My FIOS DVR complaints

Largely, I am happy. However there are several things a bout the DVR that are just moronic.
1. 15 minute pause. It unpauses and resumes the live broadcast. It should keep it paused for as long as I tell it to be paused. And if it does unpause, it should resume where I paused it, not at live TV. It is moronic that I have to scan back 15 minutes.
2. The DVR doesn't buffer key strokes. I'll hit skip-skip-skip, and instead of combining them into one skip, I have to wait for it to complete each skip.
3. The GUI is unresponsive at times. I'll hit "guide" and it won't do anything. I'll hit it again, and it'll flashup and dissapear. (But NOW it seems to be buffering!? WTH?)
4. My remote/TV don't agree on volume. I have to tap the volume button repeatedly rather than hold it down to get the volume to change.
Other than that, I am happy.

On #1 -- if you're not recording another show, try hitting the "record" button before pausing.   This will start recording the show to disk and while I'm not sure if the pause will come off after 15 minutes or not, it does allow picking up anytime after then button was hit until the end of the current show.   Not perfect, but might give you a workaround.
On #4, when programming the remote and doing the channel + thing to find the code which turns the TV off, as you're searching, the first time the TV turns "off", quickly turn the TV back on manually and then continue pressing the channel + button as if the set didn't turn off the first time until the set turns off again (or depending on the model of the TV skip turning the TV back on manually and keep pressing the channel button until the TV turns back on via the remote).      That should cause the remote to find one of the secondary codes for the set where the volume may then work as expected.

Similar Messages

  • Fed Up with FiOS DVR 7216 - Convince Me NOT to Buy a TIVO

    My network:  Mid Tier Internet, MultiRoom DVR on Std Def TV, HD STB (to share DVR), 2 basic STBs.
    I can't tell if it's the DVR itself or if it's the way the programming comes into the house (i.e. bouncing around the internal network), but too often I get chop.  The audio stream stays intact and live, but the video stream chops and drops maybe 5 to 10 frames per second making it really really painful when watching sports.
    This happens on live TV, it happens on multiple channels, it happens on DVR playback when the DVR isn't recording something else, and DVR playback when the DVR is recording something else.  And this is happening on the TV to which the DVR is connected (so I don't think it's related to multi-room streaming.)  Specifically, it happens a lot and under a host of different circumstances.
    I have done a few tests on the DVR playback side since I can control it.  I am watching, I get chop, I flip back 10 seconds and play through the same time period again.... no chop.  That tells me it wasn't recording it choppy, it was playing it back choppy, which leads me to conclude this DVR sucks.  It can't handle the most basic function of a DVR - playback on the tv to which it's connected without any issues.  A VCR would do better than this piece of junk.
    I pay $20 / month for this DVR.  If I have to shell out $300 for a Tivo XL and then pay the same $20 / month to get a DVR that works and doesn't chop up all my programming, then it's worth it to me.  Oh, and don't get me started on how lame I think the DVR software is.  When I pause a sporting event with virtually nothing saved on the DVR, I only get 10 minutes of pause?  And then when it unpauses it takes me back to live tv instead of resuming from the pause?  Absolutely ridiculous - it makes the thing completely unusable for my purposes.  I don't know if this 1.9 software will make a difference, but I'm pretty fed up with this piece of crap DVR BOTH from a hardware and software perspective.
    Can somebody shed any light on these issues or give me any reason to not ditch the FiOS DVR?  Even worst, is there any indication these problems could be deeper rooted than the DVR?  I would be REALLY **bleep** if I move to TIVO and end up with the same issues.

