# TiVo versus X1 review after two weeks



## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

I've used a Roamio Pro since 2013. My provider is Comcast. I enjoy the TiVo but have become frustrated with the quality of the guide data and the current product offerings.

I've been running an X1 DVR for two weeks, alongside my TiVo. I have the Arris XG1v4-A model. So far, the X1 box is okay. I don't know how long I'll continue to run two DVRs, but so far I can say I could see myself ditching the TiVo and going it alone with the X1.

*TL;DR: I originally bought a TiVo because in 2013 the reviews of the X1 were horrendous! The TiVo was great! We've enjoyed its features for seven years. My two week test has quieted my fears about leaving the TiVo world and going forward with an X1. It would be fine.*

My list of pros and cons:

*Pros*:
• OnDemand is back.
• Free Netflix account.
• Free Peacock account (would have had this anyway since I'm an Xfinity customer?).
• Voice control works great (I've never used a TiVo voice remote).
• The X1 has picked up at least two recordings that my TiVo missed (bad guide data?).
• I never found a way on the TiVo to use a series pass or wishlist to record NASCAR races that didn't either miss stuff or record too much stuff (like the truck races). On the X1 I found one choice that said "NASCAR Cup Series" and it only records cup races. It has worked nicely so far. Maybe there will be similar choices for college football?

*Cons*:
• Tivo's commercial skip is better than X1's "Smart Resume" (but Smart Resume is okay).
• The X1 will let me do a manual recording, but not a recurring manual recording. I would like the X1 to add this feature.
• When you enter a folder of recordings the guide switches to large tiles instead of the grid. I called Xfinity about this and the rep said this annoyed her too and she would submit a feature request.
• I miss skipping to the tick marks on the TiVo timeline. The X1's "lightning" fast forward is pretty good though.

*Remote controls*: I've been using a TiVo remote long enough that for most functions I don't even need to look at it&#8230;just pick it up and press the buttons. The X1 remote has smaller buttons, smaller type and feels foreign in my hand. After two weeks I'm getting more used to it every day. And I do like the lighted buttons on the X1 remote.

*Changing channels*: On the TiVo you enter the new channel number and it changes to that channel. On the X1 you enter the new channel number and get a search box where you select the channel (it's always the top-most result) and press the center OK button. I need to use voice control more often to change channels, it works quite well and is faster than the search method.

*Switching tuners*: I loved being able to switch tuners on the TiVo and having each tuner have a 30 minute buffer. There is no way on an X1 to switch tuners, but the left-arrow button on the remote lets you quickly and easily change channels (to the last nine channels you've used) but there is no buffer. I believe the X1 has a 60 minute buffer when you stay on one channel. I have not investigated X1's "Favorites" feature yet.

*Picture quality*: It's hard to evaluate PQ when you can't see them side-by-side. I'd say the PQ of the X1 is the same or maybe a bit better than the TiVo, but that's just a hunch&#8230;they look very close. I have noticed a peculiarity where I set the X1 to 2160p60 4K UHD and the next day it has changed to 1080p60 HD (My Sony Bravia is 4K UHD). I'd say, for me, that 1080p60 HD looks the same as my TiVo Roamio, while 2160p60 4K UHD looks a little better than the TiVo Roamio.

*Resolving recording conflicts*: My TiVo would almost always resolve a recording conflict by catching a repeat showing during the overnight hours. I've only had one recording conflict so far on the X1 and I had to resolve it myself.

*Cost*: The X1 added $5/month to my Comcast bill and may have changed the "customer owned equipment credit" because the X1 is now my "primary" box and the two cable cards I have are bumped down. I believe my account now shows the X1 as costing $5/month and two cable cards at $4.95 each ($9.90/month total). My three TiVo Mini's have no monthly cost, the X1 equivalent would cost $9.95 each ($29.85/month total). Ouch! (Two cable cards because my adult son has a TiVo Bolt.)

*Series recordings*: On my desktop computer it was easy to put TiVo Online in one window and Xfinity Stream in another window and transfer my series recordings. The Xfinity Stream search function would find a show and a few clicks later it was added as a series recording. I'd say I had 150 series recordings transferred in about 15 or 20 minutes. One oddity: the online Xfinity Stream and my X1 box could not find three shows (The Voice, Talking Dead and So You Think You Can Dance). I guess I'll have to wait for these shows to show up in the guide.

*Xfinity Stream app:* I've used the Xfinity Stream app a bit on my desktop computer, iPad and iPhone to access recordings and live TV. It works well. I have not downloaded a recording yet or investigated how out-of-home streaming would work.


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## WVZR1 (Jul 31, 2008)

@DeltaOne - I certainly agree with 'everything' you mention. The XG1V4 certainly has advantages.

Do you have the X1 & your TiVo both HDMI to AVR and then AVR to the display?

TiVo for me, is actually for me only a likely 'Prime Time' series when they return in the fall for hopefully 'SKIP'. I was disappointed in the summer season that Yellowstone (for me) doesn't have SKIP on TiVo. My TiVo's having 'Lifetime' won't leave until CableCARD goes away but there's much to like about the XG1V4.


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## spiderpumpkin (Dec 1, 2017)

Free Netflix?


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

WVZR1 said:


> Do you have the X1 & your TiVo both HDMI to AVR and then AVR to the display?


Yes, both HDMI to my AVR and then one HDMI cable to my display.

I guess I'm only paying $5/month for my TiVo ($10 for guide data minus the $5 Xfinity credit) so I'll keep it around for a while.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

spiderpumpkin said:


> Free Netflix?


Yes, free Netflix. My old Xfinity deal was titled "Super Triple Play" and includes a free Netflix account. I think the new Xfinity deal has a different name...but I don't have it handy just now. Something like "Super + More".

The free Netflix account is one user and standard definition. Upon activating the free Netflix on the X1 it asked if we wanted the free account or keep our current account (four users and HD) for $3/month. We opted to pay the $3/month and keep our current account. And it's billed on our Xfinity bill, not through Netflix the way we had been paying. Old cost was $16/month.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

DeltaOne said:


> I've used a Roamio Pro since 2013. My provider is Comcast. I enjoy the TiVo but have become frustrated with the quality of the guide data and the current product offerings.


What do the "current product offerings" matter? Presuming you have a lifetime subscription on your Tivo, it would keep working (about) as well as it always has. Yeah, the guide data is worse overall than it was with the previous company. (Though one thing that I think I "got used to" being better is that my pilot|premiere wishlist seems to get more true and false positives than it did with the old guide data.)



DeltaOne said:


> *Pros*:
> ....
> • The X1 has picked up at least two recordings that my TiVo missed (bad guide data?).
> • I never found a way on the TiVo to use a series pass or wishlist to record NASCAR races that didn't either miss stuff or record too much stuff (like the truck races). On the X1 I found one choice that said "NASCAR Cup Series" and it only records cup races. It has worked nicely so far. Maybe there will be similar choices for college football?


just curious which shows were missed.. (again, I agree about guide data, but curious)

autorecording wishlist for nascar + Cup ??
*


DeltaOne said:



Resolving recording conflicts

Click to expand...

*


DeltaOne said:


> : My TiVo would almost always resolve a recording conflict by catching a repeat showing during the overnight hours. I've only had one recording conflict so far on the X1 and I had to resolve it myself.


Isn't the OP Manager a Tivo patent? I think so.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

mattack said:


> What do the "current product offerings" matter?
> 
> just curious which shows were missed.. (again, I agree about guide data, but curious)
> 
> Isn't the OP Manager a Tivo patent? I think so.


Current product offerings matter, to me, because my Roamio isn't going to last forever. Sure, I can easily replace the HDD...but there are other problems that can end a Roamio's life too. Also, my wife had been pushing for an X1 to bring back OnDemand.

The shows my TiVo missed were a couple of car shows on the MotorTrend network.

OP Manager a patent? I don't know.


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## WVZR1 (Jul 31, 2008)

DeltaOne said:


> Current product offerings matter, to me, because my Roamio isn't going to last forever. Sure, I can easily replace the HDD...but there are other problems that can end a Roamio's life too. Also, my wife had been pushing for an X1 to bring back OnDemand.





