# DTV HD + Tivo vs Comcast HD Dvr



## nipseyrussell (Oct 11, 2003)

Hello, i just got a HD plasma (Panasonic TH-42PX50U) over the holidays and now I'm struggling with how to get HD on the dam thing! 

I currently have Direct TV satellite and I was really happy with the DTV/tivos combination that we had. Looks like if i wanted to stay with DTV, i'd need to get a new $400 hd-dvr, get an antenna for locals (!!!), and would end up with less HD channels than with comcast. (Also, i think that they are changing all their satellite technology later this year to MPEG4...so might need new boxes then??) 

Alternately, i can go to comcast, but then its more expensive, i have to chuck the existing DTV-tivos (which I own & love and only pay $5/month for tivo service) and RENT DVRs from comcast at $10/ month EACH....and lose some of the tivo-specific functionality. 

Do the above sound correct? If so, I will probably leave DTV and move over to comcast. Am I missing any decision making factors?

Follow up questions:

Do both the DTV and comcast hd-dvrs have hdmi output? Or maybe component is ok?

Also, this tv is one of the more popular hd flat panels out there and has gotten good reviews in the consumer-grade publications.....maybe not in the high-end reviews....BUT, when i got home i was incredibly disappointed in how regular definition looked on it (much worse than my old crappy CRT). Anyone know if there would be a difference in how standard def would look from DTV vs comcast?

Sorry if this is the wrong forum, but i appreciate any feedback!


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Other then DirecTV is releasing a new HD-DVR (not TiVo based though) in mid-2006 (per the most recent press releases). You pretty much got it right.


Standard Def would look about the same on both services.


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## The_Dude99 (Dec 4, 2005)

I made the switch from Tivo to HD DVR from comcast. Tell Comcast that you are switching from sat, and you will get high speed internet and cable for under $70 a month. I prefere Tivo's interface a lot more, but I can't live without HD now.


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## BeanMeScot (Apr 17, 2002)

I was in the same position you are. I refused to pay $400 for obsolete equipment. D* was previously offering $299-$100 to many people. Even after that was over many people were and still are getting the HD DVR for about $200. Me, they wanted to charge $400. So I called Comcast. I am getting their Digital Silver package for $25 off per month for the next 16 months. I also got their high speed internet and phone service for $69.99 per month for the next 12 months. The total is $20 more than I was paying for all of these services but I am getting HBO, much faster internet, HD channels, no antenna, On Demand, free long distance phone service, no contract, no buying equipment and having to pay to fix it, etc. Comcast will have a true Tivo early next year.


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## bidger (Mar 30, 2001)

BeanMeScot said:


> Comcast will have a true Tivo early next year.


You're absolutely certain of that? Because I'm of the mind that Comcast will look after it's interests first and foremost and if they consider any feature TiVo submits as dicey, it will be shot down. Time will tell.


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## BeanMeScot (Apr 17, 2002)

bidger said:


> You're absolutely certain of that? Because I'm of the mind that Comcast will look after it's interests first and foremost and if they consider any feature TiVo submits as dicey, it will be shot down. Time will tell.


Behold!


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## Kevdog (Apr 18, 2001)

BeanMeScot said:


> Behold!


Nice, except that's the standalone box and not the fabled Comcast Tivo. Still nice to see though. As a recent defectee (?) from DirecTV to Comcast for precisely the same reasons as the OP (I even have the same TV!), I'm hopeful of getting TiVo back in my life again.

OTOH, since I live in Seattle and we use the Microsoft Foundation software on our Comcast boxes and since MS invested $4 billion in Comcast, I'm figuring we'll be the last to get Tivo here.


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## SC0TLANDF0REVER (Dec 9, 2001)

That's good news Beam!

I'm glad too see the new Series 3 

I too am like the OP and Kev with Comcast and wanting
the mysterious Comcast/TiVo combo box to appear.

But this might do the trick nicely...


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

Kevdog said:


> 1 SONY SAT 60 unmodified
> 1Hughes DVR40 unmodified
> *1 Black Lab, modified*


So, did you add a bigger hard drive? Or just pull the existing hard drive?


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## nipseyrussell (Oct 11, 2003)

thanks, all
i too am hopeful that comcast will release a tivo dvr....
...after reading all the rumors, i think the latest i heard is that the boxes will stay the same and comcast will just push tht tivo software out to the boxes, but to use hte tivo software you might have to pay ANOTHER $3/month
arggh


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## bidger (Mar 30, 2001)

Kevdog said:


> Nice, except that's the standalone box and not the fabled Comcast Tivo.


Yup. And while a lot of people are whooping it up over the unit, understandable, there's still some unknowns about the unit as far as pricing for service and box, exactly what service will be tied to it. Like I said I can understand that people are starved for it, but I'd like to know more before I consider investing.


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## HiDefGator (Oct 12, 2004)

Here's my problem with the new box. I currently have 4 TV's in my house. Each has a dual tuner DirecTV box hooked to it. That's a total of 8 tuners I have today. For this setup I pay roughly $15 extra a month for the three mirroring charges.

