500GB Motorola QIP7232 HD DVR Coming soon!

[digidan2]

Found this on hd.Engadget.com  Now I wish I had kept FiOS.

http://hd.engadget.com/2010/10/28/verizon-fios-starts-rolling-out-500gb-dvrs/

[REDLEDELDER]

I will have to check at my local Verizon store to see if I can pay the $40 for a trade-in/upgrade.

Seems like it would be worth it.

[alden]

Does anybody know is it possible to get 12 month free DVR from Verizon FIOS for existing customers who signed before for FIOS and got only 6 months free DVR offer? I signed in October and still has cuople months left with my 6 months free DVR promotion when I signed up, but now Verizon is giving 12 Months free - $120 savings... Is it worth to ask Verizon customer service of 6 months more of free DVR service?

Thanks...

[rick5456]

Dear Alden,

Verizon will not change promotions after you have signed up for their service.  The good news is that if you call and explain that there must be something that can be done......they almost always give you some type of compensation.  Extended DVR service....hbo free.......reduced rate for a year.  Any deal you get is better than doing nothing.  Good Luck.

[donaldm823]

I tried my best and called VZ new products and ordered 2 new QIP 7232.  The customer rep said no problem.  Well 2 DVRs showed up today (2 days delivery!) and they both were the old 6416-2 and both had serial #s older than my present DVRs.  A call to Tech Support, gave me the same answer here on the forum, that there is no way to order a specific model and that VZ policy was to issue the old ones until supply exhausted.  The 7232 are only going to new customers.  I returned the 6416 I just received and kept my old ones, as I know they work but with low capacity and some pixel loss.

I called the web site listed FIOS VZ store to see if I could exchange DVRs, and he confirmed that they only have the old 6416 in stock.  They would not be receiving the new ones until the 6416 supply is exhausted and he had no time estimate.  This is probably the only way to go to ensure you get what you really want

I am unhappy that VZ is giving new customers the good DVRs, and leaving their old customers in a bad way-I guess its just a money decision.  More importantly, there is nothing more that I can do as I certainly am not going to lie about a needed service call (and even that is throwing the dice).  I guess trying to follow the rules and being honest is not good enough to get some help!

There is a waiting list you can get on for the new DVR-accessed via FIOSTVCENTRAL,which I did but it may be a long wait!

[rick5456]

     I know how frustrating it may appear in trying to get past Verizon's red tape but I have good news.  Changing out your old dvr to get the new one is easier than you think.  The trick is to have a technician visit your house.  When most of the techs I know arrive there is no problem swapping out the old dvr for the new as long as the customer is polite.  Installers are people too and understand that when something new hits the market......you'd like to have it.  The hard part is how to get a technician to show up.   Don't give up.......the new dvr is extremely nice.......and has the ability to use an external hard drive so you can back things up.  Good Luck!

Rick5456

[paulgs31]

They refused for me.

My remotes functions are still not working right, know what they told me " Sorry, you are in the test market" so I'm stuck with the Cisco piece of crap. They refused to swap it out., even with an older working model.

{please keep it relevant}

[voken]

They even refused for me and I still have an issue w/ the HD DVR (6416) and the 2 HD (6200) boxes.

This is what happened to me....sound on 2 of my TV's (3rd tv i don't even use) goes mute for a brief time and this happens atleast twice a day !  only way I get the sound back is wait for like a minute (close to 60 to 90 sec) or switch the channel and return or turn the tv off and on again !!!!   I complained about this like a year back and they tried all options and nothing happened and knowing it takes a weeks effort and 10 hrs of my personal time to reach one of these Verizon tech guys on phone (who in turn just remote start the boxes and nothing else), I just gave up after that ! 

Now w/ the new 7232's on the market, I called them to see if they can switch back (and this also took 3 days and close to 4 hrs effort to get them on line !!!!) and funny enough they did the same set of **bleep** solutions - resend the signal, pull the wires, swicth back, reboot !! and of course it didn't fix the issue....but still they refused to get me new boxes and said they can only give old ones (6416s) back !  and I can register to get new ones when they are available !!

[rick5456]

One thng to keep in mind is that FIOS Techsare human. They want to make customers happy.  Everyone needs to keep in mind that simply being polite and nice goes a long way.  Talking down to techs or complaining about how ticked off you are is a sure fire way to put  them in a bad mood. Offer them a cup of coffee and a smile.  As for additional billing to customers it seldom happens in my experience.  Remember your attitude will determine what a tech will or will not do and if you get billed.

rick5456

[chrtay1]

Hello,

I am looking into moving from Directv to FiOS due to the cost savings. I just had a "chat" with Verizon and was told that the QIP-7232 500GB is not available yet. I did not get a response as to whether this was just in my market or not (Palm Springs, CA). So I guess that if I order FiOS TV, I have to hope the tech has one of the new boxes on the truck. Is that correct?

