About xgrep

@Rustyben wrote: @xgrep wrote: @Rustyben wrote: @jimbom wrote: With the unreasonable rates that Comcast charges for cable, why on earth would they REMOVE desirable features?????????? see the first post on the first page for the answer.  Doesn't answer the question "Why didn't Comcast choose to pay TiVo and continue to offer the feature like other TV providers *while* litigating the patents so that its customers wouldn't be inconvenienced and annoyed?" That's the real question. Nobody cares about the legal stuff. Tivo appears to be trying to enforce a patent that the Supreme court specifically in the Alice decision has stated is not a valid use of a patent. Scotus said you can not patent an abstract idea. Once in patent court (not the current 'import court' ) an actual patent judge will be able to rule on the Tivo claim. at that point the record function can be turned back on. The Supreme Court made no specific reference to TiVo's patents in the Alice decision. The Alice decision has not (yet) been shown to apply to TiVo's patents, and we don't even know if it will come up in the infringement suit. "Alice" is a fairly narrow ruling that says that a patent that is invalid because it's an abstract idea cannot be made valid simply by implementing the idea in software. TiVo is apparently willing to test certain of its patents, and we'll see which of them survive. Perhaps none will, perhaps all.   By continuing to publicly assert (with an authoritative "expert" badge on your posts) that TiVo's patents fall under the Alice doctrine and/or that they're abstract (which they may be), you may be putting Comcast at risk in pending litigation (of which we know of two: Comcast's appeal of the import court decision of last November, and the infringement suit launched by TiVo in January). Let the legal folks battle it out. Your opinion is fine, but it's an opinion. I have a non-professional opinion, too, which is that the TiVo patents will hold up. For now, the facts are that the TiVo patents have not yet been invalidated on any basis, Alice or otherwise. ... View more

@Rustyben wrote: @jimbom wrote: With the unreasonable rates that Comcast charges for cable, why on earth would they REMOVE desirable features?????????? see the first post on the first page for the answer.  Doesn't answer the question "Why didn't Comcast choose to pay TiVo and continue to offer the feature like other TV providers *while* litigating the patents so that its customers wouldn't be inconvenienced and annoyed?" That's the real question. Nobody cares about the legal stuff. ... View more

... might have exactly the opposite of the desired effect. ... View more

@Rustyben wrote: @joetut1937it is a free feature, so no money to credit back. it is not a contract provision. Comcast is working on the problem with the (patent?) court system to resolve the issue(s) @Please be careful @Rustyben, you're treading on some thin legal ice. There's such a thing as an "implied in-fact contract" which could apply to this situation: removal of a promised/expected feature, whether it's explicitly named in a written contract or not. Advertisements extolling the feature may or may not be considered material to whether it's part of such an unwritten contract, but might be entered as evidence into any litigation.   @your comment that Comcast is working on it is more than sufficient response, and doesn't enter into speculation about whether Comcast owes anyone anything or why. The Terms of Service that everyone signed, whether they realized it or not (including @orfartenbuehl), allow Comcast to change almost anything at any time without warning or compensation. Here's the actual policy as it currently figures on the website:   https://www.xfinity.com/Corporate/Customers/Policies/SubscriberAgreement   Please take a look at the beginning of section 4:   "Subject to applicable law, we have the right to change our Service(s), Xfinity Equipment, rates and charges, at any time with or without notice to you. We also may rearrange, delete, add to, or otherwise change programming or features or offerings contained in the Service(s), including, but not limited to, content, functionality, hours of availability, equipment requirements, speed, and upstream and downstream rate limitations."   The full set of all Terms is here:   https://www.xfinity.com/policies   I highly recommend that anyone wishing to understand their rights read these (I have, and I'm not even a lawyer). In addition to the above, you will find that you've agreed to Binding Arbitration for resolution of disputes, but you can opt out of that by informing Comcast in writing. I expect that almost nobody on this forum knew about the binding arbitration clause, and that exactly nobody bothered to opt out.   Lastly, my previous post on this subject was removed; removal of posts that are factual and inoffensive could be seen as an attempt to cover up something that Comcast would rather not have known, and  ... View more

@Dennis25 wrote: I have to wonder if the reason Comcast only recently added the "Recording Disabled" note, instead of six months ago, is that they have decided to cease pursuing a remedy. Could also be that they simply wanted to let people know so that they wouldn't have to call support or post on the forums to find out what happened. I think they took as much heat for not letting people know as for removal of the feature. ... View more

