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Series 3 Verizon FIOS HD compat?

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#1 ·
I was just about to order a Series 3 from TIVO, when I decided to ask that they gaurantee me that it will work with Verizon FIOS HD (I currently have cablevision, however FIOS is already installed in my building and I will be switching as soon as it is available). The sales rep transferred me to tech, who after 15 minutes told me that they had no information on whether it will work with FIOS HD.

So, does anyone REALLY know if a Series 3 will work with FIOS directly (No verizon box to video inputs, IR blasters, etc)?
 
#127 ·
Thought I would let y'all know that I posted over on Broadband Reports last night about my Fios and Tivo issues. Some people think that it might a splitter issue, either a bad splitter in the chain or that the ONT is putting out too strong of a signal and a splitter is needed to lower it.

Either way, I'll be dinking around with those tonight and see if it makes a difference.
 
#128 ·
musicforme said:
Thought I would let y'all know that I posted over on Broadband Reports last night about my Fios and Tivo issues. Some people think that it might a splitter issue, either a bad splitter in the chain or that the ONT is putting out too strong of a signal and a splitter is needed to lower it.

Either way, I'll be dinking around with those tonight and see if it makes a difference.
I didn't realize how hot the signal was until I put 9db of attenuation on mine, and the Tivo still showed a 96-97% signal strength. It's quite a bit stronger when the signal is generated at the side of your house compared to down the block.
 
#129 ·
TexasAg said:
No, I'm saying your post was a nice little rant about how Verizon won't talk to you and your LFA. I'm not surprised you feel this way. Verizon is trying to deploy a huge fiber optic network to deliver voice, data, and video services in numerous states. Rather than trying to negotiate with individual towns, they've chosen to try and get statewide franchises for the video service. Given the fact that they are bypassing you and your LFA to get a franchise, I'm not surprised you're bitter.

Personally, I don't give a flip if Verizon won't install their highly expensive fiber optic network in neighborhoods where they likely can't recover the cost for years and years (if ever).

However, since this is a thread discussing the S3's compatibility with Fios, how about complaining over in AVS, dslreports, or another thread in a different forum here dedicated to the evil that is Verizon?
No, you are incorrect - completely. My statements are about how Verizon is refusing to talk to LOTS of franchise authorities, and is demanding the elimination of a number of critical provisions of existing law. I am not bitter. I am (as well as others) fighting this as it is counter-productive and only provides negative value to the consumer at large. Build-out requirements are only part of the equation. Service is yet another part.

But, it's nice to know that you don't care about anyone else.
 
#130 ·
winpitt said:
No, you are incorrect - completely. My statements are about how Verizon is refusing to talk to LOTS of franchise authorities, and is demanding the elimination of a number of critical provisions of existing law. I am not bitter. I am (as well as others) fighting this as it is counter-productive and only provides negative value to the consumer at large. Build-out requirements are only part of the equation. Service is yet another part.

But, it's nice to know that you don't care about anyone else.
Which has nothing to do with whether the S3 is compatible with Fios.

And I do care about others, just not whiners. :)
 
#133 ·
TexasAg said:
Nope, to me a whiner is someone who hijacks a thread to complain about a company they don't like.
Again, another misrepresentation. Don't have an issue with Verizon and can certainly understand why they're trying to do what they are. They've done a great job spinning this (as evidenced by your position). I guess I actually have a problem with people like you who for whatever reason rudely criticize others who are trying to actually discuss the merits and facts.
 
#134 ·
winpitt said:
Again, another misrepresentation. Don't have an issue with Verizon and can certainly understand why they're trying to do what they are. They've done a great job spinning this (as evidenced by your position). I guess I actually have a problem with people like you who for whatever reason rudely criticize others who are trying to actually discuss the merits and facts.
Yawn. You don't like Verizon or their actions (you can pick which), start a thread in the appropriate forum complaining about it. (And feel free to call all of us who don't buy your position victims of "spin").

Your posts here have absolutely nothing to do with the Fios service's compatibility with the S3 (or ANYTHING to do with the S3, for that matter).
 
#136 ·
The whole Franchise discussion was beaten to death over at http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=590208

The one guy that was stomping on Verizon stayed for a while, then got frustrated and went away.

