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Exploiting FiOS TV Favorites (IMG 1.8)

I think many FiOS TV users do not realize how useful the Favorites function of the Interactive Media Guide can be, so I have put together a document describing how I have mine set up. Perhaps you will find it useful: Link

Note: I created the document as a PDF and linked to it from here so that I can easily make changes if needed. If you find this information useful, great! If you don't, please just ignore it. And if you find any errors, or have additional information you think should be added, please post it. Thanks.

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.0, Build 06.89
Keller, TX

Comments

CharlesH

I like the guide a lot and should be fairly helpful to others! Good job!

TheSanchez

I actually saw this before you put it up for review. Excellent work sir. I have submitted your guide to be distributed within the FSCs.

Farley

I accidentally set ALL channels as my Favorites on one of my TV's. I can't figure out how to delete this, it will not let me remove all? Can anyone help with this? Smiley Sad

Thanks for your time.

TimSykes

Log into Fios TV Central, and you can manage your favorites from there.

http://www.verizon.com/fiostvcentral

Farley

Sorry I'm really NEW at this. Where do I go to change my Favorites? And how do I know what STB to do it on? Thanks

TimSykes

Once you are logged in on the left side you will see "Favorites" and from there it will show you what boxes you have that you have Favorites on.

horn1993

Tim - I don't see the favorites option on the FIOS TV Central web site either... any advice on what to do to bring it up?

I have 2 boxes - one HD DVR v.1.6 and one HD. Media manager not running...

thanks!

prisaz

@horn1993 wrote:
Tim - I don't see the favorites option on the FIOS TV Central web site either... any advice on what to do to bring it up?
I have 2 boxes - one HD DVR v.1.6 and one HD. Media manager not running...
thanks!

It looks as if managing favorite channel lists is a Remote DVR feature that is "Available to Home Media DVR subscribers only. "

FiOS TV Remote DVR FAQ's

This is the URL when you are logged into TV Central.

http://www36.verizon.com/fiostv/MyAccount/Members/RemoteDVRInfo.aspx

"FiOS TV Remote DVR gives you the ability to record shows online using the FiOS TV Central website. In addition, it allows you to manage your DVR Schedules, Recordings, Favorite channel lists, Video on Demand, Bookmarks and Parental Controls."

Remote DVR is only available to customers who subscribe to Home Media DVR Service, which includes Multi-Room DVR and Media Manager. Additionally, Remote DVR is only available in those areas that have the new Interactive Media Guide (IMG) for the set top box. Order Home Media DVR today!

CeeZee

@prisaz wrote:
@horn1993 wrote:
Tim - I don't see the favorites option on the FIOS TV Central web site either... any advice on what to do to bring it up?
I have 2 boxes - one HD DVR v.1.6 and one HD. Media manager not running...
thanks!
It looks as if managing favorite channel lists is a Remote DVR feature that is "Available to Home Media DVR subscribers only. "
FiOS TV Remote DVR FAQ's
This is the URL when you are logged into TV Central.
http://www36.verizon.com/fiostv/MyAccount/Members/RemoteDVRInfo.aspx
"FiOS TV Remote DVR gives you the ability to record shows online using the FiOS TV Central website. In addition, it allows you to manage your DVR Schedules, Recordings, Favorite channel lists, Video on Demand, Bookmarks and Parental Controls."
Remote DVR is only available to customers who subscribe to Home Media DVR Service, which includes Multi-Room DVR and Media Manager. Additionally, Remote DVR is only available in those areas that have the new Interactive Media Guide (IMG) for the set top box. Order Home Media DVR today!

And Home Media DVR is not available if you use a Mac.

prisaz

@CeeZee wrote:
@prisaz wrote:
@horn1993 wrote:
Tim - I don't see the favorites option on the FIOS TV Central web site either... any advice on what to do to bring it up?
I have 2 boxes - one HD DVR v.1.6 and one HD. Media manager not running...
thanks!
It looks as if managing favorite channel lists is a Remote DVR feature that is "Available to Home Media DVR subscribers only. "
FiOS TV Remote DVR FAQ's
This is the URL when you are logged into TV Central.
http://www36.verizon.com/fiostv/MyAccount/Members/RemoteDVRInfo.aspx
"FiOS TV Remote DVR gives you the ability to record shows online using the FiOS TV Central website. In addition, it allows you to manage your DVR Schedules, Recordings, Favorite channel lists, Video on Demand, Bookmarks and Parental Controls."
Remote DVR is only available to customers who subscribe to Home Media DVR Service, which includes Multi-Room DVR and Media Manager. Additionally, Remote DVR is only available in those areas that have the new Interactive Media Guide (IMG) for the set top box. Order Home Media DVR today!
And Home Media DVR is not available if you use a Mac.

