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Verizon FiOS TV User Review

I4U has a quick Verizon FiOS TV Review from someone in the first town to get it. What's really interesting is that while Verizon is laying down fiber to many major cities and competing with Cable and DSL companies for internet service (Verizon offers 5, 15, and even 30Mbps connections), fiber has plenty of bandwidth left over for sending data like HDTV. While this review is brief and light on details, it looks like Verizon is using a similar Motorola DVR box as Comcast does for HD.

It will be interesting to see what Cable, DSL, and Satellite companies do once Verizon has fiber going to everyone's homes. Verizon just may be poised to take over a huge chunk of the market. I for one can't wait until I get a screaming fast 15Mbps connection at home at a lower price than my 4Mbps cable modem.

by Matt Haughey October 11, 2005 in News

Comments

This is how FIOS works for TV: a fiber cable goes into a box and copper coax comes out of the box. The data that was on the fiber is re-modualted into rf on the coax so as to be useable by a traditional STB.

What I'd like to know is how do the regualar SD channels look? On analog cable they are usually kinda fuzzy at the best and totally unwatchable at the worst. FIOS has the opportunity to deliver a signal as clean as the master broadcast which as anyone with an "old fasioned" big dish will tell you rivals DVD in clarity. If FIOS could delvier this same level of fidelity into my home without the need for the big dish I'd be all over it. Oh and the fat net access pipe is nice too. Rumar has it my area gets FIOS in mid 2006. We'll see.

Posted by: IK at Oct 14, 2005 2:44:50 PM

I had a teenager going door-to-door in my neighborhood sell me FIOS TV at home last night. He claimed that analog channels were sent uncompressed over FIOS.

I'll know for sure on the 17th, when FIOS TV is going to be installed at my house. :)

(I had to help him with his sales pitch quite a bit, but he did make a sale! I've been waiting for this service to get to me and the package, if delivered per promise, sure looks attractive.)

Posted by: Matthew at Nov 11, 2005 10:29:07 AM

Just got FiOS TV installed today and currently resetting my TiVo to handle the new channels. Installation took about an hour (3 guys) as they also upgraded my router to a wireless D-Link (for FREE!!). Couple of new cables, upgrading my service to 15M (from 5M), resetting my house for FIOS-TV, and ripping out the Dish, and Viola! FiOS BABY!!

Picture is great, but I hardly have the equipment to test it out (35in Sony tube, TiVo 2 box). Depending on Santa, I hope to have a nice plasma under the tree to really drive this pipe! I'll also upgrade to the HD DVR package at that time, at an addt'l $9/mo.

3 boxes in 3 rooms, expanded basic (160 ch), no premium (for now). The price completely matches what I was paying Dish - about $60/mo.

Goodbye storm outages. Hello VoD!

Keller Kidd

Posted by: Keller Kidd at Nov 16, 2005 5:15:46 PM

Just got Verizon Fios installed yesterday.....Took them about 4 hours to get everything hooked up and going....I have a 56" Samsung DLP TV for fine HD viewing.....It has been great getting my locals in HD and ESPN 2 HD but I ran into some problems just after the installers left...HD content pictures skipped frames...I called Verizon and they fixed it within the hour by resenting the equipment...Later in the night static green images started to appear which I fixed by unplugging the receiver.....The worst of this was today when the screen when blank for no reason...I called Verizon and they got the system back up within about two hours....The only problem that I have now is that the guide will not come up.....I know its a new service for them but I have had some problems very soon....One great thing about Verizon though is that they have excellent customer service and have been very helpful unlike my last experience with Dish Network......The SD channels seem to be about the same as Dish (maybe just a little better) and when its working the program guide goes about two weeks out as opposed to Dish's 5 to 6 hour guide....Router for TV service in the office ready for internet service...The installers did a great job and the install was free...Overall I will do a back flip if Verizon can work out the kinks in the system that I have been running into so far...HD channels are great and very clear....If you have a HD TV running off of DVI cables then you will be out of luck because the Motorola Receiver does not have a port for DVI just HDMI... The receiver has several other ports that are inactive at this point but ready for USB and other future possibilities....Overall at this point I would give Verizon TV a C because of the problems...I would give their customer service an A.......I will review their internet service soon.....

Posted by: Texas Tiger at Nov 16, 2005 11:33:16 PM

Verizon seems to be jumping out strong with their TV offering.

I've seen it written that the monthly price for their DVR service is $12.95, and that this includes the HD channel lineup. Does anybody know if this DVR is an HD DVR? If so, can you even get an SD DVR from Verizon, or are they only offering the HD DVR, leaving the SD DVRs for the TiVos of the world to sell?

Posted by: Matt at Dec 1, 2005 11:51:44 AM

The DVR for $12.95 is a HD DVR.

Posted by: Steven Schwartz at Dec 5, 2005 12:23:42 PM

You can buy a DVI to HDMI cable. I got mine at www.bettercables.com

Posted by: Darth at Dec 7, 2005 7:53:07 AM

According to Verizon's website the HD DVR can only only record 85hrs of std def. progamming which equals only about 8 or 9hrs. of HD recording. I find this unacceptable seeing as how I can record 30hrs of HD on my HDTivo. I would really like to get FiosTV but the HD DVR is just killing it for me.

Posted by: fred96ws6 at Dec 19, 2005 12:01:07 PM

hey fred, check out your current hard drive space -- the VZ HD DVR is 160GB - which is in line with industry standard. Anything above(up to 400GB) is speciality equip and you prob paid in excess of $600+, which would result in a 'rental' fee of $20-40 a month, is not real attractive.

Posted by: TV Dude at Jan 6, 2006 2:35:46 PM

What hardware does the FIOS tv package include? What kind of outputs will the HD set top box include? HDMI?

Posted by: Kevin Williamson at Jan 13, 2006 11:10:04 AM

Kevin, this should help with your questions

http://www22.verizon.com/FiOSForHome/channels/FiOSTV/FiosTVHome.aspx

Posted by: TV Dude at Jan 14, 2006 5:44:38 AM

I install vz fios here in NY. We have heard that the service may work together with the high speed data connection to speed up the menu's, on demand and dvrs. Also wireless tv thru the router. The service is great, as a tech for 16yrs I'am imprested with the service.

Posted by: VZ TECH at Jan 16, 2006 7:40:16 PM

Temple Terrace, Florida is being offered the Verizon Fios Television....We have had this service for the past month. Beware!! for those TV sets without a box ...we only receive 14 channels (2 of which are Spanish, 1 religeous, 1 test pattern and 1 infomercial) However for those sets with the Verizon set top box the picture is excellent....much better than the former cable we had and you receive about 180 channels.

Posted by: Art Tepper at Jan 17, 2006 9:04:20 AM

Any idea when fios is coming to nyc area?

Posted by: Joe Velez at Jan 17, 2006 10:59:55 AM

Any idea when fios is coming to nyc area?

Posted by: Joe Velez at Jan 17, 2006 11:00:03 AM

Joe, Massapequa wirecenter is live now.

I've been told that the following locations are on target for 1st quarter, pending Franchise Agreements:
Portchester
Pleasantville
Manhasset
Nyack
Fairview
Harrison
Great Neck

I myself am waiting on Syosset -- which is targeted for mid-year.

TV Dude

Posted by: TV Dude at Jan 18, 2006 6:12:08 AM

Hey TV Dude DO you know when Staten Island might get it? I love the the broadband so the tv aspect has to be great.

Posted by: Joe Velez at Jan 18, 2006 1:05:10 PM

So am I right that you have to pay for both the service and the Set Top Box (why do you have to pay monthly for the box?), so that if I got the extended basic and the HD Set Top Box, it would be $50 a month?

Posted by: Ben at Jan 19, 2006 1:24:10 PM

We had the FiOS TV installed yesterday. I have had the Internet service for a few months but the TV was just offered. We switched from DirecTV to FiOS TV. The picture is beautiful, at the very least as good as DirecTV and probably better.

You do pay $3.95 per standard box and $12.95 for the DVR which is a Motorola 6416.

Posted by: artgpo at Jan 21, 2006 9:03:10 AM

Does anyone know when Anne Arundel county,specifically Severna Park,Maryland,will get Fios TV.We have had the internet service for about 4 months and I can't wait for the Fios tv so I can launch Comcast cable out of my house completely.Analog channels with the cable are horrible and Comcast says theats as good as it gets.Satellite is not an option due to tall trees.Thanks.

Posted by: mike at Jan 23, 2006 10:28:53 AM

What is the exact breakdown of the service?
I have 4 rooms and would need one DVR.

Do the DVR's talk with each other (like Tivo Series 2)?

Can I access the DVR with a standard reciever?

When will it be in Montgomery Co MD?

Thanks in advance.