    parsetdx wrote:
    My network:  Mid Tier Internet, MultiRoom DVR on Std Def TV, HD STB (to share DVR), 2 basic STBs.
    I can't tell if it's the DVR itself or if it's the way the programming comes into the house (i.e. bouncing around the internal network), but too often I get chop.  The audio stream stays intact and live, but the video stream chops and drops maybe 5 to 10 frames per second making it really really painful when watching sports.
    This happens on live TV, it happens on multiple channels, it happens on DVR playback when the DVR isn't recording something else, and DVR playback when the DVR is recording something else.  And this is happening on the TV to which the DVR is connected (so I don't think it's related to multi-room streaming.)  Specifically, it happens a lot and under a host of different circumstances.
    I have done a few tests on the DVR playback side since I can control it.  I am watching, I get chop, I flip back 10 seconds and play through the same time period again.... no chop.  That tells me it wasn't recording it choppy, it was playing it back choppy, which leads me to conclude this DVR sucks.  It can't handle the most basic function of a DVR - playback on the tv to which it's connected without any issues.  A VCR would do better than this piece of junk.
    I pay $20 / month for this DVR.  If I have to shell out $300 for a Tivo XL and then pay the same $20 / month to get a DVR that works and doesn't chop up all my programming, then it's worth it to me.  Oh, and don't get me started on how lame I think the DVR software is.  When I pause a sporting event with virtually nothing saved on the DVR, I only get 10 minutes of pause?  And then when it unpauses it takes me back to live tv instead of resuming from the pause?  Absolutely ridiculous - it makes the thing completely unusable for my purposes.  I don't know if this 1.9 software will make a difference, but I'm pretty fed up with this piece of crap DVR BOTH from a hardware and software perspective.
    Can somebody shed any light on these issues or give me any reason to not ditch the FiOS DVR?  Even worst, is there any indication these problems could be deeper rooted than the DVR?  I would be REALLY **bleep** if I move to TIVO and end up with the same issues.
    Have you contacted Verizon support about your problem?  Sounds like your STB is sick.  So if you haven't let Verizon work the problem, you have an important step to take before you consider Tivo or any other solution.

  • Success with adding an external eSATA drive to a Verizon FIOS DVR

    August 4, 2012 - Success with adding an external eSATA drive to a Verizon FIOS DVR
    I just upgraded from a Comcast DVR to a Verizon FIOS DVR.   I upgraded because my old DVR was limited to 500GB (1/2 TB) on the internal drive and the new FIOS DVR allowed for a much larger external eSATA drive.   Selecting a viable external drive for the FIOS DVR was easier said than done.  The three drives listed on the Verizon web site as compatible with FIOS DVRs are no longer manufactured by western digital and are not available on the market.
    The DVR that I received from Verizon was a Cisco "CHS 435 HD DVR" that came with a 500GB (1/2 TB) internal drive.   This is one of their "Multi-Room DVRs" that allows other set top boxes (not DVRs) to watch videos recorded on it.
    I selected a western digital "WD30EURS" eSATA disk drive because it was a follow on product to one of the three listed as acceptable by Verzion on their web page and it was 3TB in size.  I ordered from amazon.com for $170.99.  This drive is a "bare drive" so it does not come with an external encloser or a eSATA cable.  
    According to the Western Digial web site this is a AV-GP drive:  "These drives are designed to last in high temperature always-on, streaming digital audio/video environments such as PVR/DVR, IPTV, and video surveillance systems."
    http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/AAG/ENG/2178-771131.pdf 
    I got a "Macally G-S350SU Hi-Speed eSata/USB2.0 External Storage Enclosure for 3.5inch SATA HDD" to hold the drive for $34.39.  I chose this one because it does not use a fan that could cause continious noise.  The box is made out of metal so it cools itself as long as it is exposed to air (not covered up).  This box comes with an external power supply that has a small transformer that plugs into a wall outlet.
    Then I needed a eSATA cable.  I got a "StarTech 6-Feet Shielded External eSATA Cable M/M (ESATA6)" for $6.50 and a 3-foot version for $5.90.  I went with the longer one so that the cable would be less likely to become accidentally unplugged if I need to move the drive or the DVR.  The cables and the drive houseing came from the same Amazon provider so it saved me on shipping. The drive came from Amazon/Western Digial directly but they do not have external housings or eSATA cables on that site.
    The total cost was $255.56 including shipping for all these items.  
    I went with the largest (3TB) drive from western digial's AV-GP line to avoid a future upgrade from a smaller drive to a larger drive.   There is no way to copy videos from one external eSATA drive to another drive because they are formatted by the FIOS DVR in a propriatary format.  That would mean that any future upgrade would require losing all recorded files during an upgrade.  That also means that there is no way to back up the contents of the drive to protect yourself from hard drive failure.
    The installer who setup the DVR did not want me to plug in the drive while he was there and explained that I was on my own when I attached this kind of personal device to the DVR.  When I plugged in the new eSATA drive it was automatically discovered.  I was asked by the DVR if I wanted to format the new drive.  I answered yes and within 2 hours the drive completed formatting.   I did not watch the boring format so it could have finished faster.   
    When I started recording new videos they go directly to the external drive automatically and avoids the internal drive.  It had no trouble recording two HD shows and playing a recording at the same time.  I now have 20 hours of HD video recorded and the 3TB external drive is 17% full.  So far my experience with the external drive has been great.   No problems or issues.   Learning the new remote control, new DVR menu system, and web browser control of the DVR from a laptop is another story.  It will take some time to figure out how to make all the new features work.
    It took me a while to figure out how to make this work since the verizon web site made useless suggestions and pointed me to products that are not available any more.  I could not tell if this really would work until I plugged it in and then I was pleasantly suprised that it did.  I have had this working for 3 days without any issues.  I hope this post makes it easier for you to add an external eSATA drive to your DVR.
    Here are the three items ordered from Amazon to make this work:
    Western Digital 3 TB AV-GP 3 TB SATA 2 Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Driv...
    Macally G-S350SU Hi-Speed eSata/USB2.0 External Storage Enclosure for 3.5inch SATA HDD
    StarTech 6-Feet Shielded External eSATA Cable M/M (ESATA6)

