RightLurker
@verizon.net
| Converting Fios To Analog
We just had Fios installed. The sales rep and the installation techs said our analog TVs would still work, but that we would eventually need digital to analog converter set top boxes. Both the sales rep and the installation techs were wrong. There is no analog signal. I therefore bought a Zenith DTT901 and tried it out with an analog TV. No dice - the DTT901 doesn't "see" any signal from the Fios cable. Verizon says it will send us their own converter boxes - but not for at least ten days. Needless to say, we're off to a rocky start with Verizon Fios, and I regret that we switched from Comcast. |
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RightLurker
@verizon.net
| I just noticed the sticky regarding those areas where Verizon has shut down the analog signal. For what it's worth, we live in Bryn Athyn (suburban Philadelphia) and, as noted in my first post, the analog signal is gone. The installation techs said we still had analog (wrong), but that other municipalities - they identified Upper Dublin Township by name - were already 100% digital. |
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Kingscup
join:2006-03-01
Murrieta, CA
edit:
July 18th, @04:04PM
| reply to RightLurker
Currently, Verizon is converting all areas to all digital. The areas that have not converted yet only have the local channels as analog. Everything else requires a set top box from Verizon or cable cards that go into a tv or tivo. The Zenith DTT901 is for over the air digital transmissions from an antenna and not for cable tv. You have to get the set top box from Verizon or a Tivo with cable cards provided by Verizon. |
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darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Comcast
| reply to RightLurker
Sorry that the installation didn't go smoothly for you.
FiOS uses QAM (different than ATSC) so you need a QAM tuner; I'm not aware of any external QAM tuner boxes though some TVs do com
I suspect that the DTT901 is an ATSC tuner that is for the over-the-air digital signals -- those will not work with cable digital signals in QAM.
In a nutshell, to even begin to take full advantage of FiOS you will minimally need a QAM tuner;
The next step up is Verizon's "digital adapter" -- this will get you everything your subscription package has to offer except for HD, Video on Demand, widgets, and the IMG (interactive menu guide). These adapters are being offered to existing customers for free as part of the transition of removing the analog version of channels 2-49. Can't say if you're eligible or not at this point as I don't know where you're at.
Other options are the regular set top boxes: SD with/without DVR and HD with/without DVR. |
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RightLurker
@verizon.net
| reply to RightLurker
Wow, thanks for the fast responses! Until a few minutes ago, I never heard of the term "QAM". Live and learn. We do have two HDTVs and we got two cable boxes, and the picture and sound seem to be terrific on those sets - both the video and audio are superior to the Comcast signal we were getting. The internet router they installed is disappointingly slow, however. We'll get it all sorted out; it's just frustrating.
Again, thanks for the fast responses. |
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darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR | We just want you looooove your FiOS  |
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afiggatt
join:2007-07-12
Sterling, VA
| reply to RightLurker
said by RightLurker :
I therefore bought a Zenith DTT901 and tried it out with an analog TV. No dice - the DTT901 doesn't "see" any signal from the Fios cable. The Zenith DTT901 is for Over The Air digital ATSC broadcast reception only. It is a very good ATSC tuner /converter box. Amazingly quick on channel scans. I recently got one and have hooked it up to my portable battery operated DVD player to make for a fairly portable SD TV setup (with a 12V gell cell battery & inverter for the DTT901) and useful in case of long power outages.
To receive the unscrambled Fios TV channels, you need a QAM tuner. Digital cable and digital broadcast TV use 2 different modulation schemes unlike analog cable & broadcast. The DTT901 does not have a QAM tuner because the government apparently required the converter boxes not to, even though it would have had almost no cost impact. Most new digital TVs have a clear QAM tuner along with the ATSC tuner for broadcast TV, but this is of no help to old analog TVs.
The DCT700 from Verizon will take care of that problem for you. The tech should have known that analog was either gone or about to go away within days for your location. |
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peekmat
@jillyred.net | reply to RightLurker
sorry you're off to rocky start but its not verizon fault that you misunderstood the equipment you needed. unlesss they told you to go out and buy a zenith box which im sure they didn't. good luck.. |
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RScottyL
join:2004-12-28
Irving, TX
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to RightLurker
said by RightLurker :
Until a few minutes ago, I never heard of the term "QAM". You must not have seen the Verizon FIOS commercials:
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME74lH039zc
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=JISrB-QWm3c |
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amarryat
Verizon FiOS
join:2005-05-02
Marshfield, MA
| reply to RightLurker
said by RightLurker :
The internet router they installed is disappointingly slow, however. We'll get it all sorted out; it's just frustrating.
That's not right either. You should be equally happy with the internet as it is far faster and more stable that Comcast was (at least for me). Maybe some troubleshooting is warranted, though you should have seen an immediate improvement. |
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