# TiVo / RCN --anyone have news?



## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

Hi all; I got a little ad in my latest RCN bill referring to an RCN-branded TiVo; reading about it on the intertubes apparently they have a deal worked out where RCN will provide TiVo (with full VOD etc.) as their standard DVR. The ad shows what looks like a TiVo HD with silver trim, plus a TiVo "peanut" remote but with extra buttons like VOD and "A", "B", "C", "D". Rumors put it available in "early 2010" and "as early as Jan 1", which is obviously not true... but maybe soon?

Anyone have any other news on this?


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## bkdtv (Jan 9, 2003)

Over on DSLReports, a RCN employee recently sought testers for the new TiVo. Testing is supposed to begin next week, with initial rollouts in late March or early April.

For more information on the new RCN TiVo, see posts to this forum by rcnman. He's one of the RCN employees in charge of the TiVo rollout.


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## rcnman (Mar 4, 2010)

Yesterday we launched the RCN TiVo in our D.C. Market


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

Nice! Any thoughts on when it might make it to Boston?

I actually managed to fix my TiVoHD (got a new power supply from WeaKnees, popped it in... works a champ! For now...) so I'm not in immediate need. But who knows? Having the option of a TiVo for a DVR would definitely be a big mark in the plus column for RCN.


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## fyodor (Sep 19, 2006)

Neat. Will the RCN Tivo MRV with non-RCN Tivos?


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## rcnman (Mar 4, 2010)

fyodor said:


> Neat. Will the RCN Tivo MRV with non-RCN Tivos?


Yes, but you will have to contact TiVo directly to get them to merge your RCN TIvo on to the same account as your Retail TiVo.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

rcnman said:


> Yes, but you will have to contact TiVo directly to get them to merge your RCN TIvo on to the same account as your Retail TiVo.


Just use the same email address as is currently registered with TiVo and it will happen automagically


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## rcnman (Mar 4, 2010)

rcnman said:


> Yesterday we launched the RCN TiVo in our D.C. Market


We are now launched in our NY Market as well.


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## nsk (Jul 29, 2007)

I ordered the RCN TiVo last week and am getting it installed this Monday as I am away most of this week. 

Overall, I think that it is a positive step for RCN. I currently have a TiVo HD and RCN's Motorola box; and, there is such a huge difference! 

The RCN TiVo Premiere still uses the old SDUI but will roll out an HDUI update in a few months (I hope soon). I am also miffed at RCN allowing Blockbuster, but not Netflix. I guess I need reconnect my Roku box to get access to both Netflix and Amazon.

I am not too happy especially with the practice of RCN management discriminating against a specific provider (Netflix) while enabling its competitor (Blockbuster). Can this be construed as a violation of net neutrality (even though it applies only to internet connection, the lines are being increasingly blurred) or even as an anti-competitive move that violates FTC regulations?

PS: However, I do appreciate very much someone from RCN answering customers' queries about regular installation questions in this forum as well as at dslreports. Thanks rcnman!


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## Mike-Mike (Mar 2, 2010)

Roku is about to have a sweet new Netflix interface, so that's not all bad


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## orkinman (Jun 27, 2010)

I see on the Tivo site that theres a way to have the video preview while viewing the menus. I don't seem to have this option. Is this the same for others?


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## bkdtv (Jan 9, 2003)

orkinman said:


> I see on the Tivo site that theres a way to have the video preview while viewing the menus. I don't seem to have this option. Is this the same for others?


That is part of the Premiere's HDUI. RCN plans to roll that out later this year.


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## rcnman (Mar 4, 2010)

rcnman said:


> We are now launched in our NY Market as well.


We launched today in our PA market


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## Johncv (Jun 11, 2002)

rcnman said:


> We launched today in our PA market


Please come to San Diego and enjoy the sunshine, margaritas, Mexican food and bring TiVo with you.