Posted by: MD Vios at Jan 23, 2006 3:37:08 PM

Just signed up today, so the current pricing is 34.95 for expanded basic, + 3.95 for SD set top receiver OR 12.95 for DVR receiver. Currently offering 3 room install for free, I believe each extra receiver is 3.95/mo (don't remember for sure, I only need 1). If MoCo isn't live yet, can't believe it will be long...

Posted by: herndon, va at Jan 24, 2006 11:40:35 AM

I've heard that HD over cable is really not "full HD". That is, the signal is reduced. Is that also true for HD over FIOS? I've had FIOS for broadband for more than a year and love it. The Cable broadband dropped at least once a week and was very slow because of all the other users on the cable. The FIOS is mine and I consistently get 4.5 mb/sec on a 5 mb/sec FIOS line. I was lucky to get 300kb/sec on an advertised 10 mb/sec cable line!

Posted by: Rob at Jan 24, 2006 11:41:29 AM

Just came across this site with some good info.

http://newscenter.verizon.com/kit/fiber/index.vtml

I have been on FiOS internet for a few months and just got the FiOS TV connected last week. I have one basic STB and the HD/DVR model. I was happy to learn that I can view the HD stations on my SD TV! I know it isn't as good as actual HD but it sure looks good! The shows that include the HD symbol in the IPG description look the best.

Posted by: Rob at Jan 24, 2006 12:28:53 PM

Attn: Rob, the vz techs give you a speed sight that is being used by hundreds of people. use this goverment sight http://miranda.ctd.anl.gov:7123. choose the VA test page. When I'am doing install's on 5/2,15/2,30/5 or 100/15 the sight is all ways right on. Even after months of using customers tell me the speed is the same. down load is higher then what they are paying for.

Posted by: VZ TECH at Jan 25, 2006 5:35:39 PM

Just ordered DirecTV here in Howard County, MD. Called to order FiOS internet and was told that Verizon was just given the Franchise Rights to Howard County 2 weeks ago, and they estimate it to be available sometime in March '06. Now it looks like I may have to wait 12 months after my Satellite agreement before I can get FiOS TV.

Posted by: 4DRVETT at Jan 31, 2006 5:32:33 AM

I've had FIOS TV for about a week now, and I'm very disappointed. If I would have known how I'd be treated by Verizon during the install process, I would have stayed with DirectTV. The channel line-up is about the same and Video on Demand is a joke. No much of a selection. The VOD box played havoc with my network, and I still haven't fixed it yet. Double NAT problems. Maybe this is just sour grapes, but it's really not worth the hassle I went through with all the cancelled appointments and poor install.

Posted by: Craig at Jan 31, 2006 11:36:14 AM

Does the DVR with FiOS have a commercial skip capability? I have FiOS internet access and it is awesome and super fast compared to my old DSL line.

Posted by: Dave at Feb 1, 2006 2:55:55 PM

I've had Fios TV for about a month. I have two HD-DVR units and one SD unit. Channel selection is good and service has has been reliable. Only complaint I have is the DVR software is awful. Using my prior service with DirecTV/TiVo as the benchmark, Fios needs to make some substantial upgrades to equal the functionality and ease of use of TiVo. For example, show descriptions are very limited and many times will not list the actors, which makes it impossible to search for shows with certain actors. My main bitch is that I find very often the guide will not indicate if a show is a first run or a repeat and that causes the "series manager" (Fios' answer to TiVo's season pass) to go haywire and either record the wrong shows, all of them or none of them; just depends on the DVR's mood that day. There are other bugs as well but overall the Fios DVR software sucks and my PMS wife is telling me to switch back to DirecTV/TiVo since she is now having trouble recording her 75 shows each week.

My Uncle is a big wig sales VP for Verizon up in NY and is somehow involved in the Fios roll-out. I gave him my feedback and he said he would share it with the tech guys to see what they could do to improve it.

Posted by: Larry at Feb 2, 2006 9:26:24 PM

Got Fios TV and Internet 1/25. Was with Comcast which really worked great and customer service was easy to get through to. Fios Internet not noticably faster to my eyes - but is. TV went down last night and after much time on the phone and working through resetting the box was promissed a service visit that I am still waiting for. Not impressed so far. One week of TV before the service failed and much pain in getting through to customer service. Wonder if Comcast will have me back...

Posted by: Not happy yet at Feb 3, 2006 7:05:16 PM

Now it's Saturday - technician never showed as promissed last night. No call and they are now late for coming this morning. I've now waited all Friday afternoon and evening and am now waiting Sat. for a technician to arrive. I've spent close to 3 hours so far on the phone either resetting the box or wading through menus to talk to someone who puts me on hold while they talk to dispatch. I'm paying for this #$@%#

Posted by: Not happy yet at Feb 4, 2006 8:52:30 AM

Just got my FIOS combo service last week. It is great and far better than my cable service was. Picture is fantastic with my new HD LCD and the total cost is comparable if not slightly lower than what I was paying for Internet, phone and Cable individually.
And yes the internet is noticably faster than what I was getting with DSL. I think Verizon has a real winner.
Items needing improvement are the software and the remote.

Posted by: Matt at Feb 4, 2006 2:50:15 PM

I second Dave's opinion from 2/1 and others. The software on the HD DVR is the worst. I've used UltimateTV DVR and DirecTIVO. Both were much better than this. I was expecting good things since I heard the software is from MicroSoft and I really liked their UltimateTV product. The features I liked from UltimateTV do not make up for the day to day crap from this system.

Also, I have a lot of remote issues. The remote controls my TV fine so I imagine the signal is travelling the 20' to the TV area. But controlling the DVR, response is VERY slow if you get a response at all.

If things do not change, I will pay the extra $10 to go back to DirecTV once they get HD locals over satellite in the DFW area.

Posted by: GSF at Feb 6, 2006 3:07:18 PM

I'm jelous of you guys.. I live in Qwest territory where we don't have choise for FiOS. sure wish Verizon operated in this area...

Posted by: Amare Tegbaru at Feb 10, 2006 11:11:46 AM

Has anyone used FIOS Tv with Microsoft's XP Media Center to record and watch tv? Any gotchas or things to watch out for? I assume recording HD works? I don't have FIOS Tv in my area yet but wanted to know if anyone has tried it.

Posted by: MCEUser at Feb 11, 2006 3:16:56 PM

Am I the only one with a Toshiba big screen with split screen and dual tuners ? FIOS is great but they have dropped the ball and I lost capability. My only response from them so far is: maybe I sould call the tech guys, The tech guys say that is a problem and they don't have a solution yet..
they have been prompt on service so they get an A for effort. One problem I had lost the feed for anywhere from 5 sec to 35 sec and it would reset it self. They exchanged all connections in the loop and it appears OK so far.. Overall I like FIOS tv. The on demand is OK but not very populated in some areas.

Posted by: corsair at Feb 15, 2006 9:53:01 AM

As I understand it VZ charges $12.95/mo for their HD/DVR. However, nobody talks about any up front hardware costs. Do you have to pay any up front hardware costs for your 1st HD/DVR or a 2nd one? Or, just the $12.95 monthly fee? I already have 15/2 FIOS internet service and love it. Hopefully, in a couple months, Indiana law will change and we will get FIOS TV. I will be looking at a 3 TV setup, 2 HD/DVR's and 1 SD receiver.

Posted by: Jim Hohman at Feb 20, 2006 10:27:25 AM

Jim - $12.95 per DVR & $3.95 per SD box.

TVD

Posted by: TV Dude at Feb 21, 2006 9:39:48 AM

Is there a FIOS HD receiver w/o a DVR function? I really have no use for DVR just need HDTV capability. Also, have legislative hurdles been overcome in Mongomery County MD for the service to be offered or is there some law that needs to be changed for FIOS TV to be offered here? I am already on FIOS internet

Posted by: Vladster at Feb 21, 2006 12:21:16 PM

Anyone using TiVo with Fios TV? I've still got plain old analog cable from Cox, for the simple reason that I don't like dealing with a set top box (especially with TiVo -- I like being able to watch one program while recording another, and not having to worry about using the IR thing to change channels on a box).
Anyway, I'm intrigued by Fios for both the Internet speed, and because I can get digital TV for a few bucks less than I'm now paying for analog. The DVR would obviously solve my problems, but being cheap, and having just paid for the lifetime TiVo subscription a year ago, I'm curious as to how well TiVO would work with Fios...anybody have any experience with it?

Posted by: Steve at Feb 21, 2006 3:27:54 PM

I spoke to 2 people at Verizon yesterday. They said Freeport, NY (Long Island) is scheduled for Aug. 2006 - FIOS TV. Freeport has a CO (Central Office) so evidently the surrounding towns will be able to get FIOS TV also.

