I just called Fios.
Well I was wrong, it's so cheap I'm getting it tomorrow!!! :rolleyes:
For All 3 (Cable, phone, Internet) $150.
But I would get 1 HD and 2 SD boxes.
180 channels but no premium channels.
But I would have a Multi-Room DVR.
Out of $150. $38. in fees and $20 in taxes.
The only reason I would go with 3 tvs so I get what I have now (Multi-room DVR).
So how is that $82?
I just wish when guys talk about something that is so good TELL THE TRUTH ON THE PRICES!!!
So before you believe any of these yo-yos call for yourself it is an eye opener!!!!
In NY 888-441-4292
Like I said Fios is a good deal just forget the extras.

I noted earlier that my minor PQ issues were worse on my cablecard than my hd/dvr.
FWIW, my Cablecard diagnostics were: 36 SNR, 40% AGC. So about the same signal to noise ratio, but lower automatic gain control...but worse overall picture across all channels. I have a Sony KDF-E42A10 (rear projection lcd).

The new box seems to work. But I haven't put it to that much work.

Btw, just leave the internet troll alone and let him think he's getting a better deal and better service.

yeah, you probably just got a bad box the first time
hopefully this one works great for you!
I've read other places where people said the cablecard signal didn't look as good as a signal from a leased box....maybe there's something to that?

I've read other places where people said the cablecard signal didn't look as good as a signal from a leased box....maybe there's something to that?
It all depends on the CableCard box. If you use a CableCard tuner, then the quality depends in part on the video decoding and scaling of that tuner. If you use a cable set-top box or DVR, then your quality depends in part on the video decoding and scaling of that box.

A lot of TVs incorporate very cheap decoders / scalers, so its not surprising that the cable STB/DVR outperforms some.

Olevia, you totally ignored the most important part of my post: my programming including HD's and ALL movie channels is $76.89. You're paying $99. NOW add $19.99 for the home media server + $3.99 for a second SD STB (these fees are in line with cable companies lease fees), and at $100.87, it's still less than the $106 you're paying for Dish's works package + DVR fee. Not to mention the $600 you already spent on your DVR box.

Stop harping on just the lease fees and LOOK AT THE TOTAL MONTHLY OUTLAY.

David

I see what you're saying there, davidahn. Even with TWO standard boxes, your monthly total with Fios would be $104.86 versus Dish's $106 for a comparable selection of features.
Not too bad at all. :)

Olevia, you totally ignored the most important part of my post: my programming including HD's and ALL movie channels is $76.89. You're paying $99. NOW add $19.99 for the home media server + $3.99 for a second SD STB (these fees are in line with cable companies lease fees), and at $100.87, it's still less than the $106 you're paying for Dish's works package + DVR fee. Not to mention the $600 you already spent on your DVR box.

Stop harping on just the lease fees and LOOK AT THE TOTAL MONTHLY OUTLAY.

David

David, do yourself a favor, ignore the troll. He has a one-track mind and could care less about picture quality or any other factors that we value. He is fixated on knocking FIOS. You'll find guys like him all over AVS. You just knock your head against the wall by arguing with him. But like most other trolls, ignore him and he will go away.

Ken, you're right. This guy's mind is obviously closed to the facts! Commencing ignoring.

Dreamcat, correction: I forgot the $5 Dish Network fee for locals, so $111 for Dish vs. $104 for FiOS.

David

If you have the Actiontec router, you may want to install the latest 45.120 firmware, released this month. It addresses some issues with MoCA and improves the reliability of multiroom operation.

http://mysite.verizon.net/0100010/firmware/index.htm

Save the 45.120 upgrade (http://home.swbell.net/o1ooo1o/mi424wr_4.0.16.1.45.120.rmt) to your hard drive, then login to your Actiontec router at 192.168.1.1 (http://192.168.1.1) (default login is admin, default password is password) and choose the update firmware option under Advanced.

The firmware upgrade process takes 3-5 minutes. Do not do anything else during this time. You will not lose your settings when updating the firmware.

I suppose the ONT does act as a hub, in the sense that the IPTV and guide data requests from the STB/DVR traverse the coax to the ONT, and then move from the ONT to Actiontec router over coax. The VOD/PPV and guide data is then retrieved using the ethernet connection (the Actiontec router is also connected to the ONT via a separate ethernet cable).

That is what the MoCA technology does. It converts the IP data from a Cat 5 signal to a Coax signal. The "hub" as you call it would be the coax splitter in the attic/basement (since a hub as no logical routing in it). All the ONT does is take the signal coming from the fiber and seperate the video/data/phone signals out and direct them to their appropriate feeds on the ONT. The router (ActionTec) will assign the IP addresses to the Set Tops and PC's. The guide and VOD data comes over the internet feed (cat 5 - which gets converted to coax at the router or BHR (Broadband Home Router) as we call it) and all other video will come over the coax.

Ok,

Just to see what was going on here, I wanted to compare the FiOS Monthly Fee to the Dish monthly fees. I found a site on the internet that lets you calc your Dishnetwork fees.

So, here is what I found. I used my own situation of 1 HDTV, 2 SDTVs but added the $7 media server fee which I don't currently have. Here is what I found you would pay monthly:

FiOS:

HD DVR Set-top Box $12.95
MultiRoom Home Media Service $7.00
SD Set top box $3.95
SD Set top box $3.95

Total per month $27.85


Dish:

Extra Reciever Fee $5.00
DVR Fee $11.96
HD Enabling fee $6.00
Local Channels $5.00

Total per month $27.96

These look pretty much the same to me.

Disclaimers:
-There is a $199.00 up-front equipment cost listed with DISH.
-I don't know if you would get HD Locals with DISH?
-DISH says this is a two room DVR and a 1 room DVR... so I don't "think" that you actually get the same thing as you do with the Home Media Server of FIOS.
-DISH is about $6 less than above if you don't have the DVR on the 3rd TV.
-DISH would be about $10 less than about per month if you were ALL Tv's were SD, FiOS would remain the same.
-I didn't show the free SD box that I get for the first year as a new customer.

That all said, I don't see that there is "much" of a difference in "non-programming" rental costs/service fees between the two choices.

I had Dish quite a while ago. Rain fade sucks, but is a fact of life. Also, since I did have it, even though it was over 6 years ago, they still don't consider me a new cusotmer, so I don't get any specials... So, I may have to pay more than the $199 and I wouldn't get the discounted programming for the first 10 months.

So, all in all I am happy with my decision. I am getting a good value for what I am paying, which is less than Cable and much better quality that I have recieved from Dish in the past.

But, I digress... this is supposed to be a thread about the Motorolla 64xx DVR's. Sorry for the off topic post.

BOb

But, I digress... this is supposed to be a thread about the Motorolla 64xx DVR's. Sorry for the off topic post.
Maybe I should start a new post?
Has anyone seen Kinamax 2.4GHz Wireless AV CCTV Transmitter & Receiver?
I found them for about $50 but I guess they cost too much.

Description: This is a great transmitter and a receiver for both video and audio. It allows you to transmit video and audio to one location to another, it's good for home and office use. For example, if you have a spare LCD monitor (provided that is has video/audio in), then you can use this device to extend your TV/Stereo signal from your living room or elsewhere remoteness less. There is a lot more you can do with it.

Power up with the Wireless Remote Extender. It installs in minutes, just plug the transmitter and receiver into the AC outlets at the desired locations. The extender even works in situations w here you can't easily place the receiver in front of video or audio equipment. With the wireless remote extender you can use your existing remote control to operate audio or video equipment from any room in the house, about 100 feet effective range You can still use your existing remote control to operate audio/video equipment from any room in your house/office.

Microwave anti-interference performance well. This machine sound/video signal adopt the microwave transmission means with extremely high frequency, Its signal carrier frequency is up to 2.4GHz,and also had 4 channels available on the plane.

Specifications:

- Transmitting frequency:2.4GHz
- Number of channels:4 channels # A/V mod method: FM
- RF power: 0.1W # Video & audio Input/Output: RCA Jack
- Input Voltage : DC 12v ~500mA
- Dimensions of transmitter/receiver: 103mm x 30mm x 60mm
- Gold-plated audio/video jacks.
- Sends high-quality TV/satellite system/VCR signals to a second TV-anywhere in your home
- Links your camcorder to your TV for home or business security.
- AC Adapter Included

The PQ will depend on house construction and potential sources of interference - like a cordless phone.

That would be a non-starter in my home. That device uses 2.4Ghz, the same frequency used by 802.11g wireless networking.

I have three Motorola QIP6416 DVRs in my house. On one of them, several times a day, the DVR begins to experience error problems and goes into what Verizon tech support people have called "hunt" mode. Basically, the DVR shuts down and begins to scroll through several error messages on the box display, including the word "hunt" several times.

Two of the telephone technical support people told me that the problem is typically with the DVR box itself (i.e., I may have simply received a lemon of a box), and that the box would need to be swapped out. Yesterday, a tech was finally able to come to my home and check out the box. He said that the problem was not with the box, but rather that the signal coming to the box was too strong; he proceeded to attached a devise the coax cable hookup on the back of the box that would decrease the strength of the signal. Of course, I told him that the telephone technicians both said that the problem was with the box, but he insisted that his solution for the problem was the best one and would work.

I don't think I need to say that, of course, this morning, the DVR was going through the exact same error cycling, and it's clear that the tech at my home did not fix the problem. I called Verizon again today, and spoke with someone who proposed a third theory - that the signal to the box was too weak. I don't think this is the case, as the box has a "home run" direct feed from the main splitter near the ONT box.

I'm writing to see if anyone else has experienced this problem with the Motorola QIP6416 DVR. If it is likely just a "bad box" problem, I will be relieved. It's been very frustrating speaking with the Verizon people who all claim that this issue happens once in a while, but then all don't seem to have any idea as to how to handle fixing the problem.

Note - I do not have this problem with either of the other Motorola QIP6416 DVRs, each of which are also "home run" connected to the splitter off the ONT box. Thanks in advance for any thoughts/suggestions.

Note - I do not have this problem with either of the other Motorola QIP6416 DVRs, each of which are also "home run" connected to the splitter off the ONT box. Thanks in advance for any thoughts/suggestions.
I haven't seen the Fios system hooked up so I don't even know if you can do this.
Have you tried swaping the boxes from one room to the other?
I had a problem years ago where I had 3 diferent phones repair guys come to my house and till I showed them how to fix it they coulddn't. :eek:
Before someone say something.
The problem was outside, I called it a fuse.

I have three Motorola QIP6416 DVRs in my house. On one of them, several times a day, the DVR begins to experience error problems and goes into what Verizon tech support people have called "hunt" mode. Basically, the DVR shuts down and begins to scroll through several error messages on the box display, including the word "hunt" several times.

Two of the telephone technical support people told me that the problem is typically with the DVR box itself (i.e., I may have simply received a lemon of a box), and that the box would need to be swapped out. Yesterday, a tech was finally able to come to my home and check out the box. He said that the problem was not with the box, but rather that the signal coming to the box was too strong; he proceeded to attached a devise the coax cable hookup on the back of the box that would decrease the strength of the signal. Of course, I told him that the telephone technicians both said that the problem was with the box, but he insisted that his solution for the problem was the best one and would work.

I don't think I need to say that, of course, this morning, the DVR was going through the exact same error cycling, and it's clear that the tech at my home did not fix the problem. I called Verizon again today, and spoke with someone who proposed a third theory - that the signal to the box was too weak. I don't think this is the case, as the box has a "home run" direct feed from the main splitter near the ONT box.

I'm writing to see if anyone else has experienced this problem with the Motorola QIP6416 DVR. If it is likely just a "bad box" problem, I will be relieved. It's been very frustrating speaking with the Verizon people who all claim that this issue happens once in a while, but then all don't seem to have any idea as to how to handle fixing the problem.

Note - I do not have this problem with either of the other Motorola QIP6416 DVRs, each of which are also "home run" connected to the splitter off the ONT box. Thanks in advance for any thoughts/suggestions.

If it goes into hunt mode, then the OOB Tuner is unable to connect with the Fios headend. It is a signal issue, but more of a Lack of signal...

I also recomend you swap the STB with one of the other's and try both locations to see if you get any of the same results.

I have three Motorola QIP6416 DVRs in my house. On one of them, several times a day, the DVR begins to experience error problems and goes into what Verizon tech support people have called "hunt" mode. Basically, the DVR shuts down and begins to scroll through several error messages on the box display, including the word "hunt" several times.


I haven't had my boxes very long (install 1 wk ago), but I initially had a 6416 and a 6200, both of which went into hunt mode on initial install until they were initialized by the telephone tech. Then no problems. I swapped my 6200 for another 6416 2 days ago, and the new 6416 started out in hunt mode, but on initialization it worked and no problems since.

The field tech is right about one thing, the signal should be as close to 0 dB as possible at the box, and if it isn't, should be attenuated. But if it still has the problem and a couple of reinitialization cycles and a hard reset (helped with my old Charter cable boxes) don't fix it, it's probably a bad box.

Did you go into service mode to see what the deal was, whether any settings were amiss? Check its IP address. Did you mess with the DHCP server on the Actiontec router? (The cable boxes, though on coax for video, use a different frequency band to communicate via IP so need kosher IP addresses handed out by the Actiontec router.)

David

Has anyone had any luck backing up premium content via Firewire onto D-VHS or Virtual DVHS on a Mac? I had no luck on V-DVHS, but I heard that doesn't work with premium content, but that a physical D-VHS deck WOULD work. My tiny 160GB HD is nearly full, with more content I'd like to record, and I need to get rid of some stuff (without actually getting RID of it).

Anyone?

David

David, it works on my JVC D-Theater deck on premium channels. I don't actually use it, but I did test it and it works fine.

I'm currently with DTV and Verizon just got through burying the fiber cable throughout my neighborhood this week. I will definitely be signing up for wideband internet through them but I'm still stuck in a commitment with DTV However, I am giving Verizon serious consideration once my commitment expires. I have three HDTivos and one SD DTivo set up in my home theater and would be getting the QIP6416 as a replacement for one or all of them. I have read through the entire thread and would like to confirm my findings regarding this DVR.

1. The MRV feature (Home Media?) is available but it only works for standard definition programming on the remote terminals/set top boxes, although there is an update in the works to eventually get this going with HD programming.

2. There is only one set of remote codes for the DVR so setting up more than one unit in the same room may be problematic.

3. The basic DVR only comes with a 160GB drive but there is reportedly a 320GB model available.

4. The software is still a bit buggy but a major update is to be released in the near future. The last update fixed a few bugs, including the 30-second skip and the FF/REW overshoot.

5. There is no link for downloading the user manual. I assume that manuals are available from Verizon.

6. There is currently no way to upgrade the hard drive for more recording capacity.

Item 1 is not a crucial one but it would solve the problem of items 2 and 3 if this were available, and also item 6 as I could spread out my recordings over several DVRs. I would have to get at least 2 or 3 HD DVRs to avoid recording conflicts and would prefer to have them in the same room for easy access.

I'm currently with DTV and Verizon just got through burying the fiber cable throughout my neighborhood this week. I will definitely be signing up for wideband internet through them but I'm still stuck in a commitment with DTV However, I am giving Verizon serious consideration once my commitment expires. I have three HDTivos and one SD DTivo set up in my home theater and would be getting the QIP6416 as a replacement for one or all of them. I have read through the entire thread and would like to confirm my findings regarding this DVR.

1. The MRV feature (Home Media?) is available but it only works for standard definition programming on the remote terminals/set top boxes, although there is an update in the works to eventually get this going with HD programming.

2. There is only one set of remote codes for the DVR so setting up more than one unit in the same room may be problematic.

3. The basic DVR only comes with a 160GB drive but there is reportedly a 320GB model available.

4. The software is still a bit buggy but a major update is to be released in the near future. The last update fixed a few bugs, including the 30-second skip and the FF/REW overshoot.

