bigpapae3521
@verizon.net
| Any plans for a less expensive HD-set top box
There is no reason why HD set top boxes should cost double the price of regular set top boxes, especially since HDTV are getting more in expensive now, and most people will likely have more than 2 in their homes. I currently have 5 HDTV's in my hom and its not worth it for me to spend $10 to get each tv a set top box. Even cablevision gives HD set top boxes for $5 per month.
They should make the set top boxes cheaper or at least unencrypt all the QAM channels you subscribe to, so you get access to all your HDTV channels through the built in digital tuners. |
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darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
 ·Verizon FIOS
| said by bigpapae3521 :
at least unencrypt all the QAM channels you subscribe to, so you get access to all your HDTV channels through the built in digital tuners.
Encrypted content is required by the content providers -- not really Verizon's choice. |
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aaronwt
Premium
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA | reply to bigpapae3521
The best option is to get an HDTiVo. I have four TiVoHD boxes and three Series 3 boxes. Definitely better than anything FIOS has. |
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kyler13
Is your fiber grounded?
join:2006-12-12
Arnold, MD | How is that cheaper?! Aren't TiVO boxes a couple hundred each? |
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lets456
join:2008-01-21
Hainesport, NJ
| said by kyler13  :How is that cheaper?! Aren't TiVO boxes a couple hundred each? Plus a monthly charge? then the cable card charge? |
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afiggatt
join:2007-07-12
Sterling, VA
| reply to aaronwt
said by aaronwt :The best option is to get an HDTiVo. I have four TiVoHD boxes and three Series 3 boxes. Definitely better than anything FIOS has. Yes, how is this cheaper? $250 to $300 for a HD Tivo, then $200 for the external 500 GB hard drive expander or $100 to $200 for swapping in a 500 GB or larger internal drive so you have decent storage capacity, then either a monthly fee or up to 3 years prepaid for up to $300 more for the guide data. Then add $3 to $4/month for each cablecard, hopefully only 1 if Verizon has added the Multi-stream card. No, that is not cheaper than the $10/month for the HD STB.
Verizon does charge a lot for the HD STB. They don't directly charge extra for the HD channels, I take the higher rate for the HD STB and HD DVR as a "hidden" charge for getting the national HD channels. With more people getting HD TVs, they should drop the price of the current HD STB to only $1 or $2/month more than the SD STB. But I don't know what the cost of the Motorola HD STB is in bulk quantity purchases compared to the SD STB. |
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rondon600
join:2005-07-09
Severna Park, MD
| reply to bigpapae3521
here is the million dollar question for all...
Can ANY tv provider charge for the HD STB after 2/09?
Would it break Verizons back to offer the HD local channels in clear QAM, plus fox news and ESPN. At least a secondary high def output that way you could have 2 tvs going with the same picture but in different rooms.
How many people have a 2nd TV at their bar or in a game room that they watch for 4 hours on a weekend max. I dont care how much money I make. No way am I paying them for a box on something I hardly use. |
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MacLeech
The one and only
Premium
join:2001-07-14
SoCal
1 edit | said by rondon600 :Can ANY tv provider charge for the HD STB after 2/09? Yes, they all can. 2/09 is the date when most ANALOG OTA broadcasts are supposed to cease.
It's basically to force broadcasters from analog NTSC to digital ATSC OTA broadcasts. There is no HD requirement as part of that change.
Digital broadcast does NOT mean High Definition broadcast. |
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PJL2
join:2008-04-20
| reply to rondon600
The local HD channels are in clear QAM here in Long Beach CA, as are the local SD and music channels. But to solve your problem with the other TV that you rarely watch, get yourself a component video distribution amp to feed that second TV for which you don't want to rent an HD box from Verzion. |
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Korro
join:2008-03-15
Pittsburgh, PA
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to rondon600
You do what I am doing. I am currently splitting my HD box with my Game room TV. Once My IR Blaster arrives...it will be even easier to do that. So if you use your Game room or BAr tv 4 hours a month...at least you can now use the same box. Works great right now...just need the IR to finish it off. |
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afiggatt
join:2007-07-12
Sterling, VA
| reply to rondon600
said by rondon600 :here is the million dollar question for all... Can ANY tv provider charge for the HD STB after 2/09? Would it break Verizons back to offer the HD local channels in clear QAM, plus fox news and ESPN. To expand on the other answer, Verizon does provide all of the SD & HD locals in clear QAM. Digital broadcast locals are usually at QAM 71 and up. They even provide the PSIP channel mapping data so, in principle, all of the digital broadcast locals and all of the sub-channels should get mapped to their broadcast channel numbers: 4-1, 4-2, 5-1, and so on. However, some TV clear QAM tuners are not working with how Verizon formats the PSIP data. That is supposed to be fixed by July.
