It works for the free channels if your TV has a digital tuner, which any recent TV should have. Hasn't it been Required for the last year or 2. I thought they were on all HD TV's.


Errr, no.

1) Only ATSC tuners are mandatory. There has NEVER been a ruling for QAM tuners.

2) Most every TVs with PIP can only do it when 1 source is analog. As analog disappears, more and more people are finding this feature no longer works.

Errr, no.

1) Only ATSC tuners are mandatory. There has NEVER been a ruling for QAM tuners.

2) Most every TVs with PIP can only do it when 1 source is analog. As analog disappears, more and more people are finding this feature no longer works.

1) Sorry, I obviously misunderstood the terminology. Everyone I know seems to have bought an HD TV capable of tuning in the OTA channels from the line without the box, but I guess it's just a coincidence.

2) Really? I've never run into any of the HD TV's from the last couple years that had a requirement for an analog line. All my friends have bought Samsungs, and they, like mine, allow HDMI-in from the box and cable-in from the wall (since the digital conversion) to be combined in PIP.

1) Sorry, I obviously misunderstood the terminology. Everyone I know seems to have bought an HD TV capable of tuning in the OTA channels from the line without the box, but I guess it's just a coincidence.

2) Really? I've never run into any of the HD TV's from the last couple years that had a requirement for an analog line. All my friends have bought Samsungs, and they, like mine, allow HDMI-in from the box and cable-in from the wall (since the digital conversion) to be combined in PIP.

1) Just as Cable has always been different channels than OTA UHF, the same is true for Digital Channels - OTA is ATSC, Cable is QAM.

2) Sony and most others only allow digital in one box of dual screen/PIP.

Another changeover from Comcast to FIOS here, and the one thing that really befuddles me is the weird setup of the VOD menus. How do they expect you to find anything? At least with Comcast's VOD it was relatively easy to find, but here, unless you knew to look for it you really couldn't find it. For example, I wouldn't have known any free HD versions of "Surf's Up" was there, unless I was searching through the animation tier.

Also (and I'm sure it's been brought up here many times already, but I'm too lazy to go back and reread this loooooong thread). Are there any plans of releasing a router with a 1Gig switch? I really resent the fact that I had to dump a 2-yr old DLink DGL-4300 w/1Gig wired router (I have no wireless network) just to use their dopey 100Mbit phone/VOD network.

If you really want to keep using your old 1 gig switch, then by all means do so - just plug the WAN output of the switch into your verizon router and since everything is DHCP, it's all peachy. You do probably want to make sure both routers are on different subnets so you can actually see the verizon router's address through your own switch.

If you really want to keep using your old 1 gig switch, then by all means do so - just plug the WAN output of the switch into your verizon router and since everything is DHCP, it's all peachy. You do probably want to make sure both routers are on different subnets so you can actually see the verizon router's address through your own switch.Well, I was a little confused. When I asked the tech if I could do this he told me, "no, because FIOS used the router for VOD and phone".

At the moment I suppose I'll just leave things alone because I only have a single PC and PS3 on my network. But as I add/subtract then I will probably unbox it (or get a wireless 'N' router).

Well, I was a little confused. When I asked the tech if I could do this he told me, "no, because FIOS used the router for VOD and phone".

At the moment I suppose I'll just leave things alone because I only have a single PC and PS3 on my network. But as I add/subtract then I will probably unbox it (or get a wireless 'N' router).

Well, you can definitely use your router in series with the ActionTec router. The ActionTec is needed for VOD and the guide, but you can connect your router as a switch.

I have a Belkin 'N' wired / wireless router on the ActionTec and have used it without a problem for a couple of years now. I also have a GBit switch connected to give me another eight wired connections.

I would recommend:

1. Set up your D-Link as a switch (shut off the DHCP and DNS servers on the D-Link). This leaves the ActionTec as the only address server on your network.
2. Connect it to the ActionTec in any of the ethernet plugs.
3. Restart everything.

Since the ActionTec is 100 Mbit, you will only benefit from the GBit interface on your private network, but file transfers, etc. will go much faster.

OK gang, need some real help here.

My QIP6416 has typically been hooked up to my AVR receiver via HDMI, which switches HDMI out to my plasma.

Today, I needed to use my DVI input on my receiver instead of HDMI (all used up with other stuff). So, I got an adapter. I set up the QIP6416 to output over DVI. The problem is with the 480i override output setting. I really need this to be at 480i. The problem is, when I turn off my display, the QIP6416 reverts this back to 1080i with black bars on the side.

How can I get 480i override to "stick"??

Question - I've had FiOS for 1 1/2 years now (hate the DVR ... love the PQ). The ActionTec is connected via CAT5 cable from the box in the garage ... then via coax to the coax network throughout the house. Up until now I haven't had a TV in the same room with the router (only a desktop PC). I'm getting a new computer with a TV tuner in it and would like to connect it to the "free" channels on FiOS. How can I accomplish this?

Also, I used to have a link to the page that has all the various "fees" that Verizon charges (adding outlets, changing plans, adding/removing extras, etc.) and I've lost the link and can't find it in searching Verizon's site. Anyone have a link to this info?

Call me crazy, but since the massive channel reshuffling and on Sept. 22, the size of hard drive on my DVR seems to have shrunk.

I currently have only three 1 hour long HD shows (i.e. 3 hours total) saved and it's currently telling me that my box is 45% full, which seems way off.

Is it possible that with all the recent changes that more of my hard drive is being taken up by other data? Or is there something else going on?

Call me crazy, but since the massive channel reshuffling and on Sept. 22, the size of hard drive on my DVR seems to have shrunk.

I currently have only three 1 hour long HD shows (i.e. 3 hours total) saved and it's currently telling me that my box is 45% full, which seems way off.

Is it possible that with all the recent changes that more of my hard drive is being taken up by other data? Or is there something else going on?

It's a quirk of the box. Power down, unplug it for a minute and power back up. Your drive should reset.

OK, for some reason a lot of my programs aren't recording as 1 entire program, they are automatically splitting themselves up to 2. Is this normal?

No this is not normal. Are you having brief power outages/glitches?

Question - I've had FiOS for 1 1/2 years now (hate the DVR ... love the PQ). The ActionTec is connected via CAT5 cable from the box in the garage ... then via coax to the coax network throughout the house. Up until now I haven't had a TV in the same room with the router (only a desktop PC). I'm getting a new computer with a TV tuner in it and would like to connect it to the "free" channels on FiOS. How can I accomplish this?

It depends on the TV tuner that you get with the PC. If the tuner can take a Cable Card, you can get one from Verizon for about $3 per month. If it does not have that capability, you can ask for one of the free digital converter boxes and hook that up. Not sure if that will give you HD, and that depends on your tuner. Last alternative is to get a HD STB from Verizon for $5 per month.

No this is not normal. Are you having brief power outages/glitches?None that I've noticed, although I could be considering the times of these recordings. I'll have to keep a closer watch on it. It could just be the box I have. If I continue to have a problem I'll swap my box out for another.

None that I've noticed, although I could be considering the times of these recordings. I'll have to keep a closer watch on it. It could just be the box I have. If I continue to have a problem I'll swap my box out for another.

I've had this happen a number of times around 2 a.m.
Once, I was watching during a recording at this time when an Emergency Brodcast Signal test was run. The recording was broken broken into 2 pieces.

That's another option.

It's a quirk of the box. Power down, unplug it for a minute and power back up. Your drive should reset.

Thank you. I'll give that a try tonight.

Has anyone in the NJ area gotten their 1.6 update? I'm itching to get rid of my component cables and switch back to HDMI :)

I have noticed that since the 1.6 update, the 30-second skip is sluggish on the QIP 6416 DVR.
I used to be able to hit the "skip" button several times in a row, and have it work properly. For example, I would hit it six times in a row (very quickly), and it would skip 3 minutes.

Since the update to 1.6, It has not been working well. If I hit it several times in rapid succession, it keeps skipping back to the point it was when I started pressing the button. I have to wait a second between button presses to get it to go forward properly.

Anyone else experiencing this?

I have noticed that since the 1.6 update, the 30-second skip is sluggish on the QIP 6416 DVR.
I used to be able to hit the "skip" button several times in a row, and have it work properly. For example, I would hit it six times in a row (very quickly), and it would skip 3 minutes.

Since the update to 1.6, It has not been working well. If I hit it several times in rapid succession, it keeps skipping back to the point it was when I started pressing the button. I have to wait a second between button presses to get it to go forward properly.

Anyone else experiencing this?

Yes, I've been having the same problem for several weeks now :(

Hey, while I'm here anyway... Is it possible to replace the hard drive yet or add an esata disk? With the addition of the new HD channels, a maximum of 18 hours (theoretical) recording time is unforgivable, especially when 1TB disks are only around $100.

I have noticed that since the 1.6 update, the 30-second skip is sluggish on the QIP 6416 DVR.
I used to be able to hit the "skip" button several times in a row, and have it work properly. For example, I would hit it six times in a row (very quickly), and it would skip 3 minutes.

Since the update to 1.6, It has not been working well. If I hit it several times in rapid succession, it keeps skipping back to the point it was when I started pressing the button. I have to wait a second between button presses to get it to go forward properly.

Anyone else experiencing this?

How do you go about checking the firmware version on the STB? I went into the "power, select, menu and find no firmware data listed.

How do you go about checking the firmware version on the STB? I went into the "power, select, menu and find no firmware data listed.

I'm not in front of my DVR right now, but within the main menu (with the system on), there is an option for system information, and it should show the firmware version there.

If you really want to get to the firmware in the STB, go into "d08 Code Modules" in the diagnostic menu. Instructions, etc. are in this FAQ: http://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios/4.0_FiOS_Television#15925.

The IMG version number is at Menu --> Settings --> System Info, Release (currently 1.5.0 for me).

If you really want to get to the firmware in the STB, go into "d08 Code Modules" in the diagnostic menu. Instructions, etc. are in this FAQ: http://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios/4.0_FiOS_Television#15925.

The IMG version number is at Menu --> Settings --> System Info, Release (currently 1.5.0 for me).

Thanks!

my f/w version continues to be 1.5.0....

Anyone else experiencing this?

Me too. Seems like it's been a number of weeks. Probably since the 1.6 upgrade I'm guessing.

Me too. Seems like it's been a number of weeks. Probably since the 1.6 upgrade I'm guessing.

Do you seea any benefits from 1.6? I haven't gotten it yet.

Do you seea any benefits from 1.6?

There seems to be plenty of new features, but none that I care about, so I guess the answer is no.

Do you seea any benefits from 1.6? I haven't gotten it yet.

1st and foremost is the fix to HDMI so that it doesn't distort the edges of the screen. After that, it seems that Verizon now has a way to message you daily(seemingly), whenever you hit the "guide" button the 1st time. You also have two levels of "favorite" channels. Which is great for me, because the misses doesn't ever use it. So I have favorites #1 being my true list of favorites, and favorites #2 to be my specific instance of favorites(NFL game #1, NFL game #2, NFL network). So I jsut cycle between the three channels on Sunday.

1st and foremost is the fix to HDMI so that it doesn't distort the edges of the screen.

Oh yeah, forgot that 1.6 fixed that issue. I've got a Full (slight overscan) on my Pio and so I haven't had to live with that green line.

My STB is still at 1.5. Is there anything I have to do to receive and install the firmware update? Or is it automatically sent (to the STB) and installed by Verizon? Do you have to restart the STB to have it take effect?

My STB is still at 1.5. Is there anything I have to do to receive and install the firmware update? Or is it automatically sent (to the STB) and installed by Verizon? Do you have to restart the STB to have it take effect?

No.
Yes.
No.

Just sit back and let it happen.

Easy enough. Thanks!

Does anyone have two HD-DVRs with one set to be a media DVR? If so, is it possible with IMG 1.6 to share recordings of the media DVR to another non media sharing DVR?

Seems logical you should be able to do it so since you can do that with an HD box now... but still...

Searching has found nothing, but is there any way to make the guide full screen? It looks silly to have an HDTV with all the guide data squished so you cannot read it with a ton of black space on either side.

Also is there a trick to get the service menu to work over HDMI? TV on, DVR off, press menu on the box.

Does anyone have two HD-DVRs with one set to be a media DVR? If so, is it possible with IMG 1.6 to share recordings of the media DVR to another non media sharing DVR?

Seems logical you should be able to do it so since you can do that with an HD box now... but still...Yes to question 1 and No to question 2.

I have noticed that since the 1.6 update, the 30-second skip is sluggish on the QIP 6416 DVR.
I used to be able to hit the "skip" button several times in a row, and have it work properly. For example, I would hit it six times in a row (very quickly), and it would skip 3 minutes.

Since the update to 1.6, It has not been working well. If I hit it several times in rapid succession, it keeps skipping back to the point it was when I started pressing the button. I have to wait a second between button presses to get it to go forward properly.

Anyone else experiencing this?

My 1.5 FiOS does this too, so it's not a feature exclusive to 1.6. Just need to get used to pressing the button slower.

Hey, while I'm here anyway... Is it possible to replace the hard drive yet or add an esata disk? With the addition of the new HD channels, a maximum of 18 hours (theoretical) recording time is unforgivable, especially when 1TB disks are only around $100.

not that i'm aware of... i'm sure you could always hack it, but good luck dealing with the provider if you then have a problem with the box...

unfortunately, when you multiply that $100 across millions of units, it becomes a significant cost that would then have to be recovered somehow, and since the larger hard drive would be a benefit to a minority of the users, i can see why they don't do it...

i'd settle for a good user friendly box... i have no idea who designs these things, but it's pretty obvious that usability is defined by the engineering group, which is the absolute worst group in the world to design UI's... the perfect example of this is when you select a show to record from the guide, you have to then exit the guide, go to the menu, select dvr, select scheduled recordings, all just to change the start/end time... foolish...

Can anyone in a area who got their lineups updated a while ago tell me how long it took for the guide to drop all the X-*** channel has moved entries to disappear? It's damn near impossible to find out where everything is at now since it seems like 90% of the channels now have that. Hopefully it doesn't last longer than a week.

Can anyone in a area who got their lineups updated a while ago tell me how long it took for the guide to drop all the X-*** channel has moved entries to disappear? It's damn near impossible to find out where everything is at now since it seems like 90% of the channels now have that. Hopefully it doesn't last longer than a week.
Our update was on the 18th and they are still there. Figure about 2 weeks... as I recall, that's how long they stuck around with the previous rearrangement.

Our update was on the 18th and they are still there. Figure about 2 weeks... as I recall, that's how long they stuck around with the previous rearrangement.

Yes, it was just about 2 weeks for us - a seeming eternity while you had to deal with the overlaps. Hang in there!;)

Oh yeah, forgot that 1.6 fixed that issue. I've got a Full (slight overscan) on my Pio and so I haven't had to live with that green line.

So with the 1.6 update the green line on the right, and the shifted image on the left goes away?

I'm still hoping they can fix the issue where 4:3 480i default image is set back to 1080i (with black bars) every time I turn off my display.

Has anyone noticed that the favorites display the wrong channels in the favorites list since the upgrade. It may fix itself when they get rid of the
X-Channels.

Searching has found nothing, but is there any way to make the guide full screen? It looks silly to have an HDTV with all the guide data squished so you cannot read it with a ton of black space on either side.

Also is there a trick to get the service menu to work over HDMI? TV on, DVR off, press menu on the box.

Only way I've found to do this is set the STB to display SD content in ful screen mode, then view the Guide while you are watching one of the stretched channels.

I know it's not the solution, only a side effect of doing something else.

I don't know if it's me or something with the DVR, but lately I just can't seem to stop in time when fast forwarding at 2> and 3> speeds. Is there an adjustment for the overshoot time? It used to back up the right amount when going from FF to Play, but I just can't seem to hit it any more. I'm still on 1.5 here in NJ.

Thanks

Perhaps the STB isn't seeing the commands from your remote. When the battery in the remote starts to wear out, the IR output level drops and the STB misses what you pressed on the remote. Repeat your FF commands with the remote directly in front of the STB and see if it helps. If so, try a new battery.

I have this problem when changing channels. I need to point the remote directly at the STB to get it to see the commands from the remote. Time for a new battery, soon.

FYI...New HD channels added today in Plano TX.

FYI...New HD channels added today in Plano TX.

Did you get the 1.6 update yet?

I saw the new HD channels and guide lineup. Haven't gotten IMG 1.6 yet tough.

Did you get the 1.6 update yet?

I saw the new HD channels and guide lineup. Haven't gotten IMG 1.6 yet tough.

actually i didt check but i doubt it. I know ppl are getting the new channels before the 1.6.? update

Perhaps the STB isn't seeing the commands from your remote. When the battery in the remote starts to wear out, the IR output level drops and the STB misses what you pressed on the remote. Repeat your FF commands with the remote directly in front of the STB and see if it helps. If so, try a new battery.

I have this problem when changing channels. I need to point the remote directly at the STB to get it to see the commands from the remote. Time for a new battery, soon.

I did have that problem, but I have new batteries. It's not that the button doesn't work, it just doesn't seem to back up enough to account for reaction time. I didn't always have this problem. Since it's happening for my whole family, I know that it's not me slowing down. (We have CO detectors, in case anyone thinks we are suffering from CO related cognitive effects.)