DeltaOne said:


> Yes, both HDMI to my AVR and then one HDMI cable to my display.


With the X1 and TiVo both available on the same display I actually watch most everything 'live' using the X1 and rely more on the X1 for 'specialty' recordings than I might have thought. VOD is certainly a +. My Roamio is in another room with a Mini at the main display.


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

DeltaOne said:


> Yes, free Netflix. My old Xfinity deal was titled "Super Triple Play" and includes a free Netflix account. I think the new Xfinity deal has a different name...but I don't have it handy just now. Something like "Super + More".
> 
> The free Netflix account is one user and standard definition. Upon activating the free Netflix on the X1 it asked if we wanted the free account or keep our current account (four users and HD) for $3/month. We opted to pay the $3/month and keep our current account. And it's billed on our Xfinity bill, not through Netflix the way we had been paying. Old cost was $16/month.


I have free Netflix too, just got an X1 box to sign into it and then returned it. Now free or option like you for an additional 3 bucks.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

PSU_Sudzi said:


> I have free Netflix too, just got an X1 box to sign into it and then returned it. Now free or option like you for an additional 3 bucks.


We considered getting/returning the X1 about a year ago when I first learned of and had the free Netflix offer. Just never got around to it.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

DeltaOne said:


> *Cost*: The X1 added $5/month to my Comcast bill and may have changed the "customer owned equipment credit" because the X1 is now my "primary" box and the two cable cards I have are bumped down. I believe my account now shows the X1 as costing $5/month and two cable cards at $4.95 each ($9.90/month total). My three TiVo Mini's have no monthly cost, the X1 equivalent would cost $9.95 each ($29.85/month total). Ouch! (Two cable cards because my adult son has a TiVo Bolt.)


I know pricing works differently in different markets but around here and in many other areas where Comcast has switched to their new "Simply & Easy" structure (which will probably eventually go nationwide), they charge you $5/mo for each X1 box you have, regardless of the model. And if you have DVR service, that's an additional $10/mo for the entire account. That gets you 150 hours of cloud storage. Or you can pay $20/mo to get 300 hours of cloud DVR storage. If one or more of your X1 boxes are physical DVRs, then you'll automatically be charged the $10/mo DVR service fee but the per-box rental fee is still $5/mo each.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

NashGuy said:


> I know pricing works differently in different markets but around here and in many other areas where Comcast has switched to their new "Simply & Easy" structure (which will probably eventually go nationwide), they charge you $5/mo for each X1 box you have, regardless of the model. And if you have DVR service, that's an additional $10/mo for the entire account. That gets you 150 hours of cloud storage. Or you can pay $20/mo to get 300 hours of cloud DVR storage. If one or more of your X1 boxes are physical DVRs, then you'll automatically be charged the $10/mo DVR service fee but the per-box rental fee is still $5/mo each.


Interesting. I asked if this area was on "Simple & Easy" and didn't get a clear answer.

The billing is frustrating. In the past I've gotten good deals by visiting my local Comcast store and asking about saving money. This time, when picking up the X1, the rep said my Super Triple Play for $159.99 was cheaper than any promo they had and that it wouldn't change for another year. So a few days later I get a new bill and $159.99 has changed to $188.98.

I called in and at first and was told there was nothing cheaper, but a few minutes later was offered $169. So I took that. The web site is still showing $188.98, so I'm waiting to see what my paper bill says when it arrives. If I remember right the package is now called "Super + More." The rep said I would lose NFL Red Zone, but it's been over two weeks and I still have Red Zone.

I'm also not sure when and how an X1 saves recordings to the cloud. The X1 I have has a 500 GB internal hard drive. As far as I can tell everything we record goes to the hard drive. I've seen nothing that mentions capacity or paying for more storage. I don't anticipate having a problem with storage. We're retired and while we do record a lot we watch a lot and my TiVo was never more than 20% full...often much less.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

DeltaOne said:


> Interesting. I asked if this area was on "Simple & Easy" and didn't get a clear answer.
> 
> The billing is frustrating. In the past I've gotten good deals by visiting my local Comcast store and asking about saving money. This time, when picking up the X1, the rep said my Super Triple Play for $159.99 was cheaper than any promo they had and that it wouldn't change for another year. So a few days later I get a new bill and $159.99 has changed to $188.98.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I don't think you're on Simple & Easy given that you still having something like "Super Triple Play". None of those named packages exist here any more. I swear, dealing with Comcast is like dickering at a Persian bazaar. I think things are at least somewhat more transparent with Simple & Easy. But you do have to keep an eye on your bill. I only have standalone broadband, initially signing up for a low 1st year promo rate, then a higher 2nd year promo rate, before going to the regular rate in month 25. Well, sure enough, in month 13 this year, they went straight to the regular rate. I had to call in and it took a couple of months to get it all straightened out.

If you have a physical X1 DVR, as you do, then it just mirrors your local recordings to the cloud. But increasingly Comcast is setting up TV customers with IPTV-only boxes (models Xi5 and Xi6) that don't have tuners or hard drives in them. So all recordings are stored in the cloud. The boxes do have little SD cards in them, though, so that they can buffer a half hour or so of live TV in case you want to pause or rewind.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

NashGuy said:


> If you have a physical X1 DVR, as you do, then it just mirrors your local recordings to the cloud. But increasingly Comcast is setting up TV customers with IPTV-only boxes (models Xi5 and Xi6) that don't have tuners or hard drives in them. So all recordings are stored in the cloud. The boxes do have little SD cards in them, though, so that they can buffer a half hour or so of live TV in case you want to pause or rewind.


Ah, I see. Thanks.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

DeltaOne said:


> Interesting. I asked if this area was on "Simple & Easy" and didn't get a clear answer.


As of this point in time, your region has not switched over to S&E as the legacy plans are still being offered to new subscribers.



DeltaOne said:


> The billing is frustrating. In the past I've gotten good deals by visiting my local Comcast store and asking about saving money. This time, when picking up the X1, the rep said my Super Triple Play for $159.99 was cheaper than any promo they had and that it wouldn't change for another year. So a few days later I get a new bill and $159.99 has changed to $188.98.
> 
> I called in and at first and was told there was nothing cheaper, but a few minutes later was offered $169. So I took that. The web site is still showing $188.98, so I'm waiting to see what my paper bill says when it arrives. If I remember right the package is now called "Super + More." The rep said I would lose NFL Red Zone, but it's been over two weeks and I still have Red Zone.


You can get the same package for $10 less with a 24-month agreement (see below); and with this plan you can push the price down to $140 if you activate an Xfinity Mobile cellular line. Otherwise, your current deal's $159.99 price is only locked in for the first 12 months. Note that this is the service package price and does not include fees and taxes or additional equipment rental or one-time charges; your final monthly recurring cost will add somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 to $30 depending on your location.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

DeltaOne said:


> • I never found a way on the TiVo to use a series pass or wishlist to record NASCAR races that didn't either miss stuff or record too much stuff (like the truck races). On the X1 I found one choice that said "NASCAR Cup Series" and it only records cup races. It has worked nicely so far. Maybe there will be similar choices for college football?


I have an ARWL that gets everything with no issues:

Title Keyword: NASCAR
Category: Sports: Sports Event
Keywords: -Classic NASCAR, -Practice, -Qualifying, -Pro Series, -Post Show, -Series East, -Modified, -Whelen

Most of the keywords are to weed out the lower tier series such as Whelen Modified or K&N Pro Series East/West. This ARWL gets all the Truck, Xfinity, and Cup races and nothing else. You could add -Truck and -Xfinity if you don't want those.

Also, set recordings to New and rerun because of crap guide data every once in a while. I think this may be why you can miss some. I also pad by an hour but as you know with rain, red flags etc. you have to monitor what's being recorded anyway.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

chiguy50 said:


> As of this point in time, your region has not switched over to S&E as the legacy plans are still being offered to new subscribers.


Great info, thanks!

