Streaming Basics

patmac

Hello,
We are going to be leaving OOL and go back to FiOS.
We recently purchased a smart TV, and I have no knowledge of streaming.
We are going to want VoIP, internet and streaming.
Do I just need a data plan (internet), then add in the streaming services like YouTube TV, Disney + and others?
Earlier here (in another forum), someone mentioned FiOS has a couple flavors of FiOS TV, so I’m confused about what’s out there and the terminology.
Thanks in advance for any help.

Donut417

patmac Earlier here (in another forum), someone mentioned FiOS has a couple flavors of FiOS TV, so I’m confused about what’s out there and the terminology.

Thats probably Verizon’s equivalent of Cable TV.

patmac We are going to be leaving OOL and go back to FiOS.
We recently purchased a smart TV, and I have no knowledge of streaming.
We are going to want VoIP, internet and streaming.
Do I just need a data plan (internet), then add in the streaming services like YouTube TV, Disney + and others?

That is correct, you need internet in order to have access to those service.

I break Streaming services in to two categories. On Demand and Cable TV replacement. ON demand are services like Netflix, Hulu (non Live) Disney Plus. Cable TV replacement are like Hulu Live, YouTube TV, Sling, etc. The biggest thing is Live TV services are more expensive.

Id also like to state there are Free options as well. Pluto TV for example is free/ad supported. Pluto does have Live TV, but it’s not traditional TV. For example they have a Live Stargate Channel, Live Star Trek channels, so on and so forth. But they also offer lots of on Demand content.

The easiest way I found to do Streaming is to move between services. Generally as a family we discuss what services we want to switch to. Currently I have ad support Hulu (non live) and Prime. Once Im done with either or both I will switch to a different service. We also use Over the Air TV for Live TV, it’s a way to get locals and news.

neftv

For me I just have Fios internet. I do the streaming on Android TV boxes and Roku box. Also use VoIP as my landline but I hardly use it but its a number I had for almost forever so I keep it and also for 911 purposes. Everything working like a charm with very little interruption since my Street first got FiOS in 2007. Fiber to home I never looked back.

patmac

Thanks for the info.
So, to be sure I understand this, I just need a good internet/data plan, add in my streaming services and phone and that would it from FiOS.
Just so you know, when we first had FiOS (upgraded from dial-up…LOL), the installation connected to existing OOL coax from the previous owner. In another thread/forum (I’m confused here until I figure out this new system) I show two coax drops one splits into two coaxial cables going into my attic for TV drops, the other goes into the house to my modem->router.
So, if I get FiOS the way I want it, and if the attenuation of the old coax is good, the fiber installation should just connect the same way (interface the FiOS box into the Optimum box), a run to the TV drops and a run to the router?
I apologize, I’m really trying to understand this….
Thank you for your time.

Donut417

patmac I just need a good internet/data plan, add in my streaming services and phone and that would it from FiOS.

patmac a run to the TV drops and a run to the router?

Are you getting cable TV from FIOS or are you doing streaming? Cause Streaming is over the internet, meaning the TV or Streaming box/stick would connect to the router via WIFI most in likely but some can do Ethernet. Cable TV would connect via Coax.

patmac I show two coax drops one splits into two coaxial cables going into my attic for TV drops, the other goes into the house to my modem->router.

Sadly FIOS is not in my area. I know that at one point FIOS did Fiber to an ONT which converts the Fiber to copper. You either did Ethernet to the router or Coax if you had TV, but Coax could only like handle up to a certain speed. So Im not sure. Bare in mind Coax I believe was only used if you orders Cable TV from them. So Im not 100% sure what an install looks like now. But if you are doing streaming then you wont need to use the Coax.

patmac

Sorry so long for the thanks!
Ideally, I would like just to have internet, streaming and phone.
If I understand it correctly, the phone (VoIP) will come into my router, then like I have now, back feed into the Telco in the house.
I’ll get internet connectivity the same way, through the router, both wireless and I have one hardwired computer.
The streaming will connect to the existing coax lines that are drops for our TVs, only I will need to get a Coax to HDMI conversion connector/adapter for the TV. Yes, I know I can have wireless but prefer hardwire for at least our main TV.
Let me know how far off I am here.
Thanks for your time.

Donut417

patmac The streaming will connect to the existing coax lines that are drops for our TVs

Streaming is internet based. So no Coax. Coax is used for Over the air TV or cable/ satellite TV.

patmac Coax to HDMI conversion connector/adapter for the TV. Yes, I know I can have wireless

Doesn’t work like that. Streaming is coming in thru your router. So the only wired connection is Ethernet. Not all streaming devices offer Ethernet. The only way to use Coax as Ethernet are MOCA adapters and those are expensive.

