Verizon Fios service with GBPVR

[dvasco]

If TV is sent over internet (or intranet) using copper or glass, from wherever it originates (this case satelite), by defintion is IPTV. Television video is digitized, and packets are transmitted with internet protocol.

If you are referring to IPTV as a brand name like tissue is called Kleenex, then perhaps you are correct.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fios#Technology
Unlike AT&T's U-verse product, Verizon's video service is not Video over IP (IPTV).

I also work in telecommunications.

[zehd]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fios#Technology
Unlike AT&T's U-verse product, Verizon's video service is not Video over IP (IPTV).

I also work in telecommunications.

I stand, (or rather sit, as I'm too stubborn to stand -- oh hell, I'll stand for this one) corrected!

[johnnysocko]

Well, I've read this whole thread and I still have no idea what to do. Granted, I'm not in telecomm, or fond of disputing what IPTV is vs. well, who cares.

To me, it's a very simple problem.

I had cable TV, I know that's analog. The coax cable was split outside the house into a hole I drilled, into my HVR-1600. It worked.

They just installed FIOS Tv yesterday. Okay, my coax still comes in, and he's got it plugged into some box outside, and I'm sure it's still just Verizons Analog (this is RF right) channels I see in GBPVR Live TV.

But, I don't just want the analog channels in GBPVR. I want the digital ones, too. Not HD, because I'm too cheap to buy that. $150 a month is plenty.

So, where do I go from here? What the heck is running on that COAX? I know I need a set top box for the 3 TVs now. I was upset about that, but oh well I caved. In my simple mind, that STB is converting some digital signal to analog. Its much more complicated than that, right?

Why can't I just get a card that converts that signal to some cheap card I can replace my HVR1600 with? Is that digital signal on the COAX? I've not even looked at that STB to see the wires coming in or out.

Oh yeah, the closest STB is too far to get to this desktop anyway. I just rewired the whole dang house to plug that coax into my PVR without running cables all over the floor and baseboards. Please don't tell me I wasted all my time there!

[ToughRowToHoe]

Well, I've read this whole thread and I still have no idea what to do. Granted, I'm not in telecomm, or fond of disputing what IPTV is vs. well, who cares.

To me, it's a very simple problem.

I had cable TV, I know that's analog. The coax cable was split outside the house into a hole I drilled, into my HVR-1600. It worked.

They just installed FIOS Tv yesterday. Okay, my coax still comes in, and he's got it plugged into some box outside, and I'm sure it's still just Verizons Analog (this is RF right) channels I see in GBPVR Live TV.

But, I don't just want the analog channels in GBPVR. I want the digital ones, too. Not HD, because I'm too cheap to buy that. $150 a month is plenty.

So, where do I go from here? What the heck is running on that COAX? I know I need a set top box for the 3 TVs now. I was upset about that, but oh well I caved. In my simple mind, that STB is converting some digital signal to analog. Its much more complicated than that, right?

Why can't I just get a card that converts that signal to some cheap card I can replace my HVR1600 with? Is that digital signal on the COAX? I've not even looked at that STB to see the wires coming in or out.

Oh yeah, the closest STB is too far to get to this desktop anyway. I just rewired the whole dang house to plug that coax into my PVR without running cables all over the floor and baseboards. Please don't tell me I wasted all my time there!

I had Fios installed last Saturday. I have the HD service with the Motorola 6200 boxes. I have my HVR 1600 hooked up and running. My analog tuner is hooked up to an S-Video output port on one 6200. The digitally transmitted SD picture is excellent. The QAM tuner is hooked up before the box on an RF splitter and it picks up all of the unencrypted channels again beautifully. I am using the Hauppauge IR blaster to change the channels in PVRX2. Unfortunately this is currently not working properly since it drops the first number on channel changes.

I also have a PVR 150 on another set. I have not yet been able to get that tuner working. It is also hooked up to the RF off a splitter so it will only pick up a few channels (channels 49 and below) when I do get it set up. I did give it a quick try, but the picture quality was terrible. Since that splitter is the one shared with the Fios modem/router, the RF connection may have been loosened when the installer put in the modem/router box.

You can hook them up, but you will only receive the unencrypted QAM channels (local broadcast HD and a few others) with your digital tuner or the channels below 50 (again local broadcast channels) on your analog tuner without the box. With the box, you can use the s-video to your analog tuner and the IR blaster to change channels. Not HVR 1600 related but I believe you can find drivers to pull output from the firewire out.

[zehd]

Here's my two cents. If I'm wrong, I'm sure I'll be corrected


Cable company's can transmit their data in either analog or digital form. They really want to transmit all in digital, because they can get more channels through the pipe than if they were analog. The pipe is only 'so', it can fit 30 analog or 300 digital (numbers random for example) channels

In order to view analog channels, you need an RF tuner. That's built into the analog side of the 1600.

To view digital, it can go two ways. First most people need a Set Top Box to tune into specific channels and decrypt encrypted channels. It takes the digital information and then pumps it out one of many ways out of the STB. RF(coax) is only one way of getting the video out of the box (and into your TV or PVR) But it is generally a poor conduit for video. Most people would rather use composite (yellow rca jack) s-video, component, DVI or HDMI connections to get better picture quality. Generally, a digital image created inside a STB (received from the cable provider) will look better on a TV or PVR with the better conduits.

Supposedly all cable companies in NA transmit their digital channels via QAM, though QAM is more often referred to unencrypted digital channels -- indeed QAM can be both encrypted or unencrypted - we are just lazy when we call the unencrypted channels QAM.

Anyway, an unencrypted digital channel(s) can be brought straight into a Digital Tuner. And if your company allows for Cable Card tech, then you would be able to watch encrypted digital channels too.

Incidentally, the FCC in the States is allowing the Cable comanies to drop support for analog channels shortly. The CRTC in Canada will be allowing the cable companies to drop support next century :eek: I mean longer than shortly...

[johnnysocko]

Thanks Frank!

Noone has corrected you yet, and I'm certainly not qualified.

I'm buying it. Actually I think you spelled it out quite simple for the simple minded (me) and it sounds quite reasonable. And, so it makes sense to me now why people would get the 1800 vs. the 1600. To me it was just a different type plug and I could run that coax through the walls easier than s-composite whatever.

Slowly but surely, I'm very reluctantly learning a whole lot more about this stuff than I ever would care to. Heck, I still don't care to, but that's just the way it goes.

[whurlston]

Frank was pretty much correct. You can fit up to 2 HD Digital channels on the same bandwidth as 1 analog channel. I say "up to 2 HD Channels" because it could also be 1 HD with multiple SD or all SD digital channels (10 or so, I can't remember for sure). The cable companies can go all digital as of the analog OTA cuttoff in Feb 09 but they are not required to do so.

[zehd]

...The cable companies can ...

Yeah that's why I said 'allowed'... The FCC and CRTC have been holding the cable companies to keep supporting Grandma and Grandpa's old B&W TV for quite a while. They really wanted to get away from it all so they could use their energy and bandwidth elsewhere....

More channels means more revenue...

[whurlston]

Yeah that's why I said 'allowed'...

I wasn't correcting you, just elaborating.

[zehd]

I wasn't correcting you, just elaborating.

And I was just making conversation....