I'll do some research...maybe call in again tomorrow. I'm a little perturbed that the current bill, online, still shows Super Triple Play @ $188.98 even though a subsequent call got me the Super + More for $160 something. Paper bill hasn't arrived yet...but I'm guessing it'll show the Super Triple Play for $188.98 when it should show the Super + More rate.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

slowbiscuit said:


> I have an ARWL that gets everything with no issues:
> 
> Title Keyword: NASCAR
> Category: Sports: Sports Event
> Keywords: -Classic NASCAR, -Practice, -Qualifying, -Pro Series, -Post Show, -Series East, -Modified, -Whelen


I remember trying keywords like -Practice and -Qualifying and a few others. Don't remember trying -Classic NASCAR and your others. It's only been about three weeks...but the NASCAR Cup "collection" on the X1 has worked well and sure was a lot easier.


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## WVZR1 (Jul 31, 2008)

DeltaOne said:


> I remember trying keywords like -Practice and -Qualifying and a few others. Don't remember trying -Classic NASCAR and your others. It's only been about three weeks...but the NASCAR Cup "collection" on the X1 has worked well and sure was a lot easier.


NASCAR - CUP, F1 and IndyCar is nearly the only 'specialty' recordings I use the X1 for. I don't keep them but certainly rely on them for 'watching'!!

How long has the Frederick Xfinity Store been 'open' since shuttering for the Wuhan attack?


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## MScottC (Sep 11, 2004)

I also "rented" an X1 box for an afternoon, linked my Netflix account, looked at the X1 box and decided to stay with my TiVo Roamio Plus. Comcast pays my Netflix Bill... you can strike that "pro" off your list.

To be honest, my only reason for even borrowing the X1 box for the afternoon was to link Netflix to Xfinity. It cost me all of $8, tolls to and from the mall and parking at the mall twice that afternoon, and a small amount on my Comcast bill for the month. But it was made back in one month. Did that at least a year ago I believe.


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## WVZR1 (Jul 31, 2008)

MScottC said:


> I also "rented" an X1 box for an afternoon, linked my Netflix account, looked at the X1 box and decided to stay with my TiVo Roamio Plus. Comcast pays my Netflix Bill... you can strike that "pro" off your list.
> 
> To be honest, my only reason for even borrowing the X1 box for the afternoon was to link Netflix to Xfinity. It cost me all of $8, tolls to and from the mall and parking at the mall twice that afternoon, and a small amount on my Comcast bill for the month. But it was made back in one month. Did that at least a year ago I believe.


Doesn't interest me 'even a little' BUT doesn't the FREE NETFLIX limit user(s) and only 1080P?


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## MScottC (Sep 11, 2004)

Yes... but you still can apply that and get the discount, so you can pay just the difference for the higher tier. I watch through my LG TV for free. While the Ultra HD images look incredible, and I get them on some of the other streaming services, it just isn't worth the extra $5/month for me. Maybe I'm old school, but for a 55" TV why does anyone need 4K (Please note the sarcasm in my voice).


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

WVZR1 said:


> How long has the Frederick Xfinity Store been 'open' since shuttering for the Wuhan attack?


I'm not sure, I wasn't paying attention. It's open now, hours are limited though. They open late and close early.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

WVZR1 said:


> Doesn't interest me 'even a little' BUT doesn't the FREE NETFLIX limit user(s) and only 1080P?


MScottC is right. The free Netflix account can easily be upgraded if the 1 user/standard definition account doesn't work for you. I'm paying $3/month for a 4-user/high-definition account. The $3/month is added on to my Xfinity bill, I don't pay Netflix at all now.

I did some research, found that it's easy to get in to and out of the Xfinity supplied free Netflix account. You keep your same Netflix user name and password too.


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## MScottC (Sep 11, 2004)

Exactly, you are keeping your original account, you're just assigning the payment obligation over to Comcast, who then bills you for the difference between what they are offering for free and the level of service you currently have or desire.


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## MScottC (Sep 11, 2004)

The only real annoying thing as far as I was concerned was that I needed to have the friggin X1 box in my home for enough time to set it up, and make the Netflix connection then yank it out. As said earlier this cost me real dollars as the only local xfinity store is a toll drive and a paid parking lot away from where I live, and I had to do that twice.

There is no real reason why they just couldn't let me do it online, other than the prayer on their part that I'd find their rental crap better than TiVo.


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## WVZR1 (Jul 31, 2008)

MScottC said:


> Yes... but you still can apply that and get the discount, so you can pay just the difference for the higher tier. I watch through my LG TV for free. While the Ultra HD images look incredible, and I get them on some of the other streaming services, it just isn't worth the extra $5/month for me. Maybe I'm old school, but for a 55" TV why does anyone need 4K (Please note the sarcasm in my voice).


'SARCASM NOTED'!! I'm pretty committed to my 1080P 64" plasma and I've a 65" 4K still in the box after a year! I've a Darbee on each of my 1080P displays.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

MScottC said:


> Exactly, you are keeping your original account, you're just assigning the payment obligation over to Comcast, who then bills you for the difference between what they are offering for free and the level of service you currently have or desire.


I wonder if Comcast is phasing out offering and billing for Netflix. Our local rate card, which reflects the new Simple & Easy system, doesn't list Netflix anywhere, although it does list a bunch of niche on-demand services that can be added a la carte (e.g. CuriosityStream, Acorn TV, Hallmark Movies Now, etc.). Seems like Netflix was only ever touted by Comcast as a part of certain bundled packages and those don't exist any more under S&E.

I know that Netflix no longer allows new sign-ups to be billed through any of their app store distributors (Apple, Google, Roku, Amazon, Samsung, etc.). Which of course saves Netflix from having to give those guys a commission. DISH used to offer free Netflix to new subscribers but, at least these days, it doesn't appear that DISH handles the billing for Netflix; they direct you to Netflix.com to sign up.


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## edwinyuen (Dec 30, 2010)

chiguy50 said:


> As of this point in time, your region has not switched over to S&E as the legacy plans are still being offered to new subscribers.
> 
> You can get the same package for $10 less with a 24-month agreement (see below); and with this plan you can push the price down to $140 if you activate an Xfinity Mobile cellular line. Otherwise, your current deal's $159.99 price is only locked in for the first 12 months. Note that this is the service package price and does not include fees and taxes or additional equipment rental or one-time charges; your final monthly recurring cost will add somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 to $30 depending on your location.
> 
> View attachment 50914


I've looked into switching to these S&E plans in my area (Seattle) three times in the Xfinity store and the issue is that each time, they want to charge me $9.95 per cable card. I have three right now for my Tivos but without the included first device in these new bundles, that's $30 more (and $5 more than just taking the X1). Is that normal?


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

MScottC said:


> Exactly, you are keeping your original account, you're just assigning the payment obligation over to Comcast, who then bills you for the difference between what they are offering for free and the level of service you currently have or desire.





DeltaOne said:


> MScottC is right. The free Netflix account can easily be upgraded if the 1 user/standard definition account doesn't work for you. I'm paying $3/month for a 4-user/high-definition account. The $3/month is added on to my Xfinity bill, I don't pay Netflix at all now.
> 
> I did some research, found that it's easy to get in to and out of the Xfinity supplied free Netflix account. You keep your same Netflix user name and password too.


The legacy bundled service deals that include Netflix and/or premium channel subscriptions can be a very good bargain IF you would otherwise be keeping and paying for those same subscription services on your own accord. HOWEVER, bear in mind that with these deals comes the obligation to continue paying the same bundle price whether or not you want or use those services. If you are someone who is inclined to pause or cancel a sub from time to time, you lose the financial benefit from doing so with the bundle. (N.B.: Comcast does offer qualified customers in some areas the option of pausing your services temporarily for a small fee, but it comes with a number of restrictions and is of limited utility (see Seasonal Convenience Plan).)

In essence, it is a misnomer to refer to these deals as "free Netflix." You are indeed paying for the service every month as part of your basic service fee--it's just not called out as a separate line item. But you can be assured that Comcast's bean-counters have factored the cost into their bundle pricing. (N.B., as an experienced bulk-services negotiator for my HOA, I have gained some insight into their internal accounting practices.)

