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FIOS DVR

wuffinlaw

FIOS just became available in my neighborhood. I want to sign up, but I'm wringing my hands over what DVR option to choose . The DVR's from Verizon offer a maximum of only 20 hours of HD recordings with no possibility of adding an external eSata drive.. As an experienced DVR user, 20 hours seems totally inadequate to me. Surely, Verizon must recognize this as a serious limitation. Assuming they do, do they have a recommended solution(s)? If I choose a non-Verizon DVR, like Tivo, should I buy this before I sign up and have Verizon hook it up as part of their FIOS installation or should I have Verizon do a 'normal' installation and then switch over at some point in the future. If I go with the Verizon DVR for now, does Verizon have plans for addressing this DVR shortcoming sometime in the future?

Accepted answers

jmw1950

The 20 hour limit is a major source of irritation, Verizon is apparently testing an upgraded DVR that will offer 40 hours, which is only a slight improvement. At some point perhaps the external ports on the DVR will be enabled so you can connect external storage, but my advice is don't hold your breath.

There are numerous discussion on this board about using a HD TiVo or Moxi DVR instead of a Verizon supplied DVR. Most of the TiVo owner like the service, and prefer the TiVo over the Verizon DVR. There are few things you lose with the TiVo, but they may or may not be important to you. The main one is Video On Demand. However Widgets and the Verizon Program Guide (which many have commented isn't the most accurate) do not work with the TiVo. TiVo provides its own programming guide. Monthly costs are about the same either way. Verizon HD DVR is $15.99 per month. Cable card plus monthly TiVO (as opposed to annual or lifetime subscription) is $16.98 per month IIRC.

You will need a cable card, and ordering the card can be an adventure. No matter what you are told, there is NO INSTALLATION CHARGE, although a Verizon Technician does have to install it.

My own advice would be to allow Verizon to install all of their own equipment, and then add on the TiVo, and return the DVR at your earliest opportunity. Try to only tackle one problem at a time.

Just make sure you don't enter into a contract that runs 1 or 2 years with the Verizon supplied DVR!

All comments

jmw1950

You will need a cable card, and ordering the card can be an adventure. No matter what you are told, there is NO INSTALLATION CHARGE, although a Verizon Technician does have to install it.

My own advice would be to allow Verizon to install all of their own equipment, and then add on the TiVo, and return the DVR at your earliest opportunity. Try to only tackle one problem at a time.

Just make sure you don't enter into a contract that runs 1 or 2 years with the Verizon supplied DVR!

Keyboards

@jmw1950 wrote:
.... Just make sure you don't enter into a contract that runs 1 or 2 years with the Verizon supplied DVR!

AFAIK equipment rentals are totally separate from contracts and can be cahnged up or down without impacting the contract which is for programming only.

wuffinlaw

Thanks for your well-reasoned response. It's very helpful.

Before I came to this forum, I had done a lot of general research on the topic by 'googling'. After I posted the question, I did a search in the forum and found that the subject was discussed a lot. I should have done this before I posted the question. But your response summarizes the issues very well.

I haven't made the leap yet, but I think I've decided to follow your general advice and "Try to only tackle one problem at a time." I've had DirecTV for almost 10 years and am generally happy with its programming and the DVR (30 hours of HD). So what I'm going to do is just get FIOS internet and telephone. I'll get a hard wire installed to the area where my TV is and then be able to add a device (PS-3?) that will provide access to internet video. I'll continue to monitor the FIOS TV option.

Thanks again.

jmw1950

@Keyboards wrote:
@jmw1950 wrote:
.... Just make sure you don't enter into a contract that runs 1 or 2 years with the Verizon supplied DVR!
AFAIK equipment rentals are totally separate from contracts and can be cahnged up or down without impacting the contract which is for programming only.

Perhaps in your markets. In my Market, several of new bundles with promotional pricing require the DVR, which while still priced separately, effectively make it part of the contract. What you are saying used to be entirely true, but isn't necessarily true any longer.

id2nv2nj2ca

Hi there. I just signed up for this forum so I can post my interaction with a Verizon "live Chat" person. For security purposes, I will be removing my name, etc. Just thought others might find this interesting that there are supposedly people at Verizon saying a new DVR is coming, or the abitlity to add an external hard drive is in the works, but according to this chat, that is NOT the case. Take this for whatever it's worth, folks.

Verizon Live

It was a pleasure to assist you. Also, Verizon FiOS Support is available 24x7 at 1-888-553-1555. Your chat session has ended. Thank You.
Your chat ID number is 04271011020.

