Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) has expanded its cloud-based DVR to X1 platform users in Central California, including systems in Santa Barbara, Fresno, Chico and Stockton.
Subscribers in these areas now have access to a cloud-based digital video recorder that can record up to 500 GB worth of video, as well as four shows at once. The offering also allows users to view their DVR content while on the road, either via download or streaming with Wi-Fi connection.
"These new features--live in-home streaming and X1 DVR with cloud technology--give our customers more flexibility for watching their favorite shows and movies in and out of their home," said Hank Fore, regional VP of Comcast's California Region. "Now, any screen in the house can become a personal TV, and recorded programs can be accessed anytime, anywhere."
Comcast appears to be working to replace its X1 premise-based DVR with the new cloud-based option, since the premise-based DVR only supports viewing inside the customer's home.
While Comcast has made the X1 video platform available across its entire footprint, the company's cloud DVR is still only available in select areas, including Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and San Francisco.
In deploying cloud DVR technology, Comcast must address content rights issues. The company must also allocate dedicated storage for each individual subscriber on the server end.
Comcast has made the technology cost-effective by deploying its "Content Archive Model," which assigns subscribers both "active" and "archive" storage space. The patented technology allows Comcast to move programs from archive servers to active servers based on demand and data it has collected about subscriber viewing habits.
For more:
- read this Comcast press release
Related links:
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Comcast unveils blueprint for network DVR in patent application
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