    You are right. I can only access 2TB of my 3TB external drive. That gives me a total of 2.5 TB counting the internal (0.5 TB) and external (2.0 TB) drives. This is a significant improvement over the just the 0.5 TB internal drive. I have not been able to find a reason for this limitation. Cisco and Verizon do not mention any limits that I can find. I hope that a future BIOS upgrade could provide access to more space but this would probably require me to reformat the drive and lose everything recorded.
    I paid $170.99 for the 3 TB WD30EURS drive at amazon. I could have gotten away with spending only $116.99 for the 2 TB WD20EURS drive. Not worth returning at this point so I will stay with it. Makes me glad I didn't buy the most expensive 6 TB external  monster drive available from another company.
    I bought: 3TB drive: Western Digital 3 TB AV-GP 3 TB SATA 2 Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive WD30EURS by Western Digital
    I could have bought: 2TB drive: Western Digital AV-GP 2 TB SATA II Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Internal Hard Drive - WD20EURS by Western Digital
    Details of what I learned:
    The external 2 TB drive now has 41 hours of HD video recorded and claims to be 34% full (66% free). My estimate would allow me to have aprox 120 hours of HD on the external drive (2TB) and 30 hours of HD on the internal drive (500GB) for a total of 150 hours of HD. This will keep me happy for the near future.
    There is a hidden "diagnostic menu" that is not normally accessible or documented by CISCO or Verizon. This menu has a lot of interesting info on the inner working of the DVR. There was an obscure reference to this menu on another forum.
    To access this diagnostics menu:
    1) Get the DVR into normal live tv mode (no menu, no guide, no pause ...)
    2) Go to the Cisco CHS 435 HD DVR (not the remote control) and press these buttons on the front of the DVR: Press both the Left Arrow "<-" button and "OK" button at the same time and hold them both down for aprox 5 seconds.
    3) The "Verizon FiOS TV Diagnostics Menu" menu will appear. The menu can then be used by the remote control.
    4) I chose "D03 Memory / HDD" and then "Hard Disk Information" and finally "OK"
    A five page disk report appeared. With a little bit of interpretation I discovered:
    The Internal Drive is know as "drive 1/hdc1" has 461 GB total space with 454 GB free.
    The External Drive is split into two partitions "hdc2" and "hdc3" (aka two mount points).
    "drive 2/hdc2" has 1007 MB total with 317 GB free
    "drive 3/hdc3" has 1007 MB total with 974 GB free
    The normal DVR menu has an "Eject" feature that allows you to stop the external drive and make it safe to remove it from the DVR without losing anything via an unplanned drive removal. This can be found at "DVR" button on remote then "Settings"->"External Hard Drive"->"Eject".

  • Setting a Reminder on FiOS DVR

    Are there any plans to allow customers who have FiOS DVRs to set a reminder for a future program?  This was an extremely nice feature available with Comcast DVRs.