Posted by: Rob at Feb 24, 2006 4:46:23 AM

I was just wondering when FIOS will be in the Lawrenceville, NJ area. I hate comcast and for the last two weeks my internet keeps going on anf off. and comcast cant fix the problem. I play on-line games like WOW and SWG, and need a fast and consistent conection.

Posted by: Shmoos at Feb 26, 2006 10:03:32 AM

Anybody in Manatee County, Fl. have FIOS TV yet. I live in the area where it is supposed to be available, but am told it will be a few more months. I already have fios internet and it works great.

Posted by: alex at Feb 27, 2006 9:04:42 AM

Anyone know when FIOS TV will be coming to Richmond, VA. I have the FIOS internet and love it. Can not wait to get rid of Comcast......

Posted by: Chuck at Mar 1, 2006 6:39:18 AM

$9.99 for a HD box without the DVR.

Posted by: Fred at Mar 1, 2006 11:48:01 AM

Hi guys,
I'm from Spain and I'm very very interested on the evolution of TV you are having in USA.
I hope s'one can answer me just two questions. Do you have HD contents in the VoD offer in Fios? And... I understand that the HD DVR (Moto 6416) gets an ethernet connection to the fiber box for the IP VoD? VoD can then be viewed in other STBs via the MoCA connection. Right?

Thanks in advance for your help

marc

Posted by: marc at Mar 2, 2006 10:33:03 AM

So it sounds like Verizon is stretching the truth a bit when they claim 180 channels plus 20 HD channels for $34.95. From what I'm reading, one needs to add $3.95 ($38.90 total)just to get past the basic handfull of channels and $9.95 ($45.90 total) to get HD.

Posted by: RP at Mar 2, 2006 6:04:21 PM

Hi Marc:

Do you have HD contents in the VoD offer in Fios?
YES - Free, Subscription, and per view.

And... I understand that the HD DVR (Moto 6416) gets an ethernet connection to the fiber box for the IP VoD? VoD can then be viewed in other STBs via the MoCA connection. Right?

All the Moto boxes get an ethernet connection via the MoCa network. The communications between boxes is coming soon I've been told. Which is especially beneficital with a DVR.

TV Dude

Posted by: TV Dude at Mar 3, 2006 7:45:17 AM

RP -- call and get your facts straight. $39.95 for a basic digital tier. Then additional STB lease fees depending on the type of box. There are some bundle discounts available..something like $5 off if you subscribe to the internet.

TVD

Posted by: TV Dude at Mar 3, 2006 7:54:32 AM

Can You get NFL Sunday Ticket on Fios TV?

Posted by: Ernie V at Mar 3, 2006 3:05:58 PM

Someone already asked this, but it wasn't answered. Can Verizon FIOS TV work without a set top converter box? I'd like to hook my current cable up to the FIOS junction, and use the internal tuners of my TV's VCR's ReplayTV, media computers, etc. I don't expect to need VOD, or premium channels. Just expanded basic.

Posted by: Mike S at Mar 5, 2006 9:44:15 PM

Ernie V

No - The NFL Sunday Ticket rights is held exclusively by DirecTV thru 2010.
Heres an old story on it: http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA479045.html

doesn't make much sense does it? IMO.. the NFL, CBS, & Fox, could have made 3x the amount if they contracted it to any interested major provider.

TV Dude

Posted by: TV Dude at Mar 7, 2006 5:19:41 AM

I can't seem to get an answer to my question--will Verizon Fios offer MLB Extra Innings???

Posted by: How about baseball? at Mar 8, 2006 1:14:35 PM

How about BBall?

I had the same questions. The answer is 'currently' No, but I've been told to stayed tuned.

TV Dude

Posted by: TV Dude at Mar 9, 2006 6:06:06 AM

Ok.. I see comments about FIOS TV on the east coast and Mid West... What about the West Coast? I am in Southern California and have FIOS 15/2 internet connection but I have not heard about FIOS TV in my area....Anyone know when they will offer it to SO CAL?

Posted by: CA Fios user at Mar 9, 2006 12:35:21 PM

CA FiOS user,

If you're in Murrieta, Ca I believe Verizon just got a franchise agreement with them. If you're in Beaumont than FiOS TV is ready. I'm a Verizon tech, but on the Copper side. Email me @ meanss96@yahoo.com if you need additional info.

Posted by: Robby at Mar 9, 2006 9:24:58 PM

Just got FIOS TV March 10 in Fairfax Co, VA. Works great. Bummed that it requires set top boxes but they are easier to learn than satellite. So far nothing but good to say about the service (Internet, telephone, and television). Even the installers were a notch above.

Posted by: Verizon's last hope at Mar 13, 2006 10:21:58 AM

Does anyone know when VZ FIOS TV will be getting the Golf Channel in Flower Mound, TX? I won't switch until they do.

Posted by: Mark at Mar 18, 2006 8:31:24 AM

Does anyone know when VZ FIOS TV will be getting the Golf Channel in Flower Mound, TX? I won't switch until they do.

Posted by: Mark at Mar 18, 2006 8:31:26 AM

VZ is offering FIOS TV in Texas now... I have had FIOS 15/2M for months and love it. The FIOS TV seems to have issues. I have DISH with the dual tuner w/UHF & IR remotes which allows me to feed my whole house with one DVR. Does anyone know if ZV will add something similar? I don't want separate boxes all over.... centralized DVR is great.

Posted by: Gary at Mar 20, 2006 7:24:30 AM

Another VZ FIOS TV question.... I have a low opinion of using wireless. (have used 802.11g MIMO with unreliable results) Can the set top boxes be hardwired to ethernet rather than be wireless?

Posted by: Gary at Mar 20, 2006 7:27:17 AM

Gary, read through the previous posts. All your questions have been answered.

1.) Centralized DVR ... coming soon I am told.

2.) STB are hardwired via the MoCA network. They do not operate wirelessly

TVD

Posted by: TV Dude at Mar 22, 2006 11:03:56 AM

Will verizon fios offer cable cards? I am looking at purchasing a new samsung dlp and it has a slot for a cable card.

And does cable card provide hd channels or will i need to get a hd stb regardless?

Posted by: Ike at Mar 23, 2006 11:40:38 AM

I'm in Fairfax, VA and I had FIOS TV installed in mid February. I had Dishnetwork for about 8 years up until the switch. Overall I give the picture quality a high rating, as well as the satellite. I do have some negative comments, the installers were inexperienced. I took about 5 techs more than 6 hours to get the install completed. They used the old satellite wiring although I had asked them to run new wires. I had some hanging from the ceiling than were temporarily installed and that's what they used. Also, I have 1 DVR and it is no where as capable as my Dish HD receiver. I hope the come out with a more powerful receiver because this is a major disappointment.

Posted by: Strom1 at Mar 24, 2006 5:52:58 AM

Interesting blog. I was thinking that I should have researched this site before ordering. I have had success w/Verizon in the past & looked forward to getting FIOS TV.

Ike & others, can you tell me what is involved in the install. My home is already FIOS DSL, but I noticed that some of my rooms where I'll have the STB don't have coax terminals.

A few questions:
- What should I be aware of during the install to prevent any system downtime or whatever
- Do I have to worry about butchering my walls etc?
- Can I get them to install coax terminals in rooms where I plan to set up a STB & TV in the near future?

TIA, Mars

Posted by: Mars at Mar 24, 2006 1:45:09 PM

Howard County, MD: had FIOS internet and TV installed yesterday... took 3 techs 7 hours. they were perfectly accomodating and did a nice job. My only complaint -- we have SD set top boxes (the picture is best I've ever seen for SD) that have an astounding deficit: you cannot program the box to change channels unattended... so recording on a schedule when you're away is pretty much out with 1 excpetion: our DVD burner and VCR can see the lower 48 channels w/o the set top box. this gives you a devil's choice- you can put the burner/vcr before the set top box to use the burner's/vcr's scheduling ability but you lose all channels above 48 or you can put the burner/vcr after the set top box to get all the channels but you lose any ability to schedule

Jeff

Posted by: jeff at Mar 25, 2006 3:51:22 AM

Like most of you, I also have Fios internet and TV. Internet runs flawless but on the TV side of the house……… Well same as most of you that are running on STB and HD DVR(6416)
Picture: awesome
Set boxes: needs alot of improvements. (slow changing channel, Menus are junk, etc)
Installation time 3.5hrs (using existing in-house wiring) for internet and TV
Price: Just a bit cheaper then DTV

But everyone knows that with ALL new services/equipment there are going to be bugs to fix and technicians are also new to this. So the experience doesn't exist at this time.

