Do I need a Box for All Channels w/ Fios??

[Zerkon]

I was thinking of switching to fios, but.....
I have 3 kids, each w/ TV's & VCR's in their bedrooms, + a Living Room (HD) & My Bedroom , also w/ vcr's. 5 TV's Total, 4 VCR's total.
CableVision is connected directly without a settop box, to kids TV's, & they get up to about ch 70 or so with the TV's & the VCR's built-in tuner... This gives Broadcast networks, Disney , Bravo, ESPN, cartoon network, Nik, Sci Fi, TLC, VH-1, USA & others ...
Just my Living Room & My Bedroom TV are "Boxed" (living room HD)...
But, even on those sets I also have cable run directly into my S-VHS VCR's first , so I can record the above channels while watching another with the box ...
I was told by someone that I would need a Fios box for every set & VCR, making the box rental fees alone crazy ...
Even if I just need boxes for only the other 3 TV's, the box rental fees alone would end up making Fios's "better deal" a worse one, & the prospect of not being able to record 1 channel while watching another (my main use for my VCR's) is not appealing either ...
Any thoughts??

 

[garlandtxuser]

I was thinking of switching to fios, but.....
I have 3 kids, each w/ TV's & VCR's in their bedrooms, + a Living Room (HD) & My Bedroom , also w/ vcr's. 5 TV's Total, 4 VCR's total.
CableVision is connected directly without a settop box, to kids TV's, & they get up to about ch 70 or so with the TV's & the VCR's built-in tuner... This gives Broadcast networks, Disney , Bravo, ESPN, cartoon network, Nik, Sci Fi, TLC, VH-1, USA & others ...
Just my Living Room & My Bedroom TV are "Boxed" (living room HD)...
But, even on those sets I also have cable run directly into my S-VHS VCR's first , so I can record the above channels while watching another with the box ...
I was told by someone that I would need a Fios box for every set & VCR, making the box rental fees alone crazy ...
Even if I just need boxes for only the other 3 TV's, the box rental fees alone would end up making Fios's "better deal" a worse one, & the prospect of not being able to record 1 channel while watching another (my main use for my VCR's) is not appealing either ...
Any thoughts??

You can pick up some channels, usually locals and anything below about channel 45 without a box but the quality is not very good.

Coupe of things though. You want to throw away those VCR's and get the PVR from Fios. It WILL allow you to watch one chanel while recording another. Once you use it you will never go back to the VCR again.

Rental of the standard boxes is only about 3.00 per month so it wont break you and I believe that the first one or two comes with the service. The HD PVR is 12.50 per month and worth every penny.

My setup is as follows: 2 HD PVR's and 2 STandard STB's. I previously had 1 Multi-room and 1 standard STBs from Dish. I currently pay about 20.00 less per month than I did with Dish and have one more set running. I also had Comcast and even though I could watch a lot of standard channels throughout the house things like movies and such were only available with an STB. I had the same arrangement as with Dish and Fios is over 30.00 per month cheaper.

So, to summarize, you get more HD, better picture quality, and MUCH BETTER CUSTOMER SUPPORT for less money. I have never come right out and called anyone stupid for not switching but I have to seriously imply it (no, not an employee and no relation to anyone who works there). Hope this helps.:

 

[Zerkon]

You can pick up some channels, usually locals and anything below about channel 45 without a box but the quality is not very good.

Coupe of things though. You want to throw away those VCR's and get the PVR from Fios. It WILL allow you to watch one chanel while recording another. Once you use it you will never go back to the VCR again.

Rental of the standard boxes is only about 3.00 per month so it wont break you and I believe that the first one or two comes with the service. The HD PVR is 12.50 per month and worth every penny.

My setup is as follows: 2 HD PVR's and 2 STandard STB's. I previously had 1 Multi-room and 1 standard STBs from Dish. I currently pay about 20.00 less per month than I did with Dish and have one more set running. I also had Comcast and even though I could watch a lot of standard channels throughout the house things like movies and such were only available with an STB. I had the same arrangement as with Dish and Fios is over 30.00 per month cheaper.