@Rustyben wrote: @Firstlay_d wrote: I agree. Years ago we used to can go to on demand and watch what we wanted now we have to pay additional just to look at old shows or series. We already pay a high bill. Its ridiculous! I'm dropping them very soon the producers/owners of the actual program control what is available and they sell the non-available ones on various platforms. That's entirely understandable. It happens in all industries. So when a restaurant runs out of an expensive ingredient for a popular dish (let's say the truffles in "ravioli with truffles" at $35, for example), they propose a different dish, or they prepare the popular dish with a less-expensive ingredient (let's say mushrooms) and offer it at a lower price. They don't continue to offer the "ravioli with truffles" at the same high price, because they know that customers would be insulted, and many of them would go to a different restaurant if too much stuff like that went on. But Comcast knows that they have a quasi-monopoly, and that people are reluctant to go to the effort of finding a new restaurant. It doesn't make Comcast a place where customers feel like they're being treated with respect. ... View more

@TerriB wrote: @xgrep Thanks so much...very interesting. You are not alone that some don't think some of our posts are constructive and there is more than one troll. I see more posts by long time forum contributers whom I acturally look to or their input being removed every day. Many are passionate about the crusades which does not sit well I guess.  I am in that number.  I feel we are here to provide input from our experiences and exchange/submit suggestions with Comcast AND each other and in my experience our peer to peer exchanges have been very constructive.  Some members can say whatever they want but others  have their posts removed or they get temporarily banned and I bet this post goes bye bye.  The forums are one of the only places we can voice our concerns and to have posts removed seems counter productive unless they are truly ugly.  Here is the definition of a forum: a place, meeting, or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged. Hope you stick around! Thanks for the support. I've had a couple of my posts removed. I refrain from foul language and name-calling, but one was removed as "off topic", because it brought up Comcast's bid for Sky as a way of illustrating that Comcast's priorities were elsewhere than customer satisfaction (I guess a moderator didn't see the connection). Some others were deleted as part of a mass deletion of several posts that perhaps got a bit too deep into the patent dispute. No way to know why these were considered inappropriate other than perhaps comments by certain people who might be deemed to represent Comcast might have been considered to pose some legal risk. Whatever. This is a private venue owned by Comcast; they can delete anything they want at any time and it doesn't constitute censorship or trampling of free speech. All things considered, they tolerate quite a bit of abuse (a lot of which they deserve ;-). ... View more

@TerriB wrote: @xgrep None of my business really but since you have switched providers why are you still on these forums. Seems that you should/would not be 'allowed' access as you are no longer a Comcast customer? It's a very good question, and it's certainly your business. In fact, I asked that myself. After closing my account, I received email saying that although my account area would be inaccessible, I'd still be able to participate on the forums. So it's not like they "forgot to kick me off" at all. I don't believe that email was specifically for me; I think anyone who leaves is allowed to remain on the forums (for whatever reasoning they use).   As to why I would bother to contribute, as I said in a previous post, my overall experience with Comcast was sufficiently positive that I would come back if the circumstances and conditions arose (i.e., that I lived in an area serviced by Comcast, that they were competitive on this feature and others, etc.). So it's absolutely in my interest to see this situation improve for the better (the better for customers and employees, that is; I don't give a fig what happens to the CEO's compensation, he's rich enough).   I know that there's a troll (whose forum handle is a member of the genus gulo) who doesn't think my posts are constructive. I hope that they bother him sufficiently that his blood pressure goes up ten points and feels the need to lie down. If I had the sense that most people here felt that way, I'd bail, as I'd see no point in continuing. ... View more

Lots of complaining (justified, of course), but any action? How many people have done something about this? Like switching providers (myself and one other person on this thread, I think), finding a workaround (one person figured out how to use a Slingbox), getting some money back (one person got a one-time! refund). Because if, out of hundreds of people who've complained on this thread, only a small handful have done anything, Comcast has no incentive to make customers happy. They knew this all along and they were (and are) right. The only thing that we don't know is whether any potential new customers got wind of this scam and chose not to sign up.   Also, we haven't (yet) heard of any class action suits by customers for breach of contract or similar (I haven't gone back to look at the Ts & Cs, but it's likely that there's a binding arbitration clause that precludes class action, or they may be immune thanks to recent Supreme Court rulings that favor common carriers and other big companies).   So ... don't hold your breath waiting for it to come back. ... View more

@Knowles881 wrote: Can you cite the legal ruling? Here's the ruling:   https://www.usitc.gov/secretary/fed_reg_notices/337/337-1001_notice11212017sgl.pdf   If you'd like to see the "lay person" version, search for "itc ruling comcast tivo x1" or similar (without the quotes). I got 26,000 hits on Google, though many of them were links to articles on the January infringement suit launched by Rovi (TiVo's parent company). ... View more