OTOH, if you wish to subscribe to premium channels such as HBO, Comcast's add-on subs can be very advantageous. Not only do you get the linear channels in addition to the VOD streaming (e.g., HBO Max), but Comcast will pro-rate the fee if you decide to stop or pause the service for these ad hoc subs. IOW, you can sign up for HBO on the 5th of the month and cancel on the 15th and you will only be charged approx. one-third the monthly subscription fee of $15.00. That's a benefit you will be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Again, this advantage applies to the add-on subs as differentiated from subs that are contained in a bundle package.



NashGuy said:


> I wonder if Comcast is phasing out offering and billing for Netflix. Our local rate card, which reflects the new Simple & Easy system, doesn't list Netflix anywhere, although it does list a bunch of niche on-demand services that can be added a la carte (e.g. CuriosityStream, Acorn TV, Hallmark Movies Now, etc.). Seems like Netflix was only ever touted by Comcast as a part of certain bundled packages and those don't exist any more under S&E.


No question about it, the current billing structure is geared toward a la carte "add-on packs" versus bundle deals. There are no S&E offers that I am aware of that include ANY subscription services as part of the basic plan--that would run counter to the very essence of S&E. And Netflix is not even an add-on option anymore AFAICT, except for those remaining legacy plans. The only "bundling" intrinsic to S&E that I can think of, outside of some of the more obscure specialty programming, entails the multi-product discounts (e.g., HSI + CATV) and the discounts for three or more premium subs.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

edwinyuen said:


> I've looked into switching to these S&E plans in my area (Seattle) three times in the Xfinity store and the issue is that each time, they want to charge me $9.95 per cable card. I have three right now for my Tivos but without the included first device in these new bundles, that's $30 more (and $5 more than just taking the X1). Is that normal?


To be clear, Comcast will not charge you at all for the CableCARD--it is free. If you check your Services & Pricing schedule, you should see a listing similar to the one below. However (and this is a big "gotcha"), they WILL charge you a "Digital Service" (aka "Additional Digital Outlet") fee of $9.95 for each digital device serviced by a CableCARD after the first one. The fee is assessed according to the number of CableCARDs on your account, whether or not you have put them to use. At the same time, this fee should be offset by a commensurate number of Customer-Owned Equipment (COE) credits of $5.00, thus reducing the effective cost per device to $4.95 (after the first one). For example, in your case, assuming that you have three CableCARDs for your TiVo's and no other digital equipment on your Comcast account, you should wind up with a net monthly equipment cost of $4.90 (($9.95 x 2) - ($5.00 x 3)).

One huge caveat to all of the above is that pricing and practices will vary from region to region, especially if your area is not yet governed by Simple & Easy. It is best to check the documentation pertaining to your account or talk to a local Comcast representative.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

chiguy50 said:


> In essence, it is a misnomer to refer to these deals as "free Netflix." You are indeed paying for the service every month as part of your basic service fee--it's just not called out as a separate line item. But you can be assured that Comcast's bean-counters have factored the cost into their bundle pricing.


Good point. There's no doubt that they've figured in the price of each and every item they're providing to you.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

DeltaOne said:


> Good point. There's no doubt that they've figured in the price of each and every item they're providing to you.


Yes, as I have implied, I have gotten a sense of this through negotiating bulk-service contracts. In the back-and-forth with the sales rep and the accounting department, it often becomes clear what the cost factor is for certain amenities and where the profit margins lie.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

DeltaOne said:


> Good point. There's no doubt that they've figured in the price of each and every item they're providing to you.


You're paying, but they may be getting a discount from Netflix for buying in bulk. Who is actually getting that benefit, who knows. Comcast's bundle pricing is purposely so obtuse that no one can figure it out.


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## MScottC (Sep 11, 2004)

DeltaOne said:


> Good point. There's no doubt that they've figured in the price of each and every item they're providing to you.


OTOH, If you're already paying for Netflix and you don't take advantage of it, then you are throwing money.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

DeltaOne said:


> I'm paying $3/month for a 4-user/high-definition account.


Quick question: Can I assume that you meant the Premium (*UHD*) tier?

The Standard (HD) tier is limited to two screens at a time. If your Comcast service includes this Standard plan, then it would make sense that the upcharge to change to Premium would be $3.00, as that reflects the retail pricing.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

MScottC said:


> OTOH, If you're already paying for Netflix and you don't take advantage of it, then you are throwing money.


It's all relative. In most cases, where Comcast offers a bundle with Netflix they offer the exact same bundle with HBO instead. Without regard to how much the consumer may value one service over the other and strictly based on retail pricing, the HBO bundle is a better deal ($15.00 p.m. vs. $12.99 p.m.).

But, as I have said, I think those bundles can be very attractive for the right customer. I talked my sister into one last year (24-month X1 Premier Pro Triple Play w/HBO) because I felt it was good bang-for-the-buck for her usage.


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## MScottC (Sep 11, 2004)

Of course it's all relative... I was already getting HBO and paying for it as part of my Comcast package. We were also paying for Netflix on our own. So by getting the X1 box for a day and linking my accounts, we saved the cost of the primary netflix tier.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

MScottC said:


> Of course it's all relative... I was already getting HBO and paying for it as part of my Comcast package. We were also paying for Netflix on our own. So by getting the X1 box for a day and linking my accounts, we saved the cost of the primary netflix tier.


Are you saying that your bundle package from Comcast includes both HBO and Netflix streaming? If so, that would be something new to me (assuming that neither one is an add-on). I'd be interested in the details, e.g., what is the name of the bundle deal and where are you located? I don't recall seeing anything like that among the recent offerings on-line: it's always an "either/or" between HBO (Max) and Netflix.


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

chiguy50 said:


> Are you saying that your bundle package from Comcast includes both HBO and Netflix streaming? If so, that would be something new to me (assuming that neither one is an add-on). I'd be interested in the details, e.g., what is the name of the bundle deal and where are you located? I don't recall seeing anything like that among the recent offerings on-line: it's always an "either/or" between HBO (Max) and Netflix.


In the Philly region Netflix has been "free" with an XI sub for at least a year if not longer, no strings attached or choices about HBO or HBO Max.

Edit: I have the $3 add on for UHD also.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

MScottC said:


> OTOH, If you're already paying for Netflix and you don't take advantage of it, then you are throwing money.


Yeah, it was a no-brainer. Should have done it sooner.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

chiguy50 said:


> Quick question: Can I assume that you meant the Premium (*UHD*) tier?
> 
> The Standard (HD) tier is limited to two screens at a time. If your Comcast service includes this Standard plan, then it would make sense that the upcharge to change to Premium would be $3.00, as that reflects the retail pricing.
> 
> View attachment 50937


Yes. We had been paying $15.99/month. Now we pay $3/month.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

chiguy50 said:


> Are you saying that your bundle package from Comcast includes both HBO and Netflix streaming?


I'm not MScottC, but our Xfinity bundle includes HBO and Netflix streaming. See below:










I've been on this bundle for a year (but lost it when I picked up the X1 box). The *TV: Lifetime Movie Club* was added because it allowed the rep to give me the $40 bundle discount. It doesn't say HBO, but we had it along with Showtime too.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

I posted earlier that I lost my Xfinity bundle when I picked up the X1 box, even though the rep said that wouldn't happen. When I checked my next bill online it was about $35 higher. So I called in and was offered a bundle (Super + More) that was only $10 to $15 higher. 

I was wondering why my online bill never updated to the Super + More plan. I called in today and billing said to ignore it...that my next bill would indeed be the Super + More plan and is about $10 to $15 more than I had been paying. So...we'll see what happens when the paper bill does arrive. From the numbers she gave me the bill will be about $17 more than I had been paying.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

DeltaOne said:


> I'm not MScottC, but our Xfinity bundle includes HBO and Netflix streaming. See below:
> 
> View attachment 50948
> 
> ...


OK, thanks, I see it now. That Super+ More bundle deal does in fact explicitly include both Netflix and HBO Max as well as SHO and "more." I had posted the details here myself but it hadn't registered with me.


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## CommunityMember (May 22, 2020)

DeltaOne said:


> .... but so far I can say I could see myself ditching the TiVo and going it alone with the X1....


