BYOB?
jnmarshall
Enthusiast - Level 3

Or Bring your own Box? After getting Fios TV installed and seeing they use these Motorola QIP box, I started doing an internet search. What I found were these boxes are being sold on craigslist and fleabay typically for about $25-$75 for the HD stb and depending on if it's a DVR box. For the cost that could be a savings of over $500 during the course of a 2 year contract. Here's the problem, in all cases the sellers are kind enough to provide the mcard SN. Upon contacting verizon to see about activiating the box, after the rep enters the information they respond the box was "removed from the system". In one call the rep even provided the personal information about the current subscriber the box belongs to!!

Does this mean there is no way to acquire your own box to add another TV or return a "rental"? Has anyone had any success?

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Correct answers
Re: BYOB?
KaLin
Khoros Partner
Khoros Partner

Please see this post by a Verizon employee which addresses the issue of buying STB's or DVR's from outside sources.

View solution in original post

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Re: BYOB?
Hubrisnxs
Legend

Verizon operates a controlled inventory so any cable box that hasn't been returned to inventory is marked as stolen or quarantined, and won't be released until it's returned to inventory and inspected and then put back into the inventory. 

So to answer your question NO you can't buy a verizon motorola cable box and activate it.

YOU CAN however purchase a TiVO or a Moxi DVR or a PC card that has a cable card access built into it (Ceton makes a nice one) and then rent from verizon a 3.99 cable card to plug into it.   That will allow you to purchase your OWN dvr own it outright, and then you are simply renting a cable card for access to all of your subscribed content.

With that you miss out on a few verizon things, like Verizon VOD (instead you get netflix and amazon on demand) and the verizon menu guide (instead you get tivo or moxi's guide) and you don't get the fancy widgets.   

But you get a little better experience with those units and you own them.  Most users don't see a cost savings by doing it but they do see increased functionality.  alot of features which are desireable.

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Re: BYOB?
KaLin
Khoros Partner
Khoros Partner

Please see this post by a Verizon employee which addresses the issue of buying STB's or DVR's from outside sources.

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Re: BYOB?
jnmarshall
Enthusiast - Level 3
Thanks for the details on DVR. I have all that covered and can record to DVD or disk any of the verizon content. I can use an XB, PS3 or ATV for all other content providers like Hulu, Netflix or itunes. All this is without any additional monthly fees. I was just hoping to save the cost of leasing the stb's like I did with dish. With dish I was able to buy a simple 511 box and plug my subscription card and go. No need to pay for the box.
Sucks having such a controlled environment to milk more $$ from you:(

@Hubrisnxs wrote:

Verizon operates a controlled inventory so any cable box that hasn't been returned to inventory is marked as stolen or quarantined, and won't be released until it's returned to inventory and inspected and then put back into the inventory. 

So to answer your question NO you can't buy a verizon motorola cable box and activate it.

YOU CAN however purchase a TiVO or a Moxi DVR or a PC card that has a cable card access built into it (Ceton makes a nice one) and then rent from verizon a 3.99 cable card to plug into it.   That will allow you to purchase your OWN dvr own it outright, and then you are simply renting a cable card for access to all of your subscribed content.

With that you miss out on a few verizon things, like Verizon VOD (instead you get netflix and amazon on demand) and the verizon menu guide (instead you get tivo or moxi's guide) and you don't get the fancy widgets.   

But you get a little better experience with those units and you own them.  Most users don't see a cost savings by doing it but they do see increased functionality.  alot of features which are desireable.


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Re: BYOB?
jnmarshall
Enthusiast - Level 3

@KaLin wrote:

Please see this post by a Verizon employee which addresses the issue of buying STB's or DVR's from outside sources.


Thanks for the link. That information about sums it up.

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