TiVo Preps for Comcast’s MPEG Transition

Comcast is transitioning its Augusta, GA, system from MPEG2 format to MPEG4 starting in Oct. That means cable channels in the region won’t be viewable on older TiVo equipment incompatible with the new format, the DVR service provider said in a notice to customers on its website. It’s the 1st market where Comcast has made the MPEG4 shift. TiVo devices to be affected by the transition include TiVo Stream, which won’t work with the upgraded Comcast channels until early next year, when a Stream software update will be released. In addition, the TiVo Series3/HD will only be able to receive local channels. Users will need to upgrade to a Premiere Series or Roamio Series DVR to continue to receive all channels. TiVo Series 1 and Series 2 users will need to replace their existing cable boxes with updated boxes from Comcast to continue to receive content. “TiVo is working hard to minimize the impact of this transition on our Augusta customers,” the company said in a statement, urging subs with a Series 3 or earlier TiVo device to contact customer support for special upgrade offers.