Face it; we are all Guinea pigs right now

I’m trying to be positive about this crap but don’t know for how much longer (haha)

Fios internet service: 11/05
Fios TV service: 2/06
Located: Tampa, Fl

Posted by: myrwon at Mar 26, 2006 10:06:54 PM

I've had Fios from Verizon for almost one year in Keller, Texas. We took part in the original deployment. We have a 62HDTV and the picture comes in GREAT. The set top box DVR by MOTO is yet to be desired. You darn near have to be precise w/ the remote, otherwise the signal doesn't get to the receiver.

FYI: For newbies. Don't go out and purchase any new equipment or cables. Verizon supplies everything. Even the HDMI cable! ( This will save you approx. $120 )

After they left, I decided to test the feed by by passing the DVR and plugging directly into our TV. YES! HD signals come in just as clean.

What I did: Split the signal w/ a one by four splitter. Ran two coax to the set top box and back into the TV. Built a dual tuner MS Windows Media Center workstation w/ wireless card.

Now I can record 4 HDTV channels at once, while I watch the 5th through the antenna I ran to the attic. www.antennaweb.org for your antenna solution.

Good Luck everyone,

One Satisfied Verizon Customer.

Posted by: Night Owl at Mar 27, 2006 4:03:57 PM

anyone else around here find it funny on how many supposed 'disappointed' FiOS TV customers have just recently attacked the blogs. Sounds more to me like some of the cable companies are getting a little worried. If anyone knows, please tell me what the requirements are for a "Message Board Basher" job posting?

all newbies and learners out there.. don't be fooled by the people on here. I'm sure there are bugs to be worked out, and some folks have valid complaints,but some of this stuff is downright ignorant. its new technology.. Verizon is advancing, while everyone else stands still.

All STB's are supplied by Motorola... same as the majority of the industry leaders. Its the same freaking equipment for everyone.. just tuned for Verizon... give me a break on all this other, my box did this and my box did that --

and yes, verizon offers cable cards. just ask for it when ordering.

TVD

Posted by: TVD at Mar 27, 2006 9:04:41 PM

I've had Verizon FIOS TV installed 2 weeks ago. I was already a Verizon 15/2 Internet customer. I'm in North Tampa. Was a Brighthouse Networks customer for 1 year (about a year ago). I was a DirecTV customer for the past 7 years.

Here's the good, bad, and getting better....

GOOD:
1. WONDERFUL tech people. The guy that came out to do the install was very knowledgeable, kind, courteous. Grant you, my house was pre-wired for this type of stuff, but he knew his stuff. 4 TV install took about 2 hours.

2. Channel Lineup is very strong. Especially given the price. Better than DirecTVs (more HD offerings). Better than cable (more channels, better overall picture).

3. The DVR. Yeah, the DVR is not as sexy as a DirecTivo, but it's really not bad. I actually like it. Compared to the cable companies' DVR (ScientificAtlanta), this DVR is Wonderful!! I've had no stability problems. Decent size Hard Drive.

4. Clean setup. I've got one SD box, one HD box, and 2 HD DVR's. (and it's still $15 bucks a month cheaper than DirecTV, $30 cheaper than cable!). Basically, they put a "cable modem" type of device that takes the TCP/IP traffic off the coax connected to the set-tops and pumps it out over your Internet connection for Video on Demand.

5. Video on Demand. Yes, this is SD only. Yes, the library is not huge. BUT, it is really great. A ton of stuff is free. My kids watch disney channel shows before they even show up on broadcast. No Ads!! I can watch a History Channel show without any interruptions. Yes, the picture quality needs the most help, but as H.264 and Windows Media moves out, this will only get better. Hooray to Verizon for pushing the envelope here. Cable's VOD is an absolute joke compared to Verizon's.

the NOT SO GREAT...
1. No 30-second skip. The DVR would be great if it had this, but I have a feeling that we'll never see it because of the gripes from the advertisers... (of course this is not an *advertised* feature of DirecTivo either, and I expect it to go away when DirecTV comes out with their new DVR).

2. The cable network interface has been a bit unstable. If VOD is unavailable, I have to go unplug the little box and reboot. It's happened about once a week.

3. Picture Quality. Overall, HD is great. The ESPN feeds are so much better than they were on DirecTV. The SD Picture quality has been a bit disappointing.

BUT, GETTING BETTER....
1. Verizon is coming out tomorrow (the tech left his direct dial number), and is correcting the picture quality problem. They believe they are pumping out too much signal over the coax and are going to "turn it down", to stop some of the picture interference in SD. We'll see, but I'm impressed they responded in less than a day to fix it.

SUMMARY
Verizon has a winner here. Well trained techs, strong channel lineup, improving technology, and a slick example of what's next. If I were the cable company, I'd worry. Verizon now offers better Internet and TV at better prices than the local cable company. Most of all, Verizon has no "arrogance" here. They know they are the underdogs, they are bending over backwards to be helpful.

I love competition!

Posted by: JackO at Mar 28, 2006 2:05:45 PM

Mios Dios! FIOS....Should I give up Cox Cable ($95.91 a month), and get Verizon FIOS ($98.07 a month) that offers 22 HD channels (my plan), and, several movie channels (that I would have to pay extra for with Cox Cable)? Or, should I go ahead and pay $9.00 more a month than what I am paying now to get my phone, TV, and DSL services upgraded to Verizon FIOS ($171.00 a month)? The customer service alone is more than worth it for me to take the plunge (despite the fact that I have heard many complaints on this site). I believe it's a no-brainer. I get my "transformation" to "true" broadband on 28 April 2006 (which tells me that the demand is great for FIOS). Cox Cable (and all the other cable companies) should be afraid of Verizon FIOS. Now, if only Verizon can just win me over with their cell phone service (I'm a dedicated Cingular customer)....

Posted by: Melvin Woods at Mar 28, 2006 8:02:26 PM

Just had FIOS (Internet, cable, and phone) installed. It took over 7 hrs for one tech to complete but he did a good job and was understanding of my lack of tech intellegence.
The computer is now tracking at 5 megs compared to Comcast which was a 6 meg service but never better than 1 meg in reality.
The TV is comparable to Comcast "except" my small kitchen Trinitron without a box has less then expected quality sound. Also the voluum has to be lowered quite a bit... Adding a box, which is bigger than the tv, is not going to happen, not with the limited counter space my wife has.
Any ideas out there...?
Also the limited channel available with the non-box set up is very disappointing. Was told a cable card could correct but the tv has no receptical for it.
Over all I'm pleased with the change over and I expect the bugs will get worked out

Flip in Mass....

Posted by: Flip at Mar 29, 2006 4:43:14 AM

I am waiting for Montgomery Co MD to let FiOS TV go ahead, but very interested in the FiOS internet (as soon as available, ran lines but not yet ready) My question is, are standard coax lines used in the home to connect the TV's for Fios TV ?. I am redoing my basement and would like to prewire everything in the walls.

I currently have comcast cable moden and TV. So like most here cant wait to kick them to the curb.

Thanks,
Bill

Posted by: BillMc at Mar 30, 2006 3:13:18 AM

How much does installation cost for Fios TV? I'm trying to gauge how much I could save by going to Fios.

Right now, I've got DirecTV (total choice, 2 SD boxes) and Verizon DSL/land line/wireless. So I don't have a huge bill as it is, but every little savings helps...

Posted by: JohnS at Mar 30, 2006 8:45:17 AM

Does Verizon install FIOS Internet / TV in houses that do not have CAT 5? On their web page it mentions the CAT 5 requirement

Posted by: StuckWith Adelphia at Mar 31, 2006 3:11:21 PM

I was wondering if anyone could please email me and let me know if they have any idea if Chelmsford mass will be getting fios tv from verizon any time soon? I live in a townhouse community do not have option for satelitte tv and i do not like comcast being my only choice.

Posted by: Dawna Sullivan at Apr 1, 2006 12:27:07 PM

Hay how much rewiring in involver in this install for FISOTV.

Posted by: DanO at Apr 3, 2006 6:28:04 AM

FiOS Hardware: ONT (Optical Network Terminal) is installed where the fiber comes into the house. It requires a power source (110V) also has battery back up. Has connections for phone, network and TV coax. Need CAT5 from ONT to location of router. TV is run as normal with a splitter and RG6 coax cable. TV also requires a MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance). MoCA is used for VOD. MoCA requires an RG6 coax to/from splitter and Network CAT5 to/from router. TV STB: Standard Def (2500), HD, HD DVR (QIP6416). Installation is free.

Posted by: Matt at Apr 3, 2006 1:15:44 PM

UPDATE: FIOS Standard Definition Channels. Picture Quality.

Well, Verizon came out, checked out the hardware, everything is fine here at the house.

The issue is that the SD channels seem to be a bit "over-compressed" (digital channels such as CNN, Disney, Bravo, etc). I'm seeing many motion artifacts on these channels.

Turns out Verizon knows about this. Sounds like they are trying to be a bit cute with their compression at the head-end (or the HD box really stinks at SD content).