With Tivos, there is a command sequence that lets you adjust this overshoot time, so it will back up to the correct point. Oh well, it's not that big a deal.

Greetings. New to FIOS and the home media DVR.

I tried to record "Amazing Race" on Sunday, but football pushed the start time back a half hour. As a result, I only recorded the first half of the show.

This is going to happen quite a bit this fall (football delaying prime time).

I was surprised this happened - I thought this thing was smarter than that.

What did I do wrong?

You can modify the series recording and set the last show you record on CBS on Sundays to end 60 minutes past the end time.

Greetings. New to FIOS and the home media DVR.

I tried to record "Amazing Race" on Sunday, but football pushed the start time back a half hour. As a result, I only recorded the first half of the show.

This is going to happen quite a bit this fall (football delaying prime time).

I was surprised this happened - I thought this thing was smarter than that.

What did I do wrong?

You didn't do anything wrong. The DVR uses the guide data to control the start and end times of recordings. What you're thinking is the DVR would use the program data as the start and end times, but unfortunately that's not the case. What you can do is set to record the show after "Amazing Race" or when you set the recording, you can modify the recording time to start and end 5, 10, 15, or 30 minutes before/after the start/end time of the show. This is a very useful feature for exactly what you are talking about. Hope this helps. :)

I have the same problem when recording Cold Case. I usually just record the show I want then the next show so I know I get the show I want.

Hello everyone. I've searched the thread and forum and have been unable to find the answer to some questions I have.

I have Verizon FIOS, with a Motorola QIP6416-2 (Release 1.5.0 Build 5.93), connected via HDMI to a Samsung 50" Plasma and then audio goes to a Onkyo TX-SR604 receiver via HDMI.

I've noticed I'm getting audio lag on some channels, but not all channels. Mostly the HD channels. I've read this seems to be happening to alot of people, and it seems like it's a Verizon issue, not a hardware issue on my end, but I just want to make sure.

Secondly, I noticed that since I've had the service my Onkyo says the audio is PCM 48kHz, and not Dolby Digital. I've also read that these boxes don't do DD when connected via HDMI. Is this true as well?

Thanks for any answers in advance.

Hello everyone. I've searched the thread and forum and have been unable to find the answer to some questions I have.

I have Verizon FIOS, with a Motorola QIP6416-2 (Release 1.5.0 Build 5.93), connected via HDMI to a Samsung 50" Plasma and then audio goes to a Onkyo TX-SR604 receiver via HDMI.

I've noticed I'm getting audio lag on some channels, but not all channels. Mostly the HD channels. I've read this seems to be happening to alot of people, and it seems like it's a Verizon issue, not a hardware issue on my end, but I just want to make sure.

Secondly, I noticed that since I've had the service my Onkyo says the audio is PCM 48kHz, and not Dolby Digital. I've also read that these boxes don't do DD when connected via HDMI. Is this true as well?

Thanks for any answers in advance.

Audio lag can be a multitude of things, but is slightly addressed in the upcoming code releases. It is most likely not a hardware issue.

As far as DD, the 6416 absolutely decodes DD and outputs it through HDMI. Keep in mind you will only get DD 5.1 when watching HD channels. If you are getting the PCM audio on an HD channel, you need to adjust your receiver settings. But to be clear, the 6416 STBs do output DD.

You didn't do anything wrong. The DVR uses the guide data to control the start and end times of recordings. What you're thinking is the DVR would use the program data as the start and end times, but unfortunately that's not the case. What you can do is set to record the show after "Amazing Race" or when you set the recording, you can modify the recording time to start and end 5, 10, 15, or 30 minutes before/after the start/end time of the show. This is a very useful feature for exactly what you are talking about. Hope this helps. :)

Thanks, much appreciated. I changed the series to record 60 min after, just in case.

Has anyone noticed that the favorites display the wrong channels in the favorites list since the upgrade. It may fix itself when they get rid of the
X-Channels.

Is anyone having a problem with their favorites list? When I select a channel for a favorites lists, and then go to the favorites list, it puts the wrong channel in the favorites list. Even now that the X-Channels are gone, it still won't work. Anyone?

Thanks, Jim

I've had the favorites list go wonky a number of times in the past. It usually lasts a week or so then gets better. Probably after a bug fix update is sent out.

We got IMG v.1.6 in Eastern Massachusetts overnight!

First bug I found was when I changed the 480 overide through the IMG instead of the settings menu, it also changed the primary output for HD channels to 480. Re-changing the primary output to 1080i seems to have set everything right.

I need to decide how best to use the 2 favorites lists now...
Movies and other. Major and Minor networks and other. SD and HD.

I've had the favorites list go wonky a number of times in the past. It usually lasts a week or so then gets better. Probably after a bug fix update is sent out.

We got IMG v.1.6 in Eastern Massachusetts overnight!

First bug I found was when I changed the 480 overide through the IMG instead of the settings menu, it also changed the primary output for HD channels to 480. Re-changing the primary output to 1080i seems to have set everything right.

I need to decide how best to use the 2 favorites lists now...
Movies and other. Major and Minor networks and other. SD and HD.

Ok - is there a list of new features with 1.6? I also got it overnight, would like to see what it does.

Ok - is there a list of new features with 1.6? I also got it overnight, would like to see what it does.

I believe this is it:
http://www36.verizon.com/fiostv/web/Members/Newfeatures.aspx

Has anybody gotten "FiOS TV Central - Remote DVR" to work yet?
I can't find a place on their website that give you the interface to control that.
Is it not implemented yet or what? :rolleyes:

Anyone know the difference between the two models?

My old 6416-2 was making a lot of hard drive noise and running hot, so they sent me a replacement. I asked for a new unit since I had a lot of trouble with reburbs. They sent me a 6416-1. Yikes. I was hoping for a new 7000 series. I have never seen this revision.

I am thinking there must be a reason they went to the 6416-2. Tech support did not know. They thought it might be RAM. I am not sure how that would affect the unit. I am thinking slower menus.

Anyway, should I request a different one or just go with this model and hope for the best.

Thanks

You mention swapping between tuners. My manual for the DVR talks about it too. However, I don't see a swap button on my remote and the technician I spoke to was clueless. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to swap between tuners on FIOS? I have a QIP6416.

I am coming from DISH and love this feature. Also, I agree with most comments on the usability of the FIOS DVR. Far inferior to DISH.

I too switched from Comcast to FiOS. Overall I like the FiOS DVR better than the Comcast DVR, but there are some Comcast features that worked better.

Maybe I am too new to FiOS to know any better but here is what I find...

The Comcast DVR would only record the amount of episodes you told it to and no more until you deleted one. Once one was deleted it would record another to make the quota you selected. The FiOS DVR will keep adding to the amount of protected episodes or just overwrite the unprotected ones. Why is this? Any former Comcast people know what I am talking about here?

Also I agree with the above poster. The FiOS DVR should remain where you left it as you swap between tuners. With Comcast I used to be able to swap between two NFL games. I would hit pause on tuner A and swap to tuner B and watch it. Then hit pause on tuner B and swap it back to A then hit play. I can't do this with FiOS and it seems like a no brainier to someone that has used a DVR.

What is with the Guide data? Even Comcast has problems with poor guide data but they have really improved. The FiOS guide seems to be far behind here in accuracy, content, and new/repeat information.

Am I missing something with these issues? Any input would be terrific.

Ok - is there a list of new features with 1.6? I also got it overnight, would like to see what it does.

There is a list, and I have it for you :):

- MRDVR QIP6200/QIPH7100 can now act as SD and HD terminals
- My Videos in Media Manager
- DVD games
- self-diagnostics menu accessable from the Help menu
- additional Settings options
- new Widgets (Horoscopes, headline news, sports, and What's Hot)
- Favorite enhancements (you now have 2 favorites lists)
- Remote control buttons A, B, C do fun things now
- auto and self provisioning enhancement
- Welcome screen enhancements
- Over 100 bug fixes

There is a list, and I have it for you :):

- MRDVR QIP6200/QIPH7100 can now act as SD and HD terminals
- My Videos in Media Manager
- DVD games
- self-diagnostics menu accessable from the Help menu
- additional Settings options
- new Widgets (Horoscopes, headline news, sports, and What's Hot)
- Favorite enhancements (you now have 2 favorites lists)
- Remote control buttons A, B, C do fun things now
- auto and self provisioning enhancement
- Welcome screen enhancements
- Over 100 bug fixes

Thanks for that.. One more question:

I have a Multi Room DVR (6216-2) and two 6216 HD DVR's. Can they act as clients to my MRDVR? For HD and SD? If I upgrade one of the other DVR's to an MRDVR, can I feed recorded content to another MRDVR?

Thanks again for the info, sorry about pushing for more, but inquiring minds and all that.

Thanks for that.. One more question:

I have a Multi Room DVR (6216-2) and two 6216 HD DVR's. Can they act as clients to my MRDVR? For HD and SD? If I upgrade one of the other DVR's to an MRDVR, can I feed recorded content to another MRDVR?

Thanks again for the info, sorry about pushing for more, but inquiring minds and all that.

You cannot use a DVR box to act like a terminal. Each DVR box acts as a stand-alone box except your MRDVR hub. You are paying extra each month for additional DVR boxes. If you'd like, you can use one 6416 as your MRDVR hub and then 6200s throughout the rest of your house which will give you HD DVR capabilities to all your TVs because the 6200s will be MRDVR terminals. If you feel you don't get enough DVR space on your 6416 hub, then you can use another 6416 but it will not be linked to the rest of the house, hence stand-alone. It's all up to you, but you can't upgrade a second DVR box to make it MRDVR, you have to pick one as your hub for MRDVR and the rest of the DVR boxes are on their own.

You cannot use a DVR box to act like a terminal. Each DVR box acts as a stand-alone box except your MRDVR hub. You are paying extra each month for additional DVR boxes. If you'd like, you can use one 6416 as your MRDVR hub and then 6200s throughout the rest of your house which will give you HD DVR capabilities to all your TVs because the 6200s will be MRDVR terminals. If you feel you don't get enough DVR space on your 6416 hub, then you can use another 6416 but it will not be linked to the rest of the house, hence stand-alone. It's all up to you, but you can't upgrade a second DVR box to make it MRDVR, you have to pick one as your hub for MRDVR and the rest of the DVR boxes are on their own.

Thanks, it would have been nice to have several sources of media in the house.

Pls forgive me if this has been dealt with before. I searched, but no joy!

I've just moved from Comcast to FIOS, and got the QIP6416-2 with what I believe to be the Philips V2144P2 remote.

With my comcast DVR, I was able to fully program the remote to operate all my equipment, including mapping of keys (I believe thats what its called), programming macros, etc., etc.

Is this possible with the FIOS remote, and if it is, could someone please point me in the right direction to where I can find instructions.

Thank you.

Pls forgive me if this has been dealt with before. I searched, but no joy!

I've just moved from Comcast to FIOS, and got the QIP6416-2 with what I believe to be the Philips V2144P2 remote.

With my comcast DVR, I was able to fully program the remote to operate all my equipment, including mapping of keys (I believe thats what its called), programming macros, etc., etc.

Is this possible with the FIOS remote, and if it is, could someone please point me in the right direction to where I can find instructions.

Thank you.

Unfortunately not. You can only do basic commands with the remotes for your existing equipment. The tech should have done this for you during the install, or at the very least left the remote manual w/programming instructions and codes.

OK.... thanks for your response.

Actually I do have the remote manual (or should I say sheet of paper...:confused:), and I have been able to do the basic programming for my equipment. But that is limited to just entering the device code, and programming ALL on/off; channel button and volume button.

Is that it? Is that really all we can program into these remotes? Is this limited by the actual remote or by the DVR? Would it be possible for me to obtain a comcast remote and program it to work with this DVR?

Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I really dont' know of anywhere else that I can get accurate answers.

Thank you.

Does anyone know how to order the inDemand channels with Verizon Fios Cable?

indemand.com/product/view/98171 this website says you can order the soccer game on inDemand on Channel i3. I called Verizon support and they had no clue. This is the soccer world cup qualifier for 2010. I have no i3 channel, all my channels are numeric.

Thanks for any help.

Does anyone know how to order the inDemand channels with Verizon Fios Cable?

indemand.com/product/view/98171 this website says you can order the soccer game on inDemand on Channel i3. I called Verizon support and they had no clue. This is the soccer world cup qualifier for 2010. I have no i3 channel, all my channels are numeric.

Thanks for any help.

Vz does not currently carry inDemand

OK.... thanks for your response.

Actually I do have the remote manual (or should I say sheet of paper...:confused:), and I have been able to do the basic programming for my equipment. But that is limited to just entering the device code, and programming ALL on/off; channel button and volume button.

Is that it? Is that really all we can program into these remotes? Is this limited by the actual remote or by the DVR? Would it be possible for me to obtain a comcast remote and program it to work with this DVR?

Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I really dont' know of anywhere else that I can get accurate answers.

Thank you.

Stubborn, You can use a Comast-style Silver remote with the FIOS Motorola boxes. Most things seem to work the same as they did with a Comcast labelled DVR. The main exception being the 'tuner swap' button. FIOS does this with the 'last' button, so the 'swap' button on the Comcast doesn't do anything as programmed.

By the way, where Comcast uses the B/C remote buttons for day back/day forward in the guide, the FIOS remote uses the jump forward/jump back buttons that are used with the commercial skip functions with the DVR. The FIOS remote also uses the channel up/channel down button as page up/page down when in the guide.

Ebay has Comcast remotes.

You mention swapping between tuners. My manual for the DVR talks about it too. However, I don't see a swap button on my remote and the technician I spoke to was clueless. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to swap between tuners on FIOS? I have a QIP6416.

I am coming from DISH and love this feature. Also, I agree with most comments on the usability of the FIOS DVR. Far inferior to DISH.

Read posts 3730 and 3733 in this thread. Basically you are not controlling individual tuners directly. The STB just uses an internal logic to select which of the two tuners is being used whenever you change a channel.

Philly area just got IMG version 1.6 today. The SD channel PQ looks horrible. Lots of complaints over on DSL reports: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r21196972-IMG-16-Build-0689-Released~start=620

I also did a quick check of the self-diagnostics: Menu --> Help --> Self Diagnostics --> Start.
=======================================
RF Connection
OOB S/N Ratio: 25 dB
Cable Connectivity: Successful

Network Connection
LAN: 192.168.1.100
WAN: 72.xx.xxx.xxx
Gateway: Successful (192.168.1.1)

DNS: fail
EPG Server: fail
Widget Server: Successful
FiOS on the Go: Not Applicable

====================================
RF Connection: The Out Of Band channel (used for channel data and other stuff) has a Signal to Noise Ratio of 25 dB. That's good.
LAN: the address of the ActionTec Router
WAN: Your public IP address (xx'd out here)
Gateway: The Gateway (in the router?, listed as "Bridge" in the ActionTec network menu)
DNS and EPG server fail. Maybe it's for the Multi-Room DVRs. I'm not too concerned.

Geekgirl,
I think Richmond just got it too.
The damn remote skip or back up buttons don't work anymore.
They take the recorded show back to the beginning.
I ahve not changed batteries yet, but since this is the only thing srewing up in the remote, it almost has to be the software.

I'm surprised no one else has posted this issue.

Am I the only one?

nw

Update:
Cycled box off and on by pulling power cord and the damn thing now works.
Somehow, when it was screwed up, it thought it was still mid-day Thursday and failed to record Thursday PM and Friday PM shows.
Seems OK now.

nw

I've been reading this forum for about 2 1/2 hours and haven't seen any answers in regards to my particular question...so I became a member to ask. I just had FIOS hooked up recently, mostly because of the lightning Up/Down speeds they offer. I have 1HD/DVR QIP6416-2 and 3Digital Tuners (Motorola DCT700), I also have 1 HD/DVR (QIP6416-2) & 1 QIP2400-3 that I still have from an old account. I would Like to know if I can use these boxes to replace the digital tuners, I've tryed hooking them up myself merely but power cycling...they display the incorrect time (exactly and hour late) and TV displays "Currently Unavailable" but everything else is accurate Weather widget & TV Guide so I'm guessing these need to be re-programmed ....if it can't be done it's no biggie.....I'm just curious as to if anything can be done on my end to get these bad boys working....thanks for any help , it's greatly appreciated.


P.S. Apologies if this is the wrong forum for this post, and if any of that might of seemed confusing...just read it a couple times until it sinks in. lol Again many thanks for any help.

You can't just hook up old boxes to a new account. Your account is authorized only for those boxes that came with your new account. Anything else is not recognized by the system. Login to your Verizon.com account (not the internet one, the one that you check your bills on) and go to your TV service. The right side of the screen will contain the serial numbers of the STBs that are on your account. You can do a remote reset and health check from there. If you're not sure which box goes with the serial numbers, do an online reset and wait a few seconds. The affected box will reset itself- easy to see which one it is.

Anything not on that list isn't authorized to be on your account. You're lucky that they are partially working. Remember that you are renting those boxes, which should be returned when the account is terminated. Call Verizon and they'll help you reconfigure. Don't be surprised if they ask for the old ones back and will send you new ones instead.

Those DCT-700s (digital tuners) are boxes just like their bigger brothers. No difference except for (lack of) features.

