1 edit | reply to Chad473
Re: how old is this iguide?
Good software interfaces are not merely about being "pretty" -- a pleasing design does make for a more satisfying and successful viewing experience. A good guide also is about speed and efficient surfing to find listings. While the current iGuide may only be 3-4 years old, it is 20 years behind the times since it looks like it was designed by an aging MS-DOS code jockey for use on eight-bit computer displays of 1988. The child-like color sets available to customize the iGuide are disappointing at best. Worse, using Comcast's iGuide is slow -- the linear design makes it tedious to find specific programs.
Comcast is not a software design company and it shows. They don't have the programming talent or the vision to do this correctly, much less maintain the software and God forbid, update it every once in a while. In this respect, Comcast is more like Microsoft, than Apple.
Personally, I am a professional photographer and occasional graphic designer and use the modern Mac OS X for my business and personal computing needs, As a result, I have higher software standards that Comcast can't possibly meet. And so I hate picking up the Comcast remote. The iGuide is a visual reminder that Comcast continues to use old technology |
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 MacLeechThe one and onlyPremium
join:2001-07-14
SoCal
kudos:3
3 edits | You're not too far off.
The iGuide is designed to run on a box with a 27 Mhz Motorola 68331 processor with 8-bit 704x480 graphics, 2 MB graphics memory, and 2 MB of FLASH memory aka DCT-2000.
See this for more details:
»www.cedmagazine.com/a-peek-under···x?terms=
The closest equivalent personal computer to a DCT-2000 would probably be a cut down video card version of a Mac LC II circa 1992.
The DCT-2000 was widely deployed and is still the basic platform the majority of Comcast customers have. |
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fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3
1 edit | reply to HD Boy
While you continue to blind yourself with bandwagon statements, I'll second what was said before - and give you a free education at the same time.
The SOFTWARE has to WORK ON THE HARDWARE... |
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| reply to MacLeech
Hey nice specs comparison between boxes. I knew the DCT-2000 was slow, but wow, the slowest most under performing of the bunch. No wonder I always thought the same generation SA boxes operated better. |
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 celeritypcFor Lucky Best Wash, Use Mr. SparklePremium
join:2004-05-15
Caldwell, NJ | said by cypherstream:Hey nice specs comparison between boxes. I knew the DCT-2000 was slow, but wow, the slowest most under performing of the bunch. No wonder I always thought the same generation SA boxes operated better. I didn't think there were any more 2000's out there. I had a 2000 in 1998 and it was replaced by a 2224 about 2 years later. |
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MacLeechThe one and onlyPremium
join:2001-07-14
SoCal
kudos:3
4 edits | said by celeritypc:I didn't think there were any more 2000's out there. It is still the most common Moto box in customer's hands. There are MILLIONs of them in use today.
said by celeritypc:I had a 2000 in 1998 and it was replaced by a 2224 about 2 years later. The 2000 is the series and 2224 is the specific model, they are the same box.
As for the numbers, DCT1abc would mean DCT1000, DWT1abc would mean DCT1200 and DCT2abc would mean DCT2000 series.
a=Modulation Technology (1=64 QAM, 2=64/256 QAM)
b=Return Path (1=One Way, 2=StarVueII RF (DCT2000 Integrated) 3=StarFone(300baud) (DCT/DWT: Not a option), 4=StarFone II (14.4kbps) (DCT 2000:SVT-II Integrated), 6=StarFone II (14.4kbps) (DCT 2000:No Diplexer) Return Path notes: RF Return is standard on the DCT 2000. Telco Return SFT-II(Option 4) is optional. Option 4 indicates both RF and Telco return. Option 3 is for DCT 1000/1200 only.
Option 6 is for DCT 2000 only (RF Return diplexer removed.)
c=Output Channel (4=VHF(3/4), 6=UHF(46-60)
So a 2224 is a 2000 series box with a 64/256 QAM demodulator, StarVueII RF return module, and channel 3/4 output modulator.