5. There is no link for downloading the user manual. I assume that manuals are available from Verizon.

6. There is currently no way to upgrade the hard drive for more recording capacity.

Item 1 is not a crucial one but it would solve the problem of items 2 and 3 if this were available, and also item 6 as I could spread out my recordings over several DVRs. I would have to get at least 2 or 3 HD DVRs to avoid recording conflicts and would prefer to have them in the same room for easy access.

I don't have FIOS yet, this friday, but after reading all of the threads on FIOS and the 6416 I beleive everything you stated to be pretty much correct.
1) Yes, but who knows how long the update to repeater Hi Def will be.
2) Correct
3) Don't know if the 320 gig is actually available
4) Not quite sure that the 30 second skip is fixed. I beleive last patch fixed HDMI / 5.1 DD problem
5) Someone suggest to ask verizon for the manuals when they install, hopefully they will have the Moto manual as well as whatever else they give you.

1) Update to enable streaming of high-def isn't coming til late 1Q or 2Q 2007.

2) Correct.

3) No 320Gb model available at this time, afaik.

4) Major software update is coming to 1-2 markets before the end of the year, with remaining markets to follow 1Q 2007. There may be a minor update before then.

5) Manual is on Verizon's web site.

6) Correct.

I plan on getting FIOS TV in the next several months, and currently have Cablevision with the SA8300HD DVR. I love the DVR! I program it daily and couldn't care less about all its automatic programming features. The one thing that is crucial to me is picture quality and I value the 8300HD's auto DVI/HDMI feature which, in effect, passes the signal (1080i, 720p, 480i) unchanged to the TV. No up/downcoverting - the TV does it. I'm a firm believer this has to result in a superior HD picture. It is my understanding the motorola does not have this feature. Am I wrong?

I plan on getting FIOS TV in the next several months, and currently have Cablevision with the SA8300HD DVR. I love the DVR! I program it daily and couldn't care less about all its automatic programming features. The one thing that is crucial to me is picture quality and I value the 8300HD's auto DVI/HDMI feature which, in effect, passes the signal (1080i, 720p, 480i) unchanged to the TV. No up/downcoverting - the TV does it. I'm a firm believer this has to result in a superior HD picture. It is my understanding the motorola does not have this feature. Am I wrong?You are correct, the motorola does not support native resolution passthrough. You have to pick a fixed resolution (480i, 480p, 720p, or 1080i).

Looks like we have confirmation from the Wall Street Journal that the next major software update to the FiOS DVR and set-top boxes will be based on the same MSFE platform.

Quoting Fioswatch.com (http://fioswatch.com/):
The September 14 edition of the Wall Street Journal details some of the struggles Verizon had had in working with Microsoft to expand the software and features of its set-top boxes and digital video recorders. The article also provides some hints on what’s to come for Verizon FiOS service in the next six months.

According to the WSJ article, Verizon began its work with Motorola and Microsoft back in 2004. Verizon planned to roll out features on its service in three phases, with each phase adding progressively more features to the set-top box hardware and the FiOS TV service. However, they’ve encountered a number of obstacles with the Microsoft software because the code is too slow for the Motorola hardware. Finally fed up with repeated Microsoft’s delays and ineptitude, Verizon took matters into its own hands and assigned company engineers to the project.

You are correct, the motorola does not support native resolution passthrough. You have to pick a fixed resolution (480i, 480p, 720p, or 1080i).

Are you sure about that? I am pretty sure that the Moto passes the signal through and my TV is switching. Also evidenced by the fact that depending on the source I am watcing my TV provides different Aspect settings.

Are you sure about that? I am pretty sure that the Moto passes the signal through and my TV is switching. Also evidenced by the fact that depending on the source I am watcing my TV provides different Aspect settings.


The Verizon DVR will convert all digital channels to the selected setting, usually 1080i. BUT there is a default setting for any 4:3 signals which will be output at 480i. So all SD channels will go to the TV as 480i and all HD channels will end up 1080i, even if its really 780p. My set has to resync when ever I go from an HD channel to an SD channel or back the other way. Also my TV's info banner shows the signal type being received and its 480i for SD and 1080i for HD.

Gerry

You seem to miss the point. For me and many others FIOS is a great deal because of the picture quality and the HD channel offerings. Why do you insist on generalizing based on YOUR needs or issues?

I don't know about sat tv services, but compared to comcast, FIOS will be signficantly less expensive for more channels including more HD channel offerings. So I will save money and get better quality. Frankly I can't wait until our county council approves the agreement and VZ rollos out the sevice.

You seem to miss the point. For me and many others FIOS is a great deal because of the picture quality and the HD channel offerings. Why do you insist on generalizing based on YOUR needs or issues?

I don't know about sat tv services, but compared to comcast, FIOS will be signficantly less expensive for more channels including more HD channel offerings. So I will save money and get better quality. Frankly I can't wait until our county council approves the agreement and VZ rolls out the sevice.

I have just read through this thread and the information available on the Moto QIP6416 an dthere is SATA optional. Has anyone looked into that for additional recording space?

The SATA is not enabled and won't be in the next six months, if ever.

The FiOS QIP6416 DVR does have 50% more capacity than the Motorola DVR used by Comcast, but if you want a DVR with capacity expansion, you need to look into other options, like maybe a Tivo Series3 after the November software update.

You are correct, the motorola does not support native resolution passthrough. You have to pick a fixed resolution (480i, 480p, 720p, or 1080i).

During my installation when I complained to the tech about the lack of native rez passthrough he told me Vz passes all HD content down the pipe (ok...fiber) @ 1080i. True or just a convenient answer?


Also..... if I understand correctly the Comcast remotes can provide the 30sec skip function. Specifically what model, etc. do I need to get to work on the FIOS 6416 and what programming needs to be done to implement it. Thanks in advance.

During my installation when I complained to the tech about the lack of native rez passthrough he told me Vz passes all HD content down the pipe (ok...fiber) @ 1080i. True or just a convenient answer?
Not true. Verizon passes whatever the HDTV channel uses. ABC, ESPN, and FOX use 720p; others use 1080i.

Regarding the Comcast remote and the 30-second skip--I found this on pvrwire a few weeks ago, followed the instructions and it works great (I programmed the "C" button because Verizon uses the "A" button in Northern VA for traffic and weather). The only downside is that I had just memorized all the buttons on the Verizon remote and the Comcast remote has a different layout. Here's the original post:

1) Buy a Comcast Remote. Found mine for $6 shipped on ebay. Aside from being able to program the skip key, it's got better range and bigger buttons:
2) Press the “Cable” button at the top of the remote to put it into Cable Box control mode.
3) Press and hold the “Setup” button until the “Cable” button blinks twice.
4) Type in the code 994. The “Cable” button will blink twice
5) Press (do not hold) the “Setup” button
6) Type in the code 00173 (for 30 second Skip)
7) Press whatever button you want to map the skip. I used the 'A' parental control button that's just under the Replay button.

Works like a charm !

Now I have FIOS with 30-second skip, and a decent remote to boot.

Here's a picture of the Comcast remote:

http://www.gemgreyhounds.org/images/greyttalk/Comcast%20remote.jpg

Also..... if I understand correctly the Comcast remotes can provide the 30sec skip function. Specifically what model, etc. do I need to get to work on the FIOS 6416 and what programming needs to be done to implement it. Thanks in advance.


I use the Logitech Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for Xbox 360 and the (>>|) button gives me 30 sec forward and the (|<<) button gives me 30 sec reverse.

I have the QIP 6416-2 HDDVR via component to Yamaha RX-V2600 via component to HP PL4245N 42" Plasma.

From another post ...
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8463246&&#post8463246

Verizon has a feedback survey on their site for FiOS TV. I left plenty of comments about the DVR ...

Direct link:
http://www22.verizon.com/content/fiostv/about+fios+tv/about+fios+tv.htm

Look for the "Love your Fios TV? Share your Input Here" on the Right side.

From another post ...
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8463246&&#post8463246

Verizon has a feedback survey on their site for FiOS TV. I left plenty of comments about the DVR ...

Direct link:
http://www22.verizon.com/content/fiostv/about+fios+tv/about+fios+tv.htm

Look for the "Love your Fios TV? Share your Input Here" on the Right side.
Cool. :rolleyes:
Thank you I got to tell them how I feel.

Looks like we have confirmation from the Wall Street Journal that the next major software update to the FiOS DVR and set-top boxes will be based on the same MSFE platform.


My installer mentioned that the execs at Verizon either have had or currently have TiVo units and want the same or similar experience with the FiOS DVR. He said they are planning a "complete rewrite" of the software and it should be more TiVo-like.

Since Verizon is already working with TiVo on their mobile video, it would be nice for them to reach an agreement for FiOS as well.

-Stephen

Is there a consolidated list of known bugs / issues and any upcoming software upgrades (fixes / features) for the 6416 HD/DVR?

Is there a consolidated list of known bugs / issues and any upcoming software upgrades (fixes / features) for the 6416 HD/DVR?

Verizon has replaced many of the Microsoft software coders with there own software development coders, and they are working on a total re-write of the DVR Software, the DVR IPG Software and the Firmware from Motorola.

Last I heard, is aprox 6 months till they will be ready to test this upgrade.

I currently have comcast and use the moto6412, the sony dhg hdd500 and the rca2160 attached to the moto and mits tv via firewire. FiOS TV just became available to me and I have a few questions about the Verizon FiOS dvr / service:

1. Is the search feature the same as the moto 6412 ie. can you quickly scroll through letters when searching by title?

2. Can you search by keyword or actor name?

3. Is the 30 sec skip programmable?

4. Is the "favorite channels" guide easily accessible like the moto6412?

5. Will cablecard install work with the sony dvr? Is there a particular cablecard version I should request form Verizon?

6. Will I be able to record to my rca2160 from the moto6416 via firewire?

7. Are there dual buffers like the moto6412?

8. Can you set native passthrough differently for sd and hd like the 6412?

9. Does the 6416 offer 'one-touch' recording and 'two-touch' season pass set-up like the 6412?


Thank you in advance for your responses.

Had to reply to see if I could help everyone with some of the problems that have been resolved on my fios setup.

I've been beta testing (more like alpha testing) Fios TV here in Rowlett, TX and not by choice. I like many of the features but it is far from ready for prime time.

Anyway, let me offer suggestions for the DVR and multi-room DVR setup and the "hunt" issue.

A. The hunt issue. I'm told by Verizon that there is around a 10% failure rate on the QIP6416 out of the box. Mine was locking up at least once a day and had similar issues. Get another one installed by Verizon.

B. If you have any issues with getting the standard cable boxes
to see the recorded shows on the DVR, do the following. (It seems unintuitive but this is the way it works.)

1. Power off everything. All cable boxes, router and NIM.
2. Power on standard cable boxes and let them finish their download (back to time on display)
3. Power on DVR cable box and let it finish it's download.
4. Power on the NIM and wait for the WAN light to go steady
5. Power on the router and let it do it's thing for 10 or 20 seconds.
6. Watch your recorded shows on your remote cable box.

Hope this helps.

Ben

Anyone know how to access the service mode or menu as well as the remote key combinations to the 6416-2?

Is there any way to enable a 30 second skip on the 6416?

I also had the same problem with my 2500 set top boxes not seeing the DVR.
Verizon had me on the phone for hours right up to having the engineers on the phone with field tech supervisors at my house.

The result was exaclty what you stated.
Shut everything down and follow your steps
FYI I am not using an actiontech router.
It works just fine with my wireless G Linksys router and a NIM.

Anyone know how to access the service mode or menu as well as the remote key combinations to the 6416-2?

there the same for all /\/\otorola STB in the QIP/DCT series.

power off the STB and press ok/select within 2 sec. to access the Diagnostic Menu.

with the STB off press Menu to access the User settings Menu.

Thank you scanpa.

Is there any way to enable a 30 second skip on the 6416?

It's not necessary to "enable" it on the 6416... the functionality is already there. But you need to be able to send the appropriate code from your remote, and the FiOS remote isn't programmable. You need a silver Comcast remote, or a programmable universal.

It's not necessary to "enable" it on the 6416... the functionality is already there. But you need to be able to send the appropriate code from your remote, and the FiOS remote isn't programmable. You need a silver Comcast remote, or a programmable universal.
WTF!! :eek: Are you reading this Verizon/FIOS?

Does the 6416 behave like my D* tivo in that it has 30 minutes of cache for EACH tuner? And if so, is there the ability to swap between the 2 tuners and that each tuner's FF/RW functionality is discreet to each tuner? I hope so. Not sure I can live without this......

TIA

No it doesn't. But you can always get the new S3 Tivo and your problems are solved. ;)

Does the 6416 behave like my D* tivo in that it has 30 minutes of cache for EACH tuner? And if so, is there the ability to swap between the 2 tuners and that each tuner's FF/RW functionality is discreet to each tuner? I hope so. Not sure I can live without this......

TIA


I had Fios installed last Sunday and I just realized that it does not act like my HR10-250. For instance it wouldnt rewind on a show that I was watching and that it was recording at the same time. I am also running both boxes at the same time through a component vid switch and switching back and forth between the two I see no difference in vid quality, at least with regard to high def.

I had Fios installed last Sunday and I just realized that it does not act like my HR10-250. For instance it wouldnt rewind on a show that I was watching and that it was recording at the same time. I am also running both boxes at the same time through a component vid switch and switching back and forth between the two I see no difference in vid quality, at least with regard to high def.

Wait, are you saying that you see no difference in the HD PQ of D* on the HR10-250 vs the Motorola PVR on FIOS??? :eek: That would be a first! Considering the considerable compression on D* and the lack thereof on FIOS, it's almost impossible to believe you wouldn't see a difference. Maybe I'm not understanding your comparison. If so, what dispaly are you using?

My test was not that extensive yet and it was a comparison of HBO-HD playing "The Fockers". I have a 38" RCA F38310 HDTV direct view TV. The show was a couple of seconds out of sync which makes it a bit difficult but I really couldnt tell any difference. I plan on comparing several different channels shortly. Is it possible that after the announcement about the law suite that D* uprezed their feed?

Not likely unless they eliminated some HD channels or a whole bunch of SD channels. What I've found over the last few days with the Tivo S3 hooked up for OTA HD, I see no difference between the OTA HD channels and the same ones on FIOS. With D* there was also a difference between my OTA PQ and the same channel on D*.

I called Verizon yesterday to ask why the 6416 doesn't function like the D* Tivo, and I guess a real Tivo, re. having discrete buffer's for each tuner(and being to swap on demand). Of course I got little in the way of a useful reply. In my mind this is a significant shortcoming. The online doco for the 6412 seems to indicate that it has the dual buffers. I asked if this was a feature that is going to be added. Little info here. I was told I would receive a call from someone more in the know today. I'm not holding my breath. For all u thread readers, do you share my opinion? Have you called Verizon to voice your thoughts? If so what was your findings?

Cheers

I called Verizon yesterday to ask why the 6416 doesn't function like the D* Tivo, and I guess a real Tivo, re. having discrete buffer's for each tuner(and being to swap on demand). Of course I got little in the way of a useful reply. In my mind this is a significant shortcoming. The online doco for the 6412 seems to indicate that it has the dual buffers. I asked if this was a feature that is going to be added. Little info here. I was told I would receive a call from someone more in the know today. I'm not holding my breath. For all u thread readers, do you share my opinion? Have you called Verizon to voice your thoughts? If so what was your findings?

Cheers
So how about it Ken, can you just get one of your brothers to fixed the problem? Or do you have type up an in house request? :)

I called Verizon yesterday to ask why the 6416 doesn't function like the D* Tivo, and I guess a real Tivo, re. having discrete buffer's for each tuner(and being to swap on demand). Of course I got little in the way of a useful reply. In my mind this is a significant shortcoming. The online doco for the 6412 seems to indicate that it has the dual buffers. I asked if this was a feature that is going to be added. Little info here. I was told I would receive a call from someone more in the know today. I'm not holding my breath. For all u thread readers, do you share my opinion? Have you called Verizon to voice your thoughts? If so what was your findings?

Cheers


Tmf, there's always the S3 available if things like that bug you. Not a cheap alternative, but it is an alternative.

