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Verizon FiOS HDTV - Page 514

post #15391 of 17496
9/14/11 at 10:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jakes View Post

You guys who are still using the FF & REW buttons should really give the Skip and Replay buttons a try. The Skip and Replay buttons can be set to different time increments and it is a much faster and more exact way to skip commercials without even seeing them. When a commercial starts, I just hit Skip twice and resume watching the program. FF & REW are old school.

Skip buttons don't help me as what I watch most (sports) hardly ever have commercials that are the same length.
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post #15392 of 17496
9/14/11 at 10:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Meteor|WAR View Post

Skip buttons don't help me as what I watch most (sports) hardly ever have commercials that are the same length.

Sports represent my primary viewing as well. Commercials are inserted in 30 second increments. They are not arbitrary.
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post #15393 of 17496
9/14/11 at 11:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jakes View Post

Sports represent my primary viewing as well. Commercials are inserted in 30 second increments. They are not arbitrary.

Well then I'll have to double check that mine is setup for 30 second skips because I always end up back to the baseball game with a couple pitches already thrown.
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post #15394 of 17496
9/14/11 at 12:09pm
Tip: If you set your Skip to 30 seconds then set your Replay to 10 seconds. Then if you end up a little bit past where you want to be you can just hit Replay and be at a good spot.
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post #15395 of 17496
9/14/11 at 1:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jakes View Post

Tip: If you set your Skip to 30 seconds then set your Replay to 10 seconds. Then if you end up a little bit past where you want to be you can just hit Replay and be at a good spot.

That is how my Skip and Replay work. I also have a Harmony remote and programmed a button with a 2:30 skip. Basically it just hits the skip button 5 times.
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post #15396 of 17496
9/14/11 at 2:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveFi View Post

Count yourself lucky and just make sure you don't get a long-term contract again- I know I never will. Better deals are to be had on a month-to-month basis, just ask for it.

I'll look into that, never even thought of that as an option.
thanks
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post #15397 of 17496
9/14/11 at 3:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jakes View Post

Tip: If you set your Skip to 30 seconds then set your Replay to 10 seconds. Then if you end up a little bit past where you want to be you can just hit Replay and be at a good spot.

Yup, that's the way I do it as well. Skip skip skip, jump back. it ends up pretty close to where it needs to be.

I hardly every use FF or RW.
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post #15398 of 17496
9/19/11 at 6:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by vpn75 View Post
Is there a way to configure the DVR to automatically jump back 30 seconds after exiting fast-forward? This is a pretty common feature with other DVRs but I haven't been able to figure it out with Fios.
TiVo has a US patent (#7,493,015) on an auto jump back feature, which is described as "automatic playback overshoot correction", and designed to compensate for viewers' reaction time and the system reaction time when exiting fast forward or reverse. The company has sued other DVR makers that have imitated it, although if the jump back was fixed at 30 seconds, it might not violate the patent.
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post #15399 of 17496
9/20/11 at 6:19am
I have been a DirecTV customer for over 12 years, but after 4 months of horrible DVR performance and worse support I have a Verizon installer coming to the house on Thursday.
I have one HD TV and two SD TVs. I ordered the Multi-room DVR for the HD set and two set top boxes for the SD tvs.
I tried several times to get the specs on the DVR from Verizon support but the answers were confusing or clearly wrong.
I live outside Dallas, Texas.
I am hoping you can help me get this set up right the first time.
Here are my questions, please help:
1. I saw several posts about getting the most current boxes by trading in whatever the installer brings at the nearest Verizon store. What are the newest versions of these boxes?
2. How many hours of HD can the DVR record? I currently have a 1TB eSATA drive on my DTV DVR and can store approximately 100 hours. Can I add this drive to the FIOS DVR?
3. I use skip and replay all the time. I saw several recent posts about this but am unclear if these features are available on the Multi-room DVR or not. I only ordered the multi-room dvr because I assumed it would have the largest hard drive. Is this a mistake? I have no interest in watching recordings on the SD TVs, as I never record SD shows.
4. I currently have FIOS Internet already installed. I replaced the Actiontec router they supplied with a Linksys N series router. Will I have to replace this with the FIOS router when they install the TV stuff? I hope not. I have MAC address filtering on it is a bear to load all the MAC addresses every time I change routers.

