NY Long Island FIOS questions

[johncoyne]

I currently have Direct TV and am aware that changes are coming soon and I will lose Tivo so I am looking and thinking of options. I would like to hear from anyone who has the new Verizon Fios cable here on Long Island and is operating with a stand alone HD Tivo unit (with cable card?). My set up will be two stand alone HD Tivo units and regular Fios cable boxes for my other rooms. Just wondering if anyone out there can offer some feedback. I also need to find out if Verizon charges for cable cards and does Tivo charge per box or do they mirror the subscription fee like Direct TV does. It will all come down to dollars and cents (and programing), but I am more than willing to invest a bit to keep my Tivo platform. Anyone??? Thanks.
John, NY

[lew]

TivoHD--cost $199.
Tivo service:
FIRST UNIT
$12.95 /month...1 year $129 2 year $249 3 year $299 lifetime $399 (may be available to DTV tivo customers)
ADDITIONAL UNITS
$9.99/month or $99 /year or $399 lifetime

I don't know if verizon currently has the M cards, each TivoHD unit needs 2 S cards or 1 M card, I'm paying $2.99 per card but I think that went up to 3.99.

FiOS HD DVR is $16/month but they will sometimes bundle a movie package on HD DVR for $20/month. The effective cost for the HD DVR is about $6.

I have one TivoHD and one FiOS DVR. The tivo has more accurate guide data and a better interface.

The monthly fee is a wash (if you pre-pay). You have to decide if it's worth the $200 for a tivo. You can upgrade the hard drive in a tivo you can't upgrade the FiOS DVR.

Picture quality is much better with FiOS




I currently have Direct TV and am aware that changes are coming soon and I will lose Tivo so I am looking and thinking of options. I would like to hear from anyone who has the new Verizon Fios cable here on Long Island and is operating with a stand alone HD Tivo unit (with cable card?). My set up will be two stand alone HD Tivo units and regular Fios cable boxes for my other rooms. Just wondering if anyone out there can offer some feedback. I also need to find out if Verizon charges for cable cards and does Tivo charge per box or do they mirror the subscription fee like Direct TV does. It will all come down to dollars and cents (and programing), but I am more than willing to invest a bit to keep my Tivo platform. Anyone??? Thanks.
John, NY

[johncoyne]

Thanks for the info. I haven't called FIOS directly (will tomorrow) but...just got back from my local Best Buy where I was told by the 2 salespeople there that the HD Tivo will NOT work with Verizon/FIOS since it is a digital/fiber optic signal. Cablevision, yes, FIOS no. Of course, this made little sense to me, but that's what they are saying to their potential customers. Also, the HD Tivo was selling at $299 and I was wondering where you got one for $199. I have seen listings for $249 but never as low as $199. Comments anyone using HD Tivo with Verzion FIOS?
Thanks in advance!
John, Long Island, NY

[GoHokies!]

I'm using the older style S3 with FiOS and loving it.

Best Buy sales drones are typically idiots that have no idea what they are selling, THD and S3 both work just fine with FiOS.

Lew god the pricing just about right. To clarify on the M-card question, they're supposed to have them this spring sometime. Haven't seen any reports of them in the wild yet.

[lew]

$199 is a promotion from tivo. Not sure how much longer it's running.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=388706

HDTivo works great with FiOS. No matter how you do the math you'll be paying a premium (worth it) to go with the tivo as opposed to the FiOS supplied Motorola DVR.



Thanks for the info. I haven't called FIOS directly will tomorrow) but...just got back from my local Best Buy where I was told by the 2 salespeople there that the HD Tivo will NOT work with Verizon/FIOS since it is a digital/fiber optic signal. Cablevision, yes, FIOS no. Of course, this made little sense to me, but that's what they are saying to their potential customers. Also, the HD Tivo was selling at $299 and I was wondering where you got one for $199. I have seen listings for $249 but never as low as $199. Comments anyone using HD Tivo with Verzion FIOS?
Thanks in advance!
John, Long Island, NY

[Jeffho]

I have Fios with HDTivo and I also have Verizon's HD DVR. I use the Tivo for my shows and the Verizon DVR for kids shows and some SD stuff. Tivo is much much more reliable than Verizon's DVR. Verizon misses shows often enough to be annoying. The only good thing about theirs is that you can have multiroom viewing for all the tv's with a box (which you pretty much need for each tv anyway.). It works well enough for the kids. I know that Tivo has multiroom viewing also. It just transfers way to slow.

