And I’m sure there others that I haven’t spotted.

Dave Zatz posted this video to YouTube:

Note that this is a proof of concept, a technology demonstrator, and not the SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone that will eventually be released. This was an engineering project written for jail-broken iPhones to characterize the performance of the platform and ensure that Sling could deliver a high quality customer experience on the iPhone & iPod Touch platforms. This allowed Sling to gain experience with the platform while waiting for the SDK to be released. The official SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone will be written using the SDK and sold through the iTunes App store like other official iPhone/iPod Touch applications. At least that is currently the intent.

If you’re attending the Apple WWDC this week you can get a look at the proof of concept application first hand. Sling Media Product Manager Vicky Shum will be at the Starbucks at 120 4th Street, San Francisco (across from the Metreon) between 10:00 and 16:00 (10am and 4pm) on Monday, June 9th running demos.

Disclaimer: I am currently employed by Sling Media.

He’s an existing TiVo owner, with two Series2 units with product lifetime. So he’s not new to the TiVo interface. He had the TiVo software installed on 1/16/08. Roughly a week later the box ‘lost’ the TiVo software and reverted back to the default menus. Comcast send technicians back out to reload the box. But then it died again – on Super Bowl Sunday! That time it “completely locked up”. John pulled the power and it stuck on the “Welcome” screen. Further reboots produce the same hang. So he’s given up and is going back to the default software. Comcast told him “lots of people’ are having problems with the software.

And he’s not the only one. It looks like Doug Aamoth over at CrunchGear has had a similarly poor experience. While he recommended the software on his initial review, he’s now rescinded that recommendation. It sounds like Doug’s problems are a combination of box trouble and poor customer support by Comcast, including technicians blowing off appointments. (I feel his pain, I’ve had Charter do the same to me multiple times in the past.) As Doug concludes his post:

My options, as I see them are twofold. One, I can continuously reschedule technicians to come out here, hoping to get an appointment in the morning or to get a tech that gives a damn about working until 5:00.

Or two, I can bring both DVRs into a Comcast store and exchange them for working boxes at the expense of having TiVo (an interface that bricked my first box and doesn’t work even close to correctly on my second box) removed from my account.

I think I’m gonna go with option number two.

Ouch.

We know that Comcast and TiVo have promised rapid updates to the software to solve a number of known issues. Hopefully they can get those out there fast, and they do resolve some of these issues. As for the customer service problems – I won’t hold my breath. I know Comcast and TiVo are breaking new ground with this OCAP software, and there are bound to be some teething issues as they blaze a new trail, but they’ll need to corral the major issues quickly before it tarnishes their image. (I can mix metaphors with the best of ‘em!) I know TiVo is determined to make this work, so I still have hope.

Do you have the Comcast TiVo software? If so, what has been your experience? Leave a comment or contact me and let me know, good, bad, or indifferent.

TV fans in the Greater Boston area now have a new choice for recording their favorite programs with the launch of the Comcast Digital Video Recorder (DVR) with TiVo® service. The new service combines TiVo’s award-winning interface and exclusive features, including WishList® searches, TiVo Suggestions and Season Pass™ recordings, with Comcast’s comprehensive channel lineup and massive On Demand library – which includes the most high-definition viewing choices on the market – in one box.

It certainly is garnering a lot of press: USA Today, The Boston Globe, AdWeek, and countless blogs.

Including Doug Aamoth of CrunchGear who has had it installed and have posted a ‘first look video‘.