I did get this from the store. I asked if they can “look the other way” and let me just keep my current card but they said, NOGO due to the “upgrade”. I’m going to wing this and hope for the best. And thanks for the heads up.
d
CableCard and Verizon FIOS
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d
I'm curious. Did they supply your new monthly billing? If so, I'm wondering if they increased the cableCARD fee from $5 to $10/mo.
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I don't think there are any issues you should have with a premier before or after that would not already exist. My parents use a premier and others, but it works on FiOS. I have a bolt and remember the Series 3 had lots of issues with frequencies/channel roll outs that required 2 way info..
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314 Posts
YES,,,
This was the issue with the series 3...the S card (single stream) or M card (multi-stream?)
Ok how can you tell which is which?
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I doubt Vz is giving out anything but an M card.
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They haven’t used S cards in at least 15 years, no way you had one, especially in a premiere that had multiple tuners
Looks like Verizon Fios TV, like Comcast and Altice, has begun the transition away from QAM-based cable TV to IPTV.
When Verizon launched 2 Gig service in NYC back in Feb., they told those customers taking it that they could not yet get Fios TV service, but that that option would become available to them at a later date. It appears that Fios TV is now available to them as a streaming IPTV service delivered to a new Fios TV box that runs a customized version of Google's Android TV operating system. In addition to Fios TV -- complete with live channels, cloud DVR, and VOD -- the box also features the Google Assistant plus the Google Play app store for downloading and installing a range of popular streaming apps like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, Tubi, etc.
Here's a little promo video for "the new Fios TV" showing the new box in action:
At this time, this new IPTV-based Fios TV box is only available to customers on the 2 Gig service tier. And from what I read in another forum, it may come with different TV packages and pricing than traditional Fios TV (although I'm not sure about that).
But the interesting thing I read in this article about the box is the following:
"The carrier said it will roll out the device to its entire Fios footprint beginning next year."
That strongly suggests to me that Verizon will soon phase out selling their traditional QAM-based Fios TV service and its range of set-top boxes and DVRs. My guess is that at some point in 2023, all customers signing up for Fios TV service will only be offered "the new Fios TV" which is IPTV-only and delivered to this new box. But I'd also guess that existing customers on traditional QAM-based Fios TV will be able to keep that version of their service and their existing boxes (and CableCARDs) for awhile longer. But how much longer? Who knows. As Verizon upgrades their network to support 2 Gig speeds system-wide, I expect that they'll want to reclaim the bandwidth/spectrum currently devoted to QAM TV.
So while I wouldn't say that the end of CableCARD is necessarily imminent at Verizon, I also would urge Verizon Fios customers not to purchase a new TiVo DVR (or an all-in lifetime service plan) at this point. It's uncertain how much longer you may be able to use it.
When Verizon launched 2 Gig service in NYC back in Feb., they told those customers taking it that they could not yet get Fios TV service, but that that option would become available to them at a later date. It appears that Fios TV is now available to them as a streaming IPTV service delivered to a new Fios TV box that runs a customized version of Google's Android TV operating system. In addition to Fios TV -- complete with live channels, cloud DVR, and VOD -- the box also features the Google Assistant plus the Google Play app store for downloading and installing a range of popular streaming apps like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, Tubi, etc.
Here's a little promo video for "the new Fios TV" showing the new box in action:
At this time, this new IPTV-based Fios TV box is only available to customers on the 2 Gig service tier. And from what I read in another forum, it may come with different TV packages and pricing than traditional Fios TV (although I'm not sure about that).
But the interesting thing I read in this article about the box is the following:
"The carrier said it will roll out the device to its entire Fios footprint beginning next year."
That strongly suggests to me that Verizon will soon phase out selling their traditional QAM-based Fios TV service and its range of set-top boxes and DVRs. My guess is that at some point in 2023, all customers signing up for Fios TV service will only be offered "the new Fios TV" which is IPTV-only and delivered to this new box. But I'd also guess that existing customers on traditional QAM-based Fios TV will be able to keep that version of their service and their existing boxes (and CableCARDs) for awhile longer. But how much longer? Who knows. As Verizon upgrades their network to support 2 Gig speeds system-wide, I expect that they'll want to reclaim the bandwidth/spectrum currently devoted to QAM TV.
So while I wouldn't say that the end of CableCARD is necessarily imminent at Verizon, I also would urge Verizon Fios customers not to purchase a new TiVo DVR (or an all-in lifetime service plan) at this point. It's uncertain how much longer you may be able to use it.
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Comcast recently added a 2Gbps tier ("Gigabit X2") on top of their existing HSI offerings (the lower six are now typically 75/200/400/800/1000/1200Mbps); this is over HFC and in addition to their 6Gbps fiber service. AFAICT it does not impact on their QAM video delivery.
Yeah, I don't think we'll see QAM go away on any part of Comcast's HFC network until maybe they upgrade areas to DOCSIS 4.0 (or "10G" as Comcast likes to call it) starting at some point in 2023. I don't know that Comcast will be able to reach the level of symmetrical speeds they plan to get to on D4.0 without converting that QAM spectrum over to IP.