Is the SD picture quality horrible? No, it's on par with Digital Cable, but not as good as DirecTV SD.

Now, the HD channels are another story. The HD channels are outstanding. Better than any other platform right now.

ANSWERS:
1. Yes, Cat-5E is required to install FIOS right now. That may change in the future. They may support MoCA for PC's in your house as well in the future.

2. TV is all handled by the existing RG6 coaxial cable in your home. Yes, there is a little MoCA interface box for Video-On-Demand. TV install should be pretty easy for most homes.

Posted by: JackO at Apr 4, 2006 6:07:57 AM

CAT5 wiring is not a requirement. The techs will use CAT5 for the MOCA NIM's to the Receiver at each TV, but your house does not need to be prewired. VZ uses MoCA to transfer IP over the Coax, eliminating the need for CAT5 wiring all over the house.

TVD

Posted by: TV Dude at Apr 5, 2006 10:53:58 AM

Correction: just found out Motorola has built the MOCA chipset into the receivers now, therefore no MOCA device or CAT5 to the STB is required. The only CAT5 run would be from the ONT outside the house to your router location.

TVD

Posted by: TV Dude at Apr 5, 2006 12:05:43 PM

Have had FIOS TV and Net since 4/1 and no complaints at all in Massapequa Park. Service is better then Optimum. DVR mimics TIVO features.

Posted by: MG at Apr 5, 2006 6:05:00 PM

I just scheduled FIOS Internet (5/2) and FIOS TV for installation in 2 weeks. I will have one HD DVR, one SD Setop Box and I can't wait to kick Comcast away. I am in Howard County, MD. Right now I don't even have a SD box for my bedroom nor DVR and the combined bill is already much higher than the Verizon cost.

Is the 5/2 package already faster than Comcast?

Posted by: JL at Apr 6, 2006 1:17:20 PM

Perhaps a simple question, but do I understand with Fios that for SD tv a set top box is needed, a cable ready tv or vcr will no longer work with fios unless there is a set top box?? Thanks

Posted by: Pau at Apr 8, 2006 2:08:25 PM

I've been using Verizon FiOS for over a week now and love it! But one major fallback is the receiver. I am almost ready to cancel the TV subscription because of it, that is how I came across this website searching for a new HD DVR tuner. I have the Motorola HD DVR and it is the biggest piece of crap! Motorola should not be in the business of making tv receivers. I switched from DishNetwork and am spoiled with their receivers.

Posted by: Guy A at Apr 9, 2006 8:02:30 AM

I agree with you Guy A. I had a Dish receiver 921, and its light years ahead of the Verizon HD DVR. I talked to Verizon tech a month ago and he said they were testing new receivers but would not given me any details of when they would be available etc. The tech was a former Dish tech and he said the new receivers will still not be nearly as capable as higher end receivers like the 921. Let's hope Verizon gets enough pressure from the customers so they actually field good high quality receivers sooner than later. I wish I could use my 921.

Posted by: Strom1 at Apr 10, 2006 4:20:57 AM

I've had FiOS internet and TV service for about two months. I would grade the TV service "C".

The TV service has its problems.
1. The DVR automatically records 3 minutes over the scheduled time of the show. A feature set up by verizon for some reason.This causes a problem if you are recording back to back TV shows and watching live TV at the same time. It forces you to decide if you want to keep recording or continue to watch live TV during the 3 minutes the back to back shows overlap.
2. There is no Picture in Picture TV capability within the box. Can’t understand this since the DVR allows you to record two shows at the same time and has dual tuners.
3. The Motorola DVR has no capability to change the Aspect Ratio when the HD channel is not transmitting in HD.
4. The DVR runs into problems fast forwarding when the show is longer than 2 hours.
5. The DVR tends to freeze during longer shows. You have to change changes to get it to unfreeze.
6. Customer Service needs improvements. Techs did not know the box did not have pic in pic capability, did not know about the aspect ratio, and did not know of the 3 minute overlap. In fact I new more about the box than they did. Additionally, the ording service needs alot of improvement.

While the picture is excellent, I would recommend you stay with your current provider until they fix these issues.

Posted by: Starjet3000 at Apr 10, 2006 11:08:36 AM

Does anyone know if you can purchase a basic STB for Verizon FIOS instead of 'renting' it? Verizon says no... but I'm guessing there may be a way around that.

Posted by: BobA at Apr 13, 2006 5:43:55 AM

Any ideas when Fios TV comes to Staten Island NY?

Posted by: john at Apr 17, 2006 2:08:00 PM

I live in Manatee county, FL and am having the FIOS Tv installed this coming Friday..After being with Directv since it's inception it will be interesting to see how FIOS compares...
Hope I made the right choice..
With respect to FIOS internet I really can't tell a difference in speed between it and the VZ DSL..

Posted by: David at Apr 17, 2006 3:29:28 PM

I just got FIOS TV and Internet installed yesterday. Three techs came over and they were very professional and courteous. I already have CAT5 wiring in the house so that made their job a little easier. Overall, based on the speed tests I have done from dslreports.com the 5/2 package is comparable to cable in download but the upload speed is light years ahead.

I am happy with the TV package as well (one day so far) since the only thing I could compare to is the PACE HD receiver I had with Comcast. The installation crew even gave me a HDMI cable for my TV. Pictures are crisp. My TV's picture setting is adjusted for component source before. I wonder if I should recalibrate it for the HDMI source?

One thing that I am not sure is the D-Link Wireless G router they provided. They said that I have to use that router so the NIM box would work for the video download. I currently have the Linksys router and I think it performs better. Oh well, the D-Link does work. I had a problem while configuring outlook express for the new email and called their customer service at 11:00 PM and someone answer me and resolve the problem. Their customer support is 24/7. There was about 15-20 minutes of wait time. So my new TV+internet bill is 15% less than before and I get more for the TV service.

My father's home was also upgraded to FIOS internet yesterday and there was only one tech for him. He doesn't have CAT5 wiring so the tech fish the wire through the attic from one side of the house to the other. The install went through fine and I am also considering upgrading his TV service to FIOS since the picture quality has deteriorated.

All in all, I think I have a pretty good experience with the Verizon install. Based on what the techs told me, they have quite busy as a lot of people are signing up. I think people just got fed up with the Comcast monopoly...

Posted by: JL at Apr 18, 2006 8:52:38 AM

Does anyone have the link to the fios Coverage area. What States and towns they are in now. I do not want the page that you enter in your address and they tell you if avail. I want the one page that lists all current areas you can get it in. I had it and lost it

thanks

Posted by: Fred at Apr 18, 2006 3:42:16 PM

I have had Fios for about two months and this is my take:

Is the picture better than digital cable NO
Is it cheaper than digital cable YES
Is the customer service better NO
Does FIOS have more HDTV YES
Is the DVR box better NO Many flaws (No PIP, No ability to change aspect ratio, overrun of record time)

Recommendation
If you have digital cable already ask alot of questions before you change
If you have sat or regular cable make the change

Posted by: Starjet at Apr 19, 2006 5:35:26 AM

I have read some comments on changing the aspect ratio. I may be wrong but you can change the settings on your FiOS box to allow aspect ratio changing by hitting these two buttons in sequence. With the TV on, and the FiOS box on turn. You will then need to turn the FiOS Box Off then quickly hit the Menu button, This should bring up a black and white menu. This menu is quite safe. From this menu you can change the TV screen Size as well as the 4:3 view. One of these setting allows the Aspect ratio to be fluid so that you can change it while viewing. At least it worked no my Fios Box and TV.
Just one warning if you are using a HDMI or a DVI cord do not change this setting. IF you do you may have to hook up a RCA cord to get the screen back, so you can change the setting back.

Posted by: DanO at Apr 24, 2006 6:49:39 AM

Got Fios installed last week. So far the service is great. Internet speed is much faster than Comcast. I am also getting better picture quality. One drawback, The need for a set top box. I have a flat screen mounted on the wall and have no place for a set top box. At least not a HUGE one like the ones currently offered by Verizon. There is no need for the boxes to be so large, half of the functionality is disabled (USB ports-Disabled, Audio-In Disabled, Video-In Disabled, Smart Card-Disabled, TV Pass Card-Disabled) Can I get a smaller box? or remove the need for the Set top box in order to get expanded basic.

Posted by: Ed at Apr 24, 2006 12:15:48 PM

FIOS TV SUCKS!
The fetures are just not there and Verizon is piss poor in addressing customer needs. I am going back to Dish. At least I will be able to record more and have the ability to skip commericals in recorded material.

Posted by: Tmax at Apr 27, 2006 10:01:22 AM

Getting FiOS isntalled- have my own LG HDTV tuner/PVR that was designed for OTA and cable- anybody out there NOT using Verizon STBs?

Any problems?

