QIP-7232 impressions....

[eljefe2]

I ordered a QIP 7232 yesterday and UPS delivered it today.

Installation was painless.  I used all the cabling from my 7216...even the power cord.

New box auto-activated in about 5 minutes once I powered it up.

One improvement I haven't seen mentioned anywhere is channel changes are snappier compared to the old box.

I did lose the programs we had recorded on the old box but on the upside...I no longer have to worry about how many programs we save.  I know some for some users 500 GB may not be enough.  For us it's more than enough.

I had to re-setup my wife's iPhone FiOS DVR app but that only took a couple of minutes and it's working fine.

We lost our favorites and had to re-create the fav list.  No big deal but it's too bad you can't save a favorites list on the Remote DVR web page and transfer the list from one box to another.

Over all....I'm happy.

[lasagna]

Yep ... me too.  Very easy upgrade process with only one minor glitch with the remote web access to the DVR.  On the performance end of things, my MRDVR feature on my downstream boxes also seems more responsive (hitting FF and then Play reacts quicker than my old 6xxx seetup).

Only thing I don't like is the blinding white digits on the front panel display.  Arguing with the wife right now on if I can turn off the display (she "needs" the "clock" and "channel" when she's flipping thru thing, I tell her she can just look 10 feet to the left at the grandfather clock and at the screen for the channels and get the same info -- alas not sure I'm going to win this one yet.   🙂  )

[eljefe2]

Isn't your wife named SWMBO?  She Who Must Be Obeyed?

I noticed the clock/channel display is pretty bright too.  Maybe I'll just put some semi-transparent tape over the display to reduce it's intensity. 

Overall, though, the new box is an improvement over the old one.

edit:  I also had a minor glitch in getting Remote DVR to work.  The new box showed up as something like IMG-15 (I've renamed it and can't remember exactly what it was).  It was a little confusing because the old box was still showing on the TV Central DVR web page.  In fact, it's still there. 

I finally  renamed the old DVR Living Room - Old and renamed IMG-15 (or whatever it was called) Living Room.  I haven't figured out how to permanently remove the old DVR.  I hope one of these days it just disappears.  In the mean time, when I go to the DVR schedule or scheduled programs page I have to click on a pull down to get to the Living Room.  Living Room - Old is still shown as the default.

[BxNyEMT]

I had the same problem with naming the box and accessing it over the Internet. One of teh Support Tech's said it should go away in 24 hrs or when the old box is received, so I returned it to a Verizon Store. I just hope that this is the box that was referred to in teh e-mail (500gb). I hear that it MAY be 320 GB because the Tech said the capasity was between 110 and 220 hrs of SD and 60 - 75 hrs of HD programing.  Especially after paying the $39.96 upgrade fee I would really be disapointed. 

I am also dsapointed that there are not too mant Audio / Video out ports.  I wanted to hook my TV up to my VCR / DVD Recorder combo but I can'r so I can only watch through HDMI and can't record.  Also the installation guide is hard when it goes into troubleshooting and settings. Guess time will tell.

[eljefe2]

I too will be disappointed if I learn that the 7232 only has a 320 GB hard drive when the email notice I got from Verizon announcing it was titled "You Wait for the Verizon FiOS TV 500GB DVR is Over."

[lasagna]

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@BxNyEMT wrote:

I am also dsapointed that there are not too mant Audio / Video out ports.  I wanted to hook my TV up to my VCR / DVD Recorder combo but I can'r so I can only watch through HDMI and can't record.  Also the installation guide is hard when it goes into troubleshooting and settings. Guess time will tell.

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Not sure I understand your comment about the audio/video outputs.   The 7232 has HDMI, Composite, Component, and Svideo outputs as well as standard Audio and Digital Coaxial Audio outputs .. and RF.

Pretty much one of everything.  If you're watching TV via HDMI, one of the other outputs would be in use and usable for the application of which you speak.   Am I missing something?

[bevross]

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... 

I finally  renamed the old DVR Living Room - Old and renamed IMG-15 (or whatever it was called) Living Room.  I haven't figured out how to permanently remove the old DVR.  I hope one of these days it just disappears.  In the mean time, when I go to the DVR schedule or scheduled programs page I have to click on a pull down to get to the Living Room.  Living Room - Old is still shown as the default.

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I've got the same problem -- they received my old box Monday morning, it's now Thurs. evening.  I can work with the old box on my account but I'd rather not (every scheduling, TV listing action defaults to the old box & it goes through trying to find it)!  I'm tempted to call support about this.

[eljefe2]

I did call support about 24 hours after I had confirmation the warehouse had received my old box.  The support agent told me she was taking the old box off my account.  The next morning it was indeed gone from TV Central and our iPhone/iPad apps.

Give 'em a call.  It's worth the few minutes it takes.

[bevross]

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@eljefe wrote:

... 

Give 'em a call.  It's worth the few minutes it takes.

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A "few minutes"!   It always seems to take forever to get someone on the phone, after dealing with the automated menus!  Usually at least 15 minutes of waiting to speak with someone (not that I've called that many times in the past -- maybe 4 for FIOS but I had Verizon phone service before that for over 10 years -- same deal).

[bevross]

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@bevross wrote:

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@eljefe wrote:

... 

Give 'em a call.  It's worth the few minutes it takes.

