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Fios set-top boxes aren't really needed?

9,258 5,728 April 10, 2017 at 10:55 AM
http://www.philly.com/philly/blog...boxes.html

Quote :
The suit — the latest flashpoint involving pay-TV set-top boxes — says that Verizon does not tell its customers about "alternatives" such as Roku, Amazon Fire Stick TV, and Google Chromecast devices that enable viewing of FIOS television news and entertainment without the need for leasing a set-top box for each TV in a home.
Um... does anyone know what this is? Never knew I can use a Chromecast to watch cable? Dontknow Or do they mean cast the content from Verizon.com? Scratchchin
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noungning
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Joined Feb 2010
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> bubble2 4,199 Posts
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idkist
04-10-2017 at 11:24 AM.
04-10-2017 at 11:24 AM.
I have shitty TWC (now shitty Spectrum). They're moving to all digital so middle of this month/next month it will no longer work to connect my tv directly to the wall. TWC is pushing Roku's as an alternative to renting the digital adapter boxes. Roku's have a Spectrum app you can install and watch programming from. It's better resolution than from the wall, and it has on-demand so it's a better deal overall.
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Joined Aug 2007
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> bubble2 9,258 Posts
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noungning
04-10-2017 at 11:41 AM.
04-10-2017 at 11:41 AM.
Quote from idkist :
I have shitty TWC (now shitty Spectrum). They're moving to all digital so middle of this month/next month it will no longer work to connect my tv directly to the wall. TWC is pushing Roku's as an alternative to renting the digital adapter boxes. Roku's have a Spectrum app you can install and watch programming from. It's better resolution than from the wall, and it has on-demand so it's a better deal overall.
Hmm, when I first signed up for Fios, the set-top (digital converter) was mandatory for it to work on our TVs. I believe it still is as we only see static if we don't have the converter, but I'm wondering, if like you, they have the app option. I have the Fire stick and a Chromecast (older model), but didn't notice any app for Verizon, I wonder if we need to download it onto the stick...but that's not how Chromecast works...
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Joined Aug 2014
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> bubble2 2,960 Posts
euuser3818772
04-10-2017 at 12:34 PM.
04-10-2017 at 12:34 PM.
Couldn't find anything on the TV, but this blog suggests a bypass for the Fios router.
https://marco.org/2011/01/15/how-...-with-fios
Anyone tried it?


On the TV:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc1t2yqRchA

https://www.reddit.com/r/cordcutt...t_top_box/
Quote :
Be warned, when you do your initial scan you will get something like 300 channels. Most won't have any content. You have to go through and delete each one you don't want. Then you have go though and hunt for all the channels that you do want. They will not be where you expect them to be, but for me, they were all there.

https://www.amazon.com/forum/1080...J152FCX3PE

Quote :
You can get FIOS TV Local without a set top box with a TV that supports cable card or has QAM tuner. Most modern TVs will have a QAM tuner. Bear in mind that FIOS TV Local is only a dozen of channels, you can find listings on Verizon's site.
Quote :
After reading this discussion, I decided to try AGAIN to see if I could receive channels without a STB. I am on Frontier (Verizon sold FL to them in April). I had no luck with my Vizio tvs a couple of years ago, but I have a Samsung in one of the bedrooms. I disconnected the STB and plugged the cable coax directly into the TV. I then changed the source input on my TV and ran the channel programming. On the Samsung I was able to run all of them and did not have to differentiate between Over The Air and Cable. 20 Minutes later, I had multiple channels available to view on that TV. Now, the downside is not being able to identify what the channel is without turning to it, but it will save me a STB fee for that tv.
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Last edited by joeg9897 April 10, 2017 at 12:43 PM.
Joined Aug 2007
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> bubble2 9,258 Posts
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noungning
04-10-2017 at 12:50 PM.
04-10-2017 at 12:50 PM.
Sounds like it's only for local TV? Frown My TV is a tube TV. laugh out loud I'm resisting upgrade on the one in my room til it dies. laugh out loud The rest of the boxes are all HD boxes, I'm guessing there's no way around those?
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acesmuzic | Staff
04-10-2017 at 12:54 PM.
04-10-2017 at 12:54 PM.
when i last had fios (~1.5 years ago) you could get the local channels by plugging a tv with qam tuner directly into the wall. i rented one box from them for the extra channels that were part of my package (eg espn) but otherwise it was good to not fight with an OTA antenna for the other tvs.
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Joined Feb 2010
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> bubble2 4,199 Posts
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idkist
04-10-2017 at 01:16 PM.
04-10-2017 at 01:16 PM.
Here's an article describing the twc/roku deal...

https://www.cnet.com/news/twc-tv-...-hands-on/
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Joined Jun 2005
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> bubble2 21,668 Posts
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shhaggy
04-10-2017 at 01:28 PM.
04-10-2017 at 01:28 PM.
I know there was a FiOS xbox app awhile back, but it didn't have all the channels and they discontinued it after awhile. I did not know they were moving towards apps being available.
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Joined Mar 2009
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> bubble2 19,435 Posts
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Frogstar
04-10-2017 at 02:45 PM.
04-10-2017 at 02:45 PM.
Quote from noungning :
Sounds like it's only for local TV? Frown My TV is a tube TV. laugh out loud I'm resisting upgrade on the one in my room til it dies. laugh out loud The rest of the boxes are all HD boxes, I'm guessing there's no way around those?
Tube TV? You're probably going to be waiting a good long while for that to die!
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Joined Aug 2007
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> bubble2 9,258 Posts
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noungning
04-10-2017 at 05:31 PM.
04-10-2017 at 05:31 PM.
Quote from Frogstar :
Tube TV? You're probably going to be waiting a good long while for that to die!
LMAO Well 2 of the others died (flickered), and we replaced them. Smilie
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Joined Aug 2014
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> bubble2 2,960 Posts
euuser3818772
04-10-2017 at 05:51 PM.
04-10-2017 at 05:51 PM.
Quote from noungning :
LMAO Well 2 of the others died (flickered), and we replaced them. Smilie
Those are great for relieving stress. Esp. the flicking ones.
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