You can't just hook up old boxes to a new account. Your account is authorized only for those boxes that came with your new account. Anything else is not recognized by the system. Login to your Verizon.com account (not the internet one, the one that you check your bills on) and go to your TV service. The right side of the screen will contain the serial numbers of the STBs that are on your account. You can do a remote reset and health check from there. If you're not sure which box goes with the serial numbers, do an online reset and wait a few seconds. The affected box will reset itself- easy to see which one it is.

Anything not on that list isn't authorized to be on your account. You're lucky that they are partially working. Remember that you are renting those boxes, which should be returned when the account is terminated. Call Verizon and they'll help you reconfigure. Don't be surprised if they ask for the old ones back and will send you new ones instead.

Those DCT-700s (digital tuners) are boxes just like their bigger brothers. No difference except for (lack of) features.

Thanks for the info and getting back to me so soon. I would of still been trying to set these boxes up lol.

Anyone know the difference between the two models?

My old 6416-2 was making a lot of hard drive noise and running hot, so they sent me a replacement. I asked for a new unit since I had a lot of trouble with reburbs. They sent me a 6416-1. Yikes. I was hoping for a new 7000 series. I have never seen this revision.

I am thinking there must be a reason they went to the 6416-2. Tech support did not know. They thought it might be RAM. I am not sure how that would affect the unit. I am thinking slower menus.

Anyway, should I request a different one or just go with this model and hope for the best.

Thanks

From a customer point of view, there's no difference between the 6416-1 and -2 models. The actual difference has something to do with the MoCA chip which has no impact from an end user perspective. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.

I was having problems with my HD-DVR (QIP6416) so I called verizon. The issue I was having, was that the video would was ceasing (it had been running fine for a couple months, but now the picture was going away every 20 min or so) . The audio would work but the video was stopping. I could soft power the box on and off with the remote, but the video wouldn't come back. Sometimes my TV (sharp aquos LC-45GD7U) would complain about an incompatible signal. My fix had been to unplug the cable box, wait for 10-20 seconds and plug it back in.

When I called Verizon, the DVR and TV were on, and the picture was up but it was pink.

Verizon support reset the DVR and the image was still pink. They asked my to unplug my TV for 10 seconds and then plug it back in. That seemed to clear it up.

What struck me as odd, is the support technician stated that the HDMI connection is my problem. He said he sees this all the time with HDMI cables and that even if I had a $1000 cable (which I don't, I have never had an issue with my bluejean cables) the problem would still eventually come up. He told me to use component cables instead.

Has anyone heard this? Does this make any sense at all?

I switched the cables for the helluva it to see if the problem ceases. I told him my DVD player has HDMI connection and it doesn't seem to be affected. He said that is b/c it isn't used as much but that eventually it would have a problem too. I doubt my Oppo DV-983H will have that problem, but we'll see.

scratching my head...

-mike

Has anyone experienced the scenario below?

Select pre-recorded show on DVR. Press "Play from Start". Screen goes blank and TV tells me "unknown video signal". The DVR is basically frozen and I have to unplug it to reset it.

Is this a heat issue? It's been fine for three months and just started doing this.

This is close to what I was seeing in my previous post, but it would also happen while playing a program back, not just at the initial "play from start". Interesting how it just started happening to me too. They pushed a new guide mid last week, wonder if that has anything to do with it.

Got the 1.6 upgrade last night here in Plano. What does it do for me now??

I was having problems with my HD-DVR (QIP6416) so I called verizon. The issue I was having, was that the video would was ceasing (it had been running fine for a couple months, but now the picture was going away every 20 min or so) . The audio would work but the video was stopping. I could soft power the box on and off with the remote, but the video wouldn't come back. Sometimes my TV (sharp aquos LC-45GD7U) would complain about an incompatible signal. My fix had been to unplug the cable box, wait for 10-20 seconds and plug it back in.

When I called Verizon, the DVR and TV were on, and the picture was up but it was pink.

Verizon support reset the DVR and the image was still pink. They asked my to unplug my TV for 10 seconds and then plug it back in. That seemed to clear it up.

What struck me as odd, is the support technician stated that the HDMI connection is my problem. He said he sees this all the time with HDMI cables and that even if I had a $1000 cable (which I don't, I have never had an issue with my bluejean cables) the problem would still eventually come up. He told me to use component cables instead.

Has anyone heard this? Does this make any sense at all?

I switched the cables for the helluva it to see if the problem ceases. I told him my DVD player has HDMI connection and it doesn't seem to be affected. He said that is b/c it isn't used as much but that eventually it would have a problem too. I doubt my Oppo DV-983H will have that problem, but we'll see.

scratching my head...

-mike

nah, it's not the cable... he's full of it... cables don't "wear out" with use...

now it IS true that set top boxes don't necessarily play nice over hdmi with certain displays and avr's... which is why the automatic answer when you call is to use component...

How's the ventilation path around the STB? You should have a few inches above and to the sides for air flow. 20 minutes to failure sounds like overheating (time to warm-up). Most probably, you've got an STB on the edge of not working and the heat pushes it over.

Try moving it to a cooler spot with good airflow and see if it makes any difference.

How's the ventilation path around the STB? You should have a few inches above and to the sides for air flow. 20 minutes to failure sounds like overheating (time to warm-up). Most probably, you've got an STB on the edge of not working and the heat pushes it over.

Try moving it to a cooler spot with good airflow and see if it makes any difference.

I'll keep an eye on that. It is in an enclosed cabinet, but it has 2.5" on each side and 3.5" on top and there is a 20 cfm fan drawing air out of cabinet. There may be some room for improvement on the circulation.

Apparently we got v1.6 last night. Some nice visual improvements to guides, etc. Haven't played around with it enough to find all the new "goodies". However, one thing is missing that really jumps out - the progress bar at the bottom when "jumping forward or backward". Used to have a bar that showed where in the program I was at ... now NOTHING. The bar is there when using the fast forward or rewind buttons - but not for the skip ahead or replay. Anyone else with this problem? Anyone have a "fix"??? :confused:

Also, it seems like the menu operations (scheduling recordings, erasing, etc.) have actually slowed down rather than getting better. I went through the whole unplug ... wait ... reboot routine and it didn't make a difference.

Verizon needs to get on the ball and get a decent DVR with larger capacity. What good is it having all these HD channels and such a small drive space?:(

The slow guide response (especially on skips) and the lack of progress bar on skips is already annoying me since we got the 1.6 update. But hey, at least it brings up the Remove selection window when you finish watching a recording now.

The slow guide response (especially on skips) and the lack of progress bar on skips is already annoying me since we got the 1.6 update. But hey, at least it brings up the Remove selection window when you finish watching a recording now.
Yipppeee! :cool: I'd rather have my progress bar back ... really used it to see how far in program I was ... especially when skipping forward near the end. This seems to be consistent with Verizon's prior attempts at "upgrading" software.

I have a strange question, and I'm hoping someone out there has either done this or can test for me.
Since I don't have any HDTVs yet, I'm running out of the Composite RCA output of the DVR, into a 4-port distribution amplifier, and then from there to my TVs. The same picture shows on all 4 TVS, and I have some IR senders to control it from any room. Since we only watch in one room at time, this setup has worked for us for four years (we did the same thing when we had comcast, before we got FIOS TV).

If we decide to get a new HDTV, I would want to connect that via HDMI (or possibly S-video or Component RCA).
I am wondering how the DVR will behave.
Will it still output to the Composite RCA if I have a TV hooked to the HDMI (or the S-video, or component RCA)?
I'm not as worried about it down-converting to SD on the composite RCA, I realize it will do that anyway.

Has anyone done this, or does anyone have a way to test it for me?

Thanks.
--Noam

Is anyone using an IR receiver with the DVR? I see it has a 1/8th port on the back for this. I assume I can just buy an eye and plug it in??

Apparently we got v1.6 last night. Some nice visual improvements to guides, etc. Haven't played around with it enough to find all the new "goodies". However, one thing is missing that really jumps out - the progress bar at the bottom when "jumping forward or backward". Used to have a bar that showed where in the program I was at ... now NOTHING. The bar is there when using the fast forward or rewind buttons - but not for the skip ahead or replay. Anyone else with this problem? Anyone have a "fix"??? :confused:

Yeah I miss that too. No fix, but as a workaround you can press the Info button to see where you are.. then exit to get rid of it.

I have a strange question, and I'm hoping someone out there has either done this or can test for me.
Since I don't have any HDTVs yet, I'm running out of the Composite RCA output of the DVR, into a 4-port distribution amplifier, and then from there to my TVs. The same picture shows on all 4 TVS, and I have some IR senders to control it from any room. Since we only watch in one room at time, this setup has worked for us for four years (we did the same thing when we had comcast, before we got FIOS TV).

If we decide to get a new HDTV, I would want to connect that via HDMI (or possibly S-video or Component RCA).
I am wondering how the DVR will behave.
Will it still output to the Composite RCA if I have a TV hooked to the HDMI (or the S-video, or component RCA)?
I'm not as worried about it down-converting to SD on the composite RCA, I realize it will do that anyway.

Has anyone done this, or does anyone have a way to test it for me?

Thanks.
--Noam


Well, I was able to answer my own question.
I took an RF modulator to my parents' house, and hooked their old 13" TV to the Composite output of the DVR that was feeding their TV via HMDI.
At first, it didn't work. The little TV's "Vertical Hold" was not holding.
However, after rebooting the DVR, everything was fine.

After installing my own TV, I had a similar experience. The picture had a strange "smear" through it, only in the guide or DVR menus. The TV picture was fine. Strangely enough, the menu or guide would come up fine, then the smear would mess it up after about half a second.

Rebooting the DVR seems to have corrected that.

--Noam

Yeah I miss that too. No fix, but as a workaround you can press the Info button to see where you are.. then exit to get rid of it.

I think you can also just hit the PLAY button and it will bring up the time bar.

I think you can also just hit the PLAY button and it will bring up the time bar.
Nice... smaller window too. The OK button does the same.

In another thread, a COMCAST customer recommended I exchange my Motorola DCT 6416 DVR for a DCH 6416 DVR. Apparently, the DCH has fixed the problem with audio synch of firewire recordings. In other words, one does not need to reboot the DVR prior to recording via firewire to D-VHS.

So, has anyone seen a DCH-series DVR from Verizon?

Now for the downside. The DCH lacks a red indicator light when the DVR is recording (i.e., recording on the DVR not on the D-VHS).

Where can I make an official complaint about the DVR software?

I noticed with Daylight Savings Time, that all my manual recordings are starting/ending one hour earlier, even though in the Series Recording screen, they say the correct time.

I even deleted a few and re-programmed them for the correct time, but they STILL record an hour early.

So, should I go ahead and redo all my manual recordings to start/end one hour late? Is there some DST setting I need to set in the menu options??

Just in case anyone else ends up in a similar situation, I found that I wasn't able to bring up the box's service menu while a show was being recorded. I had to stop the recording first before the menu would come up. It makes sense that you can't mess with low-level audio/video settings mid-recording but without any error message it took me a few minutes to realize the issue.

The service menu is accessed when you power off the STB then hit SELECT then MENU on the box.

Where can I make an official complaint about the DVR software?

I noticed with Daylight Savings Time, that all my manual recordings are starting/ending one hour earlier, even though in the Series Recording screen, they say the correct time.

I even deleted a few and re-programmed them for the correct time, but they STILL record an hour early.

So, should I go ahead and redo all my manual recordings to start/end one hour late? Is there some DST setting I need to set in the menu options??

Can you give me an exact example please. Which channel? What show? Also can you tell me what code you have? Go to OSD (Power, select, select on the front of the box), go down to d08 Code Modules and can you tell me what the list of numbers are?

I am having problems with Favorites:
I add channels and they disappear.
New channels appear all by themselves.
When I try to add some channels, it says it can not add and to try later.
When I press the FAV button, the list of channels I get does not correspond to the list of Favorites, either FAV1 or FAV2.
Is there any fix for this?
How do you select which Favorite list you want to use?

A reminder that there's a FAQ describing how to get into the service menus and what it all means over on DSL Reports: http://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios/4.0_FiOS_Television#15925

Can you give me an exact example please. Which channel? What show? Also can you tell me what code you have? Go to OSD (Power, select, select on the front of the box), go down to d08 Code Modules and can you tell me what the list of numbers are?

Thanks for the offer of help, but today, this magically resolved itself -- weird...

On Monday, both my recordings were one hour early and all future recordings were set to record an hour early.

Today, they were both on time and all future recordings show the correct time.

Both my DVRs seem to be fixed... Could they have pushed out a quick fix? Does the DVR need 24-48 hours to adjust to daylight savings?

Oh well, I'm happy (for now)...

I am having problems with Favorites:
I add channels and they disappear.
New channels appear all by themselves.
When I try to add some channels, it says it can not add and to try later.
When I press the FAV button, the list of channels I get does not correspond to the list of Favorites, either FAV1 or FAV2.
Is there any fix for this?
How do you select which Favorite list you want to use?

What code do you have on your box?

The new version that was loaded a few weeks ago. It has the FAV 1 and FAV 2 feature.
I have heard that resetting the DVR fixes the problem. I have powered off the box several times. In face the DVR crashes often while updating the Favorites.
Is there some special way to reset the box? Will I loose recorded programs if I reset?

Home Media DVR issue:
I got FIOS installed approx 3 weeks ago. I've had some internet/router issues, but that seems to be resolved now.
But a ongoing issue is playback on any of the "remote STBs" from the home media DVR. I keep on getting an error message saying"cannot locate dvr hub". I press OK, and the playback stops.
I have called Tech Support and they suggested I unplug the router, then unplug all the remote dvrs. Then plug the router back in, and plug the stbs back in, one at a time. Supposedly this was to send a new signal from the router to the boxes(as per Verizon TS).
Well I did that, and still had the same problem again tonight.
Is this a common issue? Are there any solutions I can try??
BTW playback on the home media dvr is fine, and I have 4 "remote stbs".
HELP!

JTSTOVER and HDDAVID

Go to your STB and make sure there is nothing currently recording. On the front of the box press Power --> Select, Select. Power first and then immediately press select twice. Your OSD should appear. Go down to d08 "Code Modules" and press the right arrow or hit select. You'll see a bunch of numbers on the right of the screen. Can you tell me what those numbers are?

I pressed Pwr, then Select 2xs. The OSD came up, but I was not able to get to those codes you were looking for. But I did run one of those self diagnostic tests, and everything came up ok. Except for DNS(?), which failed.

DNS fails for me also, not a problem (might be tied to what your STB does, like if it's a home media DVR). You want to get to "d08 Code Modules", which is shown in this FAQ: http://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios/4.0_FiOS_Television#15925

Hello GeekGirl..
I'm sorry it took so long to reply to your posting.
I wasn't able to find those codes you refered to(do8 etc).
But since I last posted I have spoken with Verizon tech at least 3x, maybe more, and am becoming frustrated with this Home media dvr feature.

So reps say its the routers fault. So reps say its not. I have unplugged both the router and stbs so many times already, and nothing changes. I have had tech "reset" all the stbs, and still again, same results.
Funny though, last night when I attempted to watch the news I recorded, the " unable to locate dvr hub" error message appeared. BUT when I FF through the show, I can see the whole program was recorded, and once I got to the "error" message point and resumed normal play, it played the program just fine. So recording the programs are not an issue.
When I called tech last night, the rep pretty much gave up and said he will send out a tech to my house.

Is this problem just me?? Or are they any other FIOS users out there with similar issues?

Hello GeekGirl..
I'm sorry it took so long to reply to your posting.
I wasn't able to find those codes you refered to(do8 etc).
But since I last posted I have spoken with Verizon tech at least 3x, maybe more, and am becoming frustrated with this Home media dvr feature.

So reps say its the routers fault. So reps say its not. I have unplugged both the router and stbs so many times already, and nothing changes. I have had tech "reset" all the stbs, and still again, same results.
Funny though, last night when I attempted to watch the news I recorded, the " unable to locate dvr hub" error message appeared. BUT when I FF through the show, I can see the whole program was recorded, and once I got to the "error" message point and resumed normal play, it played the program just fine. So recording the programs are not an issue.
When I called tech last night, the rep pretty much gave up and said he will send out a tech to my house.

Is this problem just me?? Or are they any other FIOS users out there with similar issues?

You're absolutely not the only one. The Home Media DVR functions are extremely spotty. Sometimes it works pretty well, others I'm lucky to get ten minutes into a program.

I was wondering (on a side note), what's the ethernet jack on the back of the boxes for?

The new version that was loaded a few weeks ago. It has the FAV 1 and FAV 2 feature.
I have heard that resetting the DVR fixes the problem. I have powered off the box several times. In face the DVR crashes often while updating the Favorites.
Is there some special way to reset the box? Will I loose recorded programs if I reset?
I have had problems with my favorites list for quite some time. I had the issue when my software level was 1.5 and they did the very same thing as you. I could select specific channels, but when I selected my favorites, on the remote, various channels would show up including I believe all of those that were in the favorites list.

As with other things Verizon FIOS, I let it slide in hopes that the next software release would take care of the problem. I just recently got 1.6 and the problem still exists including random rebooting of the box when you are trying to set up your favorites. In addition, the toggle between favorites 1 & favorites 2 does not seem to be working properly, although I have not messed with that all that much out of pure disgust with the crap that Verizon is dishing out. Sorry, I don't have a solution or workaround, but I wanted to confirm what you were seeing.