@Rustyben wrote: @riffraf1 wrote: The actual "best answer" would be for Comcast to license the Tivo technology. what you said is precisely the issue: there is no technology. even Tivo doesn't want it to go to patent court (and be invalidated) so they used the import court which can't examine a patent for validity. SCOTUS in its Alice decision clearly stated abstracts (step by step instructions for example how to use a key to open a car door) can't be a valid enforceable patent since it is nothing but directions. The one Tivo used in the import is just that type of abstract (an internet connected device will cause the tuner in the home recording device to change to the selected channel and begin recording). as you can see the 'steps' are precisely what the Alice SCOTUS decision invalidated as an enforceable patent. Comcast will have its day in court eventually. @Rustyben, I think you should be a little careful, because while it's clear that you're not a Comcast employee, the special badge that identifies you as an expert could induce some readers to construe your statements as having some sort of official standing, and that could present some legal risk for Comcast. And unless you haven't revealed it, you're also not an attorney, and your opinions are only opinions, and shouldn't be understood to carry any legal authority (nor do mine).   The reason why I say this is that you insist that the TiVo patents are, or will be found to be, invalid under the doctrine established by the "Alice" decision. This may or may not happen and, for the moment, they're still valid and enforceable. The Alice decision was fairly narrow, in that it, in effect, said "if a patent covers an abstract idea that would not be patentable on its own merit, embodying it in software does not make it patentable". Here's some good discussion on wikipedia:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Corp._v._CLS_Bank_International   "The patents were held to be invalid because the claims were drawn to an abstract idea, and implementing those claims on a computer was not enough to transform that idea into patentable subject matter."   It's not clear that this doctrine applies to the TiVo patents (my personal, non-attorney opinion is that it doesn't).   Next, you assert that TiVo used the import court because validity isn't examined in that venue, implying that the patents aren't valid under "Alice". We don't know why they used the import court; maybe they used it to get a quicker decision than they would in litigating the patents. On top of that, they *have* launched a full-blown infringement suit against Comcast in January:   https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tivo-comcast-lawsuit/tivo-hits-comcast-with-new-round-of-patent-lawsuits-idUSKBN1F02C2   This case could very well determine the validity of the patents. TiVo was apparently willing to take the risk in launching this suit. My personal opinion, based on my impressions of TiVo's legal competence, is that they will prevail, but of course no one can know that in advance, and it could take many months or years to decide.   I'm not an attorney, either, but I was paid as a technology consultant to the patent team at a large tech company, and my job was to analyze patents and products to determine exactly how they compared in order to determine whether there was posible grounds for litigation or licensing. I have not read the TiVo patents, nor have I read the particulars of the January litigation. If anyone (including Comcast) would like me to do so, my consulting rate is $300/hr, billable in eight-hour increments with a minimum initial contract of 40 hours (plus expenses). For $12,000 (or more) you can get a written analysis from me, and it won't even be a legal opinion, just "expert witness".   I think we all should try to refrain from offering opinions on TiVo's patents, and wait until the various suits have worked their way through the courts. In the meanwhile, let's be clear: Comcast has chosen to remove functionality rather than pay TiVo, to the detriment of their customers, while many of their competitors have chosen to pay to license the features and continue to provide them to their customers. And the legal processes will take a very long time to reach conclusions, while Comcast customers are left paying as if they still had the feature (i.e., their bill has not been reduced). ... View more

Asking for feedback is a commonly used technique to give the impression that you care. One company that I worked at used annual feedback surveys to "increase employee engagement'. They never did anything with the feedback except to give employees who complained the impossible job of solving the very problem they complained about with no resources of any kind. So quite obviously it was a way to punish people who complained. It worked exceedingly well - the feedback just kept getting better. I'm not making this up. ... View more

Well said, TerriB, I think you pretty much nailed it.   I've been trying to encourage people to make noise outside this forum to discourage people from signing up. If sales fall far enough short of projections, somebody's head will roll. But it won't be the CEO's, you can be sure of that. Would it make a difference? I sort of doubt it, but it's worth a shot. ... View more

@sportsdude wrote:   Money talks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best advice anyone could give. Mine has already spoken. And it walked. Over to other providers of Internet and video content.   Personally, while I feel that Comcast is no Amazon in giving priority to its customers, I'd switch back if the opportunity and conditions arose. My experience with Comcast was overall favorable. This particular problem was an important factor for me (not the only one).    <Edited for violating forum guidelines> ... View more

@Englishfreak200 wrote: Did Directv & DISH also lose this capability? I have been a customer of both those companies and remote DVR recording was an option offered by both. No, according to others here (and you could find out by calling), both are paying TiVo to license the patents so that they can continue to offer the feature. ... View more

