Setting up MVR with Fios

[emkorial]

I currently have a Series 2 Tivo (single tuner, I believe) and regular old analog cable from Comcast.

FIOS is available, and I am looking into it. I have heard the orror stories about thier DVR service, so I would love to keep my Tivo.

The setup I am interested in is described below:

In the living room, we have a 53" 4:3 RPTV (Can display HD). In the Bedroom, we (will) have a 50" Panasonic Plasma HDTV.

We currently have the Series 2 hooked up to the downstairs TV.

My ultimate goal is to have FIOS On Demand and PPV capability, but use Tivo as my DVR. And be able to watch DVR'd content on either TV. (This is MVR, right?)

I probbably won't get the HD package nw, I may in the future.

Will I need 2 Tivo's to pull this off? What would all the connections look like? How would the 2 Tivo's talk to each other, and how would they be connected to the TV's? would everything need it's one input to the TV? Would I need to pay for 2 accounts with Tivo?

Any info would be helpful! Thanks!

[CuriousMark]

MRV is between two TiVo DVRs over a local home network. It can be Ethernet, wireless or a combination. Each DVR will be set up at one of the televesions and will control a cable box, FIOS cable box, or satellite receiver. Mine control satellite receivers, but the ideas are the same.
One of my DVRs has lifetime service and the other gets a multi-service discount because of the first. It is all on one account. (has to be for MRV to work). The multi-service discount runs around $7/mo I think. I haven't paid attention for a couple of years, so it may be more now. Of course if you buy lifetime for both DVRs the ongoing monthly cost becomes zero. There are lots of threads with good advice on where and how to purchase to maximize the combination of purchase price and service cost savings.

Since you will be using Series 2 DVRs with the FIOS setup, they will NEVER record HD. Just be aware of that limitation.

About MRV. When two shows are on at the same time, we have each DVR record one. We then watch both at one location or the other as we see fit.

[lew]

FiOS DVRs aren't as good as tivo. The recording capacity is limited and can't be expanded. The guide data they use isn't as good as tivo. That said the Verizon DVR will let you stream to a non-DVR STB. You'd need to rent one STB, one DVR and you'd have to add the home media option.

You would need one tivo for each set. They communicate to each other via broadband. You need to run an Ethernet cable from each tivo to your router. Alternately you could purchase a wireless adapter, the tivo adapter is around $40.

Your single tuner tivo would work with FiOS but you'll also need a STB, you'll only have one tuner and you can't record HD.

A TivoHD will let you record two different programs, but won't work with VoD, PPV and will require one (or two) cable cards.

Do you have lifetime service with your series 2?

edited to add:
It doesn't make a lot of sense to subscribe to FiOS, have a HD TV but not view the shows in HD. Do you need VoD on both sets? Forget about tivo and go with a FiOS solution.

Otherwise use your existing Series 2 tivo with a Verizon STB . Purchase a TivoHD and use it with your other set. You'll need to rent one STB and 1 M (or two S) cable cards from FiOS. You'll need to purchase a TivoHD. If possible run cat 5 wires from the router to each tivo or purchase two wireless tivo adapters.

[pdhenry]

Another option would be if you had a PC capable of providing a signal to the upstairs TV, and then use TiVo-To-Go to send the programming from the TiVO (downstairs) to the PC (upstairs). This method only requires one TiVo subscription. If you use multiple TiVos each TiVo must be subscribed.

[emkorial]

Here's what I was thinking of doing (tell me if this is possible)

Downstairs TV:

Rent a non DVR Digital FIOS box, so I can watch PPV and On Demand and Fios TV. That will connect to Input #1 on the TV.

Rent a Digital "converter" FIOS box (the cheaper one), then output that to Series 2 Tivo, then output Tivo to Input #2 on TV. HD recording not possible.


So the downstairs setup will look like this


:--------> Converter box --> Tivo --> TV Input #2
:
wall--->splitter
:
:--------> digital cable --> TV input #1
box


And I would set up the cable or whatever so Tivo could change th channel of the converter box so it could record what I want. Being a 4:3 TV, I wouldn't be watching HD content on this TV.

Upstairs, I would get a new HD Tivo for the new flatscreen, and the setup would be


:--------> HD Tivo w/ Cable Card --> TV Input #2
:
wall--->splitter
:
:--------> digital cable --> TV input #1
box


This would allow me to watch FIOS TV, On Demand, and PPV on Input #1, and DVR'd shows on #2.


