[alleybj]

For those who have TiVo with FiOS, I’m considering switching from spectrum, now that FiOS finally offers a TV anywhere app on Apple TV, and I have a couple of questions:

first, has anyone had any recent experience obtaining and pairing a cable card from FiOS? Anyone know if I will have to get a new cable card or whether I can re-purpose the one that I have from spectrum?

Next, does anyone know how the channels are marked with fiOS to allow transfer of programs to a PC? With spectrum, virtually every channel is marked do not copy. Is Fios more liberal in this regard? For example, I have Comcast at another home, and I can transfer anything except the premium pay channels.

Any other thoughts re Spectrum versus Fios?

Thanks very much

 

[bigguy126]

For those who have TiVo with FiOS, I'm considering switching from spectrum, now that FiOS finally offers a TV anywhere app on Apple TV, and I have a couple of questions:

first, has anyone had any recent experience obtaining and pairing a cable card from FiOS? Anyone know if I will have to get a new cable card or whether I can re-purpose the one that I have from spectrum?

Next, does anyone know how the channels are marked with fiOS to allow transfer of programs to a PC? With spectrum, virtually every channel is marked do not copy. Is Fios more liberal in this regard? For example, I have Comcast at another home, and I can transfer anything except the premium pay channels.

Any other thoughts re Spectrum versus Fios?

Thanks very much

Re the Cable card, they are property of the cable company. So, you will have to get a new one from Verizon. In fact, I just dropped TV from FIOS and had to return the card or pay for it.
Can't answer the transfer to PC.

 

[mlsnyc]

Not too recent, but I got a cablecard from them 5 years ago. It was not a problem requesting one and getting it installed. Back then I heard FiOS forced you to take their set-top box even if you just wanted the cablecard, falsely saying TV won't work in your household without it. That wasn't the case with me and I didn't have a problem putting in the order without the STB.

Re: copying recordings to a computer, I haven't used pyTivo for a while, but until about a year ago almost all channels could be transferred to my computer, with the exceptions being FX, FXX, and the premium channels.

I don't know if you were using a tuning adapter with Spectrum, but that's not required with FiOS.

 

[SteveD]

For those who have TiVo with FiOS, I'm considering switching from spectrum, now that FiOS finally offers a TV anywhere app on Apple TV, and I have a couple of questions:

first, has anyone had any recent experience obtaining and pairing a cable card from FiOS? Anyone know if I will have to get a new cable card or whether I can re-purpose the one that I have from spectrum?

Next, does anyone know how the channels are marked with fiOS to allow transfer of programs to a PC? With spectrum, virtually every channel is marked do not copy. Is Fios more liberal in this regard? For example, I have Comcast at another home, and I can transfer anything except the premium pay channels.

Any other thoughts re Spectrum versus Fios?

Thanks very much

If you are located in Atlanta, you may be looking at Frontier and not Verizon FiOS. Either way, you will need a new cable card.
Verizon only has a handful of channels marked as do not copy, HBO/Cinemax and the FOX owned channels. This may be different with Frontier.
You may want to check on Frontier Communications forum | DSLReports, ISP Information for more information.

 

[WVZR1]

I did an install for a friend on Verizon FiOS this past week and 'activation' was very straight forward and simple!

 

[dianebrat]

If it's Verizon then as @SteveD suggests you will be able to freely copy 95% of the channels, if it's Frontier you're not so lucky, they locked down a lot of their channels.

 

[alleybj]

I’m in NYC, so it’s definitely Fios. Any thoughts as to picture quality? I find the Spectrum pq to be noticeably softer than Comcast in Atlanta and was wondering how Fios would compare.

 

[mlsnyc]

I'm also in NYC. I think picture quality is very good. It was about the same or slightly better than when I was on Time Warner Cable, now Spectrum, that had a tuning adapter to allow SDV instead of doing some kind of compression to fit more HD channels into their lineup. It also looks about the same as what I get OTA on my Bolt.