Oh and I have two DVR's that are both doing the same thing so it is not necessarily an isolated problem with a single box.

You're absolutely not the only one. The Home Media DVR functions are extremely spotty. Sometimes it works pretty well, others I'm lucky to get ten minutes into a program.

I was wondering (on a side note), what's the ethernet jack on the back of the boxes for?

Ethernet port is just for development and debug stuff.

Hello GeekGirl..
I'm sorry it took so long to reply to your posting.
I wasn't able to find those codes you refered to(do8 etc).
But since I last posted I have spoken with Verizon tech at least 3x, maybe more, and am becoming frustrated with this Home media dvr feature.

So reps say its the routers fault. So reps say its not. I have unplugged both the router and stbs so many times already, and nothing changes. I have had tech "reset" all the stbs, and still again, same results.
Funny though, last night when I attempted to watch the news I recorded, the " unable to locate dvr hub" error message appeared. BUT when I FF through the show, I can see the whole program was recorded, and once I got to the "error" message point and resumed normal play, it played the program just fine. So recording the programs are not an issue.
When I called tech last night, the rep pretty much gave up and said he will send out a tech to my house.

Is this problem just me?? Or are they any other FIOS users out there with similar issues?

It's not just you. I discovered a workaround that helps but your mileage my very. If you stop then resume play 5 or so minutes in the program I no longer get the "unable to locate..." message or the jumping back to beginning when coming out of FF/REW/skip/replay. I only need to do it once and after that the streaming works like a charm.

Thanks Klipko for the info..I appreciate it.
I'm supposed to have a Verizon tech make a house call today regarding this issue. But before I let them do anything to my set up or router(thats another story in itself) I'm going to make sure this is something that can be resolved.
Since it seems I'm not alone with this problem, I would guess this is a Verizon issue, and may need a firmware update more than anything else.
I will post may results(?).

After speaking with Verizon tech support this morning I decided to cancel my in house call. When i asked tech support what they would do here at home, I was told they would check all the connections(I've already done that many times) and check to see if the box is ok.
So after doing all that myself, and having tech reset my boxes already, and after reading various other posts in these threads I figured its not an isolated problem, but rather an internal Verizon problem.
I was also told by tech that there should be a new firmware update within the next month and a half or so, and that might correct this dvr problem.

I currently have both of the TW 6416 and the FIOS Verizon 6416-QIP.
These DVRs are both made by Motorola.

Using an older Toshiba TP61G90 display (which supports a 480i component input but not 480p nor any other higher resolution) and swapping the same component connection between the two DVRs, the TW 6416 syncs and shows a good picture, the 6416-QIP does not.

It seems as if the 6416-QIP, while apparently set to 480i 4/3 (fw 1.6, using s-video to verify, Menu/Settings/VideoSettings shows 480i 4:3), might be actually be outputting 480p.

Picture quality seems better in all cases using the TW 6416 and component vs the VZ 6416 QIP and s-video.

Any suggestions on how to connect this set and the VZ 6416-QIP using component?

Did you check the setup menu in the STB? With the STB On, hit "Power, Select, Menu" in quick sequence. You'll find your display format choices there. There's also a setting to tell it how to handle 4:3 content (4:3 Override). I usually turn it "Off".

Did you check the setup menu in the STB?

Yes. Via s-video, the menu is available.

We just got the new code last week. I am so pissed my progress bar is gone when skipping or FF/RW.

Has anyone had any luck bringing this back, or am I going to have to deal with the awful customer service that is Verizon?

-J

We just got the new code last week. I am so pissed my progress bar is gone when skipping or FF/RW.

Has anyone had any luck bringing this back, or am I going to have to deal with the awful customer service that is Verizon?

I found it mildly inconvenient when it disappeared. Then I realized that for a show that has subtitles (like Heroes when Hiro and Ando are talking) the fact that the progress bar lingered on the screen, blocking the subtitles, was even more annoying. Now I just hit the Info button if I really want to see where I am in the show.

We just got the new code last week. I am so pissed my progress bar is gone when skipping or FF/RW.

Has anyone had any luck bringing this back, or am I going to have to deal with the awful customer service that is Verizon?

-J

For me using the skip is just to get through commercials. Don't really care where in the show i am just when I'm through the commercials. For me more of an issue is that the skip is not as responsive as it used to be. I used to be able to hit the skip 6-8 times in a second and that would take me through the break- now if you hit the button too quickly it just stutters.
When i FF and RW my progress bar stays on the screen.

Interesting, I'm having the same skip problems. Doesn't respond like it used to and stutters if you go to fast. Must be the box. My guess is that the upgrade stole some of the STB's horsepower to do things other than scan for someone hitting the remote button.

Interesting, I'm having the same skip problems. Doesn't respond like it used to and stutters if you go to fast.

Me too. Started doing it weeks (Months? I forget.) ago when Oregon got the 1.6 firmware.

How to copy a program from my Motorola QIP6416-2 to a DVD?

I have never done this before. So I need to know how to do it and what extra hardware I might need.

Thanks

The "brute force" way is easiest. Connect the analog outputs (component or S-Video) + audio into a DVD recorder and play normally out of the STB. Or, if you have a PC with analog video inputs, use that and burn it to DVD.

The highest quality is via the HDMI outputs, but there's copy protection on just about everything except local broadcast. Unless you have both a Blu-Ray DVD player and an HD program to record, you won't lose much, if any, resolution by going the standard component / S-Video route.

One correction to GeekGirl - S-Video can only output at 480i. So you will lose a lot of resolution unless you use component out.

I just got FIOS guys, I have this STB connected to an ONKYO receiver via HDMI. Can someone tell me why this box keeps overwriting my settings in the advanced menu options (1080i, overwrite to 480i and RGB pass through audio settings). No matter what I do the box puts these back to defaults. What to do guys please help!

Quick Question, if I just hook up an HDMI cable from the cable box to the tv, will I get sound on the tv? Or will I need to hook up a separate white/red rca cable from the cable box to the tv?

Quick Question, if I just hook up an HDMI cable from the cable box to the tv, will I get sound on the tv? Or will I need to hook up a separate white/red rca cable from the cable box to the tv?
If your TV has speakers it should.

If your TV has speakers it should.

Thanks

Hi Guys,
I tried asking this on the Official Fios Thread and will see if you guys have any input here. I've got lots of Pixelation on my HD programming. I have the QIP6416 DVR and I'm using the HDMI output. I also have connected the component just to compare and it's not as bad. The DVR is free for the first year, but if it's the Moto STB then I'll switch to a Tivo HD DVR. TV is a SXRD with some some modest adjustments, definitely not in torch mode. Also made the switch from D*TV. By the way the Verizon GUI blows, I believe everyone calls it IMG.

Hi Guys,
I tried asking this on the Official Fios Thread and will see if you guys have any input here. I've got lots of Pixelation on my HD programming. I have the QIP6416 DVR and I'm using the HDMI output. I also have connected the component just to compare and it's not as bad. The DVR is free for the first year, but if it's the Moto STB then I'll switch to a Tivo HD DVR. TV is a SXRD with some some modest adjustments, definitely not in torch mode. Also made the switch from D*TV. By the way the Verizon GUI blows, I believe everyone calls it IMG.
If you see lots of pixelization, then either the hard drive in your DVR is going bad, or you have a signal issue. If your signal is too strong or too weak, that can cause problems for both the TiVo and Motorola DVRs.

You may not want to hear it, but you need to schedule a service call. Identify a channel with a lot of pixelization and then have them swap out the DVR. If there's no improvement, then you've got a signal issue; you may need the ONT or splitters replaced, or an attenuator if the signal from the ONT is too strong for the box.

bfdtv,
thanks for the info. I've only had the service for one week, but its very noticeable. I noticed shows such as Entourage have serious pixelation. I made the switch so I can use a Tivo later, but I want to enjoy this awesome PQ everyone is referring to, so far I'm not impressed the TV service.

bfdtv,
thanks for the info. I've only had the service for one week, but its very noticeable. I noticed shows such as Entourage have serious pixelation. I made the switch so I can use a Tivo later, but I want to enjoy this awesome PQ everyone is referring to, so far I'm not impressed the TV service.

I've watched Entourage and have no pixelization at all. I'd get them to come look.

bfdtv,
thanks for the info. I've only had the service for one week, but its very noticeable. I noticed shows such as Entourage have serious pixelation. I made the switch so I can use a Tivo later, but I want to enjoy this awesome PQ everyone is referring to, so far I'm not impressed the TV service.
As indicated above, you have a signal issue. The pixelization you are seeing is the fault the DVR (defective hard drive), coax cabling (breaks or cuts?) or defective splitters, a defective ONT on the side of your home, or a "hot" signal that is overpowering the DVR.

Thanks, they came out and it's fixed! Turned out being a hot signal.

Thanks again.

All,

I had a pretty frustrating week during thanksgiving. I've been working on my theater for over 2 years, and we're finally to the point where it is usable (but not quite finished). We had advertised to our guests that we'd be watching the football games on our 101" screen in the theater, but couldn't get it going. For the time being, I'm using my old Infocus X1 PJ, and it works like a champ with everything but the verizon DVR. :confused:

I have successfully used the Xbox 360, and PS3, both through my Zektor component switch with no issues. For the life of me, though I can't get any picture from the Fios STB (DVR). I've tried 1080i and 720p both and can't get a picture. I even tried to hook it up directly but no dice.

Is anyone else using the same combo and have suggestions? Or does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

I checked the specs on the X1, and it looks like it should work using the component outputs of the STB.

To try- Do you happen to have the HDMI output connected to anything? The STB gives priority to HDMI and may disable the component output if HDMI is active.

Or this - Does the S-Video output work?

Or this - Try configuring the setup menu for a 4:3 display instead of 16:9. Your projector supports it. Might be worth a shot.

Does anyone have an idea on what the "useful" life of the QIP6416 is? I've had my STB for almost 3 years now.

The video and audio just cut out. No warning, just went to black screen. TV was fine, front panel display and keypad controls worked OK, there just wasn't any video or audio. The only way I could get it working again was a power cycle reboot. This is the 2nd time in 3 days.

Time for a replacement?

I'm looking to buy a dvd recorder so that I can offload my shows from the dvr to disc. Obviously, the copies won't be in high def, but not I'm unclear if they can even be recorded in widescreen. Can I record widescreen programs from the QIP6416?

I've heard that composite and S-video on Motorola's don't show widescreen and for some odd reason, new dvd recorders don't offer component or hdmi inputs.

Thanks.

Does anyone have an idea on what the "useful" life of the QIP6416 is? I've had my STB for almost 3 years now.

The video and audio just cut out. No warning, just went to black screen. TV was fine, front panel display and keypad controls worked OK, there just wasn't any video or audio. The only way I could get it working again was a power cycle reboot. This is the 2nd time in 3 days.

Time for a replacement?

MTBF for DVR's in general is generally around 4+/- years, depending on power on time and power cycling. Usual cause of death is HDD failure - makes sense since that is the only real mechanical component.

IC failure is somewhere closer to 8 years, but the HDD failure rate lowers the units predicted MTBF.

Sounds like your box is suffering from thermal IC failure, a condition that initially can be reset by power cycle. It will return and eventually the affected junction in the IC will fail.

I'd tee up a replacement.

I'm looking to buy a dvd recorder so that I can offload my shows from the dvr to disc. Obviously, the copies won't be in high def, but not I'm unclear if they can even be recorded in widescreen. Can I record widescreen programs from the QIP6416?

I've heard that composite and S-video on Motorola's don't show widescreen and for some odd reason, new dvd recorders don't offer component or hdmi inputs.

Thanks.

You might want to take a look at the Tivo HD. It allows you to transfer recordings in HD or SD to your PC. Once you have it on the PC you can transcode it to whatever format you'd like- Ipod, DVD, etc.
The Tivos ability to transfer content is the primary reason I'll never leave. I have 1.5TB of HD movies and almost 500GB of Ipod movies and TV. Once the price of BD burners drops a bit I'll start moving things off the PC, but until then TB drives aren't that much.

In another thread, a COMCAST customer recommended I exchange my Motorola DCT 6416 DVR for a DCH 6416 DVR. Apparently, the DCH has fixed the problem with audio synch of firewire recordings. In other words, one does not need to reboot the DVR prior to recording via firewire to D-VHS.

So, has anyone seen a DCH-series DVR from Verizon?

Verizon does not use the DCT or DCH series. It uses the QIP (qam/IP) series based upon the DCT platform.

But, your post has given me hope--perhaps us FiOS guys will get a fix. Damn am I sick of rebooting every time I want to dumpt to D-VHS. Over 2 friggin' years of rebooting now!!! :(:(:(

Has anyone had any luck putting a larger Hardrive in the QIP 6416 .i'll get the exact model later i just got it last week.

MTBF for DVR's in general is generally around 4+/- years, depending on power on time and power cycling. Usual cause of death is HDD failure - makes sense since that is the only real mechanical component.

IC failure is somewhere closer to 8 years, but the HDD failure rate lowers the units predicted MTBF.

Sounds like your box is suffering from thermal IC failure, a condition that initially can be reset by power cycle. It will return and eventually the affected junction in the IC will fail.

I'd tee up a replacement.Good general reliability analysis. Add in the "consumer" factor- these boxes run on the bleeding edge of product cost vs. quality with cost winning. Thermal is the main killer and it's critical to get adequate ventilation. This STB has been given a lot of TLC - plenty of cool ventilation and a filtered power supply.

Agreed it's a junction. Somewhere. The type of failure doesn't seem to point to the HDD. The next thing on the list is the power supply. In any case, this STB is tagged for replacement.

I just got FIOS guys, I have this STB connected to an ONKYO receiver via HDMI. Can someone tell me why this box keeps overwriting my settings in the advanced menu options (1080i, overwrite to 480i and RGB pass through audio settings). No matter what I do the box puts these back to defaults. What to do guys please help!

CAN ANYONE HELP! I found a post about this same issue on page 6 of this thread, but no one really answered it. Anyone care to help. Its a real PITA!

CAN ANYONE HELP! I found a post about this same issue on page 6 of this thread, but no one really answered it. Anyone care to help. Its a real PITA!

As far as I know it's an HDMI handshaking issue with the DVR.

CAN ANYONE HELP! I found a post about this same issue on page 6 of this thread, but no one really answered it. Anyone care to help. Its a real PITA!

I have similar issues.. from what I cant figure out, it seems to happen when V* does something that resets the DVR. The video and audio settings go back to default selections: 480i for SD, 1080i for HD and variable volume with HEAVY compression.

I change them back to what I want and it stays that way.. for a while.

I haven't got around to setting them to the way I want them, then forcing a reset - to see if that is really the case.

You might want to try that.

Coda: I have a 7XXX DVR, however. So, I can't really say if the behavior is the same as the 6XXX models.

Has anyone had any luck putting a larger Hardrive in the QIP 6416 .i'll get the exact model later i just got it last week.
That would be NO. And, it's on everyone's wishlist, along with enabling the esata port so an external drive can be used.

Under menu--> video settings, I keep checking off the 1080i video output. Then at some point ( I have not figured out if it is after switching to certain channels, or turning the TV and Receiver off and on again, or what) I check again and the 720p output is checked off again. This has happened multiple times. Does anyone know why? I want it to stay defaulted to the 1080i output. I have the HD DVR STB hooked to the receiver by way of HDMI.

I don't know what AVR you have it connected to, but your issue is probably related to the HDMI handshake going on between your STB and AVR. You might want to alter the shutdown and start up sequence to see if that will maintain your settings. Have you verified your firmware is up to date in your AVR? You may want to post this question in the Amp section thread for your AVR.

For the heck of it, have you tried to connect the STB to AVR via component cable and optical to see if the settings are retained?

I don't know what AVR you have it connected to, but your issue is probably related to the HDMI handshake going on between your STB and AVR. You might want to alter the shutdown and start up sequence to see if that will maintain your settings. Have you verified your firmware is up to date in your AVR?

For the heck of it, have you tried to connect the STB to AVR via component cable and optical to see if the settings are retained?

I have a Yamaha RX-V661 receiver and Samsung 61a750 led dlp television. I will try what you have recommended so far tonight and see how that works. I do not think I can update the firmware on the Yamaha, I will have to check on that, but I do not think it is updateable. The tv is brand spanking new and firmware is up to date on that.

I feel your pain. I have my new Yamaha V3900 AVR hooked up to my STB via HDMI and though it doesn't reset the video settings, the STB now sometimes hangs on me forcing me to reset it by pulling the plug on it. I've been thinking of hooking it up via component cables and optical audio myself.

Oh, BTW, don't assume that a brand spanking new tv/AVR/what have you has the latest firmware on it out of the box. My brand spanking new AVR had an old fw version on it. The new fw fixed an audio dropout issue that I had been experiencing.

Gotta love new technology; my old Yammie AVR didn't have all the bells and whistles, but it was as reliable as a hammer.

I got a new TV last week and hooked it up STB->Receiver->TV and haven't experienced the issue again. That suggests to me that the handshaking issue was actually with my old TV and not my receiver. So maybe if anyone else wants to fix, you should get a new TV :P

I also have an older Yamaha A/V receiver, RX-V1700. I just have the Verizon STB connected to the Yamaha by optical cable, just for the sound. And the HDMI from the STB to my Sony tv. This setup seems to work fine.

