Verizon adds multiroom DVR

Verizon Communications plans to offer a digital video recorder that allows its TV customers to watch recorded programs on multiple TVs in any room in the house, the company said Monday.

The new multiroom DVR, made by Motorola, lets customers view recorded programs on up to three televisions at once. The media hub, called the Home Media DVR, also functions as a dual-tuner DVR, which allows customers to watch one program while recording another.

Customers using the multiroom DVR will pay $19.95 per month, plus $3.95 per month for each standard-definition set-top box that will be used to receive recorded video from the DVR.

		News.Commentary Verizon's DVR offers new view of TV Multiroom service issues challenge to cable companies, means consumers can expect more from TV, broadband providers.

Verizon has bundled the recording function with software it calls Media Manager, a new feature that lets customers access photos and music stored on their personal computer and play them on their televisions. For now, copyright-protected content, such as movies and music, will not be accessible through the Home Media DVR.

But Verizon expects in future releases to add playback of protected content. The company also plans to increase the number of set-top boxes that can simultaneously access the Home Media DVR to watch recorded programs and to permit playback of home videos stored on PCs.

Verizon is delivering the new TV service over a fiber network it's building throughout its territory. The network, called Fios, reaches directly to the side of a customer's home, bringing customers nearly limitless bandwidth capacity. The company is spending about $20 billion over the next few years to build this network, which should reach roughly 16 million homes once complete.

Verizon's Fios TV service is a key component in its fight to compete with cable operators, which have added telephone service to their bundle of TV and broadband services.

Verizon is now offering its TV service in parts of seven states: California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia and Texas. The phone company is adding new cities and states to its TV network as it obtains local video franchises.

[bobby_brady]

$25 a month?! I get the same thing with Media Center

using Xbox's as extenders and pay no stupid monthly fee. Plus I can burn or copy shows to my friends Media Center so he can watch them.

[jester99]

If the first one doesn't work, sell another one

I would like for Verizon to fix their current DVR offering before releasing another one. The menu is horrible among some of the issues that I have. The scary thing is that if you look at the forums our there numerous people have the same issues. I fought with Verizon for four months in order to get my one DVR replaced. I would be very pleased if the would join forces with Tivo so that maybe they could put out a product that would make the customers happy.

[HDTVCAMERA]

FIOS Interface Still Terrible

The updated interface is even more horrible than the old one and talk about SLOW processing. There are 100 volume settings. If you want to lower the volume (for loud TV commercials) Getting to recorded programs is a multi stepped nightmare. It takes way too long. It is such a hassle to delete programs that I just let the system boot them off when the DVR gets full. How could Verizon distribute such a horrible product and get away with it? Anyone who used the Moxi DVR offered by the Cable company would find this FIOS system a giant step backwards

[Mystigo]

2 x nearly limitless = infinite!

"The network, called Fios, reaches directly to the side of a
customer's home, bringing customers nearly limitless bandwidth
capacity"

Wow. If they had two of these cables, would the bandwidth then be
limitless?

[tapaskm]

No it would still be nearly limitless

just like infinity * 2 = infinity,
similarly
"Nearly limitless" * 2 = "Nearly limitless"

[anarchyreigns]

Rip off price!

<eom>

[zxocuteboy]

I WISH I HAD THIS WITH TWC

http://www.infoblog.us/2006/06/cablevision-caves-in-postpones-network.html

[BengalTigger]

X10 = limitless number of TVs watching

I don't get it. Why is having 3 TVs at the same time such a wonder? I currently have 5 TVs hooked up to a dual DVR that allows all 5 tvs to choose between either of the two channels currently selected. And, I don't pay a monthly rental fee. X10 sells the video sender/receiver combo, and sells extra receivers separately. Plus, they even come with a fantastic free universal remote. (no, I don't work for them or own stock, I'm just really pleased with my setup).

[mstrclark]

Tivo Already Offers This And More

With Tivo Series2 units you can do this and send your recording to you iPod.

[t2gren]

Multi Room DVR is NOT HiDef Capable

I am researching Verizon Fios, now on Comcast. Was interested in the MultiRoom DVR until I read the Inmportant Information section of the brochure. The first line reads, "Programs recorded in Hi-Def cannot be played back on the remote Set To Boxes".

Okay, I figured that I could get a Hi-Def Set Top box and solve the problem. OH NO! Because I read further in the section and found, "HD Set Top Boxes cannot be used as part of a Multi-Room network".

Excuse me, but isn't one of the major reason for using Verizon Fios to have the Hi-Def Experience! But what they don't say in the marketing material for MultiRoom setups is that you can watch recorded Hi-Def programming on your main TV, NOT through any remote sets. This is a deal breaker for me, since I don't watch any shows during the week at their regular time, but use the DVR on Comcast to watch them when it is convenient to me.

So why can't Verizon's technology department make a DVR remote that can play Hi_Def? Am I the only one that this doesn't make any sense in today's Hi-Def world?

[bidnesswoman]

What is troubling about this service, is we USED TO be able to time-shift any program we wanted with a normal VCR. Now the cable companies are making that option obsolete, and charging us 25 a month for it!
What happened? The FCC happened, and stepped in to allow it. We should be able to watch ANY broadcast or otherwise program at our own leisure, but with copyright issues the companies have waved in front of the FCC, we are slowly being denied this option. HD content especially will fall by the way-side, even with my use of an HD-VCR to off load my content from the box. I hope Verizon falls flat on it's face with this NEW option. We should get it for free.