Fios Multi Room DVR questions
Bwangster12
Newbie

Probably making the switch to Fios in the next few weeks and am really narrowing my decision process down to what I should do about my DVR.  I have a Tivo HD and have not been as blown away with it as others have.  I mean, love being able to record, but other DVRs do that.

My questions are:

1) Does the Verizon DVR have 2 or dual tuners in it like the Tivo HD?  Of course, right?

2) Assuming it does have 2 tuners, can I record two things at one time and watch a recording?  I thought I read that I could, but what to make sure.

3) I've often started recording something and decided I want to watch it half way through... can I start recording something at lets say 8pm for an hour, and come in at like 815 and pick it up from the beginning and then fast forward through the commercials to catch up?  

4) Can I do this from another box in the house?  If I have the multi room DVR and am recording something on it... can I go into my bedroom with a regular HD box and start watching the recording while the DVR is recording it on my main tv?

5) What exactly is the difference between the two boxes I am hearing about: QIP7216 and the QIP7100?  Are these just an older model and a newer model?

Last question, I promise:

6) If I have a particular multi room DVR box, and Verizon releases a newer model, such as one with a larger HD for example, do I get to trade in for that model?  Will it cost me something to trade in?  I presume they'd both be 19.99.  Would Fios charge more for a multi room DVR with a bigger harddrive?

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Re: Fios Multi Room DVR questions
Justin46
Legend
My comments are imbedded in with your questions:

1) Does the Verizon DVR have 2 or dual tuners in it like the Tivo HD?  Of course, right?

Yes it has two tuners. However, apparently it does not work the same as some other DVRs with two tuners. With the Verizon DVR, if I tune to channel 504, for example, and then tune to channel 570, and then tune to channel 618, hitting the Last button will take me back to channel 570, not 504; some people have had DVRs that will allow changing channels on just one tuner, preserving the content of the other tuner. The Verizon DVR just does not work that way. I don't know if that is the same or different on the Tivo, I have never had one.

2) Assuming it does have 2 tuners, can I record two things at one time and watch a recording?  I thought I read that I could, but what to make sure.

Yes. Just remember you cannot watch a third live channel, it must be a recording.

3) I've often started recording something and decided I want to watch it half way through... can I start recording something at lets say 8pm for an hour, and come in at like 815 and pick it up from the beginning and then fast forward through the commercials to catch up?  

Yes. I do that all the time.

4) Can I do this from another box in the house?  If I have the multi room DVR and am recording something on it... can I go into my bedroom with a regular HD box and start watching the recording while the DVR is recording it on my main tv?

I think so. I do not have the multi-room feature, but I am pretty sure you can. Surely somebody else will chime in here with a complete answer.

5) What exactly is the difference between the two boxes I am hearing about: QIP7216 and the QIP7100?  Are these just an older model and a newer model?

The 7216 is an HD DVR, the 7100 is just an HD STB. The older models are the QIP 6416 DVR, QIP6200 HD STB, and the QIP2500 SD STB.

6) If I have a particular multi room DVR box, and Verizon releases a newer model, such as one with a larger HD for example, do I get to trade in for that model?  Will it cost me something to trade in?  I presume they'd both be 19.99.  Would Fios charge more for a multi room DVR with a bigger harddrive?

No idea. But I would guess no. When Verizon came out with the 7216 some people wanted to get that to replace the 6416, many found that to be a mistake as the 6416 actually worked better (I still have a 6416 and am very happy with it). Currently the DVRs are priced the same, and as I understand it, if you order one you cannot specify which you want, you will get whatever they send you.

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
QIP6416-P1, IMG 1.7.1, Build 09.97
Keller, TX 76248

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Re: Fios Multi Room DVR questions
spacedebris
Master - Level 2

looks like justin covered this nearly completely. Just a couple things to add.

4.  Yes, you can access the partially recorded program from the other room and watch until you catch up to the recording. The box in the other room will actually be about 5-10 seconds behind the live programming so it does create a wierd echo effect if someone else in the house is watching it live.