I also have an older Yamaha A/V receiver, RX-V1700. I just have the Verizon STB connected to the Yamaha by optical cable, just for the sound. And the HDMI from the STB to my Sony tv. This setup seems to work fine.

It is commonly known among the audio experts that the Optical audio outputs are inferior in sound quality compared to the "Coaxial" outputs. I suggest you try a high end Coaxial Digital cable such as Audioquest VDM-5 instead. You will immediately hear the improvements if sound performance.;)

It is commonly known among the audio experts that the Optical audio outputs are inferior in sound quality compared to the "Coaxial" outputs. I suggest you try a high end Coaxial Digital cable such as Audioquest VDM-5 instead. You will immediately hear the improvements if sound performance.;):confused::eek:Like my grandmother used to say..."That may be so, but I kind of effing doubt it!" There is no difference in sound quality between digital optical and digital coaxial. Digital is Digital and the information is identical. The price of the cable also does not contribute to better sound for the digital stream. Don't be fooled into spending ungodly amounts of money on expensive "high-end" cables that you do not need. Obviously, the cable has to meet some minimum standard to pass the digital stream, but any decent reputable vendor's cable will perform just fine.

:confused::eek:Like my grandmother used to say..."That may be so, but I kind of effing doubt it!" There is no difference in sound quality between digital optical and digital coaxial. Digital is Digital and the information is identical. The price of the cable also does not contribute to better sound for the digital stream. Don't be fooled into spending ungodly amounts of money on expensive "high-end" cables that you do not need. Obviously, the cable has to meet some minimum standard to pass the digital stream, but any decent reputable vendor's cable will perform just fine.

With all due respect to your Grandma, your conclusions are somewhat tangential. Optical (fiber) has universally been acknowledged as a step down sonically to Coaxial (wire/metal) cable. You can can Google dozens of links where White papers have been written to this conclusions. FYI the AQ VDM-5 is about $200 for a 2mtr. If you believe that is expensive then read no further into this stream of consciousness.

As for the quality (cost) of cable, again we part company. I liken it to a Toyota car engine capable of producing 300hp versus a Ferrari engine doing the same thing, which would you think is the more capable?

All cables are NOT the same, in fact some of the most expensive cables sound like crap in many systems. They do nothing more than massage the ego of the owners. However, there are several selected brands and models which stand out among the rest, IMHO the AQ VDM-5 is among the best real world $$ digital Coaxial.

As for all digital being the same in terms of ones and zeros, if that were the cornerstone of digital sound, then why don't all cd players sound the same? Or DVD players perform equal visually? Why do the OPPO players blow away the competition at any price?

I could go on ad infinitum with other examples of this conundrum. No where did I speak of "high end" cables. I made a specific recommendation and not wild rantings about the virtues of the "Grand Foobah Multi stranded braided Looped back Cable of the Moment".

Many years back, I too became aware of the dubious claims of cable builders among them Monster, whose first cable oxidized within 6 months of installation. I am among the early owners of "Livewire" which evolved into what is now Audioquest. That early interconnect is still in use in my Garage system and gives my $2k a pair of Straightwire Crescendo's a tough time.
As does the Vampire wire I/C against my Kimber Monocle's.

I could gone on another paragraph about my experiences with cables. It comes down to where you do your shopping and what your exposed to, i.e. Walmart and their cheap prices, pedestrian products and limited inventory or trust the audio reviewing press and shop LYRIC Hi Fi, Sound By Singer, Elusive Disc, Overture Audio and other top of the line salons located throughout the USA. I subscribe to no less than 6 respected audio journals, which I do not always agree with. Including our own Kalmon Rubinson who is a major contributor on this forum. However, I trust his experience and judgment to set me off in the right direction to achieve my sonic goals.

You are indeed correct when stating , one need not spend a lot of money on cabling to satisfy their sonic appetite. But, one needs to understand how to tell the difference between steak and spam.;)

...or trust the audio reviewing press and shop LYRIC Hi Fi, Sound By Singer, Elusive Disc, Overture Audio and other top of the line salons located throughout the USA. I subscribe to no less than 6 respected audio journals, which I do not always agree with. Including our own Kalmon Rubinson who is a major contributor on this forum. However, I trust his experience and judgment to set me off in the right direction to achieve my sonic goals.


You almost had me. I am a cable agnostic audiophile. I just don't buy the hype. And, yes - I *can* hear the differences.

The flaw in your argument is around "trust the audio reviewing press".

The reviewing press, along with audiophile publications, just feed off the hype. These are the same people/publications that generate their revenue from advertisers of such products like: $1000 power cords, $50 fuses, $100 electrical outlets.... need I go on?

I have long since cancelled my subscriptions to these snob rags.

What I do trust is my own ears and experience - you touched on that. The classic example is with speaker cable. I have never heard any speaker cable, at any price, that sounded significantly better than a good quality length of 12 gauge copper wire. Which I am quite certain that your boutique dealers would dismiss out of hand.

Back on topic....

You almost had me. I am a cable agnostic audiophile. I just don't buy the hype. And, yes - I *can* hear the differences.

The flaw in your argument is around "trust the audio reviewing press".

The reviewing press, along with audiophile publications, just feed off the hype. These are the same people/publications that generate their revenue from advertisers of such products like: $1000 power cords, $50 fuses, $100 electrical outlets.... need I go on?

I have long since cancelled my subscriptions to these snob rags.

What I do trust is my own ears and experience - you touched on that. The classic example is with speaker cable. I have never heard any speaker cable, at any price, that sounded significantly better than a good quality length of 12 gauge copper wire. Which I am quite certain that your boutique dealers would dismiss out of hand.

Back on topic....

I don't believe we are as far apart as you may think. Is it possible the basis for you not being able to resolve sonic differences in speaker cabling can be a result of the resolving qualities of your source electronics (GIGO)?

Hype is indeed running a muck, but no more than in any other product industry. i.e. Cameras, cosmetics, cutlery, Beverages, OTC medicines, Big screen TV's, Autos and the list goes on.

I have attached a picture of a home brew speaker cable that I used in my showroom to prove to buyers that you need not spend mega bucks to get satisfactory sound. My role as a quality dealer was to educate the uninformed as to what was possible. Nay sayers such as you always came in and picked our brains, spent our valuable time and never spent a dime. But thats the cost of business.:(

This little concoction performs very nicely in a moderately priced system.

Your comment about summarily dismissing most if not all of the audio press, tells me about your closed mind (" I know what I know,so don't try to confuse me with the facts"). You may even be a flat earther! Are you related to Ted Kaczynski per chance?:D

I imagine you believe the same holds true for news publications and other media outlets, magazines, radio and of course TV.

I would be interested in knowing what electronics are in your employ and how you determined what was available at the time you acquired them and how you determined they were worth reviewing. How you became aware those products were available at the time.:confused::cool:

Yo guys, chill out (my Philly accent shows here). I've had this same argument many times over. Except it was in the 1970's / 1980's. :rolleyes:

The original comment was to use an optical digital cable for audio. Remember that you need to evaluate the entire chain from the source (STB) to the speakers (not mentioned). I'm betting that the DAC inside the STB isn't anything to write home about. The RX-V1700 is mid-fi class. Optical will work just fine. Done.

If he had something like my Vandersteen IIci's with a decent tube amp (I wish, it's a Yamaha RX-V2400), then we'd be in business. However, that's not the case.

If you want to discuss the benefits of high-end audio cabling, start a thread over in the "Audio theory, Setup and Chat" forum and PM me when done. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=91 I'll join you there.

ginovino - My speaker cable looks like yours, except it's commercial and I don't remember whose brand it is. I used to travel to north Jersey all the time to visit the high-end audio stores...and buy. Times have changed, but my ears certainly haven't.

Yo guys, chill out (my Philly accent shows here). I've had this same argument many times over. Except it was in the 1970's / 1980's. :rolleyes:

The original comment was to use an optical digital cable for audio. Remember that you need to evaluate the entire chain from the source (STB) to the speakers (not mentioned). I'm betting that the DAC inside the STB isn't anything to write home about. The RX-V1700 is mid-fi class. Optical will work just fine. Done.

If he had something like my Vandersteen IIci's with a decent tube amp (I wish, it's a Yamaha RX-V2400), then we'd be in business. However, that's not the case.

If you want to discuss the benefits of high-end audio cabling, start a thread over in the "Audio theory, Setup and Chat" forum and PM me when done. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=91 I'll join you there.

ginovino - My speaker cable looks like yours, except it's commercial and I don't remember whose brand it is. I used to travel to north Jersey all the time to visit the high-end audio stores...and buy. Times have changed, but my ears certainly haven't.

Duly noted and respectfully acknowledged.

It gets a bit thin over time when the litany of "cables don't make the difference" chant begins. Over 28 years in business this homily usually occurs with folks who are often "frugal" (to be generous). Cables, Capacitors, Resistors, IC's, power supplies, Balanced inputs and outputs vs non balanced, Russian tubes vs Chinese tubes et al all affect the sonic qualities of the equipment they are used in.

I liken it to the famous misnomer "Thiels are bright", when it should have been "Thiels are better, your equipment is bright", underdampened or just plain ran out of juice.

As fortune would have it, this mentality was soon dispelled when Thiels were matched with better amplification: ARC, CJ, Bryston, Classe', Pass, Manley, Counterpoint and many other fine high current amps.

Its my experience the naysayers use MOR electronics or the Fruit flavor of the week, the "Juicy" this and "Raspberry" that. Worst yet, if they use Receivers of any type. If this makes me an audio snob, so be it... Over 28 years I never purposely deceived a customer in the interest of profits. Geometrically, one customer turns into 130 over 28 years. New customers are the ones who pay the bills. Repeat customers replace equipment only every five years, and nay sayers want education and freebie time, thouogh never buy from you because they are always looking for a bargain.:rolleyes:

ginovino - As for reminiscing, I spent more hours than I can remember comparing my equipment with Sheffield Lab LPs, among others. I even had a copy of the elusive Colgems Casino Royale (Dusty Springfield). But, I digress...

A few weeks ago, my STB suddenly started dropping the HDMI output. I would be watching TV, and then with no warning - black screen and no audio. The front panel responded OK. The only way I could get it to work again was from power-cycling (unplug, wait, replug). It happened intermittently, about 3 times in a week. My instincts told me that my STB is about to die a slow death. It will get worse and I should get a replacement ASAP.

There was no way I could explain this to Verizon support on the telephone. I went over to the Verizon Direct forum on DSL reports and requested an STB replacement. I clearly explained what was happening and why it was the STB and not my TV. After answering a few questions, I got my replacement.

Sure enough, the day my replacement arrives, the STB starts dropping audio from some SD channels and video stuttering becomes unbearable. It's about to die. I swapped out the STB and all is OK.

I don't know what the useful life of an STB is, but 3 years works for me.

If anyone has problems getting decent tech support with Verizon, try posting in the Verizon Direct forum: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/vzdirect It's for customer support, threads are private between you and Verizon.

Update: DSL Reports has a thread about the HDMI output suddenly going dead. It might be connected to a bug in the firmware. But with the other problems my STB was having, I'm glad I got the replacement. http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r21620075-HDMI-HDMI-port-goes-dead-a-few-times-a-week

ginovino - As for reminiscing, I spent more hours than I can remember comparing my equipment with Sheffield Lab LPs, among others. I even had a copy of the elusive Colgems Casino Royale (Dusty Springfield). But, I digress...

A few weeks ago, my STB suddenly started dropping the HDMI output. I would be watching TV, and then with no warning - black screen and no audio. The front panel responded OK. The only way I could get it to work again was from power-cycling (unplug, wait, replug). It happened intermittently, about 3 times in a week. My instincts told me that my STB is about to die a slow death. It will get worse and I should get a replacement ASAP.

There was no way I could explain this to Verizon support on the telephone. I went over to the Verizon Direct forum on DSL reports and requested an STB replacement. I clearly explained what was happening and why it was the STB and not my TV. After answering a few questions, I got my replacement.

Sure enough, the day my replacement arrives, the STB starts dropping audio from some SD channels and video stuttering becomes unbearable. It's about to die. I swapped out the STB and all is OK.

I don't know what the useful life of an STB is, but 3 years works for me.

If anyone has problems getting decent tech support with Verizon, try posting in the Verizon Direct forum: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/vzdirect It's for customer support, threads are private between you and Verizon.

Update: DSL Reports has a thread about the HDMI output suddenly going dead. It might be connected to a bug in the firmware. But with the other problems my STB was having, I'm glad I got the replacement. http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r21620075-HDMI-HDMI-port-goes-dead-a-few-times-a-week

I have acquiesced and given in to keeping the VERIZON FIOS STB's set at 1080i. I acknowledge it is taking my 720p channels and bumping them up to 1080i only to have both my Pioneer Elite 1140 HD Pro and Panny TH50px600U scale the signals back to 720p. So much for the improved technology form Verizon.

In many respects the SA8300HD was a better methodology. It allowed signal pass through at its native resolutions and thus the signal was processed only once by the TV scaler!

These Motorola boxes suck of the highest order. The Motorola techs I spoke with blame it on Verizons design request to keep the choices to a minimum in the interest of reduced Customer service calls.:mad:

The rest of us who know(?) what were doing can go scratch their keisters!:rolleyes:

I don't believe we are as far apart as you may think. Is it possible the basis for you not being able to resolve sonic differences in speaker cabling can be a result of the resolving qualities of your source electronics (GIGO)?

Possible, but not likely. When I lived in LA, I did a lot of work for recording studios. As you might imagine, budgets there are unlimited, so I was very fortunate to be exposed to many of the uber-high-end components. Since many of these "artists" were of the more-money-than-brains culture, I often helped them with their personal Hi-Fi (back then, Home Theater was virtually unheard). So, pick the boutique brand of choice. I probably heard of it, heard it, installed it, calibrated it and sat there and listened to the praise of people more impressed with the price, than the subtleties of quality.

If you search on me here, you will find a post about one such adventure, involving speaker cabling. Quite amusing - if I say so :)

I have attached a picture of a home brew speaker cable that I used in my showroom to prove to buyers that you need not spend mega bucks to get satisfactory sound. My role as a quality dealer was to educate the uninformed as to what was possible. Nay sayers such as you always came in and picked our brains, spent our valuable time and never spent a dime. But thats the cost of business.:(

We call that exercise.... research.

Your comment about summarily dismissing most if not all of the audio press, tells me about your closed mind (" I know what I know,so don't try to confuse me with the facts"). You may even be a flat earther! Are you related to Ted Kaczynski per chance?:D

Not at all closed minded... just learned, over many, many years. There are some interesting publications about, that do, in context, provide useful information to the consumer. However, most (yes, blanket statement - but, to a large extent - true) are marketing vehicles for their advertisers. Neither good, nor bad - just how it works.

I imagine you believe the same holds true for news publications and other media outlets, magazines, radio and of course TV.

Pot? Kettle? Black?

I would be interested in knowing what electronics are in your employ and how you determined what was available at the time you acquired them and how you determined they were worth reviewing. How you became aware those products were available at the time.:confused::cool:

Well, in my signature is the list of my current configuration. Clearly NOT ultra-high end by any stretch. Barely in the mid-fi category. But, they more than meet my needs now. I understand the limitations of the equipment and know that in each category - I could have better. Except one... the cabling :)

I didn't mean to offend - I just spent too many years in the industry, at levels well above "general consumer product" standards. During that time, I have seen, heard and participated in way too much hype. I don't have time for it any longer. And, I still harbor disdain for audio-snobbery.

Sorry to continue the OT.

With all due respect to your Grandma, your conclusions are somewhat tangential. Optical (fiber) has universally been acknowledged as a step down sonically to Coaxial (wire/metal) cable. You can can Google dozens of links where White papers have been written to this conclusions. FYI the AQ VDM-5 is about $200 for a 2mtr. If you believe that is expensive then read no further into this stream of consciousness.

As for the quality (cost) of cable, again we part company. I liken it to a Toyota car engine capable of producing 300hp versus a Ferrari engine doing the same thing, which would you think is the more capable?

All cables are NOT the same, in fact some of the most expensive cables sound like crap in many systems. They do nothing more than massage the ego of the owners. However, there are several selected brands and models which stand out among the rest, IMHO the AQ VDM-5 is among the best real world $$ digital Coaxial.

As for all digital being the same in terms of ones and zeros, if that were the cornerstone of digital sound, then why don't all cd players sound the same? Or DVD players perform equal visually? Why do the OPPO players blow away the competition at any price?

I could go on ad infinitum with other examples of this conundrum. No where did I speak of "high end" cables. I made a specific recommendation and not wild rantings about the virtues of the "Grand Foobah Multi stranded braided Looped back Cable of the Moment".

Many years back, I too became aware of the dubious claims of cable builders among them Monster, whose first cable oxidized within 6 months of installation. I am among the early owners of "Livewire" which evolved into what is now Audioquest. That early interconnect is still in use in my Garage system and gives my $2k a pair of Straightwire Crescendo's a tough time.
As does the Vampire wire I/C against my Kimber Monocle's.

