VIOS DVR CAPACITY
DHA
Enthusiast - Level 2

I FEEL SWINDLED!!!!!!  

I just switched from DISH network to Verizon FIOS, where I had:

1. One  DVR with the capacity to record hundreds of shows and hundreds of hour of SD and HD plus the ability to store and easily retreive shows from a 750 GIG hard drive. This DVR fed a second room SD TV as well

2. A second one room DVR that could record hundreds of hours of SD that the kids used.

What I got now is one sucky low capacity DVR that feeds a set-top box in a second room that has very limited DVR functionality. The kids can watch stuff on the DVR, but they can't even erase shows they've watched from that second set-top box. 

Worse, the DVR  reaches capacity with less less than 50 hours of HDTV and I can't use the 750 GIG hard drive at all, even though it looks like I could hook it up.

DISH Network has had this level of storage since 2006, when we got our HDTV. 

I thought that on-demand would help reduce the need for real storage, but I was sooooo wrong.  This thing can't even hold a week of what we watch, and the On-Demand programs are not even close to meeting our needs.  The Star Trek fan in the family is quite PO'd -- its not "on-demand".

And I can't believe that I overwritten two HD football games because of capacity issues.

Before I pull the plug on FIOS, does anyone have any idea how to increase or add capacity?   This is A MAJOR ISSUE FOR US, AND i FEEL LIKE VERIZON LIED ABOUT THE CAPACITY OF THEIR DVR.

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Re: VIOS DVR CAPACITY
DHA
Enthusiast - Level 2

Sorry I don't believe Veri when they say that 1.9 is out this year. My research says next year deployment to actual customers. On my brand new motorola box I've got version 1.7 something. What is 1.8? Why would they go to 1.9? Anyway, even if they upgraded the software,  will I be able to swap out the DVR box immediately for one with a larger internal drive, or will I only be able to hook it to an external drive?  Unless Verizon gets real fancy with the software, the harddrive interface has some limits, it is hard to record directly to the hard drive. Current tech from others force you to record to the DVR and then to move the files to the external drive, where you can watch from it directly later.  I bet you will still need a large drive in the DVR box itself.

So yesterday I call Verizon  It takes me 15 minutes to get a live person, but  I get bounced back and forth between several reps, because no single person can answer all my questions. I spend close to two hours on the phone w these guys, most of it on hold waiting for someone else to answer a question.  Finally I get someone who offers something like a solution for a small hard drive DVR: Lease a second one for our second TV, at an additional charge of $15. But the second TV is SDTV, and is not the problem. The problem is that 20 hr HD limit on the first HDTV.  

Verizon won't come out and say it, but the real solution appears a $4.00 a month cable card with a DVR from a third party, or going back to DISH.

So I price out TIVO. Tivo has a nice little Premier box, which can be loaded with either a .5 or 1TB drive. I lose On-demand, but can subscribe to Netflix (for more $) and I need to buy two Tivos, (TIvo can't feed a second TV). That, plus the price for buying down the subscription.... and its $1,100!  Gulp, even with the savings from not renting a Vios box, that doesn't pay off for 5+ years. And I am still paying Verizon $110 a month for premier programs and HBO. 

Next up the new MOXI DVR. No subscription. $800 for a really nice three tuner DVR and "Moxi-mate". Plus I can feed two TVs with HD. Cheaper than two Tivo boxes, one more tuner than Verizon or Dish but I still lose On-Demand, and I still have to pay Verizon $110 a month for lousy customer service, premier programming with HBO and a cable card. Better, but still too expensive.

Is it worth it going back to Dish? The website says Dish's price is $6.00 a month for a .5 Tb, 2 tuner, DVR that can hook up to a 6 TB hard drive and feed a second TV a SD signal. Programming a $99 includes HBO, Cinamax, Showtime, Encore, all regional sports channels etc etc. Total comes to $105 a month. I still have access to On-demand thru their new Internet service. I can also hook up my outdoor antenna and record on the DVR the Baltimore stations. 

Plus they answer the phone in less than five minutes. Always have. Even the day I cut them off in August.

