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Time Warner Cable Unveils Shiny, New 'Enhanced' DVR

Last November we noted that Time Warner Cable, historically a bit sluggish when it comes to next-gen broadband upgrades, was considering a brand refresh named "Maxx" that would include significant speed and TV improvements. In addition to bumping select markets to 300 Mbps (Los Angeles, New York, Austin, Charlotte, Dallas, Hawaii, Kansas City, Raleigh, San Antonio and San Diego), that will include a fancy new DVR that the company unveiled this week in Los Angeles and New York City.

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According to a company blog post, this new DVR (a Arris DCX 3600) features VOD network storage and one terabyte of total capacity, or enough to store 150 hours of HD programming.

The full press release doesn't specify how much you'll pay for this new technology, though users can expect to pay $16 for single room functionality and $20 for whole-home functionality (this excludes set top rental fees).

Time Warner Cable is of course being acquired by Comcast, which means users will likely only have this hardware for a year or two before Comcast swaps it out for its now standard X1 DVR platform.

"Enhanced DVR will be available to customers in additional markets in 2015," states Time Warner Cable. "For now, we’re getting started in Los Angeles and New York City."
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mixdup
join:2003-06-28
Alpharetta, GA

mixdup

Member

X1

I bet that hardware will run X1.

Interestingly, I wonder if Bright House will pick up this new platform, and if so, what happens with it after the TWC/Comcast merger.

motorola870
join:2008-12-07
Arlington, TX

motorola870

Member

Re: X1

said by mixdup:

I bet that hardware will run X1.

Interestingly, I wonder if Bright House will pick up this new platform, and if so, what happens with it after the TWC/Comcast merger.

bright House already has these in Florida.

mixdup
join:2003-06-28
Alpharetta, GA

mixdup

Member

Re: X1

So this is still running the same software as the other DVRs? Just bigger hard drive and newer box from Arris? The "VOD Network Storage" thing threw me off a little bit and made it seem like this has newer features, but I guess not.
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT

BiggA to mixdup

Premium Member

to mixdup
Yeah, it probably could. I think they have the ability to run several different platforms on top of X1 and X1 on several different types of hardware. If not in it's current state, I'm sure they could adapt it to do so.

mixdup
join:2003-06-28
Alpharetta, GA

mixdup

Member

Re: X1

The biggest thing that leads me to believe this would run X1 without issue is that the X1 boxes are Motorola, if I'm not mistaken, and this Arris box is just an extension of the Motorola product line.

bobjohnson
Premium Member
join:2007-02-03
Spartanburg, SC

bobjohnson

Premium Member

Re: X1

said by mixdup:

The biggest thing that leads me to believe this would run X1 without issue is that the X1 boxes are Motorola, if I'm not mistaken, and this Arris box is just an extension of the Motorola product line.

Arris bought Motorola's STB division from Google. They are Motos with an Arris sticker at this point.

OpTiC
Premium Member
join:2014-03-08
West Covina, CA

OpTiC

Premium Member

Re: X1

They have some of the DCX 3600 with Motorola badge. I happen to have one of them

mixdup
join:2003-06-28
Alpharetta, GA

mixdup to bobjohnson

Member

to bobjohnson
said by bobjohnson:

said by mixdup:

The biggest thing that leads me to believe this would run X1 without issue is that the X1 boxes are Motorola, if I'm not mistaken, and this Arris box is just an extension of the Motorola product line.

Arris bought Motorola's STB division from Google. They are Motos with an Arris sticker at this point.

Right. The "if I'm not mistaken" referred to the X1 platform being deployed on Motorola boxes.
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT

BiggA to mixdup

Premium Member

to mixdup
Plus, X1 has been deployed on multiple brands of hardware...

NYC33
@66.249.83.x

NYC33

Anon

Doesn't matter

As long they keep passing compressed HD channels that look like cr$p not even the best hardware will improve their service image. I discussed the situation with their advance tech support, but their arrogance is beyond something.
talz13
join:2006-03-15
Avon, OH

talz13

Member

Re: Doesn't matter

Well, I mean, your choices for most channels are either cable, or satellite. If you can pick up OTA, that works too. But how many channels are on OTA?

