VMS4100ATV remote control skip function: Do you have it??

I've just received the latest equipment as an upgrade from the old boxes (VMS1100). This issue began with the fact the remote controls were becoming sluggish and not as responsive.

So what they've sent is the VMS4100ATV which appears to be so foreign to Verizon, that a general search on the Verizon website turns up not a single entry for this media center. It's completely unknown as a device, with no user manual, installation instructions, or specifications.

I spent 6 hours trying to activate the VMS4100ATV, but all I got was a blinking green light (you need a solid white light in order to proceed). After the 4th chat session with agents, they finally decided it was too soon to activate the equipment, since the "installation date" given in the receipt email was a week in the future. However, the email also states that "there's no need to wait!" ... "you can install the equipment immediately." Well, you can't... that's what I wasted many hours in trying to find out.

Okay, never mind about that. My real issue right now is that we 've always had the capability to fast forwards and backwards. Also to skip forwards and backwards when replaying recorded broadcasts (user selectable, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or more).

The new "Fios TV+ Remote" appears to have none of this. The remote has two rows at the top, no fast forward/backward buttons, and only "INFO, LAST, and REPLAY" on the second row. "REPLAY" appears to allow you only to replay the last seconds, up to a minute, of what you've just viewed.

Not having this fully operational yet, I imagine pressing the navigation ring left and right sides will perform fast forward and fast backwards for you. But I'm doubting the system any longer has the SKIP feature. I don't want to have to fast forward and have to see all the junk I want to skip... I want to skip forwards a minute at each press!

And this is my question here... if you have the VMS4100ATV media center box, will you be able to skip (hopefully user selectable jumps) forwards and backwards while viewing a recording?

If not... would it help to get the "Fios TV Voice Remote" (MG3-R32140B) to make this happen? (Will that even work?)

I'm expecting I'll have to send this all back, and hopefully be able to get the VMS4100 equipment. I really like Verizon Fios which I've had for 10 years, plus another 10 years before that, on and off. I really hate to have to go to the other cable company in our area, but this would be a deal breaker if the skip feature were no longer available.

Accepted answers

geilcourtvz2

I guess there’s no change in my situation now, a week later. The only indication on booting the VMS4100ATV—after a few minutes—has been to flash green rapidly. I again tried all kinds of things such as ensuring all splitters and other connections were tight, and being sure there were no (uncapped) vacant splitter sockets. I tried completely disconnecting the VMS4100ATV and reconnecting after some minutes, even rebooting it and only then connecting the coax input. Tech help on chat weren’t able to help even with attempts at remote activation. They did talk of having a technician call at some point but I’m convinced this VMS4100ATV is not a media center I would want. I don’t think the VMS4100ATV is yet ready for prime time, and it’s not even mentioned on the Verizon web site… no manuals, just simply unknown outside this community forum. {What’s with this submission form? It’s impossible to add text to the end of my last paragraph… this is the only place it would let me finish.} The VMS4100 very likely would be superior, and I’m open to trying that.

So my end decision has been to send back the VMS4100ATV equipment

All comments

clem21

The box you have is also referred to as Fios Stream TV. Search for that if you have problems. The main page for that device is here:

https://www.verizon.com/support/stream-tv/

I'm not sure if the voice remote for the 4100 series boxes will work. They also have an IR adapter for the box that lets you use older or universal remotes, but I'm not sure their skip functions will work. Also have you checked the phone remote app to see if there is a skip function there?

geilcourtvz2

Wha'? I wrote for over 20 minutes, then as I clicked "Reply," everything I wrote was thrown out and a message saying "You must be signed in to access this part of the community" came up and I had to start all over again. ;-(

Here we go then. For the third time (I'd previously lost a very long discussion... I've learned to save the entire submission *before* Verizon chucks it all away). Now, I suddenly realized that you spoke about the Fios Stream TV, but that is not what I have, at least in terms of the media box. In any case, the "Stream TV Voice Remote" (used with the "Verizon Stream TV") uses the remote control model RC4513102/01BRP which has "fast rewind," pause/play, and "fast forwards" buttons on the second row (mine has INFO/LAST/REPLAY and is the "Fios TV+ remote," model RC55101FCL.

Those are good ideas. Although the stream-tv site doesn't give any information on the remote's specifications or detailed operations or settings adjustments (searches for "skip," "forward," rewind" and "replay" all fail).

I did get the phone remote app to work, and I see it's substantially similar to the Fios TV+ remote. And it really does appear to be honed in on the streaming concept, operating a lot like a Roku, where you can only pause, and run back and forth in a limited way much akin to the old VCR concept where you had to fast forward the entire video tape physically, with all scenes passing by till you find what you're looking for (if you can stop in time!).

It seems the fast forward and skip operations are all merged into one navigation ring with the Fios TV+ RC55101FCL remote (unlike the RC4513102/01BRP and MG3-R32140B remotes which have fast forward and fast rewind buttons with a pause/play button in between).

I'll know more, perhaps, once I'm able to activate the VMS4100ATV successfully. But I'm beginning to think the "skip" function is only capable of a 10-second jump, whereby it takes 30 to 36 keystrokes to advance past commercials!! We have our existing remotes set to one minute per skip, meaning that even 6 minutes of commercials are bypassed in just 6 keystrokes. I don't think I'd ever get used to having to make 36 keystrokes every 10 minutes (or 36 swipes, using the app).

This is starting to sound like my Roku, whereby if it forgets my password, it takes 200 keystrokes to re-enter my password (I've counted them, including left, right, up, etc. keystrokes... I've since had to vastly simplify my passwords in my subscriptions).

So we'll see in a week. I'll update here accordingly, thanks!

geilcourtvz2

So my end decision has been to send back the VMS4100ATV equipment

jlww1034

I understand your frustration. I also have FiosTV +. The DVR is awful. Have had several dvr's since July. The Fios TV+ Strean box is not up to date. It is forced HRD , so all video is in HDR mode. Unable to disable from menu because there are no audio or video settings.

This equipment has be out two years. I've contacted Verizon many times regarding this with no response. The dvr is very erratic on ff and rew. It's a shame. The Fios Stream box for $69 is a better box it has Android 12 with the ability to turn on and off HDR and Dolby Atmos. Unfortunately you need the streaming package to view content from FiosTV+ which costs $20 a month. Let's go Verizon let's get this fixed.

coffeysh

The verizon DVR is terrible. I have recorded 5 hours of tennis and have been sitting here 10 minutes trying to get to the 2 hour mark. Give me back my TIVO. it was a thousand times better than verizon DVR.

coffeysh

I pay big bucks for Verizon and am very dissatisfied.