OzarkEdge

patmac Sorry so long for the thanks!
Ideally, I would like just to have internet, streaming and phone.
If I understand it correctly, the phone (VoIP) will come into my router, then like I have now, back feed into the Telco in the house.
I’ll get internet connectivity the same way, through the router, both wireless and I have one hardwired computer.
The streaming will connect to the existing coax lines that are drops for our TVs, only I will need to get a Coax to HDMI conversion connector/adapter for the TV. Yes, I know I can have wireless but prefer hardwire for at least our main TV.
Let me know how far off I am here.
Thanks for your time.

You’ll need the following subscriptions/accounts for digital services delivered over a wired/wireless digital data network:

o Cable or fiber Internet service from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) operating in your area;

o Internet streaming service(s) of your choice that require their app installed on a Smart TV; or on a Streaming Media Player box wired to an HDMI digital input (audio/video) on a Smart or dumb TV; or on a computer; or on a mobile smart phone/tablet;

o VoIP phone service with e911, either bundled with your Internet service subscription (plug and play turnkey solution); or from an Internet Telephony Service Provider (ITSP) of your choice (turnkey or Bring Your Own Device and Do It Yourself).

IMPORTANT: If you wire/patch a VoIP ATA to your building telephone wiring to energize L1+L2, you must first disconnect/isolate any TelCo service cable coming to the building to prevent it from zapping the ATA, but leave any Telco service cable safety Earth Ground connection intact. (Ideally, the ATA should be rated the standard REN5 to handle the ringer load current of multiple phone ringers.)

You’ll need a Local Area Network with WiFi (LAN/WLAN)… a wireless router. Wire (Ethernet/CAT5e or better twisted-pair or MoCA2.5/RG-59 or RG6 coax) every network client you can for the most robust, trouble-free networking and streaming, and to unburden your WLAN/radio space; otherwise, wireless streaming devices will prefer/require a solid WiFi 5 (5GHz band, AC protocol) or better wireless connection.

If your coax plant is clean and decent, you can use MoCA2.5 adapters (~$143 for two adapters when on periodic sale) to route Ethernet over coax to your TV locations. You can add diplexers to include routing OTA TV over the same MoCA coax (MoCA+OTA TV). This will provide a LAN/Ethernet connection for wired Internet access/streaming TV, and an OTA TV antenna coax connection for broadcast TV at a given TV location.

You do not wire or convert coax to HDMI… coax is for networking… HDMI is for digital audio/video interconnects between A/V equipment.

timcuth

Donut417 Streaming is internet based. So no Coax. Coax is used for Over the air TV or cable/ satellite TV.

I have coax for my Internet, which I use for my streaming.

patmac

OzarkEdge
At one point in our FiOS life, we had a fiber drop from the pole to our FiOS box outside. This was then somehow interfaced with the existing coax (box outside) from the original owners. We had FiOS coming out of the original coax TV drops via a short coax cable to the FiOS STB, now I can’t remember what the cable was from the FiOS STB to the dumb old flat screen TV, probably a coax.
Also, where the fiber and coax interface happened, an ethernet cable was split off and run into the house (hole in the wall) to a router to a computer, that was our internet. The phone was back fed into an old Telco twisted pair box.
This is just some background info (noise :-)) to our present setup.
Somewhere in the information you gave me (MUCH APPRECIATED) is what I’m looking for, I’m just not up to speed on it.
It sounds like there is a way for me to have FiOS internet, pick my streaming items/apps for TV and have phone. I guess I’m hung up on wanting my new “smart” TV hardwired, not wireless. Presently everything in the house is wireless except our main PC which I made a CAT6e run for from the router.
I hope this comes across the way it should, I’m trying to understand all this good info everyone here takes their time to help people like me with.

Donut417

timcuth the OP thinks they can get Netflix from Coax directly connected to their TV…… which you CANT. Further more the OP is ordering FIOS which is Fiber. The only thing Fiber providers use Coax for is to deliver cable tv service.

OzarkEdge

patmac

<ISP fiber> ISP ONT w/battery backup <Ethernet> wireless router <Ethernet/MoCA/WiFi> wired/wireless clients (VoIP ATA, Smart TVs, PCs, printers, mobile devices, etc.)

A MoCA segment would look like this:
<Ethernet> MoCA adapter <coax, direct or star topology> MoCA adapter <Ethernet>

You have a lot of sub projects to do to put this all together… plan your network layout for your requirements first… the network is everything… then build it out one step at a time, using/testing as you go… then add your cloud/VoIP/streaming services. Get started to discover and learn it.

And forget the term ‘back feed’… you are not back feeding anything… you are building a network of various segments and functions and using it.

Donut417

patmac I guess I’m hung up on wanting my new “smart” TV hardwired, not wireless. Presently everything in the house is wireless except our main PC which I made a CAT6e run for from the router.