'Cause Dish and several other content providers caved in to TiVo and pay to license the patents that are being disputed so that their customers could continue to use the feature (presumably they'll just raise their prices to get the money back, or they'll collect some of the customers that Comcast loses).   I saw an article not long ago about Jeff Bezos and a presentation that he made at a shareholders' meeting, where the main thing people came away with was that Amazon does everything reasonably possible to satisfy their customers, even if it costs some money, because they know that they'll get it back in more business (and, mind you, Amazon doesn't have a lot of competition compared with Comcast).   Comcast, on the other hand, does everything possible to maximize senior executive compensation, even when that conflicts with customer satisfaction, which it does in this case, but not in all cases.   Can you imagine what a powerhouse company Comcast would be if they adopted the Amazon business strategy? ... View more

@orfartenbuehl wrote: HOA allows satellite dishes per federal law. OTA are not allowed if they can be seen from street level. That's correct. HOAs can prohibit OTA antennas, but not satellite (at least not DBS - they can prevent you from putting up a 3-meter-diameter C-band antenna). Not sure if there are any rules about coax or fiber, but who doesn't want access to a cable TV content provider?   ... View more

@TerriB wrote: @xgrep wrote: @annasue wrote: I have been Comcast customer for over 10 years with 2 accounts - one for business and one for residential. In all, I've bee paying over $200 a month for this timeframe.  I am seriously seeking another way to get my tv programming with one of these devices you attach to your tv.  Does anyone have any suggestions? Here's how I bailed:   1. Switched to a different Internet provider (although I probably could've negotiated Comcast's Internet price to something acceptable). In virtually all regions, you can get Internet from a provider that's not cable TV (AT&T, Verizon, etc.).   2. Subscribed to an assortment of streaming services, according to what we like to watch. There are so many now that it's impossible to recommend something that somebody else would like. They include (but not limited to): HBO Go, HBO Now, Youtube, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Sling, Crackle, DirecTV Now, Twitch, Vevo, fubo, CBS All Access, and more. We already had Netflix and Amazon Prime, so we just added some stuff to cover what we want to watch. It's still way less than the typical Comcast package.   With virtually all of these services, the content is available on demand, so you don't have or need the remote scheduling feature, which is why they didn't have any risk of infringement on TiVo patents. But if you chose an Internet provider like AT&T or Verizon instead of a streaming service, you could get their TV content package with a box that allows remote scheduling, since they paid TiVo's licensing fees.   Having said all that, I'm sure all of you are aware that AT&T, Verizon, and similar providers are not really any better than Comcast in most respects. You'll get the same price creep, the same spotty first-level support, etc. I almost could've lived with Comcast even without the remote scheduling feature, but I felt it was time to exercise my wallet vote. They crossed a line with this one for me. I might be back at some point in the future, but I'm pretty please with my current situation. So....may I ask what the  'normal'  monthly cost will be to you after any promotions. With all you subscribed to it looks like a whopping monthly bill compared to around the $200 most pay Comcast for triple play.  We can barely afford the $200 so just curious BUT  one blessing is that we get Xfinity Voice for free so that eliminates the $100 we were paying to another mobile carrier. Excellent question. First of all, we already were getting Netflix ($10.99/month) and Amazon Prime ($whatever/year). I suspect a lot of folks are like us and already have those. We bounced over to AT&T for Internet and got that for $39.95/month, which I know that I can negotiate and keep that price more or less indefinitely. So that makes our monthly outlay so far $40. Next, we haven't yet settled on what streaming services were going to go with long term. It will probably inclue hulu+ or something, which can go up to $40/month. So, compared with Comcast, we're at $80/month (because we already had, and are keeping, Netflix and Amazon). Our Comcast situation was a bit special, because of a deal that our large condo association had with them, but a normal package of Internet+basic TV would've been around the same total as what we're paying now (I think - $80/month). Then things got complicated - we moved out of the US, and everything is different (and much less expensive) where we are now.   Everyone's situation will be different - by a lot. You have to do your homework, and that's what Comcast is counting on. ... View more

@annasue wrote: I live in an apartment and Comcast is the only provider i can have.  You can't get AT&T U-Verse (combined Internet+TV) or Verizon FiOS (same) or some other "telephone" provider who now also offers TV content packages? You can't get any other Internet? Once you have Internet, you can subscribe to any number of content streaming services. I can't believe that Comcast is the only connection you can get to the outside world. ... View more