I could gone on another paragraph about my experiences with cables. It comes down to where you do your shopping and what your exposed to, i.e. Walmart and their cheap prices, pedestrian products and limited inventory or trust the audio reviewing press and shop LYRIC Hi Fi, Sound By Singer, Elusive Disc, Overture Audio and other top of the line salons located throughout the USA. I subscribe to no less than 6 respected audio journals, which I do not always agree with. Including our own Kalmon Rubinson who is a major contributor on this forum. However, I trust his experience and judgment to set me off in the right direction to achieve my sonic goals.

You are indeed correct when stating , one need not spend a lot of money on cabling to satisfy their sonic appetite. But, one needs to understand how to tell the difference between steak and spam.;)

Total BS. They are both digital transfer of digital data. IDENTICAL. Look at the specs and test the results. I don't care if you transfer the data over fiber, coax, or cat 5 using that spec, you get the same results.

Sir, you have indeed presented your case in a cogent manner and with aplomb I might add.

Your responses are well thought out and not the rantings of what I thought to be a "high end hater". I have been rich and I have been poor, though during these periods I always sought out value for my hard earned money. I started out building EICO kits and moved to Dynaco, Leak, Jantzen, Wharfdale, Bozak, JBL, AR, McIntosh Tubes, NYAL, Dual, Garrard, Rek-o-Kut, Futterman, Krell, ARC, Koss Electrostatics, Magnepan, PSB and finally have settled into a very nice 2 channel system: Thiel CS-3.6 & Cs-6's, Bryston 7b-SSt, VPI TNT with JMW 10.5 arm and both Grado Statement and Koetsu Red. A slew of Vintage FM tuners including Sansui 9900 & 919, Kenwood KT-917 & 600T, and several Kenwood & Sansui 70's vintage receivers.

All of my vintage gear has been rebuilt with the latest brands of component parts, supply caps, xfrmrs, and kimber wiring, they are a something to behold compared to much of today's gear.

I also maintain 2 HT systems with 1) Denon 4806Ci, Panasonic TH50PX600U and Paradigm Titan/CC290/Atoms & AV123 mfw-15 sub.
Cabling is Kimber 8TC, AQ Sub3 & VDM-5 coax. System #2 is Yamaha RX-v2700 & Pioneer Elite 1140HD PRO and Paradigm Atoms/cc290/Atoms and Snell Basis 300 Sub. Cabling is Kimber 8TC fronts, AQ6 rears and AQ Sub3. HDMI all around.

Thus it seems we are more sympatico then apart. Though I must part company with you as it relates to Audio cabling and its effect on sound.

Agreed. The pursuit of Hi-Fi leads us down different paths, however with similar results: obtaining the best possible quality sound.

It was a sad day when my Sansui 9000 passed away. major kudos to you for resurrecting yours!

BTW - do you use D-Nice's settings on your 1140 Elite? I thought they were pretty good at first, then when I moved from Comcast to FIOS - they became even better.

Can we leave the cable BS out of this thread and get back to talking about the FIOS DVR. Cables are like politics and religion. Everyone believes what they believe.

Just one more comment with regards to cables that pass digital streams. I do just fine with USB and Firewire cables that cost under $10 each, and pass digital data at rates way higher than HDTV, and definitely higher than digital audio.

I copy files all the time, connect all sorts of devices, and never have any kind of data error. If you think you hear a difference in one cable over another, ask yourself whether you hear a difference if you copy a WAV, MP3 or HD video file over a $10 USB cable as compared to a $100 USB cable. There are free utilities that will do a bit compare of the files, and you can see that the data is identical. Where would the source of any audible difference come from?

Someone will say that there are minute timing differences in the bit spacing due to electrical effects. However, the bits are stored, processed and reclocked, so any variation in the incoming bit stream is not preserved.

Scott

I'm with xradman on this one....no more discussing cables, even "one last word". I've been lurking on this thread as I have this box and would like to keep up with issues others are having with it. Let's stay on topic please and stick with the box.

If there are any Mods watching this, I respectfully ask that you delete, and or move all discussions relating to cables to another thread.

I may have missed this from an earlier post in the thread, but my QIP6414 STB seems to be always on and running (emitting heat, noise, and consuming electricity), even after I turn it off. Is this typical?

Please advise.

Thanks!

I may have missed this from an earlier post in the thread, but my QIP6414 STB seems to be always on and running (emitting heat, noise, and consuming electricity), even after I turn it off. Is this typical?

If that model is a DVR then I'd have to say it's normal. You have to remember that the DVR is basically a computer that has to be available to record at any time. As such, the CPU has to be processing instructions and if the CPU is doing something the cooling fan(s) have to be running. It's really no different than if you leave your computer on (assuming you don't have options to do things like spin down drives enabled of course).

Thanks!
That's what I thought. The VZ Fios tech confirmed the same thing when I called to voice another issue.

Has anyone received a solution from Verizon for the "Lost connection to Hub" issue when watching recordings remotely? This is becoming more common when we watch HD recorded programs. Thank you.

Hi Johnny 5..
The lost connection to the DVR hub is a issue I have delt with since I had FIOS installed back in 10/08. I have been on the phone with Verizon, and have tried so many so called "fixes", but nothing has helped. I've pretty much given up on this being resolved. Rather ironic though, considering this is one of the main selling points Verizon uses to sell FIOS. I don't think its a hardware problem either, but more of a software/router issue.
Perhaps some new firmware update might help in the future.

Woke up this morning and the 6416 HD DVR decided that it didn't want to pause or rewind live TV anymore. A little later I found out that it would no longer allow me to record anything and it had wiped all my recorded shows. In short, it looked like it didn't want to be a DVR anymore. The message you get when you hit the DVR button is the same message you get when the STBs can't find the DVR for remote playback. I rebooted a couple of times, but no change.

I called up Verison support, and they rebooted the box remotely and made me change the batteries in my remote. They tried various rebooting tricks that ate up about three hours. One boot sequence actually killed the box. Then they brought it back to life, but it still wouldn't do any DVR functions. In the end, after much arguing (they wanted me to wait 24hrs), they agreed to send me another HD DVR.

I've only had FiOS for about a month, so I'm surprised that I would be having problems so early. It took about 3 yrs for my DTV Tivo box to die. Anybody ever heard of this kind of problem with the 6416s?

I've only had FiOS for about a month, so I'm surprised that I would be having problems so early. It took about 3 yrs for my DTV Tivo box to die. Anybody ever heard of this kind of problem with the 6416s?All DVRs die, eventually. Unless your 6416 arrived in a sealed Motorola box, covered in plastic, it was probably in use for some time before you got it. Verizon began deploying 6416 DVRs in early 2006.

It is not typical to receive a box and have it die a month later. Like most cable companies, Verizon does replace equipment for free.

It"s been nearly 5 months since I converted to Verizon FIOS from Cablevision of New York OPTIMUM cable service.

I can honestly say the fiber optic picture quality is vastly superior to RG6 typically found on traditional cable service.

However all is not perfect. The Scientific Atlanta 8300HD boxes allowed you the ability to set the STB box for Automatic signal passthrough to your TV. Thus the STB never interfered or rescaled the signal before it reached your TV.

The FIOS Motorola 64xx STB force you pre select output resolution to either 768(720p) or 1080i. Thus if your TV is native 720p or 1080i, the signal is manipulated prior to the TV's (very likely) better scaler. There is no work around to this. It is compounded by lack of a single broadcast signal standard at either 768p or 1080i. Here is the New York area about 1/3rd of networks originate in native 720P and the remaining are 1080i.

Both of my monitors are 720p, so no matter which setting I select on the STB, the signal leaving it is always manipulated by the dreaded Motorola 64XX before it gets to my monitors.:mad:

I realize I am beating a dead horse with this issue, but I believe it warrants telling this story again.;)

In the perfect world the STB should just act as a passthrough and let your Monitor do the job is was designed to do.

It"s been nearly 5 months since I converted to Verizon FIOS from Cablevision of New York OPTIMUM cable service.

I can honestly say the fiber optic picture quality is vastly superior to RG6 typically found on traditional cable service.

However all is not perfect. The Scientific Atlanta 8300HD boxes allowed you the ability to set the STB box for Automatic signal passthrough to your TV. Thus the STB never interfered or rescaled the signal before it reached your TV.

The FIOS Motorola 64xx STB force you pre select output resolution to either 768(720p) or 1080i. Thus if your TV is native 720p or 1080i, the signal is manipulated prior to the TV's (very likely) better scaler. There is no work around to this. It is compounded by lack of a single broadcast signal standard at either 768p or 1080i. Here is the New York area about 1/3rd of networks originate in native 720P and the remaining are 1080i.

Both of my monitors are 720p, so no matter which setting I select on the STB, the signal leaving it is always manipulated by the dreaded Motorola 64XX before it gets to my monitors.:mad:

I realize I am beating a dead horse with this issue, but I believe it warrants telling this story again.;)

In the perfect world the STB should just act as a passthrough and let your Monitor do the job is was designed to do.

Yup, that is one of my future hope/requests for changes coming in the future.

MTBF for DVR's in general is generally around 4+/- years, depending on power on time and power cycling. Usual cause of death is HDD failure - makes sense since that is the only real mechanical component.

IC failure is somewhere closer to 8 years, but the HDD failure rate lowers the units predicted MTBF.

Sounds like your box is suffering from thermal IC failure, a condition that initially can be reset by power cycle. It will return and eventually the affected junction in the IC will fail.

I'd tee up a replacement.

My first DVR was a single tuner in 2004 and then I replaced it with the dual tuner when it came out around 2005. I had to replace the dual tuner with another in 2007 because it went bad. I use the DVR extensively and do plenty of trick play with the sports I watch plus skipping commercials.

All 3 of my DVR's came out of factory sealed Motorola boxes so I feel they were all new.

I hope to get 4 years out of my current DVR but not sure it will last that long based on my usage habits.

Enforcing your point... Proper ventilation is key too, since heat is the enemy of every DVR.

I have two DVRs... Last night, they were both set to record My Name Is Earl. I noticed that there seemed to be be an issue with this recording... It just kept recording, and recording, and recording, long after the show was over (on both DVRs). In fact, I had to manually stop them both recording after about 3 hours.

It seems now, neither will record "scheduled" recordings... In fact, when you go to "View Schedule" its filled with shows that it failed to record last night and today. If I try to record a progam as I'm watching it, nothing happens. I can still pause and rewind live TV though.

Anyone else have this issue?

Is there a way to reboot the DVRs? I'd prefer not to have to climb behind the entertainment center to unplug and plug them back in.

Have an issue with S/PDIF output on all of my newly installed boxes (6200 and 6416). Can someone confirm the d10 setting in their Diagnostic Menu on any of these HD boxes? My setting shows S/PDIF as N/A and I need to see if that is normal. If not, anyone know how to change?

I have two DVRs... Last night, they were both set to record My Name Is Earl. I noticed that there seemed to be be an issue with this recording... It just kept recording, and recording, and recording, long after the show was over (on both DVRs). In fact, I had to manually stop them both recording after about 3 hours.

It seems now, neither will record "scheduled" recordings... In fact, when you go to "View Schedule" its filled with shows that it failed to record last night and today. If I try to record a progam as I'm watching it, nothing happens. I can still pause and rewind live TV though.

Anyone else have this issue?

Is there a way to reboot the DVRs? I'd prefer not to have to climb behind the entertainment center to unplug and plug them back in.
You can reboot online. Just go into your account and select the dvrs's, then select reboot/reset. You can also do it by phone.. That will probably solve your problem.

BTW, if you have 24 in your series to be recorded Sun, be sure to check it manually as the guide thinks that one of the ep is a repeat.

I have searched this thread numerous times to no avail.....I just signed up for the Home Media DVR option. Verizon assured me that I wouldn't need to do anything in order to use it, it would simply start working within 24 hours. So, i've waited almost a day and a half, and gave it a shot. I have the QIP6416-2 and a QIP2500 in my bed. I recorded something in SD and tried to see if I could watch it on the 2500 - I got an error saying that:

"Multi Room DVR encountered a problem while accessing the data from the DVR box. Make sure the DVR is plugged in to the power outlet and that you have at least one recording available. If the problem persists, please unplug the power for DVR box and plug it back in and try again."

I have made sure all requirements are met, and I even tried the un-plugging re-plugging thing...nothing.

Could someone point me to a solution for this problem?

UPDATE - looks like my order for MR DVR hasn't completed yet - and it won't until Monday.....

I have two DVRs... Last night, they were both set to record My Name Is Earl. I noticed that there seemed to be be an issue with this recording... It just kept recording, and recording, and recording, long after the show was over (on both DVRs). In fact, I had to manually stop them both recording after about 3 hours.

It seems now, neither will record "scheduled" recordings... In fact, when you go to "View Schedule" its filled with shows that it failed to record last night and today. If I try to record a progam as I'm watching it, nothing happens. I can still pause and rewind live TV though.

Anyone else have this issue?

Is there a way to reboot the DVRs? I'd prefer not to have to climb behind the entertainment center to unplug and plug them back in.

We used to have that problem often... like once or twice a week. It went away with the 1.5 or 1.6 upgrade last summer... but just happened again with My Name is Earl! Cycling power cleared it but by the time I realized it, The Office hadn't recorded. Wondering if something in the program guide was messed up, but then you'd think the display would have been wrong.

However all is not perfect. The Scientific Atlanta 8300HD boxes allowed you the ability to set the STB box for Automatic signal passthrough to your TV. Thus the STB never interfered or rescaled the signal before it reached your TV.

The FIOS Motorola 64xx STB force you pre select output resolution to either 768(720p) or 1080i.

This annoyance is not the fault of Moto, but Verizon. The Moto HD box I had from Comcast passed through the signals untouched. When I installed FiOS, the 6416 forced a single resolution.

I don't really understand the justification for decisions like this one, either. It's like "HD" channels that show pre-stretched content. Why remove control over things like this from the customer?

I'm having a problem setting a series recording for American Idol.
It says the series is set to record, but when I look in the guide, it doesn't show that the upcoming episodes will record. I manually set it to record this coming week's episodes, and it shows next tuesday night;s episode as a series recording, but not Wednesday night's. The guide lists both episodes as new ones, so I'm not sure where the problem is.
Is anyone else having this problem?
I've deleted and re-created the series recording severla times, and I've also rebooted the DVR several times. Nothing seems to help with it.
I have guide ver 1.6, and a Motorola QIP-6416.

I'm having a problem setting a series recording for American Idol.
It says the series is set to record, but when I look in the guide, it doesn't show that the upcoming episodes will record. I manually set it to record this coming week's episodes, and it shows next tuesday night;s episode as a series recording, but not Wednesday night's. The guide lists both episodes as new ones, so I'm not sure where the problem is.
Is anyone else having this problem?
I've deleted and re-created the series recording severla times, and I've also rebooted the DVR several times. Nothing seems to help with it.
I have guide ver 1.6, and a Motorola QIP-6416.

Yes. You have to keep on top of the DVR. Many of us have complained to Verizon about the guide data and bugs like this. The issue with American Idol is poor guide data.

FYI provides the data to Verizon. I wish they would change to either Tribune or Gemstar. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!!!

Yes. You have to keep on top of the DVR. Many of us have complained to Verizon about the guide data and bugs like this. The issue with American Idol is poor guide data.

FYI provides the data to Verizon. I wish they would change to either Tribune or Gemstar. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!!!

When I looked at the guide information, I couldn't tell anything different about the title of the episodes that won't schedule to record.

I have acquiesced and given in to keeping the VERIZON FIOS STB's set at 1080i. I acknowledge it is taking my 720p channels and bumping them up to 1080i only to have both my Pioneer Elite 1140 HD Pro and Panny TH50px600U scale the signals back to 720p. So much for the improved technology form Verizon.

In many respects the SA8300HD was a better methodology. It allowed signal pass through at its native resolutions and thus the signal was processed only once by the TV scaler!

These Motorola boxes suck of the highest order. The Motorola techs I spoke with blame it on Verizons design request to keep the choices to a minimum in the interest of reduced Customer service calls.:mad:

The rest of us who know(?) what were doing can go scratch their keisters!:rolleyes:

Why are surprised that both of your TV sets (Pioneer Elite 1140 HD and Panasonic TH50px600U) scale everything back to 720p? They are both 720p native resolution TV sets.

As far as Motorola set-tops go... A customer is a king. If Verizon wants no native pass-thru then no native pass-thru. But on other hand I have QIP-6416 from VZ and it is set to 1080i feeding into 1080p native Toshiba HDTV LCD panel and the settings stick.

If I were you I'd have a box replaced.

Anyone use the 6416 remote with an Onkyo receiver? The Onkyos typically have a discrete power on and a discret standby (not a power toggle on/off).

Is there anyway to use the 6416 remote to power on/off such a receiver?
If so, what code do you use?

I can either get it to either turn on the receiver or turn it off (standby) but not both.

Since this is a family room, I would prefer to use the Verizon supplied remote -- over the Onkyo (and don't want to buy another universal right now).

Why are surprised that both of your TV sets (Pioneer Elite 1140 HD and Panasonic TH50px600U) scale everything back to 720p? They are both 720p native resolution TV sets.

As far as Motorola set-tops go... A customer is a king. If Verizon wants no native pass-thru then no native pass-thru. But on other hand I have QIP-6416 from VZ and it is set to 1080i feeding into 1080p native Toshiba HDTV LCD panel and the settings stick.

