Hauppauge PVR-500 & Verizon FIOS - Useless Now??

[olimits7]

Hi,

When I had Comcast my Hauppauge PVR-500 card would work fine with Beyond TV and I didn't need a add a set-top box.

But recently I switched to Verizon FIOS and now my Hauppauge PVR-500 card, and Beyond TV have become pretty much useless; unless I add another set top box for just my PC.

This is not something I want to do; I don't want to pay for another box that will just be used for my PC every once in a while, and it will take up even more room where my PC currently is...seems like a pain to add a set top box just for a PC!!

It was such a perfect setup with Comcast because I didn't need to add any other extra equipment to make everything work properly.

In that case, I'm guessing if I don't get another set top box my Hauppauge PVR-500 card and Beyond TV will not work; is that correct??

If this is correct; are there any new cards I can buy from either Hauppauge or some other manufacturer that would work with Verizon FIOS without needing to add another set top box??

Thank you,

olimits7

[vidiot1985]

According to the Verizon FIOS wikipedia page, some SD digital channels are available on FIOS via Clear QAM tuners (several choices with BTV), while the HD digital channels require their STB or a CableCARD tuner like a Tivo HD (and presumably one of those CableCARD capable HTPCs).

[olimits7]

Hi,

Do you know if any of the Hauppauge cards "Clear QAM tuners"? Or is the Hauppauge PVR-500 a clear QAM tuner?

Are there any cards that I can buy like Hauppauge that have a CableCard tuner like Tivo HD that would work with Verizon?

Thank you again,

olimits7

[Mistergq]

I saw this coming two years ago that the analog channels would disappear, not just on verizon, but also on comcast. On my FIOS, the only channels on clear qam were network, public television, and music channels.

Verizon has removed analog (pretty honestly imho) because they need the bandwidth for all the HD channels.

In case you are curious, I am using 2 HD PVRs with SageTV. I am also using two HD homeruns with antenna because I don't want to be dependent on FIOS for network when I can get them for free.

[olimits7]

Hi,

I just want to be able to change channesl and record shows using BeyondTV from my PC; this is the setup I had when I had Comcast before they switched over to digital.

However, now that I'm with Verizon FIOS I will need to upgrade my current setup so it works properly.

I was thinking of buying a "WinTV-HVR-2250" internal card; so I can record 2 shows at the same time while using BeyondTV.

I mostly only record the local channel TV shows, but if I can also record the current premium channels that would be great too!!

Would the above setup work with Verizon FIOS??

Thank you,

olimits7

[vidiot1985]

Originally Posted by olimits7

Hi,

...

I mostly only record the local channel TV shows, but if I can also record the current premium channels that would be great too!!

Would the above setup work with Verizon FIOS??

Thank you,

olimits7

It does not sound like you'd be able to get the premium channels via clear QAM over FIOS, and perhaps only the locals, and only in SD, not HD (if I read the wikipedia page right).

[olimits7]

Hi,

Can someone who has Verizon FIOS service let me know what channels you can view and what card you are using in your setup on your PC??

I just want to know what channels will be available before I purchase either a HDHomerun or HVR card...

Thank you,

Bernardo

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by olimits7

Hi,

Can someone who has Verizon FIOS service let me know what channels you can view and what card you are using in your setup on your PC??

I just want to know what channels will be available before I purchase either a HDHomerun or HVR card...

Thank you,

Bernardo

The local channels are available in unencrypted QAM, so you can capture from them using an HDHomeRun or other QAM tuner card. There are no analog channels.

Using a STB you can capture from the box using almost any card with a composite input or from channel 3 or 4, but for HD recording you'll need an HD-PVR. BTW the HD-PVR is worth it!

[olimits7]

Hi,

WinTV-HVR-2250:
- If I get this card I will only be able to record "local" channels from my Verizon FiOS service using a split coaxial cable going into the card with no STB; right??
- I won't be able to record any "HD" channels; right??

HD PVR:
- If I get this box I will only be able to record "HD" channels from my Verizon FiOS service using a split coaxial cable going into the card with no STB; right??
- I won't be able to record any "local" channels; right??

Thank you,

olimits7

[vidiot1985]

Originally Posted by olimits7

Hi,

WinTV-HVR-2250:
- If I get this card I will only be able to record "local" channels from my Verizon FiOS service using a split coaxial cable going into the card with no STB; right??
- I won't be able to record any "HD" channels; right??

HD PVR:
- If I get this box I will only be able to record "HD" channels from my Verizon FiOS service using a split coaxial cable going into the card with no STB; right??
- I won't be able to record any "local" channels; right??

Thank you,

olimits7

"HD" vs "local" is a confusing way of looking at it since they are not mutually exclusive. All your locals are likely available in HD somehow. Whether FiOS provides them to you in Clear QAM AND in HD is something you need to find out from them for your market.

With the 2250, you run the coax from the FiOS main box (the ONT?) into the card and can record two Clear QAM programs (most likely only "local" channels that may or may not be in HD) at once without any STBs.

With the HD-PVR, you connect component video and whatever audio cables from your FiOS set top box into the card and can record anything the FiOS STB will put out (including "local" channels in HD). The HD-PVR has an IR blaster to connect to the STB to change channels, etc.

[olimits7]

Hi,

1. Ok, with the 2250 will I also be able to use the BeyondTV scheduler and change channels from my PC to setup different recordings??

2. Ok, so withe the HD-PVR I will need to connect to my PC and also to my FiOS STB; right??

Also, will I be able to use the BeyondTV scheduler and change channels from my PC to setup different recordings??

3. What would you recommend getting the 2250 or the HD-PVR??

Thank you,

olimits7

[vidiot1985]

Originally Posted by olimits7

Hi,

1. Ok, with the 2250 will I also be able to use the BeyondTV scheduler and change channels from my PC to setup different recordings??

2. Ok, so withe the HD-PVR I will need to connect to my PC and also to my FiOS STB; right??

Also, will I be able to use the BeyondTV scheduler and change channels from my PC to setup different recordings??

3. What would you recommend getting the 2250 or the HD-PVR??

Thank you,

olimits7

I cannot say how well the combination of BTV, 2250 or HD-PVR and FiOS would work, but I suspect you should be able to everything you want some way, somehow, with the HD-PVR. The 2250 would likely be more limiting than you'd care for.

[olimits7]

Ok, thank you...I will take a look at getting the HD-PVR.

I also like that's it's not an internal card so I can just set it up right on top of my tower.

olimits7

[olimits7]

Is there an HD-PVR or some other device similar to it that let's me record 2 shows at the same time??

I liked having this option on the PVR-500, and it seems like I can also do this on the HVR-2250 but I guess with the HVR-2250 I can't record HD channels...

Thank you,

olimits7

[vidiot1985]

Originally Posted by olimits7

Is there an HD-PVR or some other device similar to it that let's me record 2 shows at the same time??

I liked having this option on the PVR-500, and it seems like I can also do this on the HVR-2250 but I guess with the HVR-2250 I can't record HD channels...

Thank you,

olimits7

Again, the HVR-2250 (and HDHomeRun) can record up to two HD channels fine as long as they are Clear QAM digital cable TV (which FiOS may or may not give you) or ATSC over the air digital TV.

Sounds like you need to get two HD-PVRs if you want to record every channel FiOS offers, or keep waiting for the next new thing to come out.