Verizon multi-room DVR differentiates FiOS TV

Verizon’s new multi-room DVR capability creates a competitive differentiator for the service provider’s FiOS TV service, Bruce McGregor, Digital Home analyst for Current Analysis, said Tuesday. But the service provider must work out a few kinks.

The Verizon Home Media DVR service, announced Monday, allows FiOS TV subscribers to record shows in any room of their house with a connected TV set and watch them in any other room. While satellite TV services such as Dish Networks offer multi-room DVR capability today, cable operators do not.

In addition, McGregor said, the Verizon service enables consumers to view files recorded on a PC over a television set as well.

“Verizon's Home Media DVR creates a competitive differentiator for FiOS TV,” McGregor stated in his report. “Home Media DVR enables access to PC files on a TV and viewing of recorded TV programs on several TVs throughout the home, and cable and satellite TV providers currently do not have an equivalent solution. Verizon can add its new Home Media DVR service to the list of reasons why customers should choose FiOS TV.”

Cable competitors including Cablevision and Comcast have labeled FiOS TV a “me-too” service.

The Verizon Home Media DVR service uses free Verizon Media Manager software to find digital photos and music files on PCs connected to the home network and organize those photos for viewing on the TV screen, as well as play MP3 music files on a home entertainment system connected to the Home Media DVR box, McGregor said. Verizon is using Actiontec Electronics’ wireless broadband home to link PCs within the home to the Internet and Multimedia over Cable Alliance (MoCA) connections inside the home to link a Motorola QIP6416 Home Media DVR set-top box to other set-tops within a home in order to provide the multi-room DVR capability.

Customers will pay more for the service, McGregor notes, as Verizon charges $12.95 a month for standard DVR service and an addition $7 a month for the multi-room capability.

In addition, he said, Verizon must address equipment compatibility issues.

“Verizon needs to iron out the kinks of its new Home Media DVR service quickly to insure new customers feel the service adequately meets all their home entertainment needs to link content on multiple TVs and PCs,” McGregor said. “The carrier needs to develop remote terminal set-top boxes that can also show live and recorded High Definition programs. The remote terminals also need to have the ability to schedule the DVR, and they need storage management functions such as parental controls to restrict access to recorded adult content on select remote terminal boxes.”

Under the current configuration, HD programs can only be viewed on the television directly connected to the DVR. In addition, the remote terminals cannot set-up recordings or pause live TV, he pointed out. Connected PCs must have FiOS data service and Verizon-compatible routers.

“In order for Verizon Media Manager to make an impact with music enthusiasts, the company needs to open the applications interface up to other music formats and PC-based media players,” McGregor said. “Verizon needs to support music from Apple computers and it needs to create agreements to play music files with DRM protection, including the popular Apple iTunes and Yahoo! Music Unlimited pay services.”

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