kingspud
join:2006-01-18
Massapequa, NY
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Verizon Bites CableCard Bullet (New Set Top Boxs)
»www.multichannel.com/article/CA6···nid=4262
Verizon Communications will join the CableCard set-top club on July 1.
That’s when the telco will be required by the Federal Communications Commission to deploy advanced set-top boxes for FiOS TV—those with high-definition and digital video recording features—with separable security components.
“We have a separable CableCard-based solution and we’re on track to meet the FCC requirement,” Verizon media relations director Bobbi Henson said.
Motorola, Verizon’s set-top supplier, worked up two new set-tops that fit the bill: The QIP7100 HD (which will replace the QIP6200) and the QIP7216 HD DVR (replacing the QIP6416).
The new FiOS TV boxes, based on the Motorola DCX cable set-top design, provide more processing power than the previous models and support MPEG-4 video, said Evan Groat, Motorola’s director of product management for hybrid set-top boxes.
“It’s basically the same exercise the cable industry went through to put a CableCard in the boxes,” Groat said. “The challenge was to update the technology on the new platform and do it in a pretty short time frame.”
The FCC forced most cable operators to use only CableCard-based set-tops as of July 1, 2007. Through mid-March, the top 10 cable operators had deployed 4.18 million set-top boxes with CableCards, while they had supplied just 347,000 standalone CableCards to subscribers for use with TiVos and other third-party devices.
Verizon and other telco TV providers got another year to comply with the so-called “integration ban” because, the FCC said in its June 29 order, “It is our understanding set-top box manufacturers have not developed any nonintegrated HD or DVR devices” for IPTV or hybrid cable/IP systems like FiOS TV, which uses coaxial cable to deliver linear channels and IP for interactive services.
Verizon had appealed for a waiver to the integrated set-top ban in 2006, arguing that requiring separable security for the hybrid set-top boxes from Motorola “would be extremely burdensome” and costly because of “the lack of standards for Verizon’s hybrid QAM/IP approach.”
In a letter to the FCC in July 2007, Comcast attorney Jonathan Friedman called Verizon’s claim that it could not technically comply with the separable-security mandate “preposterous.”
“Verizon is an enormous competitor ... [it] knew full well what its obligations were under the commission’s rules and has proven itself perfectly capable of controlling the design and development of equipment used in its FiOS TV network,” Friedman wrote.
The FCC’s one-year extension is up, and Verizon now must use CableCards in its HD and DVR set-tops.
Unlike many cable operators, though, Verizon is still allowed to use standard-def set-tops with integrated security features until December 2009. That’s because it pledged to the FCC to eliminate analog TV channels by next February.
Verizon offers the Motorola QIP2500 standard-definition set-top and the DCT700 low-end box, which the telco has used to convert to all-digital operation in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and other markets.
Sorry if this is a repost |
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Roche1972
join:2008-02-22
| That's great news that the new HD STBs and HD DVRs will support MPEG-4 video. I hear that DirecTV uses MPEG-4 video on their HD channels. If or when Verizon upgrades from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 video on their HD channels, there will have to be an exchange of boxes from all the older ones to the newer ones since the current boxes only support MPEG-2 video. Us FiOS TV customers will also have to exchange our current SD STBs and SD DVRs to newer yet unannounced models before December 2009 if I had read and understood the post above correctly. It said that Verizon has "until December 2009" to change from its current SD STBs and DVRs "with integrated security features". |
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way2evil
Premium
join:2007-09-14
Great River, NY | hopefully they will up the hard drive space to cope with the codec change |
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FIOSHD
join:2007-10-22
united state
| said by way2evil  :hopefully they will up the hard drive space to cope with the codec change I do not believe you will see any upgrade on hard drive space. I think the focus will be on software to enable the e-sata ports and let customers manage their storage needs.
Increased hard drives is really only something the hard core users (us) care about, so it makes sense to minimize costs and give those that care about it a chance to add external drives.
If I am understanding the reasons behind the FCC mandate, it is to allow customers to eventualy purchase their own set top boxes. My logic is really just an extension of that philiosophy. |
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frankpf3
join:2007-08-09
Huntington Station, NY | Does this mean all current customers will have to trade in their current STB's? |
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matcarl
join:2007-03-09
Franklin Square, NY | No, they will still work for now, but all replacements and new installs will get the newer ones starting in July |
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Kloneicle
@verizon.net | reply to kingspud
If I wanted the new box, would I need to pay anything other than perhaps a service call visit fee?
Or could I go to the local office and replace it like I would with a comcast modem for free. |
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rashid11
join:2008-01-06
Rutherford, NJ
| reply to kingspud
the swap of older STBs will prolly be required when they go with MPEG4, which is very likely to take a very long while.
FIOS' all-optical network means very low SNRs which translates to QAM-256 - giving FIOS the fattest pipe and they are not quite starved for BW like satellite companies are, for example.
MPEG4 is about 50% more efficient, compared to MPEG2, meaning you can have same PQ while requiring 50% less BW to deliver it. And it also means you can cram 2x the number of channels into the same BW - again, a giant boon to satellite TV companies.
As a TIVO owner I am more interested in FIOS adopting "first card is free" policy - wish FCC could force them to do that. |
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cypherstream
There's no place like 127.0.0.1
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
 ·Cingular Wireless
| said by rashid11 :FIOS' all-optical network means very low SNRs which translates to QAM-256 - giving FIOS the fattest pipe and they are not quite starved for BW like satellite companies are, for example. That's not the main benefit. Most cable operators do 256QAM as well. Just Fios saves the bandwidth that cable operators would use for VOD, Internet, and Voice, since those services are on it's on wavelength carried via IP.
Not to mention its a 54-864 MHz output, when many cable systems only go to 750 MHz.
My area for example has 4 256QAMs for VOD, and one for HSI/Voice. That's 5 QAM slots that could be saved if they were on a different fiber/wire/wavelength/etc....
Some area's have even more QAMs for VOD and Data. Sure the SNR is great, but no ones pushing 1024QAM.... |
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MacLeech
Do you REALLY know what a node is?
Premium,MVM
join:2001-07-14
SoCal
edit:
May 16th, @02:33PM
| reply to way2evil
said by way2evil :hopefully they will up the hard drive space to cope with the codec change Why? MPEG4 is more efficient, so the same quality video takes less bandwidth and drive space. The same size drive can store more hours of MPEG4 video then MPEG2 video.
The few who really want more space can use the external drive connection (if it's enabled). |
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Maloik
join:2007-11-06
Lansdale, PA
| reply to kingspud
Has there been any signs of V* enabling esata connection on the updated boxes?Why is this connection ignored when customers are complaining of drive space. Is there a tech issue or does V* just doesn't think its necessary 
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9929 |
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matcarl
join:2007-03-09
Franklin Square, NY | It was mentioned that it will be active
»Re: M-cards with FiOS. |
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