The ultimate 'trouble' these Town Councils and other local groups have can be summed up by the Town that wanted Verizon to pay for a Statue of the Mayor or the one that wanted them to pay for the cost of maintaining the community Swimming Pool or other towns that had other such local necessities. In my area Comcast pays for a local Festival and chips in an additional $150,000 for a 'bonus' into the town coffers. I wonder how Comcast (meaning the local subscribers) can afford this ?

Check out all the further comments over there and add your own to start another round of misery !
 
#137 ·
Dmon4u said:
The whole Franchise discussion was beaten to death over at http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=590208

The one guy that was stomping on Verizon stayed for a while, then got frustrated and went away.

The ultimate 'trouble' these Town Councils and other local groups have can be summed up by the Town that wanted Verizon to pay for a Statue of the Mayor or the one that wanted them to pay for the cost of maintaining the community Swimming Pool or other towns that had other such local necessities. In my area Comcast pays for a local Festival and chips in an additional $150,000 for a 'bonus' into the town coffers. I wonder how Comcast (meaning the local subscribers) can afford this ?

Check out all the further comments over there and add your own to start another round of misery !
OMG. What complete crap. Please do not send out clearly completely wrong information about this. Just for your information, Franchise authorities don't get "Statues" or any other sort of revenue. There is only one thing that the community gets in terms of financial returns from the cable providers, and that is ONLY franchise fees - which even the state or federal proposals provide. If your community sucks that bad I'd suggest that either you are simply repeating false rumor or your community just sucks. The only non-financial benefit the municipality can get is in the form of Public Access TV. That means a local municipal TV channel(s) for non-profit use. Additionally, those franchise fees are paid by the consumer and passed on to the local municipality - basically a tax. Therefore franchise fees have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with this debate.

Please learn what you're talking about. Don't mean to be rude, but can't tolerate false statements like this. I'm not accusing you of lying, but possibly of swallowing some BS story.
 
#138 ·
Move your comments over to the other Forum and we could continue this.

My last comments here are:

Funny, the Comcast (my local) info is printed in the regional paper (The Patriot-News) and nearly every other local paper every year. Seems odd they'd lie about this.

The other info has been around since the first franchise agreements and negoiations have come to light over the last year or so. If I recall, all these were posted and confirmed over at BroadbandReports.

As for my area, my Hummelstown Borough Council info is documented by the Newspapers and Town Officials. Much of this info including copies of Newspaper stories were posted at BroadbandReports. The Borough Councils story was that though we were first in our area to get FiOS, they punted the Sept. 28th 2005 (this after a month of delay) vote on a TV Franchise agreement to the WSCOG (West Shore Council of Goverments) supposedly because of costs. Also minutes of an August meeting came out showing that this was all a forgone conclusion http://hummelstown.govoffice2.com/v...ds/{F2BDC492-C09E-42C7-843C-36B6B06B3B29}.PDF and not something that was delayed. The real story, known to members of the Council (some, friends of mine) and also printed latter, was that they wanted more Traffic Lights to be put up and all of them to be paid for and maintained by Verizon. None of this is disputed in my area, by anyone. Only frustration by certain Borough Council Members at not getting these 'extras' caused this whole communitee to be stranded without a TV Franchise agreement with Verizon.
 
#139 ·
Dmon4u said:
Move your comments over to the other Forum and we could continue this.

My last comments here are:

Funny, the Comcast (my local) info is printed in the regional paper (The Patriot-News) and nearly every other local paper every year. Seems odd they'd lie about this.

The other info has been around since the first franchise agreements and negoiations have come to light over the last year or so. If I recall, all these were posted and confirmed over at BroadbandReports.

As for my area, my Hummelstown Borough Council info is documented by the Newspapers and Town Officials. Much of this info including copies of Newspaper stories were posted at BroadbandReports. The Borough Councils story was that though we were first in our area to get FiOS, they punted the Sept. 28th 2005 (this after a month of delay) vote on a TV Franchise agreement to the WSCOG (West Shore Council of Goverments) supposedly because of costs. The real story, known to members of the Council (some, friends of mine) and also printed latter, was that they wanted more Traffic Lights to be put up and all of them to be paid for and maintained by Verizon. None of this is disputed in my area, by anyone. Only frustration by certain Town Council Members at not getting these 'extras' caused this whole communitee to be stranded without a TV Franchise agreement with Verizon.
We can move this to another thread, but not another forum. And if you have proof of the above, start a thread and show it. To me (having a great deal of experience in this area) it is nonsense.
 
