DVR Chatter

Comcast seems to be making a major push into growing its home telephone business with major enhancements, some of which are currently being tested in the Philadelphia region.

Comcast's first enhancement to its phone service -- which is being tested in the Philadelphia area -- pops the number of an incoming call onto PCs and TVs. It will be offered free to Comcast phone customers beginning later this year and should reach the Pittsburgh area next year.

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And for those glued to the latest "Lost" episode, or other favorite show, Comcast has programmed the TV remote with an I-Don't- Want-To-Talk-With-You-Now button. This sends a caller to voicemail with a click.

Comcast calls its new service Universal Caller ID. In reality, it's not exactly a cutting-edge concept. Satellite TV services DirecTV and Dish Network have had on-TV-screen caller ID for years at no extra charge. Verizon demonstrated in 2001 that it could display the number of an incoming call onto a PC screen. The Verizon service costs $5 a month.

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It's testing a cordless home phone that interacts with Comcast e- mail and accesses an online contacts directory. It's also testing an online interface, called the Smart Zone Communications Center, that will allow Comcast customers to listen to phone voicemail, or program their DVR, on their personal computer. DirecTV already has remote DVR programming.