FIOS MOTOROLA HD DVR

[cebbigh]

Is there hope that the Motorola box will get better?

I'd like to go strictly Fios once I get to a point in my DTV contract (11 months remaining) where it makes sense to quit. I've been trying to like the Motorola box but I don't see it happening with the current hard drive limits and user interface.

Do Tivo boxes work more like DTV and Dish Dvr's?

 

[riffjim4069]

Is there hope that the Motorola box will get better?

I'd like to go strictly Fios once I get to a point in my DTV contract (11 months remaining) where it makes sense to quit. I've been trying to like the Motorola box but I don't see it happening with the current hard drive limits and user interface.

Do Tivo boxes work more like DTV and Dish Dvr's?

The guide and features keep improving, but it appears the itsy-bitsy hard-drive is going to be around at least another year. I have used a 12 HD DVRs over the years, and the Dish Network VIP622/722 is the cream of the crop in overall software, guide, features and hardware (speed). We tried the Tivo HD box for a month. It has a lot of features, but we don't really use many of them. Anyway, here is what the FiOS HD DVR needs:

1. blazing fast channel changing and guide functions
2. bigger hard drive and external storage
3. better guide
4. better search and recording options

Well...we tried to like the Tivo, but it wasn't a premium HD DVR like our E* 622 and it was more expensive in the process. The biggest problem with the Tivo HD box is that it is so incredibly slow. My wife and I wanted to throw the remote at the box waiting for channels to change and menus to pop up. It was so slow we retuned it and got another box...it was just as slow, so we cancelled service.

Having said that...here is it 6-months later and I am once again thinking about getting a Tivo. Why? We've actually adjusted to the FiOS HD DVR (not great, but it is better than other cable HD DVRs), but the small hard drive is driving me nuts. I have to delete shows daily, and the bowl season had me deleting twice a day. Ugh!

In my opinion the E* 622/722 puts the Tivo HD box to shame. While the Tivo box has lots of features, the guide/search is klunky (my opinion)...and the hardware is shamefully show. To be honest, I would have loved the Tivo if I never had a 622, and I probably would have loved it if wasn't so darn slow. Also, I like my friends new D* HD DVR better than the Tivo HD box.

Anyway, I am hoping E* will release a direct-to-consumer digital cable ready HD DVR (aka DTVPal DVR+) in the near future.

 

[cebbigh]

I agree with what you say about the 622. The main reason I left Dish after 10+ years was they chose to put so much HD on the E5 satellite which just isn't a good option in the Pac NW. We have two DTV HR2x boxes that look much better to me now that I have seen the Motorola box. Really all I want is a simple way to find programs/movies with enough detail in the program info to be able to make a sound decision if it's worth taping. With the 622 I could block the channels I didn't care about (PPV and premiums I didn't subscribe to) and do a search on all HD movies. The HR2x kinda lets me do that too but with a lot more effort. The Motorola is a whole other story. Fios has everyone else beat on so many levels, but the DVR isn't one of them.

 

[riffjim4069]

I just wanted to add that the new Moxi HD DVR is now available. It looks great, has plenty of features, a 500GB hard-drive and supports e-SATA, and is much faster for menu/guide functions than Tivo HD since they are using a processor that is more than twice as fast. It also allows the Moxi to present 3D graphics for the best presentation possible.

The drawback is that it is pricey at $799, however there are no subscription fees. This equates to paying $400 for the Moxi and a Tivo-like $399 lifetime subscription. The unknowns are hardware reliability, service and support. Another concern is the Moxi only supports a multistream Cablecard (M-Card) which are only available in 5 areas right now...but they are coming soon. Offhand, I am considering picking one up if they can get the price a bit.

Hmmm...to be honest, if you purchased:

- Tivo HD (180MB hard-drive), it will run $299 plus $399 for a lifetime subscription ($699)
- Moxi HD (500MB hard-drive), including lifetime subscription will run ($799)
- Tivo HD XL (1TB hard-drive), it will run $599 and $399 for a lifetime subscription ($999)

Posts tagged Moxi at Engadget HD
Moxi
http://moxi.com/support/MC4R/MoxiHDDVR_FAQ.pdf

 

[cebbigh]

Thanks for the info. Never had heard of Moxi but it looks great on paper. More options are always good.

 

[riffjim4069]

Thanks for the info. Never had heard of Moxi but it looks great on paper. More options are always good.

They have been making a cable DVR for the past few years. The direct-to-consumer Moxi HD is a year or so past due. Offhand, I am waiting for a few people to get their mitts on one.

 

[cebbigh]

They have been making a cable DVR for the past few years. The direct-to-consumer Moxi HD is a year or so past due. Offhand, I am waiting for a few people to get their mitts on one.

That's a good approach. I guess for now I'll be content with Fios as a supplement for DTV for what they do best. But the future for me is Fios once I settle on a good DVR.

 

[philhu]

Tivo really does need to rewrite their program/menu/quide interface.

