Comcast, Cox Planning Multi-Room DVRStill undecided about in-home networking tech... ( old news - 11:34AM Thursday Nov 15 2007) tags: Video · competition · business · networking · Comcast · AT&T U-Verse · Cox HSIWhile you're waiting for Comcast TiVO to arrive in more than just the New England market, rejoice in the fact that you can also now start waiting for Comcast multi-room DVR service, which should start showing up in the second half of next year, according to Light Reading. However, it looks like the service might only be available in "select" markets: The MSO is also still undecided about the eventual scale of its rollout. Werner said Comcast is still vetting the business case for a wide rollout of a home networking technology, a move that would include the cost of incorporating MoCA, or another home networking platform, into the set-top layer. Comcast is debating between a number of different standards (HomePNA and Ultrawideband, MoCA) for in-home networking. Cox is less wishy washy, and has embraced MoCA, which uses existing in-home Coax instead of running costly Cat-5. Cox says they'll be testing a multi-room DVR service next year. Verizon has been using MoCA for FiOS installs for some time, and has been offering whole home DVR service since last year. AT&T embraced HomePNA (which uses copper phone wiring) for U-Verse, and plans to launch a whole-home DVR system sometime next year.
Related:- AT&T, Comcast Start Swinging
- Comcast Ads Mock Unsightly AT&T U-Verse Cabinets
- Comcast Gets Investigated While Cox Gets Free Pass
- AT&T Completes Whole Home DVR Upgrade
- Comcast Attacks Verizon Over HD Claims
- Comcast: 50Mbps Now Available In 20% Of Markets
- Comcast Successfully Delays Philly FiOS
- U-Verse TV Gets More Expensive February 1
|
 reelbigfish
join:2002-06-06
Boston, MA
 ·Comcast
 ·Comcast Digital Vo..
·Cox HSI
| This would be a nice feature This would be a nice feature for people that have multiple TVs. Then they could just rent SD/HD boxes and save the DVR fee. The more TVs you have the better this is for you. I personally only have 1 TV and plan to keep it that way. It forces personal interaction and to get my butt outside every once in a while. Personally, I'm waiting for higher internet speeds. | |
|  | ajwees41
Premium
join:2002-05-10
Omaha, NE | Re: This would be a nice feature Cox already provides MRV for SA users and Motorola area users need to wait until next that really stinks. | |
| | 
BabyBear
Keep wise ...with Night-Owl
join:2007-01-11
| said by reelbigfish  : Personally, I'm waiting for higher internet speeds. So that you can DL everything quicker and get OUTSIDE right?  | |
| 
cypherstream
Is decent HD service too much to ask for
Premium
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
| Why so wishy washey? Why not just settle on MOCA and be done with it?
It's obviously successful with Verizon's Motorola gear. It's also pushed from Moto, and Cox embraced it.
Second half of next year? Give me a break, It'll be 2010 when it gets to our area. Comcast is the slowest company to innovate. Funny how that is because they are one of the most expensive companies. | |
| | 
DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey | Re: Why so wishy washey? I though Comcast wanted out of the settop box retail business? now they are saying they want to be do it ? We will never had choice in dvr, or tvs. It Comcast way or the highway, or maybe FIOS. | |
| | 
PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
join:2005-01-03
Riverside, WA
·CableOne
| said by cypherstream :Why not just settle on MOCA and be done with it? It's obviously successful with Verizon's Motorola gear. It's also pushed from Moto, and Cox embraced it. MOCA is a great idea, but what if you want to move a TV? Then you have to call a tech to come install another outlet. And the hardware is hard to fine (AFAIK).
I like the idea of running everything over ethernet. Then, you can either use wireless adapters or powerline adapters that can be purchased at any big box electronics store.
--
There comes a point in your life when you get tired of fixing everything and wiping everyone's ass. But it’s not giving up. It’s realizing that you don’t need certain people and the bullshit and drama they bring to your life. | |
| | |
cypherstream
Is decent HD service too much to ask for
Premium
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs: | Re: Why so wishy washey? Well if you move the TV, wouldn't you need to move the outlet anyway? How else would you get live cable TV without a cable outlet? | |
| | | | BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Everett, MA
clubs:
·Comcast
·Comcast Formerly ..
| Re: Why so wishy washey? said by cypherstream :Well if you move the TV, wouldn't you need to move the outlet anyway? How else would you get live cable TV without a cable outlet? Hence the reason the parent poster wants to use Ethernet. It has so many mediums it can travel over it makes it fairly easy to get any where.