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  Well, gave it a shot & after waiting on hold for 20 minutes found out that there was "nothing they can do" -- I just have to wait!  The support guy even sent a chat message to network support -- same answer?!  My old box did not show up on their account, it only shows up in my online account.

[eljefe2]

Bummer.  Hope it falls off your online account before Christmas.

[bevross]

The old box finally dropped off my online account -- about 5 days after they received the old box.

[ortiz34]

Last time I sent a box back for exchange (faulty) they took forever to take it off, ended up getting double dipped on my bill for an extra box that month.

Was not happy.

Hoping this box is worth the 40 dollars

[ptownguy]

Got the QIP-7232 yesterday.  We are going to set it up this weekend after we finish watching some shows we recorded on the old DVR.

Question: does anyone know exactly what the ethernet port (connector 13 in the manual) on the DVR is for?  Is there perhaps some web-enabled functionality on the new DVR (like Netflix or something) that requires an ethernet connection?  Neither the manual or Quick Start Guide tell you what it is for.

Thanks...

[eljefe2]

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@ptownguy wrote:

Question: does anyone know exactly what the ethernet port (connector 13 in the manual) on the DVR is for?  Is there perhaps some web-enabled functionality on the new DVR (like Netflix or something) that requires an ethernet connection?  Neither the manual or Quick Start Guide tell you what it is for.

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Motorola's own specs are very vague on that subject.  My guess is the RJ-45 connector is just like the eSATA connector....for future application.

[ptownguy]

OK, thanks, I agree that's what it could be for.  But, has anyone who has installed their QIP-7232 seen any current use for the ethernet connector?  I assume the answer to that is 'no', but I wanted to hear that, if it was true.

Thanks...

[spacedebris]

The ethernet connector is currently disabled. The case is a generic case as some Cable Companies use ethernet for VOD and other interactive systems. Since Verizon uses the Coax instead it is just an un-needed connector on the back of the STB. It can be enabled in the future if Verizon needs it, but for now it is just a "dummy" connector.

[ptownguy]

OK, thanks everyone...

[Einride]

I have six 7232's, for a week now.  The behavior--responsiveness, mainly--is indistinguishable from the 7216's that were replaced--and from the 6416's that preceded the 7216's.  Not surprising that nothing has changed, as the Motorola hardware in the boxes has remained essentially the same, and pretty much everything the boxes do is controlled by the software.

The box, however, is definitely different.  All black, with the display using white characters, rather than yellow-orange.  The white characters are not visible unless in use.  I like it.  There have been some complaints that the characters are "blinding".  For me, I never notice them except when looking directly at them, and I suspect the actual brightness level is identical to the older versions, just with more contrast against the black faceplate.

The "Recording" red light has been replaced by a white "REC" message to the left of the clock, in very small characters.  From my normal viewing distance, this looks like a white horizontal long dash, and does not catch my attention like the old red light.

The power light is integrated into a smallish illiminated power switch on the right side.  The light is a white circle. which blinks off momentarily when a signal from the remote is received. 

There is a navigation pad--up, down,left,right,OK--on the left side.  This will let you display and navigate the diagnostics data screens without using the remote.  The pad is black.  There is no Menu button, as on the older models, so you need the remote to access the User Options Menu. 

Overall, the black box blends in better with most home theater gear in appearance.  The box is not as wide by 2", taller by about 1/2", shallower by 1", and weighs about 30% less that the older boxes.  There is a fan on the back that blows out, and air input vents on the bottom at the front.  The box has no top vents, and does not get hot--anywhere.

The recording space on the 7232 has checked out to be in the range of 80 hours of HD, with an even mix of 720P and 1080I recordings.  This is also what you get when you calculate out the space reguired for the  operating software, the guide data for up to two weeks, and the file system overhead and indexes.

The 7232 carries over the fault of its predecessors in getting the sound out of sync with the picture from time to time.  This is evidenced by a tiny loss of sync that increases over time--I have seen up to three seconds of sound delay.  And it is accompanied by other effects.  The sound will become distorted with the first clue often being a gravelly vioce.  Screen crawlers--think news and sports crawls at the bottom of the screen becoming jerky.  Dropped frames--visualize the picture freezing for a very brief period, then jumping forward in time--repeatedly, or a tennis ball disappearing several times as it goes across the court.   These artifacts can be cured with sync software, which has been reported to be a part of the next software release.  For now, the workaround is to pause the program, then resume.  Or change channels, or anything else to disrupt the display of the current program.  (Pushing the FIOS [Live TV] button will work, but only if the program has been previously delayed by the user.)

So, the 7232 has 4X the program storage space of the 7216.  That is really good.  It comes in a nicer package.  But it uses the same Fios programming that is seriously inferior to DVRs by Tivo, RCN, Direct TV, and  (gasp) Comcast--from two years ago.  They were available for copying.

[prisaz]

Einride
Good review. I have had one 7232 for a few days now and have not noticed the audio or jurkyness you have mentions. HDMI to a 4 year old Samsun 46" LCD. But will keep an eye out for it. Looking forward to 1.9 when it is ready. I just turned off my TiVo suscription for my TiVO HD with 1TB drive installed in replace of the one that crashed at 4 months. Thinking of selling the Tivo HD. Liked the Native passthrough and nor storage. But also liked some of the other features. I think if you have multiple DVRs there should be a discount like there is with Multiple STBs.  May sugest it.

[MrKal_El]

So is it a fact that the internals of the new 7232's etc are "essetially" the same as the 6xxx & 7216's?