And although no two people are alike, your summary points out why TiVo is, essentially, something that many Comcastians no longer see as sufficiently compelling, even as true TiVoians will give up their peanut only when it is pried from their cold dead hands. Thanks for the summary.


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## MScottC (Sep 11, 2004)

I for one will never give up my TiVo, as long as it keeps functioning the way it does and I continue to subscribe to linear TV.

I much prefer playing media off of local storage, especially when there are breaks/commercials. I find the FF/Rewind experience of streaming awful.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

MScottC said:


> I for one will never give up my TiVo, as long as it keeps functioning the way it does and I continue to subscribe to linear TV. I much prefer playing media off of local storage, especially when there are breaks/commercials. I find the FF/Rewind experience of streaming awful.


Agreed, the FF/Rewind of streaming is awful. A while back we watched an OnDemand show that did not allow FF/Rewind and they played the same commercial about five times. Each subsequent playing made my blood pressure go higher...

I'd like to make one point, the X1 box I have does store my recordings on its HDD. And the X1's "Smart Resume" isn't quite as nice as TiVo's automatic method but I feel it is good enough.

There is one thing about the X1's Smart Resume that I like better than the TiVo way. It's common for a network to advertise other shows as they go into or out of a commercial break. With the TiVo way you might see a few seconds of this, but not enough to know the details of when the show will be on. And backing up or going forward is almost impossible because the TiVo keeps jumping to the next marker inserted by the skip process. While it's possible to turn TiVo's auto skip on and off, it's too much work just to see a show's promo. On the X1, when you see a promo go by that you want to see, it's easy to back up or fast forward to catch that information.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

CommunityMember said:


> And although no two people are alike, your summary points out why TiVo is, essentially, something that many Comcastians no longer see as sufficiently compelling, even as true TiVoians will give up their peanut only when it is pried from their cold dead hands. Thanks for the summary.


I had been dreading the day I had to give up my TiVo and go with the X1. This experiment has proven, to me, that there's nothing to worry about. The TiVo and X1 are more alike than different -- the experience is fine.


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## WVZR1 (Jul 31, 2008)

DeltaOne said:


> I'd like to make one point, the X1 box I have does store my recordings on its HDD. And the X1's "Smart Resume" isn't quite as nice as TiVo's automatic method but I feel it is good enough.
> 
> There is one thing about the X1's Smart Resume that I like better than the TiVo way. It's common for a network to advertise other shows as they go into or out of a commercial break. With the TiVo way you might see a few seconds of this, but not enough to know the details of when the show will be on. And backing up or going forward is almost impossible because the TiVo keeps jumping to the next marker inserted by the skip process. While it's possible to turn TiVo's auto skip on and off, it's too much work just to see a show's promo. On the X1, when you see a promo go by that you want to see, it's easy to back up or fast forward to catch that information.


I have 'Smart Resume' turned on but I've never used the X1 for a 'network' recording where it would apply. Maybe with the 'fall broadcast TV' I'll give that a try. Maybe a few before the fall season! The VOD features being 'disabled' is a nuisance that subscriptions to 'streaming - commercial free' eliminate for the most part I'd think. 'GOOD ENOUGH' - should suffice for someone with 'No TiVo' experience.

A Big + I'd think is if the 'damn thing' seems to have issues it's an 'EXCHANGE'!! 
Still - TiVo and Mini(s) until there's no CableCARD.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

WVZR1 said:


> Still - TiVo and Mini(s) until there's no CableCARD.


Yeah, I get it. Maybe here too. My Roamio is only costing me $5/month (after the Xfinity credit for customer owned equipment) so I have no current plans to ditch the TiVo.


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## edwinyuen (Dec 30, 2010)

chiguy50 said:


> To be clear, Comcast will not charge you at all for the CableCARD--it is free. If you check your Services & Pricing schedule, you should see a listing similar to the one below. However (and this is a big "gotcha"), they WILL charge you a "Digital Service" (aka "Additional Digital Outlet") fee of $9.95 for each digital device serviced by a CableCARD after the first one. The fee is assessed according to the number of CableCARDs on your account, whether or not you have put them to use. At the same time, this fee should be offset by a commensurate number of Customer-Owned Equipment (COE) credits of $5.00, thus reducing the effective cost per device to $4.95 (after the first one). For example, in your case, assuming that you have three CableCARDs for your TiVo's and no other digital equipment on your Comcast account, you should wind up with a net monthly equipment cost of $4.90 (($9.95 x 2) - ($5.00 x 3)).
> 
> One huge caveat to all of the above is that pricing and practices will vary from region to region, especially if your area is not yet governed by Simple & Easy. It is best to check the documentation pertaining to your account or talk to a local Comcast representative.
> 
> View attachment 50936


Thank you for the quick reply. I think the issue is that the contract confirmation system never shows the COE credit and when I asked the in store reps about it, they said it went away. But if it really does still apply, the cost difference isn't that bad.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

MScottC said:


> I was already getting HBO and paying for it as part of my Comcast package. We were also paying for Netflix on our own. So by getting the X1 box for a day and linking my accounts, we saved the cost of the primary netflix tier.





DeltaOne said:


> I'm not MScottC, but our Xfinity bundle includes HBO and Netflix streaming.


Granted, I'm getting on in years and my intellect may be slowing down, but I have a hard time keeping track of all of Comcast's pricing schemes. Just for comparison, and to illustrate my previously stated understanding of how Comcast was packaging their Netflix bundle offers (i.e., you can pick either HBO Max or Netflix but not both), here is the current line-up in the California Region:










It boggles my mind that, around two years after the Comcast corporate policy-makers had promulgated the Simple & Easy plan with the stated objective to standardize their billing system and simplify retail operations, there remains to this day a disparate profusion of conflicting service selections across their national footprint.

I was part of the U.S. Army European Command's program of "Standardization, Rationalization, and Interoperability" back in the 1970's, and I know that it is not particularly difficult to implement such a regime if the power structure is behind it. I could grasp the slow evolution if the motive were to respond to regional competitors with tailored packages, but that sort of flexibility undercuts the very concept of a standardized system such as S&E.

It makes me wonder whether S&E is a stillborn project when I see deprecated legacy packages replaced within the last few months by updated versions of the same "legacy" packages (e.g., X1 Preferred Pro becomes X1 Preferred Pro+) whereas the timing would clearly call for transition to the new mandated program.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

chiguy50 said:


> Granted, I'm getting on in years and my intellect may be slowing down, but I have a hard time keeping track of all of Comcast's pricing schemes.


The day I picked up the X1 box I asked the rep if our area was moving to the new Simple & Easy pricing. Her reply: "Simple & Easy, no...but yes, the pricing is changing." Clear as mud, huh?


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

chiguy50 said:


> To be clear, Comcast will not charge you at all for the CableCARD--it is free. If you check your Services & Pricing schedule, you should see a listing similar to the one below. However (and this is a big "gotcha"), they WILL charge you a "Digital Service" (aka "Additional Digital Outlet") fee of $9.95 for each digital device serviced by a CableCARD after the first one. The fee is assessed according to the number of CableCARDs on your account, whether or not you have put them to use. At the same time, this fee should be offset by a commensurate number of Customer-Owned Equipment (COE) credits of $5.00, thus reducing the effective cost per device to $4.95 (after the first one). For example, in your case, assuming that you have three CableCARDs for your TiVo's and no other digital equipment on your Comcast account, you should wind up with a net monthly equipment cost of $4.90 (($9.95 x 2) - ($5.00 x 3)).
> 
> One huge caveat to all of the above is that pricing and practices will vary from region to region, especially if your area is not yet governed by Simple & Easy. It is best to check the documentation pertaining to your account or talk to a local Comcast representative.


OK, so do you know about subs like us, that DO have S&E plans available...since each TV "outlet" on those plans is $5, is the COE on those same plans $5 as well? Basically making CC's completely FREE then, regardless of how many you have?


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

edwinyuen said:


> Thank you for the quick reply. I think the issue is that the contract confirmation system never shows the COE credit and when I asked the in store reps about it, they said it went away. But if it really does still apply, the cost difference isn't that bad.