--
"It's always funny until someone gets hurt......and then it's absolutely friggin' hysterical!" | |
| | | | |
PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
join:2005-01-03
Riverside, WA | Re: Why so wishy washey? Exactly. You said it better than I did. | |
| | | | | |
cypherstream
Is decent HD service too much to ask for
Premium
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
| Re: Why so wishy washey? Sure you could network recorded DVR content that way, but the client cable box in the bedroom or whatever would also need to be connected to the coax to pull one of the oob data addressing channels (our area uses 104.2 MHz). Without this connection the set top box will not download the guide or turn on features such as DVR or MRDVR.
What your looking for is something more like Slingbox. Comcast is trying to implement this using existing cable boxes with little to no modification (therefore costs less). Plus I'm sure they don't mind sending a tech out to relocate an outlet, they do charge $$ for it after all. | |
| | | | | | | BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Everett, MA
clubs:
·Comcast
·Comcast Formerly ..
| Re: Why so wishy washey? said by cypherstream :Sure you could network recorded DVR content that way, but the client cable box in the bedroom or whatever would also need to be connected to the coax to pull one of the oob data addressing channels (our area uses 104.2 MHz). Without this connection the set top box will not download the guide or turn on features such as DVR or MRDVR. What your looking for is something more like Slingbox. Comcast is trying to implement this using existing cable boxes with little to no modification (therefore costs less). Plus I'm sure they don't mind sending a tech out to relocate an outlet, they do charge $$ for it after all. If it uses ethernet over any medium it don't need to tune. It's basically iptv  which can carry over anything that can carry an electrical charge really.
--
"It's always funny until someone gets hurt......and then it's absolutely friggin' hysterical!" | |
| | | |
PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
join:2005-01-03
Riverside, WA | Apparently you aren't understanding the concept of networking; the TV feed would come from the MAIN cable box hooked to the cable line in one room, via networking. We are just discussing WHICH TYPE of networking would work best in this case. | |
| | | | | 
AZwldcats
Ummm That's Right
join:2001-02-20
Tucson, AZ
clubs:
| Re: Why so wishy washey? said by PolarBear :Apparently you aren't understanding the concept of networking; the TV feed would come from the MAIN cable box hooked to the cable line in one room, via networking. We are just discussing WHICH TYPE of networking would work best in this case. I want to watch more than One channel on my additional TV's | |
| | | | | | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Re: Why so wishy washey? The way you use TV in your other rooms does NOT change. All this does is allows up to 3 existing DCT boxes to tap into the recorded TV option on the DVR.. THAT'S IT!
People are making this into more than what it is..
--
"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." | |
| | | | | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Aaron, you DO realize that each room still gets a cable line for it's own box/live feed, right?... the MRDVR function is ONLY the recorded TV playback and the ability for other sets to 'set a recording'... and that's it..
--
"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." | |
| | | | | |
PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
join:2005-01-03
Riverside, WA
·CableOne
| Re: Why so wishy washey? said by fiberguy :Aaron, you DO realize that each room still gets a cable line for it's own box/live feed, right? To do it they way that big cable thinks it should be done, yes. To do it how I think it should be done, a physical line of some sort (coax, ethernet, etc.), but no box on each TV. Like I said before, Dish Network has been doing this for years, using one box to supply two TVs with live AND recorded content.
IMHO, well, read this. | |
| | | | | | | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Re: Why so wishy washey? Yea.. I know that Dish has done it that way... however, those boxes are simply dual tuners and a pain in the butt when trying to do it for more than just two televisions.
First, you'd have to have a box capable of MANY MANY tuners. On a home of 4 rooms alone, you'd need at LEAST a 6 tuner box.. 2 for the DVR and then one for each television. Then, you'd have to have one heck of a system that splits the return frequency back to the dmark where it's pull off the originating line and then fed to the other rooms who then need to all be set to different channels. Truly, NOT a good way to do it. You also have to remember that the path for the control back to the box is an RF remote.. many a times I would have rather chucked the remote through the window when I'd have a hard time getting it to control the box in the other room via radio frequency. At times, I'd be getting up out of bed, walking closer to the door, or simply leaving it open, JUST to get the remote to talk to the box. Not always the greatest in my opinion.
The setup DISH has been using is ok for two tv's, but it's not going to serve the masses efficiently.
--
"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." | |
| | | | | | | | 
codee
Premium
join:2001-10-01
Minneapolis, MN
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Re: Why so wishy washey? A couple things...
I don't think people are fully understanding how this would work either. you still have STBs wherever you want, and there would just be a "My DVR" type menu on every STB that would connect back to the DVR(S). Having the system work over coax by default is by far the most common sense way to implement this....anybody that has cable by a TV they use already, will have a coax jack there anyways. This system feeds from box to box through splitters, dcs, etc all the way to a block of some form at the point where the drop hits the groundblock. Trying to use ethernet or some varient of ethernet over power, wireless, etc would be much more time consuming and/or costly. not many houses had ethernet jacks in everyroom along with a switch, wireless would be sketchy still, and using ethernet over power would require additional and unnecesary hardware to be purchased.
