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shaincruz
join:2012-10-10

shaincruz to telcodad

Member

to telcodad

Re: [STB] Cisco thinking of getting out of the set-top box busin

Thank's, Cisco/SA are very good boxes compared to motorola
GTFan
join:2004-12-03
Austell, GA

GTFan

Member

They both suck compared to almost anything else.

cypherstream
MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA

cypherstream

MVM

They should just let Apple build the set top boxes. I can't believe how smooth the interface runs on the iPhone 5 with the Apple A6 CPU.

Maybe they should use more powerful ARM processors in cable boxes?
Russ6
join:2011-03-17
Houston, TX

1 recommendation

Russ6

Member

It is not the hardware, the problem is the software.

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

cypherstream

MVM

True because Passport runs real smooth and quick even on an older SA2200/3200.

I wonder why not much thought has been put into optimizing the software and hardware together? Just look how smooth the new iPhone and Android phones are. They fit in the palm of our hands and they just process graphics and applications flawlessly compared to a cable box.

What's up with that?
Russ6
join:2011-03-17
Houston, TX

Russ6

Member

I think Comcast is so far behind in developing the guide software that Comcast is just trying to get caught up. The S26 guide for SA/Cisco STBs deployment has been put on hold for almost 2 months to fix bugs. This guide is just a legacy guide for older SA/Cisco STBs to catch up to the A28 Guide for Motorola STBs. The A30 Guide for Motorola STBs is being deployed because the X1 Guide for Motorola STBs is taking so long. The On-Screen Guide 2.0 is a bridge guide in the Cisco RNG 200N to provide AnyRoom DVR functionality for some SA/Cisco STB markets because the X1 Guide for SA/Cisco STBs is taking so long.

The current S25 Guide for SA/Cisco STBs doesn't even provide PIP (Picture-In-Picture) which the previous SARA Guide had for years. I think Passport even had PIP.

The X1 guide has missing features such as no skip by day feature and doesn't take advantage of all 6 tuners in the Pace X1 Gateway. Also, it doesn't currently provide AnyRoom DVR functionality.

cypherstream
MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA

cypherstream

MVM

I think they should of just skipped A30 and did that new look widescreen Guide 2.0 that they showed at CES back in 2008. It looks pretty nice. That should be the standard guide, with X1 as the DVR.

mikedz4
join:2003-04-14
Weirton, WV

mikedz4

Member

comcast is so backwards it isn't funny. A30 doesn't do anything BUT it will take 5 YEARS for us to get x1 or on-screen 3.0. By that time those won't even be new anymore.
The nation's largest cable operator just disgusts me and makes me sick.
GTFan
join:2004-12-03
Austell, GA

GTFan

Member

*shrug* so get a Tivo, or a Win7 Media Center PC. I've seen used Tivo HDs for as cheap as $250 on fleabay with a lifetime sub, so it's not like it costs a ton of money. And they will pay for themselves within a couple of years vs. renting.

You don't have to put up with their nonsense, so there's no point in whining about it.

telcodad
MVM
join:2011-09-16
Lincroft, NJ

telcodad to Russ6

MVM

to Russ6
A recent article on the CED Magazine site on the current (poor) experience of searching for what to watch using today's Guide UIs:

Navigation guides yet to take flight
The process of finding what you want to watch on TV continues to be cumbersome.

By Brian Santo, CED Magazine - November 21, 2012
»www.cedmagazine.com/arti ··· e-flight
telcodad

telcodad to cypherstream

MVM

to cypherstream
I wonder what release of Guide software includes this new "self-destruct" feature?

Comcast buys woman TV after cable box exploded
By Michael Finney, KGO-TV News, San Francisco - November 26, 2012
»abclocal.go.com/kgo/stor ··· =8898788
GTFan
join:2004-12-03
Austell, GA

2 edits

GTFan to telcodad

Member

to telcodad
said by telcodad:

A recent article on the CED Magazine site on the current (poor) experience of searching for what to watch using today's Guide UIs:

Navigation guides yet to take flight
The process of finding what you want to watch on TV continues to be cumbersome.

By Brian Santo, CED Magazine - November 21, 2012
»www.cedmagazine.com/arti ··· e-flight

Search (and UIs in general) on STBs suck because cable has always been too cheap to pay for development, and they're beholden to a huge legacy base of boxes that can't run anything decent. Plus they have little to no incentive to give you search results for anything other than their own products.

Tivo's current integrated search is decent, especially when accessed with the recently discontinued Slide remote (has a built-in slide out keyboard). It's a little slow and is fully integrated only with a few providers like Netflix, but it's better than anything cable has.

Google TV is a good idea but so far pretty crappy implementations, I think the Vizio box is a lot better than the discontinued Logitech Revues. Problem is that no one wants to pay for yet another box to sit between their STB and TV, and big content is still stupid enough to think they should block the devices.

»www.engadget.com/2012/09 ··· -review/