Olevia37HD, brothers (I'm assuming you referring to me)? No, I surely don't work for Verizon nor do I know anyone that does. ;)

It's not necessary to "enable" it on the 6416... the functionality is already there. But you need to be able to send the appropriate code from your remote, and the FiOS remote isn't programmable. You need a silver Comcast remote, or a programmable universal.

I just got hooked up to FIOS on Monday, (Tewksbury, Ma.)
I had Comcast so I kept the DCT remote so I would have the 30 sec. skip, works like a charm!

I noticed that the QIP reacts slower to remote commands than the DCT did and the Rewind seems to have two speeds, slow and slower, whats up with that!? The DCT had 4 rewind speeds! All FAST! Oh well...

I called Verizon yesterday to ask why the 6416 doesn't function like the D* Tivo, and I guess a real Tivo, re. having discrete buffer's for each tuner(and being to swap on demand). Of course I got little in the way of a useful reply. In my mind this is a significant shortcoming. The online doco for the 6412 seems to indicate that it has the dual buffers. I asked if this was a feature that is going to be added. Little info here. I was told I would receive a call from someone more in the know today. I'm not holding my breath. For all u thread readers, do you share my opinion? Have you called Verizon to voice your thoughts? If so what was your findings?

Cheers

I have given up on FiOS TV. I am sticking it out till the end of my contract (still have 6 months left). Hopefully by March DirecTV will have the other satellites up with a bunch of HD channels. Or I will see what TimeWarner has so I can get my TiVo S3. FiOS TV still has a few years to get caught up with other cable co's and/or satellite co's, they have the technology just don't know how to make advantage of it. I have complained to Verizon many times but they don't seem to care or tell me they cant do anything.

mjw,

What was your complaint? FiOS supports the Series3 just like any other cable company.

DirecTV no longer uses Tivo and their existing/older Tivos won't support their new HDTV programming. DirecTV's newer, non-Tivo DVRs -- which you must use to receive new HDTV channels on DirecTV -- don't offer dual buffers either.

FiOS TV still has a few years to get caught up with other cable co's and/or satellite co's, they have the technology just don't know how to make advantage of it.

Huh? I'd love to know what cable companies are several years ahead of FIOS! If they're in my area, sign me up!!!! Not sure what your complaint is, but I sure have not seen this quality and quanity of HD from anyone else.

How many hours of HD recording time are you all getting? I'm only getting about 5 to 6 hours...

I got 16-24 hours on the QIP DVR, it all depends on the HD channel being recorded.

bfdtv, now that you've got the CCs, any thoughts on PQ on the Tivo vs the Motorola? Which display do you have?

Huh? I'd love to know what cable companies are several years ahead of FIOS! If they're in my area, sign me up!!!! Not sure what your complaint is, but I sure have not seen this quality and quanity of HD from anyone else.

All I can say is good about FiOS is that the HD is awesome. SD is terrible, some thing is going wrong on there analog to digital conversion. IPG is terrible. Box software is full of bugs. Customer services does not know anything, very few I have talked to actually use it. Techs have no clue about TV, most tell me they are copper guys and know more about hooking up a phone. Five techs have been to my house in 6 months and only one knew what an HDMI cable was or how to get a digital audio signal out of the box. No local offices, requires a $25 tech visit with a 4 hour window M-F for a tech to come out to cancel a box or to swap a box out. Cable co's have a local office the customer can drop off a box or swap a box at the customers convenience.

My local cable co, Time Warner is doing 98% digital pictures to the house (all but 2-13). Yeah, it is coax that comes to my house from the street (so Verizon only has 20 more feet of fiber on them). Time Warner has a local office and does visits 6 maybe 7 days a week.

It is all of these little thing that most customers want. I think they are at least a year off from fixing it all. Tech I talk to admit the problems and say it could take a few years.

All I can say is good about FiOS is that the HD is awesome. SD is terrible, some thing is going wrong on there analog to digital conversion. IPG is terrible. Box software is full of bugs. Customer services does not know anything, very few I have talked to actually use it. Techs have no clue about TV, most tell me they are copper guys and know more about hooking up a phone. Five techs have been to my house in 6 months and only one knew what an HDMI cable was or how to get a digital audio signal out of the box. No local offices, requires a $25 tech visit with a 4 hour window M-F for a tech to come out to cancel a box or to swap a box out. Cable co's have a local office the customer can drop off a box or swap a box at the customers convenience.

My local cable co, Time Warner is doing 98% digital pictures to the house (all but 2-13). Yeah, it is coax that comes to my house from the street (so Verizon only has 20 more feet of fiber on them). Time Warner has a local office and does visits 6 maybe 7 days a week.

It is all of these little thing that most customers want. I think they are at least a year off from fixing it all. Tech I talk to admit the problems and say it could take a few years.I agree that not having a local office to do hardware up/downgrades is a pain. And I also agree that the HD channels are excellent. Only disagreement I have with your post is with the quality of the standard def channels. For me, they are no worse (perhaps slightly better) than I got previously with DirecTV. My 1080p set does a really good job with standard def signals though.

My standard def are way better than my previous cable company (Brighthouse), and I guess I am lucky because I have a local office and 6 day a week in-home service available.
Plus, both sales people I talked to, and the tech who installed it, all have Fios in their homes and knew what they were talking about. I guess it's random luck as to who you talk to.

DirecTV no longer uses Tivo and their existing/older Tivos won't support their new HDTV programming. DirecTV's newer, non-Tivo DVRs -- which you must use to receive new HDTV channels on DirecTV -- don't offer dual buffers either.
While DirecTV models with Tivo are no longer in production, you can specifically request them from DTV when getting a new DVR installed. They still have a stockpile of them in their inventory, although you could end up getting a refurbished unit instead of a new one. The newer programming consists of mpeg4 locals and a few regional sports networks. If you can get your locals via OTA antenna then the HR10-250 HDTivo is still a viable option for you. DTV will still activate these units on your account. There are lots of them available on ebay, still new in the box.

DTV is currently offering four mpeg4 locals in the Baltimore area, but not the local RSN, in HD. I currently receive 14 OTA HD channels with my HR10-250 from both Baltimore and DC. Changing over to the new HR20-700 HD-DVR would be a drastic step down for me. DTV won't be offering any new mpeg4 channels for at least a year and probably longer. DTV has plans to launch several new satellites to add more mpeg4 national HD channels but they're not expected to go online for about a year and a half to two years. I think it's more a case of their new programming not supporting their new DVR at this point.

FYI - DTV just released a new software upgrade for the HR10-250 HDTivos. I doubt that this would have happened if DTV decided to stop supporting them.

Hi ALL,

Has anyone noticed an audio drop out on NBC-HD. I'm connected from the DVR via HDMI to my Sony SXRD HDTV and its correctly playing 2 channel audio. About 2 or 3 times in an hour show the audio drops out for about a second. The video is not affected, and the audio come right back with no transition noise. Its almost like a switch was thrown for a second or so.

I'm 99% sure its NOT the DVR as no other channel has this and it does not happen all of the time. I'm in the Tampa area and it may even be a local station problem.

Anyone?

Thanks,
Gerry

Yes - Ive noticed this also... even on recorded TV, and yes it was NBC..
Also in LOL, FL. I guess its a local issue.

Yup. Only on NBC-HD, and I'm in Tampa.
Hmmmm...

Quick question regarding the normal HD-DVR that FIOS has (not multi-room) that someone earlier touched on. If a program is currently recording, will I have the ability to start watching it from the beginning before the recording ends? Also, if I can, once the record ends, will it throw me back to the beginning of the recording (my SA8300 used to do this).

Thanks.

-jody

If a program is currently recording, will I have the ability to start watching it from the beginning before the recording ends?Yes.

Also, if I can, once the record ends, will it throw me back to the beginning of the recording (my SA8300 used to do this). No.

Thankfully, the Motorola DVR used by FiOS exhibits neither of these two issues.

Great, thanks so much.

-Jody

I am really frustrated by this DVR not having a 30min buffer. I am running the D* Hr10-250 along side it and one of the most useful features of Tivo is to be able to rewind live TV if you missed something. Is this something that can be enabled via firmware with the moto or will it take a redesigned box?

I am really frustrated by this DVR not having a 30min buffer. I am running the D* Hr10-250 along side it and one of the most useful features of Tivo is to be able to rewind live TV if you missed something. Is this something that can be enabled via firmware with the moto or will it take a redesigned box?

The buffer is a setting that is adjusted by the firmware & software.

Last FIOS I Used, had buffers on both tuners. it varies by SD & HD but normaly 60 mins for SD & 30 - 45 min for HD depending on bitrate.

I would take your QIP STB back and replace it.

So your saying that it should have a buffer? I have read posts here that say the verizon boxes dont have buffers. Can someone confirm that some in fact do and which model number or firmware number would have it?

So your saying that it should have a buffer? I have read posts here that say the verizon boxes dont have buffers. Can someone confirm that some in fact do and which model number or firmware number would have it?The DVR definately keeps a buffer while watching live TV. What it doesn't do is keep an active buffer per tuner and let you switch back and forth (ala DirecTivo). Sorry, I don't have model/firmware info handy.

Each Tuner does have it's own Buffer. It was designed this way by /\/\otorola.

The MSO's can only set how much space is used for each buffer.

Ok, Thanks for the replies. I dont know what is going on here but I just went to try and rewind live TV and it worked. I did this the other day when watching the news and tried to rewind because I missed something on the crawl and it wouldnt do it. I had also read a posts asking about buffers and understood someone saying it didnt. Sorry for misunderstanding but I am still trying to learn this box. So what then is the difference of functionality between the moto and tivo? Is it the ability to switch between tuners?

Ok, Thanks for the replies. I dont know what is going on here but I just went to try and rewind live TV and it worked. I did this the other day when watching the news and tried to rewind because I missed something on the crawl and it wouldnt do it. I had also read a posts asking about buffers and understood someone saying it didnt. Sorry for misunderstanding but I am still trying to learn this box. So what then is the difference of functionality between the moto and tivo? Is it the ability to switch between tuners?There is a bug that sometimes stops rewind from working with the live buffer (you get a circle with a line through it). I've found that when this happens, if you hit the "Live TV" button, rewind starts working again. I've heard that a bug fix for this is being rolled out though.

Ah! that must be it. cool! I guess Im ready to tell D* to shut down the account. :O)

The new HD/DVR box that replaced my original has worked fine since I got it.

Now I hope I didn't jinx myself.

I just got Fios installed with the HD DVR and I do really like it so far. However, I do miss some of the TIVO funtionality I had with D. I saw there is supposed to be a major software upgrade coming but does anyone know when it might hit the Northern VA area? Supposedly it adds more "TIVO-like" functionality.

Thx.

I thought someone said in this forum that Verizon was passing the native resolution sent from the broadcaster. However, Fox and ABC both broadcast in 720p here in Northern VA but Verizon is sending them in 1080i. Is there a way to force 720p on these boxes or is 1080i the only option?

Thanks!

I thought someone said in this forum that Verizon was passing the native resolution sent from the broadcaster. However, Fox and ABC both broadcast in 720p here in Northern VA but Verizon is sending them in 1080i. Is there a way to force 720p on these boxes or is 1080i the only option?

Thanks!


power off the STB & press menu to access the user menu. Whatever you set the Output at is what will be sent to your TV / Monitor via any HD Video output.

I am in the Tampa area. (Wesley Chapel) At one time, I had the exact same problem with losing the audio. Now I sometimes see some pixelation in the picture as well as audio loss when this happens. I see the pixelation about 50% of the time when the audio drops out. Also, I am losing the audio on more than just NBC-HD. It appears that it doesn't matter what channel I am on. To my knowledge, the same problem exists with any channel with Live or Recorded TV. Swapped my optical audio connection to my Dolby Digital receiver to a coaxial connection. Same problem with audio after the swap. Have had Verizon out here at least four times. They changed the ends on the coax, attenuated the signal to 0 DB at the DVR coaxial input, installed a new Actiontec router, swapped out the NIM box and checked the signal overall and could find no problems. Also, on one of the service calls, he swapped out one of my DVR's, although I told him that the problem was occurring on both of them. This didn't help either.

FYI, it definitely is possible to program a 30 second skip. I know this has already been discussed but the details on programming were not clear to me until I did it myself...

I have an MX-500 and didn't want to buy yet another remote (the Comcast one) just to get the code. A previous reply in this thread had a link explaining how to program the code on the Comcast 6412 remote.

I realized this is possible for any JP1 remote. I have a One for All URC-8811. All I had to do was program the CABLE button to 0476 and then enter the advanced code for skip (173) and I had 30 second skip.

As a previous SD DirecTivo user who is having a hard time getting used to the Motorola box and software (with a wife who loves Tivo and hates the new box), this hopefully will help a bit.

I've noticed if I set this to output 720p that all the menus become way less crisp. Everything is very jaggy. That makes me wonder if this machine just has better performance outputting 1080i vs 720p. Does anyone know what the story is with the 720p performance?

I thought someone said in this forum that Verizon was passing the native resolution sent from the broadcaster. However, Fox and ABC both broadcast in 720p here in Northern VA but Verizon is sending them in 1080i. Is there a way to force 720p on these boxes or is 1080i the only option?
Verizon sends FOX and ABC as 720p. However, the set-top box doesn't have an "all native" mode. You must either output all HD as 720p or all HD as 1080i. To see the options, turn the box off and press menu.

Other boxes like the Tivo Series3 are capable of passing all HD signals natively (720p as 720p, 1080i as 1080i, etc).

I just got Fios installed with the HD DVR and I do really like it so far. However, I do miss some of the TIVO funtionality I had with D. I saw there is supposed to be a major software upgrade coming but does anyone know when it might hit the Northern VA area? Supposedly it adds more "TIVO-like" functionality.
Tentatively planned for N. VA in late 1Q 2007.

As a previous SD DirecTivo user who is having a hard time getting used to the Motorola box and software (with a wife who loves Tivo and hates the new box), this hopefully will help a bit.
But, does your wife hate it $799 worth? If so, might be time for a TiVo Series 3 upgrade....

My wife doesn't hate it that much :(

But, does your wife hate it $799 worth? If so, might be time for a TiVo Series 3 upgrade....

My wife doesn't hate it that much :(

Xmas is right arround the corner. I have heard $100 - $150 off S3 TiVo starting on Black Friday.

Anyone else hear this or any other rumor about price cut on the S3 for the holidays?

Back on Topic, Full FIOS to be in my area in 6 Months or less.

The Series3 is already available for $699 with free shipping from onlygps.com (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=320690).

I expect it will hit $600-$650 with coupons / promotions / discounts during the holiday season.

We should start hearing more about the FiOS DVR software update in about six weeks.

Quick question. Anyone know if you can turn off the clock/display when the 6416 is powered off? I have this in my bedroom and it's really annoying. Thanks.

-Jody

Anyone ever max out their box and determine exactly how much your DVR will hold? I was bored because my DVR stated that I had 94% full. I didn't think there was any way that I could have up to the advertised price (Record up to 120 hours of standard definition programming ). I wrote down the amount of time I had in my dvr. It came to about 4900 minutes. I did the math on this and that shows that my DVR should actually only be 68% full. I divided 4900/(120x60). Anyone else ever verify how much they could record?

Side note, yes I was extremely bored to see this and there was no HD programming recorded.

Anyone ever max out their box and determine exactly how much your DVR will hold?Recording capacity will vary depending on content. Some HDTV channels consume up to 8.6Gb per hour (18 hours max), while others consume just over 6Gb per hour.

The same goes for SD channels. Recordings of sports and other video material consumes more capacity than recordings of film / movies.

Remember, if you record SD content from a HD channel (like the digital feed of CBS), it still takes up about the same space as a HDTV recording.

Does anyone know if the multi-room viewing capability will work with another QIP6416 as a client? I wouldn't mind upgrading but I don't want to downgrade my bedroom DVR to a standard box.

Does anyone know if the multi-room viewing capability will work with another QIP6416 as a client? I wouldn't mind upgrading but I don't want to downgrade my bedroom DVR to a standard box.
It will not at this time. The multiroom client software for the HDTV STB/DVR is slated for release 2Q 2007.