As far as the Comcast Media Center goes, it is simply a jaw-dropping facility. The provide content and services for many MSOs, NOT just comcast.
I would recommend checking out »www.comcastmediacenter.com
Comcast Media Center (CMC), headquartered in the South Metro area of Denver, is a business unit of Comcast Cable. Under one very big roof, this 350,000 square foot facility provides a total content management solution through its "one source - multiple delivery platforms" capabilities. Its Content Delivery Network offers global transmission via satellite and terrestrial fiber optics, VOD and streaming distribution capabilities. CMC's Content Management Network offers broadcast quality studio, mobile and post production services, origination services for linear TV networks and live events, HDTV production and origination and quality control and media management services, including encoding and storage. Its Affiliate Services Network includes the HITS (Headend in the Sky) digital platform, founded in 1994, and delivers 150 digital services to more than 2,000 cable system headends.
and
This is the HITS, or "Headend in the Sky" system
»www.hits.com
To distribute your video content quickly and in excellent quality, we use a mixture of fiber optic and video circuit connections to transmit and receive information around the earth. Positioned throughout North America, Europe and Asia—and operating worldwide—Comcast Media Center is well connected over both land and sky. We offer terrestrial connectivity for both full-time and occasional transmissions.
Denver
"The Denver Switch"
INVESCO Field at Mile High Stadium
The Pepsi Arena
The University of Denver Magness Arena
Digital Media Network
Digital Video Services
International Video
Vyvx Services & Triumph Communications
Connectivity between CMC facilities
Los Angeles
Verizon
Pac Bell Hub
New York
Digital Video Services
NYC HUB
"The Switch" a longtime favorite of U.S. and foreign television networks
Waterfront
International connectivity to Sydney, Australia and Athens, Greece
I have a fiber topology map somewhere also, showing all the fiber comcast actually owns, I'll post back if I can find it....its very impressive.
I don't think anybody can look at those systems, and even jokingly say that comcast is behind the times if they actually understand what it is they are doing, and how it's achieved. | |
| | |
AZwldcats
Ummm That's Right
join:2001-02-20
Tucson, AZ
clubs:
| said by PolarBear :MOCA is a great idea, but what if you want to move a TV? Then you have to call a tech to come install another outlet. And the hardware is hard to fine (AFAIK). Wouldn't you have to do that anyways? TO have a MultiRoom DVR you need a cable box on each TV... | |
| | | |
PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
join:2005-01-03
Riverside, WA
·CableOne
| Re: Why so wishy washey? said by AZwldcats :said by PolarBear :MOCA is a great idea, but what if you want to move a TV? Then you have to call a tech to come install another outlet. And the hardware is hard to fine (AFAIK). Wouldn't you have to do that anyways? TO have a MultiRoom DVR you need a cable box on each TV... No you don't. Dish Network has MultiRoom DVRs, and there is only ONE box on ONE TV, but you can watch a DIFFERENT channel (or recording) on a second TV.
Everyone is acting like this is some great new concept that nobody's ever heard about and trying to figure out how to implement it, but Dish Network has been doing it for years. This is only new to the cable companies because they are starting to figure out that they can't keep continuing to tell customers "this is the way it is, deal with it or piss off," because there is too much competition now. | |
| | | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Coax, in my opinion, is much more efficient anyway. The fact is that it's going to go from room to room where the existing TVs already are.. you can back feed right through the existing house wires and just insert the RF block at the house block.
HOWEVER, where you will run into some issues is where you have customers on multiple drops - as there are some - and then customers who's wires don't all terminate at the same place. For that reason, I can see the need to have another way around it. Otherwise, you start to alienate some of your customers. Albeit a very small hand-full, but you will alienate them none the less. You also have the issue of apartment complexes where customer outlets terminate in the box direct to a tap. Those customers are going to have to be wired to a splitter direct and blocked in order to network.
There are MANY different variables and I just see Comcast taking, as usual, a slower approach.
What a lot of people here don't realize or even think about are the various ways that people get hooked up and how they differ.. rather, they look at their own home and believe it's just simple as 1, 2, 3. Look at how Verizon too Fios. They went for the masses and wired only homes to start.. apartment installs are just coming into play now.. so Verizon felt that it was best to alienate a good size portion of their base. How many people got upset over that? Comcast and cable has a bad enough rap going already... some people say comcast is slow, while others say they take a cautious approach to things.. I happen to think a slower roll it better than a fast one.
