The MOTO QIC-6416 DVR STB has PORTS. Why can't we USE them???

[Doc]

This and other model DVR STBs are DESIGNED WITH PORTS, to access Extended Storage media drives (and these 'DVR Extenders' are sold all over the place), either via USB or eSata. The 80GB capacity that the hard drive has, IS NOT ENOUGH for any type of long term video storage (especially in HD format). If per chance, you have to turn in your STB, then all your recordings that you've collected for months/years GO WITH IT, and you lose them! That is ridiculous! It's happened to me once already... never again. As long as they are raising THE RATES for H/W rentals in 2009, I want Verizon to turn these ports ON, as this is very frustrating!!! Stop raising prices on equipment that we can't even use in its full capacity. Let us use it as it was DESIGNED to be used, for cryin' out loud!

[hofs1]

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@swbuehler wrote:

The intended purpose of a DVR isn't to permanently archive every program you like; it's intended so that you can record a program that you've missed so you can watch it later at your leisure and then go on with your life.  The drives in these units are sized with that in mind.  If you want to have a permanent copy of your favorite program, support the studio producing it by going out and buying the season DVDs or Blu-Rays when they come out or subscribe to them on iTunes for those programs that are carried there.

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These drives are sized for non hd video if all i recorded was sd then i have no complaint but since this is a hd dvr and verizon plasters the hd content all over the place then the least they can do is supply us the abilty to use larger storage space. I work night sometimes and can miss  a few episodes of recorded shows easliy. I try to catch up on weekends but i constantly have to keep an eye on the dvr for no space issues. Forghet about it if i record a game or 2  160 gig on a HD DVR is pathetically too small.

[vinnyv07]

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@swbuehler wrote:

The intended purpose of a DVR isn't to permanently archive every program you like; it's intended so that you can record a program that you've missed so you can watch it later at your leisure and then go on with your life.  The drives in these units are sized with that in mind.  If you want to have a permanent copy of your favorite program, support the studio producing it by going out and buying the season DVDs or Blu-Rays when they come out or subscribe to them on iTunes for those programs that are carried there.

I agree with you. But keep in mind this is 2009. 160 gig hard drive just does not cut it now. I have had to delete movies before getting to watch them because there is just no space on the dvr for all my shows. When you are talking HD a DVR needs at least a 300 to 500 gig hd. This isn't to archive every program but it is to get through a week or more pf programming without having things erase for needed space. Hd changed things and it should change a 160 gig hd to a 320 gig hd. Verizon must begin to upgrade their DVR's.

[speedo123]

Vinny:

I sort of agree with your argument.  However, I don't have HD so don't record in it.  I still have the same problem- NOt Enough Disk Space!.  I have to frequently go through the recordings and cull out stuff so there's room for new stuff.  And often I'm deleting movies or shows I haven't gotten to see yet.  If I don't do this, the DVR will start deleting and it seems to always select those shows or movies that I would NOT have erased.

With DirecTV, I upgraded my owned DVRs with larger hard drives - ~400GB.  That was just ample for SD recording (didn't have the above hassle very often, but still had it every once in a while).  Although that much disk space would certainly be better, it is still way too small for practical HD recording.  With 1 TB drives now at retail for less than $100, it makes no sense to go with anything smaller.  But the problem hasn't been what size to go to, it's been getting Verizon/Motorola to go with ANY size increase. 

This debate has been going on for years and still there's been no official (or otherwise I think!) word about when/if we can get larger units.  It's a hell of a way to treat your customers!

If it can't get Motorola to respond to a legitimate equipment request,why doesn't Verizon offer TiVo units as an option?  I don't really care about VOD so that's not a drawback for me.  And I'm sure there are many more customers who feel this way too.

Come on Verizon, do something for your customers!  (That's besides ignoring our requests as you have been doing!).

[vinnyv07]

@speedo123 wrote:

Vinny:

I sort of agree with your argument.  However, I don't have HD so don't record in it.  I still have the same problem- NOt Enough Disk Space!. 

Yes! If you don't have HD the 160 gig does go a long way. I have a 8 year old HD TV in my main room and no other HDTV's in m y house. I record in HD just in case I want to watch it in HD. My son is in love with the new Star Wars cartoon on CNetwork and I have 12 episodes saved for him and it hardly takes up space. During the football season I was recording a football game that needed extra time added to it now and then. It was 3 1/2 hours of HD in one recording. It took up a ton of space. HD is the difference....I wouldn't even complain about the HD space if it wasn't in the picture. it changes everything.