So, to summarize, you get more HD, better picture quality, and MUCH BETTER CUSTOMER SUPPORT for less money. I have never come right out and called anyone stupid for not switching but I have to seriously imply it (no, not an employee and no relation to anyone who works there). Hope this helps.:

Thanks ...
I decided to call Fios & get the info on prices directly...
For one thing, no settop boxes are included, they are $4.99 ea standard, more ea for HD or DVR boxes.
I currently pay , after taxes, about $80 to Cablevision TV, plus $35 to FiosInternet & about $22-25 for my basic landline. for a total of about $140 for all/mnth.
Fios offers me a "Triple play" which, including the nessessary STB's & 1 multiRoom DVR & a similar movie pkg will be about $160/mnth for roughly the same level of TV service + Internet & phone.
Fios's plusses are that I will be upgrading my internet to 15/5 from 10/2, taking my basic landline to unlim local/LD, & will be able to record HD with the DVR.
The only real "negatives" are that I really wasn't looking to spend More money to "still have" existing fone, TV & internet service. The fone & internet "upgrades" don't matter, since We never use the landline for other than a few local calls, & the 10/2 internet is fine too.

All that being said, I will probably bite the bullet & switch to Fios soon ...

*** I also noticed that MSNBC & MoJo (INHD) are not listed in the Fios lineup....
Is that really true , what's up with that?? ???

 

[hbk409]

Thanks ...
I decided to call Fios & get the info on prices directly...
For one thing, no settop boxes are included, they are $4.99 ea standard, more ea for HD or DVR boxes.
I currently pay , after taxes, about $80 to Cablevision TV, plus $35 to FiosInternet & about $22-25 for my basic landline. for a total of about $140 for all/mnth.
Fios offers me a "Triple play" which, including the nessessary STB's & 1 multiRoom DVR & a similar movie pkg will be about $160/mnth for roughly the same level of TV service + Internet & phone.
Fios's plusses are that I will be upgrading my internet to 15/5 from 10/2, taking my basic landline to unlim local/LD, & will be able to record HD with the DVR.
The only real "negatives" are that I really wasn't looking to spend More money to "still have" existing fone, TV & internet service. The fone & internet "upgrades" don't matter, since We never use the landline for other than a few local calls, & the 10/2 internet is fine too.

All that being said, I will probably bite the bullet & switch to Fios soon ...

*** I also noticed that MSNBC & MoJo (INHD) are not listed in the Fios lineup....
Is that really true , what's up with that?? ???

if you have the stardard optimum online your speed is 15/2.

 

[garlandtxuser]

Thanks ...
I decided to call Fios & get the info on prices directly...
For one thing, no settop boxes are included, they are $4.99 ea standard, more ea for HD or DVR boxes.
I currently pay , after taxes, about $80 to Cablevision TV, plus $35 to FiosInternet & about $22-25 for my basic landline. for a total of about $140 for all/mnth.
Fios offers me a "Triple play" which, including the nessessary STB's & 1 multiRoom DVR & a similar movie pkg will be about $160/mnth for roughly the same level of TV service + Internet & phone.
Fios's plusses are that I will be upgrading my internet to 15/5 from 10/2, taking my basic landline to unlim local/LD, & will be able to record HD with the DVR.
The only real "negatives" are that I really wasn't looking to spend More money to "still have" existing fone, TV & internet service. The fone & internet "upgrades" don't matter, since We never use the landline for other than a few local calls, & the 10/2 internet is fine too.

All that being said, I will probably bite the bullet & switch to Fios soon ...

*** I also noticed that MSNBC & MoJo (INHD) are not listed in the Fios lineup....
Is that really true , what's up with that?? ???

MSNBC is available, standard, on Fios. INHD is owned by a cable company and is not available on Fios. On the flip side, there are many, make that many many, movie channels available, and in HD.

