jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Moxi HD DVR Now at $499
If anyone is interested in an alternative to the Verizon STB's, there is another option other than Tivo. There is certainly some give and take between the Tivo and Moxi, it just depends on what suits your needs better. Tivo is still the better option for most people, but it's not a complete runaway anymore, as Moxi has made some important features improvements to the UI in the last couple of updates.
»moxi.com/us/home.html
At this price, I would recommend it now. |
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matcarl
join:2007-03-09
Franklin Square, NY | Here's a newer Moxi that can record three shows at once
»www.multichannel.com/article/388···_DVR.php |
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jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
·Verizon FIOS
1 edit | I didn't even realize they were working on a 3-tuner model. These are listed in the Moxi link I provided, and I had no clue.
Edit: It looks like the Moxi Mates will be able to show live TV in the next software update according to what I read. This makes the 3-tuner DVR bundles much more valuable. I like the no fan/super quiet feature of these Moxi Mates for the bedroom.
"Coming soon! A FREE automatic software upgrade that delivers Live TV to the Moxi Mate via the Moxi HD DVR." |
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birdfeedr
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to jmn1207
said by jmn1207  :At this price, I would recommend it now. Do you have one? How long?
I like the subscription-free pricing, or if you want to look at it that way, "guide data built-in to base price."
With new pricing, it compares favorably to a Tivo S2 with lifetime subscription, and better than TivoHD with 3 years subscription.
Looks like there's a little better horsepower under the hood as well, but the UI is the most important part. Is it a "simply works" device?
Is the fan noticeable? Did you have any problems installing the CableCards? |
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aaronwt
Premium
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to jmn1207
said by jmn1207 :I didn't even realize they were working on a 3-tuner model. These are listed in the Moxi link I provided, and I had no clue. Edit: It looks like the Moxi Mates will be able to show live TV in the next software update according to what I read. This makes the 3-tuner DVR bundles much more valuable. I like the no fan/super quiet feature of these Moxi Mates for the bedroom. "Coming soon! A FREE automatic software upgrade that delivers Live TV to the Moxi Mate via the Moxi HD DVR." Isn't the whole point of a DVR so you don't have to watch Live TV? I've been time shifting TV since 1985. A DVR just makes it so much easier. |
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aaronwt
Premium
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA
·Verizon FIOS
1 edit | reply to birdfeedr
said by birdfeedr :said by jmn1207 :At this price, I would recommend it now. Do you have one? How long? I like the subscription-free pricing, or if you want to look at it that way, "guide data built-in to base price." With new pricing, it compares favorably to a Tivo S2 with lifetime subscription, and better than TivoHD with 3 years subscription. Looks like there's a little better horsepower under the hood as well, but the UI is the most important part. Is it a "simply works" device? Is the fan noticeable? Did you have any problems installing the CableCards? Moxi gives you less options. You either have a lifetime subscription or nothing. At least with tiVo they give you the option of paying several differnet monthly rates or a onetime Lifetime service fee. The last two TiVo HD boxes I bought cost me $500 each and they each included Lifetime service. Some of my other boxes are costing me $6.95 a month since I did not want to get Lifetime service with them. If TiVo only gave me one option like Moxi, I would not have nine tiVos right now. Since only having one choice is very restrictive. |
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knarf829
join:2007-06-02
1 edit | reply to aaronwt
said by aaronwt :said by jmn1207 :Edit: It looks like the Moxi Mates will be able to show live TV in the next software update according to what I read. This makes the 3-tuner DVR bundles much more valuable. I like the no fan/super quiet feature of these Moxi Mates for the bedroom. "Coming soon! A FREE automatic software upgrade that delivers Live TV to the Moxi Mate via the Moxi HD DVR." Isn't the whole point of a DVR so you don't have to watch Live TV? I've been time shifting TV since 1985. A DVR just makes it so much easier. The moxi mate is a player only box that you use on additional TVs for access to what's on the Moxi HD DVR. Now they're adding the ability to watch live TV on the Moxi Mate. Live TV has always been a part of the Moxi DVR. Based on what I've read, anyway. |
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JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to jmn1207
JMN-
Any word if the Moxi Mates also show HD programming?
