Another FiOS TV Review

[korsjs]

I don't have HD. The two things keeping from FIOS are their DVR, which is very unimpressive, and their prices.

I have *E with AT120, HBO and CInemax, a 522 DVR, and a 322. To replace it with a single DVR and 3 other receivers would increase my costs more than $15.

So far, I am not willing to pay the price.

my bill will actually go down a couple of bucks. i had one hd dvr before, digital channels, and hbo before with cable and now have everything except cinemax, one hd dvr and two sd boxes.

 

[jgantert]

So far, I am not willing to pay the price.

Maybe so, but compared to my Comcast digital cable, it's a bargain (Comcast basic digital is $65/month. Verizon basic digital is $39). Verizon seems very closely priced to satellite for the basic packages.

-John

 

[raymo721]

You're kidding! You STILL can't record HD with Tivo yet? Do they think customers aren't that concerned with it? That seems crazy with a vast ammount of HD from the networks alone.

Well, what about the Sony HD recorder, what software does it use?

Don't yell at me if all my facts aren't correct in this post, but I thought I read or heard that Tivo and Verizon have an agreement so that you can program your Tivo via a Verizon cell phone?? If so, I'm hoping for a Tivo based Fios HD DVR since they are "in bed" with each other already. Seems like a logical "next generation" DVR. Be kind guys cause I think I heard about the Tivo/cell phone thing on the radio in bits and pieces. Someone clarify or verify please.---Ray

 

[mrschwarz]

Don't yell at me if all my facts aren't correct in this post, but I thought I read or heard that Tivo and Verizon have an agreement so that you can program your Tivo via a Verizon cell phone?? If so, I'm hoping for a Tivo based Fios HD DVR since they are "in bed" with each other already. Seems like a logical "next generation" DVR. Be kind guys cause I think I heard about the Tivo/cell phone thing on the radio in bits and pieces. Someone clarify or verify please.---Ray

I read the same thing. If FIOS offered a Tivo, I would seriously reconsider switching, but I haven't heard even a hint of this. That would really heat up the competition.

 

[korsjs]

take a look at longhornxp's post about cable cards and verizon. it is a sticky.

 

[StevenD]

Cable cards would be ideal. I already have a very nice HTPC that will easily record a couple of HD streams. Hopefully Ill be able to buy a USB Cable Card adapter and a stack of hard drives.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

Cable cards would be ideal. I already have a very nice HTPC that will easily record a couple of HD streams. Hopefully Ill be able to buy a USB Cable Card adapter and a stack of hard drives.

Cablecards wont be coming to an insecure usb platform anytime in the near future.

Actually, Verizon blocks port 25. This provents you from using other SMTP servers. YOu can download from any POP3 or IMAP server, but you cannot send using any server other than Verizon's on port 25. In addition, you cannot send any email to more than 50 recipients at a time.

You have two options. First, configure your outgoing mail to use the Verizon servers. THis solution is not that bigt a deal for a desktop PC. It's a problem for someone with a laptop.

The other solution is to get a provider to host an outgoing server on another port, such as 26. This is what I do and it works everywhere.

Verizon is probabably fooling itself into thinking it is preventing spam (which it may be doing, to a very limited extent).

Blocking port 25 would have nothing to do with your ability to check an outside mail server other than verizon which would use port 110. It would also not block gmail or a web-based interface on port 80.

Port 25 is used for sending mail, thus you would just use the verizon smtp server for outgoing and use the Pop3 servers from any other place you want to receive the mail on 110.

All said, the original poster was wrong that you could not use anything but verizon's mail server.

And as I have several mail servers, i can assure you that blocking port 25 for residential accounts does limit spam severely.

The amount from comcast and cablevision in ny are quite large - then verizon and roadrunner have virtually none.

I wished all broadband residential systems put constraints on mail servers.

 

[mrschwarz]

Blocking port 25 would have nothing to do with your ability to check an outside mail server other than verizon which would use port 110. It would also not block gmail or a web-based interface on port 80.

Port 25 is used for sending mail, thus you would just use the verizon smtp server for outgoing and use the Pop3 servers from any other place you want to receive the mail on 110.