On October 8 its back to dish. For what I am paying now with bundled savings that expire in a year, I can get a real two room DVR that is four times as large as the Fios Motorola box. I can also hook up a 6.0 terabyte hard drive to the thing -- lets say that is unlimited storage for HD

We are also considering turning the home phone line off.  We will still be Verizon customers. Fios for Internet and V Wireless. 

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Re: VIOS DVR CAPACITY
PJL
Master - Level 3

This topic has been discussed numerous time.  Verizon's STB DVR capacity is clearly stated in numerous places, so I don't think you've been lied to.  In fact, the Verizon web site states:  "...you can record up to 40 hours of standard definition digital TV programming and up to 18 hours of HD programming..." -- although I usually get around 25 hours of HD recording on mine.  (See http://www22.verizon.com/residential/fiostv/faq/faq.html#two_seven.) 

BUT THE GOOD NEWS:  IMG version 1.9 is supposed to include the ability to add an eSATA drive to the STB to increase the capacity.  See discussions on http://www.dslreports.com/forum/vzfiostv.  See Verizon's FiOS blog  http://forums.verizon.com/t5/Verizon-at-Home/FiOS-TV-IMG-1-8-Release-Notes/bc-p/236652#M1518 and the answer to the question about eSATA. 

Re: VIOS DVR CAPACITY
marcw1
Enthusiast - Level 3

Any idea when 1.9 comes out, i am still on 1.7.1 in Staten island NY.

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Re: VIOS DVR CAPACITY
prisaz
Legend

@marcw wrote:

Any idea when 1.9 comes out, i am still on 1.7.1 in Staten island NY.


This year.

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Re: VIOS DVR CAPACITY
DHA
Enthusiast - Level 2

Sorry I don't believe Veri when they say that 1.9 is out this year. My research says next year deployment to actual customers. On my brand new motorola box I've got version 1.7 something. What is 1.8? Why would they go to 1.9? Anyway, even if they upgraded the software,  will I be able to swap out the DVR box immediately for one with a larger internal drive, or will I only be able to hook it to an external drive?  Unless Verizon gets real fancy with the software, the harddrive interface has some limits, it is hard to record directly to the hard drive. Current tech from others force you to record to the DVR and then to move the files to the external drive, where you can watch from it directly later.  I bet you will still need a large drive in the DVR box itself.

So yesterday I call Verizon  It takes me 15 minutes to get a live person, but  I get bounced back and forth between several reps, because no single person can answer all my questions. I spend close to two hours on the phone w these guys, most of it on hold waiting for someone else to answer a question.  Finally I get someone who offers something like a solution for a small hard drive DVR: Lease a second one for our second TV, at an additional charge of $15. But the second TV is SDTV, and is not the problem. The problem is that 20 hr HD limit on the first HDTV.  

Verizon won't come out and say it, but the real solution appears a $4.00 a month cable card with a DVR from a third party, or going back to DISH.

So I price out TIVO. Tivo has a nice little Premier box, which can be loaded with either a .5 or 1TB drive. I lose On-demand, but can subscribe to Netflix (for more $) and I need to buy two Tivos, (TIvo can't feed a second TV). That, plus the price for buying down the subscription.... and its $1,100!  Gulp, even with the savings from not renting a Vios box, that doesn't pay off for 5+ years. And I am still paying Verizon $110 a month for premier programs and HBO. 

Next up the new MOXI DVR. No subscription. $800 for a really nice three tuner DVR and "Moxi-mate". Plus I can feed two TVs with HD. Cheaper than two Tivo boxes, one more tuner than Verizon or Dish but I still lose On-Demand, and I still have to pay Verizon $110 a month for lousy customer service, premier programming with HBO and a cable card. Better, but still too expensive.

Is it worth it going back to Dish? The website says Dish's price is $6.00 a month for a .5 Tb, 2 tuner, DVR that can hook up to a 6 TB hard drive and feed a second TV a SD signal. Programming a $99 includes HBO, Cinamax, Showtime, Encore, all regional sports channels etc etc. Total comes to $105 a month. I still have access to On-demand thru their new Internet service. I can also hook up my outdoor antenna and record on the DVR the Baltimore stations. 