    SQUIDWARD360 wrote:
    I can't say I ever used it on Comcast or would with Fios.  I just set it to record in case I forget it's on. I might be watching something else when the reminder comes up and not want to switch over yet. Since it's recording I don't have to.
    I put myself in the same camp, I just don't think I would ever use it (it is available on the SD STB, the QIP2500, have had two for more than three years and have never used the Reminder once). I guess my view is that to set a reminder I would have to go to the Guide to see the program I want to be reminded of, so once I am there I just hit the Record button and its done, I get the recording even if I am not home, can easily delete it if I decide not to watch, and it is there if I want to watch it. I have seen others ask for a reminder function, with a DVR I personally just don't see the need, but to each his own I guess....
    Of course one issue with recording instead of having a reminder function is the lack of disk space to hold recordings, so recording means you need to carefully manage the recordings and delete those no longer needed.
    Justin
    Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
    IMG 1.6.2, Build 08.58
    Keller, TX 76248
    Message Edited by Justin on 06-28-2009 12:16 PM

  • FIOS DVR Manager for iPhone - can I use more than one iPhone?

    Can the FIOS DVR manager be used from more than one iPhone for the same DVR?

    Only one device can be used at a time to program your ASTB. In theory, you can use different phones however, each time you switch devices you will need to register the phone and obtain a new authorization code to access your ASTB.

  • New to FIOS - DVR Question

    I just got my FIOS installed yesterday and the technician said that we could access shows that were DVRed on any DVR in the house on any DVR in the house.
    The main multiroom DVR is in the living room which allows us to watch what was taped in the kitchen.
    There are 3 other DVRs in our bedrooms.  He explained that I could DVR something in the living room and watch it in any of the bedrooms, or DVR something in any of the bedrooms and watch in any other room.
    This does not seem like it's the case as I DVR'd something yesterday and its not available on the menu in the bedroom.  Is there another place I should look for it?
    Thanks in advance
    Solved!
    Go to Solution.

    No, DVR's can not transfer to other DVR's
    The multi-room DVR can only transfer programming to other full size non-dvr boxes in the houses. Right now the DVR's do not have the ability to speak to other DVR's
    ====================================================================================
    Error exists between keyboard and chair.

  • Slingbox with new FiOS DVR (CHS 435HDC)

    I just had FiOS installed with the CHS 435HDC DVR box.  The Slingbox website says it's not a supported set-top box.  Is there anything I can do?  Or will I have to cancel FiOS in a matter of hours after it being installed?
    Please help,
    Mike 

    Set up the slingbox as if you are connecting it to a Motorola QIP-6416 DVR.
    Insert signature here.

  • Must DSL modem and Extreme be directly connected to Fios DVR?

    When we had Fios installed a couple years ago, I reluctantly brought the DSL modem and Airport Extreme from the den to the family room so that the two could be connected directly to the DVR set top box.  (We have no Fios coaxle jack in the den.)  I now wish to connect an external 2T hard drive to the Extreme, but only if I can relocate everything (except the DVR STB and the TV) back to the den. 
    Would this be doable -- preferably without having a coaxle jack installed in the den?   (Fios is also providing our internet service.)  I assume having Frontier come out to install a coaxle jack in the den would be the simplest solution, but am hoping there might be a quicker and less expensive method.
    And, isn't connecting the DVR STB directly to the DSL modem really only to enable ordering and viewing movies and other pay-per-view products? 

    I have the same issue with my 24" March 2009 iMac connecting through a Linksys BEFSR41b router. I can connect directly to my cable modem with no problem, but will not automatically find the router. I had to go into the Network control panel and for the ethernet go into Advanced and manually set the speed to 10baseT, Full Duplex, and turn off iPv6. The connectors on the 9 year old Linksys router are a bit flaky at this point. I hope a new router and cable will let me connect at 100baseT.

  • FIOS DVR Info Screen during Pause and Playback unnecessar​y!