It will not at this time. The multiroom client software for the HDTV STB/DVR is slated for release 2Q 2007.

Thanks. Sucks, I got all excited about this for nothing. :(

Quick question. Anyone know if you can turn off the clock/display when the 6416 is powered off? I have this in my bedroom and it's really annoying. Thanks.

-Jody

You can turn it off. Press menu then go to settings, STB options and uncheck display time on box

You can turn it off. Press menu then go to settings, STB options and uncheck display time on box

That's what I thought but that doesn't work. When you make that change the STB will show only the channel number when it is powered on and then shows the time when powered off.

Thanks.

-Jody

For right now Verizon says NO one 6416 with 2500 series boxes only
they said they will be upgrading the firmware to work with multiple 6416's on the system however the Library will only be off of the primary 6416

Anyone else have the "recording VOD" issue that stops channel changing? Even if I am not recording anything, my 6416 will randomly say something about recording VOD -23521436 or some random negative number and get stuck. Cannot change the channel, and if you for some reason do get it to pop up with the "do you want to cancel this recording" prompt, it does nothing.

That plus the general un-responsiveness is driving me crazy. I am not ready to go spend 800 bucks on a tivo s3 just yet, but paying 25 a month for two pre-alpha 6416 units is.. not quite right.

My wife has two SD Tivos and wants to know if she'll be able to record from Bravo, USA and HGTV with her Tivos if we move to V* FIOS. Would we have to rent one or two STBs for her SD setup? Currently we have Comcast, and she uses the two Tivos w/o using a STB.

I would be renting the HD DVR for my HT if we switch in a different room in the house.

Anybody know when Belmont, MA is going to get the "new major firmware upgrade" ?

After searching I did not find anything on what verizon is sending to the HD boxes. Is it 720p or 1080i or potentially both? Has anyone done a 720p vs 1080i output test for native 720p tvs?

After searching I did not find anything on what verizon is sending to the HD boxes. Is it 720p or 1080i or potentially both? Has anyone done a 720p vs 1080i output test for native 720p tvs?They send through whatever the channel uses. Some channels like ABC, FOX, and ESPN use 720p. Others like CBS, NBC, and HBO use 1080i.

On Motorola STBs -- regardless of provider -- you must choose 720p or 1080i output mode. If you choose 720p, all 720p channels are output unmodified while 1080i channels are downconverted to 720p. If you choose 1080i, all 1080i channels are output unmodified while 720p channels are downconverted to 1080i. Turn the box off and then press menu to choose which mode to output from the STB/DVR.

If you have a 1080p TV and want a box that will output both HD formats natively -- which no Motorola DCT/QIP box from any cable company can do -- then you'll have to purchase an alternative like the Tivo Series3.

My wife has two SD Tivos and wants to know if she'll be able to record from Bravo, USA and HGTV with her Tivos if we move to V* FIOS. Would we have to rent one or two STBs for her SD setup? Currently we have Comcast, and she uses the two Tivos w/o using a STB.Yes, but only using the Tivo's IR control to record the output from the FiOS set-top box. All cable channels on FiOS are digital -- that results in better quality, but it requires that you use a set-top box.

If you want a Tivo without the set-top box, then you'll have to buy the new Tivo Series3 HDTV DVR. The Series3 is a dual-tuner box that records all digital SD and HDTV at 100% original quality.

Anybody know when Belmont, MA is going to get the "new major firmware upgrade" ?1Q 2007

If you have a 1080p TV and want a box that will output both HD formats natively -- which no Motorola DCT/QIP box from any cable company can do -- then you'll have to purchase an alternative like the Tivo Series3.

Most of the HD series DCT 5xxx & 6200 STB (not the 6208) still have native output selection in the user menu.


Yes, but only using the Tivo's IR control to record the output from the FiOS set-top box. All cable channels on FiOS are digital -- that results in better quality, but it requires that you use a set-top box.


There are several analog basic cable channels on Verizon FIOS.

From the Verizon FIOS TV site FAQ:

Do I need a separate Set Top Box for every TV in my house?
If you subscribe to any digital packages or premium channels, you will need a Set Top Box (STB) for each television where you wish to access that programming. Set Top Boxes are also needed for Pay Per View, On Demand and the Interactive Programming Guide. To access the basic analog service only (no premium channels, etc.), a STB is not required, but you will need a cable-ready TV or appropriate adapter.


http://www22.verizon.com/content/fiostv/customer+support/faqs/faqs.htm#q12

From the Verizon site: Only channels below 49 are viewable w/o a STB. This is a bummer for me, because my wife has gotten used to the 2 Tivos. They don't have any bugs; they always record what they're supposed to ; and you can ask them why they didn't record something you expected.

My impression is that the V* DVRs still have lots of problems. Perhaps I'll have to wait unti the Q1 '07 f/w upgrade to move to V*. :(

My impression is that the V* DVRs still have lots of problems. Perhaps I'll have to wait unti the Q1 '07 f/w upgrade to move to V*. :(
How can that be, from what Ken and other say the hand of God touched these DVRs. :eek: :D

From the Verizon site: Only channels below 49 are viewable w/o a STB. This is a bummer for me, because my wife has gotten used to the 2 Tivos. They don't have any bugs; they always record what they're supposed to ; and you can ask them why they didn't record something you expected.

My impression is that the V* DVRs still have lots of problems. Perhaps I'll have to wait unti the Q1 '07 f/w upgrade to move to V*. :(


I just went with Verizon FIOS and thought the same thing about my ReplayTV's. What I did is get one of the ReplayTV's a standard STB ($3.95/month). So far it's working well.

-Jody

I just went with Verizon FIOS and thought the same thing about my ReplayTV's. What I did is get one of the ReplayTV's a standard STB ($3.95/month). So far it's working well.

-Jody

I could get one STB for my wife to record non-locals and use the Tivos to record the lower-numbered (local channels). Is that what you mean? That's an interesting idea. :)

I'd really like to move from Comcast to FIOS to get the higher quality picture and the lower prices for TV+Internet, but my big concern about missing recordings with the DVRs on offer still remains. When I called V* yesterday afternoon, the tech said that they were giving out "6416" models. That's why I started reading this thread.

I could get the Series 3 Tivo and have the beautiful picture and a reliable DVR, but the asking price is quite steep, and then you have to pay the subscription fee to Tivo and pay for the cable cards. I don't see how I can justify that Tivo S3 price if V* is going to fix (at least that's the hope) the recording problems with their DVRs in Q1 '07.

There are several analog basic cable channels on Verizon FIOS.

From the Verizon FIOS TV site FAQ:

Do I need a separate Set Top Box for every TV in my house?
If you subscribe to any digital packages or premium channels, you will need a Set Top Box (STB) for each television where you wish to access that programming. Set Top Boxes are also needed for Pay Per View, On Demand and the Interactive Programming Guide. To access the basic analog service only (no premium channels, etc.), a STB is not required, but you will need a cable-ready TV or appropriate adapter.
Verizon puts the analog versions of the local and public interest channels on FiOS (roughly 15 channels under <50), but you won't get any analog "cable" channels.

It's a question of terminology, I suppose -- do you consider channels as "cable channels" if you could get them with an antenna? You won't get any analog channels on FiOS that you can't also get with an antenna.

I don't have FIOS yet but it sounds like the channels in the lower range are only analog channels and will suffer the same low quality as any analog cable channel. The whole point of getting FIOS is to get a better picture at a good price (or am I missing something here?). I feel your pain regarding the use of a ReplayTV or Tivo and it may be a viable option for some, especially if you don't own a HDTV.

I'm torn between taking the plunge for the S3 Tivo or getting multiple 6416's when I finally get FIOS. They've buried the lines but haven't announced when I can sign up yet.

I have two major gripes with the 6416 based on what I've read here and other sites. The hard drive is only 160GB, which is absolutely a waste for a HD DVR. You need at least 250-300GB and usually much more. I've currently got three HDTivos with 500GB apiece. My second gripe is the lack of more than one IR code set for the DVR. The lack of capacity almost makes it mandatory to have multiple DVRs but the lack of independent IR codes makes that a royal PITA to implement. This could be resolved somewhat if and when they ever get the multi-room distribution to work with HD programming.

FYI - The term "V*" really doesn't cut it when referring to Verizon FIOs (not to mention it's really annoying). It's a term coined from the original use of "E*" when referring to the old Echostar DBS system (now Dish). The term got bastardized to refer to DirecTV in the same light (i.e. D*), even though the acronym isn't even appropriate. I guess some people thought it was cute or they were just too lazy to spell out DirecTV (I prefer DTV myself but tend to get bashed by those that demand it be used only to refer to Digital TV). The term "V*" is just plain wrong since it's not a satellite/DBS service, as the use of the term implies. Please refrain from using the term as it makes anyone using it look like an idiot. Your choice. Come to think of it, this is the only forum where I've ever seen it used. :rolleyes:

I don't have FIOS yet but it sounds like the channels in the lower range are only analog channels and will suffer the same low quality as any analog cable channel. The whole point of getting FIOS is to get a better picture at a good price (or am I missing something here?).Yes, you're missing something. The lower channels (under 50) are simulcast on FiOS ... both digital and analog versions are available. In fact, the STBs / DVRs Verizon use don't have analog tuners so ... any analog-only channels wouldn't be available on them. Use equipment capable of getting the digital channels ... you get digital channels. Hook up a 1980 Magnavox TV or Tivo S2 directly via coax ... you get the (limited set of) analog channels.

As an aside, a good clean analog signal will look significantly better than an over-compressed, bit-rate startved digital signal so ... "digital" does not guarauntee better picture quality than analog. People often have a hard time getting a good clean analog signal ... but anyway.I have two major gripes with the 6416 based on what I've read here and other sites. The hard drive is only 160GB, which is absolutely a waste for a HD DVR. You need at least 250-300GB and usually much more. I've currently got three HDTivos with 500GB apiece. My second gripe is the lack of more than one IR code set for the DVR. The lack of capacity almost makes it mandatory to have multiple DVRs but the lack of independent IR codes makes that a royal PITA to implement.Just wait untill you're near the end of a show and you try FF'ing with the 6416 (and current software) at any decent speed ...

seriously ...

FYI - The term "V*" really doesn't cut it when referring to Verizon FIOs (not to mention it's really annoying). It's a term coined from the original use of "E*" when referring to the old Echostar DBS system (now Dish). The term got bastardized to refer to DirecTV in the same light (i.e. D*), even though the acronym isn't even appropriate. I guess some people thought it was cute or they were just too lazy to spell out DirecTV (I prefer DTV myself but tend to get bashed by those that demand it be used only to refer to Digital TV). The term "V*" is just plain wrong since it's not a satellite/DBS service, as the use of the term implies. Please refrain from using the term as it makes anyone using it look like an idiot. Your choice. Come to think of it, this is the only forum where I've ever seen it used. :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]


Who died and made you acronym police?

The V* acronym refers to VOOM, the HD service acquired by Dish Network.

Cable providers don't have acronyms. :D

Can you imagine if we had Ca for Cablevision, Ch for Charter, Cm for Comcast, Cx for Cox, T for Time Warner, B for Brighthouse, etc etc.

I just got Fios yesterday and so far so good. The question I have is thagt when looking at the recorded list, all shosw are listed seperately. My friend has the same box and his shows are stacked.

example:

Mine

Lost 10/11
CSI 10/12
Lost 10/18

my friend

Lost--->Lost 10/11
Lost 10/18
CSI---> CSI 10/12
CSI 10/19

Is there a setting for this? Thanks in advance.

Setup series (weekly) recordings for your favorite shows rather than going through the guide and recording each episode individually / manually.

The V* acronym refers to VOOM, the HD service acquired by Dish Network.

Cable providers don't have acronyms. :D

Can you imagine if we had Ca for Cablevision, Ch for Charter, Cm for Comcast, Cx for Cox, T for Time Warner, B for Brighthouse, etc etc.

CC is the acronym for comcast!

:)

Cable providers don't have acronyms. :D


Some do! http://finance.yahoo.com/lookup :)
(Comcast has seven! And their CMCSA stock has gone from about 25 to 40 in the last year... despite FiOS!)
If there has to be an acronym for Verizon, Vz works for me.

... Hook up a 1980 Magnavox TV or Tivo S2 directly via coax ... you get the (limited set of) analog channels.


Yeah, my wife doesn't have an HDTV (I do), but she does watch HGTV, USA, Bravo, etc so we can't use OTA (at least not exclusively). If we could, I'd just get the S3 Tivo and stop with cable/fios TV all together. Unfortunately the limited set of analog channels doesn't include the aforementioned channels based on my reading of the the verizon channel lineup page.


... Just wait untill you're near the end of a show and you try FF'ing with the 6416 (and current software) at any decent speed ...


With the 30-second skip which I copied from my Comcast remote to my universal remote, I guess the FF at the end of a recorded show isn't a problem; it's the worry that the Verizon (avoiding the acronym police ;) ) DVR won't record the shows that I want it to.

I live in the DFW area and am I'm seriously thinking about dumping DVT and moving to Fios TV. (I already have FIOS internet and phone service.)

I originally didn't want to lose NFL Sunday Ticket, but now that I'm coming in late to the HD party, I have some concerns about the limitations of HD with satellite.

My question was about programming. Some sports channels like Fox Sports Southwest, broadcast games in HD. I didn't see them on the Fios programming guide for DTV or Fios. Are these games available in HD anywhere?

Also, are the Mavs games on HDNet available on Fios?

It will be a tradeoff to lose NFL Sunday Ticket, but multiroom DVR, on demand programming and HD advantages seem like a worthwhile tradeoff.....

Thanks in advance....

FYI - The term "V*" really doesn't cut it when referring to Verizon FIOs (not to mention it's really annoying). It's a term coined from the original use of "E*" when referring to the old Echostar DBS system (now Dish). The term got bastardized to refer to DirecTV in the same light (i.e. D*), even though the acronym isn't even appropriate. I guess some people thought it was cute or they were just too lazy to spell out DirecTV (I prefer DTV myself but tend to get bashed by those that demand it be used only to refer to Digital TV). The term "V*" is just plain wrong since it's not a satellite/DBS service, as the use of the term implies. Please refrain from using the term as it makes anyone using it look like an idiot. Your choice. Come to think of it, this is the only forum where I've ever seen it used. :rolleyes:

Somebody spends way too much time on forums. :rolleyes: Personally, I like the V* acronym for Verizon FiOS. :D I agree that E* is the only one that really make sense, yet D* (for DirecTV) also seems to be acceptable here. Why not V* for Verizon FiOS? I don't see how anybody on these forums could get confused with this acronym/abbreviation (that's really the point, isn't it?). However, this is my opinion and I never would consider calling someone an idiot just because he/she disagrees with me. :cool:

Yes, you're missing something. The lower channels (under 50) are simulcast on FiOS ... both digital and analog versions are available. In fact, the STBs / DVRs Verizon use don't have analog tuners so ... any analog-only channels wouldn't be available on them. Use equipment capable of getting the digital channels ... you get digital channels. Hook up a 1980 Magnavox TV or Tivo S2 directly via coax ... you get the (limited set of) analog channels.
That's pretty much what I was implying in my earlier post. Perhaps I just wasn't clear enough in my description.

As an aside, a good clean analog signal will look significantly better than an over-compressed, bit-rate startved digital signal so ... "digital" does not guarauntee better picture quality than analog. People often have a hard time getting a good clean analog signal ... but anyway.
No argument there. I've spent too many years suffering through crappy analog cable broadcasts. The only saving grace of cable was that I didn't see as much ghosting in the transmission and I didn't have to readjust an antenna rotor every time I switched channels.

The V* acronym refers to VOOM, the HD service acquired by Dish Network.

Cable providers don't have acronyms.

Can you imagine if we had Ca for Cablevision, Ch for Charter, Cm for Comcast, Cx for Cox, T for Time Warner, B for Brighthouse, etc etc.

