DVR Storage
BenB
Newbie
Since I got my DVR it never has shown the correct amount of storage.  I am told that this is a known bug that will be fixed in a future release.  That was 2 years ago.  Additionally, I just moved up the the ranks of HDTV.  Any word on getting more storage on the DVR.  After about 7 hours of recording I am seeing 80% full.  Why have all the ports been disabled?  I could add a terebyte for under $100.00
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Re: DVR Storage
KenAF
Specialist - Level 2

@BenB wrote:
Since I got my DVR it never has shown the correct amount of storage.  I am told that this is a known bug that will be fixed in a future release.  That was 2 years ago.  Additionally, I just moved up the the ranks of HDTV.  Any word on getting more storage on the DVR.  After about 7 hours of recording I am seeing 80% full.  Why have all the ports been disabled?  I could add a terebyte for under $100.00

To fix the reported amount of storage, unplug the box for 30 seconds.

 

For now, you've got to buy your own TivoHD or Moxi DVR if you want a HDTV DVR with more storage and the ability to add a 1TB drive.  In six months or so, Verizon is expected to offer a DVR with twice the storage of the existing model.

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Re: DVR Storage
Reaper
Enthusiast - Level 3
The Moxi now supports external storage up to 6 TB.
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Re: DVR Storage
geebee2K
Enthusiast - Level 2

Reaper,

Does the Moxi add on to the FiOS Home Media DVR, which can then serve data to all other TV's in the house? Or can the Moxi do that all by itself (replacement for Verizon FiOS HMD?

Thx,

G

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Re: DVR Storage
KenAF
Specialist - Level 2

@geebee2K wrote:

Reaper,

Does the Moxi add on to the FiOS Home Media DVR, which can then serve data to all other TV's in the house? Or can the Moxi do that all by itself (replacement for Verizon FiOS HMD?


The TiVo, Moxi, and FiOS MRDVR all have their own, incompatible versions of multi-room.   They only support multi-room with their own boxes.  If you want multiroom with TiVo, you have to buy multiple TiVos.  If you want multi-room with Moxi, you have to buy multiple Moxis or a Moxi and one or more Moxi Mates.  You cannot access them with a Verizon STB.

 

From what I understand, Moxi uses DLNA 2.0 with DTCP-IP for its multi-room, so if Verizon really wanted, it could probably support streaming to and from Moxis with its upcoming Cisco DVR.  I wouldn't count on that happening, however.  It won't ever happen with the Motorolas.

Message Edited by KenAF on 08-21-2009 11:08 AM
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Re: DVR Storage
geebee2K
Enthusiast - Level 2

KenAF,

Thanks for a great answer to what I probably should have disclaimed as a newbie question!! My DVR history includes ReplayTVs and DirecTV HD DVRs. I was thinking that someone had come up with an external storage device that worked with the Verizon boxes. I see now that you're talking about substituting a TiVo or Moxi for the Verizon box.

A couple more questions (with apologies if this has been covered 1000 times before):

(1) If you use TiVo or Moxi boxes, don't you still have to use a Verizon STB and an IR Blaster interface? With DirecTV, they had all kinds of encoding and whatnot going on, and I don't think you could use anyone else's DVR box to record things without having some sort of DirecTV box in the picture. (Plus, it would basically be an analog record...)

(2) In DirecTV Land, people were (without authorization., of course) opening boxes and installing bigger drives, or connecting external drives on boxes that offered that connection. Is anyone doing any of that with Verizon boxes, and if so, where would I get more info?

Thanks,

G

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Re: DVR Storage
KenAF
Specialist - Level 2

@geebee2K wrote:

(1) If you use TiVo or Moxi boxes, don't you still have to use a Verizon STB and an IR Blaster interface?


No.  Modern DVRs like the TivoHD and Moxi do not record the output of another box like your old ReplayTV; they replace the cable box.

 

As part of the Telecommunications Act of 2006, cable companies were required to separate the security from their boxes to make it possible for third parties to offer compatible STBs and DVRs for digital cable.   That gave us CableCards.

 

CableCards are access cards that plug into the STB/DVR and authorize and decrypt all of the channels that you pay for.  All digital cable systems -- including FiOS -- are required by federal law to supply CableCards.    Verizon FiOS offers multistream CableCards for $3.99/mo; each CableCard can authorize channels on up to six tuners at once (the TivoHD and Moxi have dual tuners).   DirecTV and Dish Network convinced regulators that they should not be a part of this mandate, so those products remain proprietary.

 

For now, the only CableCard DVRs you can buy are the Moxi and TivoHD.   Each of these products has its own built-in digital tuners and a CableCard slot.   These are unidirectional CableCard products (abbreviated UDCP) which means they can only receive and tune the cable provider's signal; they can't send a signal to the cable provider.  As the result, they support all of the same channels, but there is no way for these products to request guide data or remote services like VOD.

TiVo and Moxi provide their own, superior guide data, which they download nightly from their Internet servers (using wireless or ethernet), much like your ReplayTV did.  But these products won't support VOD until cable companies allow requests to be made over the data (Internet) connection.  So far, only TiVo is the only one working on that, and RCN is the only cable provider to announce support for that initiative (and only on TiVo).  More cable providers could announce support before that functionality launches this fall.

 

We don't see more of these products because of (a) cost --- DVR software development is very expensive, (b) guide data isn't free for use in a commercial product, so it must be licensed from guide data providers for a fee, and (c) many consumers won't buy a box without cable VOD, even it has superior DVR functionality / reliability / capacity.

 

You've probably heard about true2way.  true2way addresses all three issues by adding a bidirectional receiver and a JavaVM to download and run a Java version of the cable company's software (called OCAP).  In effect, this turns third-party hardware into the cable company box with the same software, the same guide data, and the same VOD, but potentially with much greater storage capacity.  No true2way boxes are available for sale yet, because many cable companies still haven't made the Java version of their software available for download.  For now, Verizon has no plans to support true2way with a Java (OCAP) version of its software, so this won't be an option for FiOS customers.

Message Edited by KenAF on 08-22-2009 02:25 AM
Re: DVR Storage
KenAF
Specialist - Level 2

@geebee2K wrote:

(2) In DirecTV Land, people were (without authorization., of course) opening boxes and installing bigger drives, or connecting external drives on boxes that offered that connection. Is anyone doing any of that with Verizon boxes, and if so, where would I get more info?


No one is doing that with Verizon boxes.

 

With the current and past DirecTV DVRs, it was possible to install an larger hard drive and have the DVR recognize and use that capacity.  The same is not possible on Motorola DVRs from any provider.  The Motorola firmware is "hard coded" to use the original capacity of the DVR, so it will never recognize more than that.  You can install a larger hard drive, but it will never recognize or use more than 160GB (20 HD hours).

 

The Motorola firmware is signed code on a ROM chip, soldiered to the mainboard, so that is not something you can modify.  Attempting to modify the mainboard with a new ROM chip, with a new firmware, renders the DVR inoperable.

Re: DVR Storage
geebee2K
Enthusiast - Level 2

Phenomenal answers, as always, KenAF!! I would like to nominate both answers for "stickies" or a FAQ -- do you know how I might do that?

Anyway, great stuff. I don't know how I missed the info on CableCards; I must have been out exercising my Stegasaurus or something... Smiley Tongue

The information on replacing drives sounds like it came from the School of Hard Knocks!! I guess they really don't want anyone mucking with their drives!!

Thanks,

G

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