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The Q
join:2008-06-26
Collegeville, PA

The Q to LeftyJR

Member

to LeftyJR

Re: Official Comcast blog about new SA guide

Looks like that info was posted on the comcast blog this morning

»blog.comcast.com/2010/05 ··· xes.html

Last night, a software update was delivered to the SA and Cisco cable boxes in Central Pennsylvania (the York and Williamsport areas) that addresses the HDMI and optical audio issue. HDMI is still the priority and the default but now via the guide menu you will be able to turn the HDMI audio off to get Dolby Digital 5.1 via the surround sound system

Thanks for your patience while the teams worked to investigate and address this issue.

Our customers with this guide in New Hampshire are also scheduled to see this change this month. This will be included with all future areas getting this new guide.

In order to use the optical audio out to your surround sound system and have Dolby Digital 5.1 audio output to your surround sound system, you will need to turn HDMI audio OFF via the guide menu. This will send Dolby Digital 5.1 to the SPDIF and no sound to the HDMI connected TV.

If you wish to listen to the HDMI audio via the TV, you will have to turn HDMI Audio Output = ON. This will send PCM out of the SPDIF port and the TV will output the sound.

To send Audio via SPDIF (optical audio) :
Press the menu button twice on your Comcast silver remote control, then select Setup. Select Audio Setup, then select HDMI Audio output. Press the LEFT arrow button to turn HDMI Audio Output to Off. This will allow the SPDIF output to send the audio to a receiver and the TV will not output sound.

To send Audio via the HDMI (this is the default):
Press the menu button twice on your Comcast silver remote control, then select Setup. Select Audio Setup, then select HDMI Audio output. Press the RIGHT arrow button to turn HDMI Audio Output to ON. This will allow the HDMI output to send the audio to the TV so the TV provides the audio.
StevenG
Premium Member
join:2003-10-14
united state

StevenG

Premium Member

Yup, I got it this morning in NH as well. Box was off, and wouldn't turn on. Had to power cycle. My version matches what was posted above.

I'm hoping this helps with pixelation too, as it got much worse once the changed the SA box I have to the new menus.

Also wonder if "pass through" is back for resolution. I'll have to look.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf

Member

screenshots?
box model number?
Mike Wolf

Mike Wolf to StevenG

Member

to StevenG
im very confused at who your talking to since your pressing the "reply to OP" instead of the reply button in my posts, if I am the one your posting too. You said that you got the new guide on the 23rd and had to power cycle it to turn the box on. I was asking if you would post screenshots of the new guide.
StevenG
Premium Member
join:2003-10-14
united state

StevenG

Premium Member

LoL! My fault, I didn't even realize the difference between the "reply" options. Sorry about that! I can grab some pics later on...

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf

Member

ah cool ok. yah i do that sometimes too, just got a little confused and had to read what i typed myself to understand the responses
CableJack
join:2010-12-03
Howell, NJ

CableJack

Member

Has anyone with S25 tried using the 30 second skip marco on the comcast silver or platinum remotes to see if it works on the SA / Cisco boxes now?

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf

Member

not to my knowledge but I'd be interested to find out if it works.
Russ6
join:2011-03-17
Houston, TX

Russ6 to CableJack

Member

to CableJack
said by CableJack:

Has anyone with S25 tried using the 30 second skip marco on the comcast silver or platinum remotes to see if it works on the SA / Cisco boxes now?

I don't have the new SA guide, but according to the Comcast blog about it, the 30 second skip does not work in the new guide.
Russ6

Russ6 to CableJack

Member

to CableJack
said by CableJack:

Has anyone with S25 tried using the 30 second skip marco on the comcast silver or platinum remotes to see if it works on the SA / Cisco boxes now?

I discovered that the 30 second skip ahead works with the SA 8300 HD DVR and the old TIME WARNER CABLE remote. Houston used to be run by Time Warner Cable until Comcast took over seveal years ago. It is the * key. I don't know if this works with any other set-top box and remote. Another person said that he was able to program his remote to do this.
Russ6

Russ6

Member

New Comcast S25 Guide Tips and Information

Display Current Time on the Screen
You should be able to see the current time displayed on the TV screen whenever you press the OK/Select button on the silver Comcast Remote control (the time is displayed on the left) or when you press the Info button (the time is displayed on the right). If you use the OK/Select button, press the Exit button to remove the listing grid. The Info button does not display the time if you are watching a recording.