#140 ·
winpitt said:
No, you are incorrect - completely. My statements are about how Verizon is refusing to talk to LOTS of franchise authorities, and is demanding the elimination of a number of critical provisions of existing law. I am not bitter. I am (as well as others) fighting this as it is counter-productive and only provides negative value to the consumer at large. Build-out requirements are only part of the equation. Service is yet another part.

But, it's nice to know that you don't care about anyone else.
We get the point!! You don't like VZ or how they do business. That's fine, that's your right, and you've made yourself very clear. I don't have a problem with the statewide franchise. I see no need for every dinky town across the state to get involved. I'd prefer EVERYONE have free access to the utility easements, as long as they meet quality and workmanship standards, without every junior politician in earshot demanding the "right" of approval. Its called "competition" and its good for everyone. The competition VZ has brought to my town has given me a new choice, a better quality product, and lower prices.

+1 to the Free Market!!
 
#142 ·
JohnBrowning said:
We get the point!! You don't like VZ or how they do business. That's fine, that's your right, and you've made yourself very clear. I don't have a problem with the statewide franchise. I see no need for every dinky town across the state to get involved. I'd prefer EVERYONE have free access to the utility easements, as long as they meet quality and workmanship standards, without every junior politician in earshot demanding the "right" of approval. Its called "competition" and its good for everyone. The competition VZ has brought to my town has given me a new choice, a better quality product, and lower prices.

+1 to the Free Market!!
I keep waiting to let this drop but then somebody has to add a nonsense response that I don't want to less without address.

The competition existed BEFORE the state franchise agreement. Verizon chose to wait to enter the market deliberately because they believed people like you would not understand the legislation and believe the spin, allowing them to get concesssions (that they should not have gotten). They could have entered the market any time they wanted. In other areas that's what they did - in other words where they didn't have as much confidence that the state would roll over for them fast enough. Your definition of competition as it relates to this discussion is patently false.

I'll say it again - I have nothing whatsoever against Verizon. I understand what they are trying to do, and don't blame them for trying to take advantage of some ineffective politicians and uneducated consumers.

There is no protection or goverance now for your quality and service issues. None. While responsibility for oversight has been assigned, there are no resources within that government organization to actually EXECUTE on those responsibilities.

Honestly, I sincerely suggest that if you do not understand the legislation, READ IT. That's far more productive than simply making claims about "competition", etc when they are clearly incorrect. Verizon in almost every single case HAD ALREADY DEPLOYED FIBER to those areas prior to the state franchise agreement being put in. Are you suggesting that if the state hadn't rolled over they would have either removed the fiber or not lit it up? BS. They would have been there regardless.

THAT is the point. Verizon is going to deploy FiOS (thankfully) whether the federal or individual states give in to them. The difference is this. If they get their way, they'll deploy it to less communities. And, if they get their way their service requirements will be lower. THOSE are the facts.
 
#143 ·
I posted my testing results last night over at Broadband Reports and thought I would share them here (someone in this thread asked to see them, thanks for the interest!).
-------------------------------------------
Ok, I finally got some TV time tonight after my wife hit the sack. Getting in the way of Gray's Anatomy was not an option!

I took a look at the splitter in my attic, and it looks like the Verizon installer put in a new one. I checked the stats on it, and it has the 5mhz to 1 ghz previously mentioned in this thread. It is a 1 to 6 splitter.

I followed the co-ax as best I could in the attic and it does not appear to be split anywhere between the one I previously mentioned and its descent down the wall behind my tv.

I also went through the channels I wrote down as having the bad picture quality and checked the "tuned frequency". Hopefully this is the proper number that someone requested. It was available on multiple screens and seemed pretty important to me for that reason. Several times while checking it the "SNR" (signal to noise?) bounced from Poor to Good. Where applicable, I'll put a "*" next to the frequency. I also scanned all my channels below 50, and all but one of them were 100 strength. I believe channel 6 was somewhere around 97 or 98 and looked fine.