As you are telling me now, I would need to connect the two Tivo's to a router to talk to each other, and if that were the case, I could watch whatever was on either Tivo (with the exception of watching HD content on the Series 2 Tivo, of course)

So this setup would require:
Renting 2 digital cable box's (5.99 a piece, I would need these anyway even without Tivo)
Renting 1 "conveter" box for the SD Tivo (3.99)
Renting a Cable Card for the HD Tivo (3.99 I believe)
Getting a new Tivo HD and service plan (whatever that costs)
A heck of a lot of cabling (which needs to be done anyway)

Would that all work? Basically, on both TV's, Input 1 would be live FIOS TV with On Demand and PPV and all that jazz, and input #2 would be a Tivo interface. And either Tivo could display content recorded on the other.

[lew]

Your solution may be overkill. Do you really need PPV and VoD on both sets? Do you need two boxes for set one? Does your TV set have a QAM tuner? Split the cable. Run the digital FiOS box through your tivo. Run the other leg directly to the TV tuner. You can watch unencrypted channels (broadcast stations) while your box is recorded an encrypted station.

Your solution isn't budget friendly. Given you willingness to spend $$$ I'd purchase two TivoHD units and do it right.

I assume you're using FiOS for internet. They'll normally give you a wireless router.

You'll save at least $20/month if you get a FiOS DVR (with sharing) and one STB. FiOS boxes uses your coax to network the units.

[emkorial]

You'll save at least $20/month if you get a FiOS DVR (with sharing) and one STB. FiOS boxes uses your coax to network the units.

Here's how I see it. Am I missing something? (all prices rounded to the nearest $)

Just FIOS:
$99 a month for the service
Whole home DVR downstairs: $20 a month
Digital cable box upstairs: $6
Monthly cost: $126, and I have a ****** channel guide and a flaky DVR

Tivo MVR Solution
$99 a month for the service
1 digital cable boxe: $6 (downstairs TV/On Demand/PPV)
1 converter box: $4 (downstairs SD Tivo)
1 Cable Card rental: $4 (Upstairs HD Tivo)
2 Tivo accounts: $23 (with multi account discount)
Monthly cost: $136, I'll have MVR, and the best DVR evar!! $10 more a month, not a big deal.

If we decided NOT to get a Tivo upstairs, and just keep the one Tivo we have, it would be:
$99 a month for the service
2 digital cable boxes: $12
1 converter box: $4
1 Tivo accounts: $13
Total cost: $131


I could save $2 a month by dowgrading one of the digital boxes to a converter box, but for $2, why not get it?

[emkorial]

You can watch unencrypted channels (broadcast stations) while your box is recorded an encrypted station

The FIOS dude said I couldn't. Every input to the TV need SOME digital converter in front of it. Since my series 2 doesn't have a cable card slot, I need the converter box (same price anyways).

I could run the output of the digital cable box to the Tivo, and then that to the TV, but then if somehting was being recorded, I couldn't watch anything else, right?

[emkorial]

Also, for my regular analog cable, comcast internet, and a verizon phone line, I'm paying $160-ish a month right now. Even the most expensive Tivo option is cheaper.

The other alternative would be to ditch Tivo and use Dish network. I'm looking at that as well. But everything I read says Fios has the best picture quality.

Who would I call to get get cabling installed in my house? I know what I want, but it's going to require a fair bit of drilling. Would an electrician be the best bet for that?

[lew]

Your $16 figure doesn't reflect discounts that FiOS frequently gives for DVRs, any part of the cost of purchasing a TivoHD nor the cost of the wireless adapter. I think my $20 is probably a reasonable number. You're willing to pay the money...next question.

If your TV set has a digital QAM tuner you'll be able to tune broadcast channels on your TV set. As long as your willing to only watch a recorded program, or broadcast show, while your tivo is recording another show you can skip the second box.

FiOS should be able to use your existing wiring. Some areas FiOS will do some internal wiring at no extra cost. Many people get reasonable results with the Tivo wireless adapter. Using your existing coax generally works.

Otherwise you can hire an electrician to snake wires. You might also find someone who mainly does cable/phone wiring.

[turbobozz]

The Verizon FiOS DVR really isn't as bad as the horror stories make it sound.
It's actually decent as a basic DVR and the UI actually does have some advantages over TiVo... like PiG.

Sure, some people have had problems with it, and it has some quirks.... But the same can be said of TiVo.

My general recommendation is to try the simplest solution first and see how it works out for you.
Try out the verizon DVR with MRV (especially since they have it as a really cheap promo price in some areas right now).
You might be pleasantly surprised, or you might hate it.
If it doesn't work for you... then shift into one of your backup plans with tivo.

[philhu]

The FIOS dude said I couldn't. Every input to the TV need SOME digital converter in front of it. Since my series 2 doesn't have a cable card slot, I need the converter box (same price anyways).