See this for more details:
»www.usbjtag.com/dct2000/newbieguide.php |
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MacLeechThe one and onlyPremium
join:2001-07-14
SoCal
kudos:3
4 edits | reply to cypherstream
said by cypherstream: I knew the DCT-2000 was slow, but wow, the slowest most under performing of the bunch. That has ALWAYS been the biggest complaint about the DCT2000s, but it also had the advantage of being the LOWEST COST box that was able to meet minimum requirements needed. That makes a huge difference when you're a company looking to buy MILLIONS of them.
If you think about it, the DCT2000 is about as capable as a 386 computer with a VGA graphics card, no hard drive, and a 3.5" floppy. You couldn't even run Windows 3.0 on it if it were processor compatible, maybe Windows 2.0 would've worked though. You've got 2 MB of OS/application storage space and 2 MB of memory to run it all in. If you're comparing it to video game systems, think Sega Genesis.
Every computer I've owned in the last 15 years has had more ability. Even the cell phones I've owned in the last 4 years have had more ability.
That is THE base platform the i-Guide is designed to run on.
Neither Tivo or FIOS have that albatross around their necks holding guide development back. Their BASE boxes have about 10x the performance of the DCT2000. (Although the DCT700 Verizon is using can't run the guide their other boxes have) |
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Reviews:
 ·ProLog
 ·DIRECTV
3 edits | Well even the Sega Genesis ran applications with much more speed and graphics. But yeah, 2MB of application storage is quite a challenge to store an os in. I thought my DCT-6412p2 was slow... then I used a DCT-2224 at someones house and I was surprised how much slower that is to my DVR. The DCT-700 I have on the other hand breezes through the guide faster than my DVR and a 2224 combined. Heck, my AT&T 8525 PDA phone has more power in the palm of my hand than the average cable box. Amazing how far we come.
I would be OK if Comcast had an exclusive hi-res, full featured guide on better boxes. I'd pay the premium for the HD or DVR box just for that. I know from a support standpoint it sucks to handle two platforms, but it's been done before. Handling Tivo and I-Guide is being done small select Comcast area's in the New England region. Some providers have a dual guide support with both Moxi and I-Guide. Time Warner dual supports Passport and their own MDN (Some boxes I guess can't run MDN yet).
I'm looking for a robust modern interface with bells and whistles such as Multi-Room DVR, Games, e-mail viewer, news, traffic, weather, horoscopes, voting applications, movie listings and imdb style lookup, interactive sports & fantasy football/baseball/etc, “order services” (which is the ability to order and automatically provision services, such as HBO or Showtime), “program your remote” (which is a customer care application guiding consumers through the remote control process), bill view, bill payment and caller ID.
In fact, Cox is working with NDS on a new guide with a modern interface and those features I've listed above.
»www.cedmagazine.com/Cox-OnRamp-5···ket.aspx |
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MacLeechThe one and onlyPremium
join:2001-07-14
SoCal
kudos:3
1 edit | 
4 guides in 1 region. |
said by cypherstream: Some providers have a dual guide support with both Moxi and I-Guide. Time Warner dual supports Passport and their own MDN (Some boxes I guess can't run MDN yet). Actually TWC in SoCal supports 4 different guides... Moxi, iGuide on Moto, Passport on SA, and MDN on SA. They also have an OCAP version of MDN (ODN), but I'm not sure if it's running in SoCal.
Here's their help page:
»www.timewarnercable.com/SoCal/Cu···elp.html
P.S. Sega Genesis had some extra graphics hardware and more storage to speed things up, but the general processor was the same series although slightly slower.
Personally at home, I went with the Moxi. It's better than the SA 8300HD running SARA that Charter first issued me with ALOT less random resets due to memory leaks. |
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Reviews:
·ProLog
·DIRECTV
4 edits | said by MacLeech:Personally at home, I went with the Moxi. It's better than the SA 8300HD running SARA that Charter first issued me with ALOT less random resets due to memory leaks. Good choice! I would go with Moxi myself if Comcast offered it (even if it costs a little more).
