Fios STB Models?

We just switched to the Fios package yesterday. We ended up with three STB's:

The small digital unit.

A non-HD DVR.

A non-DVR HD.

A "standard" box.

I believe they are all Motorola. I know the HD box is. They are probably all the QIP series.

Anyway, since the model numbers do not appear on the front of the boxes I was wondering if there is an easy way to determine the model numbers from the setup screen or the like? I had to pull out and turn over the HD box to find the model number on the bottom (a real pain), which I did not write down and forget. It probably is a QIP6200.

Perhaps, if I email the right person, Verizon will tell me what I am renting.......

Accepted answers

Justin46

Here is a link to a Verizon web page that shows all of the STBs Verizon offers: Link

If you look carefully you will see that every one of the Verizon STBs do have the model number in the lower left corner of the front panel. If yours do not have model numbers there is something wrong, they all do.

The web page I linked to above also has links to the user documentation for each of the STBs.

Be careful using any Motorola manuals. They are 1) way, way out of date because they were written when Motorola was using the original software, written by Microsoft I think, but the STBs now use software written by Verizon, totally different, and 2) they contain references to connection ports and possible functions that Verizon has chosen not to activate or implement. In reality the Motorola manuals are pretty much worthless IMHO (I have them, they were useful 4 years ago but really not now).

I am really surprised that you have gotten a non_HD DVR. Yes, Verizon lists one, and did deliver it several years ago when they did not have enough HD DVRs to satisfy the demand, but I am pretty sure they totally discontinued delivering them. Of course I most certainly may be wrong, and I am sure there are customers out there that still have them, but why in the world anyone would want a non-HD DVR when they could get an HD one I dont understand; even if you do not have an HD TV you can use an HD DVR and view the HD channels on a non-HD TV, of course letterboxed and not really in HD, but there are some channels on FiOS that are only available in HD (HDNet for example) that you may want to view and can do so if you have the HD DVR.

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

All comments

BrianMcD

Here is a link to the Equipment:

http://www22.verizon.com/Residential/FiOSTV/Equipment_Overview/Equipment_Overview.htm

I do not believe that Verizon Offers a SD DVR.

If you logon to your account you can see what boxes they show you as renting from them.

TEM3

Thanks. I do get a list of 4 serial numbers. Any way to establish the model from the serial number? What I would like to do is to grab the appropriate manuals from the Motorola site for each box.

Justin46

Here is a link to a Verizon web page that shows all of the STBs Verizon offers: Link

The web page I linked to above also has links to the user documentation for each of the STBs.

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

TEM3

Duh! Yes, the model number are where you said they are! My 60 year old eyes are worst than I thought. Anyway, we have the following:

HD QIP 7100 1

HD DVR QIP 7216 1

QIP 2500-3

DCT 700/US

Apparently, as I believe the tech said, the HD ability of the QIP 7216 can be switched on or off by Verizon. Any thing I should know about any of them that might be useful?

TEM3

Question: Which STB DVR box will funtions as a multi room DVR?

Justin46

Well, I have to remove my tri-focals for these 68 year old eyes to see them so don't feel too bad Smiley Happy

I am not sure what you mean, or what the tech meant, about switching off the HD ability of the DVR. One of the things that must be done at installation is to match the definition of the TV type in the STB to the type of TV actually attached, and I presume the installation tech did that. This involves setting the TV Type to either 16:9 or a couple of different flavors of 4:3, and if using an HDMI connection the default screen resolution. The 4:3 override stetting can also be made, but that can also be done via the Menu function of the IMG from the remote control.

As I said earlier, if you want to attach an SD TV to the HD STB you can do it, and you can view the HD channels. They won't be in real HD, and they will be letterboxed, but they will be viewable (as an aside, when I got FiOS TV 4 years ago I had an SD TV, and the picture from my HD DVR was so good on the HD channels, that I went out after about a week and spent a fortune for an HD TV).

So what kind of TVs are you attaching to the HD STBs?

As to the specific models you have received, the 7XXX boxes are the newest available, but they also seem to have more problems than the older models (I have a QIP6416 DVR, no problems with the DVR, only with the Guide data). The problems with the 7XXX models seem to be more common with HDMI connections, so if you are going to use that connection and do have trouble you might want to try component cables.

Within the next month or so all of the country is supposed to get a new version of the software that runs on all of the STBs, and this software is supposed to fix a number of problems, including the HDMI issues. All we can do is wait and see at this point.

You will find that FiOS delivers a large number of channels, some or many of which you will not want or be subscribed to. I highly recommend you take a look at the thread here on this Board titled Exploiting FiOS TV Favorites, I think it will help you customize your channel selection and guide content to make it a much more enjoyable experience (full disclosure: I wrote that post, so of course I think it is useful).

There are a lot of great people here that are very willing to help, both customers and Verizon employees. So if you have issues on need help be sure to post, I feel certain someone will be able to help you.

And welcome to FiOS!

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

Justin46

@TEM3 wrote:
Question: Which STB DVR box will funtions as a multi room DVR?

You only have one DVR so that will be it. Did you order the multi-room feature? If not you won't have it available.

You will be able to access recordings on the DVR from either the HD STB or the SD STB. However, as you might expect:

- You can only view SD recordings on the TV connected to the SD STB, no HD recordings.

- You can view SD and HD recordings on the TV connected to the HD STB.

- You cannot view any recordings on the TV connected to the DCT-700.

Also you will only be able to view the recordings on those TVs, you will not be able to delete the recordings (at least for now, I have no idea whether that function is in the new software that is supposed to be available soon).

Also you might want to look at activating the Remote DVR capability, which is a free feature allowing you to schedule recordings via the web, from a PC or a cell phone.

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

TEM3

The multi room DVR question was really just retorical. My wife does the recording (Soaps and old eposodes of The Golden Girls and such). Things I have no interest in watching. I did have two DVR STB's with Comcast, but found I never got a chance to watch most of what I recorded, so I stopped even bothering. TV is not a big deal for me. If there is nothing currently on I want to watch, I'll do something else. I don't even rent movies......

I did, however, sign up for the remote DVR function, not that it will get used much. But free I like. I used that feature with TIVO and missed it with Comcast DVR. Nice that Verizon offers it.

One more question: Is there any functionality to the eithernet connection on the back of the box (I know the QIP 7100 has one)?

tsauter1

As to the turning off of the HD feature, When I first signed up I got one of the brand new boxes (dont remember the model #) and had all kinds of issues with it. Apparently the issues were very common. Anyway, when the Tech came to replace the box he gave me a 6416 and told me the issue was that Verizon was trying to use 1 box for all features with the ability t turn them on and off, instead of a sd, hd, dvr box etc and that there were lots of bugs in the software.