The way to wire up the TV’s is to run Ethernet OR Like I stated you can use Moca. Though like I said Moca is expensive. Should also mention that Moca does have limits. The more Moca devices on the Coax the slower it goes, up to 16 Moca device can be on a network. Most smart TV’s/ Set top boxes/sticks only come with 100 Mbps Ethernet however, generally WiFi is faster. As a cord trimmer myself I can tell you that WiFi works just fine, we rarely if ever have issues. I have everything connected to 5Ghz, even going thru walls it works fine, granted I dont get full internet speeds, but you only need 25 Mbps for a 4K stream and I dont pay the premium for 4K, so all of our streaming or 1080p or lower. Personally I would just stick with WiFi, if you do have issues then cross the bridge when you come to them.

lesmikesell

patmac I guess I’m hung up on wanting my new “smart” TV hardwired, not wireless.

That may or may not matter, depending on a lot of things. Wifi is pretty good these days. Chances are good your smart TV will only have a 100Mbs ethernet interface (which is really fast enough for anything streaming over the internet) but may be able to do several hundred Mbs over wifi.

OzarkEdge

Donut417 Moca is expensive. Should also mention that Moca does have limits. The more Moca devices on the Coax the slower it goes, up to 16 Moca device can be on a network.

MoCA2.5 is not terribly expensive (~$75 per adapter) and a good option if you want to use existing coax to route Ethernet+OTA TV to various locations… the typical application will require 2 maybe 3 or 4 MoCA2.5 adapters running at 2.5Gbps full-duplex… more robust and capable and much faster than the typical WiFi connection that is half-duplex over a medium shared in time with every wireless client transmission in the same radio space including close neighbors. I use MoCA2.5 to wire an AP in my garage and OTA TV antennas in the garage attic to media centers in the house over the same coax… WiFi can’t do this.

Donut417

OzarkEdge the typical application will require 2 maybe 3 or 4 MoCA2.5 adapters running at 2.5Gbps full-duplex…

The more Moca adapters on a network the potentially for slowness. At $75 a pop, possibly more with the orange tax, 2 adapters is going to be $150, you could probably get a decent WiFi mesh system for that price. You also have to be concerned about the state of your Coax in your walls. For example I know much of the Coax in my home is RG59, which really isn’t great for Moca. Most people dont know the state of the Coax in their home.

OzarkEdge I use MoCA2.5 to wire an AP in my garage and OTA TV antennas in the garage attic to media centers in the house over the same coax… WiFi can’t do this.

You can technically do this with a WiFi Mesh system and a HD Home run. Why run Coax to all TV’s for OTA TV when you can just have it broadcasted via your Home Network? Most if not all TVs now days are smart TV’s OR you have some kind of streaming device connected to your TV’s. If you want to splurge, you can always use stuff like Plex which provides a nice guide AND allows you to record TV. ON top of that you can skip commercials in your recordings.

OzarkEdge

Donut417

The more Moca adapters on a network the potentially for slowness.

I don’t think MoCA limits will be an issue in the typical home network application. If you need it, it’s an option… MoCA2.5 here running over RG-59 are the fastest links in my network… its 2.5GbE ports seem to be its limiting factor. And unlike WiFi/radio, it has been 100% reliable.

At $75 a pop, possibly more with the orange tax, 2 adapters is going to be $150, you could probably get a decent WiFi mesh system for that price.

You make a good point about the coming tariff disaster… and the shelves will be empty soon.

You also have to be concerned about the state of your Coax in your walls. For example I know much of the Coax in my home is RG59, which really isn’t great for Moca. Most people dont know the state of the Coax in their home.

Same consideration for any networking… it has to work. My MoCA2.5 adapters report top speeds over my inwall RG-59.

You can technically do this with a WiFi Mesh system and a HD Home run.

Network tuners are fun, if that’s what the OP wants, but they have their differences. My two HDHomeRun Dual tuners (wired by design!) from 2012, are still serving… they are more high-maintenance than I prefer.

If you want to splurge, you can always use stuff like Plex which provides a nice guide AND allows you to record TV. ON top of that you can skip commercials in your recordings.

Now you’re piling on. :-) The OP just wants to get timely Internet access to that distant TV upstairs behind that mass of chimney masonry blocking his WiFi… if only they could use the existing coax there poking out of the wall.

paulsweet

We were paying $190 per month for Internet plus basic cable TV, which included a $25 charge for broadcast channels that we never watch and can get for free with an antenna. We dropped the TV and kept the cable Internet, which is only $70 per month. Newer shows are too violent and vulgar for us, so we bought a Roku and watch older shows on Tubi for free. We get 1.5 GB Internet usage, but use less than a quarter of that. The TV and computers are hard-wired with Cat 6.