A few weeks ago we took advantage of an offer from our cable provider to upgrade to digital cable at no additional cost for the first two years. The “easy to follow” installation instructions that arrived with the cable box converters we not so “easy” and after several telephone calls between my husband and technical support a technician came to our home. He needed to replace two of the three new converters, two of the new remotes and our obsolete modem. He left before we had a chance to try our VCR with the new connections. As you might guess, we needed him back out to get that partially working. Not even the technician could get the VCR to work as it formerly had with the ability to program for different shows on different channels or to record one channel while watching another. His suggestion was for us to go shopping for a programmable DVD recorder.

We purchased a Panasonic DMR-EZ47V, which has both a VCR and DVD player. (We liked the idea of the potential of converting our old videotapes to DVD’s.) Purchased separately was a Monster Ultra 1000 HDMI cable to connect to the TV. With taxes and a 2-year warranty service our cost was $487. The picture quality through the tuner is not good. We have tried every possible change in settings under the set-up menu and not been able to improve the picture. We can still play old tapes or DVD’s on our old equipment through our new digital cable and get an excellent quality picture.

We’re not sure if we simply have a defective Panasonic digital tuner or cable or if we need something entirely different. We still have time left on our first 30 days to return these to Best Buy for a complete refund. We’re hesitant to come completely into the 21st century with TIVO. I’m looking for suggestions from my technically savvy friends on LCT.

Kathy, I think what you need is a DVR and not a DVD. What cable company do you have, most of them provide their own DVRs for digital cable. If not, I suggest you get somthing like Tivo, which allows you to record other channels while watching yet another channel.

With Digital cable, you can only watch the channel you are recording on your VCR.

We have Comcast. Bill did put a signal splitter between our recorder and TV so that we could watch another channel while recording but even before he did that we had poor picture quality on the Panasonic unit.

We're looking for something that works with Digital cable that does not involve yet another monthly charge but that may simply not be available. We did initially go shopping for a DVR but the sales associate at Best Buy steered us to the unit we purchased. I think it is going back to the store.

Kathy, I just checked the Comcast site and they do provide DVRs for free. This stuff below is taken from the Comcast site (sorry this is sooo long below!!)


Digital Video Recorder

With DVR, your remote might start feeling like a magic wand.

That's because you'll be able to do things you never thought possible like pausing a live TV show when the phone rings, or recording an entire series of your favorite show with the push of a button. All without tapes, timers, or a VCR. When you get a digital cable box with DVR technology, everything you watch can be paused, recorded and replayed with the touch of a button.

Easily record and pause live TV with DVR from Comcast Digital Cable.
• No expensive equipment to buy
• No phone line required
• Comcast’s DVR is the affordable way to record HD programming
• You can even record two shows at one time!

Comcast offers a Dual Tuner, HD Capable DVR enabled receiver in your area with 120 GB of storage.

Watch an interactive demo

And of course as a Digital customer you will continue to enjoy ON DEMAND for free.

DVR lets you record without tapes, timers or a VCR.
Just highlight a program in your on-screen program guide and press "record." The program is saved directly on the DVR.

It lets you record an entire season in one easy step.
With DVR, you set it once, and it remembers to record every episode for you.




It lets you pause and control live TV.
With DVR you can pause any show on any channel, instantly replay live TV, watch a scene in slow motion, rewind the show you have been watching and fast-forward to the point of live TV.

It lets you record two programs at once.
Let's say there's a movie on at 8:00. And a really great game that starts at, well, 8:00. Now you can record both, and still go out for dinner.




It lets you record up to 60 hours of standard definition programming, and up to 15 hours of HDTV.
With DVR, you can record tons of movies and programs, and never run out of video tape. You can even record your favorite High Definition shows!



And it lets you do it all at the touch of a button.
Though the technology is advanced, using it is simple.


When you subscribe to DVR, Comcast will provide you with a Motorola DCT 6412 digital cable and high-definition receiver with a built-in DVR. This DVR-enabled box has two tuners so you can record a show while watching another live TV show or you can record two shows at once. It has a 120 GB hard drive, which enables you to record up to 60 hours of standard definition programming or up to 15 hours of high-definition programming. Your digital cable box with DVR supports all of the great features of Comcast Digital Cable like ON DEMAND and HDTV where available.

Download the Dual Tuner DVR User Guide

Download the Dual Tuner DVR Quick Tips



Frequently Asked Questions

What is DVR?
DVR stands for Digital Video Recorder. It lets Digital Cable subscribers record programming directly on the hard drive inside their cable box. With DVR from Comcast, there is no need for tapes, timers or a VCR. With DVR, you can play your stored programs as often as you like and control live TV with VCR-like functions such as pause, play and rewind.

How can I get DVR?
DVR is now available in your area. Call us toll free at 1-800-COMCAST to schedule the installation of your DVR or click here to order DVR on the web.

Has Comcast ever offered another type of DVR-enabled service?
Yes, in some markets Comcast initially launched DVR with the single tuner Motorola DCT 6208 digital cable and high-definition receiver with built-in DVR. It has an 80 GB hard drive which enables you to record up to 40 hours of standard definition programming or up to 10 hours of high-definition programming. Your digital cable box with built-in DVR supports all of the great features of Comcast Digital Cable like ON DEMAND and HDTV where available.