[speedo123]

Vinny:

FYI - I think maybe you misunderread my response.  I didn't say or mean to imply that 160GB is OK with SD recording.  I said I was having the same problem of not enough space as you were with using HD recording.  It's totally inadequate for any series recording, but extremely so for HD.  20 hours?  Give us a break Verizon!

[vinnyv07]

I understand that you were saying that even for Sd programming 160 gig is not enough. I was saying that I feel that while it still isn't enough space for SD, I probably wouldn't complain as much as now. However, I think we both agree that 160 isn't enough for us.

[swbuehler]

I'm aware that the IEEE1394 (a.k.a. "FireWire") ports are intended to be used with a television/monitor that also uses IEEE1394 connections, such as Mitsubishi's WS-65711 Projection TV. However, not all the FiOS channels come out of the STB over that port (most of them are simply black; I went through the whole list and was able to get maybe a quarter of the channels, mostly locals, all of the Music Choice/URGE channels, and then national networks scattered here and there).  I have a Polaroid HDTV that also doubles as my computer monitor so I like to have a window open watching TV rather than constantly switching back and forth between video modes.

I have a QIP6200-2 box (non-DVR version of the QIP6400 series), and what I can't record from the firewire port I use a SanDisk V-Mate Video Memory Card Recorder with an IR emitter to record (since most of what I record is intended to be viewed later on my iPod or iPhone; the V-Mate does the conversions for me on the fly).

[Doc]

How-do SW,

The whole point of my priginal posting was to escalate the fact that we are being supplied with DV"R"'s to record live TV. We are paying Verizon for the service option, AND... for the rental of the equipment to even watch programs on their (FIOS) network. This equipment ALREADY HAS the ports, and it HAS the capability to extend your video storage built into them (the QIP-6416 does anyway)... and it should be WORKING with no other "optional" equipment purchases needed to make it work. If there's some firware upgrade for this, then get it done, and roll it out for Pete's sake! Well, that's not how it is. Hence, the problem...

I don't have money (that I'm already spending for a service) to buy another extemporaneous solution to this issue. I don't know about you, but when I record something, I want to keep it around as long as possible, if not permanently. Otherwise, what's the point? Sure, you can "buy" the DVD/BR. I expect that everyone would want that, if not only just for convenience sake. True, you CAN record what you are watching and/or recording to a DVD-R or RW (or some other ext. medium) while you're watching it. However, this is somewhat tedious, time-consuming, and defeats the whole purpose of MASS video storage.

* MORAL: We, as paying customers, should be able to connect a video extender to our STB DVRs to increase our storage capacity, and in case something happens to the internal hard drive! Does anyone else agree with that? I would hope so.

[Kaimon66]

Don't know if the moderators will let this message show - I hope they do.  I am not bad mouthing Verizon - rather I offer solution:

There is an elegant solution to the DVR recording capacity problm:  Get a TiiVO DVR!

I don't work for TiiVO - I am a potential Verizon FiOS customer.  I have seen a  lot of complaints about the Vrizon STB and DVR (bad/slow user interface, limited functionality, can't expand capacity - the works!), so I did some research and discovered that you can connect a TiiVO DVR instead of the Verizon DVR.  You get a much better user interface (TiiVO DVRs consistently get the best reviews), and you can easily add an external hard disk with an eSATA interface (which is a lot faster that USB 2.0 High-speed!).  You do have to pay for the TiiVO equipment (both an equipment fee  - $300 for an HD DVR,  and a monthly service fee - or $400 lifetime, but you can save money on both by purchasing from one of the power sellers on eBayy that specialize in  TiiVO equipment.  You will have to pay Verizon a fee for a Cable Card(s) which plug into the TiiVO DVR and allow access to the services you purchase from Verizon, but overall you will pay about the same for a better user experience.

[BritInAshburn1]

Has this been resolved yet?

Is there a way to add a additiona harddrive, use Media Manager to store to PC, get newer model that has larger harddrive?

[KenAF]

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@BritInAshburn wrote:

Has this been resolved yet?

Is there a way to add a additiona harddrive, use Media Manager to store to PC, get newer model that has larger harddrive?

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No Motorola DVRs support storage expansion and that will not change soon.  Verizon has no plans to support storage on a computer with their own DVRs.

Verizon does plan to offer more storage expansion options before the end of this year.  This may come in the form of a new DVR with a larger hard drive, a DVR that supports external drive expansion, or both.  Customers can wait for those options to become available, or they can buy their own CableCard DVR with storage expansion (TivoHD or Moxi) for use with FiOS service.

Verizon does some have some exciting announcements (non-DVR) coming later this month.  Stay tuned.