Beware Multi Room DVR for Life subscribers
joconnor0913
Enthusiast - Level 1

When you upgrade to the new Fios Enhance DVR packages your multi-room DVR credit will go away.  Thanks FIOS for finding another way to charge your faithful clients more money.  So sad that FIOS finally upgrades their services to what other providers have had for years and take away the few credits customers do get when they sign up.  So disappointed in Verizon as a company.  FIOS Quantum means lots more charges for FIOS customers.  

Labels (1)
Re: Beware Multi Room DVR for Life subscribers
joker211
Contributor - Level 1

This is nutty.  The VMS should be the same price as the Multiroom dvr.  That was their flagship for so long.  The Multiroom should go down in price.

All this does it make people want the TIVO

0 Likes
Re: Beware Multi Room DVR for Life subscribers
Justin46
Legend

@joker211 wrote:

This is nutty.  The VMS should be the same price as the Multiroom dvr.  That was their flagship for so long.  The Multiroom should go down in price.

All this does it make people want the TIVO


I don't understand your view that the VMS price should be the same. I had the multi-room DVR and two HD STBs and paid $40/mo for that. Now I have the VMS and two IPC clients and the cost is $50/mo. For that increase I get:

1) Twice as much hard drive storage space - 515 GB to 1 TB without buying an external hard drive

2) Half again as many tuners - 2 in the DVR, one in each HD STB for a total of 4 vs. 6 in the VMS, plus all of the tuners in the VMS can be used for recording programs vs. only two previously

3) The ability to pause and rewind live TV on any of the boxes vs. only on the DVR

These are the most important new features for me, and worth the increase. Plus I expect to see additional new function delivered over the next year or two; I have no idea how much if any can be added to the older DVR/STB technology.

In regard to your comment about Tivo: I just replaced a Tivo setup, DVR plus one Mini, on a cable system at our lake house, went back to Motorola boxes. I had the Tivo setup for about a year, had replaced a Motorola DVR and HD STB (similar to but not the same as the ones Verizon has been using). I realize a lot of folks think the Tivo is just wonderful, but I just hated it - the guide was truely awful compared to any other guide I have ever used (going back 30 years or so on various cable systems plus FiOS), the remote was incredibly awkward to hold and use, the stupid Mini always made me choose an option before I could watch TV, the Favorites function was unusable, the channel list was shared between the DVR and the Mini so only the same list was on both boxes, and on and on. Based on that experience I would never choose to use a Tivo again.

I guess the important thing here is that Verizon is offering options, and each of us can choose what suits us. For me, the VMS is a step forward that I am happy with, but it may very will not be the best option for others. Plus if people don't like Verizon's offers, there is always satellite, and for lots of folks a cable option.

Just my $0.02 worth..... Smiley Happy

__________________________________
Justin
FiOS TV: Extreme HD, Internet: 50/25, Digital Voice
VMS Enhanced Service: 1 server, 2 clients
Keller, TX 76248 (VHO 1)

Re: Beware Multi Room DVR for Life subscribers
joker211
Contributor - Level 1

@Justin wrote:

@joker211 wrote:

This is nutty.  The VMS should be the same price as the Multiroom dvr.  That was their flagship for so long.  The Multiroom should go down in price.

All this does it make people want the TIVO


I don't understand your view that the VMS price should be the same. I had the multi-room DVR and two HD STBs and paid $40/mo for that. Now I have the VMS and two IPC clients and the cost is $50/mo. For that increase I get:

1) Twice as much hard drive storage space - 515 GB to 1 TB without buying an external hard drive

2) Half again as many tuners - 2 in the DVR, one in each HD STB for a total of 4 vs. 6 in the VMS, plus all of the tuners in the VMS can be used for recording programs vs. only two previously

3) The ability to pause and rewind live TV on any of the boxes vs. only on the DVR

These are the most important new features for me, and worth the increase. Plus I expect to see additional new function delivered over the next year or two; I have no idea how much if any can be added to the older DVR/STB technology.

In regard to your comment about Tivo: I just replaced a Tivo setup, DVR plus one Mini, on a cable system at our lake house, went back to Motorola boxes. I had the Tivo setup for about a year, had replaced a Motorola DVR and HD STB (similar to but not the same as the ones Verizon has been using). I realize a lot of folks think the Tivo is just wonderful, but I just hated it - the guide was truely awful compared to any other guide I have ever used (going back 30 years or so on various cable systems plus FiOS), the remote was incredibly awkward to hold and use, the stupid Mini always made me choose an option before I could watch TV, the Favorites function was unusable, the channel list was shared between the DVR and the Mini so only the same list was on both boxes, and on and on. Based on that experience I would never choose to use a Tivo again.

