[mythtv-users] Verizon Fios, any success stories?

[Jarod Wilson]

On Jul 23, 2009, at 3:38 PM, Ajay Sharma wrote:

> On Wed, Jul 22, 2009 at 2:12 PM, Jarod Wilson <jarod at wilsonet.com>  
> wrote:
> On Jul 22, 2009, at 4:58 PM, Ajay Sharma wrote:
> >> Is anyone running Verizon Fios with the HD-PVR?  In that you're  
> recording HD channels and got the HD-PVR to change channels on the  
> Verizon STB.
>
> > The IR part of the HD PVR is not yet enabled. I control my cable  
> box over firewire anyway though. (And that same firewire connection  
> is a part of why I rarely need the HD PVR).
>
> Just so I'm clear, when you say "cable box", you're talking about  
> the Verizon Fios STB (set top box) and not some other cable  
> service?  I'm just making sure because I multiple sources (Dish and  
> analog Cable) but I plan to dump it all to get straight fios-tv.

Yes, I'm talking about the Verizon FiOS STB.

> Assuming that "cable box" means Verizon Fios STP:  I've never done  
> any firewire stuff, would following along with the mythtv wiki a  
> good guide to follow in setting this up?  http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/FireWire

Never read it myself, but I've been doing this a while... Most of that  
stuff there is completely unnecessary if you're running recent Fedora,  
as the native firewire stack works just fine these days, at least in  
most cases -- that's what I'm using myself. I haven't had to bother  
with any priming or anything in ages, but its possible that part might  
be required in some cases.

> On the wiki they mention the "6200ch" channel changing script.  My  
> non-mythtv-using friend has Fios-TV and his Motorola boxes are "QIP  
> 2500" (doesn't have firewire) and "QIP6200" (which is their HD-DVR  
> that they pre-install for you and has firewire).
>
> Will the "6200ch" script change channels over firewire for those  
> motorola boxes?  What's the model number of your motorola Fios-TV STB?

I have a non-DVR QIP-6200, and yes, 6200ch works just fine. Though I  
think I may have had to add the device ID info for it first. Note that  
you don't actually need 6200ch for FireWire recording though -- just  
use the internal FireWire channel change support. I only use 6200ch  
for the HD PVR recordings. That wiki page seems to completely lack  
mention that the internal channel changer is actually the preferred  
route for FireWire capture devices...

> Last question:  If I sign up for Verizon and they aren't encrypting  
> any of the HD channels, then an HD-PVR won't be necessary?

Correct.

> And I know that that's a big "if".  :)  And if down they road they  
> start encrypting their HD stuff then the only way is through an HD- 
> PVR (at the moment).

The broadcast networks *should* always be recordable, either over  
FireWire or with a digital capture card, unless they opt to violate  
FCC regs. But everything else can be encrypted if they so choose --  
both at the QAM level and the FireWire level -- and would require an  
HD PVR to record high-def versions of those channels.


-- 
Jarod Wilson
jarod at wilsonet.com