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## xkahn (Jan 5, 2004)

I just got an ad for this in the Boston market. It looks pretty sweet! I'd have jumped from Verizon FiOS, (!) had problems with RCN Internet connectivity in the past.


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## jsummerf (Aug 19, 2010)

We're in the Boston area and just had RCN's TiVo installed this afternoon. Already we've discovered a major bug - anytime you set a series recording (Season Pass) for "first-run only" it records every single instance of the show on any channel, including repeats. For example, we just set a weekly Disney show to tape for daughter, so there should only be a handful of new episodes scheduled for recording this season. But because the show is re-run on multiple channels, and TiVo apparently records everything despite the settings (at least until they fix it), there are now over 400 scheduled recordings of this one show!

Looks like RCN still has some significant kinks to work out. If they don't fix this soon we'll be returning our TiVo for the original RCN DVR box, which usually worked the way it was supposed to and had a much more user-friendly interface.

We're loyal RCN customers, but this is truly disappointing. Anyone form RCN or TiVo please feel free to be in touch if you'd like further feedback.


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

Don't know what to say about the issue you're having: I've owned TiVo DVRs since 1999 and "First Run Only" has always worked properly for me. This must be some issue with either the specialized TiVo software RCN is using (are they using specialized software?) or, more likely, it's a problem with the guide data (for whatever reason the guide data is making everything look like a first run episode)--do the RCN TiVo's use the standard TiVo guide data or do they get it from RCN somehow? If the latter probably RCN needs to adjust the guide data. If the former--I dunno; my TiVo DVR (from TiVo, not RCN) has perfect guide data for my RCN cable.

What does RCN support say about it?

However, I was astounded at your statement that the previous RCN DVR had a _much more user-friendly interface_. RCN must be distributing an improved (by about 8,000%!!) DVR since I last used one, which was about 2 years ago, because I cursed that thing daily when we were using it for HD content recording. In fact my wife got so tired of my muttering (and missing shows, of course) after 18 mos. or so that she bought me a TiVo HD for Christmas. I wonder if it's more about what one is used to than I'd thought--maybe the DVR wasn't so bad but I was just used to TiVo.

Naaaaah... it was definitely so bad.


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## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

jsummerf said:


> We're in the Boston area and just had RCN's TiVo installed this afternoon. Already we've discovered a major bug - anytime you set a series recording (Season Pass) for "first-run only" it records every single instance of the show on any channel, including repeats. For example, we just set a weekly Disney show to tape for daughter, so there should only be a handful of new episodes scheduled for recording this season. But because the show is re-run on multiple channels, and TiVo apparently records everything despite the settings (at least until they fix it), there are now over 400 scheduled recordings of this one show!
> 
> Looks like RCN still has some significant kinks to work out. If they don't fix this soon we'll be returning our TiVo for the original RCN DVR box, which usually worked the way it was supposed to and had a much more user-friendly interface.
> 
> We're loyal RCN customers, but this is truly disappointing. Anyone form RCN or TiVo please feel free to be in touch if you'd like further feedback.


A couple things....

If you just installed the TiVo today, give it up to 48 hours to index and download all the guide data. It only downloads I believe 12 hours of guide data during the first setup. As a result it doesn't have accurate guide data to really determine what is new and what is a repeat. You can even force a couple calls though TiVo will still have to index all the data which usually takes about a day to build the 12 days of guide data. Once it is built you should see most of this go away.

Unfortunately though some shows will just be like this, but very few. They don't supply good data so there is no way for TiVo to know if the show is new or not.

The other thing to be aware of is TiVo uses a 28 day rule for new episodes. This means if the episode has aired for the first time in the last 28 days and TiVo hasn't recorded the episode it will consider it a new episode. This is fine normally since if you miss the first airing it will pick up a second airing. As a result though if you are just adding a season pass for a show which has been on, it may record a couple episodes you have already seen since TiVo hasn't recorded them during the 28 days. Once it records them just delete them. After the first 30 days you won't see this happening since the TiVo knows the show is past the 28 day rule and it already recorded the episode before.