Vista 64-bit either from what I have been told. Though the remote features or multiroom DVR do not require you to use the Home Media DVR software as far as I know. But if you pay for the PC features you should be able to get them all. I have had FIOS from the beginning but have held off on this feature. You could get these option and not have the software loaded for sharing your PC stuff. I don't want my stuff shared anyway.

wilmepe

Thanks Justin. This is a great document. It will help me skip all those channels that I don't care for.

m_archer92

Very nice guide there.

Well put together also.

NewOrderrr

This may help people who wish to quickly setup the favorites along the lines of how I feel the PDF author intended.

1) Go to the following menu:

-- 'Menu' -> 'Settings' -> 'Favorite Channels' -> 'Favorite 1' - 'Add All Channels' -- and select Yes

2) Hit 'Last' key to go back to the 'Favorite Channels' menu and be sure that the Favorites Button is set to 'Toggle Flip by Favorites', and be sure that Flip by Favorites is set to 'Favorites 1'

3) Exit the menu

4) Go to the lowest channel number you can on the STB (probably channel 2)

5) Start flipping the Channel + button to cycle through the channels

6) When you see a channel you don't want to watch, hit the Option button on the remote, and select 'Remove from Favorites 1'

7) Hit the Option key again to leave the Option menu.

😎 Repeat steps 5 - 8 (hitting channel + and using the Option menu to remove channels) until you have gone through the whole list.

This method will set up the Favorites 1 list to have all of the channels you want to watch, ignoring the ones you don't when you have Favorites 1 selected with the Fav button and use CH + and -.

The Favorites 2 list can be set up to have your real Favorites by only adding the channels you really, really like with the Option key.

I hope this helps anyone having trouble knowing what channel they are trying to fav. That is why I am writing this out, because it took me a little while to figure out what channel I was removing from the list, since I wasn't up to speed yet with the new channels I am getting from FIOS.

Steve (aka NewOrderrr)

Note: I am using a Motorola HD DVR QIP 7216 1, with firmware 1.6.2. I have the black remote with the green OK button

Message Edited by NewOrderrr on 03-31-2009 06:32 PM

Justin46

Steve,

Thanks for taking the time to write up your procedure. It certainly does make for asimpler process, and the end result is the same, getting one or two Favorites lists created the way you want them.

Just to clarify, I wrote the article the way I did for several reasons:

1) I have had FiOS TV since Sept. 2005, so I was very familiar with what channels were avaialble, and which ones I wanted to include in my Favorites.

2) I probably have less than 1/4 of the available channels in my Favorites list (and I only have one list), so I decided to add the ones I wanted, rather than remove the ones I didn't want, just fewer steps. When doing mass adds or mass deletes, I just find doing it through the menu to be faster (or at least easier for me).

3) I have the one Favorites list for the channels I watch, and then I just use the Favorites (Heart) button to switch to the all channels mode when I want to surf through my non-favorites, or see whether any new channels have appeared.

I note that you have the 1.6.2 level of the IMG. I do not yet have that level; have you seen anything that I wrote up that has changed in 1.6.2? I won't get the new level until April 14 as I understand it.

Again, thanks for posting what you did, it gives folks another option for setting up the Favorites. And as I documented, I do use the Option method for adding or removing channels, usually though for just one channel at a time.

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.0, Build 06.89
Keller, TX 76248

Claudia

My only complaint about FIOS is not having the ability to sort and create lists of channels. I would prefer having the ability to sort the entire line-up to see all of the news channels as a group, or all the local channels in a group, or all educational channels, or all foreign language channels, or whatever "grouping" I would like to create. I use the favorites lists extensively to get to this, but because I can't sort into as many categories as I wish, having only 2 favoriste lists is sometimes limiting and frustrating.

DandyDon

I have QIP7216, 1.6.2. After setting up Favorites 1, and exiting, I can't get the remote to scan "Favorites 1" by pushing the channel up or down buttons. Previously I had DirecTv DVR that did this. I've read manuals, followed the tutorial on the FIOS TV channel, tried every setting on the menu setup. Must we get into the Favorites guide every time we want to change to a Favorites channel? I want to just hit Channel Up "forever" to change to my favorite channels. BTW, 1.6.2 did NOT fix the irritating "channel not available" from appearing about every few hours after changing channels.

