[Dr.Dave]

The STBs are connected to the modem by either coax or Cat5. Since you are switching from Bell satellite, the coax should all be terminated in a central location. The installer should install an HPNA splitter that connects all the cables you will be using including the ones you will be installing yourself. Plugging in the additional STBs should be straightforward, providing the existing cable is in good condition and the proper splitter is used.

 

[Dr.Dave]

@Boavista, it sounds like a good deal. According to your figures your parents will pay about $1 more and get an extra HD box. I'm not sure if you've included a PVR in your calculations, but if you have, they will be able to watch recorded programs from any TV.

 

[Dr.Dave]

@e268, the only internet plan is Fibe 6, but you get the benefit of any bandwidth not used by TV streams.

 

[Dr.Dave]

You should still get over 10 Mbps download while 2 HD streams are active.

Fibe TV is currently available in the Anjou area of Montreal.

 

[Dr.Dave]

@wm_cheng. I'm not sure about Bell, but other telcos routinely mix Coax and Cat5. With MTS, the standard installation is Cat5 to the PVR and coax to all the other STBs.

 

[Dr.Dave]

1. This thread was started by a Bell TV satellite customer who switched to Fibe TV. It seemed to be straightforward.

3. The Fibe menu is comparable but different from the satellite menu system. For example there is only one favourites list per STB on Fibe, however you can also customize your channel list to remove channels you don't watch.

5. You can connect the STB to an SD TV and watch HD or SD live TV or recordings.

 

[Dr.Dave]

Recordings can't be hidden. Individual recording can't be password protected.

There are extensive parental controls that require a password to access content based on rating, channel, etc.

There is also a feature to mark a series as "Keep all episodes until I erase".

 

[Dr.Dave]

@MCIBUS

1. Pictures of the receivers are at http://fibetv.bell.ca/en/receivers/. A search of this forum for "dimensions" (spelled correctly) shows this:
   VIP1232 PVR - 12" x 11" x 2.75"
   VIP1200 STB - 10" x 8.5" x 2.2"
   
2. Fibe TV is IPTV and doesn't use tuners. It is similar to downloading several files on your computer. You can record and/or watch up to 4 channels at once (max of 2 HD at this time).
   
3. Fibe TV is connected to a special internet modem/router and can use either coax or Cat5 cables inside your home. Only one cable per box.
   
4. Fibe TV uses your existing telephone wiring.

 

[Dr.Dave]

MCIBUS, there are a number of variations for the installation of the modem/router and cabling. You only get one modem. If you have it installed in the basement, a coax cable could be connected to your existing coax cables if you are using Rogers or Bell Sat.

The phone line is split at the demarcation point where it enters the house using a filter so that the voice frequencies go to the existing phone jacks and the data frequencies go to the modem.

 

[Dr.Dave]

@steelrat, I'm not sure about static IPs. My experience on MTS may be different than Bell's, but my IP address hasn't changed since I had Mediaroom installed a year ago.

Fibe TV requires Fibe internet. See this post.

Bell doesn't have unlimited internet. The various plans, speeds and caps are listed on the Fibe site. Bell's new overage charges are discussed here.

Unlimited DSL from third-party providers will be discontinued. Check out the "General Internet and Landline Phone" forum for "UBB".

 

[Dr.Dave]

Welcome McPatrick. Bell Fibe TV and Telus Optik TV both use Microsoft Mediaroom and have the same core features including the Whole Home PVR feature.

You will need a VIP1232 PVR and 3 VIP1200 STBs to replace your 4 satellite boxes. All the Fibe boxes are HD capable and will downgrade the signal for SD TVs if necessary.

You can record or watch up to 4 channels at once, but only 2 can be HD. Any of the TVs can play recorded programs (including pause, rewind, etc.), erase programs and schedule future recordings. The only thing the VIP1200s can't do is pause live TV - that feature will be available when Bell upgrades to Mediaroom 2.0.

Most people set up series recordings and use time-shifting on the networks or repeats on the specialty channels to avoid conflicts. You can watch recorded HD programs on all 4 of your TVs without affecting the number of streams you are recording.

 

[Dr.Dave]

@Coasterdon, Fibe TV uses your existing copper telephone line.

Fibe TV uses Fibre to the Node (FTTN), which are those Bell boxes every km or so. The "last mile" uses your existing phone line, so no external rewiring should be needed.

 

[Dr.Dave]

Call Display will display on phones and TVs.

 

[Dr.Dave]

Sorry about that. I thought Bell had this feature - especially since the poster asked specifically about how it worked. When Bell does integrate the feature with their infrastructure, caller id will display on both.

 

[Dr.Dave]

@lenbargent, Fibe internet was never included in the price of FIbe TV. You have to pay for both. You can choose Fibe 6, Fibe 12 or Fibe 16+ internet.

The old BES (before Fibe) had a bundled price for TV and internet together.

 

[Dr.Dave]

@lenbargent, Fibe TV replaced the Bell Entertainment Service (BES) trial about a year ago. They both used a single 25 Mbps VDSL line.

The TV streams do not count as internet usage because they come directly from the Bell head-end and don't go over the internet (although the TV and internet traffic both go through the same modem in your home).

 

[Dr.Dave]

Do you know how many mbps on average an HD show requires?

I have a note that someone said 5.5 Mbps for an HD stream, but I'm not sure if that is accurate. I use Mediaroom with MTS TV and we use 6.8 Mbps and I know Telus uses 5.6 Mbps, so it would be in that general range. MTS uses 2.7 Mbps for SD and Telus uses 2.25 Mbps.

 

[Dr.Dave]

jmateus123, I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work, but it would be nice to hear from someone that is actually doing it.

 

[Dr.Dave]

@orlando, the TV channels DO NOT count as part of your internet bandwidth limit.

 

[Dr.Dave]

Bell launched Mediaroom 2.0 last summer which allowed all the STBs to pause and rewind live TV. The TV stream is buffered on the hard drive on the PVR when the channel is paused and then sent to the STB for viewing.

The STBs and the PVRs now have the same capabilities.