Comcast DVR Multi-Room Help
By Darrin Meyer
Among the features offered with Comcast Cable's XFINITY TV digital television service is one known as AnyRoom DVR. With this feature, the main DVR is networked with up to three other connected TVs in the household, giving you the ability to have the full range of DVR options from any of those connected TVs. As this is somewhat of a sophisticated feature, there may be times where it does not work exactly as you want it to, which is when Comcast can help you solve the problem or you can seek a remedy at home.
Availability
Contact Comcast at 800-XFINITY if you do not already have the AnyRoom DVR service and want to find out if it is available in your city or town, or if you currently have the service and are having issues with it. If you live in a market where Comcast offers AnyRoom DVR, the representative you speak to will explain what is required on your end for the service to be added, detail the costs involved with adding the service, and set an appointment for a technician to arrive at your house to install the necessary hardware and make the proper connections.
Connections
The Comcast technician will make all the necessary cable connections between the main DVR and any other non-DVR set-top receiver boxes that will be networked during the installation process. Any TVs to be included with the AnyRoom DVR service will require a set-top box to access the DVR features, and Comcast will supply the specific boxes needed for the service. After installation, one troubleshooting step to take if the service is not working is to check the cable connections between the cable outlet and the main DVR, from the main DVR to the other boxes, and from each box to its connected TV to ensure the various cables are securely attached.
Inputs
One other troubleshooting step to take at home is to ensure that each TV is set to the device input the DVR or set-top box is connected to if you cannot access the DVR and the cable service in general from that TV. While older TVs may only need to be tuned to channel 3 or 4, newer HDTVs have different types of inputs (HDMI, component video, coaxial or composite RCA) that can be used to connect a cable receiver. Set the TV to the appropriate input (HDMI 1 or AV1) to display the signal from its connected set-top box.
Recording
All functions related to recording programming must be done through the main "hub" DVR, so any attempt to do so from one of the secondary or "terminal" set-top boxes does not mean there is a problem with the service. Only the main DVR can establish series recordings and priority settings or delete recorded content. The secondary boxes can only be used for playback, including the ability to pause, rewind or fast-forward that playback. The terminals can also not pause or rewind live TV, nor can DVRs be used as the terminal boxes, as is possible with some other providers that offer a similar service. Contact Comcast customer support for any ongoing issues with AnyRoom DVR or any other aspect of your service.
References
Writer Bio
Darrin Meyer has been writing since 2009. In addition to being a frequent blogger, his articles appear on eHow, Answerbag and other Web sites. Meyer has a Bachelor of Arts in broadcast journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.