Comments on: comcast cable tv upgrade http://wonkabar.org/archives/384 linux, databases, cartoons and cornflakes Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:27:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: James Folsom http://wonkabar.org/archives/384#comment-46731 James Folsom Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:27:10 +0000 http://wonkabar.org/archives/384#comment-46731 If you do a little research, you will find that you can re-program your remote (or get a a fancier programmable remote) to map a 30 second skip button. I can't remember, where I looked because I programmed mine over a year ago, and promptly forgot how. For that matter bresnan remotes can be reprogrammed and remapped however you like. If you do a little research, you will find that you can re-program your remote (or get a a fancier programmable remote) to map a 30 second skip button. I can’t remember, where I looked because I programmed mine over a year ago, and promptly forgot how. For that matter bresnan remotes can be reprogrammed and remapped however you like.

]]> By: Tristan Rhodes http://wonkabar.org/archives/384#comment-31985 Tristan Rhodes Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:38:22 +0000 http://wonkabar.org/archives/384#comment-31985 I also have Dish DVR and it is an awesome DVR. Very easy to use, without reading documentation. However, I just got a new HD TV and I am wondering if I should sign-up with a different service so that I can take advantage of the introductory pricing. Let us know how Comcast HD goes, what the DVR is like, and the channel selection. Tristan I also have Dish DVR and it is an awesome DVR. Very easy to use, without reading documentation.

However, I just got a new HD TV and I am wondering if I should sign-up with a different service so that I can take advantage of the introductory pricing.

Let us know how Comcast HD goes, what the DVR is like, and the channel selection.

Tristan

]]> By: Hans http://wonkabar.org/archives/384#comment-31978 Hans Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:22:39 +0000 http://wonkabar.org/archives/384#comment-31978 We had Dish a couple years back, and my Grandparents have it now. My parents have Bresnan cable which is apparently the comcast rebrand out in Vernal. Let me tell you, there is a DRAMATIC difference between their DVR offerings. In short, I love the DVR with dish. I find the Bresnan DVR to be disappointing at best. Here's a few examples—not a full review by any means but hopefully enough to give you an idea. Dish's remote is a thing of beauty. There's a jump forward button (30 seconds I think), and a jump backward button (10 seconds I think). This asymmetric jump setup is amazing. You skip through the commercials in 6 or so presses, which usually puts you a few seconds into the show. Then you hit the jump back button once and you're within moments of right where you want to be. Bresnan's remote is a mess, and (worst of all) there's no jump forward button. There's a jump back button, but not a jump forward button. Do you think this is an accident? Hardly. They want you to trudge through the commercials in regular fast forward. Ironically, I think, I watched and noticed more commercials with dish than I do with cable, because with dish you are stopping and paying brief attention every 30 seconds (i.e. every commercial), but with bresnan you're just watching a blur hoping to pick up a visual cue that your show is back on. I was happier too. So cable's focus on the advertiser dollar and not the customer does a disservice to both. Dish's guide and DVR system are, again, a thing of beauty. I liked it when I had it, but they've improved it greatly even so. Now, when you push record, you have the option to record just this, every instance, or (and this is the new part) every *new* episode. There's a lot of little things—you can tell they put thought into it. Cable on the other hand, is obviously a minimal effort design. It works, barely. There's a big ad on the bottom of the screen, that steals cursor focus whenever it can get away with it. There's a lot of little things that make the experience disappointing. To me, the difference is night and day in favor of Dish. DIsh ain't perfect, but in the absence of an open system it's by far the best I've seen, though my experience is limited to those two. I haven't tried myth, really, nor TiVo, so I can't say if it's the clear winner in DVR land, but it sure beats cable. We had Dish a couple years back, and my Grandparents have it now. My parents have Bresnan cable which is apparently the comcast rebrand out in Vernal. Let me tell you, there is a DRAMATIC difference between their DVR offerings.

In short, I love the DVR with dish. I find the Bresnan DVR to be disappointing at best. Here’s a few examples—not a full review by any means but hopefully enough to give you an idea.

Dish’s remote is a thing of beauty. There’s a jump forward button (30 seconds I think), and a jump backward button (10 seconds I think). This asymmetric jump setup is amazing. You skip through the commercials in 6 or so presses, which usually puts you a few seconds into the show. Then you hit the jump back button once and you’re within moments of right where you want to be.

Bresnan’s remote is a mess, and (worst of all) there’s no jump forward button. There’s a jump back button, but not a jump forward button. Do you think this is an accident? Hardly. They want you to trudge through the commercials in regular fast forward. Ironically, I think, I watched and noticed more commercials with dish than I do with cable, because with dish you are stopping and paying brief attention every 30 seconds (i.e. every commercial), but with bresnan you’re just watching a blur hoping to pick up a visual cue that your show is back on. I was happier too. So cable’s focus on the advertiser dollar and not the customer does a disservice to both.

Dish’s guide and DVR system are, again, a thing of beauty. I liked it when I had it, but they’ve improved it greatly even so. Now, when you push record, you have the option to record just this, every instance, or (and this is the new part) every *new* episode. There’s a lot of little things—you can tell they put thought into it. Cable on the other hand, is obviously a minimal effort design. It works, barely. There’s a big ad on the bottom of the screen, that steals cursor focus whenever it can get away with it. There’s a lot of little things that make the experience disappointing. To me, the difference is night and day in favor of Dish. DIsh ain’t perfect, but in the absence of an open system it’s by far the best I’ve seen, though my experience is limited to those two. I haven’t tried myth, really, nor TiVo, so I can’t say if it’s the clear winner in DVR land, but it sure beats cable.

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