I guess the important thing here is that Verizon is offering options, and each of us can choose what suits us. For me, the VMS is a step forward that I am happy with, but it may very will not be the best option for others. Plus if people don't like Verizon's offers, there is always satellite, and for lots of folks a cable option.

Just my $0.02 worth..... Smiley Happy

__________________________________
Justin
FiOS TV: Extreme HD, Internet: 50/25, Digital Voice
VMS Enhanced Service: 1 server, 2 clients
Keller, TX 76248 (VHO 1)


Were you using the newest Tivo box that is made?  Or did you buy an older unit.  Maybe the firmware is different?

0 Likes
Re: Beware Multi Room DVR for Life subscribers
Justin46
Legend

@joker211 wrote:

Were you using the newest Tivo box that is made?  Or did you buy an older unit.  Maybe the firmware is different?


It was a Tivo Premiere Q and one Mini. I rented it from the cable company, not purchased, and I got it within a month or two of when they first started offering it, but I have no idea how current the hardware/sofware was. All I know is I did not like it at all, and FWIW the tech guys who came to remove the Tivo stuff and re-install the Motorola stuff said they had had a lot of customers who had gotten the Tivo and then returned it to go back to Motorola.

__________________________________
Justin
FiOS TV: Extreme HD, Internet: 50/25, Digital Voice
VMS Enhanced Service: 1 server, 2 clients
Keller, TX 76248 (VHO 1)

0 Likes
Re: Beware Multi Room DVR for Life subscribers
CRobGauth
Community Leader
Community Leader

Bet you can't get DVR with the highest function from the other providers either.

So you could say that FIOS now matches them in price and function.

I believe NYC was the only area that ever got free for life anyway. So the increase is only for a subset of all subscribers.

0 Likes
Re: Beware Multi Room DVR for Life subscribers
DerikA1
Newbie

Same is true with the sandard def "Free For Life" boxes. 

I've spent now 2 hours with tech support trying to figure out how to upgrade my 2 HD boxes (Multi-room DVR and normal DVR) to the quantum service and keep my standard def box. The standard def box is hooked up to a TV that is never really used, but I'd like to have the ability to watch it if someone wants to. 

They told me the only way I could upgrade is to get rid of all of my current boxes and pay for a 3 TV package that would cost me an extra $16 a month. 

Just seems to be another way for verizon to remove any credits they've given their customers.

0 Likes
Re: Beware Multi Room DVR for Life subscribers
CRobGauth
Community Leader
Community Leader

If you mean SD STB vs digital adapter, they are incompatible with Quantum set up.

So you can't have both.

And why should they give you a free STB that now has more capability than what you have now?

0 Likes
Re: Beware Multi Room DVR for Life subscribers
DerikA1
Newbie

I do mean SD STB. 

I already have a "Free for Life" SD STB on my account. If I upgrade I spend more much more money for something that rarely gets used. Think of having a TV in a guest room and you've got guests that come over maybe once every 6 months. Not really worth having the extra $16 a month (or $192 a year) just to have the convience for 4-5 days a year.

Since I have a SD STB that doesn't cost extra, that's where it's located. 

0 Likes
Re: Beware Multi Room DVR for Life subscribers
joker211
Contributor - Level 1

@DerikA wrote:

I do mean SD STB. 

I already have a "Free for Life" SD STB on my account. If I upgrade I spend more much more money for something that rarely gets used. Think of having a TV in a guest room and you've got guests that come over maybe once every 6 months. Not really worth having the extra $16 a month (or $192 a year) just to have the convience for 4-5 days a year.

Since I have a SD STB that doesn't cost extra, that's where it's located. 


I am in the same position as you.  I have a free SD box in guest room.   Now they want $17 for me to upgrade.  It is not worth a couple hundred dollars per year. For something that is used a few days a year.

$10 for upgrade to Quantum TV.  Which is really just 6 turner DVR.

$7.99 for extra box.

I would of been fine if I was allowed to keep old SD box and just get DVR and one client box.

BUT NO.   They make my old free box incompatible. 

Would be nice if they offered us type of subscribers a deal or a way to get basic tv on rarely used tvs

I am thinking Tivo. OR  I will see (wait) for deals in the future.  Maybe Christmas. 

The new VMS I read is buggy and is missing some of the old features.  So it just has 6 turners. Maybe in the future it will have more features.

No one else thinks this pricing structure for a box that we waited for 3 years.  Is a kick in the pants?

0 Likes