Watch a single tuner DVR interactive demo

Download the Single Tuner DVR User Guide

Where can I learn more?
To find out additional information on DVR click here.

To link to the Motorola website for more information on the technical specifications of the DCT 6412 and DCT 6208 DVR box click here.


Please note: The on-screen program guides that you will see on the Motorola site may be slightly different as they do not reflect Comcast customizations. Refer to the User Guide links above for detailed information on how your On-Screen Program Guide from Comcast works.


If you have more questions, feel free to call us at 1-800-COMCAST.


A minimum of Basic cable service and Digital Cable subscription is required to receive DVR. Service available to residential customers located in Comcast cable wired and serviceable areas only (and is not available to current or former Comcast customers with unpaid balances). Certain services are available separately or as a part of other levels of service. Basic service subscription is required to receive other levels of service. Equipment is required and equipment fees are additional. Prior to obtaining a DVR from Comcast, additional documentation and a credit verification may be necessary. ON DEMAND and Music Choice programming cannot be recorded. DVR recording time is limited. Actual recording capacity varies based on the type of programming being recorded. High-definition programming requires more capacity than analog and digital programs. HD-capable television required to view HD programming. Upon service termination, all Comcast provided equipment must be returned to Comcast in good condition. Custom installation charges are additional. Call your local Comcast office for restrictions and complete details about service, prices, and equipment. Prices shown do not include applicable taxes, franchise, and FCC fees. Pricing and programming may change. Service is subject to terms and conditions of Comcast Cable Subscriber Agreement.

Karen, very interesting and instructive. Sooner or later we'll have to go digital also - but I hope it's later - much later! My head hurts already just reading about it.

Actually, since we have Comcast too, they do have a monthly fee for their DVR. I think it's $15/month right now, but remember seeing something in the mail recently that it's going up to $18 - because the technology and software they use is so technologically advanced - blah, blah, blah!

I agree that you don't need a programmable DVD recorder - you need a DVR.

I have had COMCAST Digital for several years, including High Definition. My cable box, DVR, and high-definition turner are all in in one box. It actually has two tuners so you can "TIVO" two programs (and watch another that you've already recorded), or TIVO one and watch one live. It is excellent and the picture is amazing, even without digital that is not high definition. I think in most areas the monthly charge for the box itself, is minimal, e.g.., $5. By the way, I also have a Panasonic DVD Recorder, but I only use it if I rent DVDs or when I go on trips and need maximum recording capabilities.

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Eugene

Thanks everyone. I've just spoken with Comcast. In our area the current monthly charge for Comcast DVR is $11.95. The service call to switch the equipment is just $15. We are considering this. We're also considering taking advantage of their bundled special that includes phone service. For the first year the total cost would be less than what we are currently paying.

How many of you have telephone service through Comcast? Any negatives to watch out for? One thing that has held us back from this in the past is fear of being without communication, email and phone service at the same time, if the cable goes out.

Kathy, I don't have Comcast but I do have digital phone through Time Warner and I LOVE it!! I can call anywhere in the US with no long distance charges and the rate is so low. I have my high speed internet, phone and digital cable all bundled and I think it is really a bargain.

If my elec or cable goes out, I will have to rely on my cell phone, though.

Of course, since Greg works for Time Warner, we are biased - but I agree with Karen, we LOVE our digital phone. We have all three (phone, internet, cable) and will use our cell phones if our cable ever goes out - but this is rare, because believe me, the FCC makes SURE that these cable systems test their systems extensively, primarily because 911 service is mandatory. I do know that some cable systems run "redundant" routing so that if one route goes down, the other picks up and you never know your cable was out. Some of Greg's systems here have that.

I would imagine that Comcast is pretty similar to Time Warner, Kathy. If you sign up for all three services, you get a pretty decent discount, and they often will run a deal where installation is free, along with the first 3 months being half price, etc.

And don't ever take away my DVR!!! Oh my, I don't know what we ever did without one. Once you get the hang of it, you will LOVE IT.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide or if we can be of help!

The spliter could be your problem. Digital signal can be affected by wrong splitter or some times any splitter.. Also make sure the cable is RG6..

We just returned home from Best Buy where we got a full refund.

I think we'll "bite the bullet" with Comcast and go for their triple play plus DVR but may wait a little while to see if they offer an extra incentive again soon. (We've told them we were not interested the last few times they have contacted us.)

By the way, I forgot to mention that I also have Comcast high-speed Internet service, and it has been fast and very reliable. (I do not have Comcast telephone service.) All that being said, I have not always had the greatest experiences with service personnel at Comcast.

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Eugene

Eugene, we also already have Comcast high-speed Internet service (although I use my Yahoo account as my contact on bulletin boards etc. to limit spam on our Comcast accounts). Yes, the phone tree I encounter when phoning Comcast is annoying and it never should have taken two service calls to get the digital cable working. The technician was running late the first time and in a hurry to move on, thus he did not completely check to see that all systems were working.