If you give me the name of the show I will be happy to check my TiVos to see what episodes it picks up since the guide data is the same. Also are you using a wishlist or Season Pass. A wishlist will look for that title on any channel while a season pass is channel specific.


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

innocentfreak said:


> The other thing to be aware of is TiVo uses a 28 day rule for new episodes. This means if the episode has aired for the first time in the last 28 days and TiVo hasn't recorded the episode it will consider it a new episode. This is fine normally since if you miss the first airing it will pick up a second airing. As a result though if you are just adding a season pass for a show which has been on, it may record a couple episodes you have already seen since TiVo hasn't recorded them during the 28 days. Once it records them just delete them. After the first 30 days you won't see this happening since the TiVo knows the show is past the 28 day rule and it already recorded the episode before.


Although you're correct that this is the algorithm TiVo uses to avoid repeats of shows that you get a normal season pass for, that's NOT the algorithm TiVo uses if you get a "First Run Only" season pass.

If you select "First Run Only", then only episodes that are marked as non-repeats are recorded, regardless. Even if TiVo never recorded that episode for you ever before, if you say "First Run Only" and that episode is marked as a repeat, TiVo will not record it.

Consider that a normal network show airs episodes in the fall, say, then maybe repeats over the summer. The summer repeats are certainly more than 28 days after the original airing so by your algorithm, TiVo would record the repeats even if you selected First Run Only... but that's not how it works.

However your point about the guide data is exactly correct, and what I was trying to say above: the only way TiVo can know whether a show is a repeat or not is if the guide data it downloads correctly categorizes the show. Not all shows do this unfortunately; there are a few well-known instances (Comedy Central, for example, seems to be extremely poor and providing accurate guide data). But, there's nothing TiVo can do about that, really.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

jsummerf said:


> But because the show is re-run on multiple channels, and TiVo apparently records everything despite the settings (at least until they fix it), there are now over 400 scheduled recordings of this one show!


are you sure you used a season pass - a season pass will ONLY record the channel it is pointed at. I know RCN is using the core TiVo software so this is likely not a glitch but you somehow setup a wishlist instead - which will record a show from any channel it is shown on


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## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

madscientist said:


> Although you're correct that this is the algorithm TiVo uses to avoid repeats of shows that you get a normal season pass for, that's NOT the algorithm TiVo uses if you get a "First Run Only" season pass.
> 
> If you select "First Run Only", then only episodes that are marked as non-repeats are recorded, regardless. Even if TiVo never recorded that episode for you ever before, if you say "First Run Only" and that episode is marked as a repeat, TiVo will not record it.
> 
> Consider that a normal network show airs episodes in the fall, say, then maybe repeats over the summer. The summer repeats are certainly more than 28 days after the original airing so by your algorithm, TiVo would record the repeats even if you selected First Run Only... but that's not how it works.


No you misread what I said. I said only if the episode premiered in the 28 days within the setup. A fall show wouldn't fall under that, but a show like White Collar if added today for the first time would still record the last couple of episodes that premiered under the 28 days since they are still techinically new episodes to TiVo.


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## tange1 (Aug 24, 2010)

PA RCN Tivo user here - love the devices. When will we get the HDUI software upgrade? None of the guides / pictures on tivos websites match the out of date software views on the tivo.


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## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

I believe RCN is waiting until the HD UI is 100% complete. It makes sense from a support standpoint since the classic UI is much more stable across the board.


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## m050120 (Sep 14, 2010)

So, I'm new on here, so forgive me if this is not the right place for this, but I've had a Tivo HD for a couple years now and after ditching Comcast, and getting RCN after my latest move, I've longed for access to VOD. 

My understanding with the the RCN branded Tivo is that you can access the VOD, but with the plane Tivo HD box, you cannot. 

Is there any plan to ever grant access to the VOD through the non-RCN tivos, which I have presumably been paying for with my monthly digital cable service? 