    Info Screen I'm talking about.
    www.prakashandlisa.com/comprak/uploads/blog/fios/f​ios6-thumbnail.jpg 
    The Info button on the remote is a nice feature, but am I the only one who thinks the Info Screen stays on to long? My count is 6 to 7 seconds. Where it is more of a pain is when you use the Pause button. The Info Screen will stay on until you either hit the Exit button or Play button. Hitting Play starts the 6 to 7 second clock before it disappears. Yes I know you can hit the Exit button and it will disappear. At this rate my Exit button will wear out soon.
    There are 2 times when my fingers are constantly hitting the Exit button to cancel the Info Screen.
    1. Sporting events. When you just have to see the play again, you use the Skip Back 10 seconds button watch it again. Was he safe or out? Was it a touchdown or not? I don’t know because the Info Screen is showing. I have to go back and view it again and remember to hit the Exit button so the Info Screen will disappear so I can see first base or the end zone. The same goes for game stats that pop up on the screen during the game. You hit pause to view it and the Info Screen pops up over it. You have to hit Exit again.
    2. Newsmagazine (60 Minutes, etc.) / Reality shows (Survivor, etc.) / Subtitled movie or TV show (Heroes, etc.). For the rest of you who don’t like sports and could care less about my number one reason for hating the Info Screen maybe this will sway you. Every now and then during one of the above mentioned shows a text subtitle is bound to pop up. You hit the Pause or Skip Back button to read it. There is the Info Screen in the way.
    I called Verizon to ask them if they could shorten the time the Info Screen stays when you hit the Info button or maybe they could make it a watermark image. The Pause is different because the Info Screen will stay on indefinitely or until you hit the Exit button. My suggestion was to get rid of the Info Screen during Pause, Play, Rewind and Fast Forward and just show a small watermark image of a Pause button on the side of the screen.
    The response I got from them was that my complaint was logged. This will not get fixed unless other people complain. If you are also bothered by this call customer service and respond to this thread and maybe they will fix it. One can dream.
    Message Edited by BOCswu on 09-29-2008 10:24 AM

    I can’t believe no one else hates the Info Screen that shows up across the bottom of the TV when you Pause, Play, Rewind, Fast Forward, Skip Rewind and Skip Forward. If I want to know what I’m watching I’ll hit the Info button or OK button. I don’t need all those other buttons/actions to do the same thing. It is very redundant. Is anyone else tired of the Info screen popping up during the above actions? A solution would be very simple. Show an image of a Pause button or any of the other actions on the corners of the TV screen. 
    And yes I know you can hit the Exit button or OK button to make it go away, but why should I have to!

  • How to hook up a magnavox dvdr to fios dvr box?

    Hi, new to the forum and tried to find the answer... but can't quite find it. I have a cheapy magnavox ZC320MW8. I don't care at all to use the recording function. All I want to do is play the kids' DVDs. I'm not up on all the technical terms for various cables but I've tried using an s-video cable and also the one with the 3 different plugs on it (red, white, yellow - not sure what that's called).
    I'm also at a disadvantage as the player was a floor model so we got no manual or original remote.
    The TV is not HD - it's an old Zenith (I can post the model number if that helps but would need to putt the TV out to get it). I have the remote for that and for the Fios box. I'm not sure what buttons to select (DVD, AUX, etc) to get this to work.
    I think I've read that the S-video cable needs to go from the 'video out' port into the s-video port in the Fios box. Is this correct? Do I also need the other cable (for audio?).
    Sorry to seem such a Luddite. One of these days I'll have a bit more cash and be able to upgrade to some quality equipment!

    You could hook up the cable box using the the coax cable (going from rf out on the cable box into the TV and changing the TV to channel 3 for FiOS) then hook up the DVD player using the  existing red/white/yellow cables.

  • Can't access FIOS DVR from the web or moble phone

    Whenever I try to access my multiroom DVR in my MyVerizon account, I get a "Bad Gateway" error. 
    I have tried rebooting DVR and router without any luck.   I ran the DVR self diagnostic, then tried the disable then enable remote web DVR setting...still nothing. 
    Have no problem watching DVR recorded shows in any room.  Please help.

    Were you able to get this fixed since making this post? I have ran the connectivity test and am able to talk back and forth with the DVR over the web connectivity path. Please let me know if further assistance is needed.
    Anthony_VZ
    **If someones post has helped you, please acknowledge their assistance by clicking the red thumbs up button to give them Kudos. If you are the original poster and any response gave you your answer, please mark the post that had the answer as the solution**
    Notice: Content posted by Verizon employees is meant to be informational and does not supersede or change the Verizon Forums User Guidelines or Terms or Service, or your Customer Agreement Terms and Conditions or plan

  • New update for Fios DVR

    I keep getting a pop-up on my DVR that there is a software update but I can't select anything to update it.  Any one else having this issue?

    Your the third person who mentioned something like this.
    I am curious on knowing what exact message you are seeing?
    The IMG guide update, as far as I have heard, does not present such a message.  And unless you are on 1.8 and are in one of the couple of areas of the country where 1.9a has rolled out, an update is not available.  Where it is rolled out you shouldn't have had to do anything, it should have occurred automatically.  What IMG version are you on (menu,settings, system information) and on the same page last two digits of your VHO?
    Sometimes if your STB has not been able to load down the recent programs info, a please wait message appears.