Somebody spends way too much time on forums. Personally, I like the V* acronym for Verizon FiOS. I agree that E* is the only one that really make sense, yet D* (for DirecTV) also seems to be acceptable here. Why not V* for Verizon FiOS? I don't see how anybody on these forums could get confused with this acronym/abbreviation (that's really the point, isn't it?). However, this is my opinion and I never would consider calling someone an idiot just because he/she disagrees with me.
As you can see, we already have conflicting opinions about what V* represents. I would agree that it is more appropriate when referring to VOOM (except that it is now part of E*; perhaps it should now be called VE* or EV* :D ) but there are others here that are using it to refer to FIOS. I doubt that you'll find anyone outside of this thread that refers to FIOS as V* as I've never seen the reference used elsewhere. I've already seen lots of references to various cable systems via acronyms and believe me, there is no set standard. I have no problem with acronyms as long as they make sense and don't leave room for misinterpretation.

The term "V*" is one that definitely does not fit when referring to FIOS. The "*" or "star" in the term implies something extraterrestrial (as in satellite, which tends to look like a star in the sky when viewed from the earth). The last I heard FIOS was definitely earthbound.

I do spend a lot of time in forums and I've learned a lot along the way. The trick is to know how to pick the wheat from the chaff. A vast majority of posts are nothing more than opinions that aren't based on fact yet some people tend to take everything they read as gospel. P.T. Barnum would be proud. ;)

FYI - I never said anyone that uses the term "V*" is an idiot but rather using it just makes you look like one. It's more trendy that technically accurate. Then again, that's just my opinion.

I've seen V* used on other forums, mainly the tivo forum. If you're in a thread about Verizon and someone uses V*, I don't see how it would be confusing.

And the * has nothing to do with satellite. As you stated earlier, it was originally the abbreviation for EchoSTAR. If EchoSTAR would have been a cable company, the abbreviation still would have been used to replace that word.

And it's not more appropriate when referring to VOOM, since they no longer exist.

IMO, trying to make others look like idiots is actually what makes someone look like an idiot.

I didn’t know where to post this but I guess this is as good a place as any since it’s about the FIOS service. I’d like to know if anyone is experiencing these issues or if you have any advice on how to remedy. FYI, I’m in the Dallas, TX. area.

As I compose this I’m watching the Cowboys / Texans game. Is anyone in Dallas watching? If so, are you getting a lot of sound drop out, loss of 5.1 and video pixilation? I am an this is one of my issues with FIOS.

Issue 1 – I recorded the last three Dallas Stars games and the recording stopped from 2 to 5 minutes before the end of regulation play. This was on three different stations and I was not watching that TV while the recording were being made. Is this normal? I was under the impression that the broadcasters set programming start signals that the TIVO type devices use to determine when to start and stop recording. Is this not true? If not, how do you make sure you get the entire game including any overtime? Do you have to record the next scheduled program just in case the game runs long? This doesn’t make sense to me.

Issue 2 – I have a Verizon supplied cable card in my Toshiba HD 56HM195. I get extreme pixilation, sound drop out / popping on a lot of channels. I’m talking about severe stuff here making the program unwatchable. It originally took them about an hour to get the CC working. In fact they had to use a second card, the first one would not work at all.

Issue 3 – really just annoying pixilation, sound drop out on all the devices, both 6416s and the CC as I alluded to above about the Cowboys game. Does everyone experience these?

I’ve had Verizon remotely reset the boxes and a Tech came out. He checked the signal strength going to the CC and subsequently removed an attenuator that the original installers put in line. He said that brought the signal strength into normal range. However, while he was here I didn’t get any severe pixilation but after he left it started again, of course.

So can anyone shed any light on these? It doesn’t appear that Verizon doesn’t know much about CCs. Will sending as too hot signal damage any component or have any affect on the audio/video?

Thanks for reading any answers will be appreciated.

Hey there. I have been getting the same sound and picture problems today. Lately, we've been getting the same issues on NBCHD and CBSHD. None on FoxHD, ABCHD, or PBSHD, can't comment much on the analog channels. At first I thought it was the DVR, but I guess it's the service.
As to the recording issues, I gave up on the series options and just record them individually. One thing about Stars games, and other sports as well. The menu system doesn't adjust to program overruns. I just record the next program scheduled after the game just in case.

Good Luck,

Alan

Hey there. I have been getting the same sound and picture problems today. Lately, we've been getting the same issues on NBCHD and CBSHD. None on FoxHD, ABCHD, or PBSHD, can't comment much on the analog channels. At first I thought it was the DVR, but I guess it's the service.
As to the recording issues, I gave up on the series options and just record them individually. One thing about Stars games, and other sports as well. The menu system doesn't adjust to program overruns. I just record the next program scheduled after the game just in case.

Good Luck,

Alan
Alan, thanks for the response. I hope the audio and video issues clear up. Do you know if the recording of sports not adjusting for overruns is just a FIOS shortcomming or are all DVR's in the same boat?

I was having the same problem with Fox during the NO/Philly game but I checked it out OTA and it was exactly the same. I'm wondering if there is some kind of solar activity or other kind of interference that is affecting the network sat-links.

EDIT:

I am having the same type of audio dropouts and pixelization on CBS for the Steelers game. I did the same thing and checked it out OTA and the problem stayed, so it's not the box or the Verizon service.

Alan, thanks for the response. I hope the audio and video issues clear up. Do you know if the recording of sports not adjusting for overruns is just a FIOS shortcomming or are all DVR's in the same boat?

The FIOS box seems to be really bad about this. I used to have a Charter DVR and their box was a Scientific Atlanta. It was pretty good about the overruns and stayed with the event until it finished. I have no experience with TIVO. Mabee someone that does can respond. There has been rumor of firmware upgrade soon that might address the issue.

Alan

Do you know if the recording of sports not adjusting for overruns is just a FIOS shortcomming or are all DVR's in the same boat?

With TiVo, you have to pad (add time to the end) all sporting events. It will only record the time slot. You also have to pad most shows that are on Sunday because if the game goes long, every show following it will be off and you'll miss the end of every show.

With TiVo, you have to pad (add time to the end) all sporting events. It will only record the time slot. You also have to pad most shows that are on Sunday because if the game goes long, every show following it will be off and you'll miss the end of every show.
Yeah, my TiVo was just like my 6416 in that respect. They are both totally dependant on the guide information and that doesn't change when a game runs over. The 6416 does have the extend option for the series so I just set it for 30 minutes over when it's football season.

Stew, Alan, David,

Thanks for the responses. I guess for the time being I'll have to pad the times. Seems like the networks don't have all of their stuff together with HD digital. I guess the audio drop out and video pixelatiion replaces the old analog snow and other interference.

I do think my CC problem is hardware related though.

I do think my CC problem is hardware related though.

It may be. The new S3 TiVo is having serious CC problems. I have heard that the CCs are a very cheaply made product.

With TiVo, you have to pad (add time to the end) all sporting events. It will only record the time slot. You also have to pad most shows that are on Sunday because if the game goes long, every show following it will be off and you'll miss the end of every show.

With FiOS 6416 you can pad an additional 30 minutes and hope it records it. I recorded the Charger game 1:15-4:00 with 30 mins extra at end, so 3:15 total time. The recording showed 3:18 record time but when you go to play it, it only recorded 2:42. This is not the first time the box has messed up a recording and I am sure it won't be the last. Uh, TiVo is $800, maybe a Christmas present to myself.

I just wanted to throw my $.02 in to people considering getting FiosTV.

I have not had any issues with my recorder not recording things. Even so, I usually check my scheduled recordings everyday to make sure everything is in there that's supposed to be and so far so good. Also, I have not run out of space and I record pretty much everything in HD (Lost, Studio 60, ER, Justice, My Name is Earl, The Office, SNL, etc, etc). However, I don't let shows pile up all week. Plus I have another 6416 in the bedroom in case I need to record more than 2 things at the same time. The PQ is amazing and the price is good.

There are some negatives. I get sound drop out on HD channels from time to time, whether recorded or live. I have seen many other people with the same problem but so far have yet to find a solution. Honestly it doesn't happen often enough for me to get pissed enough to do something about it. As a few people have said already, FF-ing towards the end of a show can be tricky. Also, navigating some of the menus could be improved.

Overall I am very pleased and I have to tell you having TV, internet, home phone, and cell phone all on one bill is pretty nice.

PS. And no I don't work for Verizon. I just notice that people usually only post when they have something negative to say.

Mine

Lost 10/11
CSI 10/12
Lost 10/18

my friend

Lost--->Lost 10/11
Lost 10/18
CSI---> CSI 10/12
CSI 10/19

Is there a setting for this?

Are you sure you are looking at the same list? There are two lists, one shows what you have "already" recorded. In this list each show is only listed once, and when you select it you see the seperate shows that are saved.

The second list is what you have "scheduled" to record. In this case the are listed by date, so you see a show's title more than once.

That said, there are many areas with possible different software versions so it is possible. But, are far as I know there is no setting that changes these lists.

BOb

[QUOTE=JoeWanabe]I didn’t know where to post this but I guess this is as good a place as any since it’s about the FIOS service. I’d like to know if anyone is experiencing these issues or if you have any advice on how to remedy. FYI, I’m in the Dallas, TX. area.

As I compose this I’m watching the Cowboys / Texans game. Is anyone in Dallas watching? If so, are you getting a lot of sound drop out, loss of 5.1 and video pixilation? I am an this is one of my issues with FIOS.



Re: the Cowboys/Texans game. I had the same problems so I switched to my OTA connection and the same things were evident. Not only that it seemed to happen during commericials too. My conclusion was it was a Ch.11 problem

I just got FiOS TV and the 6416 a couple of weeks ago. I only discovered the "jump back" after fast FWD or REV after a week of use. I guess this came with an update in April.

This is another wonderful TiVo item, but with TiVo you could tune it. Maybe my reaction time is too slow, but I find that the jump back is too short. Also I'm not sure that it's consistant for the speed of the FFWD or FREV.

I'd like to see Verizon enhance it a bit as it makes fast forwarding at high speed very usable.

[QUOTE=captain_video]
I have two major gripes with the 6416 based on what I've read here and other sites. The hard drive is only 160GB, which is absolutely a waste for a HD DVR. You need at least 250-300GB and usually much more. I've currently got three HDTivos with 500GB apiece. My second gripe is the lack of more than one IR code set for the DVR. The lack of capacity almost makes it mandatory to have multiple DVRs but the lack of independent IR codes makes that a royal PITA to implement. This could be resolved somewhat if and when they ever get the multi-room distribution to work with HD programming.

I have addressed the multiple code IR problem by turning one of my DVR's sideways in my component cabinet and placed an IR extender beside of it. The sending unit is placed beside of my chair that I normally sit in and this is a weak fix to this problem, but it does work.

... I have not had any issues with my recorder not recording things. Even so, I usually check my scheduled recordings everyday to make sure everything is in there that's supposed to be and so far so good. ...

Just because you see a show in the scheduled list does not mean that show is going to be recorded. You have to check while/when it is recording to make sure it is. I understand it is not a TiVo and is not nearly as reliable as one, so I have begun to check to make sure the shows I want to record are in the scheduled list. I have still had to either buy or BT shows it has missed. It even missed a CSI episode that was at the top of the priority list to record all including reruns and repeats at anytime. The best is when it cut off the last 5 minutes of Lost last season.

[QUOTE=captain_video]
I have addressed the multiple code IR problem by turning one of my DVR's sideways in my component cabinet and placed an IR extender beside of it. The sending unit is placed beside of my chair that I normally sit in and this is a weak fix to this problem, but it does work.

I am currently waiting to get FIOS TV in my area(Montgomery Co. MD). I already have Phone and Internet with Vz(please no more comments if this abbreviation is not to anyone's liking).

I currently have two 6412's situated together and have the same IR issue. i have ordered some electronic parts and will build an IR Emitter toggle that will allow me to switch between units while leaving both turned on. I have already built a proof of concept model and it works great. Parts should only cost about $20-$30 minus the IR Emitters. I have found the IR Emitters on the web for $8 to $20 bucks apiece. If you are like me, I have about a half a dozen laying around that came with some of my AV components.

If you are handy with a soldering iron you should have no problem doing what I have done. If this interests anyone, I will post part #'s suppliers and the schematic, when I have completed the unit. Sorry i simply will not have the time to build them for anyone.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have addressed the multiple code IR problem by turning one of my DVR's sideways in my component cabinet and placed an IR extender beside of it. The sending unit is placed beside of my chair that I normally sit in and this is a weak fix to this problem, but it does work.
Good thinking. For me, IR extenders have been a real pain... very touchy. I placed the 2nd DVR on a bookcase about 10' to the left of my chair, and ran long component cables to the TV. Works like a charm.

Just because you see a show in the scheduled list does not mean that show is going to be recorded. You have to check while/when it is recording to make sure it is.

I am aware of that. If I'm home and I know something is supposed to be recording and I don't see the big red REC light on the front of the DVR than I'll check it out. But as I said I haven't had any problems yet (knock on wood) and I've had Verizon for about 5 months now. If I was that worried about missing a certain show I would setup a manual recording by time and channel.

Verizon puts the analog versions of the local and public interest channels on FiOS (roughly 15 channels under <50), but you won't get any analog "cable" channels.

It's a question of terminology, I suppose -- do you consider channels as "cable channels" if you could get them with an antenna? You won't get any analog channels on FiOS that you can't also get with an antenna.The above post came from last Friday, the 13th, but in an attempt to set the record straight, WGN on channel 29 would be one exception to that statement. :)

The above post came from last Friday, the 13th, but in an attempt to set the record straight, WGN on channel 29 would be one exception to that statement. :)
I thought of mentioning that too but just as a technicality, it *is* possible to get WGN OTA... just not in many areas. :)

Now if you have 2 or more recordings of the same show, the number of recordings of that show is in parenthesis before the show title. Then when you select the show, it lists the individual episodes. Kind of like how Tivo does.

For example, I had the last 2 weeks of Lost recorded, and my list looked like this:

Nine
(2) Lost
Amazing Race 10

Now if you have 2 or more recordings of the same show, the number of recordings of that show is in parenthesis before the show title. Then when you select the show, it lists the individual episodes. Kind of like how Tivo does.

For example, I had the last 2 weeks of Lost recorded, and my list looked like this:It has always done that. However, you only get the sublisting for series recordings. If you setup a manual or individual recording through the guide, you don't get the sublist.

Hello all. I've posted this question under the tread for my TV but I think the problem is really with the FIOS STB so I'm going to post it here too:

I just purchased an HP PL4260N HDTV and connected it directly to my Verizon FIOS 6416 STB via an HDMI cable. I get the HDMI 1080I video no problem and it looks great. However, I can not always get the HDMI audio. In fact, I've only had it work once and that was immediately after a Verizon FIOS tech switched out my 6416 for another of the same type. This briefly allowed the HDMI audio to come through to the TV but when I powered off the STB and then powered it back up the next morning, the TV once again claimed that HDMI audio was unavailable.

Having read about all the HDCP issues with the Motorola STB, I'm wondering if that may the problem. However, I assumed that an HDCP handshake problem would cause the HDMI video to fail as well, not just the audio.

I've tried every combination of power up/power down between the TV and the STB I can think of. There is no receiver involved, just a direct HDMI link to the TV from the STB and I've tried two different (and brand new) HDMI cables.

Any ideas?

However, I can not always get the HDMI audio.Did you check out the DVI/HDMI audio settings?

Turn TV on and the box off (while you don't have a recording in progress). Hit Menu. There's some HDMI audio settings in there that may be useful. Can't be more specific right now as ... I have a recording in progress (which seems to make the settings menu inaccessible).

Thanks. I've tried every combination of settings on the 6416 menu and multiple re-boots/power cycles. No joy so therefore I give up. FWIW, no option on the 6416 STB Audio Settings made it work either. Oh well, component it is.

I know it may seem silly to some but I kinda expect the stuff I pay for to work as advertised. Sure wish I could reproduce that one special combination I stumbled on that made it work for 6 hours before but I can't so time to move on and hope either Motorola or HP come up with a fix for the HDMI down the road.

Let me preface this post by saying that I have poor quality power running to my entertainment area. I do realize the proper fix for this is probably to setup a new dedicated circuit just for home theater equipment but do not see that happening in the near future.