If I were you I'd have a box replaced.

AFAIK you guys have it somewhat wrong. By AVS standards, I am no expert, so someone jump in and correct me if I'm the one who is off base.

The native resolution of the 1140 HD is 1365 x 768, that is not the resolution of a 720p signal. This is to say the display has 1365 vertical and 768 horizontal rows of pixels for a total of 1,048,320 pixels. Every image the set shows must be scaled to fit those 1,048,320 pixels. 1,048,320 is enough pixels to accurately resolve a 720p signal which has a horizontal resolution of 720 rows of pixels and a vertical resolution of 1280 rows of pixels for a total of 921,600 pixels -- but it still requires scaling to make the 921,600 pixels of the signal fit on the display's 1,048,320 pixels. The display, by contrast, does not have enough pixels to resolve a 1080p image which has 2,073,600 pixels.

Labeling a display as "720p" can be misleading. It does not mean 720p is its native resolution, but indicates 720p is the highest broadcast standard the set can fully resolve which helps distinguish it from "1080p" displays which can fully resolve a 1080p signal. Of course, it is not often reported that way.

The point, is that every broadcast standard signal (480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p) that reaches the 1140 or another "720p" set is scaled. What's frustrating about the QIP6416's lack of pass through is that it means signals that don't match the box's output setting are scaled twice rather than just once. Once by the box to convert a 720p signal into 1080i (or a 1080i signal into 720p if the box is set to output 720p) and then again by the TV to its native resolution of 1365 x 768.

As for "1080p" displays, it turns out manufacturers make these sets with a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 -- which exactly matches the resolution of a 1080i or 1080p signal -- so no scaling needs to be done on 1080 signals sent to a "1080p" display.

AFAIK you guys have it somewhat wrong. By AVS standards, I am no expert, so someone jump in and correct me if I'm the one who is off base.

The native resolution of the 1140 HD is 1365 x 768, that is not the resolution of a 720p signal. This is to say the display has 1365 vertical and 768 horizontal rows of pixels for a total of 1,048,320 pixels. Every image the set shows must be scaled to fit those 1,048,320 pixels. 1,048,320 is enough pixels to accurately resolve a 720p signal which has a horizontal resolution of 720 rows of pixels and a vertical resolution of 1280 rows of pixels for a total of 921,600 pixels -- but it still requires scaling to make the 921,600 pixels of the signal fit on the display's 1,048,320 pixels. The display, by contrast, does not have enough pixels to resolve a 1080p image which has 2,073,600 pixels.

Labeling a display as "720p" can be misleading. It does not mean 720p is its native resolution, but indicates 720p is the highest broadcast standard the set can fully resolve which helps distinguish it from "1080p" displays which can fully resolve a 1080p signal. Of course, it is not often reported that way.

The point, is that every broadcast standard signal (480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p) that reaches the 1140 or another "720p" set is scaled. What's frustrating about the QIP6416's lack of pass through is that it means signals that don't match the box's output setting are scaled twice rather than just once. Once by the box to convert a 720p signal into 1080i (or a 1080i signal into 720p if the box is set to output 720p) and then again by the TV to its native resolution of 1365 x 768.

As for "1080p" displays, it turns out manufacturers make these sets with a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 -- which exactly matches the resolution of a 1080i or 1080p signal -- so no scaling needs to be done on 1080 signals sent to a "1080p" display.


I have a 720p projector and the 6416. Bottom line, based on what everyone knows, what SHOULD give me the best picture, should I set the 6416 to output 1080i or 720p?

In other words, what theoretically will give the best picture generally on HD channels (not what I think looks best subjectively).

I say it depends on your programming priorities.

If you're an ESPN, ABC, or Fox junkie set the output to 720p since those networks broadcast in 720p. Therefore, the signal will be scaled once at your display, but not previously by your STB. Meanwhile, 1080i networks will be scaled both at the STB and the display.

If you're a big fan of say NBC or HBO, set the output to 1080i so that network's signal is only scaled once at the display, while 720p networks are scaled twice.

There are more 1080i broadcasters than 720p broadcasters, so if you don't have predilection towards a particular network, I think 1080i is the better choice.

If one has a 1080p display, then setting the STB to output 1080i seems the best choice.

But yeah, I'm not saying one way or the other if this makes a discernible difference. If it does however, then judging the pictures of your home theater, I'd say it's worth getting a TiVo so you can pass through the native signal.

I have two DVRs... Last night, they were both set to record My Name Is Earl. I noticed that there seemed to be be an issue with this recording... It just kept recording, and recording, and recording, long after the show was over (on both DVRs). In fact, I had to manually stop them both recording after about 3 hours.

It seems now, neither will record "scheduled" recordings... In fact, when you go to "View Schedule" its filled with shows that it failed to record last night and today. If I try to record a progam as I'm watching it, nothing happens. I can still pause and rewind live TV though.

Anyone else have this issue?

Is there a way to reboot the DVRs? I'd prefer not to have to climb behind the entertainment center to unplug and plug them back in.


To reboot(without pulling the plug):

Using the remote, press 'Menu' then 'Settings' then 'OK' then 'System Info' then enter '2601'

If you don't have a picture, here's the same thing done 'blind,' using the remote, press 'Menu' then six down arrow presses then OK then seven down arrow presses then enter '2601'

Tips: don't go too fast(especially using the 'blind' instructions) and it takes 30-45 seconds for my box to begin to reboot after the last instruction.

Got this from a FIOS tech over the phone...

This annoyance is not the fault of Moto, but Verizon. The Moto HD box I had from Comcast passed through the signals untouched. When I installed FiOS, the 6416 forced a single resolution.

I don't really understand the justification for decisions like this one, either. It's like "HD" channels that show pre-stretched content. Why remove control over things like this from the customer?As far as I know, no Motorola DVR from any cable provider offers native output for HD channels.

Motorola DVRs do offer native output for SD channels. I can't recall what options are available through the settings in IMG 1.6, but as far as I know, you can still access the same firmware-level options that you could on Comcast's Motorola DVR to enable native output on SD channels. When all else fails, turn off the box, turn the TV on, press select, then press menu on the box. That should give you the Motorola's own firmware menu with the same options for 4:3 override that you had on Comcast's Motorola DVR.

Well, it's been a few months since I left Comcast, but I'm really pretty sure the box I had passed through HD signals with the resolution unchanged. I recall distinctly viewing a couple of the 720p channels like Fox and ESPN on the Comcast box and having my Sony TV report that they were in 720p. When I switched to a 1080i provider like CBS, the Sony reported the 1080i resolution.

I always use the component outputs rather than HDMI so though it seems quite unlikely, perhaps the difference lies there?

This difference was one of the first things I noticed about FiOS after I switched.

Well, it's been a few months since I left Comcast, but I'm really pretty sure the box I had passed through HD signals with the resolution unchanged. I recall distinctly viewing a couple of the 720p channels like Fox and ESPN on the Comcast box and having my Sony TV report that they were in 720p. When I switched to a 1080i provider like CBS, the Sony reported the 1080i resolution.

I always use the component outputs rather than HDMI so though it seems quite unlikely, perhaps the difference lies there?

This difference was one of the first things I noticed about FiOS after I switched.

Did you have an SA box when you were with Comcast? No Motorola STB has native passthru on either Component or HDMI/DVI. That capability does not exist in hardware.

AFAIK

The point, is that every broadcast standard signal (480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p) that reaches the 1140 or another "720p" set is scaled. What's frustrating about the QIP6416's lack of pass through is that it means signals that don't match the box's output setting are scaled twice rather than just once. Once by the box to convert a 720p signal into 1080i (or a 1080i signal into 720p if the box is set to output 720p) and then again by the TV to its native resolution of 1365 x 768.



That is exactly what I was attempting to explain, however more clearly stated by you. Thanks.

I had contacted Motorola tech support about these boxes and was advised quite candidly, that it was the decision of Verizon engineering to program these boxes in this manner without regard to the users situation. Furthermore, these 64xx boxes have the internal ability via a Firmware change to allow native pass through if you desired.

However, Verizon is its ultimate wisdom (?) took that option away from us.

Any VZ folks out there care to explain why and to who's benefit?:(

Did you have an SA box when you were with Comcast? No Motorola STB has native passthru on either Component or HDMI/DVI. That capability does not exist in hardware.

Please read my earlier posting and comments from Motorola Tech support.

How do you come to your conclusions?:confused:

Anyone use the 6416 remote with an Onkyo receiver? The Onkyos typically have a discrete power on and a discret standby (not a power toggle on/off).

Is there anyway to use the 6416 remote to power on/off such a receiver?
If so, what code do you use?

I can either get it to either turn on the receiver or turn it off (standby) but not both.

Since this is a family room, I would prefer to use the Verizon supplied remote -- over the Onkyo (and don't want to buy another universal right now).
Anyone?

Logitech Universal Harmony ONE.... It would solve your issues quickly and effectively.

I understand your desire NOT to buy a universal remote... But the remotes which came with your TV and HTR just don't have the needed logic built in them.

Logitech Universal Harmony ONE.... It would solve your issues quickly and effectively.

I understand your desire NOT to buy a universal remote... But the remotes which came with your TV and HTR just don't have the needed logic built in them.

I have the Harmony one in my theater room (and love it). I don't really want to go that route for my family room, if I can avoid it.

So is there no way to use the Verizon 6416 remote with a receiver that has discrete power On/Off?

I thought it may just be a code issue -- there are like 15 Onkyo possible codes.

Sorry I couldn't tell you more. I work for Motorola and have to be careful about the info I release without permission. Don't need to lose the job but I'll give you answers to the questions I'm allowed to answer. :)

Does Motorola realize that most people think their boxes are not that good -- pretty clunky? Or does Motorola not care, since Verizon and Comcast must give them gobs of cash?

I have the Harmony one in my theater room (and love it). I don't really want to go that route for my family room, if I can avoid it.

So is there no way to use the Verizon 6416 remote with a receiver that has discrete power On/Off?

I thought it may just be a code issue -- there are like 15 Onkyo possible codes.

There is just not enough RAM in the 6416.

Why not try the less costly Logitech:
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/remotes/universal_remotes/devices/4738&cl=us,en&readreviews=1

There is just not enough RAM in the 6416.

Why not try the less costly Logitech:
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/remotes/universal_remotes/devices/4738&cl=us,en&readreviews=1

I just bought the 510 at amazon for about $65, well worth the money - I like it more than my 659.

I just bought the 510 at amazon for about $65, well worth the money - I like it more than my 659.

Just checked amazon again and the 510 is now $80, however, the 550 is only $66. My buddy has the 550 and other than the color of the screen they are identical - the 510 replaces the 550 (you'd think it would be the other way around).

I have the Harmony one in my theater room (and love it). I don't really want to go that route for my family room, if I can avoid it.

So is there no way to use the Verizon 6416 remote with a receiver that has discrete power On/Off?

I thought it may just be a code issue -- there are like 15 Onkyo possible codes.


A less expensive (than the Harmony) option would be the Sony RM-VL600 - it's universal learning and around $20 or $25. I got this for my mother, it takes a lot to set up, however, works flawlessly for her overcomplicated system.

One more thing to consider on the 720p vs 1080i question is "overscan"...

No matter what signal your tv finally gets, it has to scale the image for overscan which cuts off about 5% of the top/bottom and sides of the picture (unless your tv has a non-overscan mode). This further blurs scaling/signal issues (pun intended).

IMHO, for Fios, no matter what the native signal is or how many pixels your set has, go with 1080i for the video format setting. Mostly because I trust the tv scaling more than the stb. Give the tv as much of the original picture as possible and let it do its thing. In the case of 720p tv, your tv is optimized to handle a full 1080i signal and display the best picture. I don't trust the Motorola box as much. Of course, you have the reverse problem when the stb "expands" 720p signals to 1080i. Again, here it's adding data and 720p signals are less common.

As always, let your eyes do the talking. Set the stb to 1080i for a week, then try 720p and choose whatever looks best to you. Odds are you won't notice a difference either way.

PDS

One more thing to consider on the 720p vs 1080i question is "overscan"...

No matter what signal your tv finally gets, it has to scale the image for overscan which cuts off about 5% of the top/bottom and sides of the picture (unless your tv has a non-overscan mode). This further blurs scaling/signal issues (pun intended).

IMHO, for Fios, no matter what the native signal is or how many pixels your set has, go with 1080i for the video format setting. Mostly because I trust the tv scaling more than the stb. Give the tv as much of the original picture as possible and let it do its thing. In the case of 720p tv, your tv is optimized to handle a full 1080i signal and display the best picture. I don't trust the Motorola box as much. Of course, you have the reverse problem when the stb "expands" 720p signals to 1080i. Again, here it's adding data and 720p signals are less common.

As always, let your eyes do the talking. Set the stb to 1080i for a week, then try 720p and choose whatever looks best to you. Odds are you won't notice a difference either way.

PDS

HEAR! HEAR! Sir, your comments are about as cogent and intelligible as I recall reading in many years.

You capture the essence of my misfortune! I only wish they would leave the incoming signals alone and allow my very expensive TV's to perform as designed! While may sound snobish, I bought the best plasma models at the time, (2007 Pioneer Elite Pro1140 @ $4k & 2008 Panasonic TH50-PX600U @ $1800) only to be thwarted by $25 device:eek:

Currently the STB is set for 1080i bypassing the HTR video going from the STB via HDMI to HDMI input #1 of the plasma. The audio is via coaxial from the STB to the coaxial input of the HTR. This is for the Panasonic setup and all's well thus far.

I will try your suggestion though.

As for the Pioneer setup..Straight HDMI from STB to HTR and HDMI out to the Pioneer. No coax is this arrangement. (Oh, how I love that Pioneer! The colors are just fabulous. I also had it ISF calibrated and you can't tell if the signal is not 1080p, the picture is THAT good.:D )

Hey, without scanning 134 pages, can someone tell me if its possible to upgrade/replace the 160GB HDD with a larger one? Has anyone opened up the box yet? Thinking maybe of cloning the drive onto a 1 TB HDD.
1st post to this forum.

Hey, without scanning 134 pages, can someone tell me if its possible to upgrade/replace the 160GB HDD with a larger one? Has anyone opened up the box yet?No, you cannot.

All Motorola DVRs use firmware that is "hard coded" to support the maximum capacity of the stock unit. Even if you replace the 160GB drive with a 500GB model, the Motorola DVR will still use only 160GB.

This prevents users from upgrading their drives. It also forces cable companies to buy new units to increase capacity.

No, you cannot.

All Motorola DVRs use firmware that is "hard coded" to support the maximum capacity of the stock unit. Even if you replace the 160GB drive with a 500GB model, the Motorola DVR will still use only 160GB.

This prevents users from upgrading their drives. It also forces cable companies to buy new units to increase capacity.


What a CROCK! And I suppose that FIOS also does NOT support external storage? Plans for this in the future? It's hard to imagine such a limit on HD storage. As little effect as it will have, I will file an official complaint. 3 DVR's for one TV seems just a little rediculous. Are there no more DVR's with higher capacity that are compatible with FIOS? Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT switching from FIOS. I just think I'm old enough to handle a double-scoop. (Maybe even with peanuts)

I need feedback people!

What a CROCK! And I suppose that FIOS also does NOT support external storage? Plans for this in the future? It's hard to imagine such a limit on HD storage. As little effect as it will have, I will file an official complaint. 3 DVR's for one TV seems just a little rediculous. Are there no more DVR's with higher capacity that are compatible with FIOS? Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT switching from FIOS. I just think I'm old enough to handle a double-scoop. (Maybe even with peanuts)

I need feedback people!Here's some feedback: Welcome to the forum. File the complaint. Enjoy your peanuts. :)

Here's some feedback: Welcome to the forum. File the complaint. Enjoy your peanuts. :)


Thanks! Theres a start. I found this page from the Motorola site for FAQ on this DVR. Probably already been posted but here goes:

http://broadband.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/broadband.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?&p_li=&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_page=1&p_cv=&p_pv=1.592&p_prods=592&p_cats=&p_hidden_prods=&prod_lvl1=592&prod_lvl2=0&p_search_text=&p_new_search=1&submit_btn.x=18&submit_btn.y=11?localeId=33

scroll to the very bottom of the product list to find the QIP 6416.

What a CROCK! And I suppose that FIOS also does NOT support external storage? Plans for this in the future? It's hard to imagine such a limit on HD storage. As little effect as it will have, I will file an official complaint. 3 DVR's for one TV seems just a little rediculous. Are there no more DVR's with higher capacity that are compatible with FIOS? Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT switching from FIOS. I just think I'm old enough to handle a double-scoop. (Maybe even with peanuts)

I need feedback people!

If storage capacity is very important to you, then you want to go cablecards and TIVO. They provide the most storage in FIOSland; you will have to give up FIOS VOD and use whatever works with TIVO (Amazon unbox, Netfix?), but many people in the forum are very happy with it.

. Are there no more DVR's with higher capacity that are compatible with FIOS?

The TivoHD (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11126048#post11126048) is available in 160GB and 1.0TB models. Both officially support external drive expansion. Both can be upgraded internally.

If you believe the rumors, Verizon has a 320GB DVR of its own in the works. Motorola is also working to make eSATA expansion a reality. I do expect to see one or both before summer is up.