  • New to Fios: Schedules Recordings and DVR Capacity

    I just gave up on RCN in lieu or Verizon Fios and thus far - can't stand the dvr.
    1) The capacity is no where near what RCN's was. I had days worth of TV, movies, etc saved and never ran out of space. With Verizon, it's been less than a week and I`m already half full. I don't have a HD TV, but I`m wondering if my lack of space is caused by the recorder taping in HD. How do I check this setting to ensure that everything being recorded is standard definition?
    2) The Verizon DVR is really bad at only keeping two episodes of a show, and only recording new/first run shows. Is there any setting to make this work better? I tried to set it to record first runs only of the show scrubs, on any channel (i wasnt sure what channel the new ones are run on) and in two days it taped 10 episodes...

    The FiOS DVR has the same 160GB capacity as the RCN DVR.
    SD channels are 0-499 and HD channels are 500+.  All the SD local channels can be found under 50.
    Recordings from HD channels consume 3-6x the capacity of SD channels.
    If you are the original poster (OP) and your issue is solved, please remember to click the "Solution?" button so that others can more easily find it.

  • FiOS HD-DVR crashing since adding external eSATA drive

    After the recent firmware update, I added an 2TB external eSATA drive to my FiOS DVR.  I'd really been looking forward to this because our DVR had been perpetually 90+% full.  After a couple of reboots, the drive was recognized and showed as a second DVR at 0% full in the DVR Status menu.  Just to make sure everything worked, I scheduled a bunch of recordings to make sure it was utilizing the new drive.
    A few days later, we found that the DVR had erased several of our recordings because it was out of space.  Checking the DVR status again, the new drive had disappeared. 
    After a couple of reboots, it appeared in the status menu again, and the DVR started recording to the external drive.  But a few days later, my wife couldn't find the recordings.  Turns out it had disappeared again. 
    This pattern has repeated itself several times over the last couple of weeks.  On two occasions, the DVR has completely frozen while we were in the middle of watching something, necessitating a complete reboot in order to watch TV, and interrupting any recording that was going on in the background.  Each time, at least 2 reboots has been required before the eSATA drive appears. 
    Needless to say, this whole thing is a disaster.  I spent a ton of money and the result is poorer service quality.  What can I do to fix this?

    After a few minutes searching I found the link of recommended drives.
    http://www22.verizon.com/ResidentialHelp/FiOSTV/Ot​her+Hardware/eSATA/129841.htm
    Here's a snipet from that page...
    Which Verizon FiOS TV DVRs are compatible with eSATA devices?
    The following FiOS TV DVRs are compatible with eSATA devices:
    Motorola QIP 7216
    Motorola QIP 7232
    Cisco CHS 435 HDC
    Which eSATA external storage devices can I use with my FiOS DVR?
    Verizon recommends the eSATA hard drives below for use with FiOS DVR. Customers choosing to install other drive types will assume the risk of compatibility with FiOS DVR and Verizon will not assist with compatibility or performance issues should they arise.
    Western Digital – WDBACS5000EBK-NEVZ – 500GB
    Western Digital – WDBACS0010HBK-NEVZ – 1TB
    Western Digital Retail – WDBABT0010HBK-NESN – 1TB
    I'm not sure why this happened...'Your post has been changed because invalid HTML was found in the message body. The invalid HTML has been removed. Please review the message and submit the message when you are satisfied.'
    I'm assuming that the above drives were the only one tested at the time. We users can add to this list if we want. Anyone game?