Changing Listings Grid to Show 5 Channels
Press the Menu button on your Comcast silver remote control twice, choose Set Up from the on-screen menu, then Guide Set Up, scroll down to the Grid Cell Height option and change Double Height (the default) to Single Height.

Skip through the Ads in the Guide
Use the Page Up or Page Down key on your remote control while browsing the TV listings grid.

Skip Ahead by a Day in the Guide Listings
Use the Day + button (it's the red C button above the 4 directional arrows in the center of the silver Comcast remote control).

Go Back a Day in the Guide Listings
Use the Day - button (this is the blue B button to the left of the Day + button on the silver Comcast remote control).

Can't Go Back in Time in the Guide Listings
You can't go back in time beyond the current hour.

Favorites List
You are able to set up a list of Favorite Channels and use that as your on-screen guide. In fact, you can set up multiple favorite lists for different people in your household or you can set up Favorites lists by genre (Movies, Sports, etc).

Here is how to set up a Favorites List: Using the silver Comcast remote control, press the Menu button twice, then select Setup, then Favorite List Setup. Select Set Up Favorite List and follow the on-screen instructions to add channels to your list. You can also name each list. After the Favorites List is created, you can access it and cycle through it by pressing the FAV button on the Comcast remote control (the FAV button is to the left of the channel up/down button).

After the Favorites List is created, you can also access it in the Guide by pressing the Guide button, then pressing the Favorites button to select the list you want.

Color Coding in the Guide Grid
The color coding in the guide grid is designed to assist customers in locating shows while browsing in the grid. Purple for movies, green for sports and light blue for kids.

Changing Guide Colors
Using the silver Comcast remote control, press the Menu button twice, then select Setup, then Guide Colors Setup and you can choose from 13 color schemes.

Search
Press the Menu button twice on the Comcast silver remote control then select Search, then TV Title Search.

Last Key
To go back a menu in any guide screen like On Demand or myDVR (or from any area in the guide), try using the "Last" key on the Comcast silver remote control (instead of *Exit'). Last acts like a "back" button to step you back to the previous screen.

Exit Key
To dismiss the DVR transport bar (or any on-screen notification), simply press the exit key on the remote control. When the recording that you are watching ends, you can press the EXIT key so you don't have to wait up to 10 seconds before you have the option to "Delete recording" or "Don't delete recording".

5 Minute Skip
Use the Page + Key, to skip forward 5 minutes.
Use the Page - Key, to skip back 5 minutes.

30 Second Skip
I discovered that the 30 second skip ahead works with the SA 8300 HD DVR and the old TIME WARNER CABLE remote. It is the * key. I don't know if this works with any other set-top box and remote. Another poster, said it was easy to program into his harmony remote. It worked, as well as the instant replay function.

Slow Motion
On your DVR, to watch a section in slow-motion, press the play button, then the pause button and then the FF button one time to go slow motion forward or the REW button once to go backwards in slow motion.

Play Option
Resumes from where you stopped - actually something new.

Restart Option
Starts the program from the beginning.

Subtitles (Captions)
To turn the subtitles (captions) on via the cable box, press the Menu button twice on the silver Comcast remote control, then Setup, then Subtitle Setup.

Manage your Series Priority List
(Menu, DVR, Series Priority) to insure that the prime time programs/recordings are of a higher priority. The airings of the lower priority shows should still record in the off-prime time slots.

Manual DVR Recording
To set up a recurring manual recording - Press the My DVR button on your Comcast remote control, select Set a Recording, then Set a Manual recording, enter in your start and end times and start date. Choose the channel and then view recording settings - the settings can be modified to record once, every day, once a week, or weekdays.

