to NBC 1004. NBC 804 and NBC 1004 are the same channel. I think this is what you're describing.
> 
> ...


And that is exactly how I imagined the system would operate. Thus, although the problem exists with duplicates being enabled/disabled conjointly, it is overcome by setting your channel view to Favorites. Sort of like toggling a TiVo guide between All and Favorites without the discrete benefit of My Channels.


----------



## WVZR1 (Jul 31, 2008)

I sort of always assumed the above/below 1000 maybe eased Comcast transition when assuming control/purchasing of other systems. WAG? Maybe.

I was previously Adelphia and there were many acquisitions going on at the same time. I believe a distribution person even communicated similar to a customer in a 'local' service office. That service office had been an outstanding Adelphia service office, they cleared CableCARD 'in the office' and confirmed it was 'clean' before you left with it. Prior to Adelphia we were a quite small 'local' and TV was pretty much restricted with no Internet, Adelphia brought 'rural QAM and Internet'.

In some distribution 'plants' there's several Media Markets serviced, here we've Hagerstown MD, BALTIMORE MD and WASH DC.


----------



## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

chiguy50 said:


> And that is exactly how I imagined the system would operate. Thus, although the problem exists with duplicates being enabled/disabled conjointly, it is overcome by setting your channel view to Favorites. Sort of like toggling a TiVo guide between All and Favorites without the discrete benefit of My Channels.


Exactly.


----------



## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

DeltaOne said:


> It sounds like you forgot to set the Guide view to Favorites after you were done adding channels to the Favorites list.


Uh no... 


> But...once I have my Favorites list...I set the Guide view to Favorites. And it only shows NBC 804. It does NOT show NBC 1004.


OK, but what if one wants to ONLY show the 1000+ channels - & NONE of the duplicate ch's below??? So that you CAN get the benefit of having ALL your favs in neat, channel "neighborhoods"...which is one of the main purposes of the MCLU.

I played with this for awhile this AM & guess what...the ONLY time you CAN favorite ANY of those 1000+ channels, is if there is NOT a lower duplicate ch#!
For example, Hallmark Drama is in HD, but ONLY on ch 1460...so in this case, it WOULD let me favorite it; same goes for Newsmax on 1115.
BUT, in my example of TV Land, the ONLY channel it would let me favorite, IS on the lowest ch# 72; it absolutely would NOT let me favorite either of the other 2 higher channel#'s 256 & 1426.
*So the bottom line* - you can ONLY favorite the lowest ch# of any given channel in your lineup; & the ONLY 1000+ channels you CAN, is if they are ONLY at that ch # - *EXACTLY what spiderpumkin was complaining about himself in my re-posting above!*
So YEA, this IS even more f'ked up than I thought...who IN the world dreamed of this???  Guess it is good that I still live in the under 1000+ range, as they are pretty much committed to my memory...

edit: since I still have a Comcast legacy Moto DVR, I tried this with it...regardless of exactly which ch# you make a fav, it ALWAYS adds ALL ch#'s of a given channel, into the fav list. So I guess the way the X1 does favs is actually an "improved" version over the iGuide...


----------