Plus they answer the phone in less than five minutes. Always have. Even the day I cut them off in August.

On October 8 its back to dish. For what I am paying now with bundled savings that expire in a year, I can get a real two room DVR that is four times as large as the Fios Motorola box. I can also hook up a 6.0 terabyte hard drive to the thing -- lets say that is unlimited storage for HD

We are also considering turning the home phone line off.  We will still be Verizon customers. Fios for Internet and V Wireless. 

Re: VIOS DVR CAPACITY
kliang
Newbie

I too just switched over from D*TV and I'm dissapointed with the capacity of the FIOS STB.  I'm also not happy with the user interface of the Motorola box...not as user friendly as the DTV box.  I might switch back since I'm still within the 30 trial period.

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Re: VIOS DVR CAPACITY
newtocable
Enthusiast - Level 2

The capacity issue has been around a long time and Verizon CS won't comment on an answer. They do acknowledge it though. A bigger problem that is NOT getting fixed is recordings that won't play back. So even if you record something there is a good chance you won't be able to watch it. This started with the 1.7 release and is absolutely not being addressed. FIX THIS PROBLEM PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Re: VIOS DVR CAPACITY
spacedebris
Master - Level 2

Version 1.8 is being rolled out right now. some areas already have it and others are going to get it shortly. 1.9 is going to be needed for the new 3D programming that is tentatively scheduled for around Christmas time. Granted they have not given out a time table, but they are trying to have all the 3D channels available for the Christmas shopping season. So if they are to have the 3D available, 1.9 goes hand in hand.  But your right, its a wait and see position we have to take.

Re: VIOS DVR CAPACITY
Hubrisnxs
Legend

@newtocable wrote:

The capacity issue has been around a long time and Verizon CS won't comment on an answer. They do acknowledge it though. A bigger problem that is NOT getting fixed is recordings that won't play back. So even if you record something there is a good chance you won't be able to watch it. This started with the 1.7 release and is absolutely not being addressed. FIX THIS PROBLEM PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


that problem will be resolved with the 1.8 software release that spacedebris mentioned is being rolled out right now.  as long as everything goes according to plan that should be done by end of the month

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Re: VIOS DVR CAPACITY
DHA
Enthusiast - Level 2

Folks, I have concluded that Verizon's DVRs have  teeeeny, tiny archaic hard drives driven by junk software that was outdated years ago.  As I read the technical problems that you all are posting here, I am reminded of the same conversations that took place among Dish, DirectTV and even Tivo users.......... 5-10  YEARS AGO!

We had DISH since 1997. We were one of the first to upgrade to a DISH 501 "PVR", which, because of high demand, DISH made you buy for a couple hundred bucks  It had only one tuner and enough software bugs to aim a can of Raid at. But it could record about 40 hours of SD TV, and we could skip commericals.  WE LOVED IT - 6 years ago. 

Today's Verizon DVR reminds me of that first Dish unit.  The user interface stinks, it allows you to enter phantom timers for channels you don't get (with no error message that nothing will record), there is frequent  hard-rebooting, freeze ups, and screen pixelization.  It all sounds and feels like that first DVR Dish sold me years ago.

But guess what? DISH, TIVO, MOXI and Direct TV have upgraded those old buggy boxes, they offer terra-bytes of drive space and user interfaces that actually work. 

So, after less than a week of living with the newest Verizon Motorola Media DVR, my family revolted.  The kids hate your service. I do as well.

You may ask, Why did I aven bother to try Verizon TV?  I wanted to cut what we were spending on TV, internet,  and phone service. I thought that the On-Demand feature would make up for the lack of a decent hard drive.  I did not realize that Verizon's interface stunk as well, and I did not realize that On-Demand only has current TV shows and movies available. The Star-Trek fans can't  keep 10 or 15 shows to choose from with On-Demand.

So we are going back to DISH, and the land-line phone is going away. Why not? Everyone, even the youngest, has a cell phone. The only reason to have a landline phone is so I can get called by pollsters and those who are trying to get me to give them money.  Everyone else calls on the cell. Or sends a text message.