Posted by: G at May 1, 2006 5:09:18 PM

OK.. I have had FIOS internet 15/2 since march and I love it, Does anyone know when they will offer FIOS TV in Southern California. I see it in other states whats the hold up?

Posted by: CA Fios user at May 2, 2006 2:58:50 PM

Just received the FiOS TV two days ago. Installation went well. After reviewing this site, here's my take on things. If you blow over $80 in TV rental equipment and service a month with all the HD stuff and over the top TiVo equipment, you might want to wait a while to make the switch. For myself, I was a typical $30/mo Dish Network subscriber. My experience is that the picture and sound are both significantly better with FiOS TV. I'm using an SD box on an older 27" GE tv connected via RCA cables and I have the DVR connected to an old JVC 57" widescreen non-hdtv via RCA as well. I have an additional optical cable coming from the DVR attached to my surround system.

I had two techs come out. One was there to learn the TV end of it and was going to the TV tech school soon. The other was a very knowledgable FiOS TV tech. I think that some of the bad comments on this site may come from possibly getting a bad installer. The tech I had was very diligent in checking the dBs on the signal at every port making sure that the signal was within a certain range using both high and low frequency channels. He used some sort of $5000 peice of equipment to do this. If it wasn't right, he'd redo the connection till it was right.

As far as the DVR and functionality goes, I have the same problem with the IR remote having to be pointed right at the box for it to work. The other equipment that I'm running from the remote isn't as picky so I would suspect it's the DVRs sensor that is the issue (BTW, this remote was able to run most of the basic functions for my TV, DVD, and Surround System which is great for remote clutter reduction). There is a port in the back of the DVR and SD boxes for IR so if you happen to have an IR extendor or something like that, it could possibly improve that issue. The other possibilities this could address is those of you with plasmas mounted on the wall or even projectors. With a little in wall wiring and creative thinking you could virtually put that DVR whereever you wanted as long as you had a long enough AV cables to get to where they need to go.

I can forsee a lot of upgrades and more functionality to come with FiOS TV, and I'm sure it will eventually surpass the DirecTV services. Just remember that all of this is pretty new and they probably need a larger customer base before they can start pumping more money into upgrades, on top of that there's probably not that many third party software companies on the Motorola DVR bandwagon yet, but I'm sure it's coming soon. I do know one functionality that is coming. The ability to watch recorded shows on one DVR from any box in the house.

Well, I guess I've blogged enough for now, but I'm really wanting to see what I can do with that ethernet port. If anyone has tried playing around with it, please share your findings. I called Verizon and they did say the port was active, but they weren't sure what you could do with it. I'm wanting network access to it to set up recording if wanted and possibly building something in PHP to interface a little website with it to pull up a schedule. I've seen a firewire solution for one of the Motorola boxes that I would be would work with this, but I'm more interested in the ethernet abilities. For interests in the firewire option see the following...
http://macteens.com/index.php/features/fullstory/how_to_make_your_own_home_theatre_mac_htmac/
It's not the same exact model, but I bet it works.

Posted by: Bruce at May 4, 2006 7:12:32 AM

PS I was talking to someone this morning about the install and he also just received FiOS TV. He said he was able to hook up his TiVo using wireless networking to receive the guide and I'm assuming the channels work fine. When I asked Verizon if I could purchase my own box before knowing this, they said no. Now don't take this to heart and expect your TiVo to work with FiOS TV and by all means don't go out and buy one if you have FiOS TV or about to get it. I have not tested this. This is purely coming via another person telling me. So this could just be a rumor. I suspect he's a reliable source since he actually sells the VoD server solutions to companies, but I'd like to pick his brain a little more on the subject matter before making the claim that this works.

Posted by: Bruce at May 4, 2006 7:23:39 AM

It's really sad that some of you give FIOS a bad review because the installer "arrived late" or "took to long to do the install" or that you rate the HD picture "average" when you are viewing it through a non-HD television.

The fact is this service is second to none.
In the past 14 months, I have had Charter Cable (Internet and TV), Dish Network, and DirectTV. Fios has superior picture and sound, period.
I have a high-end THX surround sound system that measures whether or not true 5.1 surround is being delivered. Fiber optic cable delivery is the only way that true 5.1 sound can be attained. The Sat. and Cable Co's set top boxes do a good job of decoding the signal and reproducing it, but its about half as good as what comes out of that fiber optic line and into your home.

As far as the picture, I have a 92" Screen with a high-end sony projector. Before I disconnected Dish Network, I was able to swap between the 2 signals, and Dish's picture quality couldn't even come close to Fios, either with HD or standard programming.

I believe the negative posts are from loser employees of competing Sat.and Cable companies that know this system will eventually cause their company's stock to collapse.

Posted by: Mike at May 4, 2006 1:39:44 PM

I just got a free upgrade on my Verizon FIOS internet connection! I called Verizon yesterday to see about some telephone options and was asked if I would like to upgrade from my 5Mbs Internet service. I'm paying $39.95 / month. It turns out that they are doubling the speed for FREE! Since I've gone to an unlimited telephone plan ($34.95 / mo) I get the Internet for $34.95. I can't wait for Verizon TV.

Before the switch, I tested my Internet speed from the following site and got about 4.8 Mbs.

http://miranda.ctd.anl.gov:7123/

After the FREE upgrade, I got the following result:

TCP/Web100 Network Diagnostic Tool v5.3.4e
click START to begin
Another client is currently being served, your test will begin within 45 seconds
Checking for Middleboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Done
running 10s outbound test (client to server) . . . . . 1.43Mb/s
running 10s inbound test (server to client) . . . . . . 10.17Mb/s
The slowest link in the end-to-end path is a 10 Mbps Ethernet subnet

I'm a happy Verizon camper.
click START to re-test

Posted by: Rob at May 5, 2006 7:58:53 AM

I'm absolutely 100% in agreement with Strom1!

I got FIOS TV Installed last week and I'm disgusted with most of the quality! I thought Verizon was going to have a clear cut winner here but they don't!

I hate the fact that the manual they provide for the HD-DVR Set Top Box talks about enabling the 4:3 Overide mode through the user settings menu and Verizon has modded them out...

I also hate the fact that they replaced my good router with their crappy one because the Tech had absolutely no idea that it was a generic out of the box vanilla setup they had using their router...

I hate the fact that these setups always come with extra boxes that somehow gets left out when you're talking to the reps about ordering it...

I hate the fact that they slip the box charges in their after they've got you on the line about ordering the service...

Most of All though, I hate the fact that Brighthouse Networks is my only real option here in the land of the Thunderstorm!

So far, the few HD Channels I have do not offset the problems I have with the SD quality and crappy service.

Pete

Posted by: Pete at May 8, 2006 6:48:25 PM

I am thinking about getting verizon fios tv (already have internet access with them) but I am using vonage as my phone service. Anyone has any idea if the fios tv service could impact vonage? I am assuming there is enough bandwidth to handle it, but I'm curious.

Cheers,

Lue

Posted by: Lue at May 9, 2006 9:21:46 PM

Full package was installed two weeks ago. Big house, some odd challenges, took 7 hours ttl, but the solo installer did a fantastic job.

Overall, everything is pretty good. We are generally satisfied, but as always, have some gripes.

Good:

--Channel packages
--Pricing
--Picture quality (no HD yet)
--Data speed (5/2 tests at 4.8/1.7).

Bad:

The DVR is awful. This really needs to be improved. I had the Dish DVR, which was just fair, but much better than the FIOS DVR. I have also used UltimateTV and Tivo, which were far superior. I also had fully expected that this ultra modern technology would have a centralized DVR so we could watch recorded programs from the other TV's in the house. I hope they release this functionality soon.

The FF/RW/PAUSE is very rough. It's not as snappy as Dish, which makes it difficult for accelerated sports viewing, and it's inconsistent in terms of speed. The lurch-back 5 seconds after FF is annoying. This should be configurable (number of seconds).

The remote is fickle, you have to space out button presses by about 1 second), and make sure it's aimed directly at the box. FF/RW gets out of hand quite a bit due to poor remote response.

Serious Sunday sports viewing (swapping back and forth between two programs that are recording) is practically impossible, because you have to start over from the beginning each time you swap. I'd like to pause one, watch 30 min of the other, then pause the other, and go back to the original, *where I left off*, repeat, repeat,... If I'm just missing something here, please let me know. This is killing me. email mcahren at gmail

I'd also like the option to hide the progress bar when using FF/RW, or make it smaller and semi-transparent (it blocks the score/clock graphic block on the TNT NBA broadcasts!).

Many other aspects of the DVR lack refinement, but I can adjust, they are not critical. The other issues that I mentioned above, however, I consider serious.