You should definitely be granted the COE credit if your contracted CATV service includes the provision of a digital device for which you are substituting a CableCARD-enabled TiVo. For what it's worth (and that's not much, frankly), the COE credit policy is still posted on Comcast's web site.

At the same time, there may be something wacky going on with the COE credit coding lately. My last two bills (since June) have omitted the credit. I have been repeatedly in contact with customer support about this and have been given a couple of one-time "customer courtesy" credits to compensate for the omission. Today I was told that the coding is back on the account and should reflect in my upcoming bills, but that remains to be verified.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

dishrich said:


> OK, so do you know about subs like us, that DO have S&E plans available...since each TV "outlet" on those plans is $5, is the COE on those same plans $5 as well? Basically making CC's completely FREE then, regardless of how many you have?


See my post above and note, particularly, that AFAICT the COE credit only applies if your service includes a digital device supplied by Comcast.

FWIW, I myself am in an S&E market (Big South Region of the Central Division) and have been getting the credit; but I am on a legacy Digital Starter bulk-service plan. Also, the $0.00 price listing I previously posted for CableCARD(s) was taken from my own Services & Pricing schedule; you ought to check yours for confirmation.

But I think I need to retire from trying to predict or explain Comcast pricing practices anymore; it's so arcane and fragmented most CSR's (and even sales account executives I have dealt with in the past) can't adequately keep tabs on the details.

My latest adventure has been trying to get the $10.00 credit for maintaining an XM line added to my 24-month Extreme Pro agreement. The Comcast support personnel not only have no clue what I am referring to (even though the offer is clearly listed on-line), but they also do not have access to the XM side of the house (and vice versa) and thus can not verify my XM status; they keep referring me to XM support, who of course have no knowledge of and no responsibility for the HSI discount. Even the Regional Customer Support POC was unable to properly understand the issue, let alone fix it.


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## mattyro7878 (Nov 27, 2014)

MScottC said:


> I for one will never give up my TiVo, as long as it keeps functioning the way it does and I continue to subscribe to linear TV.
> 
> I much prefer playing media off of local storage, especially when there are breaks/commercials. I find the FF/Rewind experience of streaming awful.


It is the worst thing about streaming. I will want to go back and catch something I thought I saw...wont even try it after the disasters I have experienced. Maybe if they all had a unified theme to rewind/ff? There is nothing like Tivo for Easter Egg hunting.


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## spiderpumpkin (Dec 1, 2017)

chiguy50 said:


> See my post above and note, particularly, that AFAICT the COE credit only applies if your service includes a digital device supplied by Comcast.
> 
> FWIW, I myself am in an S&E market (Big South Region of the Central Division) and have been getting the credit; but I am on a legacy Digital Starter bulk-service plan. Also, the $0.00 price listing I previously posted for CableCARD(s) was taken from my own Services & Pricing schedule; you ought to check yours for confirmation.
> 
> ...


How long ago did you sign-up for the 24 month agreement? In the past the $12 or $10 Xfinity Mobile discount was only for triple play.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

spiderpumpkin said:


> How long ago did you sign-up for the 24 month agreement? In the past the $12 or $10 Xfinity Mobile discount was only for triple play.


It was in May, just two months ago. And the offer is still there with a 24-month agreement; it applies to the Extreme Pro and Gigabit HSI service (alone or paired with CATV, but not when paired with Voice alone).


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## edwinyuen (Dec 30, 2010)

chiguy50 said:


> You should definitely be granted the COE credit if your contracted CATV service includes the provision of a digital device for which you are substituting a CableCARD-enabled TiVo. For what it's worth (and that's not much, frankly), the COE credit policy is still posted on Comcast's web site.
> 
> At the same time, there may be something wacky going on with the COE credit coding lately. My last two bills (since June) have omitted the credit. I have been repeatedly in contact with customer support about this and have been given a couple of one-time "customer courtesy" credits to compensate for the omission. Today I was told that the coding is back on the account and should reflect in my upcoming bills, but that remains to be verified.


That's a really good caveat because the explanation they gave me was that equipment is no longer included in any of the plans (no first box included in the S&E plans in Seattle). Thus, right now on my legacy plan, I have 3 CCs, all free, and I get 2 COEs of $2.50 so essentially I am getting paid $5 to use Tivo while the new billing, if it really doesn't include a box and I don't get any credits, would cost me $9.95 for CC (in terms of the additional outlet cost). I get different answers and amounts each time I go to the Xfinity store so it's like playing CSR roulette with companies but I have to drive there and wait each time.


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## spiderpumpkin (Dec 1, 2017)

chiguy50 said:


> It was in May, just two months ago. And the offer is still there with a 24-month agreement; it applies to the Extreme Pro and Gigabit HSI service (alone or paired with CATV, but not when paired with Voice alone).
> 
> View attachment 50973


I imagine when you signed up it wasn't available,, or maybe you had to have an active Xfinity Mobile account at time of new contract?

I'd just sign up again and that would replace current 24 month with new 24 month plan.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

spiderpumpkin said:


> I imagine when you signed up it wasn't available,, or maybe you had to have an active Xfinity Mobile account at time of new contract?
> 
> *I'd just sign up again and that would replace current 24 month with new 24 month plan.*


Thanks for the suggestion. 

Actually, if you look into the fine print of the offer (which requires some digging), there are a number of stated restrictions that could justify their denying me the credit. For example, they could claim that the offer is limited to only new Comcast HSI customers. Or it may be that the coding system requires the establishment of a new XM line versus an existing line that predates the Extreme Pro agreement. Although I have successfully overcome these sorts of sales caveats in the past, I am perfectly willing to accept Comcast's right to deny me the credit if I am given an adequate rationale for doing so instead of the nonplussed shoulder-shrugs I have encountered thus far.

At any rate, I will keep plugging along at my current effort to get the monthly credit until I either get a better response or feel it is a lost cause before trying a different approach. In the meantime, I have just received a mysterious $69.40 credit (labelled "Extreme Pro Adjustment") on my account that might be a sign of progress. So far, no CSR has been able to explain what that odd sum represents, and it puzzles me since it works out approximately to a pro-rated $20 per month credit from the onset of my Extreme Pro agreement to the end of my current billing period of August 17. I'm sure that there is more to it than meets the eye (it would equate to $40 p.m. for Extreme Pro), but I might not be able to ascertain the details until my next statement appears. I was also given a $10 courtesy credit by a sympathetic XM CSR to whom I was incorrectly transferred on one call.

Fortunately, I am retired and a persistent consumer advocate, and so I have the time and motivation to plug along on this little adventure.

TL;DR: All of the above is just one more illustration of the arcane nature of Comcast's billing system. Caveat emptor, indeed!


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

edwinyuen said:


> That's a really good caveat because the explanation they gave me was that equipment is no longer included in any of the plans (no first box included in the S&E plans in Seattle). Thus, right now on my legacy plan, I have 3 CCs, all free, and I get 2 COEs of $2.50 so essentially I am getting paid $5 to use Tivo while the new billing, if it really doesn't include a box and I don't get any credits, would cost me $9.95 for CC (in terms of the additional outlet cost). I get different answers and amounts each time I go to the Xfinity store so it's like playing CSR roulette with companies but I have to drive there and wait each time.


Yeah, I can not speak from personal experience, but my assumption is that you should not expect to get the COE credit if your plan does not include a Comcast-provided STB/DVR that you are declining, regardless of which billing system your area falls under. (N.B.: I do not believe that Seattle has transitioned to S&E yet, but the current plans have all been altered to omit the included STB/DVR that some of the previous bundles offered, such as the former X1 Premier Pro Triple Play).

I have been getting the credit despite S&E for the reason that I am covered by a bulk-service agreement for CATV that includes a DCT and two DTA's per residential unit, whereas the only Comcast equipment on my account is the CableCARD for my TiVo.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

FYI, a Comcast employee (ComcastTedH) who helps out Comcast customers on the DSLReports forum has posted twice today that the new HBO Max app is scheduled to arrive on Comcast's X1 and Flex boxes by the end of this month (i.e. just before the HBO Go app disappears from all devices except TiVo).