Thanks for any help you can provide. I tried scrolling through these pages to find this information but after 10 pages I was just getting a little confused. There seemed to be many answers to the same question depending on what DMA you were in and what version of the hardware you have. Is this the way it is in FIOS land?
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post #15400 of 17496
9/20/11 at 9:36am
PlanoBill...

1. I saw several posts about getting the most current boxes by trading in whatever the installer brings at the nearest Verizon store. What are the newest versions of these boxes?

New Moto's are black 7 Series boxes. The Cisco DVR is new.

2. How many hours of HD can the DVR record? I currently have a 1TB eSATA drive on my DTV DVR and can store approximately 100 hours. Can I add this drive to the FIOS DVR?

The new DVR's can record 50 to 70 hours of HD internally since they have 500 Gig drives. Yes you can add your own eSATA. 1TB will give you 100 to 140 hours of HD.

3. I use skip and replay all the time. I saw several recent posts about this but am unclear if these features are available on the Multi-room DVR or not. I only ordered the multi-room dvr because I assumed it would have the largest hard drive. Is this a mistake? I have no interest in watching recordings on the SD TVs, as I never record SD shows.

Yes Skip and Replay work on the DVR as well as Multi-Room and Multi-Hub. The Skip and Replay have different increments you can select.

4. I currently have FIOS Internet already installed. I replaced the Actiontec router they supplied with a Linksys N series router. Will I have to replace this with the FIOS router when they install the TV stuff? I hope not. I have MAC address filtering on it is a bear to load all the MAC addresses every time I change routers.

You can use your own router but it needs to be configured properly. It is much easier to use the Verizon supplied router and piggy back yours off of it. You can do a web search on that topic to get details. One example... http://forums.verizon.com/t5/FiOS-In...OS/td-p/147369
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post #15401 of 17496
9/20/11 at 10:48am
Thanks for the quick and on target answers markjrenna.

I have followed the link you sent and option 3 looks like the best choice if I can get it to work. Hope I can find the old ActionTec router FIOS supplied. I haven't used it for quite a while.

Maybe the installer will have a new one that will be more current.
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post #15402 of 17496
9/20/11 at 10:59am
Frankly I'm surprised and disappointed that none of you are even bothering to mention how most cable companies are well ahead of FIOS in terms of HD channels. Some of them have as many as 30 additional channels. Yet, it seems as though you're all content with the fact that this company doesn't care about adding any more HD channels. If FIOS continues to display their lack of concern for their customers, they're going to find themselves in complete disarray.

I can demand to FIOS to get the damn picture and deliver. But that never seems to help.
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post #15403 of 17496
9/20/11 at 11:04am
Don't you have to pay extra to get HD channels from the cable companies? And that's... 30 additional highly compressed channels, correct?
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post #15404 of 17496
9/20/11 at 11:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rich3fan View Post

Don't you have to pay extra to get HD channels from the cable companies? And that's... 30 additional highly compressed channels, correct?

Most channels on Verizon are highly compressed too. There just isn't a whole lot of networks that provide a feed with a bitrate higher than 13 Mbps. Most cable companies don't even have to re-compress these channels since they're sent to them at a bitrate that is already pitiful. Of course some do still act stupid and re-compress for no reason. I've heard one Comcast subscriber report that their AMC HD is 13 Mbps; so Comcast obviously re-encoding the master 8 Mbps MPEG-2 feed to a higher bitrate for some pointless and stupid reason.

Time Warner includes the HD counterparts of everything in your package at no extra charge. And from my examination of Time Warner Cable's channels, they do not seem to be re-encoding the feeds. AMC HD is 8 Mbps on Time Warner; it's 8 Mbps on Verizon. A&E is 18 Mbps on Time Warner; it's 18 Mbps on Verizon. This probably varies by market.

Verizon has a lot of ways to free up some space for new HD additions. Packing the channels they have distributed to them at low bitrates more to a QAM would be a smart way to start. Killing off SD versions of everything with an HD counterpart; rolling out new channels in MPEG-4 and requiring people who want to receive them swap out their old equipment for the new H.264 capable equipment, and so on, and so on...

