Comcast Plans 2014 Network DVR Rollout

The life of the average TV fanatic is filled with many emotional highs and lows. You’ll surely be able to relate if you’ve ever planned your whole week around an episode of your favorite show, or allowed the events depicted in said show to plunge you into a deeply melancholic mood. Yep, there are many things that can drive an avid television watcher up the wall. Of that unsavory bunch, there are very few that can compare to missing an episode of a program that we just can’t afford to miss. There was time when such tragic events occurred quite frequently. However, with the widespread introduction of the digital video recorder (DVR) by many cable TV service providers, these unfortunate happenings have become a thing of the past for many subscribers. The DVR has truly revolutionized the way in which innumerable people throughout the United States (and the wider world) interact with TV programming. Now, Comcast is on the verge of extending the capabilities of this extremely useful technology even further. By channeling the power of the cloud, XFINITY subscribers will soon be able to depend on their provider’s reliable network to perform these functions.  

 

How the rollout will play out?

Matthew Strauss, Comcast Senior Vice President and General Manager of Video Services, stated in a recent interview with FierceCable that the rollout is “going to start initially in the Boston area”. While no definitive start date has yet been announced, all indications point to an imminent deployment. So, if you live in the popular Massachusetts region, you might just be among the initial batch of subscribers who get the chance to test drive this new network DVR offer. However, if you’re going to be among the pioneers, you’ll need to have the DVR-supported XFINITY X1 box installed in your home.  

 

Boston, X1 & network DVR

Boston has long been one of the most fertile testing grounds for new services being introduced by Comcast. In May 2012, it was also the first market in which the revolutionary X1 entertainment platform made its appearance. Back then, the product was very well received by Bostonians. As a result, it was subsequently introduced to customers in many additional markets throughout the United States. The highly anticipated network DVR service will rely heavily on the same cloud-based infrastructure that’s supported the provision of very good user experiences to millions of XFINITY subscribers across the country.

 

How (Network) DVR works

In-home DVR devices allow you to control TV programming in a way that just wasn’t possible up until relatively recently. With one at your disposal, you’re able to record programming on the device’s hard drive for viewing at a later time that’s more convenient for you. This time-shifted viewing model puts the control of all your favorite TV programming right in the palm of your hands. Network DVR services, such as the one that Comcast will roll out shortly, take these capabilities a step further. They eliminate the need for you to have a personal digital video recording device in your home. Instead, you can rely on the remote content storage capacity that’s offered by the provider. Comcast customers will be able to access the various features provided through the X1 program menu that’ll incorporate digital video recording functionality. By simply accessing this menu, you’ll then be able to initiate the recording of all selected programming on the reliable network of servers that Comcast will make available specifically for this purpose.

 

 

Benefits of using a network DVR service

There are numerous benefits that you’ll be able to tap into when you use a network DVR service. The first, and most obvious, is that the use of network resources eliminates the need for you to purchase or install any additional hardware. Here are a few more that you can look forward to:

 

• Easy access to features

The ease with which you’re able to access its various features is one of the most appealing characteristics typically associated with network DVR service. The X1 platform forms a critical part of the network infrastructure that Comcast will be using to provide the offering to its customers. Its hardware (and complementary software) has generally been lauded by subscribers for the ease with which it allows them to access the various features that it brings to the table. Similarly, Comcast’s network DVR promises to significantly simplify things.      

 

• Reduced service downtime issues

Cloud-based network services are also generally subjected to less downtime than those which are supported by individual devices within subscribers’ homes. This is due to the fact that a problem originating from the provider’s end can generally be resolved much more quickly than multiple ones that crop up with the individual DVRs of multiple customers. In theory, this means that you shouldn’t have to worry as much about service downtime issues.

 

Coming to your home soon?

Comcast is on the verge of rolling out a network DVR service that will further revolutionize the way in which you watch your favorite TV programming. XFINITY subscribers based in Boston are slated to be the first to benefit from this impressive innovation.  

 

Comcast Plans 2014 Network DVR Rollout