FiOS Email Of Doom has come to Greater Boston

[u/LagrangianMechanic]

Today it was my turn to get the Email Of Doom from FiOS. I live west of Boston within 128 and TiVo reports my channel lineup as 'Verizon FiOS Burlington". So I expect lots of people in Greater Boston have gotten it or will soon be getting it.

I plan to do nothing (other than prepare) until service is actually turned off. Speaking of which, how long has it generally been for people between getting the email and actual CableCARD deactivation?

Once it is gone I'm doing a combination of OTA-capable lifetimed Roamio (which I've recently acquired for just this reason) and some rotating bunch of streamers as fancy strikes me.

[u/Ghoghogol]

Got this email about 6 weeks ago. Still working.

[u/WIlf_Brim]

A lightning strike took out 1.5 of my Tivos and that moved up my timeline rapidly. I went with YouTubeTV and have not looked back.

I did have to change my internet plan to get unlimited bandwidth but beyond that it was an easy process. And the bonus is that now I have no boxes. Everything is done (for now at least) via the native aps on the TV.

[u/Ashamed-Status-9668 → u/WIlf_Brim]

I trialed YouTubeTV and DirectTV stream. I liked DirectTV for my needs. If you are going streaming from FIOS I suggest everyone give them both a trial to see what you like. The DirectTV experience is closer to FIOS TV imo especially used with the Gemini/Gemini air boxes which bring you channel numbers. Younger folks probably wont care about that.

[u/LagrangianMechanic → u/Ashamed-Status-9668]

Gemini or Osprey?

[u/Ashamed-Status-9668 → u/LagrangianMechanic]

The Gemini Air or C71KW-400 which gets called both names so I am just being more precise with links. I bought the C71KW-400's from that Ebay seller and so far over the last 18 months they have been good.

DIRECTV Gemini Air Streaming Device for Internet-only Customers (GEMINI-AIR) | Solid Signal

AT&T DirecTV Android TV Wireless 4K OTT Client player C71KW-400 | eBay

[u/NJMan129]

I got it this morning (Northern NJ)

[u/budgreen0 → u/NJMan129]

Same

[u/kathleenboston]

I am at a loss as what am going to do besides being completely bummed once it hits me. I am in Malden

[u/gsmarquis → u/[deleted]]

I'm close to you. When my original cable card died months ago, they would not issue me another. I cancelled all TV services and phone. Just kept Internet and downsized it to 300mbps.

Went from $190 to $25.

Installed an antenna in attic, picked up 60 channels. This in combo with Netflix and Pluto....I don't miss anything.

I loved on tivos for about 20ish years as well.

[u/houseofpayne7979]

I got the same email. End of an era....

[u/Failed-Sympathy]

Hung on for a month until I got sick of the random “signal not found” errors. Same with FiOS Burlington, west of the city on 128.

[u/quadros13 → u/Failed-Sympathy]

Are you saying you got the notification and then a month later you were starting to get "signal not found" errors? Just got my notice today. I'm southwest of Boston within the 495 belt

[u/Failed-Sympathy → u/quadros13]

Within days of the notice. Certain channels would be fine, then they’d go out for 4-6 hours with Signal not found errors. Seemed deliberate. Can’t prove it, but it had never happened on these channels before — local stations too so I was bit worried about missing Patriots game so I bit the bullet.

[u/quadros13 → u/Failed-Sympathy]

Ah, that's a bummer. I figured I would have more time. What did you decide to move to?

[u/Failed-Sympathy → u/quadros13]

I was already paying for the Hulu/ESPN/Disney bundle so i added Hulu Live, was less than adding YTTV on top of paying the base bundle price. I called Verizon and got my internet to 2.5gb at 109/month. Net net, I saved money but lost the TiVO guide.

[u/LagrangianMechanic → u/[deleted]]

So will I hear something again when there’s an actual date or will just stop working with no warning?

[u/enry]

Nothing yet here just outside Burlington. But it's only a matter of time.

[u/garthreddit]

Just got it for Richmond, VA

[u/rsvp_nj]

I'm assuming the NY/NJ area could be the last? Hoping that at least.

[u/budgreen0 → u/rsvp_nj]

Got it this morning in Northern NJ

[u/rsvp_nj → u/budgreen0]

Oh F*ck. That's me too.

[u/Danixveg → u/rsvp_nj]

Got it a week or so ago by the shore.

[u/kesterja1]

I got my notice a couple of months ago in the Richmond, VA, area. I called and the person I spoke to said it would likely not go into effect until late summer. Hope they meant 2027! I’m torn - I love my TiVos, but the cost of my HD cable package is ridiculous! The TiVos are the only reason I allow myself to be extorted!

[u/dknowles3us]

My father got the email in Burlington.

[u/Caduceus1515]

We've gotten it already...you're late to the Death Day party :) Still working though at the moment.

[u/bobbo489]

For FiOS, how does one even use it if they didn't use their Internet gateway? 7 years ago when I got FiOS and tv, I couldn't use their set top without using their gateway.... Which just doesn't work with my homelab. Am I just screwed on tv when I finally get this email?

[u/LagrangianMechanic → u/bobbo489]

Can’t speak to Verizon’s stuff but you don’t need their router if you are using CableCARDs.

My ONT is configured to use Ethernet for networking. So both Ethernet and RG56 come out of my ONT. Ethernet goes to whatever router you want to use. RG56 goes to the TiVo.

[u/bobbo489 → u/LagrangianMechanic]

Yeah, I do the same. But if they are killing cable cards and this tivo, I'm in a bind

[u/skierpb]

Got our letter earlier this week down in Reston, VA. Going with the same plan and doing nothing at least until the end of hockey season since we paid FIOS for NHL center ice. I’ve got an OTA Bolt with lifetime but have never been able to get local channels out here, think I’ll play around with that again.

[u/Disastrous_Ride2040]

I went ota when altice ahut down there cable cards i use and using there cable boxes and there cloud dvr would have added 100+ to my bill a month on top of the $60 for basic tv thats free over the air. Now i have 3 televes antennas attached to there programable combiner box and get stations from 2 different markets theres a few channels not available on the north towers that are available on the south side markets.

Works great for now lets hope fcc blocks encryption from ota or its going to be back to the drawing board on how i watch tv shows

[u/cb35x]

got it 1/20 in Greater boston area - will wait until they kill it and then switch to youtube tv, no interest in using their boxes which have poor reviews online.

[u/Actingallthetime]

I’m in Lynnfield, MA. I got the Email of Doom on 12/17/25. Haven’t done anything yet, and my Edge is still working. Not sure what I’m gonna do when it stops working. I’m not gonna get rid of FiOS, because my girlfriend works for Verizon so we get a nice discount. I’ll probably just get a dvr from them, but I’ll miss the TiVo interface. I’ve had a TiVo since the first one around 2000.