With the now Tivo boxes I'm going to pay Tivo a bundle in monthly license fees. PLus pay my cable company from $3 to $100 a month extra to rent the 8 cable cards I will need to replace my current functionality. 

No matter how good it is I can't justify the extra epense. 

On top of that until cable card 2.0 comes out I lose the ability to watch PPV movies. My nearest Blockbuster is a 30 minute drive in one direction.


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## Kevdog (Apr 18, 2001)

tbeckner said:


> So, did you add a bigger hard drive? Or just pull the existing hard drive?


Eliminated the "Black Lab To Go" feature.


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## Kevdog (Apr 18, 2001)

bidger said:


> Yup. And while a lot of people are whooping it up over the unit, understandable, there's still some unknowns about the unit as far as pricing for service and box, exactly what service will be tied to it. Like I said I can understand that people are starved for it, but I'd like to know more before I consider investing.


Actually, it occurs to me that with dual Cable Cards and, I'm assuming, encrypted QAM support, you really wouldn't need the Comcast box anymore unless you were really into PPV or On Demand (I don't use either very much). Personally, I'd trade On Demand for Wishlists and TiVO Suggestions in a heartbeat. Of course, the TiVO monthly fee is going to be higher than the $5/mo. that Comcast charges for their (admittedly inferior) DVR.


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## jcricket (Sep 11, 2002)

I think the Series 3 Tivo box is encouraging, but after reading the price rumors ($500 - $800), I'm not as hot on the box as I thought I would be. Sure, the HR20 and Comcast Tivo might not have all the cool features (MRV, HMO, etc.) as a standalone Tivo, but if both boxes are "working dual-tuner HD DVRs", and I only have to pay $10/month, it's hard to justify spending $500-800 up-front just to get the "extras". If the Comcast Tivo is any good, I'll probably switch to cable for that. If the HR20 is any good, I may stick with DirecTV for a while (since it will be free).

The way I look at it, renting the DVR from Comcast/DirecTV (or, in my case, getting one free as a replacement for my HR10-250) it will take 4-5 years before I've spent the same as I would spend up-front on a Series 3. During those years I fully expect to go through at least one replacement cycle, with some new box hopefully with better features and more capacity. If I have to buy a "Series 4", that would be even more money out of my pocket. If I'm renting, they'll just swap out the box (or I can switch providers).

With the state of DVRs (fast changes) it makes more sense right now (IMHO) to lease than to purchase a $500-800 box. Maybe this won't be true in the future with full 2-way cable-cards and the competition between Microsoft, Apple and standalone PVRs (like Tivo Series 3).


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## Kevdog (Apr 18, 2001)

jcricket said:


> I think the Series 3 Tivo box is encouraging, but after reading the price rumors ($500 - $800), I'm not as hot on the box as I thought I would be. Sure, the HR20 and Comcast Tivo might not have all the cool features (MRV, HMO, etc.) as a standalone Tivo, but if both boxes are "working dual-tuner HD DVRs", and I only have to pay $10/month, it's hard to justify spending $500-800 up-front just to get the "extras". If the Comcast Tivo is any good, I'll probably switch to cable for that. If the HR20 is any good, I may stick with DirecTV for a while (since it will be free).
> 
> The way I look at it, renting the DVR from Comcast/DirecTV (or, in my case, getting one free as a replacement for my HR10-250) it will take 4-5 years before I've spent the same as I would spend up-front on a Series 3. During those years I fully expect to go through at least one replacement cycle, with some new box hopefully with better features and more capacity. If I have to buy a "Series 4", that would be even more money out of my pocket. If I'm renting, they'll just swap out the box (or I can switch providers).
> 
> With the state of DVRs (fast changes) it makes more sense right now (IMHO) to lease than to purchase a $500-800 box. Maybe this won't be true in the future with full 2-way cable-cards and the competition between Microsoft, Apple and standalone PVRs (like Tivo Series 3).


Spot on. However, if the rumors are true and Comcast is just going to put TiVo on the Moto 6412, I'll be pretty disappointed. It's a pretty balky device (I've had 3 replaced due to tuner failures in the 6 weeks since I switched to Comcast) and it has a paltry recording capacity (just 20 hours of HD at best).


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## bidger (Mar 30, 2001)

Kevdog said:


> you really wouldn't need the Comcast box anymore


I was under the impression that the box would be manufactured by Comcast's supplier, but running whatever version of TiVo software they condone.


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

I know zippo about cable and tivo so please forgive the newbie question. But aren't these stand alone tivos? I was hoping maybe to just get my cable (not comcast), maybe the card if i need it, then use it just like my HDtivo to record 2 hi def programs.

When people are talking about how comcast configures and stuff, I dont understand it. I thought with a cable card, except for the guide and few other things, this tivo would be 'just' like the directivo i own now, and maybe even 'better'. 

Hope you understood what i'm trying to ask. I thought tivo standalone was 'plug and play.'