Justin46

I have a QIP 6416 and 1.6.0 (scheduled to get 1.6.2 in 2 days) so I have no idea how much change there is between the levels, other than what I have read. But did you use the procedure I documented in post #1 of this thread? If so, unless there is major change in this area in 1.6.2, once you do the setup you can hit the Favorites button on the remote (the "heart" button) to select either the full guide or the favorites guide to be used when you use the channel up/down buttons and when you hit the Guide button. You can hit the Favorites button any time you want to switch between the full guide and your favorites (two favorites if you set both up).

How about you give us the settings you now have set in the Favorite Channels section of the Menu and lets see what you (hopefully) have wrong?

Re: the "channel not available" issue you mentioned. I saw that on a few channels a little while back, it was a signal strength issue at the STB caused by an attenuator that had been in place for three years, and suddenly it caused problems. Removing the attenuator fixed the problem. I would not expect a change in the IMG level to fix (or even affect) that problem. Have you had Verizon come out and check the signal level at the STB? If not, you should (or look for an attenuator first if you want).

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.0, Build 06.89
Keller, TX 76248

Message Edited by Justin on 04-11-2009 05:55 PM

DandyDon

I hit the Fav (the heart) and the DVR "hung" (ie no response to ANY buttons on the remote or on a backup remote). I cycled power on DVR, after it reset the TV showed channel 10, I hit the heart and my Fav #1 list appeared. Pushing the Up or Down button highlights channels on Fav 1 list BUT the TV always shows channel 10 until you hit OK to select a channel. You can move the cursor over to the left and select Guide, and select Fav 1, then select Close Guide and you get a TV station w/o guide or menu. However, if you hit the channel up button, it scand through All Channels (not Fav1 list).

Justin46

Sinced you did not provide the settings you are using, I can only guess that you have something set up incorrectly.

Assuming that you want to be able to:

1) Select which list is displayed when you hit the Guide button (ie, see in the on-screen Guide only the channels in Favorite 1 or All Channels, your choice at any time)

- and -

2) Control which list is used when hitting the Channel Up/Down button (ie, surf through the Favorite 1 list or the All Channel list, your choice at any time)

Then you should have the following settings:

1) Favorite 1: contains only the channels you want to see when using the Favorite 1 list (ie, contains a subset of all the channels available)

2) Favorites Button: Toggle Flip by Favorites

3) Flip by Favorites: Favorite 1 (or whichever list you want the "default" list to be)

And you should now see the following:

1) When you hit the Favorite button (the heart) you will see a little heart-shaped thingy in the upper right of the screen showing which list is being used (ie, flipping Favorite 1 or All Channels). You hit the Favorite (heart) button again to change to the next list, etc. in a wrap-around manner)

2) The Guide button will display the channel guide using whichever list is active.

3) The Channel Up/Down button will use whichever list is active to switch to the next up or down channel.

It is hard to explain but very easy to use once you get it set up. If it still doesn't do what you want, then please, please tell me what your settings are, it is hard to help in a vaccuum.

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.0, Build 06.89
Keller, TX 76248

bobkrezel

Nice job on the guide. It is really helpful when holding the remote. However, I am really looking for how to view just your favorites when on line and/or setting up your favorites for the TV while online.

I don't have the DVR, but would like to be able to look at my favorites, set up my favorites, and maybe set up reminders from my computer. I am not home all day, but sometimes would like to plan my evening.

If there were some way to view just the channels I can recieve would be an improvement over the current method.

Any help appreciated

Justin46

@CapnK wrote:
Nice job on the guide. It is really helpful when holding the remote. However, I am really looking for how to view just your favorites when on line and/or setting up your favorites for the TV while online.
I don't have the DVR, but would like to be able to look at my favorites, set up my favorites, and maybe set up reminders from my computer. I am not home all day, but sometimes would like to plan my evening.
If there were some way to view just the channels I can recieve would be an improvement over the current method.
Any help appreciated

First, thanks for the kind comment.

While I am not completely sure what you are looking for, I can say that if you did have a DVR you would be able to set up, view, and change your Favorites list on that DVR (does NOT have to be a multi-room DVR). The non-DVR STBs, at least the ones I have, do not have any way to access them from the internet; I have no idea whether Verizon might implement something like that in the future. Also, fyi, the non-DVR STBs have a reminder function, the DVRs do not, although it is rumored to be coming.

You can always hope, Verizon employees do participate in these forums, so maybe your needs will get into the pipeline. In the meantime getting a DVR would provide most of what you want I think, plus you get all of the nice things about recording stuff to watch later.