@annasue wrote: I have been Comcast customer for over 10 years with 2 accounts - one for business and one for residential. In all, I've bee paying over $200 a month for this timeframe.  I am seriously seeking another way to get my tv programming with one of these devices you attach to your tv.  Does anyone have any suggestions? Here's how I bailed:   1. Switched to a different Internet provider (although I probably could've negotiated Comcast's Internet price to something acceptable). In virtually all regions, you can get Internet from a provider that's not cable TV (AT&T, Verizon, etc.).   2. Subscribed to an assortment of streaming services, according to what we like to watch. There are so many now that it's impossible to recommend something that somebody else would like. They include (but not limited to): HBO Go, HBO Now, Youtube, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Sling, Crackle, DirecTV Now, Twitch, Vevo, fubo, CBS All Access, and more. We already had Netflix and Amazon Prime, so we just added some stuff to cover what we want to watch. It's still way less than the typical Comcast package.   With virtually all of these services, the content is available on demand, so you don't have or need the remote scheduling feature, which is why they didn't have any risk of infringement on TiVo patents. But if you chose an Internet provider like AT&T or Verizon instead of a streaming service, you could get their TV content package with a box that allows remote scheduling, since they paid TiVo's licensing fees.   Having said all that, I'm sure all of you are aware that AT&T, Verizon, and similar providers are not really any better than Comcast in most respects. You'll get the same price creep, the same spotty first-level support, etc. I almost could've lived with Comcast even without the remote scheduling feature, but I felt it was time to exercise my wallet vote. They crossed a line with this one for me. I might be back at some point in the future, but I'm pretty please with my current situation. ... View more

@pac12family wrote: I noticed it too and found this article about why it was removed.  Note - i didn't call comcast to confirm, but in fact one day the record option was just gone :( https://www.multichannel.com/blog/comcast-pulls-remote-dvr-scheduling-feature-stream-app-416841 @thanks for posting that link, I hadn't seen it before. I was especially tickled that the Twitter handle they're using is @ComcastCares. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. That's definitely the best laugh I've had in a while. ... View more

@annasue wrote: Really??? Comcast won’t pay the fees...after the thousands of dollars I have paid them over the years and the lousy customer service I have had to put up with?  i live in an apartment complex and Comcast is the only service we can have. You could look into subcription streaming services and shop around for Internet. You're not locked into Comcast even if they're the only cable provider. ... View more

@Wolverine062 wrote: @xgrep wrote: @Golfer012 wrote: How to set recordings remotely from iphone. Switch to a different TV content provider. Comcast no longer offers this feature, having chosen to not pay TiVo royalties on their patent. See first page of this monster thread. And then after you switch, keep posting on the old provider's website because you know the new provider has inferior products, and you want to come back. Such a pleasant troll.   As a matter of fact, I certainly would come back to Comcast if they restored this feature (and if I lived in an area where they were a provider - I don't anymore, but I would've switched, anyway). ... View more

@Golfer012 wrote: How to set recordings remotely from iphone. Switch to a different TV content provider. Comcast no longer offers this feature, having chosen to not pay TiVo royalties on their patent. See first page of this monster thread. ... View more

@Rustyben wrote: @TerriB wrote: @Rustyben wrote: @TerriB wrote: This may have been answered before but I would like to know why the other providers can still have this feature but not Comcast. Why didn't TIVO go after the others ? I just don't understand. Please explain and thank you tivo/rovi want to lock in decade+ long contracts that would not depend on the patent status. == So are you saying that Comcast would not sign a long contract to keep the service and the others did? I thought it all had to do with not paying them for use of patent and something about the set top boxes? I am more confused than ever. the alice decision of SCOTUS said you can not patent abstract ideas (like using technology to change channel in a remote set top box). that decision is currently being used to remove patents that are abstract. a similar patent could claim a paent on 'a device that wipes/abraises tooth surfaces' (toothbrush). the sneaky way tivo went to an import court is proof that tivo knows the patent will not be upheld in a real patent court. First, it has been invalid to patent abtract ideas since long before the "Alice" decision. What that decision did was attempt to clarify what may be considered an abstract idea by ruling that just because it's embodied in software doesn't make it a non-abstract idea. This may not have been a helpful decision when applied to the TiVo patents for a variety of reasons. A clear definition of what is a patentable vs abstract idea still doesn't exist. Encryption and compression algorithms, for example, are patentable. It's in some ways similar to the courts that tried to rule on what exactly constitutes pornography (and that still hasn't been decided in the gray areas).   Secondly, while you may believe that the "Alice" decision should apply to the TiVo patents (and you may be right), they have not yet been litigated, and they are still in force.   Finally, TiVo's choice to go to import court before (or instead of) launching an infringement suit may or may not have been due to any concern they had for the patents' validity. It is proof of nothing. They may have chosen to block imports, because they believed that they could get a quicker ruling in that venue. Infringement/validity litigation can take years to resolve. Using your logic, I might argue that the fact that TiVo launched an infringement suit in January is proof that they know that their patents are watertight. The motivation for that suit may have nothing to do with any such beliefs.   You seem to have concluded that the TiVo patents are or should be invalid, but this is your personal opinion. Right now, they are in force, and nobody knows which way it will go. I've said before: my money is on TiVo. Their lawyers are some of the best. Comcast has not shown that level of legal competence (in my opinion), though they've shown a very big wallet. ... View more