  • FIOS TV/DVR beginner questions

    I'm a long time Dish subscriber that is considering switching after 10 years to FIOS TV, but after looking around at other forums, reading the scant info that I can find on the various Verizon sites, and reading the Motorola 7200 DVR manual - I still have a bunch of questions that I'm hoping some of you could answer so that myself and others can make an informed decision.  I've got the FIOS internet and am very happy with the 20/5 service - its solid as a rock and fast as greased lightning.
    Signal My Dish HD is quite compressed, and prone to lots of pixelation, yellow screens, and audio drops - and also free of charge you get a loud pop whenever the channel changes from SD to HD signal, along with the unavoidable volume differences between stereo and Dolby 5.1 audio when the signal goes HD to SD.  I'm aware that most reviews indicate that the FIOS HD picture quality is hard to beat, but I'm wondering about the various audio and video problems and whether to expect a couple of dozen instances per hour show like I tolerage now on Dish?  A great picture most of the time can still be ruined by a bunch of audio drops or 5 seconds of yellow screen every half hour.  Does internet computer usage deteriorate the FIOS TV signal if you have a couple of computer users on-line while viewing or recording TV?
    Content   Dish has a 100 HD channels, FIOS in my area (Portland) has around 100 HD channels, with over 90% overlap.  Dish has NBAtv, Fox Sports HD, CBC-college, and ESPNWS while FIOS has Big 10, ESPNU, and more of the movie channels in HD.  The big difference seems to be VOD, but I can't find any comprehensive info on it.  The Verizon website boasts of 11,000 monthly titles (8500 free), but you have to have some sort of user password to see the VOD choices on-line.  I don't get the "monthly" thing either, seems like it would just be a growing VOD library that accumulates more titles, but the monthly thing makes it sound like some stuff disappears from VOD over time. Does the free VOD includes the recent movies, etc. or is all that stuff Pay per View and the free stuff is all kickboxing and fishing shows?  Does anyone have a way for a non-FIOS TV subscriber to get a look at the list?  The Verizon site just shows you a couple of titles and doesn't say whether they are free or PPV so it is hard to figure out whether VOD is something that I would use or not. 
    DVR's  I currently have a 60 hour HD triple tuner ( 2 SAT, one OTA) Dish DVR (722) that I think is considered one of the better ones available.  Besides the large hard drive, the unit also has a USB port that you can hang another 500G external hard drive off of after a $35 activation fee.  I understand that FIOS is not allowed to do the same thing with their DVR's because of the copyright issues with the content being carried over wires instead of beamed from a satellite, although some things I read indicated that it still may be something they enable at some point.  The other big difference is that the Dish DVR has all the outputs "hot" at the same time - meaning you can drive a bunch of TV's, SD and HD, simultaneously.  I drive one SD signal 300 feet and a second HD signal 100 feet.  I know the Motorola units that FIOS leases can only output one port at a time.
    I read through the manual for the HD DVR (Motorola 7200)  but Verizon lists the same manual for the "Home Media" DVR (Motorola 7216) so I can't tell what the real differences are between the DVR offerings.
    In order to watch recorded or live shows on more than one TV - do you have to have a box (STB) per TV, whether using the Home Media DVR or the regular HD DVR? 
    Is the VOD content only available via the Home Media DVR, not the regular DVR?  Is the only other main difference between DVRs the remote DVR functionality (internet programming)?  I know there are some other multi-media things, pictures and music, but I'm focusing on TV.  I don't get how FIOS can call the Home Media DVR "multi-room" if you still need a STB for other TV's, isn't that the same whether using a regular DVR or the Home Media DVR?  Does anyone have a link to the actual 7216 manual?
    How easy is it to change the output port?  Is it a quick software change?  My thinking is that if I hooked up a TV to HDMI, another to component, and maybe one to SD - how clunky is it to switch the output so that someone could watch TV1,2 or 3 (one at a time, of course).  I'm also assuming that the audio ports will all work simultaneously so that one could send the video to HDMI, for example, and the audio to a receiver.  So I think its only the video that is limited to a single output.
    Does either DVR have an Over the Air digital antenna input? 
    Is the remote control RF or IR?  Does it have the all important 30 second Forward skip button and 10 second Back skip button?
    How long is the guide, a week, 2 weeks, etc?
    I couldn't find much in either the manuals or the verizon website about the Interactive Media Guide.  Is the VOD included in search functions?  Are there TIVO like "season passes" and the ability to find and record new episodes of a show, etc.? 
    Are there any good reviews of the DVRs, the Interactive Media Guide, or something with more detail than Verizon's sketchy descriptions or the lousy 7200 manual?
    I realize a lot of my DVR questions could be answered by proper documentation on the 7216 and the Interactive Media guide, so if someone has a link to detailed info on these items, it would be much appreciated.
    Thanks for any help you can provide.  I've spent a lot of time and effort getting my Dish system all figured out and the way I like it, but the quality issues and cost have me exploring options.

