Comments on: WSJ’s Walt Mossberg: Comcast DVRs Suck Ass

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 16:52:00 +0000

WOW!! Where do I start in support of bashing Comcast?? I too have the Motorola 3412 DVR, and the analysis was right on. Slow, locks-up and Comcast telephone support services by and large “Sucks Ass” as well. I own Motorola stock and still find their cable box is maddeningly horrible. Maybe it has something to do with the Comcast staff and programming behind the box?? Bucs Fan points out I can buy my own box, but offers no suggestions that work well with Comcast service. Other than Tivo – any options? We rarely watch the free On Demand shows, but we do occassionally purchase pay-per-view movies. I have a Mitsubishi WD-52525 HDTV, which is CableCARD capable. Again, any suggestions?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 14:10:00 +0000

I have a Dish Network DVR and I like it a lot. Probably not as many features as a new Tivo, but still very user friendly IMHOP.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 18:09:00 +0000

Is there really a story here?

The Comcast DVR, which costs $12/month with no commitment and no need for CableCARDs is inferior to the $800 Tivo which adds another $13/month with a 3-year requirement and a few bucks more per month for CableCARD rentals. The Tivo is more expensive in every way and it’s better so I suppose you get what you pay for.

By: Dave Zatz

Dave Zatz — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 13:25:00 +0000

I think the Moto boxes are serviceable. I’ve had a handful of 6412s in my time. You have to click a ton more times to accomplish things but the speedy GUI probably makes up for it. It’s not as nice as TiVo, but $600 versus $0 is a hard argument to make. I assume Comcast (and Motorola) will get better press in 2007 when that hardware is running TiVo software.

By: Bucs Fan

Bucs Fan — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 12:14:00 +0000

It’s common knowledge among geeks that the cable company’s box sucks, but the average consumer has no idea that you can buy your own or what the differences are. As much as I absolutely abhor the Motorola boxes, as long as consumers don’t understand the difference, cable companies have no reason to offer better equipment.

By: Steve H.

Steve H. — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 11:30:00 +0000

Great post and a good summary of all of the issues. One point I haven’t seen brought up anywhere else – I have a Comcast DVR, and its horrendous UI is made by TV Guide. (Thats what is says in the About… section). Guess that’s how Comcast can offer TiVo — the Motorola box is capable of running the cheap TV guide thing and the more elegant TiVo interface. Can anyone confirm this – that this blue UI (with the banner ad underneath every page of the channel lineup) is a TV Guide software creation?

By: kip

kip — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 07:50:00 +0000

Great post and fantastic title. Never had I thought I’d see suck ass in a headline from you! Please add Cablevision to that same boat. Their interface is so clunky and tired, with HD channels being few and far between. Conversly , when is Tivo going to get someone who can negotiate to get those boxes out to the cable companies? I would kill to get a new HD box but I’m not going to do it based upon the up front cost.

-KIP