Sooooo, on to the point... Due to the poor quality power, I have been plugging all of my equipment into a Belkin UPS (F6C650-USB) that has AVR (supposed to help with brownouts). I have had my TV and DirecTivo plugged into the battery backup for the past 6mos with no problems. The TV is plugged in so that the cooling fan on the bulb (rear proj) keeps running if the power goes out. It's nice to have the Tivo plugged in because it will keep recording even if the power goes out...

Now I have the 6416 and the TV plugged into the battery backup. Strangely enough, when I test the setup by pulling AC power (or when actual power goes out), the 6416 seems susceptible to whatever dropout does happen and resets itself. This has become annoying as I have been experiencing brownouts at least once a day causing the box to reset. The box does restart a recording once it is powered up and going but it does miss a minute or two while rebooting. Additionally, even though it does restart recording, the unit does not turn back on by itself. I only find that annoying because the DirecTivo doesn't have an 'off' state so that's what I'm used to.

I find it interesting that the 6416 is susceptible to this while the DirectTivo and TV show no problems at all.

When you are pulling AC power - are you switching off your entire house power? Because if you are, you are no longer going to get video service from Verizon anyway, their ONT will only power the phone line into your house.

When you are pulling AC power - are you switching off your entire house power? Because if you are, you are no longer going to get video service from Verizon anyway, their ONT will only power the phone line into your house.
Hmmm... that's strange because the last time we had a power outage I watched the news for about 15 minutes after I lost power. The only reason I turned the set off was because my UPS was beeping, not a loss of picture.

Thanks. I've tried every combination of settings on the 6416 menu and multiple re-boots/power cycles. No joy so therefore I give up. FWIW, no option on the 6416 STB Audio Settings made it work either. Oh well, component it is.

I know it may seem silly to some but I kinda expect the stuff I pay for to work as advertised. Sure wish I could reproduce that one special combination I stumbled on that made it work for 6 hours before but I can't so time to move on and hope either Motorola or HP come up with a fix for the HDMI down the road.

I have my 6416 running to my Sony LCD via HDMI and the sound works fine.

Yeah it seems to keep it for about 15 mins, then it kicks over to just the phone service, test it.

Yeah it seems to keep it for about 15 mins, then it kicks over to just the phone service, test it.
Do you have the router and the coax to network interface UPS powered too. maybe you're losing the pic because you're losing the data connection.

I have a 6416 hooked up to my main tv via components. HD Picture is perfect, however when tuned to an SD channel I will notice faint scrolling lines that are usually diagonal. You can see this best when you have the Verizon Menu Screen open looking at the Recorded Menu. I posted in another area and they suggested I had a ground loop problem. To troubleshoot I got my UPS out of my office and plugged the TV into it as well as the coax cable coming out of the wall. This didn't really help. The problem didn't seem to happen as often, but it still happened. Does anyone know what I might be able to buy to troubleshoot or even fix this? I went to the local rat shack and they tried to sell me a ground loop converter for audio...I told them I needed it for video. Any help is appreciated. Do I need to call up Verizon? My fear is they will want to switch the box and I am so far behind on my shows that I can't let them take it until I finish watching them. :D Any help is greatly appreciated.

Sounds like some sort of interference coming in over your Component cables... However doesn't make sense that you only see it on SD TV, try playing with the 4:3 menu options, try it on 480p, and toggle through the settings on the Verizon box. Accessible by hitting menu on the box when it is off, you should see the SETUP screen on your TV. What have you guys found as the best option for this? I tried it on 480p which seems decent on the TV..

I have mine set to 480p. Not sure that I can tell much difference between that and 480i. Yeah it is extremly strange that I don't see it in the HD, unless the lines are small enough that I can't notice it. I am only using the grey components that the installer brought with him. Should I go buy a different cable?

Maybe try a higher quality cable - im assuming you dont have HDMI.. etc

...I've tried every combination of settings on the 6416 menu and multiple re-boots/power cycles. No joy so therefore I give up. FWIW, no option on the 6416 STB Audio Settings made it work either. Oh well, component it is.

I know it may seem silly to some but I kinda expect the stuff I pay for to work as advertised. Sure wish I could reproduce that one special combination I stumbled on that made it work for 6 hours before but I can't so time to move on and hope either Motorola or HP come up with a fix for the HDMI down the road.I wanted to help you make one more run at this before going to component. Please reread this post by dt_dc: Did you check out the DVI/HDMI audio settings?

Turn TV on and the box off (while you don't have a recording in progress). Hit Menu. There's some HDMI audio settings in there that may be useful.If you do this--and if you indeed have then I apologize and this response may be for naught--that will take you to the USER SETTINGS which is where you can access HDMI audio output. Check out this old post from March from the New moto 6412 with HDMI and SATA thread which has an excellent illustration: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7335119&&#post7335119.

Make sure you have the audio output set to auto.

If this doesn't work for you, I think it's safe to conclude that the problem lies with your HP. The HDMI audio works fine for me with my Samsung DLP and dmbatch has no problems with his Sony LCD.

Good luck.

Thanks for the responses. I'm just pulling power on the UPS for the entertainment area when I'm testing. I am aware that I will lose video if I turn off whole house power. (I've considered getting a cheap UPS to plug the BBU for the ONT into but it's not a priority.) When this happens, the box turns off, then back on for a brief moment, turns off, flashes 8888, then normal off condition. When I turn the box on (whether immediately or some time later), the program guide and DVR functions are not available for a few minutes.

It's good to know that it's working for at least someone. Makes me think it's a problem specific to my UPS...

I recently replaced the batteries on my UPSs so it's a shame to think there is something actually wrong with the UPS (wasted money).

i2k, I do have one HDMI output for my tv. I do not use that cable at the moment. Do you think going from component to HDMI would correct my problem?

definatly worth a shot..
Is anyone using a cable card and getting TV guide On screen working with Verizon?

I'm in great need of fios tv. I'm in Annandale VA and I noticed some of the users such as Billodom are as well I'm located in Camelot near the 7-11 and INOVA blood bank o Gallows and Woodburn. Where are you guys and do you have any clue as to when they are planing on rolling this service out in my area?

I wanted to help you make one more run at this before going to component. Please reread this post by dt_dc: If you do this--and if you indeed have then I apologize and this response may be for naught--that will take you to the USER SETTINGS which is where you can access HDMI audio output. Check out this old post from March from the New moto 6412 with HDMI and SATA thread which has an excellent illustration: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7335119&&#post7335119.

Make sure you have the audio output set to auto.

If this doesn't work for you, I think it's safe to conclude that the problem lies with your HP. The HDMI audio works fine for me with my Samsung DLP and dmbatch has no problems with his Sony LCD.

Good luck.

Thanks. I had tried that to no avail. Turns out that the problem is with the HP PL4260N TV. Their HDMI firmware is having a problem with the HDMI audio output of the Motorola 64XX boxes for some reason. HP claims Motorola has implemented an audio option on the HDMI port that is above the standard 96kHz. The HDMI standard allows this but most display vendors are not implementing it (HP claims).

Verizon of course says that the HP TV is at fault and will do nothing. Oh well, component is working just fine. I'm just glad I didn't invest in mounting the set on the wall with only the HDMI cable running to it as I had planned.

I have had FIOS TV for about 2 weeks now in the Springfield, VA area. I have had a reoccurring problem with recording Scrubs on the Comedy Central. I am having sound drop outs followed by pixelization for about 15 seconds and then everything is fine. This may happen as often as every 5-8 minutes during the recording. Anyone else have that problem?

Thanks. I had tried that to no avail. Turns out that the problem is with the HP PL4260N TV. Their HDMI firmware is having a problem with the HDMI audio output of the Motorola 64XX boxes for some reason. HP claims Motorola has implemented an audio option on the HDMI port that is above the standard 96kHz. The HDMI standard allows this but most display vendors are not implementing it (HP claims).

Verizon of course says that the HP TV is at fault and will do nothing. Oh well, component is working just fine. I'm just glad I didn't invest in mounting the set on the wall with only the HDMI cable running to it as I had planned.


Do you onlu use you TV speakers for audio instead of a receiver and surround system? Couldnt you still use the HDMI for vid and an optical connection to receiver for audio?

Also, why is the guide for UniversalHD not displaying the movies they are playing? It just says MOVIE in the guide. I know that Comcast shows the actual movie title playing in the guide but Verizon does not.

I had a problem yesterday with all of the HD chanels located at 800 and above. All vid was jerky and especially noticable when there was a crawl across the screen. Looked like vid on the computer at lower qualities. A call to customer service and a DVR reset fixed the problem. Anyone else have this happen?

I had a problem yesterday with all of the HD chanels located at 800 and above. All vid was jerky and especially noticable when there was a crawl across the screen. Looked like vid on the computer at lower qualities. A call to customer service and a DVR reset fixed the problem. Anyone else have this happen?I have had the jerky video you mention on several occasions. Turning the box off and back on does not help. If I unplug the box though, the problem is gone when the box comes back up.

I have searched this thread and read everything there is about firewire recording. Here is my problem. All of the firewire connections work I can record live via firewire to my Mitsu D VHS, no problem works great. However when I try to record something from the Motorola DVR through firewire I get picture and no audio. I have the STB connected to the Mitsu and the Mitsu connected to the TV. This is just strange.

tex ram

I have searched this thread and read everything there is about firewire recording. Here is my problem. All of the firewire connections work I can record live via firewire to my Mitsu D VHS, no problem works great. However when I try to record something from the Motorola DVR through firewire I get picture and no audio. I have the STB connected to the Mitsu and the Mitsu connected to the TV. This is just strange.

tex ramWhat you are describing is normal operation, at least as far as my experience. Read the FEEDBACK TO THE FCC: FireWire Problems with Cable STB's (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=649140) thread from this forum and it should tell you all you need to know. There are some users who report glitch-free recording from the hard drive via firewire. I have captured a few things from the hard drive but it is not reliable so I just go the live route now. I picked up a VCR Programmer from RadioShack a few months back. The item was on clearance and I'm not sure if they're still making it. It is part number 15-1996. An online search at radioshack.com only turned up the manual so that may be the case. It works well for doing timer recordings via firewire. It would be nice to have the ability to take things from the hard drive to edit out commercials, etc. I had an exchange with an area user in this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=732343) over in the Software Media Discussion forum. He reports no problems archiving from the hard drive. He has a new version of the STB, a 6416-2. Whether that makes any difference, I don't know.

Thanks, I was afraid I would need to revert back to the old days of VCR timer recording. At least I can record in high def. I think my box is a 6416-2 I just got this box last month. Thank you for the information I will do a little reading.

tex

Thanks, I was afraid I would need to revert back to the old days of VCR timer recording. At least I can record in high def. I think my box is a 6416-2 I just got this box last month. Thank you for the information I will do a little reading.

tex

So the moto box will pass on a high def recording via firewire to an outside source such as D-VHS or HD-DVD?

Yes in my case it will. However it does not work well with the dvr i.e. I get picture but no audio. I can record live to my D VHS through firewire.

tex

Yes in my case it will. However it does not work well with the dvr i.e. I get picture but no audio. I can record live to my D VHS through firewire.

tex
I also live in Northern VA (McLean) and just got into this FIOS recording to D-VHS. First thing you want to make sure is that your firewire connection has proper handshaking between your DVR and DVHS.

Do you hear the audio through D-VHS with live programming on your DVR prior to recording (pass through)? If so, what about when playing back your DVR prior to recording? If you don't, then there is a problem with firewire handshaking. Try unplugging your Mitsu DVHS and DVR and letting it re-establish connection. You should be able to see and hear everything through D-VHS (except for menu graphics). I have a JVC 40K connected to 6416-2 and occasionally will have to reboot the entire system to correct handshaking issues. When there is a problem, I notice that audio will drop out when playing back from DVR first, but will eventually drop out altogether even from live programs. Funny thing is if you switch to DVR input on your receiver, everything seem normal, so it's definitely a firewire handshaking issue.

For reference, I have
JVC 40K connected to my Yamaha 2500 via component
Verizon QIP6416-2 connected to my Yamaha 2500 via component
Verizon QIP6416-2 connected to JVC 40K via 6pin to 4pin firewire
JVC 40K connected to my HTPC via 4pin to 4pin firewire
Yamaha 2500 connected to my projector via component.

As far as recording firewire output to my HTPC, I found that I can record unprotected content (some PBS HD programs) using DVHS Capture program on HTPC. However, the DVHS capture program only sees the QIP6416 and not the 40K. I don't know whether it's because I don't have appropriate XP drivers for 40K.

What you are describing is normal operation, at least as far as my experience. Read the FEEDBACK TO THE FCC: FireWire Problems with Cable STB's (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=649140) thread from this forum and it should tell you all you need to know. There are some users who report glitch-free recording from the hard drive via firewire. I have captured a few things from the hard drive but it is not reliable so I just go the live route now. I picked up a VCR Programmer from RadioShack a few months back. The item was on clearance and I'm not sure if they're still making it. It is part number 15-1996. An online search at radioshack.com only turned up the manual so that may be the case. It works well for doing timer recordings via firewire. It would be nice to have the ability to take things from the hard drive to edit out commercials, etc. I had an exchange with an area user in this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=732343) over in the Software Media Discussion forum. He reports no problems archiving from the hard drive. He has a new version of the STB, a 6416-2. Whether that makes any difference, I don't know.
I haven't exactly figured out what specific triggers cause audio to drop out, but I have seen it with my configuration. However, resetting the box will restore audio connection for several days. Most reliable way to reset the box has been to unplug the DVHS recorder, but I have also tried uplugging and replugging the firewire cable, unplugging and replugging the DVR, etc. When properly reestablishing handshaking, I have noticed that the D-VHS will RESET the DVR. This is important. Even though the DVR may be still plugged in, proper reset by the D-VHS will reboot the DVR (displaying ----) across the display. I would suggest that you give this a try. It may take many variations of unplugging and replugging at first, but please give it a shot. Since you are in Annandale, please drop me a PM if you want to discuss this further.

I'm not sure if this adds anything, but I had my FIOS PVR hooked up to my Fujitsu plasma via HDMI and got frequent dropouts. It actually forced me to use analog connections to the display to avoid this issue. I replaced the FIOS PVR with the Tivo S3 and have not had dropouts via HDMI. So there is something in the FIOS PVR via HDMI that causes this with certain displays. I say 'certain displays' since I still have a FIOS PVR hooked up to my other Fujitsu plasma, but this one through my audio receiver....no dropouts that way. Go figure.

definatly worth a shot..
Is anyone using a cable card and getting TV guide On screen working with Verizon?

I'm using a CC on a Toshiba 46" 1080p, I don't recall the model #. The TV guide is working. It's OK but I get a lot of duplicate entries for some stations and I can't figure out what order they are listed in, it's not alphabetic. It takes a long time to scroll through the entries.

Have you noticed any severe blocking or pixelation along with audio drop out of some of the stations with the CC? I have and Verizon hasn't been able to fix it yet.

Well, I'm officially on the FIOS bandwagon, TV and Internet. As far as just watching TV, and surfing the internet.. it's fantastic.... BUT... I'm a little spoiled as I've had Tivo Series II with home media option and a media center pc with computers networked with xbox and xbox 360 with media center extenders.

So, what I'm throwing out there.. for a little feedback, is some of the issues I've experienced.

My setup consist of the Hi-def PVR with media center option, plain jane hi-def box, and a std box.

First of all... the media center option is a joke. You have to have a PVR box in each and every room you want to use the feature on. You have to create "playlists" to listen to anything.( Tivo and XP MCE use folders ). Same goes with pictures... gotta create those slideshows.

Secondly, so I am excited about being able to watch recorded shows on my main unit through the other two boxes in the house. Well, can't watch anything recorded in hi-def on the standard box. It says I have to have a hi-def box. So, go to the hi-def box and it doesn't even have the option to watch recorded TV either standard or hidef!

Yeah, it sounds like I'm complaining alot.. but these little gotchas add up.