DVR Series Recording Options Explanation
There are three options:
1) Only new episodes
2) New and repeats - only records each episode one time
3) All with duplicates - is not discretionary and records the episode numerous times

Save Only One Episode
The default is "All Episodes". You can change that to save only 1 episode (this would save only the most recent episode). The other options allow you to save 2 episodes up to 7 episodes. From the grid, select a series to record. Press OK/Select and then arrow over to the red dot on the info screen (set or cancel a recording) Press OK/Select. Choose "Set Up a series recording". Then select "View all settings". Arrow down to "Save:"

Pause, Swap, Pause
A new feature that is available with the new guide is the Pause, Swap, Pause functionality, which allows a customer to pause a current program that they are watching (i.e. football game on one channel), swap tuners to another channel and watch the programming on that channel for five minutes, pause that channel and then swap back to the original channel (football game), which is still paused. Not meant to be a replacement for PIP, but a low tech full-screen alternative that may suffice in many cases.
Note: Use the "SWAP" key to swap tuners.

DVR Clipping
The DVR clipping feature is designed to outsmart your DVR scheduled recordings if they overlap by five minutes or less. For example, your DVR will stay tuned to a show that is scheduled to run a couple minutes over the hour to catch the end, and still be smart enough to pick up the second recording you have scheduled once it?s already in progress - even if the second show has a higher priority. This feature should be defaulted to 'on', but it might be good to check that. Press the menu button twice on the Comcast silver remote control, then select Setup from the screen, then DVR setup. Both 'Live Program Notice' and 'DVR Clipping' should be set to 'On'. To modify those settings, use the arrows to toggle the feature on or off.

Adjust the Start and End Times
After selecting the red circle from the program info screen (Set or cancel a recording), you can select an option "View recording settings for this program". There you can adjust the start recording and/or stop recording time in various increments from this screen.

Deleting a DVR Recording
After watching a recording, you can use the right arrow to move over three spaces to the X icon (Delete this program). Use your silver Comcast remote control to press OK/Select than OK/Select again to confirm that action.

Can't Turn Off Cable Box if it is Recording
The previous guide software did allow you to turn the DVR box off (it actually went into standby) when you were recording a program, the new guide software does not. This is certainly a slight change in behavior and in line with what the majority of our customers are used to and have in their home today. You can certainly leave the cable box on and the TV off when recording programs. If you leave your cable box off, it will turn on to record according to what you have scheduled. With the new on-screen guide, when you attempt to turn off the cable box while a DVR recording is in progress, an on-screen message appears that says the following: "A recording is in progress. Turning off your cable box will stop all recordings in progress." There are two options presented on-screen underneath this message.

1. Continue recording, leave cable box on
2. Stop recording, turn cable box off.

You can chose one of those options. If no selection is chosen the on-screen message will time out and the DVR will continue to record.

Quick Way to Record a Series
A quick way to record a series through the guide listings grid is to press the record button twice on the silver Comcast remote control.

Problem with Recording Repeats when 'Record New Episodes' option is Set
With this new on-screen guide we also have a new guide data listings provider. This is the same data listings provider that is used in our Motorola markets and most all cable systems .

How the DVR interprets the guide listings data is by looking at the New and Repeat "flag" in the data. The DVR doesn't determine if an episode is new by reading a value of "New," instead it determines if an episode is new by not seeing a value of "Repeat." And repeat is determined by mostly comparing the Original Air Date (OAD) to the scheduled air date. Currently, our data partner works on a three day rule. If a show is marked as 'New' and is scheduled to record new episodes only, the DVR could certainly also record the same show if those shows are within three days of the Original Air Date. It would still be considered 'new' and could re-record within three days.

Anticipating your next question, the concern with making the 3-day rule a 1-day rule is that the OAD value is the premiere date of a program in the U.S., however, it may not premiere on the same date in every market. This is definitely true with some of the syndicated talk shows like Oprah and Dr. Phil, which some markets may air the episodes on a one-day or two-day delay from when most markets premiere new episodes. It can also happen on the smaller networks like CW, or even FOX at times. It happens quite a bit when a local CW or FOX affiliate also has broadcast rights to local sports events. For example, when the Phillies season starts (GO PHILS), a CW episode of Gossip Girl or One Tree Hill may not air at its regularly scheduled day/time because of a Phillies game, and will likely air at an off-hour time. However, the OAD for that episode would be the regularly scheduled day/time, because that's when it premiered in some (most) markets. The fear in this case is that the DVR would not record these new episodes when they should be recorded. The theory here is that it is better to over-record than to under-record.