PamelaTS
Digital Chick
join:2004-04-20
Dallas, TX

PamelaTS

Member

Re: Doesn't matter

I'm Dallas the OTA channel count is 96. I'm not saying that they are all in English, not shopping or religious programming. Though there is most certainly a great variety of OTA programming in some markets.
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT

BiggA

Premium Member

Re: Doesn't matter

Of which 5 or 6 are not sub-channels, foreign language, or just junk.

PamelaTS
Digital Chick
join:2004-04-20
Dallas, TX

PamelaTS

Member

Re: Doesn't matter

18 are not foreign language, not 24 hour heresy, not shopping. Yes some of those (18) are sub channels. 8 are not (2-720p, 6-1080I).
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT

BiggA

Premium Member

Re: Doesn't matter

Wow, a whole 8 channels. So we have the 4 networks, PBS, the CW, and what?

CarrierWave
@72.183.76.x

CarrierWave to NYC33

Anon

to NYC33
Newer hardware like this supports MPEG-4, so once the old SA boxes get the boot for good (Lord only knows when) we should get much better picture quality.
46436203 (banned)
join:2013-01-03

46436203 (banned)

Member

It's trash.

Note that this unit is missing a Firewire port - meaning it's an utterly useless pile of junk. I'd rather have one of their old units that allows me to back up my recordings.

Anything you record with this thing is just a rental. But you own anything you record on a unit with Firewire.

You might as well just get a CableCARD tuner based solution and it will still be better than this thing.
ke4pym
Premium Member
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC

ke4pym

Premium Member

Re: It's trash.

said by 46436203:

Note that this unit is missing a Firewire port - meaning it's an utterly useless pile of junk. I'd rather have one of their old units that allows me to back up my recordings.

Anything you record with this thing is just a rental. But you own anything you record on a unit with Firewire.

You might as well just get a CableCARD tuner based solution and it will still be better than this thing.

You actually got the firewire port to work? To my knowledge, we were never able to get it going here in Charlotte.
NLiveris
join:2001-11-25
Chicago, IL

NLiveris

Member

Re: It's trash.

That's a bit of an overstatement, you think? I remember those old days in 2005: installing questionable, unsigned drivers in XP, using CapDVHS to capture unencrypted shows off those old clunky Motorola DVRs in real time. It was a huge, slow pain in the ass and frequently failed.

If you can tame your hard-on for a dead tech like firewire, you should just get a Tivo: connect it to your network via ethernet and use one of the many free utilities that will "backup" your recorded programs onto your pc, without transcoding and without the hassles of a live capture. Some utilities, like kmttg, even have automatic scheduling, auto advertisement removal, all in original broadcast mpg quality, no transcoding. This is a far superior solution than the old firewire method.
46436203 (banned)
join:2013-01-03

46436203 (banned)

Member

Re: It's trash.

Time Warner's cable channels are flagged with copy protection so Tivo/CableCARD tuner recordings are DRM'd.

PamelaTS
Digital Chick
join:2004-04-20
Dallas, TX

PamelaTS

Member

Re: It's trash.

TiVo still has the output option to record to DVR/DVD drm or not. This is how I preserved TWC protected content and feed space on my TiVo's. I've since pulled the TWC cable TV cord and gone OTA+ streaming

djrobx
Premium Member
join:2000-05-31
Reno, NV

djrobx to 46436203

Premium Member

to 46436203
said by 46436203:

Note that this unit is missing a Firewire port - meaning it's an utterly useless pile of junk. I'd rather have one of their old units that allows me to back up my recordings.

Anything you record with this thing is just a rental. But you own anything you record on a unit with Firewire.

You might as well just get a CableCARD tuner based solution and it will still be better than this thing.

I don't know anyone who uses the firewire port. I used to use it a long time ago to download broadcast network shows (other channels were encrypted so they're useless). Now that the FCC gave cable companies permission to encrypt everything there's no point.