@ChrisMD123 wrote: How about just paying the bloody royalties and countersuing damages later? This shouldn't have been patentable in the first place, and you'll probably win on appeal (get out of that one District Court in Texas!), so stop annoying your customers in the meantime. You make an excellent point. Interestingly, though, TiVo launched a second suit in January - this time,  an explicit patent infringement suit that could, indeed, test the validity of their patents. It's sort of a "nuclear option", in that it puts the treasure at risk. If the patents are found to be invalid (and I don't think that anyone really knows the odds of that), they lose not only to Comcast, but to all of the other TV content providers who have been paying since last November for the right to keep this feature.   However, TiVo's patents were very well written by some of the best patent attorneys in Silicon Valley and have held up against many tests. TiVo may be gambling that they will continue to hold (the Supreme Court "Alice" decision notwithstanding). Time will tell. Time during which Comcast customers get to pay and still not have the feature, while customers of other content providers do. ... View more

@sfbrian1 wrote: I was just on a 2 hour chat with Comcast about this issue.   This was the best answer they could give me:  " this issue has been reported with Comcast server engineers. And they are working all their efforts to have remote recordings be available with X1 cable boxes and features. Once they have this work on and be available again soon, we will definitely cascade this to our customers and enjoy the feature again, just like before." Interesting. I wonder what this means. Does it mean "we're now calling our lawyers 'server engineers'"? Or does it mean "we've figured out how to get around the patents and are writing new code to do it"? Or is it pure nonsense, being something the rep was told to say to keep you from switching to a competitor? I guess we'll find out when the "server engineers" finish whatever it is they're doing. Sometime in 2025. ... View more

@DMCRAW wrote: So this appeal is taking awhile and I really miss this option. Is there any news? Why is Verizon still able to offer the record option on their app?f Verizon and others are paying TiVo/Rovi for the right to offer the feature. Comcast refused to pay and decided to appeal the ruling.   Obviously, this appeal, and the related infringement suit filed by TiVo in January, could be decided in either direction. But I will say this: I had some knowledge of the attorneys who wrote the TiVo patents, and while Comcast has a lot more money, I would place my bets on TiVo. Again: anything could happen, but my money is on TiVo.   Now if Comcast loses, what do you think will happen? Will they cave, pay up, and restore the feature? I don't know anything specific about Comcast's management, but their behavior throughout their history suggests that they won't pay, and that Comcast customers will never see this feature again.   So there you have it: one moderately-informed person's personal opinion based on no direct knowledge. I'd give my prediction about a 65% chance of coming to pass (i.e., 2 out of 3 odds). It's worth what you paid for it, right? ... View more

@johns4949 wrote: Why is this problem not resolved yet ?   We pay for the system to work in the matter that we purchased the Xfinity X1.  Without the ability to schedule recordings from your app you need to discount the cost for a service we originally payed for and was taken away because of a corporate oversight. Please call and ask for a refund and discount. Others have been able to do this. Comcast won't do it without you asking. ... View more

@NGRO wrote: Has there been any change in this practice? This is a great feature and I miss it. Thanks. Not really, and none likely in the foreseeable future.   One potentially positive point is that while the current situation was prompted by TiVo winning a case that prohibited Comcast from importing X1 boxes that support the feature (and not a patent infringement case, as many assume), TiVo launched a separate infringement case in January that may actually test the validity of the patents in question. If TiVo loses that case or one or more patents are invalidated, then Comcast might get to restore the feature without having to win the appeal that they launched against the import case. Both cases are winding their way through the long legal process, so don't expect any relief soon. Switch to a different TV content provider, and/or ask for a rebate/reduction of your monthly bill. Financial pressure may convince Comcast to pay TiVo for the right to restore the feature. ... View more

@DTA wrote: " If you’re away from your DVR box and cannot schedule a recording and miss a show, check to see if it's available on XFINITY On Demand! "   EXTREMELY LAME response!  On Demand is a waste of time as I have never been able to find ANY show which I am interested in watching. All the first run shows I watch are not included in On Demand.   According to a Comcast rep which I spoke with in December, she agreed to refund $10 for the month of December for the inconvenience of loosing this capability.  This credit should be applied every month, for every customer who requests it, until this matter is resolved.     Well done. If enough people complained and got a rebate, the equation might start to tilt in favor of paying TiVo and restoring the feature. An even better incentive would be if people would leave Comcast. As far as I can tell, nobody here has done that except me. And you're the first person to say they've gotten some money. ... View more

@Jenlm wrote:  Tomorrow I am going to call and ask for a refund for the services that have been taken away. What do you think is a realistic amount of money to ask to be refunded?   I think it would help to be united in this effort. Perhaps, I have somebody write a script of what we should say. Please remember that kindness usually wins over crabbiness! It is not the fault of the person on the phone. I would think that a $10 reduction (plus tax) would be appropriate. That's the cost of a typical single channel that you could add to your subscription. Retroactive to when you lost the feature (mid November), of course. ... View more