So if you go Verizon you definitely need the HDtivo. The prices have been mentioned and I think it is actually cheaper (except for the initial cost of the Tivo) to use the Tivo.

[johncoyne]

New wrinkle: Can my stand alone TIVO HD call into Tivo central if I have the Verzion/Fios phone? I understand this isn't your standard land line and have read that I might need a modem kit, which according to the Tivo website doesn't work with the TIVO HD....or am I reading that wrong? Comments & help, please?
Thanks.
John, NY

[GoHokies!]

FioS acts just like a regular phone line, you won't have any problems dialing in.

Although if you have a Tivo HD and you have FiOS internet, why not have it call in over the internet and get all the added broadband features?

[classicsat]

It might. If you have FIOS intenet, you could use that instead though.

External modems don't work on HD units, for they have no external serial port.

[johncoyne]

Talked to my friendly neighborhood FIOS rep today to try and work out all the fees and packages if and when I switch from Direct TV. $3.99 per cable card and no M cards available, as of yet. I was also told that since I won't have a cable box with my HD Tivo along with not being able to get Video on Demand and ordering PPV (don't care, never do) my HD Tivo will also not get the TV Guide feature that comes with a box. Anyone remedy this? Might suck not having a guide to look at and see what's on...or...does Tivo have it's own TV Guide to look at? Here's another (out in left field question).....might someone add TIVO software to the new Direct TV DVRs??? Wonder if this is technically possible. Would save a lot of headaches here.
John, NY

ps) thanks for all the help!

[TexasAg]

my HD Tivo will also not get the TV Guide feature that comes with a box. Anyone remedy this? Might suck not having a guide to look at and see what's on...or...does Tivo have it's own TV Guide to look at?

Your unit will get guide data from Tivo. You don't need to get guide data from the cable company.
__________________
My personal opinions are just that. Don't rely on anything I say - I could be Bill Gates' pool boy.

[classicsat]

might someone add TIVO software to the new Direct TV DVRs??? Wonder if this is technically possible. Would save a lot of headaches here.


The issue isn't if it is technically possible (I am sure it could be ported to that hardware), but if DirecTV wants it to happen. So far it seems, they don't.

[silly]

I am in Westchester County, NY

I switched from Direct TV to FIOS in late Dec 2007 as I entered the HD revolution and I had too many trees for HD DTV. So I went with FIOS to get the free TV and because I did not want Cablevision.

If you have used Tivo with DTV you will hate the VZ DVR. Its is total crap.

That said, I did the initial install without the Tivos and that was a mistake.

I did get the HD Tivo about a month ago (I got the refurb unit from tivo.com). It took weeks for VZ to get me the cable cards and then took another 8 hrs on the phone between yesterday and today to get the cards to work.

That said. Do your initial install with the Tivos in hand. They will get it right on the install. After the install, you will get stuck in VZ customer service purgatory.

Getting my Tivo installed was a painful painful process, but I am glad to be rid of the Moto DVR (shortly that is).

I have the Tivo tapped into my wireless network and it gets the TV guide on line. And the TV guide looks just like the guide did on satellite.

Good luck... you will need it... as the install/billing/customer service leaves a lot to be desired.... but the HD picture is great.

[johncoyne]

Ok so I ordered my two HD Tivos today and am ready to take the plunge from Direct TV (sad to go, but hey...no Tivo? no me) to FIOS. I will take everyone's advice and be ready when install comes.
John, NY

[GoHokies!]

Excellent! Let us know how you make out and if you have any more issues.

[johncoyne]

I want to be ready with everything when the FIOS installer comes so what will I need to connect my two HD Tivos via the internet rather than a phone line? Seems the way to go to get all the extra bonus features the HD Tivo offers at no extra cost. FYI: MY computer is in another room on another floor away from my main TV/home theatre.
John, NY

[mamosley]

Internet connection to the tivo hds is the way to go. You will also be getting a 4 port wireless router on the install. There has not been any official information put out when or if verizon will be getting m cards. Adding to what silly said, most people dont know what cable cards are much less what they do or how they do it.

[johncoyne]

Thanks for the reply. Do I need to purchase any wires/cables for my two HD Tivos ahead of time so I am set when the FIOS guy, with the cool truck, shows up? Just trying to cover all the bases....
John, NY

[classicsat]

It depends what the installer brings, or what you have on hand.

It needs and ethernet cable, it doesn't come with one.

