Just switched ti FiOS

[pfeiffep@yahoo.com]

After being a Direct customer for 6+ years I decided to switch to Verizon FiOS and absoutely am impressed with the PQ, channnel lineup and cost.

The installation was a pleasant surprise, I was expecting to incur an additional charge for a cat5 run to my PC, but the newer service and router has coax enabled for etherent to PC. The initial router installed was defective (no program guide on any set), but the tech stayed until he fully installed the replacement router - he was here for 8 hours.

The HMO DVR is fully enabled to the other 2 set-top boxes in the house. The installer was able to use pre-existing wiring to all devices I had: 1 PC and 3 TVs. Even though I don't have a true HD set connected to the HMO DVR - I was able to watch all the HD offerings by setting the DVR to 480i - this will suffice until I get the HD set I want. The DVR is a little light on the hard drive space when recording HD programming.

THe HMO DVR is comparable to the 2 D* Tivos I had installed. Additionally I can play digitized music on my PC to the DVR and show slides as well (not simutaneously)

The internet service is faster than Cox's cable internet service. If you need a security package Verizon offers a pretty good one for 4.99 / month, 7.99 per month for multiple pcs. The is a pretty good deal the full ZoneAlarm security suite cost me 129 / year for 2 PCs. The V* package seems comparable to Z*.

Did I mention the the PQ was stunning - oh yea but it's worth saying again , in addition the phone quality seems to be better.

Over all I will be spending about 30 less per month with faster Internet service than Cox and more channels than Direct with the additional benefit I can watch HD programming (albeit not in full HD PQ) while taking adavntage of Dolby 5.1 on my home theatre system. All totalled it was pretty much a no brainer!

If you have FiOS offered in your area take a really close look - it's more than likely worth it!

Pete

 

[bcushman]

Boy, reports like yours make me wish the time away. We are due to get FIOS here sometime after April (the approval has been granted by the state), and the more I hear, the more I want! I can't wait to switch from Cox where I have all 3 services now (phone, internet & TV). Thanks for your report.

 

[AllieVi]

FiOS TV became available to me a couple months ago (I'm a DISH customer). I'd probably jump in a heartbeat if Verizon duplicated the capabilities of my UHF remotes.

I use FiOS for broadband (5 Mb/s down 2 Mb/s up) and phone. Performance and reliability have been excellent.

 

[garlandtxuser]

FiOS TV became available to me a couple months ago (I'm a DISH customer). I'd probably jump in a heartbeat if Verizon duplicated the capabilities of my UHF remotes.

I use FiOS for broadband (5 Mb/s down 2 Mb/s up) and phone. Performance and reliability have been excellent.

AllievVi, I am not sure what remote capabilities have to do with television watching. Read all of the posts, the picture quality (PQ) is much better than Dish. Yes, the DVR is not a user friendly and the hard disk space is a little smaller, but again, it's really about the quality. You get used to the VZ remote and differences in features pretty quick, and there are new features coming out all the time.

Make the switch and become one of the complainers along side me. Dish's early offerings were not that great either until people started to complain the Direct had a better system. VZ will catch up but only if consumers sign up and force them to. Come on over to the light side (True HD), away from the dark (HDLite) side.

 

[AllieVi]

AllievVi, I am not sure what remote capabilities have to do with television watching. ...

Let me explain.

My setup is much like an in-house cable TV system. The output from three receivers (also security cameras, DVD players and VCRs) modulate to various VHF and UHF channels. One receiver is near the main TV - the others are in a centrally-located closet.

About a dozen TV's are scattered throughout the house. Most are inexpensive 13" standard definition sets (none are HD) placed where they are for convenience, not intensive viewing. The RF remotes control that local TV and any/all of the three receivers from any of those dozen sets.

The need for an RF remote wouldn't exist if each receiver was simply connected to a single nearby TV where an infrared controller could work.

I know FiOS is better from picture quality and cost perspectives. I just wish their remotes provided the capability I currently have.

 

[dishrich]

My setup is much like an in-house cable TV system. The output from three receivers (also security cameras, DVD players and VCRs) modulate to various VHF and UHF channels. One receiver is near the main TV - the others are in a centrally-located closet.

About a dozen TV's are scattered throughout the house. Most are inexpensive 13" standard definition sets (none are HD) placed where they are for convenience, not intensive viewing. The RF remotes control that local TV and any/all of the three receivers from any of those dozen sets.