If i ever were to go for this, I have 2 HDTV's...so if eventually the Moxi Mate can watch "live tv" - i'd want it to be in HD.
--
"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" |
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KenAF
join:2006-01-23
Arlington, VA
| quote:
Any word if the Moxi Mates also show HD programming?
Yes, they do. At the moment, the Moxi Mate only supports SD and HD recording playback (in full HD), but later this month, a software update will add support for liveTV HD using an available tuner on the Moxi. |
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aaronwt
Premium
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA | reply to jmn1207
So can the Moxi transfer the recordings to a PC for permanent storage? |
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JAH_PGH
join:2009-09-28
Pittsburgh, PA | reply to jmn1207
What are the Pro's and Con's to the Moxi? I see the Moxi DVR capacity is a vast improvement, but compared to the Verizon STB what is the difference? User Interface, guide data, VOD? |
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JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE
·Verizon FIOS
| I'd say better UI, better guide data..
But, you do lose VOD.
I really wish one of these 3rd parties would develop a DVR that could still take advantage of a providers On Demand.
--
"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" |
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jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to birdfeedr
I've had the Moxi for over 6 months now. The user interface won an Emmy, and rightfully so, in my opinion. I really like it, and it is very intuitive; however, long-time Tivo users don't really seem to dig it that much.
A lot of reviewers seem to knock it for things like the menu navigation, but I often see that they just don't know what buttons to push to make it do what they claim it doesn't do. (like using the "PLAY" button to immediately tune to a channel in the guide rather than selecting the centered "OK" button, which brings up a menu with several options, from recording settings to watching) You have the option to remove any channels that you like so that these do not show up in any guide or search, yet one Crunchgear reviewer continually slams the Moxi because adult channel shows/movies pop up on the search lists, yet he refuses to edit his channel list to omit these from his searches. He claims that he shouldn't have to do this out of the box. It's a pattern I see with a stubborn refusal to adapt or even give something new a chance.
It's fairly loud to me, but not any different than the Verizon STB, maybe even a bit quieter. I have both in the same room connected to the same TV to compare.
When matched with the Verizon STB, it is worlds better in just about every way, except for one huge issue, there is no VOD available with the Moxi. Pay-per-view still works, but you must order online at FiOS TV Central or over the phone. And you need to allow for about 24 hours for these PPV show to work. It's fine for boxing and MMA fights that can be ordered days in advance, but if you're looking to watch a PPV movie that night, it won't work. Maybe things have changed, but I haven't tried in several months. I do order PPV UFC fights online during the week, and I can watch these on all of my cable boxes, Verizon's and the Moxi.
Also, there is no direct link to subscription based movie rental stores, like Amazon, Blockbuster, or Netflix. Moxi will not currently work like a Tivo or the Xbox 360 with streaming movies. You have to use a computer with the "Play On" software to watch a Netflix movie on your TV through the Moxi. You can play just about any video through your computer with this software, but you are not able to browse the Netflix movie list and view these directly from your TV using the Moxi alone.
And no, you cannot transfer stuff from the Moxi's hard drives, internal or external, to a computer for permanent storage. While you can have tons of relatively cheap hard drive storage added, these must be connected to the Moxi to play them back. In other words, I cannot take something I recorded on the Moxi and move it over to my computer to watch it.
This is not a Tivo killer. If you love your Tivo, good, keep it and continue to be happy. The Moxi is very good, and my experience has been getting better with each new software update, but it's never going to be perfect. I was looking for a better guide. One that was more accurate than Verizon's. The bigger storage was not a major issue at first, but now I could not go back to having such a limited amount of space. |
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JAH_PGH
join:2009-09-28
Pittsburgh, PA
| reply to jmn1207
Thank you jmn - that's exactly what I was looking for! If it weren't for the small storage of the Verizon STB, I wouldn't even be concerned with VOD.
