| reply to yhp
Re: [DVR] External DVR Storage said by yhp:My point was that $100 for a TB of DVR storage now (mariod's rhetorical question) is a great deal when compared to playing waiting and service games with Comcast.
Except you're not paying $100 for a TB of storage.
I already have 500gb of storage. You're paying $100 for GBs 501 through 1501. For only a year or two before its defunct. Is that really worth $100?? |
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1 edit | said by mariod:said by yhp:My point was that $100 for a TB of DVR storage now (mariod's rhetorical question) is a great deal when compared to playing waiting and service games with Comcast.
Except you're not paying $100 for a TB of storage. I already have 500gb of storage. You're paying $100 for GBs 501 through 1501. For only a year or two before its defunct. Is that really worth $100?? If reliable cloud DVR support ever becomes available, you'll have the the external hard drive available for other uses such as a back up drive for a portable or desk computer. My laptop has an eSata port as does my desk computer. A TB means storage for a huge number of pictures.
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There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.
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A. C. Doyle
Strand Magazine, October 1891 |
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| 1) I already have a backup HD.
2) Prices on non-Comcast sanctioned, even if you needed another 1tb of storage, HDs are still better than the $100+ tag that comes with this drive.
Here's a usb 3.0 1tb mybook for $10 cheaper. »www.amazon.com/Book-Essential-Ex···&sr=1-49 |
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1 edit | reply to mariod
said by mariod:said by yhp:My point was that $100 for a TB of DVR storage now (mariod's rhetorical question) is a great deal when compared to playing waiting and service games with Comcast.
Except you're not paying $100 for a TB of storage. I already have 500gb of storage. You're paying $100 for GBs 501 through 1501. For only a year or two before its defunct. Is that really worth $100?? A few things:
1.) You're assuming Comcast can actually get their X1 platform 100% working (it's currently missing some common DVR features that other platforms have, and has 3 tuners completely disabled). So you're assuming that not only will Comcast have fixed the bugs in the X1 hardware/software platform (which is where the X1 Guide is initially being tested), but that it can then quickly and bug free deploy it across their whole footprint of varying hardware platforms (newer Moto, Cisco, and Pace boxes) all within the next two years. That would be very aggressive for any cable provider, let alone the nation's largest. And given Comcast's poor track record that's highly unlikely.
2.) Cloud DVR storage is controversial and so far has been put on hold by legal issues when other MSOs have tried it. So you cannot depend on a sudden increase in space beyond your local storage. Notice the language from Comcast about such a feature has been very tentative. Also consider that people feel better about local storage because Comcast cannot just suddenly have a glitch at their facility and kill your cloud storage by mistake or say force your recording to age out after a certain number of days and be deleted on purpose due to agreements with content holders.
3.) Don't expect Comcast to start offering to swap out your Moto DCX series DVR with an X1 platform based one, without you asking/paying more. Look how long Comcast has kept ancient hardware in service, the Moto DCT-2000 series is still in use for people with SD TVs. So you might get the software upgrade to the X1 Guide on the DCX, but you'll still have 500GB of local storage.
4.) Lastly, you already have one of Comcast's largest DVRs so maybe you don't care to have more space. But those of us with a bit older/smaller capacity DVRs would like it. |
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The Q
join:2008-06-26
Collegeville, PA | reply to mariod
said by mariod:1) I already have a backup HD.
2) Prices on non-Comcast sanctioned, even if you needed another 1tb of storage, HDs are still better than the $100+ tag that comes with this drive.
Here's a usb 3.0 1tb mybook for $10 cheaper. »www.amazon.com/Book-Essential-Ex···&sr=1-49
pretty sure you need a drive with esata and not USB for the comcast DVR. |
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 THZNDUPDeorum Offensa Diis CuraePremium
join:2003-09-18
Lard
kudos:2 | reply to jblues
Unless Comcast changes their migration route or speed, it'll be a while for the west coast. The only good point is that hopefully most of any bugs will be fixed by then (and no new ones introduced). 
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one should not increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything |
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KearnstdElf WizardPremium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | reply to aguiar0016
I would say the primary unfortunate angle to this is you lose the recordings. It makes no sense that they cannot go DVR to DVR with you. Or that when you want to swap boxes that you cannot back up the box drive to the external.
From a CS perspective this would end a lot of problems with getting customers to upgrade from greatly obsolete hardware. Could even for example if a tech is doing the swap the techs could have external drives.
But as expected the customer hating content owners make Comcast have the external drive format any time its connected to a new box.
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Zoder
join:2002-04-16
Miami, FL
1 edit | said by Kearnstd:I would say the primary unfortunate angle to this is you lose the recordings. It makes no sense that they cannot go DVR to DVR with you. Or that when you want to swap boxes that you cannot back up the box drive to the external.
From a CS perspective this would end a lot of problems with getting customers to upgrade from greatly obsolete hardware. Could even for example if a tech is doing the swap the techs could have external drives.
But as expected the customer hating content owners make Comcast have the external drive format any time its connected to a new box.
Do they though? We heae the same reason for clear QAM going away but I was talking to a relative yesterday that lives in Westin, FL. They are serviced by Advanced Cable which is a small MSO. They just completed a digiral migration themselves and are giving out DTAs. They have instructions on their website that customers who have digital tvs with QAM tuners won't need DTAs and can tune into all 2-99 channels directly. If this small company is not bullied by the content companies to encrypt, it seems likely Comcast has much more latitude in DVR and QAM encryption then we've been led to believe. |
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 camperPremium
join:2010-03-21
Bethel, CT
 ·Comcast
| said by Zoder:... If this small company is not bullied by the content companies to encrypt, it seems likely Comcast has much more latitude in DVR and QAM encryption then we've been led to believe.