I could run the output of the digital cable box to the Tivo, and then that to the TV, but then if somehting was being recorded, I couldn't watch anything else, right?

The FIOS dude is wrong.

They have all local channels, in SD and HD and, in my case, about 30 others and all music choice channels in unencrypted QAM. I just plugged the cable into my tv and voila.

They MUST put the locals in unencrypted QAM on the cable, it is the law. I didn't say analog, I said digital QAM

[emkorial]

If your TV set has a digital QAM tuner you'll be able to tune broadcast channels on your TV set.

I don't know if it does. It's a Sony 53" RPTV. And even so, if I can watch ALL the channels for an extra $4, why not?

FiOS should be able to use your existing wiring


I have no internal wiring. I have one hacked in coax I put in and use now. The house was never wired with coax, or cat 5, or internal phone wire, for that matter. Yeah, I hate old houses too.


Sure, some people have had problems with it, and it has some quirks.... But the same can be said of TiVo.

Does it have suggesitons? Is it accurate? a few people I talked to with it complaing about the channle guide often being flat out wrong and the DVR missing a lot of shows.


Try out the verizon DVR with MRV (especially since they have it as a really cheap promo price in some areas right now).

Rather just do it right the first time and not worry about it.

[lew]

The only issue is watching all the channels at the same time you're recording another show. Won't work if you want to watch one "premium" channel and record a different "premium" channel. Not an issue if you want to watch CSI while your tivo is recording a different program.

One reason is to save $4. Another reason is to reduce clutter. Two cable boxes, tivo and possibly a receiver and DVD player. A third reason is remote control issues. I'm not sure if the cable box or converter can be programmed to use different remote codes. I don't know if you can use a serial connection . Check.

You don't seem to be under a strict budget. Ditch the series 2 and purchase 2 TivoHD units. A much better solution.

Consider getting only one FiOS STB. You may not use PPV or VoD as much as you think.

I don't use suggestions. Tivo has better guide data but the issue is overstated. Prime time network shows are about the same. The issue seems to be with shows like Monk. FiOS guide data is more likely to be "generic" and will no know a show is first run.

You're willing to spend the money. Get the tivo. I wouldn't "half way" it. Go with two TivoHDs Consider expanding the capacity of one unit.




I don't know if it does. It's a Sony 53" RPTV. And even so, if I can watch ALL the channels for an extra $4, why not?

I have no internal wiring. I have one hacked in coax I put in and use now. The house was never wired with coax, or cat 5, or internal phone wire, for that matter. Yeah, I hate old houses too.

Does it have suggesitons? Is it accurate? a few people I talked to with it complaing about the channle guide often being flat out wrong and the DVR missing a lot of shows.

Rather just do it right the first time and not worry about it.

[emkorial]

The only issue is watching all the channels at the same time you're recording another show. Won't work if you want to watch one "premium" channel and record a different "premium" channel. Not an issue if you want to watch CSI while your tivo is recording a different program.

One reason is to save $4. Another reason is to reduce clutter. Two cable boxes, tivo and possibly a receiver and DVD player. A third reason is remote control issues. I'm not sure if the cable box or converter can be programmed to use different remote codes. I don't know if you can use a serial connection . Check.

You don't seem to be under a strict budget. Ditch the series 2 and purchase 2 TivoHD units. A much better solution.

Consider getting only one FiOS STB. You may not use PPV or VoD as much as you think.

I don't use suggestions. Tivo has better guide data but the issue is overstated. Prime time network shows are about the same. The issue seems to be with shows like Monk. FiOS guide data is more likely to be "generic" and will no know a show is first run.

You're willing to spend the money. Get the tivo. I wouldn't "half way" it. Go with two TivoHDs Consider expanding the capacity of one unit.

I already have 1 Series 2 Tivo. Why ditch it to get a TivoHD? The cost of the converter box and the cable card rental are the exact same.

I have no reciever (I don;t even know what they are for). I'll have one digital STB, and my DVD player. The converter box will be hidden, and he Tivo next to the entertainment center. The only visible addition will be the digital box.

I personally love suggestions. And I watch a lot of non broadcast network TV.

I think I'll start of with just straight FIOS, with thier MVR and 2 digital cable boxes, since they are giving them away for free for 6 months. I'll rent one additional converter box for the existing Tivo. Then if I decide I don't like the Fios DVR, I can always just give back thier box for nothing and add the new Tivo HD in. The wiring would need to be done anyway.

The only issue is watching all the channels at the same time you're recording another show. Won't work if you want to watch one "premium" channel and record a different "premium" channel.

Why wouldn't it? As I understand it, I would have two completely indepenadat input streams going to the TV. So I could watch 1 while the other records. What am I missing?