itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Camp Hill, PA
| reply to FireFish
Re: [DVR] FiOS Home Media Multi-Room DVR - Storage Expansion
I still don't get it. DVR software is not that complicated. Record stream A to hard drive. Record stream B to hard drive. It's a bit for bit copy of the data that comes across the wire. It's not rocket science. And that's assuming the DVR calls are Verizon written. Most likely it's written by Motorola and used by Verizon. So they call the functions written by Motorola. Otherwise, they would easily be able to slap a larger hard drive in there and be done.
And then there's the fact that the IMG is amortized across the whole Motorola platform, so it's a write once, deploy on multiple platforms kind of thing. All you need are some checks to see what platform you are running on and enable/disable functionality as needed.
Costs of handling boxes? Waaah Waaah, cost of business. The hard drive doesn't weigh more because it's bigger. The rest are the same costs you had before when you had SD and HD DVR's....
In short, there's no valid business case other than greed that this should cost more. The current DVRs are too small. They were adequate when it was SD and little HD but now that there's much more HD content they are inadequate. |
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PoloDude
Premium,VIP
join:2006-03-29
East Northport, NY |  |
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hobbes79
join:2008-09-05
Andover, MA | reply to FireFish
Hmmm, my contract is up for renewal. I might sweat it out until these new boxes become available from Verizon, since it would at least give me a bargaining chip i.e. give me one of the new boxes or else I'll quit. |
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sameshtdd
join:2006-01-04
Teaneck, NJ
| reply to tebc0
said by tebc0 :
motorola is coming out with the next generation dvr 7232 in december. this stb has double the recording space and usb port will be active. the cisco boxes will not work in existing motorola stb areas due to equipment issues in the verizon central office.
Isn't that ALL VZ areas then? |
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Don69
@verizon.net
| reply to tebc0
I talked to a few different people at Verizon today, complaining about the ridiculously small HDD in my new Verizon HD DVR (QIP6416-2). I only have a few subscriptions and the HDD is full already. What a shame as everything else is great about FIOS.
I was told that there had been talks to activate the USB port for external devices but that nothing has been decided. Also, no one knew about any new models coming out soon with bigger drives. I was told they have 3 million DVRs out there and that the HD box's real cost is about $600. I told them it's insane to put a $45 250GB HDD in a box that expensive, when a 1TB drive can be had for $85. For SD, yes, for HD no. I was told my only option at the moment was to get a Tivo and forego the pay-per-view programming.
If anyone knows if it's possible to replace the HDD with a larger one, please post it here. |
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darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
 ·Verizon FIOS
| said by Don69 :
If anyone knows if it's possible to replace the HDD with a larger one, please post it here.
It is not. The firmware in the STBs will only see/use 160GB no matter the size drive you put in there. |
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cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
2 edits | reply to FireFish
Weird that as good as Fios is, they don't have top of the line set tops. I have a Motorola DCX3400 with a 320GB drive with Comcast. In addition to looking cooler with a touch screen front panel and smaller footprint, it also does native resolution pass through. Like all Motorola boxes (QIP or not) it does contain USB 2.0 ports and eSATA which does not work (yet...). Sucks that Verizon still uses 'Pizza Box' sized DVR's with the ugly orange LCD in the odd bubbly front bezel design.
No matter what provider you have, eSATA / USB 2.0 expansion is a hot item (see my Comcast wishlist poll).
I'm sure that sooner or later, these providers will get Motorola to fix the right fimware for their model line that allows for this. They do have it working in labs.
So what's with the Cisco boxes on Verizon? Verizon isn't using Tru2Way so will they still be able to run IMG? Or will they be limited to the crummy SARA guide? It would be expensive to port IMG to another platform, and separately maintain it. I think they need to port IMG to Tru2Way, and then they only need to maintain the main IMG package once. They would be able to purchase equipment from all manufacturers and get the best price / performance that fits their needs. Motorola, Cisco, Samsung, Panasonic, ADB, Sony, you name it...
I love Cisco, don't get me wrong, but Verizon needs some standards in place. Cisco does not run the same Broadcom CPU instruction set. It's like comparing a Pentium to a PowerPC processor. Completely different... |
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darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR | I believe that Vz has their own custom developed guide... but I could be wrong (it's been that kind of day  ) |
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More Fiber
Premium,MVM
join:2005-09-26
West Chester, PA
 ·Bay Area Internet ..
| reply to cypherstream
said by cypherstream  :Cisco does not run the same Broadcom CPU instruction set. It's like comparing a Pentium to a PowerPC processor. Completely different... You've never heard of java or other high level languages?
It makes absolutely no difference what the CPU chip is. |
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cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
| said by More Fiber :said by cypherstream :Cisco does not run the same Broadcom CPU instruction set. It's like comparing a Pentium to a PowerPC processor. Completely different... You've never heard of java or other high level languages? It makes absolutely no difference what the CPU chip is. Sure, but Vz has to get on board with that. Last I heard they were not going to support Tru2Way. Now maybe that's changed, and that is for the better. |
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amarryat
Verizon FiOS
join:2005-05-02
Marshfield, MA
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to cypherstream
said by cypherstream :Sucks that Verizon still uses 'Pizza Box' sized DVR's with the ugly orange LCD in the odd bubbly front bezel design. LOL, I love that description. They are huge. |
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jasg
join:2008-12-13
Seattle, WA
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to cypherstream
said by cypherstream :Last I heard they were not going to support Tru2Way. Now maybe that's changed, and that is for the better. I don't think it has changed. I don't believe that the tru2way spec includes support for the FIOS IP connections for guide and VOD data.
After all, tru2way is from CableLabs - I doubt that their membership includes the telco providers. |
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degr
join:2009-12-03
Pittsburgh, PA | reply to Don69
I was told today that they've activated external ports. But since they don't support it they could not tell how to use. His only suggestion was 'google it'. I have not had any luck so far. |
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Onedollar
join:2001-08-27
Pomona, CA | I smell BS... google it will lead you to hours and hours of googling fun |
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degr
join:2009-12-03
Pittsburgh, PA
| said by Onedollar :I smell BS... google it will lead you to hours and hours of googling fun I may be too naive to believe what Verizon tech support says. |
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nycdave
Premium,MVM
join:1999-11-16
Melville, NY | Well that is just plain false - the eSATA port on the 7216 has not been 'magically' activated... |
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