We do have something very similar to the "record this time, this day, this channel" for DVRs included in a future guide release coming later this year.

One option is to set a manual DVR recording: To set up a recurring manual recording - Press the My DVR button on your Comcast remote control, select Set a Recording, then Set a Manual recording, enter in your start and end times and start date. Choose the channel and then view recording settings - the settings can be modified to record once, every day, once a week, or weekdays.

Another option: Change the DVR recording options to "Save only one episode". The default is "All Episodes". You can change that to save only 1 episode (this would save only the most recent episode). The other options allow you to save 2 episodes up to 7 episodes.

From the grid, select a series to record. Press OK/Select and then arrow over to the red dot on the info screen (set or cancel a recording) Press OK/Select.

Choose "Set Up a series recording". Then select "View all settings". Arrow down to "Save:".

Scheduled Recordings
Press the myDVR button on the silver Comcast remote control then choose Scheduled Recordings for today. To view additional scheduled recordings, use the right arrow button to show the next day. Each additional arrow press should move you out a day to view scheduled recordings.

Action Color
In the guide, the area that is highlighted for an action via OK/Select is in yellow.

Pass-Through is Not Supported
If a SA cable box was set to pass-through before the SA guide change, that should now be set to 1080i with a 480p override. This will display HD sources in 1080i and SD sources in 480p. Or set all channels to either 720p or 1080i. To verify or modify this setting, turn off the set-top box (leave the TV on) and press channel up and down at the same time on the front panel of the box. That should activate the user settings.

External Hard Drive
For our DVR customers in Scientific Atlanta areas who may be using a separate external hard drive (connected via e-SATA) for additional DVR storage, that functionality is expected to continue and the existing DVR recordings should have been preserved. While not an officially supported Comcast configuration, we have extensively tested the new guide with external hard drives and the e-SATA port in our labs and in the field. Any existing external hard drives will be able to be used with the new guide for future recordings similar to how it is used today. We have had several customers also report in this blog that their existing recordings were preserved on their external hard drive.[/u]

View the SA Diagnostics
Using the Comcast silver remote control, press the Menu button twice, then select to Setup, then Cable Box Setup, then choose Configuration - press Select to display and then press the 'Fav' button on the remote control to go through additional diagnostic pages.

Additional diagnostics and status screens can be found these ways:
RNG cable boxes: Power off the box, Press down the power button on the cable box until the green light blinks twice, then press power button again.
All Other SA boxes: Power off the cable box, Press the OK/Select button and the Info button on the cable box at the same time.

Other ways:
Turn the cable box off and turn the TV on.

There are two ways to view the SA diagnostics

1. Press and hold Select on front of unit until Mail light starts to flash, then press INFO.
2. Press and hold Pause on remote until Mail light starts to flash (around 10-15 seconds), then press Page Up (-). On some remotes, Page (+) might need to be used instead.

cypherstream
MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
·PenTeleData
ARRIS SB8200

cypherstream

MVM

It's still a limited, outdated port of i-guide with no special frills or features. You even lost stuff like native pass through.

When will real world user interface designers get on the ball with redesigning the look and feel of this stuff?

Here is a great article from Microsoft Development Network regarding the proper use of visual cues, animations and transitions in user interface design:
»msdn.microsoft.com/en-us ··· 285.aspx

Give it a look. It makes perfect sense. Now only if they could smack sense into the people who program these cable box user interfaces.

andyross
MVM
join:2003-05-04
Aurora, IL

andyross to Russ6

MVM

to Russ6
said by Russ6:

View the SA Diagnostics
Using the Comcast silver remote control, press the Menu button twice, then select to Setup, then Cable Box Setup, then choose Configuration - press Select to display and then press the 'Fav' button on the remote control to go through additional diagnostic pages.

This is the iGuide diagnostics, not SA. The same procedure works on Motorola's and presumably the Pace and RNG compatibles.
TurboDan
join:2006-06-08
Lavallette, NJ

TurboDan to Russ6

Member

to Russ6
Russ, very much appreciate your post.

At the same time, it's unfathomable to me all of the bugs in the port of this guide. It boggles my mind that my box has to turn on and blare sound out of my surround system (if the surround is turned on) just to DVR something. I now have to turn off the TV and surround separately just to record a program.