[Makmcm]

The FiOS techs will come with cables, including HDMI cables to connect your TV's to the FiOS boxes (for your non-TiVO TVs). We had just bought an HD TV at PC Richard's and were suckered into buying a Monster HDMI cable there, as the salesperson told us that FiOS would not supply cables. When I got FiOS in December, I ordered two HD boxes for my non-TiVO TVs and 2 cable cards for my HD TiVo. The Techs arrived without the cards because they were out of stock. I had to wait several more weeks before they arrived. The Tech that brought the cards had NEVER intalled cards in a TiVo before, much less had even seen a TiVo. Definitely have the sheet that came with your HD TiVo ready for the tech. My computer is in the same room as my TiVo, so I also pulled up this site as the Tech was here to figure out what all the codes and messages on the screen were about. The Tech was glad to look at this site, because it definitely helped us figure out if we were on the right track. It took about 45 minutes to do the card installation.

After he left, I realized that one of the cards was not working on some of the non-HD channels (We had only checked the lower channels and the HD channels while he was here, and had assumed all the ones in between worked. Never assume.) Another tech was sent to the house a few days later, took the card to his "cool" truck, and reinstalled it a few minutes later. Voila, it worked.

The two Techs that did the original installation left us with two extra FiOS remotes and two HDMI cables. You cannot use the FiOS remote with the TiVo.

The TiVo onscreen guide is far superior to the FiOS guide. It is more detailed, up-to-date, and intuitive than the FiOS one.

If you are getting the Triple Play package, you will get a wireless router, so your TiVo will "dial the mothership" through that rather than your phone line. There are lots of neat features that are only available through the broadband network instead of through dial-up, so that is the best way to go. You will need to buy a TiVo USB adapter. I got mine through Amazon.com.

On a practical note, if the FiOSTech has to drill a hole for the FiOS wires to enter your house, check the hole when they are through to make sure there are no gaps around the wire. We didn't (they had drilled a whole right above the concrete foundation into the basement), and several weeks later discovered that some mice had taken up residence in our basement. The exterminators plugged up the gap in the hole with some copper mesh, saying it was possible that is where Mickey and friends gained entry. We've never had a pest problem before, so we think that hole was the culprit.

You will love FiOS and your TiVo HD once you get through the installation headaches!

[mamosley]

Thanks for the reply. Do I need to purchase any wires/cables for my two HD Tivos ahead of time so I am set when the FIOS guy, with the cool truck, shows up? Just trying to cover all the bases....
John, NY

You may want to get wireless adapters for the tivo hd's so you dont have to worry about running cat5 from the different rooms to the router.

[johncoyne]

If you are getting the Triple Play package, you will get a wireless router, so your TiVo will "dial the mothership" through that rather than your phone line. There are lots of neat features that are only available through the broadband network instead of through dial-up, so that is the best way to go. You will need to buy a TiVo USB adapter. I got mine through Amazon.com.


Since I am hooking up 2 HD Tivos (rightnext to each other) do I need a wireless router for each Tivo unit? And will the "mothership" accept two seperate tivos? Again, thanks for all the help...
John, NY

PS) My Sony 50 inch LCD only accepts one HDMI cable and now with two HD Tivos hooked up to it I will need another HDMI input. Suggestions on the best way to go?

[acvthree]

You can have multiple Tivos and a single router. It is just determined by how good your signal is to each Tivo.

You may want to consider Ethernet over powerline to get faster speeds.

Al

[lew]

My installer didn't have HDMI cables. He was more then generous with component cables and S Cables. Monoprice sells HDMI cables for next to nothing, not an issue.

[classicsat]

If you mean wireless "Adapter", each TiVo would need its own. There is no way to use one adapter on two TiVos.

If you mean some other network apparatus, it depends.

[johncoyne]

Well it took two full days to get it all installed but I am now wired up to the FIOS triple play....ok...here goes...
The one TIVO HD seems to be working fine (finally) while the other is being a pain. Right now I have no live picture on it (I had sound but no picture, but now no picture)...Am wondering if the video output is the problem. The one HD Tivo is using the HDMI output, but since I only have one HDMI input on my Sony LCD I am using the R,B.G wires...I wonder if I need to adjust the TV video output. Right now I am trying a reboot...unplugged the unit to see what happens. Suggestions? I'll keep everyone posted.
John, NY

[johncoyne]

The reboot did the trick and all is now well. The FIOS HD picture is rather stunning, I must say and to have Tivo still makes it all :)worth while. Wonder what Direct TV will say tomorrow when I call to cancel...No Tivo? No Me.
Thanks to everyone here for the help! It is appreciated!
John, NY

[GoHokies!]

Awesome! Glad you're happy!