Posted by: DFW FIOS Customer at May 10, 2006 7:58:14 AM

Well, my entire house went "verizon" about 1 month ago and so far so good. I was previously using Comcast cable for TV and Internet

Pro's
Internet:- Always consistently running at 5 to 6 Mbs, whereas Comcast cable was very dependent on the time of day. Love the free network router. Works better than the one I purchased a couple of years ago.
TV:- Just have SD boxes right now but the digital quality is outstanding on my Sony 50" Grand Wega (1080 p). I have no signal loss on my other TV's like I did with Comcast cable. The menu is a little more intuitive than comcast's.
Service:- Very easy to get ahold of someone live and they always seem very appreciative of your buisness. With Comcast I consistently would have to deal with the rude Scmuck with an attitude that forgot that "Customer Service" is their job and there are plenty of out-of-work people out there that would love to have their job.

Cons
Internet: - none so far
TV: - I have had to "reset" twice to regain VOD. No big deal
Service: - It has taken a couple of months to get billing errors straightened out. After reading some of the other comments, it seems obvious that the door to door sales reps need to get on the same page as the billing folks (or vice-versa). I was promised free install on up to 3 boxes, I was initialy billed for all 5. I was also told by the sales rep that the first box was Free (no monthly charge) I was being billed for all. I later learned that Verizon does indeed charge a monthly fee for all the boxes. So I have to agree that Verizons so called 34.95 deal is very misleading. After all, you can't watch those 150 channels without a box. Shame on you Verizon.

Despite the false advertising, I am a sucker for new toys so I am going to swap an SD box for an HD DVR. (to take advantage of the previously mentioned killer TV) Since I have never had TIVO, I won't have any pre conceptions about the poor software that others have commented about. Heck, I'm just stoked to see what everyone's been talking about. I'll let you know what I think about the DVR after I get to play with it for a few weeks.

Posted by: Mike at May 11, 2006 4:58:39 PM

lol.. I love all the negative DVR comments. The box is made & tested by Motorola.. give me a break, it is in no way an inferior product.

In fact, if I had to personally compare DirecTV's HD TiVO H10 and the Motorola's 6416....there is no comparison.. Motorola dominates in all format. The DTV box sucks, and so does the new HD H-20's, can't tell you how many times I had to reset that thing because it would stop responding.

Also, every price quote has its disclaimers.. how do you set a standard price for a customer with 2 TV's vs a customer with 8 TV's? can't be done....whether it be receiver rental fees or outright purhases... how about DirecTV, have you tried their HD TiVO box?.. what does that set you back.. $599(plus a rebate that is impossible to get.. been there done that http://www.consumeraffairs.com/cable_tv/directv_rebates.html - true stories folks).

Now it would take almost 4 years of VZ's rental price for it to be beneficial. 4 years, these boxes will be outdated.. you know that.

I also saw someone mention about the negative comments coming from employees of cable companies.. he is dead on, but you can also include satellite now. I see an awful lot of comments about how good Dish Network is and how their equipment is great... right.. some simple DD on their stock price and customer base says it all.

FiOS TV is where it is at folks... the most comprehensive VOD offering available. Where is satellites VOD offerings.. oh yeah... they CAN'T provide that service. Any cable.. how about if they steal from the neighbors IP bandwidth to offer it. SO.. your neighbor enjoys a nice 3 hr VOD movie, while your internet connection crawls.. lol

How about future enhancements including: Multiple room DVR functionality.. name me another provider that has the network/bandwidth inside the house that can do this? How about sharing files, music, or photos from your PC to your TV.. anyone else out there? how about local weather and traffic delivered to your TV at the touch of a button? how about market updates or check your fantasy teams from your TV...wait... how about if you just customize your entire viewing experience with the combination of IP and RF traffic... bye bye cable... keep fighting for the regs to slow VZ down, thats your last hope.

Verizon is just scratching the surface folks.. the Optical Terminal on the side of the house is only 25 or 30 MG now. When the technology is there, we will see 100 MG terminals soon.. mark my words. You will never have to hang christmas lights again, because your house will be lit up from your home network...lol. The options for Verizon is endless... and what I love the most is, its all bundled cheaper than what i was paying for with satellite or cable!

Peace

TVD
Excited, Eager, and Optimistic FIOS TV Subscriber
Herndon,VA

Posted by: TV Dude at May 11, 2006 6:55:25 PM

I am waiting VZ to enclude "The Golf Channel" in its line up, when will this happen? Please send via email.
TX Bob.

Posted by: Bob at May 12, 2006 6:31:47 PM

30 second skip for FIOS !

1) Buy a Comcast Remote. Found mine for $6 shipped on ebay. Aside from being able to program the skip key, it's got better range and bigger buttons:

http://www.gemgreyhounds.org/images/greyttalk/Comcast%20remote.jpg

2) 1) Press the “Cable” button at the top of the remote to put it into Cable Box control mode.
2) Press and hold the “Setup” button until the “Cable” button blinks twice.
3) Type in the code 994. The “Cable” button will blink twice
4) Press (do not hold) the “Setup” button
5) Type in the code 00173 (for 30 second Skip)
6) Press whatever button you want to map the skip. I used the 'A' parental control button that's just under the Replay button.

Works like a charm !

Now I have FIOS with 30-second skip, and a decent remote to boot.

Posted by: Kerry at May 12, 2006 8:32:22 PM

I have had FiOs for about 3 days now. I have to admit I am extremely disappointed with the FiOsTV. I love my FiOs Internet though.

My SD channels are not that great. I have watched NBA games on TNT and ESPN and both are not as good as I had with Dish Network. Its not a bad picture on the HD channels, just not as good as it was on Dish. I had a fabulous picture on TNT and ESPN when watching the NBA and now I have a really good picture.

The only reason I am going to keep it is I am saving a lot of money compared to what I was paying with Dish. I hope in time I will forget the picture I use to have because right now I just get really frustrated when I watch TV. I would feel better if everyone else felt this way but it sounds like many people's picture was much better after getting FiOs but that just hasnt been the case for me.

:-(

Posted by: MD at May 12, 2006 8:36:12 PM

Well I spent a lot of time adjusting the setting on my TV last night and I am now finally happy with my FiOs. Big relief as I was worried I had made a mistake in switching.

I ended up having to turn the contrast way up and also raised the brightness up some.

Posted by: MD at May 13, 2006 2:24:37 PM

I second the comments posted by Kerry on 05/12/06. I am in Tampa and just switched from Brighthouse cable to Verizon FiOS. I had such high expectations of the picture quality with FiOS since the signal was coming over a fiber optic line as opposed to copper. What I have seen though is an inferior picture. The HD channels are good, but not great and some of the standard channels have a dark picture, as if I was looking at an old CRT when the tube starts to go bad. This is all fairly new technology so hopefully things improve quickly. But for now I sure do miss the picture quality the local cable service provided.

Posted by: Scott Fritz at May 15, 2006 8:52:46 AM

I've just spent a while reading these comments. I've had FiOS internet and TV for a few months now and had very few problems. Service has been good etc etc... more than happy.

However, the DVR connectivity is driving me mad. The device comes supplied with USB, ethernet and firewire ports but they're not enabled so I cannot transfer stuff to VCR, DVD writer or PC etc.

The Football World Cup is on next month and I have a requirement to record many hours of ESPN2HD so I just HAVE to copy stuff to another device. Not just to watch it later but also to keep some matches.

So, please help. Does anyone know if it is possible to:

A) Enable the ports? (I saw a comment about MoCa above, is this a possibility?)
B) Replace the Motorola with another device (e.g. a DVD recorder or DVR or Tivo etc)?
C) Split the signal so that I can record on another device?

There have been a lot of knowledgeable people writing here... can anyone assist?

Many thanks,

Steve (steve at sjbyrne.co.uk)

Posted by: Steve Byrne at May 15, 2006 11:56:11 AM

FiOS TV:

I have to agree with the April 4 post from Jack0 regarding motion artifacts caused by Verizon over-compressing the image. I've seen this on almost all of the SD channels. It is most noticable on cartoons, but if you look closely it's on all SD content. I've even seen it on the occasional HD program. Does anyone know if there is a solution to this in the works, or if I just have to live with it? I just switched from Cox cable here in Fairfax, VA. I wasn't very impressed with Cox, but at least the SD channels didn't look like a highly compressed MPEG! Strike one!

I love the DVR (although I've never had one before this), so no serious complaints there. I don't like the fact that if you are recording two things simultaneously, you have to be on one of those two channels and can't switch to something else. Maybe I just haven't figured out exactly how to use it yet.

Internet:

The D-link router they gave me craps out when I attempt to VPN into my office. It works for a minute or two and then resets itself. Otherwise no complaints on the 5/2Mb service at the house. However, Verizon's website start.verizon.net (used for accessing email and account info) is pure garbage. The links on the page seem to work only a small fraction of the time. The tech installed a whole bunch of 3rd party software on my computer at home, and that's the only one this website works with. So if I'm not at home and want to check email or look at something account related, it doesn't work well at all. Strike two!