In addition, the ads in the guide alone are enough to make me switch to FiOS as soon as they install the lines on my street. I use the guide much, much less since this changeover and I absolutely hate it. This is simply SPAM in the guide that (if anyone forgets) WE ALL PAY FOR the privilege of having.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf

Member

wow you make alot of really valid points we shouldnt have ads if we're paying for service.
nysports4evr
Premium Member
join:2010-01-23

nysports4evr

Premium Member

said by Mike Wolf:

wow you make alot of really valid points we shouldnt have ads if we're paying for service.

I'm not a fan of in-guide ads either, but television itself, a paid service, is monetized by ads/commercials
Russ6
join:2011-03-17
Houston, TX

Russ6

Member

Updated Schedule:
Note: Subject to Change by Comcast

Phase 1 - New OnScreen Guide
Houston: March 1, 2011 - April 15, 2011
All SA/Cisco Markets: May 2010 - Mid July, 2011
Started with Connecticut - May 2010

Phase 1 - XFINITY: World of More
Houston: January 25, 2011 - up to a year

Phase 2 - New OnScreen Guide with Interactive Features
Summer 2011 (August)
Phase 2 is expected to be in all SA markets this year.
Starting with Connecticut and Mississippi

Phase two includes iTV (interactive TV applications) including Caller ID to the TV and PC, HSN Shop by Remote, Ready Remind Record and Request for Information applications, all of which are available now in our Motorola markets.

Phase two also includes the Xfinity TV application (the ability to use your iPad to change channels).

Some key issues that are resolved and corrected in this Phase 2 version of the guide include DVR truncation (DVR recordings getting cut off), the Not Authorized screen appearing on authorized channels when changing channels, and audio and pause issues with the RNG 200. Native HD resolution pass through is also included in this guide.

AnyRoom DVR
Before Phase 3

Phase 3 - Remote DVR Scheduling (myDVR Manager) & XFinity TV Application
Early 2012 (In several markets this year)
Set Recordings
View/Modify Scheduled Recordings
View Completed Recordings
Modify Series Priority Lists, etc.

Phase three includes myDVR Manager.

Phase 4 - Tru2way Guide (On Screen Guide 2.0)
2012 (In several markets this year)

In SA/Cisco markets, Phase 4 will only initially be available for RNG 200-N boxes (AnyRoom DVR) and then to other RNG devices. I would not run out to trade your 8300 HD box for an RNG just yet....

A sneak peek into phase four (currently in employee trials now) includes AnyRoom DVR and an extensive new guide with a 16:9 display and rich on-screen graphics. Other features include:

- Search results that include combined On Demand and linear television results that can be filtered
- More on-screen guide listings per page and customized grid views
- 120 minute guide listing display
- The ability to go back in time in the guide listings grid
- Network and channel logos in the guide
- Poster art in On Demand
- Additional Fast Forward and Rewind speeds in On Demand (to match the DVR experience)
- Sleep and wake timers
- Current date in the guide grid
- DVR recording setting of 'This time and this channel'
- Ability to set a default power-on channel
- All DVR scheduled recordings listed in one location (not day by day)
- Additional and detailed audio and video settings.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf

Member

How does any of that in regards to Tru2Way reflect cable card connected TiVo's and Moxi's and HTPC's
Russ6
join:2011-03-17
Houston, TX

Russ6

Member

said by Mike Wolf:

How does any of that in regards to Tru2Way reflect cable card connected TiVo's and Moxi's and HTPC's

The Tru2Way guide is initially only for the RNG 200N STB (AnyRoom DVR) and will be expanded to other RNG STBs. It will not work on the SA STBs. I don't think it will have any effect on how cable card connected devices guides work. The companies that provide the guide for those devices may be able to take advantage of the new features, but it is not clear if any new features will be available.

Comcast has a new deal with TiVo to allow the TiVo Premiere to access Comcast Video on Demand. This is scheduled to start in San Francisco next year and expand to other markets. I think TiVo will continue to use their own guide software.

Comcast is testing the Xfinity Spectrum service and the following link has more information about it (starting with paragraph 5) and the last part is about the Tru2Way guide:

»blog.comcast.com/2010/05 ··· nt-39603

cypherstream
MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
·PenTeleData
ARRIS SB8200

cypherstream

MVM

So is Spectrum different from the Tru2Way guide your talking about, or IS Spectrum the Tru2Way guide?