6.  No one knows because Verizon has never had an "upgrade" to the DVR's. The change from 6416 to a 7216 was basically the "same" DVR. Same features, same size, just differnt model number. And to this day you cannot specify which one you will get, As far as Verizon is concerned, they are both the same in their minds. We will have to wait and see how they handle it

Last time they had a box specific issue was when they ran out of HD boxes and gave everyone SD, then when they got all the HD boxes back in they did it in this fashion.   New Customers first, Repair issues second, Upgrades 3rd (oldest to newest customers). I would assume that when/if they get upgraded boxes it will be handled in much the same way.

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Re: Fios Multi Room DVR questions
Bwangster12
Newbie

The thing that gets me thinking is that IF they came out with a box with the same features but bigger harddrive, how could they not charge more?  I mean, the box will cost them more... will they recoup that cost with the assumption that now more people will get DVRs or make the switch from Tivo to their DVR?  I can't imagine them charging more than 19.99, I mean, thats on the higher end of DVR subscription fees as it is.

I also find it strange that you can't set up a recording from a remote cable box.  Why can't I set something to record at 8pm and have it start recording wherever the DVR is?  You can go into a web browser and set up a recording, but you can't do it from a remote cable box?

The main thing that bothers me, and Tivo doesn't even make remote DVR watching easy as you have to buy additional DVRs, but I wish I could delete a recording after I watched it on a remote cable box.  After I finish watching something on a remote box, I'd have to go into the room with the DVR and delete it to make sure that the space is free?  Thats a bit annoying.

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Re: Fios Multi Room DVR questions
Keyboards
Master - Level 3

@Bwangster12 wrote:

The thing that gets me thinking is that IF they came out with a box with the same features but bigger harddrive, how could they not charge more?  I mean, the box will cost them more...


Actually, with the cost of hard drives going down they could actually cost less.  It has been stated by others that the 160G drives are becoming (or have become) obsolete.

Re: Fios Multi Room DVR questions
jumpin68ny
Master - Level 2

This won't apply to you since you mentioned your other room will have an HD box but for anyone else that is reading this keep in mind.  If you have an HD DVR in one room and a SD box in another room you cannot watch a program recorded in HD from the HD DVR on the SD box.  The SD box can only play SD recorded shows.

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Re: Fios Multi Room DVR questions
jumpin68ny
Master - Level 2

Bwangster12, I always wondered why you can't do those sort of things from a secondary TV.  When I'm in bed at night I keep my blackberry on my night stand so I can delete a show or schedule a recording.  The Blackberry has a nice APP that lets you do many of the things you can do from the website.  Pretty funny/lame I can't do it from a TV connected in the same house.

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Re: Fios Multi Room DVR questions
Bwangster12
Newbie

Well, the thing is, I have 2 HD tvs and 1 SD TV in my bedroom.  I've been told that I will be given an HD box for my bedroom eventhough it is just SD.  Will I be able to watch an HD recording from my DVR on the SD TV that has the HD box?

Can you delete recordings from the Mobile Remote App on Android or from the Verizon Fios mobile website?

Update ~ Think I answered my own question reguarding the deleting shows thing. 

http://www36.verizon.com/fiostv/web/UnProtected/RemoteDVRInfo.aspx

Looks like you can managed your recordings from the mobile app, not the mobile website.

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Re: Fios Multi Room DVR questions
jumpin68ny
Master - Level 2

>Well, the thing is, I have 2 HD tvs and 1 SD TV in my bedroom.  I've been told that I will be given an HD box for my bedroom >even though it is just SD.  Will I be able to watch an HD recording from my DVR on the SD TV that has the HD box?

Yes.  You can watch an HD recording on an SD TV.  Since both boxes are HD, no problem

>Can you delete recordings from the Mobile Remote App on Android or from the Verizon Fios mobile website?

You can delete recording, create recordings etc. from the mobile App and remote website.

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Re: Fios Multi Room DVR questions
Bwangster12
Newbie

It looks like you can't from the mobile website according to that link.

So basically, you can manage your DVR from a mobile device, but you can't from an actual cable box in the house?  Does that make sense?  Not to me.

I swear I've been told different things in regards to this watching HD recording on an HD box that is connected to a SD tv.  It obviously won't be in HD, but you can still watch the recording on your television?  What does it do... convert it down?

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