I've since broken myself of urge to archive stuff. Anything halfway decent is going to be available for rent or purchase if I really want to re-watch something, I can use the money I saved on blank media to rent or purchase the DVD/BluRays. Chances are I won't care about watching it later anyway.
Rekrul
join:2007-04-21
Milford, CT

Rekrul

Member

Re: It's trash.

said by djrobx:

I've since broken myself of urge to archive stuff. Anything halfway decent is going to be available for rent or purchase if I really want to re-watch something, I can use the money I saved on blank media to rent or purchase the DVD/BluRays. Chances are I won't care about watching it later anyway.

Not everything comes out on DVD/Blu-Ray. Especially if it's a one-season, low-rated show.
smcallah
join:2004-08-05
Home

smcallah

Member

Re: It's trash.

You don't have to save everything. Especially if it's a one-season, low-rated show.
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory

Member

Re: It's trash.

Maybe he likes the one-season, low-rated show and that's all he wants to save?

Flyonthewall
@206.248.154.x

Flyonthewall

Anon

Re: It's trash.

You mean Honey Boo Hoo and Trailer Trash Wars?
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

1 edit

jjeffeory

Member

Re: It's trash.

I dunno, how about shows like: Caprica, Firefly, Dollhouse, Tera Nova, Alcatraz, No Ordinary Family, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Freaks and Geeks, My So-Called Life, Dresden Files, Moonlight, Awake, Almost Human, 666 Park Avenue, Alien Nation, Secret Circle, The Flash, Birds of Prey, Police Squad!, The Event, Life on Mars, Time Tunnel, Space: Above and Beyond, Gidget, Alphas, Intelligence, Flash Forward, and Threshold to name just some of the one-season shows that people might want to save that aren't "trash" like Honey Boo Boo, which was canceled this week, btw.

TechyDad
Premium Member
join:2001-07-13
USA

TechyDad to 46436203

Premium Member

to 46436203
I remember years ago when Time Warner's DVRs had an auxiliary output cable port and a "Save to VCR" option that would play the video so a VCR (or computer's tuner card) could save the video. Of course, Time Warner quickly realized that people were using this to take their videos off the DVR and took away this option.

There are so many times that I wish I could export my videos. Mostly, when my TWC DVR stopped working properly and I needed to swap it out for a new one. TWC repeatedly would tell me that they can't transfer recordings so if you are behind on a show and your DVR has issues, you lose all your recordings as to change to a DVR that works.
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT

1 recommendation

BiggA to 46436203

Premium Member

to 46436203
WHOA! Time warp to about 2003!

maartena
Elmo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA

maartena

Premium Member

Glad I dumped cable...

$16 a month on top of your cable bill for a DVR, $20 if whole home.... this will be another nice cash cow for TWC. Ka-ching!

Like someone else said, if you need a DVR, its almost better to buy or build your own and use a CableCard. Sure, there is a monthly CableCard fee, but you keep complete control of your recordings, including the ability to offload them to other media, so you don't have to keep recordings you want to keep on your TWC-owned DVR.

It's not likely that I will ever pay for cable ever again, but if I did I will build my own mediacenter PC. There is a really cool 6-tuner PCI card available for $250 with CableCard slot, and making an ultra-quiet mini PC case will run you about $500. (Don't need a super fancy CPU for playing up to 4k video, and 4 GB RAM is plenty, and even a budget videocard is good if you don't do gaming on that screen) Hook that up to your internet connection and you can build a device that can not only do television, but play virtually anything you can get off of the internet, Netflix, Amazon, Youtube, etc etc.

Sure its an investment. But its YOURS. And with external hard drives you can save as many recordings as you like.

rit56
join:2000-12-01
New York, NY

rit56

Member

New DVR

The last time the had a new machine it was available only to their "Signature Home" customers. They will probably do the same with this.

