What is the difference between all of these STBs?
oldfashioned
Specialist - Level 2

I don't mean for this to be a naive question but I really don't understand it and if someone could explain this, it would be helpful for my own knowledge.  I have the STB QIP-7100 and it's fine for what I have.  I'm assuming that's as "upgraded" as I'm going to get because honestly, I have no intention whatsoever of recording anything and I never will.

But I saw the list of all of these STBs and I was just wondering what the difference is between all of them.  Do they each just have different capabilities?

http://www22.verizon.com/residentialhelp/fiostv/general+support/user+guides/user+guides.htm

What's the difference between a 7100-P1 vs. a 7100-P2?  Obviously I have the P1 because mine is silver instead of black.

And what exactly is a Cisco CHS 335 HD Set-Top Box?

I have no intention of getting any more upgrades or buying any more accessories until I really have to. 


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Re: What is the difference between all of these STBs?
jmw1950
Specialist - Level 2

The answer from a user point of view is not a lot.

There are speed and memory differences between the Motorola 6000 and 7000 series boxes. The biggest issues with the 6000 series boxes is the lack of support for MP4, and the 6416 does not have an E-SATA port for HDD expansion (which can be used at IMG1.9 and later to expand the storage). I believe they are based on a quad core MIPS processor. The 7000 series processor is slightly faster and has more memory.

The 7232 is a little 'greener' than the 7216 (low power consumption) and has 500gb instead of 160gb storage. The 7232 also has simpler front panel (and a much brighter display) than either the 6416 or 7216.

There is very little information available to the public about the Cisco boxes, except that functionally they are equivalent to the Motorola 7000 series boxes.

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Re: What is the difference between all of these STBs?
oldfashioned
Specialist - Level 2

matheww, I can definitely understand the difference between the 6000 and 7000 series because that point has been made consistently clear and I do hope that customers with the older 6000 boxes are being granted the upgrade to the 7000 series.  It's only fair.  From my own standpoint, my only concern is that I'm getting what I am paying for and that everything is working properly.  As long as that's the case for me, customer service will not get any calls from me whatsoever. 🙂 

The Cisco box doesn't really look different from the Motorola 7100, just judging by the photo display.

Now I believe the 7232 and 7216 boxes are the DVRs...right?  The STB "counterparts" would the Cisco boxes and the 7100-P2 series, according to the chart.  So I am surmising that the 7100-P2 series would be using less power and have more storage capacity.  So being that I never record anything, the storage capacity wouldn't make any difference at all for my purposes.  I did come upon a website where I could request a DVR upgrade with more storage capacity, provided that I pay a one-time fee of 40 bucks for that, but that's definitely an expense that I can't really justify for myself. 

So yes, it does certainly sound like from a user standpoint, the differences are slight.  The other thing too is that I would think that a flatscreen TV undoubtedly uses a lot less energy as opposed to the traditional analog tube TV so overall, it's more energy efficient with a sharper and brighter display already. 

Thanks for clarifying that.

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Re: What is the difference between all of these STBs?
tns
Master - Level 2

The 7100-p2 is not a DVR.  It mainly is a greener version of the 7100-p1.  No additional memory but a faster cpu that uses less power.  It also lacks a display on the front for channels and time.

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Re: What is the difference between all of these STBs?
retiredme
Specialist - Level 1

Watch out, Q, it sounds like you are getting the technological fever and will soon be a geek like many of us. All seriousness aside, the quest for more technological knowledge is a fun hobby. The two biggest factors driving TV energy consumption are type of technology, eg LCD vs plasma, and screen size. Throw in bad calibration such as the maxxed out settings from the factory, and presets like "Vivid" in the setup menus, and that will also drive up energy usage. Here is a chart from 2010 that shows how things vary, even from one manufacturer to another:

http://reviews.cnet.com/green-tech/tv-consumption-chart/

Keep in mind that progress is made all the time to try and even things up. Many of the best plasmas today are on par with LCD Tvs in terms of energy usage. I recommend avsforum.com, and two magazines, Sound & Vision or Home Theater, for those seeking additional specifics for a particular brand or model. The manual for the device also contains power consumption information. Regards.

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Re: What is the difference between all of these STBs?
jackmcgann
Specialist - Level 1

@tns wrote:

The 7100-p2 is not a STB.


Then just what is it ?

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Re: What is the difference between all of these STBs?
tns
Master - Level 2

Typo.  Meant not a DVR.  I've corrected that. 

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Re: What is the difference between all of these STBs?
oldfashioned
Specialist - Level 2

tns wrote: "The 7100-p2 is not a DVR.  It mainly is a greener version of the 7100-p1.  No additional memory but a faster cpu that uses less power.  It also lacks a display on the front for channels and time."  I never said the 7100-P2 is a DVR.  I just acknowledged that it's a "greener" version of the 7100-P1 STB and frankly, I don't want it.  I was just asking.

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Re: What is the difference between all of these STBs?
oldfashioned
Specialist - Level 2

retired me - oh yeah, technological fever, woo hoo!  I'm jumping for joy.  lol...Trust me, I'm far from being a geek. 

I already calibrated my TV settings to those recommended by the manufacturer which I found on line.  Having them too high can definitely put more strain on the energy use.

I think I'm definitely set now.  I already have what I need with the STB and flatscreen TV and my HDMI cable and my component video cable for my DVD player.  I think it's easy to get carried away by making upgrades to the point of "overkill" and I think it really can get complicated fast.  I have no idea how my grandmother would have handled this.  She was very unfazed and didn't care much at all when CDs came out.  I definitely inherited her sense of simplicity when it comes to things like this.  lol

In all seriousness, I don't get myself involved in making upgrades until I really have to and I keep things the same for as long as I can, sticking with my need to keep appliances as long as I can until the bitter end and as long as everything works fine, i.e. getting the maximum benefit for the price I paid for the appliances and the service,  I leave everything alone and I'm not ashamed to admit I am pretty stubborn about that because I see that as a good thing.  Change for the sake of change doesn't interest me and sometimes the old way is better depending on what you're talking about.  I kept my old stereo that I grew up with for decades until it stopped working, the kind with a turn table on which I could stack LP records and with the old fashioned turn dial for the radio and the big speakers from the early 70s.  I'm usually "in between" when it comes to any upgrades.  I usually don't bother with any of that until I really have to.  It keeps everything a lot simpler and more relaxing for me.

My DVD player doesn't have the HDMI-DVI capabillity but I'm definitely not junking it just over that.  I get to a point where I'm content with what I have and then leave it alone for as long as I need to.  I always know where to go for accessories but believe me, I'm definitely not a frequent customer at electronics stores.    

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