Thanks,

Chris

[chrtay1]

Just wanted to follow up and say that a QIP7232 P2 was installed today, seemingly with a 500GB drive. Recorded 1 hour of

HD content so far and it says 1% used.

So far so good.

chrtay1

[Dave4120]

Hey everyone....i put my name on the waiting list for the QIP7232 a few weeks ago and i just received an email that the wait is over.  The mail included a link to send out for an upgrade.  I had to accept a $40 upgrade fee however   At least I'll finally have more space!

[deepblue27]

Just got this email from Verizon

 https://www22.verizon.com/ForYourHome/VZRepair/vziha/Service.aspx?ihaweb=WebSTBSwap

You Have 30 Days to Act

Dear Verizon Customer,

Great News! The wait is over. Verizon now offers you the ultimate viewing experience with the 500GB FiOSTMTV DVR. Up to 60 hours in high definition (HD) or up to 300 hours in standard definition (SD) recording capacity; Multi-room access to recordings; and watch as you record.
 

Don’t wait another moment! Just follow these easy steps to upgrade your existing DVR for the new 500GB DVR:

1)     Select this icon

2)     Enter your “My Verizon” username and password.

3)     Your account will show all DVRs in your home which are eligible for an upgrade. Check each device you wish to upgrade.

4)     Check equipment exchange fee of $39.99 for each FiOS TV DVR ordered. This charge will be reflected on your next bill.

5)     Review your selections, complete your order, and hit the “Submit” button.

6)     Print this page for your records. Expect delivery of the new FiOS TV DVR by mail within 5 business days.

7)     Act within 30 days of receipt of this email to take advantage of available inventory.

Preparing for the DVR upgrade process:

• Look for the easy step-by-step set-top box installation guide included in your shipping box.
• Don’t forget to Reset your Interactive Media Guide personal settingson your new DVR by using your remote.  Go to the “Main Menu”, select “Customer Support”, and then “Settings”.
• Finally, a reminder that all recorded TV programs & movies on your current DVR are not transferable & cannot be retrieved.

[mschauber]

Who does verizon think they are telling us we have to pay $40 to upgrade to equipment THEY own and manage?

This is infuriating.  They give out a product with the capabilities of using external HD's turned off just so they can charge existing customers more money for something we already pay for.  This is unbelievable. 

They make a fortune on the backs of hard working individuals and could care less about existing customers. 

In the words of Leo Getz: "They **bleep** you with cell phones. That's what it is.  They love it when you get cut off. Y'know why, huh? You know why? 'Cause when you call back - -which they know you're gonna do. - -they charge you for that first minute again at that high rate."

[Hubrisnxs]

---

@mschauber wrote:

Who does verizon think they are telling us we have to pay $40 to upgrade to equipment THEY own and manage?

This is infuriating.  They give out a product with the capabilities of using external HD's turned off just so they can charge existing customers more money for something we already pay for.  This is unbelievable. 

They make a fortune on the backs of hard working individuals and could care less about existing customers. 

In the words of Leo Getz: "They **bleep** you with cell phones. That's what it is.  They love it when you get cut off. Y'know why, huh? You know why? 'Cause when you call back - -which they know you're gonna do. - -they charge you for that first minute again at that high rate."

---

They are talking about this in the idea exchange

[Keyboards]

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@mschauber wrote:
This is infuriating.  They give out a product with the capabilities of using external HD's turned off just so they can charge existing customers more money for something we already pay for.  This is unbelievable. 

---

Actually, they are beta testing new firmware that will enable the eSATA for external storage up to an additional 1 TB (1.5 TB total for a 7232, 1.16 TB for a 7216).  This should go to general release by the end of Q1 2011 or early in Q2 of 2011.  Keep in mind that that external drive will be locked to the specific DVR so if it dies you will lose whatever is on it.  Also, if the external drive fails it's your "nickle" to replace it, not Verizon's.

[mschauber]

    mschauber wrote:

     
    This is infuriating.  They give out a product with the capabilities of using external HD's turned off just so they can charge existing customers more money for something we already pay for.  This is unbelievable. 

     

Actually, they are beta testing new firmware that will enable the eSATA for external storage up to an additional 1 TB (1.5 TB total for a 7232, 1.16 TB for a 7216).  This should go to general release by the end of Q1 2011 or early in Q2 of 2011.  Keep in mind that that external drive will be locked to the specific DVR so if it dies you will lose whatever is on it.  Also, if the external drive fails it's your "nickle" to replace it, not Verizon's.