No HBO Max app? - Comcast XFINITY TV | DSLReports Forums


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

chiguy50 said:


> See my post above and note, particularly, that AFAICT the COE credit only applies if your service includes a digital device supplied by Comcast.
> 
> FWIW, I myself am in an S&E market (Big South Region of the Central Division) and have been getting the credit; but I am on a legacy Digital Starter bulk-service plan. Also, the $0.00 price listing I previously posted for CableCARD(s) was taken from my own Services & Pricing schedule; you ought to check yours for confirmation.


Well I just switched to S&E on a new 2 year contract, as they were also giving away FREE $10 DVR service for 2 years to boot. I just got my new bill & the CC is now simply marked as "included with my service" - so NO charge at all. I did also get a new X1 DVR box, for all of the IP-only channels, since all of their boxes are now only $5. I left on a legacy DVR (got shows I need to finish on it) & a DTA, which are all now also billed at $5 each.


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

NashGuy said:


> FYI, a Comcast employee (ComcastTedH) who helps out Comcast customers on the DSLReports forum has posted twice today that the new HBO Max app is scheduled to arrive on Comcast's X1 and Flex boxes by the end of this month (i.e. just before the HBO Go app disappears from all devices except TiVo).
> 
> No HBO Max app? - Comcast XFINITY TV | DSLReports Forums


Heard any news about Disney Plus on Xfinity boxes?


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

dishrich said:


> Well I just switched to S&E on a new 2 year contract, as they were also giving away FREE $10 DVR service for 2 years to boot. I just got my new bill & the CC is now simply marked as "included with my service" - so NO charge at all. I did also get a new X1 DVR box, for all of the IP-only channels, since all of their boxes are now only $5. I left on a legacy DVR (got shows I need to finish on it) & a DTA, which are all now also billed at $5 each.


That is interesting. A couple of questions:

1) How did you get that free DVR? I assume that you are referring to an actual DVR w/HDD (e.g., the X1Gv4) and not the cloud storage feature. Was it something that you had to negotiate or was it simply offered to you by a CSR? Perhaps it is a local incentive offer since I do not see any sign of it in the on-line sign-up pages.

2) Does the bill explicitly list the CableCARD (my bill makes no mention of it although it is, of course, carried as a digital device on my account)? And are you still getting the $5.00 Customer-Owned Equipment credit?

3) Which service agreement did you sign up for and what is the price before/after fees and taxes? Are you getting the $10 discount for an active Xfinity Mobile line?

I would appreciate any details you are willing to share.


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

chiguy50 said:


> 1) How did you get that free DVR? I assume that you are referring to an actual DVR w/HDD (e.g., the X1Gv4) and not the cloud storage feature. Was it something that you had to negotiate or was it simply offered to you by a CSR? Perhaps it is a local incentive offer since I do not see any sign of it in the on-line sign-up pages.


It is the 150 hour/$10 (normally) DVR tier...as Comcast is now offering a 300 hour "Premium DVR" tier, at least in some markets.
Re: [Price] New Packages and Pricing - Second increase this year - Comcast XFINITY TV | DSLReports Forums
And yes, it's a X1 HDD DVR box (V3), as I need the analog A/V outs & don't care about 4k; again, it & every box on S&E pricing is $5.
The FREE DVR service I found out about from a bulk mailer that came to my parent's house for new subs...I asked our local store CSR about it & she said no prob for me to get. And since I obviously have actual "DVR service" on my account, the legacy DVR I still have, is still only $5 more.



> 2) Does the bill explicitly list the CableCARD (my bill makes no mention of it although it is, of course, carried as a digital device on my account)? And are you still getting the $5.00 Customer-Owned Equipment credit?


Yes, & no...the CSR specifically told me when I asked how CC's were billed on S&E pricing, she told me they were completely FREE/zero rated. Honestly I was a little concerned about this, after reading other's experiences, but was happy when my new bill came out - but I WILL be keeping a close eye on it though. AND of course, YMMV depending on your region...like many other things in Comcast-land.  
Here's exactly what my new bill looks like below:



> 3) Which service agreement did you sign up for and what is the price before/after fees and taxes?


Preferred triple play, w/Extreme Pro (600/20) internet & home phone...honestly the 300/20 internet I had was plenty, but this was the only way she could get me new sub pricing, & since my base pkg price stayed the same as before, I really couldn't complain.



> Are you getting the $10 discount for an active Xfinity Mobile line?


Not offered in our region, unfortunately...


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

dishrich said:


> The FREE DVR service I found out about from a bulk mailer that came to my parent's house for new subs...I asked our local store CSR about it & she said no prob for me to get.


So that would tend to confirm my assumption that it is a local incentive. Gotcha.



dishrich said:


> Yes, & no...the CSR specifically told me when I asked how CC's were billed on S&E pricing, she told me they were completely FREE/zero rated. Honestly I was a little concerned about this, after reading other's experiences, but was happy when my new bill came out - but I WILL be keeping a close eye on it though. AND of course, YMMV depending on your region...like many other things in Comcast-land.


Yes, the CableCARD should be free under S&E, but the statement accounting is not cut-and-dried. That is why I wanted to know how it appears on your bill. IDK why there is a variance but it might have some impact on other account codes. In my case, it has been five years since I've seen the CC referenced on my bill in any form other than as a COE adjustment (credit).

BTW, if you have not already done so, I would inquire whether you are entitled to a $5.00 COE credit; it never hurts to ask.



dishrich said:


> Here's exactly what my new bill looks like below:
> 
> Preferred triple play, w/Extreme Pro (600/20) internet & home phone...honestly the 300/20 internet I had was plenty, but this was the only way she could get me new sub pricing, & since my base pkg price stayed the same as before, I really couldn't complain.


Thanks for the deets.

That's not a bad deal if you need/want the three services. Personally, I like the 24-month service price lock-in; I myself upgraded from Blast! to Extreme Pro in May in order to get that 2-year deal (of course, it doesn't hurt that I'm now getting 600Mbps for the same $50 p.m. end price I was paying for 200Mbps ). In another context, I consider that price lock-in one of the selling features of a bulk-service agreement, where you can protect the customer from billing increases (under a modest annual cost-of-living cap) for up to 10 years. And most people don't realize that you still retain a good deal of flexibility with Comcast to avoid early-termination fees under these agreements.

BTW, it seems to me that you are actually paying the full $10 for the DVR but the cost is folded into the $130 plan pricing (see the attachment below which shows what I believe is the same plan at $120 in your area today w/o DVR).



dishrich said:


> Not offered in our region, unfortunately...


Are you sure about that? You might want to double-check (again, see the attachment below, which pertains to zip code 62711).

I looked under the aforementioned zip code 62711 in Springfield and it appears to have XM service. And I know that--unless your particular zip code has an exclusionary cutout--you should qualify for the $10/p.m. discount with an active XM line (under the 24-mo. Extreme Pro service agreement). You may not be interested in XM, but if you are it could save you some coin. (Just a word of caution to all concerned: Getting this credit on your account can be very, very tricky since Comcast has built a firewall between their CATV/HSI and cellular services. If the discount is not automatically applied when you first sign up for the service, you will be bounced between the two customer support centers, neither of which has access to the other's accounting and neither of which is likely to have a clue about this particular discount.)


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

chiguy50 said:


> BTW, it seems to me that you are actually paying the full $10 for the DVR but the cost is folded into the $130 plan pricing (see the attachment below which shows what I believe is the same plan at $120 in your area today w/o DVR).


No, if you look at my bill again, where it's "0" rated, it specifically states right below it "includes $10 service discount", which is also separate from all my other discounts in the above section. Also, see my next response re: the pricing you're posting...if you proceed with ordering, that exact, same package is $10 higher - already tried that at the local office. 



> Are you sure about that? You might want to double-check (again, see the attachment below, which pertains to zip code 62711).


On your screenshot - yes, the same thing happens here AT FIRST...if you try & continue with the ordering process, when it prompts you with an actual, service address, & you go with an actual (Springfield) address, it will tell you "that exact offer NOT available, but we have something similar". When you continue on again, that $10 off XM bonus disappears. If you want to try it yourself, my zip is 62702...