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## Kevdog (Apr 18, 2001)

bidger said:


> I was under the impression that the box would be manufactured by Comcast's supplier, but running whatever version of TiVo software they condone.


2 different things. The Series 3 box announced at CES is a standalone, but since it has Cable Card support you can use it without the box supplied by your cable company and still receive all channels (including encrypted channels). But TiVo and Comcast announced a deal last year to put TiVO software on the boxes that Comcast rents to subscribers. My point really was that if the standalone gives you access to all channels, provides the TiVO channel guide and other TiVO features, you don't really need the Comcast (or whatever) version of the TiVO box. I suppose, though, the advantage is that you'd be able to rent from your cable company vs. buy from TiVO, assuming all other things are equal (see my above post about the shortcomings of the 6412).


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## jlas75 (Aug 16, 2004)

I have the TiVo HR10-250 and am currently a DirecTV customer. Can I cancel service with DirecTV and still use the TiVo receiver as a HD receiver for my "over-the-air" HD antenna? And, will the TiVo functionality still work with my HD antenna if I cancel DirecTV service?

I am thinking about moving over to Comcast. Does TiVo make a HD stand alone dual tuner receiver that integrates with Comcast? 

Ideally, I wish TiVo would make a receiver for Comcast just like the HR10-250 works with DirecTV. I would only add a dual tuner so you do not need two (2) separate cable lines for recording different programming at the same time. 

Does this already exist?

Thank you in advance!


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

jlas75 said:


> I have the TiVo HR10-250 and am currently a DirecTV customer. Can I cancel service with DirecTV and still use the TiVo receiver as a HD receiver for my "over-the-air" HD antenna? And, will the TiVo functionality still work with my HD antenna if I cancel DirecTV service?
> 
> I am thinking about moving over to Comcast. Does TiVo make a HD stand alone dual tuner receiver that integrates with Comcast?
> 
> ...


I know a bit: tivo can't record anything new unless you pay. Tivo 3 is out later this year and I think comcast has a deal.

I dont know if hdtivo would work solely as an ota receiver unsubbed. But who would watch live tv anyway!


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## nipseyrussell (Oct 11, 2003)

well, just pulled the trigger. comcast came this morning. of course they screwed it all up so it could be a while before i actually start watching tv (luckily i can continue to drain the old programmig on my dt-dvr)


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## yunlin12 (Mar 15, 2003)

newsposter said:


> I know a bit: tivo can't record anything new unless you pay. Tivo 3 is out later this year and I think comcast has a deal.
> 
> I dont know if hdtivo would work solely as an ota receiver unsubbed. But who would watch live tv anyway!


I hope the DTV HDTivo can still record OTA as manual recording even without guide data from DTV? But I'm holding my breath on the Comcast/Tivo deal. C'mon give us a good box! and soon! can't hold my breath much longer ... must ... have ... Tivo ..... world turning ... ... ... black


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## yunlin12 (Mar 15, 2003)

jlas75 said:


> Ideally, I wish TiVo would make a receiver for Comcast just like the HR10-250 works with DirecTV. I would only add a dual tuner so you do not need two (2) separate cable lines for recording different programming at the same time.
> 
> Does this already exist?
> 
> Thank you in advance!


It looks like from the video demo on S3 shows only 1 cable input required for 2 tuner.


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## BeanMeScot (Apr 17, 2002)

jlas75 said:


> Ideally, I wish TiVo would make a receiver for Comcast just like the HR10-250 works with DirecTV. I would only add a dual tuner so you do not need two (2) separate cable lines for recording different programming at the same time.
> 
> Does this already exist?
> 
> Thank you in advance!


The box from Comcast 6412 or 3412 only has one input but 2 tuners.


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## jmace57 (Nov 30, 2002)

Wow, I knew TiVo fans were fanatical, but posting from beyond the grave Nipsy?

; )


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## joetoronto (Jul 26, 2004)

jmace57 said:


> Wow, I knew TiVo fans were fanatical, but posting from beyond the grave Nipsy?
> 
> ; )


aye carumba!


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## nipseyrussell (Oct 11, 2003)

Rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated....besides now that I have a HDTV, a silly thing like death cant stop me from watching TV

FYI, finally got my Comcast set up.....HD is pretty cool! Now if they only had more HD channels. Also, their "tivo", as anticipated is god-awful.

Anyway, I waited a few days after getting cable to disconnect dtv 
when I called dtv to cancel, they of course tried to retain me but I already got comcast.
anyway, the guy told me that dtv is all digital but comcast is analog so he didnt see how they could even offer me HDTV.
My reply was that i was actually watching it at the time and it looked pretty good.
he rambled on about the mpeg4 coming etc etc then he started telling me once again that cable wasnt offering hd and that they were stretching the picture and that i wouldnt enjoy the Discover HD theater channel...unfortunately i had to interrupt him to explain that i was actually watching "Urban Wild" on that very channel on comcast!

sorry to see you go beloved tivo!


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

Kevdog said:


> Eliminated the "Black Lab To Go" feature.


Now that is a good option to eliminate!


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