Fios HD BOXES

ajpslp

Fios is coming next Sunday, yes Sunday for install. Can anyone explain to me what box model #'s are and the differences. I ordered multi room DVR and 3 boxes for me. I am inNY and know that the multi DVR wont stream in HD to HD boxes as of now. But i see talk of different model # of boxes and just want to make sure i get the best box for my house. ??? thanks in advance

pfh

You'll want the Motorola 2500 standard STB for use with the multi-room, however, at last I knew it only worked with up to 2 of those. It wouldn't work with a third one. That's why i eventually changed mine. The multi room function is cool but doesn't do HD yet and my family didn't use it enough to warrant the additional cost. I had 2 standard boxes, one multi-room dvr and one other dvr in the system that worked fine. I've since dropped the multi and just gone with 2 dvr's and 2 DCT700 convertors for my 2 old analog sets.

http://www22.verizon.com/Residential...0Questions.htm Link on stb's

JPL

That's not quite right. It will only work with 2 others at the same time (meaning I can watch recordings on 3 TVs - one on the TV with the DVR, and another recording each on 2 different TVs at the same time), but you can have up to 7 TVs off the MR DVR (including the one with the DVR itself).

Also, for the OP, if you are getting the MR DVR, then it may be worthwhile getting HD standalone boxes for your other TVs (if you want HD programming on those TVs). I know you won't be able to stream video to them yet, but the new version of their guide s/w is currently rolling out (all markets should have it within the next month - if the roll-out goes to plan). And that version of the s/w DOES support HD feeds.

Once we get the new s/w version I'm going to upgrade the SD STB (QIP 2500) to the HD version on my second TV (I currently have the HD MR DVR with one SD STB). The main reason - with more and more HD channels coming on line, the chances are greater that the stuff I'm going to record is the HD version of a program. Which means that, with my current configuration, I lose the ability to watch those programs on my second TV. I've already noticed this phenomenon with my viewing habits. As it is, there are now few shows that I can actually watch, via my DVR, on my second TV because of this.

I hit that last night. My wife was watching something recorded on my main TV - a movie that I could care less about, so I went downstairs to the other TV - I brought up the recorded programs, and realized that there were very few that I could watch on that TV because most were recorded off the HD channels.

As for the version of the STBs you'll need:

- For the multi-room DVR, you'll need the Home Media version of either the 7216 or 6416 (more on why the different models, below) - it doesn't matter which. One note, though - make sure you get the Home Media version. There really is no difference between the stand-alone HD DVR and the Home Media version - the home media feature is activated via s/w. In fact, from what I understand, with the new guide s/w coming out, you'll be able to upgrade your stand-alone DVR to a Home Media version with the press of your remote. Pretty cool. Just make sure you tell the installer that you want the Home Media functionality. Again, it doesn't affect which hardware you get, but they will need to activate the home media stuff for you.

- For the other STBs, you'll want either the 7100 or 6200 (if you want the HD STB), or the 2500 if you want the SD.

Note - the DCT700 will NOT work with the Home Media DVR - you can't feed recordings to it. That box is not IP enabled, and the multi-room feeds go through your router.

Now - what's with the different HD models? For example, why are there two different HD DVRs listed (the 7216 and 6416)? Both are functionally equivalent. There are very minor differences between the two. The main difference is that the 7216 accepts a cable card. Why is this critical? Because, on July 1, 2007, a new FCC reg went into effect regarding something known as 'separable security.' All cable boxes used by cable companies had to have the security seperable from the box itself. Cable companies decided to implement said requirement through the use of cable cards. As a result, all cable boxes used by cable companies MUST be able to accept a cable card.

So the 7216 accepts a cable card and the 6416 does not. Ditto for the differences between the 7100 and 6200. Again there are some minor other differences, but overall the boxes are the same.

One other word about the regulation I listed. Back in the summer of 2007 the FCC granted a temporary waiver to smaller cable companies from having to implement changes per that regulation. Verizon asked for, and got, that waiver. But like I said, it was only temporary. Based on my understanding, the HD waiver expired this past July (2008), and the SD waiver ends next year. Which is why they had to roll out new versions of their HD boxes (the 7216 and 7200), but not their SD boxes (the 2500 and DCT700). At least not yet.

All in all, either the 6416 or 7216 will work with the multi-room feeds (I have the 6416). and the 7100, 6200, or the 2500 (SD box) will work to receive the multi-room feeds.

pfh

That's what I said actually- the MR DVR only works with two 2500's plus of course by itself for viewing recorded SD stuff. thus it allows 3 tv's to share recorded viewing. But, as of right now the HD streaming has limitations. The new s/w is promising for sure, but then it's going to be a matter of drive space limitations as more and more people upgrade to HDTV's with price drops and begin to favor HD programming vs. SD.

Two adults and two kids in a given houshold can easily all have their own favorite shows and movies they wish to record and gobble up 160 gigs of HD content in two nights! That is if they eventually get into using a DVR, skipping thru commercials, pausing, rewinding, etc. If not, then you have to weigh the cost for the added convenience.

As of last night in the Wash.DC area, the IMG upgrade allows MR DVR upgrade thru the STB menu or push of a button! So it appears that the s/w upgrades are indeed coming true. That would mean that HD streaming as mentioned by JPL is around the corner and you just might want to set yourself up for it by installing the newer STB's on secondary sets.

JPL

I wasn't commenting on that part of your post as not being quite right. I was commenting on the number of tvs that can be fed off the MR DVR. You can run recordings, from what I understand, on 3 TVs at the same time - the TV with the DVR, plus 2 others. But you can have 7 TVs connected to the DVR in total - incluing the one with the DVR on it.

Everything else you wrote, I totally agreed with.

pfh

Ah ok. 7 TVs connected to the DVR?! That's an upgrade by itself. When it first came out the tech told me only 2. Plus you had to be careful if and when you moved the stb's. The MR-DVR had to be intialized first and then the 5200 boxes. Last in line were any other boxes. Something about IP addressing with regards to the MR-DVR.

JPL

You got some bad info there, then. They've always supported 7 TVs on the MR DVR - but you're right about how many can play recorded material at the same time. As for which has to be initialized first... dunno about that. But as for moving the boxes around - that one just makes me scratch my head. Why would that matter? I mean the IP addressing isn't tied to which branch of coax the box is sitting on coming off the splitter or anything. That's sort of like saying that if you move your computer around you can't connect to your network correctly anymore. The IP address deals with the physical machine on the network, not it's location. How would the router know where each STB is physically located around your house? It really wouldn't. Nor would it care - All the coaxes are tied together in one big network via your splitter. I haven't tried it, but I would be shocked if you couldn't move those boxes around to different places in your house.