The TivoHD (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11126048#post11126048) is available in 160GB and 1.0TB models. Both officially support external drive expansion. Both can be upgraded internally.

If you believe the rumors, Verizon has a 320GB DVR of its own in the works. Motorola is also working to make eSATA expansion a reality. I do expect to see one or both before summer is up.

The Tivo option is tempting, however I really enjoy VOD. I watch and record A LOT of it. Netflix and others just can't match the premium FREE content available from the various movie channels.
So I think I will wait it out. Looking around I have heard others say the same thing about eSATA expansion. The Dir TV DVRs already have this feature. My 6416 doesnt have an eSATA port. Can I ask for the 7216 from Verizon?

. Can I ask for the 7216 from Verizon?

Same here will they send us an upgraded box or will they make us pay for the upgrade?

Same here will they send us an upgraded box or will they make us pay for the upgrade?

QIP-7216 has a 160 GB drive as well. eSATA is a software feature that has to be enabled by Verizon. Even if Motorola implemented it in the STB software it'll be upto Verizon to turn it on. And if Verizon decides to enable eSATA they'll probably will force customers to pay for that.:(

The TivoHD (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11126048#post11126048) is available in 160GB and 1.0TB models. Both officially support external drive expansion. Both can be upgraded internally.

If you believe the rumors, Verizon has a 320GB DVR of its own in the works. Motorola is also working to make eSATA expansion a reality. I do expect to see one or both before summer is up.

Great rumors, then, hope they are true. That would give us ~40 hours of HD and if they give life to eSATA, you can really expand things. Not to be greedy, but if they could also kick in native mode, I would be in nirvana.

Hi ALL,

I've had FiOS w/TV for quite a while but my sister has only had it for a few months and we both have the QIP6416 DVR. While mine gets the occasional spontaneous re-boot her DVR has been giving her more problems. It freezes and needs to be re-booted more often than desired and also self-boots. I thought I read here that you can call tech support and they would ship a replacement DVR to you. I certainly could hook it up and get it activated and it would be much more convenient than waiting for a tech.

Are there any magic words you need to say to get a replacement DVR shipped out rather than a truck roll?

Thanks,
Gerry

If there's a FiOS office nearby, you might be able to swap the devices in person. That's what I did when I upgraded from an STB to a DVR.

Hi ALL,

I've had FiOS w/TV for quite a while but my sister has only had it for a few months and we both have the QIP6416 DVR. While mine gets the occasional spontaneous re-boot her DVR has been giving her more problems. It freezes and needs to be re-booted more often than desired and also self-boots. I thought I read here that you can call tech support and they would ship a replacement DVR to you. I certainly could hook it up and get it activated and it would be much more convenient than waiting for a tech.

Are there any magic words you need to say to get a replacement DVR shipped out rather than a truck roll?

Thanks,
Gerry

Sure, I've found calling them up, saying there is a problem and troubleshooting it. Tell them that it's freezing, has done so many times and that it restarts. Then ask them for a replacement box. They may send a service person, but at least she'll get the replacement. I've found they're pretty good about this.

Hi All,
It's been sometime since I last wrote, but the same issues I had since I started FIOS back in Oct'08 I still have today. And I would guess many others as well.
My central issue is still the home media dvr and the error message "unable to locate dvr hub" when watching a recorded show from the HM DVR to any of the other remote STB's in the house. I have had the Actiontek replaced. I have spent hours on the phone with FIOS tech, and while they have attempted to help, NOTHING fixes the problem. The last time Tech wanted to send a rep to my house for a service call. But after reading of others having similar issues, I decided to cancel the service call. The rep was honest enough to admit that it very well could be a software issue on Verizons part, and said a possible new firmware update may be coming. This was months ago.
Are there others out there with the same problems still? Is there any new news on the horizon regarding this dvr?
Honestly Verizon, 20 hours of HD recording space? Thats hardly enough space. I think you(Verizon) can do better than this.

Hi All,
It's been sometime since I last wrote, but the same issues I had since I started FIOS back in Oct'08 I still have today. And I would guess many others as well.
My central issue is still the home media dvr and the error message "unable to locate dvr hub" when watching a recorded show from the HM DVR to any of the other remote STB's in the house. I have had the Actiontek replaced. I have spent hours on the phone with FIOS tech, and while they have attempted to help, NOTHING fixes the problem. The last time Tech wanted to send a rep to my house for a service call. But after reading of others having similar issues, I decided to cancel the service call. The rep was honest enough to admit that it very well could be a software issue on Verizons part, and said a possible new firmware update may be coming. This was months ago.
Are there others out there with the same problems still? Is there any new news on the horizon regarding this dvr?
Honestly Verizon, 20 hours of HD recording space? Thats hardly enough space. I think you(Verizon) can do better than this.
I have the same problem. Just got my Actiontec replaced the my DVR replaced, but I still get the error every now and then. So I do believe this is a software issue.

Hi All,
My central issue is still the home media dvr and the error message "unable to locate dvr hub" when watching a recorded show from the HM DVR to any of the other remote STB's in the house.

Are there others out there with the same problems still?

David,
Getting the same message out in Leesburg, VA as well. Hit us while watching a HD movie this weekend, we had to stop and restart the movie from the beginning. The only mitigating factor was it was watching a brand new Epson 6500 UB with a 120" picture. That is the only thing keeping this from being a significant pain in the neck.

Rob

I didn't see it mentioned in this thread but I only skimmed through it but I have a glitch where the SD Stretch resets itself after a certain amount of time has passed and I turn the box on. Is there a fix?

David,
Getting the same message out in Leesburg, VA as well. Hit us while watching a HD movie this weekend, we had to stop and restart the movie from the beginning. The only mitigating factor was it was watching a brand new Epson 6500 UB with a 120" picture. That is the only thing keeping this from being a significant pain in the neck.

Rob

We are having the same 'uable to locate hub' issue, although not as frequently as we have in the past. As others have noticed, it seems to be much more common when watching HD content from the DVR than when watching SD content. Seems like it's a time out issue with a pretty poor recovery routine.

What annoys me the most is not necessarily dropping the connection, but that it forces me to start over from the beginning of the show most of the time. For half hour shows it's no big deal to fast forward, but for two hour movies there's nothing worse than getting 90 minutes in, loosing the connection, fast forwarding back to the right part of the show and then loosing it again. It seems like if Verizon can't bullet proof the connection, they could at least improve the bookmark logic so it periodically updates the 'resume point' for the show on the DVR so if the connection is lost the restart is more reliable. Perhaps they could do both...

I didn't see it mentioned in this thread but I only skimmed through it but I have a glitch where the SD Stretch resets itself after a certain amount of time has passed and I turn the box on. Is there a fix?

I have the same issue, set the box to stretch SD material, it will do it for that session, once I turn the TV on later the same day it isn't stretching any more. Very frustrating since I have a plasma and would like SD material stretched.

That's exactly the same reason I stretch it. Hopefully it is something that can be fixed in a firmware update.

I have the 6416, does this problem happen with the other model DVR from Verizon?

I have the same issue, set the box to stretch SD material, it will do it for that session, once I turn the TV on later the same day it isn't stretching any more. Very frustrating since I have a plasma and would like SD material stretched.

Hi Everyone. I got FiOS hooked up about 1.5wks ago and I have this 6416 DVR. I have seen some other posts here regarding my problem but I didn't see a fix or general decision on whether it is fixable, etc...

MY BIG PROBLEM is that I only have a little while left to decide whether I want to keep FiOS or not and this might be a deal breaker! As such, trying to read through 100+ pages would chew up a lot of valuable time.

I have this receiver feeding my Onkyo receiver and then to my Samsung HL61A750 DLP TV. All via HDMI.

My DVR seems to have a default output of 720p. When I change it to 1080i, all is well but it ends up automatically defaulting back to 720p. I have seen this problem mentioned here by others.

After some troubleshooting, I found that the revert back to 720p default occurs ONLY when I cycle my TV off and/or on. It does not happen when I turn my DVR on/off. It does not happen when I turn my Onkyo on/off. It does not happen when I unplug my HDMI cable!

It certainly seems like when my TV turns on or off, it is sending some sort of glitch to this DVR that reverts the output back to 720p. How can that be?

Also, I have both my original unit, and my replacement unit downstairs right now and they BOTH have the same issue.

Please help! Does anybody know why this happens? Is there a fix? I don't have much time and if this problem persists, I might cancel my service. Otherwise, every time I turn on my TV, I will have to go into the DVR menu and change the output from 720p to 1080i.

PS: Seeing some of the other issues and design issues this box has, is a bit disheartening. I researched like crazy for my main system components and I'm happy with them. Just to find out that the box I get w/ FiOS might no meet those same standards.

This has been reported before by some folks, and I don't think its limited to Onkyo. Its probably got to do with the HDMI handshake issues between the units. Are you running the most recent firmware in your AVR? Have you looked at the Onkyo AVR thread for possible answers?

Since you are only using 1080i, another thing you can do is merely bypass the AVR video and go with component cables from DVR to the TV and go digital audio from the DVR to the AVR.

I haven't had this particular issue with my Yamaha RX-V3900 and Sammy tv; but I have dispensed with the HDMI connection to the AVR for another reason. Picture quality and sound quality is the same.

This has been reported before by some folks, and I don't think its limited to Onkyo. Its probably got to do with the HDMI handshake issues between the units. Are you running the most recent firmware in your AVR? Have you looked at the Onkyo AVR thread for possible answers?

Since you are only using 1080i, another thing you can do is merely bypass the AVR video and go with component cables from DVR to the TV and go digital audio from the DVR to the AVR.

I haven't had this particular issue with my Yamaha RX-V3900 and Sammy tv; but I have dispensed with the HDMI connection to the AVR for another reason. Picture quality and sound quality is the same.

I haven't checked the Onkyo thread yet but I am going to try to bypass the receiver just to see what happens. However, it is my understanding that you cannot get PCM 5.1 audio when using a Toslink cable, which means the audio would not be equal to what you can achieve when using HDMI. Am I wrong?

I will need to check my DVR firmware too.

For audio connections from a DVR, I "think" you are wrong. You need the HDMI to listen to the new codecs on blu-rays like Tru HD etc; but for listening to the legacy audio DD5.1 coming out of the DVR to the AVR, the digital out in either cable or optical is sufficient.

Now, I could be wrong. I only have experience with Yamaha's, but I get great 5.1 out of my DVR with an optical link. I can certainly tell the difference listening to the latest audio codecs while watching a blu-ray, but have not had any complaints with the DVR audio. hth.

Optical cables will pass Dolby Digital 5.1. PCM 5.1 is different. It is better than Dolby 5.1 and PCM 5.1 cannot be sent over optical cables.

I'm trying to find a fix for what seems to be a handshaking issue between my Onkyo and my DVR but I don't want to sacrifice audio quality.

At this point, I'm having trouble even finding out if this DVR even outputs PCM 5.1. If it does not, then using an optical cable for surround sound would be as good as using HDMI.

I found a spec sheet for the 6416 through Motorolla, which has more actual tech specs than what I find through Verizon.

It looks like this DVR outputs Dolby Digital 5.1 at best and does not output PCM 5.1. Can somebody confirm???????

Hi Everyone. I got FiOS hooked up about 1.5wks ago and I have this 6416 DVR. I have seen some other posts here regarding my problem but I didn't see a fix or general decision on whether it is fixable, etc...

MY BIG PROBLEM is that I only have a little while left to decide whether I want to keep FiOS or not and this might be a deal breaker! As such, trying to read through 100+ pages would chew up a lot of valuable time.

I have this receiver feeding my Onkyo receiver and then to my Samsung HL61A750 DLP TV. All via HDMI.

My DVR seems to have a default output of 720p. When I change it to 1080i, all is well but it ends up automatically defaulting back to 720p. I have seen this problem mentioned here by others.

After some troubleshooting, I found that the revert back to 720p default occurs ONLY when I cycle my TV off and/or on. It does not happen when I turn my DVR on/off. It does not happen when I turn my Onkyo on/off. It does not happen when I unplug my HDMI cable!

It certainly seems like when my TV turns on or off, it is sending some sort of glitch to this DVR that reverts the output back to 720p. How can that be?

Also, I have both my original unit, and my replacement unit downstairs right now and they BOTH have the same issue.

Please help! Does anybody know why this happens? Is there a fix? I don't have much time and if this problem persists, I might cancel my service. Otherwise, every time I turn on my TV, I will have to go into the DVR menu and change the output from 720p to 1080i.

PS: Seeing some of the other issues and design issues this box has, is a bit disheartening. I researched like crazy for my main system components and I'm happy with them. Just to find out that the box I get w/ FiOS might no meet those same standards.

I have had the problem on an Onkyo 604 and 606 with my 720/1080i TV. When I got my new 1080p TV last month, the problem went away. That suggests the new TV handles the handshaking better.

My TV is new and it is the HL61A750 Samsung 1080p DLP.

Again, my problem is that when using HDMI for video and audio through my Onkyo 674 and I turn my TV off, my 1080i setting on this DVR STB reverts back to 720p.

Here is what I have found:
-This doesn't happen if connected directly to the TV, so the Onkyo is at least part of the problem.
-My solution so far is to connect video to the TV through component cables. Interesting enough, I can leave my HDMI connection through my Onkyo and use it for audio only. In case this set top box can supply PCM 5.1 audio, I will still be able to hear it using HDMI audio. If I used the optical connection, I would not be able to hear PCM 5.1.

This is really crazy that the DVR STB only loses the 1080i output setting when I use HDMI for VIDEO + audio. Now that I'm using Component for video and HDMI for audio...no loss of DVR STB settings! This seems to suggest that the handshaking problem is transmitted over the video portion of the HDMI signal. Weird!

I don't seem to see a difference between HDMI and Component for 1080i video. Can someone confirm that for 1080i, HDMI and Component are of equal video quality?????

I don't seem to see a difference between HDMI and Component for 1080i video. Can someone confirm that for 1080i, HDMI and Component are of equal video quality?????Here (http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/dvihdmicomponent.htm)'s a good article about the differences, or lack thereof.

Yeah, I've read that too. It doesn't actually say one is better. It sort of says it depends on the input source, etc... so I was asking here since we are all using the same input source (DVR STB).

But thanks for the info.

1080i is 1080i; no matter what interface you use.

Optical cables will pass Dolby Digital 5.1. PCM 5.1 is different. It is better than Dolby 5.1 and PCM 5.1 cannot be sent over optical cables.

I'm trying to find a fix for what seems to be a handshaking issue between my Onkyo and my DVR but I don't want to sacrifice audio quality.

At this point, I'm having trouble even finding out if this DVR even outputs PCM 5.1. If it does not, then using an optical cable for surround sound would be as good as using HDMI.

But which broadcasts send PCM 5.1? None that I know of.

I don't have the problem with my Onkyo (technically the Integra 8.8).

I found a spec sheet for the 6416 through Motorolla, which has more actual tech specs than what I find through Verizon.

It looks like this DVR outputs Dolby Digital 5.1 at best and does not output PCM 5.1. Can somebody confirm???????Don't be confused. Dolby Digital 5.1 is the name of the standard for surround sound (5 speakers + .1 sub). Pulse Code Modulation is how the digital bits get from Point A to Point B. The DVR is sending Dolby 5.1 information to your receiver using PCM format. They both understand the lingo.

As long as the STB is happy to supply a video output in any format (HDMI, component, etc.), the audio outputs will be active. You can choose any of the optical, coaxial digital (SPDIF), or analog (stereo). They're all on.

Maybe the STB is getting confused? If you plug the HDMI cable into your stereo, it's going to think that's your display. It's doing a handshake with your receiver and messing things up. Unless you're going to use the HDMI connection for video, I'd remove the HDMI connection to the receiver.

If you're stuck with component video, use either the optical or SPDIF connections to your receiver.

Don't be confused. Dolby Digital 5.1 is the name of the standard for surround sound (5 speakers + .1 sub). Pulse Code Modulation is how the digital bits get from Point A to Point B. The DVR is sending Dolby 5.1 information to your receiver using PCM format. They both understand the lingo.

As long as the STB is happy to supply a video output in any format (HDMI, component, etc.), the audio outputs will be active. You can choose any of the optical, coaxial digital (SPDIF), or analog (stereo). They're all on.

Maybe the STB is getting confused? If you plug the HDMI cable into your stereo, it's going to think that's your display. It's doing a handshake with your receiver and messing things up. Unless you're going to use the HDMI connection for video, I'd remove the HDMI connection to the receiver.

If you're stuck with component video, use either the optical or SPDIF connections to your receiver.


Interestingly enough, I solved the issue and the HDMI connection is still in-line w/ my receiver. I'm using component straight to the TV for video and HDMI to my reciever for audio. As long as video is not passed through my receiver to my TV, I have not issues! Weird but I'll take it. I couldn't see any video difference between HDMI and Component anyway.

Any news on updates of FIOS DVR's? You know, larger drives, etc...

Any news on updates of FIOS DVR's? You know, larger drives, etc...Verizon still hopes to enable eSATA expansion by mid-year. Ask the same question again in May/June.

Verizon still hopes to enable eSATA expansion by mid-year. Ask the same question again in May/June.

Will do - thanks.