# FIOS to TIVO



## bothfly737 (Sep 1, 2014)

Thinking of switching to Tivo from FIOS Quantum. 
Right now I have the Main Media Server box, and 3 Mini type boxes.
Overall not a bad experience.
I'm wanting to get a Roamio Plus and 3 Minis.
Has anyone switched over and whats your take vs FIOS?
Also a big feature I want to make sure Tivo has is if I record any TV show, HBO movie ect on the Tivo, I can either stream that show to my iPad when I'm out of town or even Download that movie to my iPad and watch it without an internet connection, like on a plane.
This download feature to my iPad is a main reason I want to switch, so I just want to make sure this feature works without any other 3rd part software.
Finally, I understand I need just one Cable Card from Verizon, one CC will give my Roamio the ability to record multiple shows??
And then there is the question of monthly vs lifetime.
I've done the math and spend about $650 a year in FIOS rental fees, and if I buy the Tivo boxes and lifetime it would take me about 2.4 years to break even. But since these Roamio boxes are a year old I'm not sure if I will hang on to them past 2 plus years.
Thanks and let me know.


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

Okay, you have a few questions...

1) I have never used Quantum - but I am a FIOS customer 

2) HBO is protected so you cannot stream it outside your home. Only HBO and Cinimax are protected on FIOS, so all other channels will work as you require. Plus and Pro have stream built in, base Roamio will require the add on stream box.

3) Yes, one cable card and you can record up to 6 shows (6 shows plus /pro, 4 shows Base)

4) Lifetime is always the better value, TiVo does not refresh hardware that rapidly and resale is significant on lifetimed boxes. If you can afford it, lifetime is absolutely the way to go.

If you for some reason you wanted to get rid of your TiVo in two years, resale value should equal or exceed lifetime fee. Non-lifetime TiVo's loose value very quickly.


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## cmshep222 (Feb 18, 2005)

Though in your case, if you subscribe to HBO on Fios, you can watch HBO on your iPad via HBO Go. So that should not be a deal-killer.


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## jhav (Aug 31, 2014)

I'm in the process of switching over from FIOS Quantum to Tivo myself --- also have 4 FIOS boxes and moving to a Roamio Plus with three Minis. VZ is shipping me a Cable Card this week and my Tivo boxes should hopefully arrive by next weekend. 

I recently helped my parents get their TVs setup at a vacation home where only Comcast is offered. I got educated on Tivo and decided to go that direction rather than rent their boxes (a big waste of $$$ in a vacation home). I setup this system ~2 weeks ago and was very impressed. The functionality of the Mino/Roamio setup is similar to FIOS Quantum, but the interface is improved - I particularly liked the simplicity of the season pass setup along with the thumbs-up/down functionality that help make the Tivo 'smarter' about recommending shows on Live TV that might interest me. Perhaps the biggest advantage that I found is the fairly seamless integration with Netflix ---- I know that I, and particularly my family, will get a lot more out of my Netflix subscription based on the built in functionality. Should Tivo add additional apps (as rumored) for Amazon Instant Video and others (PLEX & Watch ESPN would be phenomenal - in the meantime, I have a Chomecast for these), their interface has the possibility to significantly grow their advantage over FIOS/Comcast. 

Anyhow, after my positive experience with Tivo at the vacation home, I took a look at my own VZ bill --- I only 'upgraded' to Quantum a month ago. I see that I am paying about $55/month for the hardware plus the 'quantum' services. 

After purchasing a 'code' on eBay (PM me if you have questions), I was able to purchase a Roamio Plus and three Minis for my home --- all with lifetime --- for a total of $1185 (incl. tax & eBay purchase cost). I STRONGLY recommend you purchasing a code off eBay to make your purchase as you will save significant $$$ in your initial purchase.

Since VZ will now only charge me $5/mo. for the Cable Card, I am saving $50/month in overall hardware costs --- I'll break even in 2 years. This, plus the 'improved' functionality over Quantum AND the fact that Tivos with Lifetime seem to hold their value very well in the resale market made the decision fairly easy. Should the Roamio be replaced with a 'improved' piece of hardware in the future, I believe that I could flip my current unit for a good amount to significantly reduce any future upgrade costs. 

The only negative is the loss of On-Demand functionality with Fios --- perhaps this is also something that will be added in the future as Comcast currently supports On-Demand through Tivo (Though it did not work very well in my experience). 

Hopefully, I'll be fully setup and transitioned over the next week and I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to saving some $$$ and to using the improved functionality of Tivo. To me, if you can afford the upfront outlay of cash, it seems like a no-brainer to switch.


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## jhav (Aug 31, 2014)

One more thing to note --- I have been using a Singbox for ~15 years now and cannot recommend it strongly enough for remote streaming. While Tivo seems to be implementing some of the Slingbox functionality, I've read a bunch of concerns/statements that some 'copy-protect' shows/networks are not available. This is never a problem with the Slingbox.... for remote streaming, at least in 2014, it remains the best solution IMO.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

jhav said:


> I've read a bunch of concerns/statements that some 'copy-protect' shows/networks are not available. This is never a problem with the Slingbox....


You are right to point out that the TiVo stream functionality will respect the CCI flags, but I think a Slingbox will respect the CCI flags too if it is connected via HDMI, which is why it is best to connect a Slingbox with component cables instead.