Apparently with the new Moxi, you can get NetFlix, Hulu and YouTube now. The PlayOn software is 'free' now...
»moxi.com/us/play_on.html |
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darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Verizon FIOS
 ·Comcast
1 edit | Nice. I've been toying with PlayOn (evaluation versions) but have been hesitant to pay $40 for a transcoder that also bogs down a computer in order to stream content throughout the house. (I don't have a Moxi, just too many computers  )
However, we got the PS/3 streaming disc from Netflix last week and that totally rocks |
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birdfeedr
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to jmn1207
Thanks for the review. Yours, in addition to careful reading of reviews on Amazon have prompted me to place an order. After weighing the pluses and minuses of CPE vs 3rd party, and TiVO vs. Moxi, I picked the Moxi because it gives me an upgrade path to HD from SD with a unit that has upgradable capacity and reliable guide data.
Since I don't have any TiVO habits to unlearn and VOD is not an issue for me, and I have a Roku for Amazon and Netflix, what might be minuses for others aren't a major concern for me.
Now all I have to deal with is the installation. Question: do I hook it all up, get it authorized and registered with Moxi, then call for a cablecard installation? Will it be of use before the cablecard is installed?
On another note, cablecard is a key word for "I don't know, but I'll take a WAG, and say Yes, and make it sound like I know what I'm talking about." A kiosk sales rep says they will ship the cablecard to me and does not require a tech visit.
I'll be happy with it working without an install fee, but I know there have been mixed reports about whether to expect one or not. |
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jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
·Verizon FIOS
| The installation is supposed to be really simple, and it actually is, but I have no idea why I was having so much trouble pairing my cable card. It wasn't that the steps to get it working were too complicated to understand, it just wasn't working when Verizon claimed to be sending the pairing signal to my Moxi DVR. I would say that it had something to do with my router, although, absolutely nothing was changed when it started working all of a sudden. I'm not sure if you still have to have Verizon come out and install the cable card, but I suspect that you do.
It works like this:
You get your Moxi HD DVR equipment. It requires a connection to the internet for initial activation, guide data, software updates, and other things that rely on internet access, such as the super ticker or Rhapsody music. You can plug it in and connect it to the internet before you have a cable card inserted. It will update, if necessary, but you will not be able watch any FiOS TV until the card is inserted and paired.
Once you have the cable card (M-Card), all you do is insert the card into the slot and follow the simple instructions to have it paired. Basically you just open a menu screen and jot down a few numbers to give to Verizon's customer support. At this point I believe that Verizon is much better and activating cable card devices now, and so this should be a relatively smooth experience. You give them the numbers, they send a signal, and you should start seeing all of your channels soon after.
I'm not an expert, by any means, but I would certainly do my best to help get new Moxi users adjusted, as I have had some time now to figure some stuff out that might not be immediately apparent at first.
I don't like the remote very much (design/button layout), and I doubt you would either, but you do get used to it, and at least the keys light up in the dark. Not a show stopper, but I wish they spent as much time making the remote as user-friendly as the interface. |
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darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast
| reply to birdfeedr
said by birdfeedr : A kiosk sales rep says they will ship the cablecard to me and does not require a tech visit. Be prepared for a tech visit. CSRs, etc always it will be shipped and invariably, a tech visit is scheduled. Unless you're the first  |
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spider122
join:2009-01-26
Tewksbury, MA | I thought the M-card cable cards only provide two tuners. Or can it provide all 3 for the newer Moxi boxes? |
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Scyber
join:2001-12-28
Trenton, NJ
| said by spider122 :I thought the M-card cable cards only provide two tuners. Or can it provide all 3 for the newer Moxi boxes? Mcards are technically capable of 6 or 7 streams IIRC. |
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