# I want to smash my FIOS TV DVR with a hammer!



## faxinator

I'm so upset right now, so very upset. This DVR and the software is a gigantic piece of trash.


- It misses recordings

- I'm trying to tune a channel, and it says "Currently Unavailable"

- It switches channels, but displays the previous channel on the front panel

- If I cancel a recording, it STARTS RECORDING AGAIN. If I cancel it again, IT STARTS RECORDING AGAIN.

- If I cancel a recording and change channels before it starts to record again, it pops up a box every couple of minutes telling me it wants to change the channel so it can record THE RECORDING THAT I'VE ALREADY CANCELED.


So, in frustration, I've tried to call FIOS Tech Support for the third time this week. The first time was during the day, and I sat on hold for 30 minutes before I gave up.


Earlier this week I called in at 1:30 in the AM and didn't wait on hold, and the tech remotely reset ALL FOUR of my DVR's. That seemed to help one DVR that showed all channels as "unavailable" and another that simply showed a freeze frame no matter which channel I tuned.


So I just tried to call tech support again, at 1:30 in the morning, and the system told me I'd have to WAIT 35 MINUTES for help. At 1:30 in the AM EST!


I really, really want to smash these DVRs and cancel my FIOS service, which is a big shame.


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## bfdtv

Those criticisms are fairly common. Verizon is working to improve their new IMG DVR software, but right now, reliability isn't in the same league with other DVRs like the TiVo.


Part of the problem is Verizon's guide data provider (FYI), which isn't as reliable as Gemstar or Tribune with their program information (first-run and repeat flags, original air dates, etc) which the DVR uses to differentiate episodes.


If you want a quality DVR today -- regardless of provider -- you've typically got to pay for it. Dish Network would be an exception to that -- they will allow you one free HDTV DVR per year. Additional Dish DVRs cost about $450, IIRC.


Discriminating users who care about such things have the $250 TivoHD with FiOS, which does not have any of those issues.











Buying your own DVRs can get pretty expensive if you're looking at six rooms. For six rooms, you might consider a Vista CableCard PC with HD extenders, especially if you plan to upgrade your computer anyway. I posted some four room scenarios here .


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## faxinator

Thanks. I considered going to TIVO, since I had previously had TIVO with my DirecTV service. However, I watch a lot of on demand stuff, which TIVO doesn't support.


On top of that, there's the additional costs for the cable cards and the TIVO programming.


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## bfdtv




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *faxinator* /forum/post/13112128
> 
> 
> Thanks. I considered going to TIVO, since I had previously had TIVO with my DirecTV service. However, I watch a lot of on demand stuff, which TIVO doesn't support.



Well, if you used to TiVo, you may have a hard time using anything else.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *faxinator* /forum/post/13112128
> 
> 
> On top of that, there's the additional costs for the cable cards and the TIVO programming.



Costs are comparable after you spend the $250 to buy the box.


With a TiVo, you eliminate the $15.99/mo FiOS DVR fee. TiVo's fee is $12.99/mo or $129/year ($10.75/mo). CableCards are $2.99.


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## Rammitinski

Do they still offer the 3 year deal for $8.33/mo.?


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## bfdtv




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Rammitinski* /forum/post/13113004
> 
> 
> Do they still offer the 3 year deal for $8.33/mo.?



Yes, although if you are going to pay $299 for three years, it seems to me you might as well buy the $698 version with no fees ever.


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## faxinator




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *bfdtv* /forum/post/13112345
> 
> 
> Well, if you used to TiVo, you may have a hard time using anything else.



I adapted to the FIOS DVR months and months ago, but now it's acting up and making me angry.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *bfdtv* /forum/post/13112345
> 
> 
> Costs are comparable after you spend the $250 to buy the box.
> 
> 
> With a TiVo, you eliminate the $15.99/mo FiOS DVR fee. TiVo's fee is $12.99/mo or $129/year ($10.75/mo). CableCards are $2.99.



I only pay $12.99 each per month for my four FIOS DVR's, and I'll still need to keep them. So I'll be adding on $12.99 per month for TIVO service, and $6.00 per month for cable cards. I'll have to buy the TIVO box and the broadband connector as well, because I don't have a telephone.


So I'm looking at $300 for TIVO equipment and then $19 more on a monthly basis on top of my already nearly $200 per month FIOS bill.


A tough decision. If they'd just fix the damn FIOS DVR I'd be fine.


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## nils154

I switched from DISH to FIOSTV 6 weeks ago. OUCH.

- Multiroom DVR is pathetic: You can't delete, record on the second TV, or pause live TV. You could run downstairs, record live TV, then run back upstairs and watch what you just started recording, just plain silly.

- Pause live TV is pathetic. It only pauses for 10 minutes, then skips ahead to live! With DISH I frequently would pause a sports game for dinner, but can't do that anymore.

- Record is pathetic. Can't extend the recording past the end of the show. What if a game goes over?

- Telephone service is pathetic. Each time they want to transfer me from 'Billing' to 'Fiber Solutions' and then back. Meanwhile the first month they did not apply the bundle discount. The second month they billed me for four connections instead of the two I have.

- The Remote control is nice, and smarter than the DISH VIP-622 remote. I can control Aux volume without having to switch to Aux.

- The firewire output works, both for prerecorded shows and live shows, but only if not copyprotected (C5 and/or CCI)

- The big Fat HDMI Cable broke the pathetic HDMI connector on the back of my Samsung TV. (Out of warranty of course)


Only reason I am not switching back is FitTV, my wife loves that channel.


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## jamesd3rd




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *faxinator* /forum/post/13106413
> 
> 
> I'm so upset right now, so very upset. This DVR and the software is a gigantic piece of trash.
> 
> 
> - It misses recordings
> 
> - I'm trying to tune a channel, and it says "Currently Unavailable"
> 
> - It switches channels, but displays the previous channel on the front panel
> 
> - If I cancel a recording, it STARTS RECORDING AGAIN. If I cancel it again, IT STARTS RECORDING AGAIN.
> 
> - If I cancel a recording and change channels before it starts to record again, it pops up a box every couple of minutes telling me it wants to change the channel so it can record THE RECORDING THAT I'VE ALREADY CANCELED.
> 
> 
> So, in frustration, I've tried to call FIOS Tech Support for the third time this week. The first time was during the day, and I sat on hold for 30 minutes before I gave up.
> 
> 
> Earlier this week I called in at 1:30 in the AM and didn't wait on hold, and the tech remotely reset ALL FOUR of my DVR's. That seemed to help one DVR that showed all channels as "unavailable" and another that simply showed a freeze frame no matter which channel I tuned.
> 
> 
> So I just tried to call tech support again, at 1:30 in the morning, and the system told me I'd have to WAIT 35 MINUTES for help. At 1:30 in the AM EST!
> 
> 
> I really, really want to smash these DVRs and cancel my FIOS service, which is a big shame.




I feel your pain. I have Verizon FIOS in Redondo Beach and lately it seems to drop scheduled shows on the HBO-HD channel (851). I'll program a couple shows and it will record fine for the first couple of weeks. But by the time the third week rolls around, the shows get dropped from the programmed schedule line up a day or two before they are supposed to air.


I've called Verizon about four times about this but I never hear back from them. No other network has this problem. It's just HBO-HD. I even went as far as doing a manual recurring program (repeat weekly on the same day, time and channel) but it did the same thing.


It looks as if some flag is being reset and the system of programming updates completely ignores the fact that I have these shows scheduled and it overwrites anything with HBO-HD.


It's really getting on my nerves because I have to make a point of looking at the scheduled programs to see if they have been dropped then add them back if they have.


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