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.2, Build 08.58
Keller, TX 76248

barbshop

Ok, I appreciate the value of the "favorites" feature, and completely understand all the posts regarding its use. However, I have a unique problem that I'm not sure Fios can handle. I just switched from Directv and had this ability with their remote when using "faovrites" lists. With Directv I could select a favorites list and all controls on the remote would default to the channels on that list until I went back and selected either all or another favorites list. What I mean is if I selected favorites 1 when I used the channel up and down keys (without going to the guide" I would cycle through each one of the channels on the list but only those on the list. Why this mattered to me is that I have 94 year old mother who's eyesight is very bad. She cannot see the guide information when it is displayed so it does her no good. She only watches a handful of stations and I want her to be able to use the one big channel up/down button to enable her to cycle through the channels she likes rather than the entire list of several hundred. There does not seem to be a way to do this with the FIOS remote which requires you to select your channels from the guide.

Hope this makes sense. I love the FIOS service, but miss certain simple features that I had with Directv remote.

CapnTrips

@barbshop wrote:
... What I mean is if I selected favorites 1 when I used the channel up and down keys (without going to the guide" I would cycle through each one of the channels on the list but only those on the list. ...
That is precisely what FIOS does. Select "Flip by Favorites" and Ch+/- will only cycle through channels on your Favorites (1 or 2, whichever is active) list.

Justin46

barbshop,

I am confused. Did you read the 4 page document I wrote and linked to in the first post? I think what I describe and recommend there is exactly what you want. Setting up and using the Favorites function they way I describe affects both using the Guide and using the Channel + and - buttons.

If you have actually tried what I recommended and it isn't what you want for your mother, please try again to describe what you are looking for. Thanks....

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.2, Build 08.58
Keller, TX 76248

dbrennan

Actually, you're not confused - it's me who's a little dense. I did read your document, but didn't quite get the connection. The term "flipping" which Fios uses didn't make sense to me - it seemed a lot simpler with Directv. However after your gentle reminders, I went back and decided to just follow your directions. It works fine now. Thanks for being patient. One gets so used to terminology with one company that it takes a little push or two to get us to move to something new. I'm happy so far with FIOS. Now if they can just get that caller-id to display on the TV screen - we'll be making progress. You'd think the phone company would have been the first to offer that simple feature. I know, I know - it may be a limitation of the Motorola STBs, but that shouldn't be hard to overcome.

Thanks again,

Oh, by the way, does anyone know how to contact the forum administrator? I have had a heck of a time logging in. Had to change user-id, screen name, and password several times to finally get back in here.

sosuzguy

Where do you select flip by favorites? Is this easily toggled on and off without having to go back and forth in menus?

Justin46

@sosuzguy wrote:
Where do you select flip by favorites? Is this easily toggled on and off without having to go back and forth in menus?

The settings are in the Menu, in the same area where you set up your Favorites list, etc.

To toggle the Favorites list being used easily using the Favorites button (the heart), you need to set the Favorites Button value to Toggle Flip by Favorites:

Menu ==> Settings ==> Favorite Channels ==> Favorites Button ==> Toggle Flip by Favorites

Then set which initial setting you want

Menu ==> Settings ==> Favorite Channels ==> Flip by Favorites ==> All Channels or Favorites 1 or Favorites 2

keep in mind that the Flip by Favorites setting you make in the Menu is just an initial setting. If you set it to Favorites 1, for example, then the Guide will display only the channels listed in your Favorites 1 whenever you hit the Guide button. But you can change the Flip By value any time you want by hitting the Favorites button on the remote (just below and to the right of the circular ring of arrow buttons around the OK button). The first time you press the heart you will see the current Flip By setting, each successive press with swicth to the next setting - All Channels (or Favorites 2 if it is set up) in a round-robin mode. So changing the current Flip By Favorites is easily changed at any time, and remains in effect until you change it again.

I hope this answers your question.

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
QIP6416, IMG 1.6.2, Build 08.58
Keller, TX 76248

sosuzguy

Perfect - only thing is I'm getting tired of setting up my favorites.

This is the 4th box I've had since January and now this one is messing up. Next time it does I'm just calling VZ and they can send someone out I'm not messing with anything else.

Justin46

@sosuzguy wrote:

This is the 4th box I've had since January and now this one is messing up. Next time it does I'm just calling VZ and they can send someone out I'm not messing with anything else.

What STB do you have? And what kind of problems (if you have already posted your problems on the forum then maybe just post a link to that thread, who knows, maybe somebody here can help). I have had my DVR and two SD STBs for almost 4 years now, had one of the SD STBs replaced when it failed to power up, but other than that, no major problems, and those that I have had have been fixed by the periodic software updates, except for the lousy Guide data, but that will only be fixed when Verizon dumps FYI Television as the provider I think.

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
QIP6416, IMG 1.6.2, Build 08.58
Keller, TX 76248

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