With all that said, TV functionality is great. Love hi-def local channels without the glitches of OTA and Satellite on occassion. Picture is great. It is cheaper than DTV.. and on demand rocks! And not to mention all those usb, ethernet and firewire ports on the box... ah, the possibilities. Hope verizon doesn't screw it up!

Should have a fun call with them tomorrow finding out more as to why my hidef box can't watch any recorded show. And how bout letting me listen to music through the other non-pvr boxes.

Should have a fun call with them tomorrow finding out more as to why my hidef box can't watch any recorded show. And how bout letting me listen to music through the other non-pvr boxes.As noted earlier in this thread, the high-def boxes don't support multi-room functionality yet. That capability is coming with a software update in Q2 2007. Until then, you can only watch recorded high-definition programming on the DVR.

(Note you can upgrade your HDTV set-top box to the HDTV DVR for another $3/mo.)

I will be switching to Fios from Comcast as soon as I can. I am currently using a Motorola DCT 3412 1 DVR. Can I program that remote to skip foward 30 seconds and then use that remote to program the 6416 I will be getting from Fios?
If so. How do I program the remote I have from Comcast now?

...
First of all... the media center option is a joke. You have to have a PVR box in each and every room you want to use the feature on. You have to create "playlists" to listen to anything.( Tivo and XP MCE use folders ). Same goes with pictures... gotta create those slideshows.

.....[/QUOTE]

Are you saying you cannot listen to music via the Multi-Rooom DVR from another SD-STB? You have to have another Multi-Room DVR in to listen to music?

You able to watch a SD Show from the multi-room on a SD STB correct?

So, go to the hi-def box and it doesn't even have the option to watch recorded TV either standard or hidef!



I don't beleive that's true. Why would they have HD capability if you can't take advantage of it. I thought the source box would definitely allow you to watch recorded HD, but certainly you should be able to watch content whether or not it's HD. :confused:

Concerning 30 second skip request. I followed instructions posted in thread 534 and programmed my Comcast remote to do a 30 second skip. Worked like a charm! This was my biggest problem with the Motorola dvr. I had Dish previously and used the skip ahead button all the time. Missed that feature with the Comcast dvr.
Has anyone found a way to program the remote to the 6416 dvr yet to skip ahead? I don't want to keep the remote that I have now when I switch to Fios tv.

Concerning 30 second skip request. I followed instructions posted in thread 534 and programmed my Comcast remote to do a 30 second skip. Worked like a charm! This was my biggest problem with the Motorola dvr. I had Dish previously and used the skip ahead button all the time. Missed that feature with the Comcast dvr.
Has anyone found a way to program the remote to the 6416 dvr yet to skip ahead? I don't want to keep the remote that I have now when I switch to Fios tv.


Keep your comcast remote, it will be handy when you get your Verizon FIOS.

the Comcast silver remote (all 4 models) work on ALL /\/\otorola QIP & DCT series STB. These STB only have 1 set of IR Remote codes.

I don't beleive that's true. Why would they have HD capability if you can't take advantage of it. I thought the source box would definitely allow you to watch recorded HD, but certainly you should be able to watch content whether or not it's HD. :confused:


Ok, maybe some confusion in the way I worded it.. but here's the facts.

You record something on your Hi-def PVR ( hidef or std ).. yes, you can watch it on that pvr.... but you cannot watch it on a Hi-def box in another room. That feature simply isn't an option on the menu. It is a feature you can select on the standard definition box, but you can't watch anything recorded in hi-def, only standard defintion. When you try to watch hi-def content, it says you must have a box capable of viewing hidef. But of course that misleading as that feature is not enabled on my non-pvr hidef box.. yet.

And as far as the media option... when I go to launch the media option on my hi-def pvr I can see the music on my pc. However, when I go to launch the media option on my hi-def / non-pvr unit, or standard box, it says I must have a PVR. Does that mean I hafta have a PVR in every room? Or is it just a glitch in the way my system is set up presently. Don't know yet.. will have time to mess with it this weekend and will report back.

All in all.. TV picture is incredible! But who just watches TV anymore?! LOL

Keep your comcast remote, it will be handy when you get your Verizon FIOS.

the Comcast silver remote (all 4 models) work on ALL /\/\otorola QIP & DCT series STB. These STB only have 1 set of IR Remote codes.
Does CC charge a lot when you don't turn the remote in?

Well, just cancelled the home media option after talking with Verizon today. Basically, you do have to have a PVR in every room you want to network in order to access music on your pc. Plus as I've mentioned before, you can't watch anything recorded on your PVR over a networked "non-pvr" hi-def box, only standard boxes can view stuff on your pvr.. and nothing recorded in hi-def.

All should eventually be fixed with firmware updates, but that probably won't happen for at least 6 months or more which is nearly $50.00 I'll have wasted on monthly charges by then for services not fully functional. ( 12.95 for hi-def pvr.. 19.95 for hi-def pvr with media option )

Well, just cancelled the home media option after talking with Verizon today. Basically, you do have to have a PVR in every room you want to network in order to access music on your pc. Plus as I've mentioned before, you can't watch anything recorded on your PVR over a networked "non-pvr" hi-def box, only standard boxes can view stuff on your pvr.. and nothing recorded in hi-def.

All should eventually be fixed with firmware updates, but that probably won't happen for at least 6 months or more which is nearly $50.00 I'll have wasted on monthly charges by then for services not fully functional. ( 12.95 for hi-def pvr.. 19.95 for hi-def pvr with media option )
:eek: I'm shocked, some not happy with pvr from FIOS. :rolleyes:

It's not that I'm unhappy with the PVR itself.. it's just they don't have all the network media capabilities worked out.

However, with that said they do have an annoying glitch in the series programming arena. Mainly, there is no option to record new shows only in a series.. my menu only list under the record series options: "record all & duplicates". Which doesn't bode well as I'll have filled up my hd with all the same South Park episodes by weeks end! LOL Again, something I was told they were working on. I even saw some screen shots in this thread where it was mentioned.

It's not that I'm unhappy with the PVR itself.. it's just they don't have all the network media capabilities worked out.

However, with that said they do have an annoying glitch in the series programming arena. Mainly, there is no option to record new shows only in a series.. my menu only list under the record series options: "record all & duplicates". Which doesn't bode well as I'll have filled up my hd with all the same South Park episodes by weeks end! LOL Again, something I was told they were working on. I even saw some screen shots in this thread where it was mentioned.
Thanks for the info, you make me glad I stuck with Dish. :D

Does CC charge a lot when you don't turn the remote in?

It varies by what mood the CSR is in at the drop off window. :rolleyes:

there cheep to begin with. You can buy all 4 models of the comcast silver remote for $6.00 - $12.00 on the web.

However, with that said they do have an annoying glitch in the series programming arena. Mainly, there is no option to record new shows only in a series.. my menu only list under the record series options: "record all & duplicates". Which doesn't bode well as I'll have filled up my hd with all the same South Park episodes by weeks end! LOL Again, something I was told they were working on. I even saw some screen shots in this thread where it was mentioned.QIP-6416-2 / Verizon Fios TV / Northern Virginia

For most shows I have 3 options for series recordings ... something to the effect of:
"Record new shows only"
"Record new shows & reruns"
"Record all & duplicates"

Something like that, although the exact wording may be off.

"Record new shows & reruns" is the default.

I'm pretty happy with the media manager just because the primary use I had in mind was standard-def TV viewable in the kids rooms on their standard STBs (they don't appreciate HD cartoons ;-) )

QIP-6416-2 / Verizon Fios TV / Northern Virginia

For most shows I have 3 options for series recordings ... something to the effect of:
"Record new shows only"
"Record new shows & reruns"
"Record all & duplicates"

Something like that, although the exact wording may be off.

"Record new shows & reruns" is the default.

That may be what the menu says, but with the 6416 it does not mean a thing. I have "new shows only" on some series and will get the same exact show 10 times. One nice thing about the TiVo box is you could say "new shows only" and it would record a repeat if it could not record the first run episode.

mjw,

Could you post or pm me the shows that are recording multiple times for you?

It's not that I'm unhappy with the PVR itself.. it's just they don't have all the network media capabilities worked out.



All the networking issues you describes are identified in this thread (and others). A bit of reading could have saved you some trouble.

mjw,

Could you post or pm me the shows that are recording multiple times for you?

Off the top of my head: South Park, Nitro Circus, M80,... Those are new and rerun and it will record and keep the same show multiple times. On others if it is not going to record the repeat then why does it show up in the scheduled list? And why does it create conflicts?
I have to do new and rerun because it has missed so many new episodes.

FYI: TiVo S3 is at Costco for $750

mjw,

Comedy Central is known for not flagging their programs and/or repeatedly using the same program description. Can you list other specific channels with the issue?

All the networking issues you describes are identified in this thread (and others). A bit of reading could have saved you some trouble.

You can read through the entire thread and still miss somethings. ;)

Fact of the matter is... this is all still a fairly new rollout for Verizon, and not all the bugs are worked out. Just wish they wouldn't put something on the menus that says one thing.. but actually doesn't exist. That's all...

And Verizon.. please train your guys / gals on this. The one guy I talked to the other day in regards to not having the option to only record new shows in a series said he had never heard that request and said it didn't really make sense?! Sigh....

Does anyone know of a way to dim the clock on these boxes? I swear you could land a plane by the one in my bedroom at night? QIP 6416

Also, only thing I can really find on these boxes is operator manuals? Is there a techical document on this box somewhere out there? I would assume something like that may tell me how to dim the light if it actually can be done. Otherwise I'll be looking for some window tint for it!

mjw,

Comedy Central is known for not flagging their programs and/or repeatedly using the same program description. Can you list other specific channels with the issue?

Nitro Circus and M80 are on Fuel. It also happens with Take Home Chef on TLC. FYI all the programs have the same exact description. I am a programmer and would understand what it would look for and have researched before posting. Also, never had the problem on TiVo.

this is not a tivo and should not be compared to it. It was never intended to be a TiVo.

i'm getting fios and need suggestions for my setup...i have 2 HD and 2 SD tvs and i want to be able to record and watch HD on both HD tvs; i want to be able to watch recorded material on both SD tvs. can a media dvr and a hd dvr plus 2 regular STB do this?

thanks

I spoke with Verizon Engineering a few days ago they said the issue with recording comes from the company which will remain nameless for now. Has some errors in it's reporting system. (this could be missing or impopperly formatted data that Verizon recieves or deciphers.
This should be resolved some time in Late November or Early December on verizon's data system and will rectify all recording issues.

I Hope.

this is not a tivo and should not be compared to it. It was never intended to be a TiVo.

Duh. This is no where near a TiVo nor does it have the recording reliability of a TiVo. I make sure I make these comments here to warn future subscribers of FiOS TV. If they come from a TiVo or DirecTiVo, it is not the same. Verizon reps will call it TiVo or TiVo like but it is not.

Whats the point of picture quality if it does not record the shows you want to watch. To me the PQ of FiOS is the quality of a downloaded TV show from iTunes, Unbox, or... That is where I have had to watch a few episodes of Lost, CSI, and (wifes) Desperate Housewives. Verizon does not offer any kind of refund when something like this happens either.

Went to schedule some more series shows on my 6416 and the menu now has all the options I need. Record new only, repeats, duplicates, etc...

So far it has caught everything I've scheduled.. Plano, TX area, with no problems.

Hope they hurry up and get extra storage capabilities added soon. High def eats up a 160 gig hd quick.

I see in some other threads where similar boxes have been able to be "fooled" into seeing a PC as a high-def tape recorder via the firewire, hence allowing recording to the personal computer's hard drive. May end up trying something like that as I travel alot and the old TIVO togo on my old series II was something I really liked to watch shows on my laptop.

QIP-6416-2 / Verizon Fios TV / Northern Virginia

For most shows I have 3 options for series recordings ... something to the effect of:
"Record new shows only"
"Record new shows & reruns"
"Record all & duplicates"BTW, I noticed over the weekend that for some shows ... "Record all & duplicates" is the only option. My guess is if the DVR doesn't find whatever flag / guide data / etc they use to flag new shows and reruns ... they just present "Record all & duplicates" as the only option.

BTW, I noticed over the weekend that for some shows ... "Record all & duplicates" is the only option. My guess is if the DVR doesn't find whatever flag / guide data / etc they use to flag new shows and reruns ... they just present "Record all & duplicates" as the only option.

That may well be the case in some instances... but last week when I first went to set up series record for Southpark, record all and duplicates was the only option. This week when I went to update the recordings, all three options were now there for the same show series. Whether that was software / firmware update on Verizon FIOS.. or Comedy Central updating their flagging I couldn't tell you.

This thread has been very educational for me. I think I'm just about convinced to dump DirecTV (and Tivo) to take the Fios plunge at the end of the NFL season (already paid for Sunday Ticket.) I had just a few items I needed feedback on to be sure.

1. Multiroom DVR - For me this is the number one selling point. Does this work as advertised in that we can watch/record up on both lines while watching taped content on another set? How is the interface? Clunky/smooth? PITA?

2. On-Demand content. While a DVR mitigates the need for something to watch, we do like order new release PPV's and the option of having something for the kids to watch in a pinch. DirecTV's PPV lineup has gotten weak over the past couple of years. I found precious little detail about the on-demand content on the FIOS website. Is there a good selection of new release movies and is the free on-demand program decent or just a lot of spare crap you wouldn't watch if it was one?

3. I know we all love TiVo and it's easy to pile on any DVR service that isn't the same. But overall are the differences with the DVR 'nice to have' or truly things that make you regret getting the service?

4. I don't have an HD set yet (come on Santa), but want to be sure I understand the limitations. If I read the posts correctly, you can record and watch HD on that set, but it cannot push content to other TV's in HD or SD? Is that correct?

Thanks so much for all the great information!

1. Has anyone else had problems with the 30 sec skip? It seems to work fine at the beginning of the recording but then stops working. If I exit out of the recording and return to it I get the 30 sec skip back. Is it everybody or just me.

2. Does anyone else have the problem of a delay between a button press on the remote and an action by the box? Yesterday it was up to about 5 seconds. I would press FF on the remote , see the light go on in the lower right of the display, stay on for 5 secs, the box would respond as it light went off. This was happening on almost any button press. When I first got the service back in April it happened all the time, now it is sporadic.

1. Has anyone else had problems with the 30 sec skip? It seems to work fine at the beginning of the recording but then stops working. If I exit out of the recording and return to it I get the 30 sec skip back. Is it everybody or just me.I find this happens frequently on the analog channels (1-49), or when recording the analog channels (1-49), but I don't do that very often.

1. Has anyone else had problems with the 30 sec skip? It seems to work fine at the beginning of the recording but then stops working. If I exit out of the recording and return to it I get the 30 sec skip back. Is it everybody or just me.

2. Does anyone else have the problem of a delay between a button press on the remote and an action by the box? Yesterday it was up to about 5 seconds. I would press FF on the remote , see the light go on in the lower right of the display, stay on for 5 secs, the box would respond as it light went off. This was happening on almost any button press. When I first got the service back in April it happened all the time, now it is sporadic.

I have just started experiencing this problem with the 30 sec. skip about 2-3 weeks ago. It is rather annoying. As you said, I can exit out of the recording and return to it and everything is fine. Problem is if you are watching something while it is recording, you stop the recording and start watching live TV. This happened to me last night. When this problem occurs, I also noticed the light on the front panel of the DVR lights up briefly and not very bright (like when it normally receives a signal from the remote) when the 30 second button is pressed, indicating the DVR is getting some type of signal from the remote, just not acting on it.

I also see a delay on many button presses (usually not 5 seconds) but enough to be annoying.

1. Has anyone else had problems with the 30 sec skip? It seems to work fine at the beginning of the recording but then stops working. If I exit out of the recording and return to it I get the 30 sec skip back. Is it everybody or just me.

2. Does anyone else have the problem of a delay between a button press on the remote and an action by the box? Yesterday it was up to about 5 seconds. I would press FF on the remote , see the light go on in the lower right of the display, stay on for 5 secs, the box would respond as it light went off. This was happening on almost any button press. When I first got the service back in April it happened all the time, now it is sporadic.