Also, is there a date that the HDUI is set to roll out? I can't imagine going from that back to SDUI.


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## tiassa (Jul 2, 2008)

m050120 said:


> Is there any plan to ever grant access to the VOD through the non-RCN tivos, which I have presumably been paying for with my monthly digital cable service?


No, the RCN branded Tivos have a hack in the software that allows them to access RCN VOD. That's the way it works.


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## bschuler2007 (Feb 25, 2007)

I also wouldn't hold out alot of hope for a RCN HDUI.


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## danstyk (Feb 21, 2006)

I have the RCN tivos and in general am very happy with them. I do have a couple of season passes where they record all episodes, or at least some extras. One is The Daily Show, which in addition to nightly at 11 pm it also adds repeats on Mondays at 11 am 1and 2 pm. But no other repeats. It did this on my old S2 tivo as well. The other is The Penn State Football Story on YES network. All airings get recorded, regardless of what I do. Otherwise no issues with repeats.

RCNMAN -- do you know if the new plan for tivo premieres to host HULU PLUS will be available on the RCN branded boxes?


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## rcnman (Mar 4, 2010)

danstyk said:


> I have the RCN tivos and in general am very happy with them. I do have a couple of season passes where they record all episodes, or at least some extras. One is The Daily Show, which in addition to nightly at 11 pm it also adds repeats on Mondays at 11 am 1and 2 pm. But no other repeats. It did this on my old S2 tivo as well. The other is The Penn State Football Story on YES network. All airings get recorded, regardless of what I do. Otherwise no issues with repeats.
> 
> RCNMAN -- do you know if the new plan for tivo premieres to host HULU PLUS will be available on the RCN branded boxes?


Sadly, RCN has no rights to offer the Hulu plus application at this time 

-Jason Nealis
RCN


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## rcnman (Mar 4, 2010)

m050120 said:


> So, I'm new on here, so forgive me if this is not the right place for this, but I've had a Tivo HD for a couple years now and after ditching Comcast, and getting RCN after my latest move, I've longed for access to VOD.
> 
> My understanding with the the RCN branded Tivo is that you can access the VOD, but with the plane Tivo HD box, you cannot.
> 
> ...


There is no plan at this time to allow NON RCN TIVO's access to RCN VOD. Sorry..

I'm working on deploying the HDUI interface by end of Q4.

Jason Nealis 
RCN


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## audioscience (Feb 10, 2005)

rcnman said:


> There is no plan at this time to allow NON RCN TIVO's access to RCN VOD. Sorry..
> 
> I'm working on deploying the HDUI interface by end of Q4.
> 
> ...


What's the status on the HDUI?


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## rcnman (Mar 4, 2010)

audioscience said:


> What's the status on the HDUI?


Still pending, has slipped till Early 2011.


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## lhochman (Jan 15, 2011)

Looking forward to HDUI ... and 14.7 ... and Tivo iPad App.

Will all of these be interconnected?


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## lhochman (Jan 15, 2011)

Looks like the new iPad App was released, but it is not compatible with RCN's version of Tivo.

I called support and they said RCN has not released 14.7 yet (which includes HDUI) and both are required for the app to work.

I called RCN and they said "later this quarter".

We will see .....


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## mlsnyc (Dec 3, 2009)

lhochman said:


> Looks like the new iPad App was released, but it is not compatible with RCN's version of Tivo.
> 
> I called support and they said RCN has not released 14.7 yet (which includes HDUI) and both are required for the app to work.
> 
> ...


Argh! It's a nice-to-have for me but I was looking forward to giving the app a try. Guess I need to be patient. Really patient.


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## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

If you check the RCN boards on DSLreports.com, at one point they were looking for testers, so you may want to check there.


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## mlsnyc (Dec 3, 2009)

innocentfreak said:


> If you check the RCN boards on DSLreports.com, at one point they were looking for testers, so you may want to check there.


Looks like he's holding off on bringing on new beta testers for now. But thanks for letting me know and I'll check from time to time.


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