But Verizon is not likely to provide ESPN or ESPN-HD in the clear. The ESPN set of channels are among the most expensive and ESPN very likely requires their channels to be encrypted. Verizon could possibly provide C-Span in the clear as a public service channel, but I suspect that is not a channel you are looking to show in the game room. |
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kyler13
Is your fiber grounded?
join:2006-12-12
Arnold, MD
| reply to bigpapae3521
You know, I was poking around last week for digital cable boxes and came up pretty empty handed. Sure, there's the TiVO boxes that accept cable card, but cable card was supposed to enable us to get our own equipment so we could get away with $3/set instead of the ridiculous overcharging for box rental. Where's the HD or SD set top boxes I can buy and just get a cable card for? I'm turned off by the fact that with HD-DVR on one TV, HD on a second, and SD on a third, I'm approaching as much per month as the base $48 rate, effectively doubling my bill before considering any kind of movie or sport packages. As for the digital adapters necessary with analog going up in smoke, they should be available for a one time fee (as long as you keep the service, returnable otherwise) rather than a monthly charge forever that's a buck less than a SD STB. This is nickel and diming at it's worst. |
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kyler13
Is your fiber grounded?
join:2006-12-12
Arnold, MD
| reply to bigpapae3521
said by bigpapae3521 :
They should make the set top boxes cheaper or at least unencrypt all the QAM channels you subscribe to, so you get access to all your HDTV channels through the built in digital tuners.
I agree to an extent. Much like you can just plug in your analog TV to a cable outlet and get 70 channels including basics like ESPN, TWC, TBS, etc, these should be provided over clear QAM. I understand cable needing to encrypt since it's just distributed on an all copper network, but Verizon can enable/disable video remotely. It's not like you can steal it from the ONT. Besides, consider that for $48/month, direct connection (no converters) gets you a handful of local channels that a good OTA antenna could get you. Hardly worth it, Verizon. I suppose the same BS will apply to cable when they cease analog service. |
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lets456
join:2008-01-21
Hainesport, NJ
| reply to kyler13
I am in the same boat. We have an HD box in the BR and a HD DVR in my main HT set up. Now we are getting a 46" HDTV for our basement....There are NO tv's with cable card slots. Well, no new Tv's in my price range that is.
I may simply use the DCT-700 upstairs and move the HD box in the basement because our TV in our bedroom is a 32" and we only watch TV in our room 20-40 minutes a day.
Are there any DVD recorders with CC slots? I heard of rumors that this would happen? Is there anyway to do this through WIFI? |
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buhockey21
@udel.edu
| reply to kyler13
I agree to an extent. Much like you can just plug in your analog TV to a cable outlet and get 70 channels including basics like ESPN, TWC, TBS, etc, these should be provided over clear QAM. I understand cable needing to encrypt since it's just distributed on an all copper network, but Verizon can enable/disable video remotely. It's not like you can steal it from the ONT. Besides, consider that for $48/month, direct connection (no converters) gets you a handful of local channels that a good OTA antenna could get you. Hardly worth it, Verizon. I suppose the same BS will apply to cable when they cease analog service.
Hold on a sec. I *still* have Comcast Digital Starter service and can receive these 70 channels (i.e. ESPN, TBS, etc) in addition to all the local HD channels on all my HD televisions with QAM tuners. I've never purchased a STB from them.
Your telling me Fios encrypts these 70 channels now and that a $6/month STB for each television is required to view them!? |
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darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Verizon FIOS
| said by buhockey21 :
s encrypts these 70 channels now and that a $6/month STB for each television is required to view them!?
Channels 2-49, your local HD channels and the all music stations are unencrypted, clear QAM signals.
You DON'T need the cheap digital adapter IF your TV has QAM tuner -- in which case, you will get the above channels.
If you DO get the cheap digital adapter ($4/mo if you're new to Verizon after they convert your area, free to existing analog area customers before then), you will also get all the other SD channels you subscribe to as well. |
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darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to lets456
said by lets456 :Is there anyway to do this through WIFI? Not in the way you mean, I don't think. There are products like the Slingbox, HAVA and Pinnacle PCTV To Go that are meant to view your cable TV on computer (particularly remotely over the Internet). I don't think you'd be pleased with the resolution on 32" TV and even then, the TV would have to be connected to a computer that was running the client software.
However, as PJL2 above mentioned, "get yourself a component video distribution amp to feed that second TV for which you don't want to rent an HD box from Verzion." Verizon's HD STBs do allow you to pump HD over component and HDMI at the same time (though both those TVs would have to watch the same channel of course).
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lets456
join:2008-01-21
Hainesport, NJ
| reply to darcilicious
I have seen where people run off a hd box in one room and watch all the channels on a TV in another room. How can this be done? I have an idea, but what product is best for this?
I guess you have a RF (2.4 Ghz wireless) "hook up" connected to a HD box and then you can connect the receiver to the other HDTV and watch all the channels (whatever your subscribed to)?
Is this true? Please show link or explain. |
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buhockey21
@udel.edu
| reply to darcilicious
Channels 2-49, your local HD channels and the all music stations are unencrypted, clear QAM signals.
You DON'T need the cheap digital adapter IF your TV has QAM tuner -- in which case, you will get the above channels.
To confirm for QAM tuners, I'd receive the 50-200 range (i.e. USA, TNT, TBS) that Verizon offers w/out an STB or digital adapter? |
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lets456
join:2008-01-21
Hainesport, NJ | My QAM tuner on my Toshiba only got 2-49, a couple HD and some music channels. |
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