Channel Tuned Frequency

50 417
54 417
65 429
101 417
134 417*
135 417*
160 429*
164 417
190 423*
204 417*
230 429*
234 429*

I also tried a couple of splitters between the wall and my Tivo. A "high performance" splitter (5 mhz to 2 gig) did not change the signal strength. I tried an OLD one I found in the attic tonight (probably came with the house when built in the early 1990s) and the signal strength dropped a couple of points, but still in the low to mid 80s.

Any ideas? As long as I can still demonstrate to my wife that there are things still to try, she's on board with sticking with Verizon. I'm not looking forward to Sunday morning when we can't record and watch "PGA Sunday" on the USA Channel.
-------------------------------------------
Winpitt, I added you to my ignore list. I'm tired of reading your drivel. I'm sure I'm not alone in those that don't appreciate you polluting this thread. Happy trails...
 
#144 ·
musicforme said:
Any ideas? As long as I can still demonstrate to my wife that there are things still to try, she's on board with sticking with Verizon. I'm not looking forward to Sunday morning when we can't record and watch "PGA Sunday" on the USA Channel.
I just found something that we might be able to take to Tivo. In case you missed it earlier, I mentioned I was having some good luck with the crap channels on CC slot-1 but CC slot-2 was serverly pixelated. My previous S3 was bad on both slots.

I went back and rechecked the signal levels on different channels. It seems that all the channels that are coming in good, all above 50 and WGN, are hitting 100% and the displays says "Digital Signal Acquired". When I switch to one of my local cable channels that pixelate mostly on slot-2, I get a level of around 95% to 97% and the display says "Digital Signal Acquired" but occasionally in parentheses says "(No signal on tuner two)". Now... There is only 1 cable coming into the S3, why would 1 tuner be ok, and the other tuner not be ok, if it was a Verizon problem???

Now, since I have previously swapped cable cards and the problem stays on tuner 2, I believe this is proof that the problem is in the S3 and not with Verizon. And something else of interest, since the S3 warns that using the signal level test will suspend all recording, it's my understanding and belief that this allows you to view the signal without being processed to put on the hard drive. In other words, that part of the S3 is being taken out of the picture and isolating the problem to the tuner or in other cases, maybe both tuners.

I can't explain why the 100% channels are ok and the 96% channels are not unless the tuners are not sensative enough and require a 100% signal. I've previously tried using a TV signal amp but that didn't help. I'm going to try again and check the levels. Stay tuned (no pun intended).
 
#145 ·
I suggest you get a Viewsonics signal booster/splitter, either a single one in-line from the source, or one to split to each TV. I did the latter, and have significantly improves picture quality on all TV's on the analog side, and no issue on the digital side.

I did this with my OTA feed a while ago, and these Viewsonics devices seem like magic. They amp the low stuff, and don't seem to overamp anything that is already okay.

(I have no interest in Viewsonics, I just have had great luck with the devices).

I bought new on eBay, for about 20% less than other discount retailers, for what it's worth.
 
#146 ·
For those individuals in Plano TX that have Verizon Fios and the new TIVO Series 3, how did you get it to work. I have the Verizon guys here for 3 hours until they finally got the cable card working on the TV. But, then when we put them into the TIVO box, I got the message acquiring channel information but could go no further. Verizon says the cards are working correctly because they work on the TV. TIVO says it has to be something on Verizon's side. I am stuck in the middle. Any thoughts?
 
#147 ·
dnorthway said:
For those individuals in Plano TX that have Verizon Fios and the new TIVO Series 3, how did you get it to work. I have the Verizon guys here for 3 hours until they finally got the cable card working on the TV. But, then when we put them into the TIVO box, I got the message acquiring channel information but could go no further. Verizon says the cards are working correctly because they work on the TV. TIVO says it has to be something on Verizon's side. I am stuck in the middle. Any thoughts?
I documented this in an earlier post (probably didn't see it with all the off topic posts in between trashing Verizon)
The entire process of rewiring for telephone, internet and cable took about 7 hours. It took nearly 2 hours to get the cablecards to work. I had printed out an article that another forum member recommended: http://techdigs.net/content/view/46/42. While it is very Comcast focused, we were able to glean enough info to help. It would have been nice if the instructions that TiVo says to hand to the installer was actually complete, but it really wasn't.