@gus63 wrote: How can I schedule a program to record remotely when I travel? You can switch to a different TV content provider that has paid TiVo for the right to offer the feature. Comcast has removed the feature rather than pay TiVo. Not making this up. See first page of this thread. ... View more

I just bailed, so figured I'd let y'all know before my access gets closed. Cut the cord. Pulled the plug. Different Internet provider and will probably sign up for something like hulu+ or similar. Good luck to the rest of you. Sure hope some of you can convince Comcast to give you a couple of dollars back, 'cause you sure aren't going to be getting that remote scheduling feature anytime soon. If a couple of you get to see this before it gets deleted, maybe you could post a reply saying that you know for a fact that some folks have left. ... View more

@adam714 wrote: So essentially comcast remoed functionality but prices continue to rise.    A reputable company would discount the service when removing features. Try calling and ask them to give you a discount for every month that the feature is missing (it was removed last November). Please report back here if they do (unless they give you $130,000 and make you sign a non-disclosure agreement, of course). ... View more

@storageman wrote: My Question,"Is there a work around" . There must be a product that will allow remote control. Would TIVO solve the problem? One person reported being able to use a Slingbox to control the DVR (you program the Slingbox; it controls the DVR). And a TiVo will work, but then you're paying both TiVo and Comcast, so not exactly a winning solution. Best "solution": find a different TV content provider that has the feature. I bet that AT&T, Verizon, DirecTV and others have been getting quite a few calls from Comcast customers, but as Comcast has figured, not many are jumping ship. ... View more

@persr4955 wrote: Stupidly, I never even thought of that. If we all call and ask/demand credit on our bills for a service promised and no longer provided sounds like a sensible tactic. I've been following this idea with some interested, because I've assumed (possibly incorrectly) that Comcast not only has no legal obligation so offer any credit (unless it can be shown that there was some sort of contractual commitment), but they have no intention of doing so. However, I would really like to hear from anyone who's managed to get a credit of any kind - even if it's just a one-time rebate. I'm going to guess that any report of that might be quickly deleted from this discussion. But I'm still curious. ... View more

@beenliedtwo wrote: Sounds like they want us to look at it on  XFINITY On Demand! so we'll have to look at the commercials. If it was that much of a legal issue all carriers would have to do it.  It's a big legal issue. Other carriers opted to pay TiVo for the right to use the technology so that they can continue to offer it. You can switch to one of them if it's important enough to you (and if you have that possibility). ... View more

@Hallen wrote: Wow. That's increadibly stupid. What's the difference between setting a recording with my phone compared to setting it on the DVR using the remote???? This is a key feature for me since I'm a baseball fan and I don't always keep up with game times so I often use the app to set recordings. I pay a ton for Xfinity. If I can't get convinient features, what's the point in paying so much? Yup. As you can see from the hundreds and hundreds of comments, everyone here agrees with you! ... View more

  To my knowlege, the patents in question are still valid, but they could potentially be invalidated. There was considerable discussion in this thread a while back about the specific doctrine that might apply (ref the "Alice" decision by the Supreme Court); most of that discussion seems to have been deleted by moderators.   Anyway, the point is that intellectual property may be considered stolen to the extent that the patents are valid, and Comcast perhaps felt that they would be invalidated if they were explicitly litigated. In the decision that forced Comcast to remove the remote record feature, the patents were *not* litigated; it was a decision that prohibited Comcast from importing STBs that allowed the feature to work. Not the same thing. The patents remain in force.   Meanwhile, in January, TiVo (or Rovi, the parent) launched an infringement suit against Comcast, and this suit could determine the validity of the patents. So the entire situation is not simple; there are a lot of moving parts. ... View more

Well, Einstein, you've really sussed that out.   Here's what's going on: people post their question somewhere else, and a moderator moves it to this thread (from several others). If they had seen this thread in the first place, they would've known what's going on and probably not bothered to ask.   Now why don't you head on over to foxnews.com, where they'll tell you where you can pick up your Nobel. ... View more

@plew2 wrote: So, Rustyben, you remove anything negative.  I can understand why you would.  However it might be wise for Comcast to consider the "negative narrative" as constructive criticism and take appropriate corrective action. That's a plausible suggestion, but I can think of three reasons why it may not be a good one (you can probably think of others):   1. Comcast is fully aware of what's going on and don't need additional suggestions or evidence of customer displeasure. They can gauge the level of discomfort by the number of people who leave better than the complaining on this forum.   2. There may be legal considerations: allowing certain statements to go unfiltered could potentially damage their position in current or future litigation. I have no idea what those might be, but I'm not a Comcast attorney.   3. Sometimes comments can get a bit nasty, and could lead to frustrated people attacking each other and the whole thing escalating out of control, which would ruin the value of this forum for all concerned. ... View more

