Debating the switch from DTV.....?

Methodical

Currently I subscribe to DTV and my 2yr. committment ended back in February. Verizon just installed their FIOS line in my neigbhor hood so I've been debating the switch but I have a few ?s. I am interested in TV only at this point.

1. My home is pre-wired with coax cable for upto 8 receivers (5 currenly active). What installation is required to get FIOS into the house (i.e. how much hacking is required). Do they utilize the existing coax or have to run something different?

2. What HD channels do FIOS offer?

3. Can I utilize my existing OTA to get local HD channels with their receivers?

4. What are the costs associated with getting FIOS TV?

5. What deals are offered to newcomers?

6. How long do you have to commit?

7. Can someone maybe provide a link with tech info?


Thx

drdumont

Methodical wrote:
Currently I subscribe to DTV and my 2yr. committment ended back in February. Verizon just installed their FIOS line in my neigbhor hood so I've been debating the switch but I have a few ?s. I am interested in TV only at this point.

1. My home is pre-wired with coax cable for upto 8 receivers (5 currenly active). What installation is required to get FIOS into the house (i.e. how much hacking is required). Do they utilize the existing coax or have to run something different?

------------>FiOS uses the existing coax in your house,, if it is RG-6 or CAC-6, a good grade of TV lead, not skinny RG-59. If U have a splitter in the attic or somewhere, they will replace it with a bidirectional splitter.

2. What HD channels do FIOS offer?

------------>Take a look at the lineup at www.fiostv.com

3. Can I utilize my existing OTA to get local HD channels with their receivers?

------------- > If you have an HD receiver with external antenna feed, you can use that for OTA reception. You switch the receiver to "Tuner". The FiOS set top box (STB) will feed your sets with external analog or digital inputs as available on your set.

4. What are the costs associated with getting FIOS TV?

---------> I pay about $40/month for basic TV (about 180 ch) and about $35/mo for 15MB down / 2MB up Internet service here in the Dallas area.

5. What deals are offered to newcomers?

---------> I got $5/month for a year off each service (TV & Internet)

6. How long do you have to commit?

----------> No commitment needed when I installed. May be different in ur area. But NOTE!!! Once you disconnect your copper phone lines, they will NEVER be reconnected. If for some reason you decide you don't want the fiber Internet or TV service, your phones will remain on the fiber. Period.

There is one "gotcha". Their terms of service say that if after you install the fiber service if you then disconnect phone service in favor of VOIP or cell, or other service, they have the right to discontinue ALL fiber service. That's why I didn't let them migrate my phones to the fiber.

7. Can someone maybe provide a link with tech info?

-----------> www.fiostv.com has most of the info you will need. They offer standard def STBs, HD STBs and an HD DVR. Their STBs will attach to your receiver/monitor using 'most any format, component, composite, HDMI, etc.

Fiber comes to the ONT (Optical Network Terminal). from that comes phone lines on copper (If you don't want your phones switched to fiber, start a new account. When they ask for a phone number, give them your cell number. I use Vonage over the FiOS Internet connection. Works great, mucho cheap). Coax is teed to your house feed and the Internet router/wireless device they provide. RJ-45 connection from ONT to the router. Your set top boxes talk back to Verizon thru the cable then to the internet connection.

You will need to run your existing internet connection to the router. You will need an AC plug near the ONT to power the unit and the router. Battery supply will run ONT for about 3 hours, plus an hour reserve. Get a UPS. Plug ONT power supply and router into it. That way you will have Internet, and can use a batt tv hooked to tv feed and receive 13 or so basic channels.

RUN do not walk to get it installed. You will be happy.

There are other threads on this board with more tech info and install pix. Look for FiOS and Install, etc.

Let us know how you make out!!

-- Doc

fastep

If fios tv is available to you - get it. Period.

And while you're at it, try their triple play package. They have a deal now you probably won't see again.

Try it for 30 days and cancel for no charge if you don't like it.

And trust me, you'll like it...

Fios is the future.

Methodical

Hey thanks for the help fellas. I talked to them today and got more info on the pricing. Can anyone tell me what the hookups are in the rear of the STB - i.e. hdmi, component etc. - for both HD and Non-HD STB. I plan to talk to someone in "Fiber Solution" - I was told to ask them tech ?s - to get more information on all that is involved in the installation. The sales rep kind of confused me. They have a so called deal - FIOS Premier for $42.99 per month - Is this good? I have more research to do but it's looking good though. I just need to know as much as possible about the install. Again thanks

64met

As for Fios Install mine was very difficult... 7 tv's all with their own box 5 HD DVR and 2 SD. All I can say is I used DNW for six years and I am extremely pleased with Fios. The HD box has HDMI, and all the other usual inputs. My install tech was @ my home for 9 hours and the guy was incredible! GO FOR IT!!!

Methodical

Do the the boxes - HD and non-HD - have the OTA input to receive HD channels and local channels? The reason I ask is because I can get other HD channels that DTV, Comcast and FIOS don't offer with my OTA.


I have existing wiring to get upto 8 receivers, but only 5 are active now. What did the installer do to connect all of your tvs, i.e. splitters etc.
Thx.

drdumont

OK. Let's say you have 8 receivers wired to the coax running through your house. When the tech connects the fiber terminal to the coax running around your house, now all the sets which are connected will be "hot". If you have existing signal splitters installed, Verizon will replace them with their 2Way splitters so the STBs can talk back to the head end. (They did not charge me extra for the splitter nor for a cable he wanted to replace, as I was using RG-59 for one set. He said "It's gotta be perfect before I leave"). Any set connected to the coax will now get the existing baseband signals which may be present on their wire. (probably ch 2-13). If you want to watch anything else, you will need a Verizon Set Top Box for each receiver.