    Does FIOS internet usage affect FIOS TV signal quality? (I have 20/5 service).  Negative.  The FiOS signal itself is only affected by physical damage and or equipment failure on our network equipment.  Now if you you are talking inside of your house signal(there is a difference).  VOD on FiOS is a strictly data service and is very bandwidth intensive due to the large size of the file itself.  That is why we recommend you only watch one HDVOD at a time as the MOCA network in your house can't really handle two running at the same time with 100% QoS. So if I understand you correctly, VOD could be affected by heavy home network useage (or simultaneous VOD requests) but DVR recordings or live TVnot, or just less likely? That is correct.  VOD services can be affected by heavy home data network useage.  The live TV and subsequent recordings made of the liveTV to a DVR will not be affected by heavy home network useage. 
    Are there any futher plans for external hard drives and/or the HD DVR's to talk with each other?  My manager has informed we are actively researching a solution to this problem.  When or if anything will come of the research has yet to be seen. 
    How hard is it to switch outputs on the DVR (I'm assuming it is a software menu change)?  Could it be programmed into a learning remote (keystroke macro) so that you hit one button for TV1, another for TV2, etc.?  Last time i checked this was IMG 1.3.  At that time all of the outputs were consistently on.  There is no switching the output like there is switching a tuner on a TiVO.  When i tested this in my video lab i hooked up a QIP6416 via HDMI and Component.  Each output would show the same channel on either input ont the TV.  Each output will only display whatever channel you have the STB currently tuned to.  If this is not what you mean feel free to correct me. That is what I mean, my current config is one DVR hooked to SD TV1 via cable, HD TV2 via HDMI, and HD TV3 via component - and all three get signal simultaneously.  I was told by a FIOS tech that only one output is "hot" at a time on the FIOS DVR.  I understand that you can't watch channel X on TV1 and channel Y on TV2 simultaneously, but I'm wondering if you can watch channel X on TV1,2, etc.  I went and tested on our QIP6416 model and unfortunatly you cannot only one output is 'hot" at this stage of IMG releases. From the looks of it the outputs are in a heirarchy hdmi ->component->s-video->composite->RF. 
    Can the IR remotes be programmed to run just DVR1 or just DVR2 if you put two in the same room (i.e. different code set for remote 1 and remote 2)? I note about 4 different remotes shown on the FIOS website, does the HD DVR have RF capability or will only IR remotes work with it?  No the FiOS remotes are pre-programmed to work on every single FiOS STB.  You could take your FiOS remote to another FiOS user's home and control their STB.  Makes for some interesting fun. But it is all IR, right?  The DVR's won't accept an RF remote signal?  It is all IR. 
    Can channels be locked out on the guide so you don't see them, both adult and ones that you just aren't interested in? If you can lock them out of the guide, does that mean they won't show up in searches as well?  There is currently no way to remove channels from the normal guide.  We used to support this feature with our old guide produced by microsoft but the feature was left out of IMG.  We have given the option for customers to setup multiple channel lists in guide format under the favorites option.  You can set the guide button to pull up the first of those lists instead of the guide itself.  You can lock the channels out but the titles will still be readable by anyone looking. 
    The "Welcome kit" PDF talks about being able to resolve timer conflicts for series, but I assume you can also assign priority to one time events and/or access a general recording schedule where you can manually resolve conflicts as well.  Is that correct?  Does the recording automatically pad sporting events with extra time on the end or do you have to set that up manually with each sporting event?  Yes our recording schedule does will recognize recording conflicts.  There will be a marker on the program in the guide informing you of a recording problem.  There is also a section in the menu of the dvr that will show you the entire recording schedule with any conflicts.  Yes you can set priority to whatever you want.  No we do not pad for sporting events.  That is something you will have do manually.  Unfortunatly i do not see this changing anytime soon as it appears to be a limitation of our current guide data producer. 
    No OTA tuner in any FIOS DVR, correct?  Correct.
    The VOD descriptions say movies are "rented for 24 hours", but on the VOD list it shows a lot of older movies for free on top of the TV series,sporting events, etc..  Are these all just previews or is there a good inventory of free movies?  In all honesty the free VOD movie selections are pretty limited and most of them are independent flicks or trailers.  As soon as our HD on demand library is at an acceptable volume i believe we will be working in improving this aspect of VOD.  The subscription based movie packages is where it is at though.  The movie packages have pretty sizeable libraries that you get access to for free with the packages.  Personally, i am partial to the Showtime on demand library(lots of good series).  Please keep in mind though that our VOD library will change very frequently.  VOD content is provided to us by the network that wishes to put it up.  They can also will us to take it down as well.  
    I'll probably think of a few more, but that's it for now.
    TheSanchez
    Verizon Telecom
    Verizon Content Management Center
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