FYI...I already have XM from the very first time they started offering it here locally over 2 years ago.  If I'm near our local office again, I may stop by & ask if our region offers that discount; the reps in our office are all pretty top-notch & seem to know all the "tricks" on ordering Xfinity services.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

dishrich said:


> No, if you look at my bill again, where it's "0" rated, it specifically states right below it "includes $10 service discount", which is also separate from all my other discounts in the above section. Also, see my next response re: the pricing you're posting...if you proceed with ordering, that exact, same package is $10 higher - already tried that at the local office.


I see. So your total discounts are $103 including a separate $10 discount for the DVR not shown on the bill page you posted. Got it.



dishrich said:


> On your screenshot - yes, the same thing happens here AT FIRST...if you try & continue with the ordering process, when it prompts you with an actual, service address, & you go with an actual (Springfield) address, it will tell you "that exact offer NOT available, but we have something similar". When you continue on again, that $10 off XM bonus disappears. If you want to try it yourself, my zip is 62702...
> 
> FYI...I already have XM from the very first time they started offering it here locally over 2 years ago.  If I'm near our local office again, I may stop by & ask if our region offers that discount; the reps in our office are all pretty top-notch & seem to know all the "tricks" on ordering Xfinity services.


I would press my case, insisting that what's sauce for the goose is gravy for the gander.

I don't see any justification for denying you the same XM discount they are pitching on-line to other customers in the region.

I was in a similar boat here in Atlanta. I wound up elevating the issue to Tom Karinshak's office, and his people put me in touch with a rep from the Big South Regional Executive Team who, rather than try to navigate the bureaucratic shoals I illustrated in my previous post, simply entered 24 monthly $10 "Billing Corrections" on my account.


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

chiguy50 said:


> I see. So your total discounts are $103 including a separate $10 discount for the DVR not shown on the bill page you posted. Got it.


Correct...but the DVR IS shown on that bill page; it's under the "Add Ons" section, at $0, under the HBO.



> I don't see any justification for denying you the same XM discount they are pitching on-line to other customers in the region.
> 
> I was in a similar boat here in Atlanta. I wound up elevating the issue to Tom Karinshak's office, and his people put me in touch with a rep from the Big South Regional Executive Team who, rather than try to navigate the bureaucratic shoals I illustrated in my previous post, simply entered 24 monthly $10 "Billing Corrections" on my account.


Understand...but you're in a different region than myself - also, my understanding, was that XM $10 discount was only available in the northeast region, at least according to couple posts [email protected] To play devils advocate, the central region is the only one that currently offers S&E pricing, where ALL cable boxes are only $5/month, regardless of type. I HIGHLY doubt that regardless of who you elevate your case to, another Comcast region IS also going to match that same pricing, if it's not part of that said region's offerings...just sayin'...  But like I said...I'll ask about it next time I'm over by the local store.

At the end of the day, I still got a new sub deal...even though I'm NOT new, & it was the same (base) amount I was paying before. With the CC now totally FREE, & the other boxes only $5, I was able to add on that X1 DVR & still pay the same total amount as before.
AND...at first the store squawked about me adding the X1 box onto my account, with all (3) legacy boxes/CC, but I insisted it was possible, as I already knew couple others w/mixed equipment. And when I got home, the old DVR had been shut off & the X1 would NOT activate. So I went back to the store the next day; it took the assistant manager, to help the rep put the X1 in the correct "hierarchy", with all my other boxes - but he did it & when I got home, all was activated & good, so I was a happy camper.


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## tonestert (Nov 15, 2007)

DeltaOne said:


> I've used a Roamio Pro since 2013. My provider is Comcast. I enjoy the TiVo but have become frustrated with the quality of the guide data and the current product offerings.
> 
> *Switching tuners*: I loved being able to switch tuners on the TiVo and having each tuner have a 30 minute buffer. There is no way on an X1 to switch tuners, but the left-arrow button on the remote lets you quickly and easily change channels (to the last nine channels you've used) but there is no buffer. I believe the X1 has a 60 minute buffer when you stay on one channel. I have not investigated X1's "Favorites" feature yet.


This has to be one of my favorite reasons for keeping my Tivo. I just love being able to switch tuners and I use this feature all the time. I'll go to one tuner pause that tuner, change tuners and watch something else and when a commercial comes on I pause that tuner then I switch back to the tuner I paused. Live (close to live) tv without commercials and I can watch two shows basically as the same time. Does any other box do that?


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

dishrich said:


> Correct...but the DVR IS shown on that bill page; it's under the "Add Ons" section, at $0, under the HBO.


I meant that the $10 credit is not shown on that page (other than that it is reflected in the $103 total savings shown in the right-hand annotation). That was the piece I was missing.



dishrich said:


> Understand...but you're in a different region than myself


I am in the Big South Region, but I was referring to the offer in your (Chicago) region, which is reflected in the screen shot I posted. HST, under S&E the services and prices should be uniform throughout the entire Central Division. [N.B.: The Northeast and Central are divisions, which are subdivided into regions.]



dishrich said:


> . . . also, my understanding, was that XM $10 discount was only available in the northeast region, at least according to couple posts [email protected] To play devils advocate, the central region is the only one that currently offers S&E pricing, where ALL cable boxes are only $5/month, regardless of type. I HIGHLY doubt that regardless of who you elevate your case to, another Comcast region IS also going to match that same pricing, if it's not part of that said region's offerings...just sayin'...  But like I said...I'll ask about it next time I'm over by the local store.


I can't say what the deal is with that XM discount except to confirm that it is showing in the on-line offers in conjunction with any S&E 24-month agreement for Extreme Pro or Gigabit HSI (even w/o bundled services). I should also note that there are a number of caveats that apply to this discount, as shown below. However, as a proactive consumer advocate, I choose to take these types of stipulation with a grain of salt since I have seen them ignored or waived in the past.

_$10 Mobile discount: Limited to 24 months. Must activate and maintain at least one Xfinity Mobile line and Xfinity Gig or Extreme Pro Internet service. Xfinity mobile line must be activated within 30 days of Internet service activation date. Discount applied to Internet bill and will appear on statement within 45 days of Xfinity Mobile line activation. After 24 months or if any service required for offer is cancelled or downgraded, $10 discount will be removed. Limited to one discount per account regardless of number of lines activated.
_
Anyway, I would be curious to hear how you fare if you pursue this issue with a CSR at the Xfinity store.  Good luck and please keep us apprised.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

dishrich said:


> On your screenshot - yes, the same thing happens here AT FIRST...if you try & continue with the ordering process, when it prompts you with an actual, service address, & you go with an actual (Springfield) address, it will tell you "that exact offer NOT available, but we have something similar". When you continue on again, that $10 off XM bonus disappears. If you want to try it yourself, my zip is 62702...
> 
> FYI...I already have XM from the very first time they started offering it here locally over 2 years ago.  If I'm near our local office again, I may stop by & ask if our region offers that discount; the reps in our office are all pretty top-notch & seem to know all the "tricks" on ordering Xfinity services.


At your suggestion, and just for s#!ts and giggles, I did try this today using an actual address in zip code 62702. Not only did I get all the way to the checkout page where I would have had to enter my payment information and obtain an Xfinity account ID, but there was a big, bright banner at the bottom of the page reminding me to go to the XM web site to set up my cellular service. So I am not sure why you ran into difficulties on your end.


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## DeltaOne (Sep 29, 2013)

tonestert said:


> This has to be one of my favorite reasons for keeping my Tivo. I just love being able to switch tuners and I use this feature all the time. I'll go to one tuner pause that tuner, change tuners and watch something else and when a commercial comes on I pause that tuner then I switch back to the tuner I paused. Live (close to live) tv without commercials and I can watch two shows basically as the same time. Does any other box do that?


The X1 set top box does not do that, I don't know about others.

I've found a "good enough" solution on the X1 for switching tuners but it wouldn't work for you. On my TiVo I would switch tuners often, but almost never pause anything. Occasionally rewind. The X1 remembers your last used nine channels and it's easy to switch...but there's no buffer. No way to pause these other channels. You wouldn't like it.


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