.

If there's any truth to this, why doesn't verizon commiunicate with us?  There was nothing in the literature about the new dvr, there was nothing in the spotlight mag, which did at least say they will be changing the media guide, but no comment about time frame, so I guess somehwere between 1 day and 10 years.

They ahve all our email addresses, they are a phone company and could send out automated calls, they could make a not on their website, anything...

I have 37 Samsung 2tb drives running 24/7/365 and have yet to have a single failure.  The drives can now be purchased for $59.  So If I have to replace a drive I bought, I have no problem with that. 

[mschauber]

Three important things to note:

1) If you have used the share the network service, your orders may get screwed up and put onto the wrong account.  The ony way you'll know is when the box arrives.  I have friends whom I referred and they ordered the box and it showed up at my door.  This was a week after I received mine.  They have now charged me for two upgrades plus $100 fee for not returning hardware.  Luckily I have the UPS tracking with confirmation of their receipt of my old dvr (less than 10 days from the time I ordered it) and the receipt of the dvr they mistakingly put on my account (2 days after I returned it which was 2 days after I received it.)  Verizon refused to move the box to the account under which it was actually ordered.  On top of that, my friends have been unable to order the box again and billiing. customer service, tech support all say they have no way of placing an order for the new box.  I don't believe it for one sec, but they are pros at lying.

2) The clock/disply on the new unit is white and VERY bright.  There does not seem to be a way to dim it.  You can turn it off when the box is off, but then you lose the ability to use it as a clock.  If this was a Cisco box with a users upgradable HD, as other services are changing to, the brightness would be something I could live with.  But in a dark room, the unbelievably bright clock lights up the entire room.  It's also a sharp white.  Not a soft white like the soft color of the previous boxes.

3) 500gb fills up really fast when you only record HD.  It's a baby step forward, but when I could buy a 2tb hd for $59, I consider a $40 tax on this thing to be a kick in the pants to current customers.

Luckily thier service is good and regardless of their unscroupulous methods and refusal to offer current deals to existing customers, I wouldn't switch back to Time Warner Cable, their product is like using AT&T wireless.  Everything sucks, only works half the time, is slow, and their business will collapse when iphoneies move to verizon.

If Verizon FiOS management cared about keeping clients happy, they would communicate and treat us well.  Instead they know they have a superior product and have chosen to pull every penny from the customers knowing most of us will stay instead of being a corporation that earns respect.

[mschauber]

Verizon treats existing customers worse than the gum I scrape off my shoe.  They do anything to get you as a customer and then charge you left and right for whatever they feel like.  This upgrade is just another example.

They could save all of us the money and hassel by turning on the esata and/or usb ports on the existing DVR's so we could plug an external HD in and record what we really want, which is still limited by the small 500gb HD.  At a time when I'm buying 2TB HD's for $59, there's no excuse for a huge company like Verizon to be stuck sending out, and charging, for boxes with a tiny HD in it.

[waynehom]

Hi there,

I also just got the email offering the upgrade. I will bite the bullet and go for it. I am in desperate need of the space. And my DVR is 4 years old anyway. And if the eSATA comes through later, even better.

So, let's see if the order goes through okay, and I receive the new DVR. Wonder how long they will let me hold onto the old one, since I still have 75 hours of programming on it.

[Hubrisnxs]

usually you can hold onto the dvr for a couple weeks before sending it back.  usually within 30 days is what is expected.  

and people that took advantage of the deal, have reported that it comes within a few days but since we are hitting a weekend soon you'll probably see it early next week. 

[waynehom]

Well, got my new DVR on friday, so that makes it about 2 days after ordering it. That was great, which gave me the weekend to play with it.

First thing I did was do a search on ways to move my saved programs, if possible. Found out that it is NOT possible to transfer any saved shows from the old DVR to the new DVR. I was sort of expecting that, so not a great big letdown. I just have to spend some time with my DVD burner and save whatever programs I can in the time I have before sending the old DVR back.

Then spent an hour going through the menus, which were the same as the old one (v1.8), and changing all my settings to what I want. Then finding and reprogramming all my scheduled shows.

So, a lot of work when switching DVRs.

Oh, and also found out that only one Multi-room DVR is accessible, which is now the new one with no saved programs on it. I know you can call Verizon to switch it, but not worth the bother for another week or so.

So, Wish-List item would be for DVR upgrades to work more smoothly, with the ability to "move" saved programs from one DVR to another. I mean, all Set-top boxes have to be activated, so how much more work is this? Moving programs off a 100gb DVR to a 500gb DVR, go ahead and lock them out for the time needed for the transfer, which shouldn't be more than 24 hours.