 

[dianebrat]

I'm in NYC, so it's definitely Fios. Any thoughts as to picture quality? I find the Spectrum pq to be noticeably softer than Comcast in Atlanta and was wondering how Fios would compare.

Did you mean to say "it's definitely Verizon"? and your location tag says that you're in Atlanta so you may want to update that, that's why folks were talking about Atlanta.
In general Verizon FiOS is a slightly better picture than cable at most times, but nowhere near it's old legendary status, the big plus is their internet service doesn't have the shared local loop problem you see with a cable infrastructure and that it's synchronous up/down speeds.

 

[SteveD]

If you are switching to Verizon FiOS, you shouldn't have any issues pairing a cable card. The installer should be able to do it during install. Otherwise, there is an automated system and if that doesn't work, calling in should be no issue. Make sure that when you talk to the Verizon CSR, you use the magic phrase "manual validation". This seems to be the best way to get them to follow the correct procedure for pairing cable cards.

 

[alleybj]

Thanks. I live in Atlanta and New York.

 

[celtic pride]

With all due respect to dianebrat I have had frontier fios for around 8 years and have always been able to record any channel that i want as long as it was in my package. (currently on the EXTREME package).

 

[DVR_Dave]

With all due respect to dianebrat I have had frontier fios for around 8 years and have always been able to record any channel that i want as long as it was in my package. (currently on the EXTREME package).

The question was copy (i.e., to a PC), not record.

 

[alleybj]

Just to reiterate my main question. Should I have any concern that I won’t be able to obtain a cable card from Verizon? Thanks

 

[wmcbrine]

now that FiOS finally offers a TV anywhere app on Apple TV

If this really matters, it might actually prove to be more of a stumbling block than the CableCards. See here: Well Now - Fios App to Launch on Apple TV - Verizon FiOS TV | DSLReports Forums

In my case, I downloaded the app, and was told that I needed a "Streaming Device connection". So I went to the Verizon web site, but there was no way to activate it. Per the thread, it only works with Mix & Match (which, I think, is all you can get if you're a new subscriber, so you should be OK there). If you do manage to activate it, there's a cost associated, which seems to vary, and supposedly you need at least one Verizon STB (only TiVos here). It's, sadly, not on the same terms as the iOS app at all.

So, I deleted the app. I'll go on using Channels DVR for TV Everywhere on my Apple TV.

 

[dianebrat]

With all due respect to dianebrat I have had frontier fios for around 8 years and have always been able to record any channel that i want as long as it was in my package. (currently on the EXTREME package).

As @DVR_Dave says, we're not talking about recording, the discussion is about copying them off the DVR to a PC

 

[Zephyr]

We toggle VZ (Boston area) and Charter/Spectrum (Tampa Bay area) each winter. You will need each system's unique cable card. After years of misery with Brighthouse/Charter, the startup has been fairly painless. I think Covid sharpened up their tech support when they stopped rolling techs to do setups and trouble shooting. The Spectrum Tuning Adapter needs an occasional reboot which I got used to doing monthly.

 

[PSU_Sudzi]

Does anyone with Verizon FIOS DVR experience know if you can buffer more than one channel? Eg hit pause, switch channel, go back and resume playing again? Similar to TiVo.

 

[cwoody222]

Just to reiterate my main question. Should I have any concern that I won't be able to obtain a cable card from Verizon? Thanks

You should have zero concerns about obtaining and activating a CC with Fios. They are trouble free completely in this regard.

 

[ellinj]

Hello all, I am getting FIOS at my new apartment, there is already an ONT installed and I am being sent equipment for a self install. This includes a FIOS one box and a Router.

The install guide says to plug the router into the ethernet port on the ONT, but doesn't say much about where the coax should go. I am a little confused how FIOS provides signal. Currently the ONT has a coax connection output to the main splitter, I assume that this is QAM output. Is it also MoCA output for IP connectivity to the FiosOne boxes?

The router also has a Coax connector labeled Moca, does this need to be connected as well? I am still not sure if I am going to order a cable card but I would like to be prepared for either eventuality.