Or perhaps that small company does not have enough customers for the content providers to be overly concerned about at this point in time. There currently are bigger fish to fry.
However, at some point in the future, the ROI will be there for even the small companies. |
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| reply to jblues
To answer that question of not being sure why it is not officially supported, please see: »Re: DVR Extender w/Moto Boxes |
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·Comcast
| reply to The Q
said by The Q:said by mariod:1) I already have a backup HD.
2) Prices on non-Comcast sanctioned, even if you needed another 1tb of storage, HDs are still better than the $100+ tag that comes with this drive.
Here's a usb 3.0 1tb mybook for $10 cheaper. »www.amazon.com/Book-Essential-Ex···&sr=1-49
pretty sure you need a drive with esata and not USB for the comcast DVR. Correct, the usb port is disabled on the set top boxes for use in media storage.
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I'm always up for a good chat and helping with VoIP testing so my contact info is below.
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Callcentric: 17772288600
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Skype: MikeWolf051 |
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THZNDUPDeorum Offensa Diis CuraePremium
join:2003-09-18
Lard
kudos:2 | reply to Mike Wolf
I believe jblues  is refering to the 'DCX3400' not being officially supported, not the model of drive being hung off of it.
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Reviews:
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| reply to Kearnstd
said by Kearnstd:I would say the primary unfortunate angle to this is you lose the recordings. It makes no sense that they cannot go DVR to DVR with you. Or that when you want to swap boxes that you cannot back up the box drive to the external.
From a CS perspective this would end a lot of problems with getting customers to upgrade from greatly obsolete hardware. Could even for example if a tech is doing the swap the techs could have external drives.
But as expected the customer hating content owners make Comcast have the external drive format any time its connected to a new box.
Comcast and other cable providers are more then capable of phasing out their older set top boxes like they do for cable modems by notifying the customer that as of a certain date their ancient set top box or DVR will no longer work and to either come into a center to exchange or schedule a technician box swap if they wish to continue service. In my area in particular with the huge amount of seniors in adult communities, they aren't always the first to adopt new technologies, with exceptions of course. I've already been to a few customer houses where the televisions in use ranged from 1950's color televisions to those console televisions I think from the 1970's or 1980's.
DVR's are not intended to archive recorded media for long periods of time, they're supposed to be used to record shows, watch them, then delete them.
Only when people begin hoarding recordings does upgrading equipment become a problem for them.
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I'm always up for a good chat and helping with VoIP testing so my contact info is below.
Gigaset.net: Michael Wolf
Callcentric: 17772288600
SIP URI: sip:226976325024#9@sip.gigaset.net and sip:17772288600@in.callcentric.com
Skype: MikeWolf051 |
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| reply to THZNDUP
oh. Well that's different then, lol |
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yhp
join:2006-12-27
Philadelphia, PA | reply to mariod
said by mariod:said by yhp:My point was that $100 for a TB of DVR storage now (mariod's rhetorical question) is a great deal when compared to playing waiting and service games with Comcast.
Except you're not paying $100 for a TB of storage. I already have 500gb of storage. And I have 340GB on my DCX34xx.
Some customers have only 250GB on their DCX34xx.
You're paying $100 for GBs 501 through 1501. For only a year or two before its defunct. Is that really worth $100??
Someday, when Comcast's awesome technology renders my purchase "obsolete" (LOL) "a year or two" (your words) from now, I will have had a "year or two" of not thinking for even a minute about what shows to delete or whether I should really record something in standard-def to save space.
It's an annoyance. In 2012, it's an insult. It takes time. Time adds up. It's easily worth $100.
YMMV. |
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| reply to The Q
said by The Q: pretty sure you need a drive with esata and not USB for the comcast DVR.
That's my point. You're paying more for an external HD that isn't even USB, making it less functional to then start using with a computer when cloud storage arrives. |
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Reviews:
·Comcast
| Um, the Western Digital My Book AV DVR Expander has both USB and eSATA connections, so it can still be used on a computer or other device with USB.
I'm not sure why anyone would be mentioning a My Book Essential for DVR backup due to it only having USB. |
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| said by Mike Wolf:Um, the Western Digital My Book AV DVR Expander has both USB and eSATA connections, so it can still be used on a computer or other device with USB.
I'm not sure why anyone would be mentioning a My Book Essential for DVR backup due to it only having USB.
You're still missing the point.
Someone posted that if DVR goes to the cloud, then you have an extra external HD to use as backup for your PC.
My point is that I can get an extra backup external for my PC for much cheaper than the one required for use with a DVR. |
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·Comcast
| Yes, but then you wouldn't be able to use it with the DVR in the meantime, so you'd be losing out on the added DVR capacity. I'd think It would be smarter to get the DVR extender so you can use it with the DVR and then when it may no longer be needed, you can then use it on the computer or whatever. |
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 jack bGone FishingPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-08
Cape Cod
kudos:1 | reply to aguiar0016
I just installed a new WD external drive to my moto DCX3400 DVR and it worked!
Powered down the DVR, hooked up the eSATA cable, powered on the WD, then the DVR. A dialog box appeared asking if I wanted to format the external drive, and chose yes.
Done.
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