 

[Kaos]

MSNBC is not available to NY and maybe NJ residents due to MSNBC's previous contract agreement with Cablevision.

 

[Zerkon]

if you have the stardard optimum online your speed is 15/2.

No I am well aware I have 10/2, which was upgraded from the 5/2 when it was initially offered in my area.
I called back, & it turns out that it is cheaper to Not take their "triple play, & leave my Fios internet at it's current 10/2, & I'll save about $12 or so vs. the pkg deal for the same level of TV service. ( about $149 for ph/Intnet/TV vs. $161/triple play)
1 SD Settop box is "free" only when you don't take the triple deal.
(BTW, this time when I called I was told taking the triple play would upgrade my internet to 20 from 10/2, they said 15/2 is not offered in my area, only 10 & 20!)
Also , a double check of Fios channel lineup for Northern NJ shows that it does Not have MSNBC on the lineup.

 

[hbk409]

Sorry, I do apologize when I intially read it I thought you had Optimum Online which would have been a 15/2 connection.

 

[Zerkon]

OK.. I decided to switch over to Fios .. It will be installed this Monday.
I went for the HBO TV package, without their triple play, & kept my Fios internet/phone as is.
I'll be paying about $10/mnth more total than my current bills for all 3, but for that extra $10 ..:

A) - I'll have a multi-room, multimedia DVR, & a STB on all 5 sets, vs my current cablevision setup of No DVR, & only 2 of 5 sets with digital STB 's

B) - My new month old Panasonic 50" HD TX50PX60U will have more HD channels to choose from

C) - More basic channels to choose from too.

D) - Will Have HBO "On Demand" in this deal also.

E) - Picture quality should be better from what I'm told.

F) - I'll be licking only 1 stamp now.

The only channels I may miss a little are possibly MSNBC, & "MoJo" (INHD).. In few weeks I have had HD, I can say that MoJo's PicQual seems the best of the HD's channels on cablevision's system, & I have caught a few interesting shows, including a Free new 1/2 hr Howard Stern show in HD, a couple of times a week & some HD LV Poker I like to watch .. ..
The other "cable only" channels, CN8 & N12NJ, I could care less about & would trade them in a heartbeat for the 15 or so new basic cable channels I'll be getting (Boomerang, BBC America, Style, ect..)...

 

[wlee]

Verizon's 10/2 is faster than Cablevision's 15/2. Even though on paper it's faster, I never got more than 8 or 9 Mbs from Optonline. When Verizon says 10, you get 10.

Zerkon, in case you didn't know, the multi-room DVR cannot transmit HD recorded quality shows to other setup boxes. If watching HD recorded shows on another room is important, then you may want to consider getting 2 DVR boxes.

 

[Zerkon]

Verizon's 10/2 is faster than Cablevision's 15/2. Even though on paper it's faster, I never got more than 8 or 9 Mbs from Optonline. When Verizon says 10, you get 10.

Zerkon, in case you didn't know, the multi-room DVR cannot transmit HD recorded quality shows to other setup boxes. If watching HD recorded shows on another room is important, then you may want to consider getting 2 DVR boxes.

Yes, I was aware of the DVR, I only have the 1 HD set right now.
I was also aware of the VZW speed being better, I had Optonline when it was "theoretically 10/1" & never saw more than 6 on a good day, & it would fluctuate all over depending on day & time usually averaged between 1 & 3 ...
I then signed up for 5/2 Fios internet to save a few bucks, & it was rock solid speed at all times 4950/1790 or so at all times. They have since free boosted it to 10/2 & I get between 8 - 9.6/1.7/1.8.. ....

I ASSume the Fios box is smart enough to "Auto stretch" 4:3 channels as the cablevision box is w/ HDMI ...can anyone verify this, & does it simply stretch, or is it a "Just" type mode ??
I also wonder why they have My local (NNJ), CW11 HD on 801 instead of 811, & PBS 13 on 803, leaving 811/813 unused , that seems odd & should be corrected...