OpTiC
Premium Member
join:2014-03-08
West Covina, CA

OpTiC

Premium Member

Re: New DVR

I'm a regular customer and I was the first ones to get my hands on one of these units. Signature Home doesn't have to pay the $3 extra while the regular TWC subscribers do.
OpTiC

OpTiC to rit56

Premium Member

to rit56
So pretty much if your a Signature Home you won't be changed extra if your a regular customer the DVR fee will be the 2 tuner 12.99 to the enhanced 15.99
Rekrul
join:2007-04-21
Milford, CT

Rekrul

Member

DVR fee?

Is there actually any justification for charging a DVR fee above and beyond the DVR rental fee, other than that they can?

Once the DVR is in your home, how does it cost them anything for you to use it? If it has to rely on the parent company beyond reading the channel guide to know when to start and stop recordings, I'd say it's badly designed.

stvnbrs
Premium Member
join:2009-03-17
Cary, NC

stvnbrs

Premium Member

Re: DVR fee?

We get charged separately for the channel guide with TWC. The DVR fee is nothing but a cash grab. Higher cost to lease a DVR, then a DVR fee just because.

Me Me
@75.80.242.x

Me Me to Rekrul

Anon

to Rekrul
Because every box has the same equipment fee, with or without DVR. So, attached to the equipment fee is a DVR service fee. I actually know someone who has this enhanced DVR box and it looks pretty sharp and works pretty good. It's just outside my area,but hopefully MAXX is coming soon. I had Fios for 2 years and dropped them. Just wasn't my cup of tea
ncted
join:2010-10-25
Durham, NC

ncted

Member

Hardware good, Software bad

I am sure this box actually has decent hardware, but as long as it is running TWC-authored crap like Navigator, it is so not worth it, even if it is free.

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

telcodad

MVM

Additional pricing info

From:
Time Warner Cable drops new Arris gateway into LA, New York City markets
By Mike Robuck, CED Magazine - October 21, 2014
»www.cedmagazine.com/news ··· -markets
quote:
Pricing for Enhanced DVR includes:

• Retail pricing (excludes set-top box rental fee); single room (SR) $15.99, whole house (WH) $19.99

• Bundles; (Bundles that included DVR will now include Enhanced DVR instead of the legacy DVR for customers in New York City and Los Angeles with no price difference.) Double — $114.99 (SR) / $129.99 (WH), Triple—(WH-DVR)—$109.99 / $129.99 / $149.99

• For the $89.99 triple bundle deal, Time Warner Cable subscribers can add Enhanced DVR service (WH) for $10/month for the year.
firedrakes
join:2009-01-29
Arcadia, FL

firedrakes

Member

Re: Additional pricing info

let me install my own hard drive. 2 or 3 tb one

maartena
Elmo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA

maartena

Premium Member

Re: Additional pricing info

said by firedrakes:

let me install my own hard drive. 2 or 3 tb one

Here is another reason why you should just build your own instead of paying monthly for something that limits you to what they think is enough disk space.
profane
join:2010-10-10
Livonia, MI

profane

Member

Confused

"Comcast swaps it out for its now standard X1 DVR platform"

Not sure what you meant by this, but X1 is not "standard" here. My buddies DVR has broken 5 times in the past year and he asked em about the X1, they told him he would have to pay over 100 dollars for it. I don't get why they just don't swap out the old shit 1995 boxes for free. Why they still even have replacements is beyond me.

pumpkinhead7
join:2002-06-14
Clarksburg, WV

pumpkinhead7

Member

I'll be happy

I'll be happy when they finally get some something in my area other than the nearly 10 year old scientific atlanta box that is slow as molasses, limited storage, only records 2 shows, takes 10 minutes to boot, sucks massive amounts of power, is huge and buggy hell.
Mystic95Z
join:2005-05-10
Orlando, FL

Mystic95Z

Member

Garbage...

Running a whole home DVR setup based on a WMC HTPC, far and away better than this crapola...

antdude
Matrix Ant
Premium Member
join:2001-03-25
US

antdude

Premium Member

Who is getting it?

I wonder how buggy it is. :P
kramsde2
join:2014-06-30
Toledo, OH

kramsde2

Member

It's not a Samsung!

I'm glad it's not Samsung! Those boxes are junk!