Now I just got a flash of insight as to your question... Since the existing cable in the house is now carrying the FiOS signal, if you want any of the receivers to be able to watch directly Over The Air, each of those sets will need to be connected to an outside antenna, and you only have one coax going to each set, right? The OTA signals are not present on the cable, so how do you hook up the antenna feed to the set, right? You don't want to run another cable to each set, right?

Hmmm... is it possible to take an antenna, amplify it, add it to the coax running around the house, then split it at each set so one feed goes to the FiOS STB and one feed goes to the antenna input of the TV? Probably, but this would best be done after Verizon leaves, and it takes a little know how. Would it interfere with the signals provided by FiOS? It could, depending on a few things. Above all, the STBs MUST be able to communicate back to the head end or you will lose lotsa things.

If you wanted to use the existing wiring to hook up to an OTA antenna, and make Verizon run new coax to each set, you MIGHT be able to talk him into it, but you are really asking a lot.

Did this answer your original question?
-- Doc

Methodical

I already have the OTA antenna coax cable in all rooms and at each tv. I did the setup when we first moved in the house and while I was finishing the basement as a just in case thing. But the antenna cable is already there.

drdumont

Well, then I would ask the Verizon tech to install cabling to each of the sets you wish connected to the fiber system. I'm not too sure what their installation charges cover, although I believe they are bound to hook up the STBs you order. As to difficulty, threading wires in walls, etc, that is something you need to get understood from the start, and what charges will result, if any. Make sure they understand that that you need a "from the ground up" installation. I have not heard of any horror stories on the grapevine machine around here in re cabling issues.
When my install tech arrived and I showed him how things were installed and how I wanted the system installed, he seemed greatly relieved that he would not have to do a bunch of wire pulling, and said so. This makes me infer that he was prepared to wire the house if necessary.
-- Doc

Methodical

What is a UPS?

Thanks everyone for your comments and help

drdumont

Uninterruptible Power Supply. It is a battery with a charger and inverter. (Makes AC house current out of DC from the battery). Plug it into the wall, plug your equipment into it. If the power fails, the UPS will run the equipment up to the limit of its capacity, switches instantaneously so you don't lose data. Any computer or electronics store has them. People usually get them in a size which will run a computer and monitor long enough to save open files and make an orderly shutdown of the system.

They come in handy for running things like the ONT and the router when the power fails. Look for the power consumption (in Watts) of each device you want to protect. Add them up. Then you can decide how big a UPS you need, as manufacturers publish the time a UPS will continue to run a load of a given.

Don't forget to keep a flashlight handy!
-- Doc

Methodical

Thanks. Learned something new today

JPL

I understand why you're asking about OTA. For folks who aren't familiar, DirecTV's HD DVR (the HR20) allows you to feed OTA signals directly into the DVR. The programming shows up on the guide, and you're able to record OTA programming on your DVR. I've never had their HD service, but I am a former DirecTV customer, and I'm familiar with what you're talking about.

Does FiOS offer something like that? Not that I'm aware. You would be treating your OTA just as that OTA - no feed into your DVR. Although I believe you can feed through your DVR - it would act as a pass-thru.

One other point, given the number of TVs you have, make sure you calculate the cost correctly. DirecTV has a very different pricing structure than FiOS, and if you want more than one DVR, you're going to notice that difference (DirecTV charges a single $6 DVR fee no matter how many DVRs you have - Verizon charges per box).

One other thing to keep in mind - the capacity of their DVRs. DirecTV's HD DVR has a 300GB harddrive. These DVRs (Verizon's) has a 160 GB. Plus DirecTV compresses their signals alot more than Verizon does - which means that you don't get as many hours per GB with Verizon.

On the plus side, with FiOS you can get a Tivo DVR, and get a cable card from Verizon. One downside with that - you lose multi-room capability (Verizon has a multi-room DVR), and VOD.

All that being said, I switched from DirecTV a couple months ago and I couldn't be happier. I loved my DirecTV service (I was a customer for 5 years) but it all came to a head when I wanted HD. I thought my PQ with DirecTV was great - and it was - FiOS is nicer. I never had HD with DirecTV, but the HD with FiOS is just jaw-dropping.

Is it the right move for you? Depends on what you're looking for. Make sure you do your homework. The good thing is - unless you sign up for a triple play - you have 30 days before your commitment period kicks in. If you even take the commitment period, that is. You're not required to - but it does save you a couple bucks a month for the first year. What you may want to consider is what I did. When I had fios installed they didn't have a triple-play offer in my state (they're all different - and not all states offer a triple-play), so I just signed up with the normal 1-year commitment. I had 30 days to try out fios to see if I liked it. I then suspended my DirecTV account, while I assessed fios. It's very easy to do, and you can suspend for up to 9 months. I even asked the fios installer to leave as much of my dish installation alone as possible, just in case I wanted to hook it back up. He did (the fios installers are just fantastic - I've had 2 - one for internet, and then one for TV). If I wanted to go back, it would take me all of 5 minutes to disconnect and reconnect the wires accordingly.

Methodical

Thanks for your input. Much obliged. As far as the price structure that is the 1st thing I noticed about the STB costs. I was able to get them to waive one of the $4.99 fee for one of the STB and they waived the installation of one of the STBs also - their install only includes 3 STB hookups. I'm now waiting patiently. Also, I am debating their triple package - doing a little more research into it.

Thx

JPL

You may want to hold off on the triple play. Like I said, each state is different, so you may want to check with Verizon (see when their latest triple play offer ends, and get all the details). You should be able to sign up for it after the fact (but you may want to confirm that too). That'll give you a chance to play with FiOS to see if you like it.