The need for an RF remote wouldn't exist if each receiver was simply connected to a single nearby TV where an infrared controller could work.

I know FiOS is better from picture quality and cost perspectives. I just wish their remotes provided the capability I currently have.

I do the SAME thing in my house; actually, I have EIGHT DVR's/receivers modulated on eight different channels on top of analog cable service. ALL receivers/DVR's are stacked up in my basement, by my Sony 60" SXRD, but are modulated to the rest of my sets. Except for an E* DVR, NONE of my other remotes have UHF remotes, but I can run ANY receiver from ANY room in my house. I'm using the RF pyramids in every room & they work great.

One problem I DO see though - since you would most likely have more than 1 box, I'm quite certain you can't set those FiOS receivers to different remote codes, so that you wouldn't have conflicts in the same place. (like them stacked in the same closet) I've never seen a Moto box that could.
Another solution would be these RF extenders:
http://www.weaknees.com/rf-remote-details.php
They make these extenders with 2 different x-mitting channels, so you could do what you're doing with 2 receivers & not have conflicts.

 

[garlandtxuser]

I do the SAME thing in my house; actually, I have EIGHT DVR's/receivers modulated on eight different channels on top of analog cable service. ALL receivers/DVR's are stacked up in my basement, by my Sony 60" SXRD, but are modulated to the rest of my sets. Except for an E* DVR, NONE of my other remotes have UHF remotes, but I can run ANY receiver from ANY room in my house. I'm using the RF pyramids in every room & they work great.

One problem I DO see though - since you would most likely have more than 1 box, I'm quite certain you can't set those FiOS receivers to different remote codes, so that you wouldn't have conflicts in the same place. (like them stacked in the same closet) I've never seen a Moto box that could.
Another solution would be these RF extenders:
http://www.weaknees.com/rf-remote-details.php
They make these extenders with 2 different x-mitting channels, so you could do what you're doing with 2 receivers & not have conflicts.

OK, In understand what you are trying to do. dishrich is correct that the motorolas are not capable of being programmed so they would not work stacked without a 3rd party device.

I have often thought about doing the same thing as you describe, but have not wanted to deal with the technical difficulties. Perhaps sending a person to the moon is has not yet yielded enough technology to enable the manufacturers to build a device that can handle multiple outputs with multiple recievers all built into one??? Seems like there may be a large market for this type of thing. After all, don't the Tivo's come with dual tuners? How hard would it be to add additional tuners, especially when the content id delivered via fiber? I understand Sat limitations due to the number of LNB's .

 

[AllieVi]

OK, In understand what you are trying to do. dishrich is correct that the motorolas are not capable of being programmed so they would not work stacked without a 3rd party device.

I have often thought about doing the same thing as you describe, but have not wanted to deal with the technical difficulties. Perhaps sending a person to the moon is has not yet yielded enough technology to enable the manufacturers to build a device that can handle multiple outputs with multiple recievers all built into one??? Seems like there may be a large market for this type of thing. After all, don't the Tivo's come with dual tuners? How hard would it be to add additional tuners, especially when the content id delivered via fiber? I understand Sat limitations due to the number of LNB's .

The manufacturers could do all you mention. They don't for one reason or another (most likely marketability/profitability).

What I want is very simple - RF remotes that do what my DISH system has done for a decade or more. That's all. When engineered into the basic design, any additional cost would be trivial. The benefits are substantial.

 

[Jon Purkey]

The internet service is faster than Cox's cable internet service. If you need a security package Verizon offers a pretty good one for 4.99 / month, 7.99 per month for multiple pcs. The is a pretty good deal the full ZoneAlarm security suite cost me 129 / year for 2 PCs. The V* package seems comparable to Z*.

Since switching to FiOS I don't think I've got any Zone Alarm(free) alerts that weren't the result of something I did. The ActionTec router seems to block all incoming security threats. When I had dial-up I might get a couple dozen or more alerts a day, most probably from infected computers. I mainly keep Zone Alarm running now to control what programs can and cannot access the net. And with AVG(free) for anti-virus and a couple free spyware programs all my low-risk security needs are handled nicely and for the right price.

 

[pfeiffep@yahoo.com]

maybe not the router alone!

.....The ActionTec router seems to block all incoming security threats.

I'm not entirely certain the the router can be attributed soley to the lack of intrustion attempts - more than likely it's a combination of V*'s secuirty and the router. However, I do concour about recieving fewer intrusion attempts since switching from Cox high speed internet to FiOS
Regards,
Pete