FiOS TV: Home Media DVR

[Rob Dawn]

Looks like Verizon beat DirecTV to the punch:


Verizon today announced the Home Media Digital Video Recorder (DVR) that can record a TV show for you downstairs, let you watch it upstairs and share your favorite photos and music with family and friends—all with a few clicks on Verizon FiOS TV.

With new capability that’s unique in the communications and entertainment industry, the DVR enables up to three simultaneous viewings—with no complex upgrade to the home network and no purchase of new equipment. The new recorder is bundled in the Media Manager, a feature that lets customers access photos and music on their PCs and play them on their TVs. The capability improves the delivery and experience with a better view than crowding around a small-screen PC.

Video Solutions Senior VP Marilyn O’Connell explains, “Home Media DVR breaks through technology barriers and living room walls to let customers enjoy TV on their own terms throughout the house.”

Home Media DVR was released in parts of Massachusetts and Texas where Verizon offers FiOS TV on Friday, Aug. 11. On Wednesday, Aug. 16, it will be launched in California, Florida, Maryland, New York and Virginia. The music playback feature is currently provided as a beta application, with enhancements slated for release later this year.


If anyone gets this, or sees it in action, please let us know what you think...

Rob

[kgclark75]

is this HD?

[ebonovic]

Not to nit-pic.... as it looks like a good product (by the announcement)

They may be pushing down the remains of the barriers, but TiVo SA's have been doing some of this for a while.

And it still has one fundimental flaw...
You need FiOS....

No FiOS... you are out of luck.

But I guess this doesn't count as a release either....
As it is ony available in certain areas of the country... and not available everywhere... :;

[NYHeel]

But the point is that this is the first video provider to provide a DVR with MRV capability. It's not perfect (you can't pause and rewind live tv at the remote boxes) but it's still pretty good. Of course my DTivos are modified so I already get more.

[A J Ricaud]

is this HD?

If I read the FiOS threads right, no, SD only for now.

[bgtimber75]

So far it's a pretty big flop. They charge $19.95 for it instead of $12.95 for the regular DVR (it's just a software upgrade). The kiker is that if you pay $19.95 for the DVR and $9.95 for the standard box you're not getting anymore HD space and you're paying more then you would for 2 DVR's.

It should be a free software upgrade or if they're going to charge you more the DVR box should have a larger HD then what the $12.95 DVR box.

[hongcho]

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the FIOS's solution to store the video at their end, not on the STBs?

Hong.

[RossoNeri]

The Cablevision solution was to store remotely and that is "mothballed in the face of lawsuits" (quotes Ars Technica, link below).

It looks like the FiOS box is a streaming media server with non-DVR STB's acting as playback clients.

FWIW: While VZ likes to call FiOS IPTV, it's really an QAM encoded plain old RF (PORF?) signal distributed over their fiber net and converted back to RF at your house. A Series 3 w/ CC should work with FiOS (assuming VZ supports CC).

My question is: is this a Series 3 alternative? If it's just enhanced MRV, and you still need DVR's in each room, I don't think the premium is worth it. I'll take (4) Series 3 over (4) of these...

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060814-7493.html

[bkdtv]

Rosso,

You only need one DVR. The rest of the clients are the $3.95/mo STBs. Once again, the FiOS MRV only works to stream standard programming to the SD STBs for now. No HDTV streaming is supported yet.

[bgtimber75]

The Cablevision solution was to store remotely and that is "mothballed in the face of lawsuits" (quotes Ars Technica, link below).

It looks like the FiOS box is a streaming media server with non-DVR STB's acting as playback clients.

FWIW: While VZ likes to call FiOS IPTV, it's really an QAM encoded plain old RF (PORF?) signal distributed over their fiber net and converted back to RF at your house. A Series 3 w/ CC should work with FiOS (assuming VZ supports CC).

My question is: is this a Series 3 alternative? If it's just enhanced MRV, and you still need DVR's in each room, I don't think the premium is worth it. I'll take (4) Series 3 over (4) of these...

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060814-7493.html


THe VOD is IPTV and I think the PPV as well. The regular service is indeed QAM.

[tlphipps]

Rosso,

You only need one DVR. The rest of the clients are the $3.95/mo STBs. Once again, the FiOS MRV only works to stream standard programming to the SD STBs for now. No HDTV streaming is supported yet.

The question I can't seem to find an answer to is:

Does this streaming traverse the coax, or does it require an ethernet connection for the SD STBs?

[bkdtv]

Does this streaming traverse the coax, or does it require an ethernet connection for the SD STBs?
No ethernet connection is required to the STBs. Verizon uses MoCA, which is 100Mbps networking over coax. The STB requests data over coax and the ONT installed outside (or in your basement) directs that request to the Internet router. The only box that has both coax and ethernet connections is the Actiontec router, which assigns IP addresses to every Mac, PC, STB, and DVR on your network.

Screenshot of Actiontec Router Interface (http://mysite.verizon.net/fiosdvr/images/actiontec.gif)

Actiontec Router Datasheet (PDF) (http://www.actiontec.com/products/broadband/4port_wireless_broadband_router/images/dtsht.pdf)

[RossoNeri]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. Yes, the STB's can view the content, but if you're going to replace a TiVo, I think you'd want Pause/Rewind of live TV. For that you'd need a DVR box and not the $3.95/mo STB. This, of course, assumes that the DVR can receive the streaming content.

Thanks for the clarification.