The 30 second skip problem started happening for me for several weeks ago. Instead of exiting the recording, I press and exit "Info" to get it working again.

The 30 second skip problem started happening for me for several weeks ago. Instead of exiting the recording, I press and exit "Info" to get it working again.
:eek: Several weeks ago and they haven't fixed it!!! :eek:

:eek: Several weeks ago and they haven't fixed it!!! :eek:Verizon doesn't support / document the feature or include it in their remotes. The only people who use 30 second skip are people who have bought and programmed their own remotes.

I doubt a bug in an undocumented feature is going to get much priority (or testing for that matter).

Verizon doesn't support / document the feature or include it in their remotes. The only people who use 30 second skip are people who have bought and programmed their own remotes.

I doubt a bug in an undocumented feature is going to get much priority (or testing for that matter).
But how can you have a DVR with out it!!!! :confused:

But how can you have a DVR with out it!!!! :confused:

If you need it for skipping commercials, don't worry about the lack of 30 sec skip. Just tap the FF button twice, then hit the "replay" button when you see the show coming. Takes a day or two of practice, but it works perfect. In fact, I was used to 30 sec skip on my dish pvr and was freaked out about not having it. Now I actually like the new one better, it's faster. Even my wife is getting the hang of it and agrees it's faster.

But how can you have a DVR with out it!!!! :confused:Some people like it ... some don't. Some see it as a must-have feature ... some don't. I've used 2 DVRs with it and one without and I could care less about 30 second skip. I prefer FFing through commercials even on the Tivo. Others refuse to use any DVR without 30 second skip ...

But anyway, it's still an undocumented feature and as such I wouldn't expect Verizon to be jumping through hoops to fix it.

Personally I think they've got bigger issues anyway like the general FF/RW quirkiness (which heck, may very well be related) and Series Manager funkiness.

I also have recently started experiencing the 30 second skip malfunction. Also, when this occurs, hitting the Play button does not bring up the timeline bar so I think other supported remote functions do not work when the DRV goes into this "state" of behavior. I'll try the Info button suggestion to see if that temporarily takes care of the problem. Interesting that this problem recently started (last couple of weeks) for multiple users of the box.

I'm a long time TiVo user and while the Fios DVR is not on par with TiVo, there is no way I can justify $700-$800, just to get some of the nice to have flexibility back. Here's hopping later releases by Verizon makes this box as good as it can be.

Aubrey

I also have recently started experiencing the 30 second skip malfunction. Also, when this occurs, hitting the Play button does not bring up the timeline bar so I think other supported remote functions do not work when the DRV goes into this "state" of behavior. I'll try the Info button suggestion to see if that temporarily takes care of the problem. Interesting that this problem recently started (last couple of weeks) for multiple users of the box.

I'm a long time TiVo user and while the Fios DVR is not on par with TiVo, there is no way I can justify $700-$800, just to get some of the nice to have flexibility back. Here's hopping later releases by Verizon makes this box as good as it can be.

Aubrey

I've seen this "state" too recently. No timeline bar when you hit the Play button. 30 sec skip doesn't work at those times.

I've seen this "state" too recently. No timeline bar when you hit the Play button. 30 sec skip doesn't work at those times.Ditto. And as other's have mentioned, hitting the info button causes everything to work again for me (at least for a while).

I've seen this "state" too recently. No timeline bar when you hit the Play button. 30 sec skip doesn't work at those times.I don't use 30 second skip ... but ...

I have been getting a "no timeline bar" state quite frequently recently while watching recordings too.

FF / RW / play / replay / etc ... they still work ... but there's no timeline bar. Rather annoying.

And, as noted above, certain functions like going to live TV and back to the recording ... or pulling up the info menus ... seem to get the timeline bar back.

...
I have been getting a "no timeline bar" state quite frequently recently while watching recordings too.
...

Yeah, I have gotten that a few times. Overall it seems to be very buggy software. Hopefully this "major software update" is true and happens very soon.

I don't use 30 second skip ... but ...

I have been getting a "no timeline bar" state quite frequently recently while watching recordings too.

FF / RW / play / replay / etc ... they still work ... but there's no timeline bar. Rather annoying.

And, as noted above, certain functions like going to live TV and back to the recording ... or pulling up the info menus ... seem to get the timeline bar back.
Well that's interesting... I've never had the timeline bar with 30 second skip, and skip had worked fine for months (until the last couple of weeks.) Could it be that Verizon "upgraded" our boxes and attempted to disable skip? As I recall, ReplayTV had an issue with commercial skip & had to take it out of their later units. Maybe Vz is tired of us skipping over their commercials! :)

Well that's interesting... I've never had the timeline bar with 30 second skip, and skip had worked fine for months (until the last couple of weeks.)

No one else has the time line bar when doing the 30 sec skip either. What he was saying is when the 30 second isn't working, he ALSO noticed that the time bar doesn't display while using the FF / REW buttons either... indicating that there is more of a problem than just the skip being broken.

BOb

No one else has the time line bar when doing the 30 sec skip either. What he was saying is when the 30 second isn't working, he ALSO noticed that the time bar doesn't display while using the FF / REW buttons either... indicating that there is more of a problem than just the skip being broken.

BOb
Oh, that's different. Thank you for clearing that up.

I got a AT8550 remote with my box...anyway that I can program it for the 30 second skip?

I find the discussion on the 30s skip interesting - before I turned in my Comcast box and remote in, I tried the Comcast Silver Torpedo remote with the Vz box and neither the 30s or 3m skip function worked.

If anyone has any suggestions for minor changes to the FiOS DVR software (beyond the obvious) to improve usability, feel free to note them in this thread.

FiOS is putting the finishing touches on the new software and is open to feedback.

If anyone has any suggestions for minor changes to the FiOS DVR software (beyond the obvious) to improve usability, feel free to note them in this thread.

FiOS is putting the finishing touches on the new software and is open to feedback.

Is there a way to display the clock while playing something off the DVR?

If anyone has any suggestions for minor changes to the FiOS DVR software (beyond the obvious) to improve usability, feel free to note them in this thread.

FiOS is putting the finishing touches on the new software and is open to feedback.In the Search function when navigating the keyboard, it would be nice to be able to use the left arrow at the end of a line to go up to the end of the previous line instead of having to go the long way around. Don't know if that's minor or not. ;)

It would be nice if they could program the box to allow native resolution pass through ( similar to what the SA8300HD allows)

What is the advantage to native resolution pass thru?

It would be nice if they could program the box to allow native resolution pass through ( similar to what the SA8300HD allows)
x 2!!

I Have a brand new 50" plasma HP Set with a 6416 I just picked up my HDMI-HDMI cable I am only getiing Video I get a message that says unable to detect Audio.
I checked the menu and HDMI is on Audio is set to Automatic.

I tried 2 cables. My guess is either er the set or the Box is bad any suggestions.
verizon tried a warm reset but that did not work either, ANY SUGGESTIONS????

If anyone has any suggestions for minor changes to the FiOS DVR software (beyond the obvious) to improve usability, feel free to note them in this thread.

FiOS is putting the finishing touches on the new software and is open to feedback.
30 Second Skip Forward Button !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What is the advantage to native resolution pass thru?A better picture! For example, I have a 1080p TV. Since I have to choose one HD resolution for the STB, I choose 1080i. Consider a 720p source. The conversion process from 720p to 1080i forces a drop in vertical resolution from 720 lines to 540 lines (one field of the 1080i image), and also creates interlacing artifacts. If we had native passthrough, the set would receive the 720p signal, and perform a simple scaling operation, maintaining all of the original resolution.

So there is plenty of indication in this thread that people are using the S3 Tivo with FIOS. I've had a S1, S2 and the HD DirecTV Tivo and am considering the move to FIOS and an S3. My question is on the hook up. Are people using an S3 with 2 cablecards, or do they have 2 STBs they control independently (if that is even possible) or what (and does that cost the same as hooking up multiple TVs)? Are people finding the S3 works pretty seamlessly with FIOS? Does Verzion give you a hard time for using another brand DVR? Do the CSRs have a clue about allowing you to use a DVR not theirs? Looking for people's general thoughts and experiences here. I know it's a fiarly small pool to draw from (FIOS + Tivo), but I'm hoping to get an idea of what I might be getting into. :eek:

THANKS!

Are people using an S3 with 2 cablecards,Yes.

Are people finding the S3 works pretty seamlessly with FIOS?Yes.

Does Verzion give you a hard time for using another brand DVR? Do the CSRs have a clue about allowing you to use a DVR not theirs?Some do, some don't. As with any provider, you'll find the occasional clueless rep. In that case, hang up and call again.

Once you get the Series3 setup with two CableCards from FiOS, it's great. Now, I just wish Tivo would hurry up with that software update to enable external SATA drive expansion...

It would be nice if they could program the box to allow native resolution pass through ( similar to what the SA8300HD allows)Like external drive support, this is a firmware issue, so it's the domain of Motorola.

If anyone has any suggestions for minor changes to the FiOS DVR software (beyond the obvious) to improve usability, feel free to note them in this thread.

FiOS is putting the finishing touches on the new software and is open to feedback.Note: I realize not all of these may be 'minor' changes. I'm a software engineer and it's amazing how often people suggest 'minor' changes for our software that wouldn't be so 'minor'. OTOH, it's amazing how often people have a (relatively minor) suggestion that they say they didn't want to mention because they thought it would be so major and delay a release ...

So, my prioritized list of changes that could potentially be 'minor' (realizing of course that many of them aren't): External drive support. Yes, yes ... that's probably Motorola's domain and not Verizon's.

A fix for the annoying use case where you accidently FF to the end of a show and miss some content at the end. Then you have to start at the beginning and FF back to where you want ... of course since you want to get to the end of the show you tend to use 3x or 4x FF which tends to make you accidently FF to the end of a show so you have to start back at the begining ... and on and on ...

Two possible minor changes I see to fix this.

Either

a) When at the end of a show, "Resume Play" should NOT start playback at the beginning of the show. It should start playing very near the end (ie, 30 seconds to a minute) ... letting me rewind from there. After all, if you want to start at the beginning, there is a already a "Play from Start" option to allow just that.

And / Or

b) Add a "Skip to End" option in the playback menu. This would do the same as above ... start playing very near the end (ie, 30 seconds to a minute) ... letting me rewind from there.

An option / ability to sort the list of recorded shows alpabetically.

Display time on front panel when playing a recording (mentioned in another post above) instead of PLA. I actually like the way channel changing and 'Record' work ... ie, briefly display something on the front panel and then go back to displaying the time.

Group single-episode recordings into 'folders' like series recordings do automatically. Not so much of an issue if there's a way to sort the list alphabetically (see 3).

"Other Showings" option for shows in recorded list. A great way to set up future recordings without having to find it again in the guide / search ... but you don't really want to do a 'series recording'.

'History' screen. Especially for shows that didn't record (but were in my 'scheduled recordings' list). Was it a re-run? Was it a duplicate? Do I need to change the series recording to catch future episodes? Or was the power out? Or did my wife / kids erase the show before I got home? Or ... etc. I dunno ... all I know is something I thought would record isn't in my 'recorded shows' list and I'd like to be given some clue why.

Fix FF/RW for shows that have been padded. Actually I'd probably consider this a bug report and not a feature request. I have a series recording for PTI that is padded by 30 minutes. The vast majority of the time when I then watch PTI ... FF/RW are very (very) slow. It's almost like it's basing the FF/RW increments on the scheduled length of the show and not the actual padded length. I dunno ... it's annoying and happens to me all the time on PTI.

Ability to re-order how 'save until space is needed' shows get erased instead of just first-in first-out. I'd love to bump that 3 hour HD documentary that I honestly probably won't watch and is available via Netflix up to be the first thing to get erased if space is needed. Yes, yes ... probably not minor.

Additional 'series recording' options. Ok, this almost certainly isn't minor. And it probably directly contradicts with 11 below (ie, the more complicated the logic, the more the box will have to think while setting up series recordings). And, I understand the need to have a simple interface that doesn't overwhelm the user with options. But still ... IMO ... the more recording options the better. Heck, stick them on an 'advanced' screen. For example:

a) Record this show acrross multiple (or all) channels.

b) Record this show on certain days of the week (like manual series recordings allow).

c) Record this show in a time range (like 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM or 11:00 PM - 3:00 AM).

d) Record this show in HD (or SD) only.

Etc. Again, IMO, the more options the better.

'Series Recordings' take forever to add / change if there's any conflicts. Seriously, I've sat there for 2+ minutes while the box thought about a new series recording. This needs to be shortened (or run in the background somehow).

The lack of a 'Last' button / sticky navigation in alot of places. BTW, I know it's hard to re-use screens and still provide that 'Last' button / sticky navigation everywhere ... I've got that issue in my own apps. A couple examples:

a) Guide -> Select a show -> Other Showings. I'd like to now get back to the guide (where I was) ... but my only option is to exit to Live TV (of course I can bring up the guide again, but I've lost my place).

b) Recorded Shows -> Select a grouped (x) show towards the end of the list. I'd like to get back to the recorded list where I was ... I can select Recorded Shows again but I've lost my place in the list.

Etc. There's some other examples but those are two I hit frequently.

Left arrow should act like the "Last" button on screens that have it.

Excluding things from search. I like the way the Parental Controls and the selectable channel list work. However, NEITHER of these has any impact on search that I can see. If I exclude a channel from my channel list ... I'd like things from that channel to NOT show up in search. Part of this is convenience (no reason for shows to return in a search if I don't get the channel). Part of this is 'Parental Control' ... excluding explicit program guide descriptions.

Option to additionally 'pad' a recording in progress. Probably not minor ... but ... there's been several times when I'd like to tack some additional time onto a recording in progress. Usually sports over-runs and schedule changes due to them. But anyway, it'd be a nice option to have instead of stopping the recording and then re-doing a padded recording.

A one-button way to go to start / finish of a list or wrapping lists for things like the recorded shows list. This is a little tricky as some people hate auto-wrapping lists (when there's no way to tell if you're at the start / finish) and you just scroll, scroll, scroll. Perhaps a different key to get to the start / finish (like Day+ and Day-). Another solution I've seen is to have Page Up / Page Down NOT wrap, while the normal Up / Down arrows DO wrap.

Native Passthrough (mentioned above). Yes, yes ... that's probably Motorola's domain and not Verizon's.

Allow me to scroll back (in time) at least a little bit (1-2 hours) in the guide. The use case for this is I realize something was on earlier tonight that I wanted to record ... but I didn't. I want to scroll back, pull up the show, and see if there's any "Other Showings" and / or set up a "Series Recording" to catch it at some point in the future.

Accurate "HD" in guide. From what I can tell, all shows on HD channels are shown as HD instead of using the HD guide data flag. Perhaps this is more of a guide data issue than software feature.Ok, that should do it. :) Like I said ... I'm sure many of these aren't 'minor' changes but ... I'll leave that to product managers / software engineers to figure out.

If anyone has any suggestions for minor changes to the FiOS DVR software (beyond the obvious) to improve usability, feel free to note them in this thread.

FiOS is putting the finishing touches on the new software and is open to feedback.
Improve the way it records back-to-back shows on the same channel. It appears that it currently requires both tuners to handle the "overlap" between the shows even though they're on the same channel.

I recently added "Port Savers" to my Sony projector and FIOS DVR. The trouble I am having is the picture is very jumpy (for lack of a better word). Anyone else ever ran into this problem? I removed them and it seems to work fine now.


Port Savers
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024004&p_id=2891&seq=1&format=2&style=/

No one else has the time line bar when doing the 30 sec skip either. What he was saying is when the 30 second isn't working, he ALSO noticed that the time bar doesn't display while using the FF / REW buttons either... indicating that there is more of a problem than just the skip being broken.Just to expand on this a little more. Yes, the above was basically my point.

However, I also wanted to point out that I never use 30 sec skip. So there's no causal relationship between using 30 sec skip and getting into the "no time bar" state. It just happens ... for some reason (unknown to me). And when it does happen ... it's annoying (even if you aren't a 30 sec skip user).