Verizon's continued lacking of popular channels like Cartoon Network, the Comcast networks, GSN, and more continues to irritate to me when it can be so easily fixed. With Time Warner carrying so many HD channels Verizon lacks in the NYC market I don't see why you'd go with FiOS for TV. They're starting to fall behind when it comes to Internet speeds too... with cable companies now offering 50+ Mbps download speeds for the same price Verizon offers 35 Mbps. Of course they win in upload speed, but still... copper shouldn't be beating this all fiber infrastructure at anything!

Verizon needs to get their **** together and return FiOS to being the prestigious product it was when it was first rolled out.
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post #15405 of 17496
9/20/11 at 11:50am
Your beloved time warner doesnt have Redzone or even NFL Network so they suck right there because of that.
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post #15406 of 17496
9/20/11 at 12:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by yudaman33 View Post

Frankly I'm surprised and disappointed that none of you are even bothering to mention how most cable companies are well ahead of FIOS in terms of HD channels. Some of them have as many as 30 additional channels. Yet, it seems as though you're all content with the fact that this company doesn't care about adding any more HD channels. If FIOS continues to display their lack of concern for their customers, they're going to find themselves in complete disarray.

I can demand to FIOS to get the damn picture and deliver. But that never seems to help.


Yudda returns
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post #15407 of 17496
9/20/11 at 2:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by yudaman33 View Post

Frankly I'm surprised and disappointed that none of you are even bothering to mention how most cable companies are well ahead of FIOS in terms of HD channels. Some of them have as many as 30 additional channels. Yet, it seems as though you're all content with the fact that this company doesn't care about adding any more HD channels. If FIOS continues to display their lack of concern for their customers, they're going to find themselves in complete disarray.

I can demand to FIOS to get the damn picture and deliver. But that never seems to help.

How do the channels look? Around here on comcast the picture looks like crap compared to FiOS( and this is after comcast dumped most of the analog channels). I would certainly like more HD channels but not at the expense of the picture quality.
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post #15408 of 17496
9/20/11 at 2:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronwt View Post


How do the channels look? Around here on comcast the picture looks like crap compared to FiOS( and this is after comcast dumped most of the analog channels). I would certainly like more HD channels but not at the expense of the picture quality.

Frankly enough for me now but I would like the tennis channel back!
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post #15409 of 17496
9/20/11 at 7:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PlanoBill View Post

Hope I can find the old ActionTec router FIOS supplied. I haven't used it for quite a while.

Better find it because Verizon wants all their equipment back.
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post #15410 of 17496
9/21/11 at 3:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by greinstein View Post


Yudda returns

God help us, here we go again.
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post #15411 of 17496
9/21/11 at 1:14pm
We're about to jump into FiOs. It took a while to get our apartment authorized even though the apartments around us already had FiOS.

Is there a trick to getting better deals (like calling in), or are the online deals the only ones?

I saw someone mention earlier that you can get the best rate by not doing the two-year contract (that comes with the $200 visa card.) and changing it on the fly. But it seems like the month-to-month rates and discounts only apply to new customers.

Right now in LA, I'm looking at $89.99 a month for two years (and $200 gift card) which includes 15/5 internet, phone, and TV Prime. I know it's not the best deal as a friend of mine got 35/35, phone, Ultimate TV for $100/mo (plus a $100 gift card) earlier this year.

And it also seems people are saying that the internet speed is actually higher than the 15/5, is that right?
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post #15412 of 17496
9/21/11 at 6:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DCFan View Post

Better find it because Verizon wants all their equipment back.

I just had my router changed out and I can't get them to tell me (via e-mail) if they want it back. It won't fit in the same box and they did not send another box, nor a shipping label.

I'll probably have to call them. God help me
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post #15413 of 17496
9/21/11 at 7:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by news_watch View Post

I just had my router changed out and I can't get them to tell me (via e-mail) if they want it back. It won't fit in the same box and they did not send another box, nor a shipping label.