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## jhav (Aug 31, 2014)

tarheelblue32 said:


> You are right to point out that the TiVo stream functionality will respect the CCI flags, but I think a Slingbox will respect the CCI flags too if it is connected via HDMI, which is why it is best to connect a Slingbox with component cables instead.


This is 100% correct - I should have clarified. I have my Slingbox connected via Component Video and a Digital Audio cable for just this reason. My current Slingbox (PRO-HD I think) does not have an HDMI input, but I believe this has changed in current versions.


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## bothfly737 (Sep 1, 2014)

Ok, thanks.
So let me get this straight.
HBO, Showtime and other paid movies channels will NOT stream to my iPad when I'm out of town??
Also what about downloading a HBO movie to my iPad and watching it on a plane or anywhere without a internet connection, will this work??
Thanks


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## Marc (Jun 26, 1999)

bothfly737 said:


> Ok, thanks.
> So let me get this straight.
> HBO, Showtime and other paid movies channels will NOT stream to my iPad when I'm out of town??
> Also what about downloading a HBO movie to my iPad and watching it on a plane or anywhere without a internet connection, will this work??
> Thanks


It's only HBO and Cinemax that have the restrictions. Those channels cannot be streamed or downloaded via the TiVo Roamio/Stream. HBO and Cinemax do have apps for the iPad that permit streaming while you have internet access.

Other premium channels like Showtime, Starz, etc., may be downloaded without restriction.


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

bothfly737 said:


> Also what about downloading a HBO movie to my iPad and watching it on a plane or anywhere without a internet connection, will this work??
> Thanks


Same restriction as external streaming - for HBO and Cinimax only.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

ANd don't forget about the breakeven point. Once you reach you still own the lifetime TiVos which still have a nice resale value. Which can further reduce your cost in the future if you decide to leave TiVo. Or do what I always do and upgrade every time new TiVo models are released.

I've been using TiVos on FiOS for seven years now and have been very pleased. The only annoyance was when they restricted HBO and Cinemax programs from being transferred couple of years ago. But it could be worse so I can't complain. And at least they can still be streamed to another Tivo on the Network.


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## bothfly737 (Sep 1, 2014)

Ok, so HBO and Max cannot be streamed or downloaded.
Since that's the two I usually have thats kinda a bummer.
Yes I do have the Apps for streaming, but I was more wanting the download and transfer option.
Ok, still on the fence.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

If you use a Slingbox as mentioned previously, programs such as KMTTG (well known here) and Jaksta can be setup to record your Slingbox stream which, at least in Jaksta's case, can be automatically remuxed into a compatible file for your iPad.


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## Aero 1 (Aug 8, 2007)

bothfly737 said:


> Ok, so HBO and Max cannot be streamed or downloaded.
> Since that's the two I usually have thats kinda a bummer.
> Yes I do have the Apps for streaming, but I was more wanting the download and transfer option.
> Ok, still on the fence.


take a look at playlater. you'll be able to record of hbogo and save it as an mp4 file and save/play it on anything.

http://www.playlater.tv/


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

bothfly737 said:


> Ok, so HBO and Max cannot be streamed or downloaded.


They CAN be streamed, but not downloaded.


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

wmcbrine said:


> They CAN be streamed, but not downloaded.


They can be streamed within your home network, but not outside the home network.

I think he was really looking for a way to offload HBO channels onto his "device" for travel - and that would not be allowed using the stream.

OP - There are some tools that will allow a work around, but nothing as clean and simple as stream.


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## bothfly737 (Sep 1, 2014)

Ok, thanks very much for the info.
I get it now.
I have to get Verizon to ship me a cable card now, they want $20 bucks to ship it. That makes no sense since I got boxes from them overnight for free. None of the Verizon stores are stocking the CC either, so that's my only choice to get one.


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## bayern_fan (Aug 12, 2013)

bothfly737 said:


> Ok, thanks very much for the info.
> I get it now.
> I have to get Verizon to ship me a cable card now, they want $20 bucks to ship it. That makes no sense since I got boxes from them overnight for free. None of the Verizon stores are stocking the CC either, so that's my only choice to get one.


$20 to ship a Cablecard? It definitely doesn't cost them anywhere near that...

Reasons like this are why I'll stick to Cablevision at $2/month from my local CV store.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

bothfly737 said:


> Ok, thanks very much for the info.
> I get it now.
> I have to get Verizon to ship me a cable card now, they want $20 bucks to ship it. That makes no sense since I got boxes from them overnight for free. None of the Verizon stores are stocking the CC either, so that's my only choice to get one.


After you get the CableCard, call up Verizon and tell them you want that $20 shipping fee refunded. If they refuse, file a complaint with the FCC. Them shipping their boxes for free but charging $20 shipping for a CableCard has to be a violation of some regulation somewhere.


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## BigJimOutlaw (Mar 21, 2004)

Verizon started instituting $20 deliveries because people would play the equipment lottery. If they didn't get the latest router or STB, they'd keep returning it for another. But it is stupid to do it with cablecards.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

And equally crazy to do it with the crappy FiOS routers. I have five of them gathering dust in my closets.


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