It hasn't changed much in 10 years! Gulp!

Saying that, they did reorganize their menus recently in the v11 upgrade. Still clunky looking, but a bit more manageable.

They seriously need to get strwaming between Tivos working, and a few cleanup items like, after you copy a pgm to tivo B, and you finish watching it, allow you to delete both tivo a and b copies. Add a MOVE program option, just not copy.

And, of course, a faster processor, more memory and a 1G NIC

I've had Tivo's since day 1 (Phillips HDR unit, 12 hours SD!)

 

[riffjim4069]

The EchoStar VIP922 looks sweet...and they are making a cable version which they are making available to cable companies for beta testing in the spring. The only problem is the cable version uses tru2way technology which, according to Verizon, is not compatible with FiOS.

 

[cebbigh]

The EchoStar VIP922 looks sweet...and they are making a cable version which they are making available to cable companies for beta testing in the spring. The only problem is the cable version uses tru2way technology which, according to Verizon, is not compatible with FiOS.

The thought of a 922 (or even some lesser version) has me drooling! A combination of a version of an Echostar DVR and Fios IMHO would be the best possible solution. My contract with DTV runs through next November so I will sit back and watch it all develop and keep my fingers crossed that all the stars line up. :

I don't see my family living with the Motorola as our main DVR. But it is adequate as a back up to supplement what we can't get with DTV. While I don't like the HR2x as much as VIP HD DVR's they are ok enough for now and we have adapted to them.

 

[riffjim4069]

I broke down and ordered a Tivo HD yesterday. I am not a Tivo fan, but I've had enough of deleting shows of deleting shows to make room on the FiOS box. We'll keep one FiOS DVR and I'll order a year subscription with Tivo since I don't see any new products coming until the end of next year, at soonest. If the Moxi HD gets good reviews and drops in price, perhaps I'll buy one and turn in the FiOS DVR. We shall see.

 

[cebbigh]

I'll be interested in how your experience goes with the Tivo. I've never had one so I'm reluctant to take the leap. Good luck.

 

[grydlok]

Is there hope that the Motorola box will get better?

I'd like to go strictly Fios once I get to a point in my DTV contract (11 months remaining) where it makes sense to quit. I've been trying to like the Motorola box but I don't see it happening with the current hard drive limits and user interface.

Do Tivo boxes work more like DTV and Dish Dvr's?

See this is my issue. I just made my order to switch everything over.

 

[cebbigh]

Found a deal on ebay for a Tivo Series 3 last night for 289.00 and went ahead and bought it because it looks like Weeknees no longer has them in stock.

 

[riffjim4069]

Found a deal on ebay for a Tivo Series 3 last night for 289.00 and went ahead and bought it because it looks like Weeknees no longer has them in stock.

I picked up a Tivo HD for $208. I have to admit the I certainily like the E* HD DVR better, but it has a lot of features and I am warming up to it. I am not a big fan of the EPG and remote, but the Wishlist is top-notch. With the Tivo, I find that I am recording a lot more items and surfing the EPG less. Anyway, it's a step-up from the Verizon DVR and slapping in a My DVR gives us a lot more space (huge plus!). I paid for a 1-year subscription, but hopefully FiOS can enter into a contract with EchoStar this spring.

 

[grydlok]

These Motorola boxes suck. I might not keep this.

 

[cebbigh]

My Tivo arrived yesterday (1/20) and the order is placed for 2 Verizon cable cards which they said they would send to me to do a self install. I found a site that gives the steps to do the set up. Sure hope the cards arrive soon.

Users Guides for the TiVo Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder - TiVo

 

[cebbigh]

These Motorola boxes suck. I might not keep this.

Agree on the Motorola boxes. They are the Fios Achilles heel.

 

[riffjim4069]

My Tivo arrived yesterday (1/20) and the order is placed for 2 Verizon cable cards which they said they would send to me to do a self install. I found a site that gives the steps to do the set up. Sure hope the cards arrive soon.

Users Guides for the TiVo Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder - TiVo

I have a CC in a single-tuner Sony HD DVR and I had one in my Mits Diamon DLP and Sony 3LCD TVs. I took the CCs out of the Mits and Sony and just plopped them into the Tivo HD during setup - it took all of 10-minutes. Verizon must not lockdown the cards to the device...just the account. I ejected the CC out of my Sony HD DVR and it worked just fine when I inserted it into the Sony TV.

Anyway, I really like Season Pass, Wishlist, external storage, Find TV Shows (schedule recordings via web), and the new beta search...YouTube and Photobucket were OK...I don't have too much need for Tivo2Go or TivoDesktop...surprised at how crappy the Guide is - hopefully, Tivo will update it and make it 16x9 soon. Also, the Tivo remote is terrible, but I am using the MX-700 universal remote.

 

[grydlok]

Agree on the Motorola boxes. They are the Fios Achilles heel.

Well they gave me the HD reciever free for a year, so Hopefully someone wll release a decent HD-STB within that time.