I like Passport though. You can actually keep hitting the channel up or down button and surf through the lineup linearly. Some relatives were here today (they are from a Passport area) and they were hitting the channel down buttons fast wondering why my DVR kept freezing and showing a black screen. They were like "This sucks" I was like "You have to be very patient with it. I just go to the guide and find something, rather than go through linear channels".
In the 90's are area actually was Time Warner. Then it became AT&T Broadband (Both TWC and AT&T used SA 8600X analog boxes, and upgraded to an SA 750 MHz HFC system). Everything was SA from the nodes, amps, le's, 9" SA "stretch" taps, advanced analog boxes, etc. Then Comcast came in and introduced digital with Motorola CPE / Headend gear. The only remains of TWC's upgrade to this day are the SA HFC/RF electronics / passives on the strand, and a Time Warner Cable - call before digging buried fiber sticker at the signal processing center. To this day I wonder what our multi-system cluster would be like if it would of remained TWC. |
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MacLeechThe one and onlyPremium
join:2001-07-14
SoCal
kudos:3
3 edits | said by cypherstream:In the 90's are area actually was Time Warner. Then it became AT&T Broadband (Both TWC and AT&T used SA 8600X analog boxes, and upgraded to an SA 750 MHz HFC system). Everything was SA from the nodes, amps, le's, 9" SA "stretch" taps, advanced analog boxes, etc. Then Comcast came in and introduced digital with Motorola CPE / Headend gear. The only remains of TWC's upgrade to this day are the SA HFC/RF electronics / passives on the strand, and a Time Warner Cable - call before digging buried fiber sticker at the signal processing center. To this day I wonder what our multi-system cluster would be like if it would of remained TWC. I work in an area that was AT&T Broadband turned Comcast, turned Adelphia, turned TWC that is also blended with systems that were TCI/Century, turned Adelphia, turned TWC. It's a serious bastardized system with EVERYTHING you could imagine. On my old maintenance truck I carried parts for 5 different amplifier platforms and 4 different passive platforms BEFORE the TWC decided to upgrade to an entirely different platform for both amps and passives. The plant architectures between the cities was different too.
Not only does tech support have fun dealing with the different guides, the techs have fun dealing with the mishmash systems.
Yet to customers it's all just "cable".
Anyway, back to our iGuide thread...
As time goes by and the DCT2000s go away, other guides will certainlly become more prevalent.
For those with newer boxes, jGuide and/or Tivo software are options in the not too distant future. For those who think Comcast can't program a guide worth a damn, they do a decent job with the hardware they run on and the future guides for newer hardware are really nice. Comcast owns a partnership in the largest guide producing company in the world and they have the best and brightest to help them. It's AMAZING they've been able to get the DCT2000 to limp along this long because it was underpowered and sucked the day it hit the streets almost 10 years ago.
Then again if Comcast fails with jGuide, they could always choose another tru2way compatible guide, like Tivo, Moxi, TWC ODN, and others that are coming. That's the thing about tru2way, it's a software standard for the hardware which is something that didn't exist before. |
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1 edit | reply to fiberguy
Now, if only the Comcast iGuide DID work with the Comcast hardware, then Comcast customers would have one less issue to complain about. However, as most Comcast customers know, many of the the very same iGuide problems have remained unfixed for at least four years. That's pathetic service, and a sign of a dysfunctional company that is unconcerned with the customer's experience. |
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MacLeechThe one and onlyPremium
join:2001-07-14
SoCal
kudos:3 | said by HD Boy :
However, as most Comcast customers know, many of the the very same iGuide problems have remained unfixed for at least four years. Are you sure it's guide issues and not box issues?
Like the box caching remote commands...
On the other hand, have you seen the FIOS threads about their guide/box issues? That's a new guide (only a few years old), originally made by Microsoft, designed for equipment with 10x the performance. Bigger guide programmer for a bigger service provider and it still has LOTS of issues.
Then just ask FIOS DVR users how much they trust the guide information for recording programs... not even the guide, but basic show data to populate the guide. |
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| my area was tci-->at&t-->comcast-->twc |
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