Welcome to Verizon Live Chat. You have selected to chat about:
TN: 6268482699
Subject: FiOS Television
Question: When are you going to offer a dvr that holds more than 20 hours of hd programming. Or better yet, when are you going to allow your current dvr's to have an external hard drive attached.
12:21:03 A Verizon eCenter Representative will be with you shortly. Thank you.
12:21:03 This session is being transferred.
12:21:13 This session is transferred to Anthony.
12:21:13 Agent Anthony has joined.
Anthony: Thank you using the Verizon Click to Chat for FIOS TECHNICAL SUPPORT. You can also reach us at 888 553 1555 via phone. My name is Anthony. Can you please provide the name & street address & city & zip code of the service on the account?

: I don't have Fios TV, just internet; and won't switch to Fios TV until my questions are answered.

Anthony: Normally is the email address provided good so we can send you helpful tips for any possible future issues & is the telephone number provided a good can be reached number?

: Yes to both.

Anthony: Thank you. One moment while I pull up your account. I am sorry for your problems, but I will help you. Please be patient.
Anthony: their are no plans to allow a external harddrive or to expand the side of the current harddrive at this time.
Anthony: the size*
Anthony: anything else I can help you with?

: I KNOW this is a big issue for a lot of people like me who would consider switching to Verizon Fios TV. Why is Verizon dragging their feet. My Directv HD DVR has a 1.5tb external hard drive that allows 300 hours of HD recording.

Anthony: Verizon feels that the currect hard drive is big enough
Anthony: I am sorry

: It's funny you say this: "their are no plans to allow a external harddrive or to expand the side of the current harddrive at this time." I have read many forums where people say they have been told by Verizon reps that it's coming. Either DVR's with greater hard drives or the ability to add external. And you say it isn't in the plans?

Anthony: Correct
Anthony: nothing has been verified

: "Verizon feels that the currect hard drive is big enough." That can't be true. 20 hours of recording is NOTHING.

Anthony: I suits most customers

: I bet your next months salary that if you surveyed your Fios customers with Hi-Def TV's, they will say they are not satisfied with the recording capacity.

Anthony: we have
Anthony: that is why we have the current one
Anthony: Thing may change in the future

: Especially when 6 tv's can supposedly access the DVR.

Anthony: as for not their are no currect plans
Anthony: for now

: I can assure you, and you can pass it on, that Verizon is losing a ton of money and potential customers because of this.

Anthony: I understand you feel that way and I am sorry the DVR doesn't meet your needs

: Thanks, anyway for your time.
Your session is now closed.
Thank you. Have a nice day.

Again, I post this to show what Verizon "Chat" reps are being told, or at least what this one is telling potential customers.

[Deleted User]

id2nv2nj2ca

Verizon employees are bound to a NDA and cannot give out any proprietary info to customers. Doing so can result in termination of their position. Your live chat agent told you that nothing has been verified regarding a new DVR with more recording capacity, which is true. There are posts and threads about some BETA testing going on, but there is nothing definite to announce at this time.

id2nv2nj2ca

Hi KaLin. I have to assume since you are a moderator and have the Verizon logo under your name, that you are also an employee. While I can appreciate that employees are bound by non disclosure agreements, perhaps you can tell me, and the potentially tens of thousands of customers/potential customers why this subject has anything to do with breaking a non disclosure agreement.

Based on everything I have been reading here and in other forums, this is an issue that first came up when Fios was launched several years ago and has yet to be addressed to anyones satisfaction. After years, how could there be nothing to announce? If Verizon were truly concerned about their customers, and keeping them happy, and making non customers more willing to come on-board, they (you) would stop playing word games and come right out and say what, if anything, you are doing to address this very simple issue. Either tell Motorola to increase capacity, or do a firmware upgrade that will allow connection of an external hard drive. If your warehouses are full of DVR's with miniscule (by todays standards) hard drives, my suggestion would be to swap them out with much larger ones, or since that would be quite expensive, do whatever it takes to allow external hard drives. For less than $125, I upgraded my Directv HD DVR with a 1.5tb hard drive and enclosure. It wouldn't take Verizon that long to recoup the cost of upgrading the DVR's it has in storage and making it inexpensive for current customers to upgrade if they choose.

It's really simple to keep your customers happy. And as I stated in my online chat that went nowhere, I will never subscribe to Fios TV until this issue is resolved, and I bet there are many others just like me that feel the same way. And others that probably signed up for the service with no idea how pathetically small the hard drives are on your DVR's, and now are frustrated or have to go out and spend a lot of money to buy a Tivo with adequate recording capacity. Of course, I could be way off base, but I don't think so.

Since you are an employee, can you verify that your customers, especially ones with Hi-Def sets that like to record in Hi-Def; have actually been surveyed and they say they are happy or satisfied like Anthony stated in our "chat"? Frankly, I don't believe that for a second. There may be some that are happy, but I bet the majority are not.

If you are indeed beta testing new DVR's or the ability to connect larger external drives, I would be happy to be part of the test, but I am not giving up my 300 hours of capacity until it's available through Verizon.

Thank you for your time.

ElizabethS

Moderators jobs relate solely to the operation of the forum. We do not have access to anything in the way of information about Verizon services or products.

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