US Cable Support > Comcast Cable TV > New Guides for SA/Cisco Areas (Info from Ted Hodgins Blog)

reply to Russ

Re: New Guides for SA/Cisco Areas (Info from Ted Hodgins Blog)

The following excerpt is from Ted Hodgins' "New Guide for Scientific Atlanta Cable Boxes" blog. This is the first time I have seen an announcement that On-Screen Guide 2.0 will be available on new Cisco RNG 150N boxes in July in selected areas.

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In some areas (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana and Minnesota) we are already delivering On-Screen Guide 2.0 »www.xfinity.com/onscreenguide2 to our AnyRoom DVR customers and in July will start delivering that guide experience to new Cisco RNG 150N and Cisco RNG 200N boxes in those areas.
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Ted Hodgins replied to comment from Nate | June 12, 2012 4:59 PM

»blog.comcast.com/2010/05/new-gui···nt-50194

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The following excerpt concerning the start of the S26 guide deployment is from Ted Hodgins' "New Guide for Scientific Atlanta Cable Boxes" blog. This is the first time I have seen an announcement that it is being delayed to August. Previous posts have stated that it would start in June.

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This is a site by site roll-out so when your specific area gets it may vary. We do plan to start deployments in areas of Connecticut but aren't at liberty to release our scheduled dates or sequence at this point.

The majority of our customer deployments for these features are scheduled to begin soon after the Summer Olympics have completed (after August 12).

Ted Hodgins replied to comment from Jess | June 25, 2012 11:18 AM

»blog.comcast.com/2010/05/new-gui···nt-51030

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The following excerpt concerning the On-Screen Guide 2.0 deployment is from Ted Hodgins' "New Guide for Scientific Atlanta Cable Boxes" blog. I think it is more than a slight change.

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New as I used the word here means newly installed or obtained by a customer from Comcast after a certain date.

A slight change from our previous plan is that we now don't have plans to update existing cable boxes currently in customer's homes to On-Screen Guide 2.0.

For our existing customers: Once On-Screen Guide 2.0 is available in your market, we would need to swap the existing Cisco RNG 200N or Cisco RNG 150N boxes in your home or you could arrange to get the new boxes from your local Comcast service center in order to get On-Screen Guide 2.0.

More information on On-Screen Guide 2.0 is available here.
»www.xfinity.com/onscreenguide2

Ted Hodgins replied to comment from Dan | July 2, 2012 4:49 PM

»blog.comcast.com/2010/05/new-gui···nt-51436

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I just posted a question to the blog regarding "new". I picked up a RNG200N two weeks ago from my local office. It was shrink wrapped and had never been issued previously. It had a manufacture date of May 2012. If this is not considered "new" and I have to swap it, I will keep the box and do without the On-Screen 2.0 guide. I can't see them having to swap all existing boxes. There was nothing but lines out the door and parking problems when they were issuing the DTA's. This could be worse!

reply to RKB_t
I just called comcast. We are in Minneapolis. Yes we have the 2.0 guide boxes. No you can't collect one. Yes you have a RNG 200 box but we can't update over the air. WE have to arrange a Tech call and there is a $23.00 service fee. I asked why and then for a supervisor but still waiting for a call back.
I can't believe we have to pay a fee to upgrade our guide.

I don't understand why they can't update the box remotely. They've been doing this for years, as has been Verizon Fios, AT&T U-Verse, DirecTV, Dish Network, and other cable / satellite providers all over the world.

How do you think Comcast went from SARA to I-Guide? Or Passport Echo to SARA to I-Guide? How did Time Warner load Navigator remotely? How about DirecTV's HD-UI upgrade? What about Dish Network updating the Hopper to skip commercials on Prime Time Anytime? What about Sky UK's latest HD-UI update? You send a signal to the box and tell it to download new software.

This is just really weird. I'm curious what they come back with - if anything.

I'm speechless and quite a bit pissed.

reply to wdsnls
If OSG 2.0 wasn't live in your area when you got your box, then you will most likely have to swap it out. The box you receive will be pre-loaded with OSG 2.0. I suppose Comcast is too lazy to actually deploy the new guide to customers. If they pushed I-Guide to boxes, certainly they can do the same here.

reply to Mike Wolf
Now I am getting pissed - call again and now they say you can pick a box up at the store to avoid the fee. I am not sure who to believe as he said it was dependent on inventory.

It sounds like a trip is gonna be needed and to prepare for leaving empty handed.

reply to cypherstream
Maybe the file that is downloaded to upgrade an STB to On-Screen Guide 2.0 is relatively large-sized compared to previous upgrades, and Comcast found issues during testing? I know that only the latest STBs, like the RNG series, are said to be able to handle this new guide.

So if the existing STBs on SA/Cisco systems will only start being updated to the S26 guide sometime later this summer, will there come a point later on where Comcast will no longer support it and require people to swap out their boxes for new ones that run On-Screen Guide 2.0?

I am waiting a call back regarding this. Not sure what is happening yet but the lady mentioned a new piece of equipment was needed that is why the service charge.

Well I will find out on Monday - we are having a brand new DVR with the updated guide with a lot more features. It is only supposed to be for new Triple play customers or new customers.

I still think its stupid that people are being forced to upgrade DVR boxes which contain their recordings just to get an update for their guide.

Yup it is silly. No idea what we are getting as they are very tight lipped about it. So will find out what happens on Monday. They should be able to update the current boxes to the new software but maybe in the future they will do that.

reply to rej4sl
It's yet another way for them to make a buck...

Just like the $5 they tried to charge me to "upgrade" my TV package via chat, after the in store rep didn't do what I asked... And I'm sure they pay the in store reps a lot more.

reply to rej4sl
Yup, lets get out the pitch forks and go down to the local offices.

It's funny to see people get pissed off over trivial crap....surely there isn't a technical reason why the current boxes cannot be upgraded to the new software.

reply to rej4sl
I just had a call from another supervisor and it looks like they are converting us to any room DVR which sounds intriguing as we only have on DVR box. I am sure they will upgrade all boxes in the future to the software - can't see why not. Maybe this is the only way at the moment to get it.

reply to Floppy
I'm sure there is too, I just was looking forward to the customers who rent the boxes getting a really good interface without having to lose all of their recordings by swapping out the box with no way of knowing what they are getting back.