Still, by far, comcast brought out the 'better' moto guide before others.. comcast has a much better VOD offering than others.. for the longest time, comcast was pushing the faster cable modem speeds and then others followed... that was just 2 years ago.. but according to people here, "they're slow".. People also don't see the massive network infrastructure that comcast is building in the background that players like Time Warner, Cox, Charter and others don't have.
If ANYONE here actually saw what was inside 'Comcast Media Center', it would make them drop a load in their rear. The fact is that Comcast is also spending a lot of time building the vehicle that will make much of what's coming down the road better and more dynamic than ever what Verizon's Fios can deliver..
There are various ways, but before you design and build a very expensive system, you need to study what you have and make the best choice.
In my opinion, moca is the best way to go for the masses.
--
"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." | |
| ossito16
join:2004-07-31
Whiting, IN
·RCN CABLE
| Comcast changing the subject, lol ok, we'll stop talking about the blocking throttling of personal internet information for the benefit of the customers, lol.
I like the sound of this as long as I can use it however I choose. I want no limits on what can be recorded or streamed. No increased rental fees & no ridiculous TOS.
Would be cool if it was basically a HiDef slingbox that can stream live as well as recorded video content over ethernet to any location of my choice. | |
| 
whamel
Premium
join:2002-05-09
Clarendon Hills, IL
·RCN CABLE
·Verizon BroadbandA..
| liking the idea... ...but wouldnt it be easier to implement, and more cost effective...in regards to troubleshooting, to have a central DVR "server" and minimally featured set tops? I feel it simplifies the narrowing down of bugs and other problems. Maybe a remote support/management feature using a RDP (not necessarily MSFT's RDP technology) to the "server". Then stupid "internal" problems can be more efficiently handled increasing both the botttom line and customer satisfaction..?!?!? | |
| | | | |
whamel
Premium
join:2002-05-09
Clarendon Hills, IL
·RCN CABLE
·Verizon BroadbandA..
| Re: liking the idea... now that I read what I read, I sound like an idiot.
Never knew this technology existed until now.
BUT to make IP based remote connections, wouldnt the server also need internet capability? Either via Ethernet/home router /cable modem setup or by making the "server" function as the modem as well? And from there have ethernet hookups on the "server" for client computer connections.... | |
| | | | koolkid1563
Premium,MVM
join:2005-11-06
Powell, WY
clubs: | Re: liking the idea... I don't know about the IP connections. When we had TWC, in the diagnostics section of our SA8300HD the STB had an IP from the cable headend. I don't know if that means anything though. | |
| | | | ajwees41
Premium
join:2002-05-10
Omaha, NE | It's going to run over the tv cable lines | |
| | | 
Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
Albany, NY
| That's just what I was thinking of. I'd love to be able to watch a DVR-d episode of The Colbert Report on one TV while my wife watches a DVR-d Dancing With the Stars on another. I'll bet that whenever Time Warner gets around to it, they'll make Multi-Room DVRs an additional fee. | |
| | |
PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
join:2005-01-03
Riverside, WA
·CableOne
| Dish Network already does this Dish network has been doing this since before I started installing them in 2004. The have one DVR with basically two receivers built into it (two tuners, two separate outputs for TVs with a separate GUI for each one), so each TV can be operated separately like separate receivers, but both TVs SHARE the one hard drive and it's contents.
So why not just build on this concept; make one with 4 or 5 tuners and TV outputs. ONE piece of hardware (cheaper per house cost), runs all TVs in the house (makes customers happy).
The ONLY downfall to this system currently is that it will only run ONE HDTV; the one HDTV connects directly to the box, where all the other "remote" TVs connect via rf-modulated coax. However, if we can transmit SD A/V via one of these, then there is no reason we can't use the same for HD A/V.
--
There comes a point in your life when you get tired of fixing everything and wiping everyone's ass. But it’s not giving up. It’s realizing that you don’t need certain people and the bullshit and drama they bring to your life. | |
| Digitalis
join:2006-01-19
Princeton, NJ | That's one of the things I love about FIOS My FIOS TV setup works like a charm. Record once, view anywhere.
I'm sure there are more technically wonderful ways to do it than over coax, but sometimes it is nice to trade a little bit of wonderfulness for having it RIGHT NOW! | |
| manhole
join:2000-09-12
Modesto, CA
clubs:
| HPNA Don't forget folks, HPNA works over both phone lines AND coax cable. I think this should be the preferred method because it allows the end-user to choose whichever method of delivery is best (existing phone line or coax cable). The newest HPNA standard allows communication through either of the two mediums at speeds up to 320Mbps. | |
| 
montee4
Premium
join:2004-02-15
Chicago, IL | Finally I have been waiting for this for a while. I just hope it also improves on the current DVR which tends to keep freezing up!
--
Make Your Money Count - »www.budgetcentsblog.com | |
| | | |
|
|
·