Hopefully this will help:
1) Ask for brand new, never been used cablecards and write down the Serial Number (SN) and the UnitAddress (UA) that is on each of the cards. Mine were Motorolla. Your installer will need to repeat the numbers over and over.
2) Make note of which one you put in the bottom slot, this cablecard 1.
3) When you put the card in the bottom slot, a screen will show up with the card in green. I waited several minutes just staring at this screen and nothing happened. There is an option for Configure Card 1, so I decided to select it.
4) A black screen with white information shows up. This is the MMI screen that TiVo has a picture of in their instructions. According to the info in the techdig article, the HOST and DATA numbers are critical.
5) The tech will need to provide the Host and Data info to the guy on the phone. It will take that person several tries to type the long string of numbers and letters.
6) Because they could not do one and then the other, I had to put CC2 in before we finished with CC1.
7) The screen pops up showing 2 CCs in green and there is a new option for Configure CC2. We waited a few minutes before I selected the Configure CC2. The HOST and DATA information are unique for each CC.
8) It appeared that the person on the phone had a lot of trouble keeping the information straight between the 2 cards. He kept mixing the Host and Data information between the 2 different serial numbers. Since I couldn't see the screen he had to enter this into, I can't comment on why this was so difficult.
9) I can tell you that they had to reenter this information many times. I heard that they were getting an error message, but I could not find out what the message was. The TiVo Config screens time out, so I had to go through the TiVo Central menu many times to get back to the CC screens.
10) When they are successful, TiVo will automatically go to the Test Channel screen. For me this happened to CC1. All of the sudden the TV station it is testing appears in the background. We told them to stop messing with it because whatever they did, it was working.
11) We asked them to do whatever, to the second card. They did and the TiVo screen changed to the Test Channel screen automatically.

Jared will probably kill me, but you might want to request him as the installer. He is one of their best techs. I would also be willing to help. Just let me know.
 
#149 ·
Ilene said:
3) When you put the card in the bottom slot, a screen will show up with the card in green. I waited several minutes just staring at this screen and nothing happened. There is an option for Configure Card 1, so I decided to select it.
4) A black screen with white information shows up. This is the MMI screen that TiVo has a picture of in their instructions. According to the info in the techdig article, the HOST and DATA numbers are critical.
Not really cause & effect between step 3 & 4. The MMI would have come up on it's own if you had just waited

Ilene said:
8) It appeared that the person on the phone had a lot of trouble keeping the information straight between the 2 cards. He kept mixing the Host and Data information between the 2 different serial numbers. Since I couldn't see the screen he had to enter this into, I can't comment on why this was so difficult.
This is exactly why the Tivo instructions say to do one card at a time. There's no technical reason, but really easy to get things mixed up.
 
#150 ·
Roderigo said:
Not really cause & effect between step 3 & 4. The MMI would have come up on it's own if you had just waited

This is exactly why the Tivo instructions say to do one card at a time. There's no technical reason, but really easy to get things mixed up.
I totally understand that you are supposed to do one card at a time, but when the installer tells you that Fios requires that all connections (including the cable box in the other room) be activated at the same time, I was forced to put in the second card. And I am sorry that I did not make myself clear in that what the tech on the phone kept messing up with was the 4 series of numbers for the one card. It got no better when we worked on the 2nd card.

My point to this post is that like others have said, it is too bad that we have no control over the activation process. We cannot enter the numbers and submit them, we cannot see what the tech on the phone is doing or not doing.

I believe that TiVo will suffer as a result that there is nothing in it for the cable companies for these installs to be successful - in fact it costs them money as they will not have the revenue from leaving their own DVRs and the added PPV and VOD services.
 
#151 ·
Has anyone have FIOS and Tivo Series3 successfully installed in Centreville, VA or anywhere else in Northern VA area? Since last saturday countless number of Verizon techs and supervisors tried including multiple site visits by verizon techs. Results are identical, channels 50 and above don't work. They've tried at least 4 different cable cards and this is a second Tivo (first one exchanged per advice from tivo tech support) I am looking for a name of your tech so I can request them when I call their tech support number. I am this close to calling COX and ordering service from them despite it being $20 more expensive for identical content.
 
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