Digital Adapter Box Questions

[ITango]

I'm currently a Comcast customer but I have a tentative install date to switch to Verizon FIOS.  I have some questions about the digital adapter boxes that Verizon wants to charge $3.99 per tv........

1)  After I get Verizon FIOS installed if I connect my digital flat screen tv directly to the coaxial cable outlet without using any kind of adapter box, will I receive any channels at all?  Even if it's only the local channels?, 2) I've talked to several Verizon sales reps and they've all guaranteed me that if I go buy an adapter box at Best Buy or Walmart and hook it up I'll receive many more channels than just my local channels (of course not HD, etc.).  Does this sound correct?

[jmw1950]

The digital adapter boxes (DCT700) have very limited capabilities. They cannot provide the channel guide, nor can they provide any of  the Video on Demand features.In addition the DCT-700 is analog Standard Defintion only output. If you want High Defintion TV, you need either a DVR or an HD box (QIP7100).

Unless you TV has a QAM tuner, you will get absolutely nothing if you connect it directly to the Verizon supplied Coax. Even if you have a QAM tuner, you won't get much (the local channels and not a lot else) unless your TV has a provision for a cable card and Verizon installs a cable card for you. The unpleasant reality is that most channels on FiOS are in fact encrypted because the copyright owners demand it. The only way to receive an encrypted channel is with a Cable Card.

As for the adapter box, I don't think you can buy one at Best Buy or Walmart that will work. The digital Adapter boxes they sell are for over the air broadcast, which is an entirely different format (ATSC) and frequencies than the format used for FiOS and Cable (QAM).

If you want to receive all the FiOS channels, you are going to need a device that uses a 'cable card', which Verizon will rent to you for the same price as the Digital Adapter Box. As far as I know, the only customer owned equipment that can be connected to FiOS for Television and actually provide all of the channels, are devices that  use a cable card.

 Even those devices will not provide the program guide or Video on demand.

[matcarl]

The digital adapter is good for an SD TV though where you don't need the guide. It does pick up all SD channels, even premiums like HBO if you subscribe to it.

[ITango]

matcart, are you saying I could buy an adapter, at say Best Buy, and I would be able to get the SD channels without paying extra to Verizon?  I don't care about the guide or HD channels.  I'd be happy if I just could get my local channels.  I have 2 tv's I'll be using Verizons DVR's with, but I have 5 other tv's that I don't want to pay $3.99 mo. to rent adapter boxes from Verizon.

[Keyboards]

---

@ITango wrote:

matcart, are you saying I could buy an adapter, at say Best Buy, and I would be able to get the SD channels without paying extra to Verizon?  I don't care about the guide or HD channels.  I'd be happy if I just could get my local channels.  I have 2 tv's I'll be using Verizons DVR's with, but I have 5 other tv's that I don't want to pay $3.99 mo. to rent adapter boxes from Verizon.

---

NO.  He is saying that the "adapters" at Best Buy (and any other retail outlet) are for broadscast channels that are received by an antenna.  Those boxes receive ATSC signals while cable signals are QAM modulated. 

[ITango]

So if I have a QAM digital flat screen tv and I plug it directly into the coaxial outlet (without using any type of adapter box) will I still get my local channels?

[spacedebris]

If you have a TV that has a QAM digital tuner, you will be able to get limited local channels. Usually not more than a handful.  But be aware that Verizon will provide absolutely NO support for it. You are completely on your own for making it work. If you cannot get it to work you are SOL.

Beyond TV's that have QAM digital tuners, no 3rd party device will work with Verizon unless it accepts cable cards. (IE. TIVO or Moxie)

If you dont have a QAM tuner, you must either have one of the following.

1. Cable card ready device
2. Digital adaptor rented from Verizon (Standard def only, no interactive systems)
3. HD STB rented from Verizon
4. HD DVR rented from Verizon

[ITango]

Hmm....it appears Verizon sale reps are giving wrong information then.  I had 2 different reps tell me I could buy an adaptor box and it would work to get channels.  Of course one of the reps also told me I would get 20 GB of online storage for my web sites and I don't think that is correct either.  I think you only get 10 MB.  I'm beginning to wonder what else they told my incorrectly.

[nascar]

Sales people work on a commission.  Customers don't.  You can always ask here, in this forum.  There are extremely knowledgeable and helpful people here that pride themselves on giving you the most accurate answer they know. 

---

ITango wrote:

Hmm....it appears Verizon sale reps are giving wrong information then.  I had 2 different reps tell me I could buy an adaptor box and it would work to get channels.  Of course one of the reps also told me I would get 20 GB of online storage for my web sites and I don't think that is correct either.  I think you only get 10 MB.  I'm beginning to wonder what else they told my incorrectly.

---

[matcarl]

Just get the digital adapter from Verizon. It's only $3.99 a month.