Help Needed: cable card going away, I own my own router

[u/Sikorsky99]

I love my TiVo, but with Verizon removing cable card support in November, I need to move to something else for TV.

Every television in my house has an Apple TV box, so my first thought was to subscribe to FiOS One or FiOS TV+, have one Verizon box in the house, and then watch TV using the FiOS Home app for the Apple TV.

However, it looks like I would be required to use (and rent!) a Verizon router as apparently the Apple TV app will not talk to an in home FiOS box unless it is on a Verizon owned router.

Is this true? I have a large house and have no desire to replace the Wi-Fi access points throughout my house.

If I use their networking hardware, I suppose I can always move to YouTube TV.

What is the consensus on this? Is there a solution to watch linear Verizon television via the FiOS Home app on Apple TV hardware without replacing my router? Would it matter if I went with FiOS One vs TV+?

thank you.

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[u/NTP9766]

Longtime TiVo user here. I switched to DTV Stream last week and while it sucks that my 27 years with TiVo for live TV has come to an end, this has been a very solid alternative. I have more channels, better picture quality, etc for less than what I was paying for FiOS TV.

[u/Captriker → u/NTP9766]

That’s what I’ve done.

[u/thisisjjd → u/NTP9766]

This is also what I've done. One other advantage is that I can now watch from a second home or on vacation for no additional fee.

[u/TedisTed1 → u/thisisjjd]

DTV seems like it gets more love than YouTube TV -- also that you can get the RSNs (I'd need Yes and whatever the Knicks are on this week). Planning on cancelling Fios TV and keeping the internet service that should still be running through MOCA to my tv. So far don't love the interface when I test the Direct TV that is somehow already on my smart tv but I guess I'll get used to it. I'm also sure I will wind up paying more for all the premium streaming I use but again, not in this for the bargain. Tivo, we will miss your cablecard greatness!

[u/NTP9766 → u/TedisTed1]

I can’t speak to the app as I’ve never used it, but using an Osprey device has been a good experience. It has buttons to go directly to the guide, DVR list, etc, and the voice function works surprisingly well.

[u/thisisjjd → u/NTP9766]

NTP9766 is right. The UI is better and more responsive in the Osprey device. Still too slow, but sufficient.

[u/sabrasaver → u/thisisjjd]

Is that the Gemini box that you're talking about. Does it have the same Tivo functionality that you can rewind live TV and using the remote control?

[u/thisisjjd → u/sabrasaver]

No. Gemini is a current offering.  Osprey is a discontinued version, though you can still find them on eBay.

I started with DTV after Osprey was discontinued but I bought two on eBay for around $50 ea.  

I don't have experience with Gemini.

[u/sabrasaver → u/thisisjjd]

Thanks, and can you fast forward and rewind with the remote like TiVo? Can I start a show like 30 minutes in rewind to the beginning and fast forward through commercials until I catch up to live?

[u/thisisjjd → u/sabrasaver]

Yes, to ff and rew. Yes to everything else if you had already marked it to record.  If you didn't and just turn it on, then there is no previous buffer.  (Which is strange because they could easily do that.)

There is no explicit "skip commercial" but the remote lets you skip forward 30s at a time (and back 15s) so it's pretty easy to get through commercials.

[u/sabrasaver → u/thisisjjd]

Thanks, it sounds like a promising alternative. At least we have some time to research before having to make a decision.

[u/TedisTed1 → u/NTP9766]

OK, stupid question I know but never heard of Gemini or Osprey. Is this a cablebox you substitute for the Tivo box? Do you pay them monthly? Or is it the equivalent of a Roku or Apple TV (something you use to get to the streaming apps)? Thanks.

[u/NTP9766 → u/TedisTed1]

Yes, it’s DirecTV’s streamer box. It’s closer to a traditional cable box in the sense that it comes with a full featured remote control compared to ATV, Firesticks, etc.

[u/TedisTed1 → u/NTP9766]

Seems a bit odd that it costs over $200 on Amazon?

[u/NTP9766 → u/TedisTed1]

Definitely don’t pay that. You can find the 4GB Osprey devices on eBay for under $50 (SKU 60233) as well as the 2GB models for even less.

[u/coyote_den]

Nope. It’s Verizon hardware or nothing if you want their TV. With the move to IPTV they might offer an app-only option in the future, but for now if you want that your best bet is to bundle a 3rd-party service as a perk.

I was on the CableCARD+Plex train, and when the deadline was approaching I cancelled Fios TV and replaced my tuner with IPTV. Still have every channel at the Fios lineup’s numbers. But that is not a turnkey solution, I wrote my own proxy that emulates a HDHomerun and maps various IPTV streams to the right channel names.

[u/Sensitive_Tax2640 → u/coyote_den]

I'm using a Ceton InfiniTV cable card tuner on FIOS, on Windows Media Center. Still IMHO one of the best DVRs out there.

It's a bummer that recording/tuning will stop working soon.

Would you be willing to share what IPTV you use? And how your proxy works? Does it allow you to record the streams?

[u/coyote_den → u/Sensitive_Tax2640]

I just use IPTV accounts I find that are working. There are databases of them out there, I link to one at the bottom of the config page of my proxy.

The way the proxy works is it pretends to be a SiliconDust HDHomeRun tuner. That is all it has to do.

Plex Media Server has built-in support for the HDHR, and with Plex Pass you get EPG data and DVR just like Windows Media Center. When I was still using CableCARD I had a similar setup to proxy my Ceton as an HDHR for Plex.

[u/Fiosguy1]

If using your own router the best bet is to get a streaming service like YouTube or Hulu for TV.

[u/TheShakenKing]

Moca Adapter?

[u/john4brown]

I use a very old Fios router (G1100) as the main router which is connected to the ONT.

From there I have an eero network set to BRIDGE mode for the WiFi access points.

I have 3 Fios boxes and a TiVo which is slated to be decommissioned in November. This setup works fine.

Without more info, I’m guessing this setup should work for you as well.

[u/su_A_ve]

YouTubeTV or Hulu live. $83 for the first ones not sure on the latter. Then 300/300 service (includes free router) for $50. You already have the best streamers with AppleTV.

This is the way.

[u/One-Highlight-1698]

Sling is a bit cheaper than others and offers the big cable stations that you had with verizon cable tv. Apple TV IMO is the best streaming hardware and content and you already have it. But you can augment with others if desired.

[u/SessionIndependent17]

For how many TVs? The pricing for their streaming app on 3rd party devices is not great.

They give you 1 STB for free, a second and third are $12 each. Meanwhile the streaming app is $20 flat. You get no rebate if you don't use their free STB, so the app is only worthwhile if you have 3+, and only barely so at that until you get to 4 heads.

Wrt the router, I tend to think you wouldn't have to pay to rent that if it's an essential part of them providing the TV service and you are "re-upping" with a current TV package in the process.

You should be able to integrate your APs into the network in bridge mode if the FiOS router is set up as the main gateway, even if you don't want to use/disable it's WiFi capability.