@JMPG wrote: Where is this issue currently? It is very inconvenient that you cannot program the dvr from the app.  Is Comcast working on the ability to supply this technology? Yes, they've appealed the court decision that ruled that they couldn't import X1 boxes that support the feature. If/when they win the appeal, they will probably restore the feature. That could take a while. Don't go on a starvation diet; you'll be dead before it comes back. ... View more

@loopschick wrote: This feature is one of the major reasons I signed up for Comcast DVR service.  Stop apologizing for the "inconvenience" and FIX IT.  It's been over 3 months now.  The feature is still not available, and no discounted price has been offered for the "inconvenience" of being unable to use a feature I signed up for.  Please provide an update.  If this feature is not restored soon, it's time for me to find a new service provider.  In fact, it's been since November, when they removed the feature, so four months. If you have anything in writing that you were given (collaterals, user guides) that specifically mentions that feature, then you would possibly have a case of breach of contract (but I suspect that you can't sue, because there was probably a binding arbitration clause in whatever you signed when you subscribed).   We can't know, of course - Comcast could decide to pay TiVo and restore it - but based on how long it will take for their appeal to get through the legal process, it will not be restored soon. And anyway, why wait? If you have the possibility to switch providers, the competition might be happy to get your business with a very attractive offer. Do your research, set yourself a date, and then follow through. Or, like the rest of us here, enjoy complaining :-). ... View more

@BFG2015 wrote: Comcast continues to neither say nor do anything about this issue. You would think with all the people dropping cable and streaming they would be more concerned. "all the people"? I wish you were right, but I don't think many people have dropped Comcast over this (or will). They've said all they're going to (for the moment - until they change their strategy or win the appeal). Very few people are leaving over this (at least from what I can tell). Again, I hope that you're right, but I doubt it. Prove me wrong ... :-) ... View more

@orfartenbuehl wrote: Problem is that you will still need high speed Internet from some vendor. If Comcast is your only choice, and that’s all you buy from them, you will really be ripped off. I can certainly confirm that from my own experience. But there's more competition for Internet access than TV content, so your odds of getting a reasonably-priced Internet provider are better than the odds of switching to a different content provider. Even so, in most areas, you have a choice of content providers thanks to the different delivery modes: cable, copper/fiber, satellite. Cable is preferred by many people for a variety of reasons, but most people aren't totally locked in (many are, though).   The main obstacle to switching providers isn't necessarily availability or price, it's consumer inertia. All service providers know that customers are slow to switch for many legitimate reasons, and that enters into their calculations/projections. But Comcast's strategic decision on this particular issue has stirred up more ill will than many that we've seen. Just look at the current Facebook data scandal. How many people do you think will drop Facebook? And yet their stock dropped 9% in the first two days after the news broke. ... View more

@sbwinter2 wrote: Can't you still set a recording if you are using the box (vs. the app)? I have my own DVRs since they are superior to Comcast and Tivo, plus I think the X1 platform is lousy. I lost remote DVR programming years ago as the service was going out of business (but there is a strong grassroots following so we continue to maintain the DVR system). I can record (and download) any show I want by programming on the box itself (or on any DVR or computer in the house). Can't you still do that with the X1 DVR too? Yes, you can, if you have a device that can control the Comcast box (e.g., with an IR emitter). ... View more

Forgot to mention: your best/only solution at this time is to move to a competitor or some other platform ("cut the cord"). ... View more

One person reported being able to use Slingbox to set recordings, since it has a programmable IR emitter that can control the Comcast box. And there are other devices that can do this. Most people don't have them, and (not coincidentally) devices that were at one time able to do this no longer can (TiVo got them). It's possible to concoct a combination of devices that will do what you want, but it's super-geeky and in no way seamless. ... View more

And, if your show is not available in Comcast On Demand, you are out of luck and Comcast could care less.  They offer nothing at all with regard to solving the problem, which is easily solved by other companies, and even Comcast in the past, pay Tivo royalties to use their patent.  Since they paid previously, what changed, other than Comcast greed.  You should realize that the price of the royalties has been priced into our monthly fee for years.  So, again, I ask, what changed as they don’t seem to be eager to settle this or refund the portion of our fee that went for the royalties in the past.   Since there is little chance that this post will remain up very long, better read it fast. I've read the same stuff in the press, and I think you might be oversimplifying things a bit. That is, I'm not sure that Comcast was paying for the right to use this feature and then decided to stop paying when they lost the recent decision. If they had been paying, there wouldn't have been any litigation. It's true that they were (and no doubt still are) licensing some TiVo patents, but I don't know what the deal was with the patent(s) affecting this specific feature.   In any case, let's not forget that many of Comcast's competitors are paying so that they can still offer the feature. ... View more