Before anyone asks, I have contacted Comcast and done some googling and cannot get a definitive answer to this. The hard copy and online manuals are relatively useless for my questions. Anyway, my parents recently got the Comcast DVR service and I believe the box is Scientifc Atlanta 8300 HDC. For comparison purposes, I have Dish Network and it is incredibly easy for me to search for a show by typing in the name and select it to record NEW episodes only. With my parents' box, I was unable to find any option for typing in the name to search. You had to go through the cumbersome guide and switch over to various days or scroll through. Not only that, I could find no option for NEw episodes only. You could do all, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. Does anyone that have the same box as my folks have any hints? Based on googling, older boxes and or software from Comcast did offer this feature. By the way, when I asked the Comcast representative how I could only record new episodes of The Office or Law and Order his response was "due to copyright restrictions you cannot record those episodes". I gave him a chance to clarify that and further asking what was the use of a DVR then, and he would not back off that statement.
You can not search by name to find episodes to record. You do have to choose the show you want to record and tell it you want to record "all episodes", after you choose that and hit the A button to confirm, another box will popup giving you the choice of * First Run only on this channel * On this channel this day in this time slot * On this channel at any time * On this channel any day in this time slot Frankly, the comcast DVR's are pieces of crap, but what other choice do you have when you have cable? It's not like you can use a real Tivo with comcast. oh, btw...the comcast rep is full of crap....I have yet to run into a program I could not record on the dvr.
Rats...I knew I should have posted this question while I was still down in Houston. I knew someone here would be able to help with the new episode question. I know the rep was full of crap. I essentially told him so (without using the word crap). I was posting that incident to indicate why I quit pursuing an answer from Comcast. Thanks! I'll try and walk my folks through this.
My brother in California uses his TiVo with his Comcast (thus he couldn't help with this question). I think he mentioned he was grandfathered in with something in regards to using TiVo.
Damn learn something new every day...thanks Dubious. I never even looked at that, I have browsed by date before, but never actually checked to see what the rest of the options were. You can browse titles alphabetically, but that appears to be about the extent of it. I guess that is fine if you know what you are looking for.