I know it can run on Intel CE3100/4100 CPU, but if it's Tru2Way, it should be able to be ported to other hardware, like a Broadcom CPU in a Motorola DCX series set top.

mikedz4
join:2003-04-14
Weirton, WV

mikedz4

Member

there was a thread about it BUT it got lost.
here it is:

»[DVR] Comcast posted a page + videos on Spectrum!!
Russ6
join:2011-03-17
Houston, TX

Russ6 to cypherstream

Member

to cypherstream
said by cypherstream:

So is Spectrum different from the Tru2Way guide your talking about, or IS Spectrum the Tru2Way guide?

I know it can run on Intel CE3100/4100 CPU, but if it's Tru2Way, it should be able to be ported to other hardware, like a Broadcom CPU in a Motorola DCX series set top.

From what I read, I think the guides are different. This is ironic since Comcast is spending a lot of money and time to make the guide on the Cisco/Scientific Atlanta STBs similar to the Motorola guide.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf to Russ6

Member

to Russ6
well usually tru2way may start forcing tuning adapters for switched digital video and thats not good.
Russ6
join:2011-03-17
Houston, TX

Russ6

Member

AnyRoom DVR has been delayed and is dependent on the phase 4 guide. Click the following link for Comcast's Ted Hodgins post about it:

»blog.comcast.com/2010/05 ··· nt-39907
The Q
join:2008-06-26
Collegeville, PA

The Q

Member

I thought anyroom DVR was always part of phase 4 on the rng 200n boxes?
Russ6
join:2011-03-17
Houston, TX

Russ6

Member

said by The Q:

I thought anyroom DVR was always part of phase 4 on the rng 200n boxes?

On April 6, 2011, Comcast's Ted Hodgins posted in his blog:
quote:
myDVR manager (scheduling your DVR via your phone or from the internet) is likely to start being available in some of our SA markets in the Fall and AnyRoom DVR starting just before that.
»blog.comcast.com/2010/05 ··· nt-38128

myDVR manager is phase 3 and AnyRoom DVR was scheduled starting just before that. Now, I think the schedule has been delayed for both phase 3 and AnyRoom DVR for general deployment. There may be some test sites this year. Except for the above post Ted has said that AnyRoom DVR is dependent on phase 4.
Russ6

Russ6

Member

In the Comcast SA/Cisco markets, Phase 4 is for the RNG boxes starting with the RNG 200N AnyRoom DVR. Phases 2 & 3 are not pre-requisites for phase 4. Phases 2 & 3 are for all SA/Cisco STBs except the RNG STBs

For the complete post in Comcast's Ted Hodgins "New Guide for Scientific Atlanta Cable Boxes" blog, click the following link:

»blog.comcast.com/2010/05 ··· nt-40080
Russ6

Russ6

Member

The schedule for phases 2 through 4 has slipped. The interactive features in Phase 2 are being delayed until early 2012 so a patch fixing some customer impacting issues can be deployed quicker this year. Phase 3 (My DVR Manager) will be delayed until mid 2012. Phase 4 (On-Screen Guide 2.0) will also be delayed. Here is a link to Comcast's Ted Hodgins post in his "New Guide for Scientific Atlanta Cable Boxes" blog:

»blog.comcast.com/2010/05 ··· nt-40738

Here is a link to the previous schedule:

»Re: Official Comcast blog about new SA guide
Russ6

1 edit

Russ6

Member

Updated Schedule Based on Previous Information and the Following Links:

»blog.comcast.com/2010/05 ··· nt-41040

»blog.comcast.com/2010/05 ··· nt-41047

Note: Schedule is Subject to Change by Comcast and Comcast has not meet most of the new SA guide schedules.

Phase 1 - New OnScreen Guide S25
Houston: March 1, 2011 - April 15, 2011
All SA/Cisco Markets: May 2010 - ?
Started with Connecticut - May 2010

XFINITY: World of More
Houston: January 25, 2011 - up to a year (early 2012)

Software Patch
October 2011 - December 2011

Some of the significant customer-impacting items addressed in the upcoming software patch include:

1. Truncated DVR Recordings - Some customers are experiencing DVR recordings that end early or are being significantly cut off

2. Not Authorized message on a HD Channel - Some customers may have seen a Not Authorized overlay occasionally on authorized HD channels that they are in fact authorized to watch.

