can someone explain to me how Comcast OnDemand works?

[LSK]

Now that they took away CSPAN2 on my basic cable, I'm guess I'm going to have to get digital. How does this OnDemand thing work?

[MysticalChicken]

1. It's very simple, once you get used to it

On your remote--I think all Comcast remotes are the same--on the top, there's a button that says ON DEMAND. Click it and you'll be taken to the On Demand page. Now you'll see a bunch of buttons with words on them like "Movies," "Free Movies, "Premium Channels," "TV Entertainment," etc. (There's another page, just click the Page Down button on your remote, with things like "Music," "Cutting Edge" (with cool/weird shows), etc.). Use the arrow keys on your remote to choose the main category you want. For example, if you wanted to watch something on Comedy Central On Demand, you would choose "TV Entertainment," then when you get to that sub-menu, choose "Comedy Central," then the next sub-category that best describes what you want (if you wanted to watch South Park, you'd pick "Shows," if you wanted to watch a clip from The Daily Show or The Colbert Report, click "Stewart/Colbert,"). If the show or movie you want to watch says "Complementary" or "Free" or whatever the fuck it says, then you don't have to pay for it; if there's a dollar sign when you click the description you have to pay the dollar amount shown. Although nearly all shows and the majority of movies are free. The only movies you have to pay for, I think, are the ones in the "Movies" section.

Programs that have been added less than a week ago will have "New" next to them. Programs that have less than a week to be on will have a date next to them; they will be taken off at midnight that night. (Example, if a show ends October 30, you can still watch it on the 30th until midnight that night. Although I've found that you can "cheat" the system and keep it for another 24 hours past its expiration date, if you start the show at like 11:55 pm and it's 30 minutes long, it isn't going to stop when it becomes midnight, and it will also be saved in the "Saved Programs" section for 24 hours.)

If a show is over 30 minutes long and you don't finish it, it will automatically be saved in the "Saved Programs" section, on the very bottom of the main menu, so you can come back to it and start watching where you left off. All programs will be saved for 24 hours from when you first press Play.

You can also pause, fast forward, and rewind any and all shows and movies.

I hope this helps somewhat. If there's anything else you're confused about ask me. I'm addicted to On Demand (oh, by the way, it's like crack, did I mention that?), so I know pretty much everything there is to know about it.

[LSK]

3. so most of it is free huh? how long do they keep shows?

Can I watch the Daily Show from 2 weeks ago?

[AlCzervik]

5. no unless you the tivo thing comcast has, on regular ondemand you can watch

some of the interview segments.

[MysticalChicken]

10. It depends

Some programs stay on for only a month, others only a week, some stay on for several months, and there are a few shows that have stayed on there for-freaking-literally-ever (they still technically "expire," but they come back again immediately). Don't worry, there'll always be a date indicating when the show will be taken off, when you click Info (it will say "Available until 12-09-07" or something).

And the below poster is right, Comedy Central is a dick sometimes, you can only watch the interview segments from Stewart and Colbert. If I miss an episode I wish I can watch the entire thing, but unfortunately I can't.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that sometimes you can spend more time looking for something to watch On Demand than actually watching stuff On Demand.

Also, check out the "Something Weird" category under the "Cutting Edge" section. I'm absolutely addicted to those things, especially the "School Scare Films"--which are just what they sound like, they're those safety-type film clips kids watched in school during the '40s,'50s,'60s, and '70s.

[Piltdown13]

11. I keep hearing Comcast OnDemand described like this

The menus are substantially different in my area -- and we appear to have fewer things available from cable channels also. Perhaps it might have something to do with the fact that up until this past January, the cable company serving this area was Adelphia (took them *months* to get everything switched over to Comcast).

[MrCoffee]

2. you're not yelling loudly enough at the tv...I WANNA SEE GLITTER NOW!!!!

[LSK]

4. Nice post Hitler

:D

[MrCoffee]

6. no, this is a nice post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2070021

go K&R it for me.

[LSK]

8. I dont want to talk about McCains sex life

:popcorn:

[MrCoffee]

9. i'm frakkin' appalled that "Dirty Sanchez" did not get mentioned ONCE in that thread

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. OnDemand is like pay-per-view...but many of the selections are free.

I really enjoy this feature.

You go to the "OnDemand" channel (001) to view available selections. Check out "Free Movies" and watch them whenever you want as long as they're available...usually for a couple of months. If you subscribe to premium channels, you can watch their "OnDemand" fare at no additional cost.