That was my point. I said that you can check any incoming email server. The only blocking that Verizon does is for outgoing email on port 25. Don't forget the 50 email recipient limitation, too.

 

[Stingray1]

Does anyone know if Verizon FIOS service can use any box with a QAM tuner, i e can a Sony DHG HDD500/250 be used with Fios?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Cablecards wont be coming to an insecure usb platform anytime in the near future.

I would not say that...

Here is one I had a chance to play with...

 

[riffjim4069]

Does anyone know if Verizon FIOS service can use any box with a QAM tuner, i e can a Sony DHG HDD500/250 be used with Fios?

Good question...this should work for the basic channels and I don't see why they shouldn't support Cablecard. Also wondering if they will be passing TVGOS?

 

[korsjs]

i will see what channels my tv will scan tomorrow. i know it has the first 50 or so channels, but will see if it picks anything else up.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

I would not say that...

Here is one I had a chance to play with...

I see Yellow, Red and White -no YPbPr, no optical, no HDMI - thus no HD outputs.

If the computer is supposed to handled this, why does it have the Yellow, Red and White connectors?

And where is the usb connector?

 

[korsjs]

i will see what channels my tv will scan tomorrow. i know it has the first 50 or so channels, but will see if it picks anything else up.

i scanned with my qam tuner and it picked up all analog channels as expected. they did not look good.

it pulled in 70 digitial channels. they did not look as good as it does with the verizon box. i saw one hd channel which was tnthd, but it did not have any sound. some of the regular digital channels did not have sound either.

about 20 - 25 of the digital channels were the music only channels. they displayed the cover art and so forth.

 

[korsjs]

i added another thought about the hd pvr to the review.

EDIT ON 3/19/06, 7:15 - One big positive I noticed with the Verizon HD DVR is that you can start to watch a recording while the show is still live and it does not stop when the show ends. For example, my old Scientific Atlantic 8300 would stop when the show was over. You would have to restart what you were watching and fast forward to the point where you previously had got cut off. This is a big plus for me because I start watching alot of shows before they are over.

 

[korsjs]

i added some sd screen shots.

EDIT ON 3/19/06, 8:22 - I added some SD pictures. I don't know if you will be able to tell the quality of the pictures, but it does look great. The last pictures kind of show the detail the FiOS picture gives. You can see the strands of hair on the top and side of her head. (jpg 41).

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

I would not say that...

Here is one I had a chance to play with...

According to a PCMagazine Article out today:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1936141,00.asp


"It's a leap forward, because the PC can replace those brain-dead digital set-top boxes to provide DVR functionality (such as recording HBO and ESPN HD)—but it'll work only on "certified" PCs, authorized by the cable industry's tech cops at CableLabs. You'll be able to buy a CableCard-equipped Dell, but not build your own. And what happens if you decide to upgrade that Dell? Will that "decertify" your PC? I smell a big mess, and again the DIY guy loses"

Again, it appears that no one is going to be adding a USB PC-Card to their system - only buying an all in one system and not make any modifications to it.

 

[jabd]

One big positive I noticed with the Verizon HD DVR is that you can start to watch a recording while the show is still live and it does not stop when the show ends. For example, my old Scientific Atlantic 8300 would stop when the show was over. You would have to restart what you were watching and fast forward to the point where you previously had got cut off. This is a big plus for me because I start watching alot of shows before they are over.

That is huge. TiVo has always worked this way. Whoever designed the the SA-8300HD should look at either of these examples as the proper way to design a DVR.

 

[loneryder]

Question

I'm a newbie and enjoyed reading your report on FIOS. I'm awaiting installation in a couple of weeks. Does your HD box have component outputs?? I have an older tv that doesn't have the newer digital connections. It's a Mits. 55" about 3-4yrs old.
Thanks.

 

[korsjs]

I'm a newbie and enjoyed reading your report on FIOS. I'm awaiting installation in a couple of weeks. Does your HD box have component outputs?? I have an older tv that doesn't have the newer digital connections. It's a Mits. 55" about 3-4yrs old.
Thanks.

yes it has component outputs. you will enjoy your new service.