For a Comcast customer that wants to get rid of Comcast equipment and own equipment instead with the goal being to save money, would you currently recommend cablecard compatible devices such as a TiVo or Roku devices? The customer pays for the Digital Starter package as part of his home owners association monthly payment (Comcast bulk account), and he has the cheapest Xfinity internet service. The price increase for any required upgrade or Comcast equipment would need to be paid directly to Comcast, but he would prefer to not upgrade and not have any equipment from Comcast. He wants to be able to view and record the HD channels that are included in the Digital Starter package, and he is not interested in video on demand.
Option 1: Return all equipment to Comcast and purchase a TiVo or other cablecard tuner and other equipment to be able to watch and record the HD channels.
Option 2: Upgrade the Comcast package if needed and purchase multiple Roku devices to use with Comcast's cloud DVR service with the Xfinity Stream app to watch and record in HD.
His neighbor has a TiVo with the same bulk account, and the neighbor is able to view and record HD channels without the $10 HD fee added to the Comcast bill. There are many sources indicating this is common but not always the case with a cablecard used with Digital Starter. The savings of $10 for Option 1 may be temporary due to Comcast's new pricing structure that will include HD with no additional HD fee. I say "may be temporary" because Comcast has indicated that additional fees may be charged in the future when the app is no longer in the beta phase. Comcast will eventually not support cablecards. So, with Option 1, the customer is taking a chance that the cablecard support will continue for the life of the equipment.
I have a similar post on the TiVo Community Forum. I am posting this here because I would like to get additional opinions.
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