I'll probably have to call them. God help me

No need to call. Just bring it to a UPS store. No box needed. They will ship it back for you for free. Get a receipt from the folks at the UPS store for the tracking number in case something happens.
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post #15414 of 17496
9/22/11 at 5:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DCFan View Post

Better find it because Verizon wants all their equipment back.

This is not completely true... Parents got a new router and VZ didn't want to old one...
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post #15415 of 17496
9/22/11 at 6:07am
BBC Cbeebies SD, kids channel, scheduled launch of week 10/3...

and for some new HD goodness...

E! HD scheduled launch week of 10/17

And standard disclaimer: this is all tenative and subject to change...
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post #15416 of 17496
9/22/11 at 7:28am
Wow - way to RUSH to fill all those open HD QAM slots....

Thanks Mag. Wondered what the hell the holdup was with E! HD since the US Open 3d channel has been done for 2 weeks.
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post #15417 of 17496
9/22/11 at 7:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by scorpiontail60 View Post

Most channels on Verizon are highly compressed too. There just isn't a whole lot of networks that provide a feed with a bitrate higher than 13 Mbps. Most cable companies don't even have to re-compress these channels since they're sent to them at a bitrate that is already pitiful. Of course some do still act stupid and re-compress for no reason. I've heard one Comcast subscriber report that their AMC HD is 13 Mbps; so Comcast obviously re-encoding the master 8 Mbps MPEG-2 feed to a higher bitrate for some pointless and stupid reason.

Time Warner includes the HD counterparts of everything in your package at no extra charge. And from my examination of Time Warner Cable's channels, they do not seem to be re-encoding the feeds. AMC HD is 8 Mbps on Time Warner; it's 8 Mbps on Verizon. A&E is 18 Mbps on Time Warner; it's 18 Mbps on Verizon. This probably varies by market.

Verizon has a lot of ways to free up some space for new HD additions. Packing the channels they have distributed to them at low bitrates more to a QAM would be a smart way to start. Killing off SD versions of everything with an HD counterpart; rolling out new channels in MPEG-4 and requiring people who want to receive them swap out their old equipment for the new H.264 capable equipment, and so on, and so on...

Verizon's continued lacking of popular channels like Cartoon Network, the Comcast networks, GSN, and more continues to irritate to me when it can be so easily fixed. With Time Warner carrying so many HD channels Verizon lacks in the NYC market I don't see why you'd go with FiOS for TV. They're starting to fall behind when it comes to Internet speeds too... with cable companies now offering 50+ Mbps download speeds for the same price Verizon offers 35 Mbps. Of course they win in upload speed, but still... copper shouldn't be beating this all fiber infrastructure at anything!

Verizon needs to get their **** together and return FiOS to being the prestigious product it was when it was first rolled out.

You are forgetting one big factor TWC NYC is 860MHz with only the limited basic tier in analog everything else is Digital and a lot of the HD in NYC is not SDV but in other TWC systems around the country most of the HD in North Texas we are 860MHz with 64 analogs and SDV almost all of the HD is on the SDV system and I am almost certain that with SDV the bit rate in constant does not fluctuate and TWC sets it around 12 mbits for HD and 3.75 for SD channels so AMC HD will have 12mbps and Nat Geo Wild HD will have 12mbps. And I do think that the recompression TWC does with AMC HD for SDV makes it look good it does not look bad at all.
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post #15418 of 17496
9/22/11 at 8:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by VARTV View Post

This is not completely true... Parents got a new router and VZ didn't want to old one...

I've been sent multiple routers by mistake. I tried to send the first one back, but after dealing with a bunch of people and time on the phone I gave up. The last time they sent me one by mistake(it was supposed to be a cable card) I didn't even try returning it.
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post #15419 of 17496
9/22/11 at 8:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by automag928 View Post

BBC Cbeebies SD, kids channel, scheduled launch of week 10/3...

and for some new HD goodness...

E! HD scheduled launch week of 10/17

And standard disclaimer: this is all tenative and subject to change...

Hope that doesn't push (delay) the 1.9 firmware to those that don't have it yet.
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post #15420 of 17496
9/22/11 at 8:26am
With TWC planning to go all digital with the exception of the local basic channels over the next few years, will that somehow improve picture quality?
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