3. Pass Through available as a HD resolution option via the HD Wizard screen.

Comcast is planning to Merge Phases 2 and 3 into an Accelerated Single Guide Release
That is being discussed and worked on now. That would then deliver more features at one time; the interactive television features (Caller ID to TV, HSN Shop By Remote, Ready Remind Record and Request For Information), plus My DVR Manager (the ability to schedule your DVR from a PC, laptop or other internet connected device) and the Xfinity TV app. Comcast is targeting that release to be available in mid-2012.

Phase 2 - New OnScreen Guide with Interactive Features
Mid 2012
Starting with Connecticut and Mississippi

Phase two includes iTV (interactive TV applications) including Caller ID to the TV and PC, HSN Shop by Remote, Ready Remind Record and Request for Information applications, all of which are available now in our Motorola markets.

More information on these features can be found below:

Universal Caller ID: »www.comcast.net/callerid/

Shop-by-Remote: A convenient, new way to make HSN purchases - simply by using your remote.
»www.comcast.net/newguide ··· 0110.pdf

Request for Info: Know more?save more! Introducing an easy way to request valuable coupons and info from advertisers - simply by using your remote.
»www.comcast.net/newguide ··· tion.pdf

Ready Remind and Ready Record: Now you can conveniently set program reminders or recordings directly from certain TV show and movie advertisements.
»www.comcast.net/newguide ··· cord.pdf

Phase two also includes the Xfinity TV application (the ability to use your iPad to change channels). More information on this application is available here:
»www.xfinity.com/help/int ··· -tv-app/

Phase 3 - Remote DVR Scheduling (myDVR Manager) & XFinity TV Application
Mid 2012
Set Recordings
View/Modify Scheduled Recordings
View Completed Recordings
Modify Series Priority Lists, etc.

Phase three includes myDVR Manager (more information here »www.fancast.com/mytv/dvr).

AnyRoom DVR

AnyRoom DVR is currently available in select areas of Florida.
AnyRoom DVR for the SA-Cisco areas comes with our On Screen Guide 2.0 and is currently targeted to be available in Minneapolis by mid-2012. Note: Probably, AnyRoom DVR should be available in other areas in mid 2012, too.

Phase 4? - Tru2way Guide (On Screen Guide 2.0)
2012 ?

In SA/Cisco markets, Phase 4 will only initially be available for RNG 200-N boxes (AnyRoom DVR) and then to other RNG devices. It will not run on the SA 83I0 series Set Top Boxes. I would not run out to trade your 8300 HD box for an RNG just yet....

A sneak peek into phase four (currently in employee trials now) includes AnyRoom DVR »www.comcast.com/anyroomdvr/ and an extensive new guide with a 16:9 display and rich on-screen graphics. Other features include:

- Search results that include combined On Demand and linear television results that can be filtered
- More on-screen guide listings per page and customized grid views
- 120 minute guide listing display
- The ability to go back in time in the guide listings grid
- Network and channel logos in the guide
- Poster art in On Demand
- Additional Fast Forward and Rewind speeds in On Demand (to match the DVR experience)
- Sleep and wake timers
- Current date in the guide grid
- DVR recording setting of 'This time and this channel'
- Ability to set a default power-on channel
- All DVR scheduled recordings listed in one location (not day by day)
- Additional and detailed audio and video settings.

cypherstream
MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
·PenTeleData
ARRIS SB8200

cypherstream

MVM

Russ, you said

-16:9 display and rich on-screen graphics
-120 minute guide listing display
-Network and channel logos in the guide (Not in the first post, but you see it in the second post below)
-More on-screen guide listings per page and customized grid views (TV Listings and Max Listings shown in second link below)
-Current date in the guide grid (Its in the top left cell in the first link below)

That must be the Guide 2.0 I posted in the other threads!

(This is running on a Motorola set top box)
»Re: New on screen guide in 2012?

And here is more shots from 2008 running on a PC simulator.
»Re: Official Comcast blog about new SA guide