In Verizon's case, they're upgrading the tech platform that their fiber network runs on to NG-PON2 and, in doing so, they may be converting the wavelength that had been devoted to QAM TV over to another IP wavelength. (NG-PON2 supports four 10-gig symmetrical IP wavelengths, so with this new platform Fios should eventually be able to offer much faster speed tiers than just 2 Gbps.) At any rate, the new ONT that's being installed in homes in conjunction with the NG-PON2 service does not support QAM video at all.
For fiber operators, the trend now is that they're shifting to handling all video as simple IP traffic, same as everything else that runs on their network. If they're continuing to offer their own cable TV service, the only difference in it versus all other IP traffic may be that their TV service is only accessible over their own network to their own broadband customers. But I don't think it's "managed" IP in any other sense, really. For instance, I don't think many fiber operators are doing multicast IPTV now that requires specialized hardware on the network or in the home. The costs outweigh the benefits. AT&T does still run their old managed IPTV service, Uverse TV, but they deprecated it 2.5 yrs ago when they launched what is now called DirecTV Stream. They could announce they're pulling the plug on it at any time now, as CenturyLink did with the same managed IPTV platform on their network back in 2020-21.
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I see two options. If they’re sending you a new card prior to you turning in your old one, just keep the old one. If it continues to work fine, return the new one to avoid extra charges.
If they want the old one returned first, or the old one stops working, just call them to set up the new one.
This is VZ, there really shouldn’t be any consternation about setting up a CC.
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CableLabs, which tests and certifies DOSCIS equipment for all the majors (including Comcast), has stated that they expect the first D4.0(*) certifications in early 2024 (with the possible one-off's in late 2023).
That does not mean that there will not be testing and prototype experiments before that (some operators have even started now), but real deployments of commercially available CPE equipment across more than those small/limited tests, is not expected to start until 2024 (and even later for some operators in some markets). 2023 is thought to be a year of preparation (for at least Comcast), with the infrastructure being deployed that should be able to support the D4.0 future (i.e. R-PHY, vCMTS, etc.)
(*) Note that D4.0 includes lots of options (including the usual backward compatibility). Some operators will decide to implements FDX, some ESD, and perhaps some both, with all them able to claim D4.0 compliance (and sometimes marketing is all that matters).
Comcast uses the marketing term "10G" to refer to a host of network upgrades that are coming, including upgrades that they say will happen in multiple areas in 2023 that will result in "symmetrical multi-gig speeds."
Comcast Sees Year-End 2023 for Symmetrical Multi-Gigabit Deployments
With a successful test of full-duplex DOCSIS 4.0 complete, Comcast further outlined its plan for symmetrical multi-gig service to compete with FTTH
www.telecompetitor.com
One of the things that Comcast has been doing for awhile now are mid-split upgrades, which allow for faster upload speeds. In fact, they've increased upload speeds on just about all tiers in many areas, but they're nowhere close to being equal to download speeds. Their entry-level tier here, for instance, recently saw its speeds raised from 50/5 to 75/10 (with the usual over-provisioning of about 20% during off-peak hours). Their top (regular HFC) speed tier is now rated at 1200/35.
My understanding was that DOCSIS 3.1, even with mid-split, would not be capable of supporting at least 2 gigs in each direction (which is the minimum that could possibly be called "symmetrical multi-gig"). To get those kinds of speeds, Comcast would also need to implement FDX. This piece yesterday over at Light Reading does indicate that Comcast's mid-split upgrades to D3.1, combined with implementing full duplex (FDX), will enable symmetrical multi-gig speeds. Here's the key quote from the article linked above:
Under a mid-split, Comcast will expand the amount of capacity dedicated to the upstream – from a legacy range of 5MHz-45MHz to a broader range of 5MHz-85MHz. Using a DOCSIS network built to 1.2GHz with the mid-split and the use of Full Duplex DOCSIS (FDX) will put Comcast in position to roll out symmetrical, multi-gigabit speeds.
To some extent, this seems like a semantic debate. I was under the impression that if you added mid-split or high-split PLUS either FDX or ESD, then that is effectively D4.0. (Comcast is doing mid-split+FDX while Charter is doing high-split+ESD.) And I'm pretty sure that employing FDX (and maybe mid-split too) would require a new upgraded modem/gateway to access the top speed tiers.
IDK, maybe I'm incorrect in calling what Comcast will roll out before year-end 2023 "DOCSIS 4.0"? But it does appear to involve at least mid-split and FDX (and probably other upgrades too, like R-PHY, vCMTS, etc.). So it's going to be a really significant network upgrade which, as I say, will likely necessitate a new generation of modems, whether those modems are still called D3.1 or instead called D4.0 (although note that the Telecompetitor story I linked up top here specifically mentions D4.0 modems and amplifiers).
What does all this mean for CableCARD TiVo users? Well, who knows. Maybe nothing. But given the kind of major network upgrade that Comcast will be doing in select markets next year, it would seem like an opportune time to reclaim that network bandwidth that's currently dedicated to QAM video and make the network fully IP, something which is known to have been on Comcast's (and other cablecos') long-term roadmap for years now.
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