Service:

They cut through my neighbor's cable TV cable during fiber installation and left it exposed with no note or anything. Then the tech that came out to install the electronics said I needed to call the cable company. They also forgot to hook my phone lines up to the ONT.

I just hope strike three doesn't occur when I get my bill. If other posts are accurate, I hope they don't bill me for installation or forget to give me the discounts I'm supposed to get. :(

BTW, no, I don't work for a cable or satellite TV company.

Posted by: Chris at May 19, 2006 8:43:30 AM

I was told basic 39.95 included a 3.95 SD set box discount, but I took a $5 discount on programming selections in lieu of the set box. Telephone rep went over all the charges, in detail several times, so maybe they have gotten complaints about people not understanding the full charges. Nothing can be harder to understand than the Brighthouse cable packaging, which you can only get over the phone.

I am switching from Brighthouse to Fios for internet and tv, install scheduled next week. Voip phone is not yet available.

I will see how the install goes, I am not going to be using any of their email or software offerings. I am going to keep Brighthouse for a couple of weeks, for comparison

Posted by: Pete in Tampa at May 20, 2006 3:42:39 PM

I have been installing VZ FiOS internet for about a year. Low speed package is now 10/2 Mbps. The online service blows away cable and the optical strand to the subscribers house gives VZ virtually unlimited potential. Cable companies in the NY area dont offer free wireless routers and free "Premium" Software (MSN premium or Yahoo). Prices are cheaper and this is only the beginning--price and speed wars will result, but with CATV's coaxial cable they are going into battle with one leg and no arms (no contest). Unfortunately Cable co.s are fighting us tooth and nail for franchise rights to offer video service. If you want the freedom to make your own choices call you Legislators and tell them to "SEE THE LIGHT"---give us a choice. Peace to all.

Posted by: Jim --New York at May 26, 2006 7:54:04 AM

Hello all,

I installed Fios Tv a few weeks ago. My question is that when watching HD channels i get a full screen but when watching regular channels i get black borders on the right and left side. I tried to change on the tv but i only get two options 16:9 and 4:3. I have a samsung 40 inch 408dx lcd. I'm using a HDMI cable to connect the set box to the tv. What can i do to correct this problem?

Posted by: Raul at May 28, 2006 1:40:45 PM

Just One Small Detail
The only thing I truly hate about the FIOS TV service is the crappy Linksys Router you are required to use with the service. It is fine as long as you are a simple home user, but forget it if you have anything advanced like port forwarding or VPN type stuff you might need as a power user. The wireless part is on the weak side compared to my other units I have. Also you can’t do anything with the Firmware since it is proprietary from Verizon. You have to use this router if you want VOD and reliable non-DVR unit Guide updates.

Posted by: Airborne! at May 31, 2006 5:46:46 AM

To Raul: FIOS supplies either a D-Link 604 or 624 (wireless), not Linksys. I have had FIOS for about a year and a half and the 604 router works fine. No problems with VPN, port forwarding, or any other service.

Posted by: Steve at Jun 2, 2006 7:52:50 AM

Re: Raul's comments... I don't know what Raul has, but all of my Linksys devices have had an outstanding interface for port forwarding and it does have VPN controls as well. I'm actually more of a fan of Linksys, but my FIOS router is also a D-Link and it works fine. I just don't like D-Link's interface as much for setting up port forwarding and what not. It works, but it's just not a very good user interface. As far as the wireless goes, if you had something decent like Linksys devices, you could change your Wireless Router into a Wireless Access Point and use it instead.
Linksys is the consumer brand for Cisco Systems, the industry standard for most companies that do major networking. In my book, that means their interfaces should be pretty good.
So I have been working on connecting via Firewire to the DVR lately and haven't had much luck using Apple's Applications in their Firewire SDK. Has anyone else been able to connect any firewire devices yet? This is the only issue I have at the moment with FIOS which I'm sure will be corrected soon. I love my FIOS internet and TV. It's outstanding in my book. Plus their channel line up has WAY more channels (or at least watchable channels) than my DishNetwork account and I pay about the same price.

Posted by: FMTX at Jun 2, 2006 4:03:04 PM

hi, I live in new tampa and just have the basic free t v with a dish. VZ told me I could get their basic for the 12.95 I also have old t v's
can anyone in this area tell me what the improvent would be if any. The dish seems to work well for all that I watch t v. They also said i could pay 3.95 for a box, what would that do?

Posted by: judy at Jun 3, 2006 9:49:25 AM

I live in New Tampa and was wondering what do you get for the basic 12.95 service. I have real old tv's and just use the free dish for local stations. A fios rep was around yesterday and told me i would get 60 channels, which after reading the post from temple terrace is not true.
thanks

Posted by: judy at Jun 3, 2006 10:21:37 AM

What is the website to sign up for Verizon?

Posted by: Cathrina at Jun 6, 2006 9:45:37 AM

I Was Wondering If Could Tell Me When the Service Will Become Aval In Dinwiddie,VA Plz Hury And Respond Im N luv With FIOS Internet/TV Already And i cant even get it yet.

Posted by: FIOSFRIEND at Jun 7, 2006 12:08:22 PM

What is the model number of the HD receiver (non-dvr) that's used with FiOS? Thanks.

Posted by: Frank at Jun 8, 2006 2:48:49 PM

"What is the website to sign up for Verizon?"

http://www22.verizon.com/FiosForHome/Channels/FiosTV/canigetfiosTV.aspx

Posted by: Frank at Jun 8, 2006 2:51:30 PM

We just had Verizon FIOS TV/Internet installed this week...the installers disconnected the TIVO to install the system and they didn't know how I could hook the TIVO back up...does anybody know how to tell me to hook up my TIVO???? I really want my TIVO back on...
Thanks, Carol

Posted by: Carol at Jun 10, 2006 12:55:07 PM

I have 2 Sony DHG HDD500 DVRs. These have QAM tuners and cablecard1. Can they be used with FiosTV in place of the Verizon settop box? BTW I know I can't get VOD with CC1.

Posted by: Earl Payne at Jun 11, 2006 6:55:34 PM

I have had Verizon Fios TV for a month now and I have MAJOR complaints. I can only use my TIVO for the basic 15 analog channels(40% are spanish)and I can't use my PIP except for analog!! I read another post from Keller Kid that he is settiong up his TIVO. How are you setting yours up? I want to use my TIVO with my 50" TV that has a cable card(no set top box) and I can't get nothing but analog. No PIP either!! Yuck!! My other tv's in spare rooms with cable coming out of wall and straight in tv gets only analog. I could get it all with Comcast.

Am I doing something wrong? I want to cancel!!

Thanks, MArk

Posted by: mark bobo at Jun 12, 2006 7:41:31 PM

Freeport and Wantagh NY open with Video Voice and Data. I can hear Cablevision running for cover as we speak. Welcome to the world of Fios TV.

Posted by: Bobby at Jun 14, 2006 8:40:15 AM

Anyone hear when FiOS TV comes to New Jersey?

Thanks!

Bob

Posted by: Bob Sanders at Jun 15, 2006 9:03:52 AM

Hello all, I am in Tampa, Florida and I just got my FIOS TV two days ago. Does anyone know, in the diagnostics menu (press the OK button and turn on STB) what the acceptable SNR ratios for either in-bound or out-bound should be? My Moto’s show a SNR of 28-32 db and bounce in and out of “fair and good”. Would these measures have anything to do with quality of picture for HD? Shouldn’t they be higher? When I was watching the HD-MTV channel and a concert by Pink, I noticed that in very intense strobe light scenes, they were signs of pixelization almost like if the HD signal was being “clipped” and degrading the signal. I will have to do more research and watch more to see if I get this with HD.

Posted by: Stan at Jun 18, 2006 6:15:49 PM

I live in a condo with really strange rules about drilling. I currently have DirecTV and the cables are run from the satellite, through my window, and split to go to my two TVs. It sounds awful but other than at the window it is not noticeable. Since DirecTV goes out every time it rains a little, and I already have FIOS Internet, I'm considering switching to FIOS TV. Can anyone explain to me exactly what hardware it requires and how it is installed?

Posted by: Ann at Jun 19, 2006 7:13:06 AM

First of all I have thier internet service and it works well. I called to check on their television package and it looked like I was going to get an install date but then there were two stoppers. One... no "The Golf Channel", Two no OLN. So I guess as for now they aren't 100% serious.

Posted by: Jim Green at Jun 19, 2006 5:48:27 PM

I also live just north of Tampa and got FIOS TV installed yesterday. I was very disappointed in the HD service. Had Direct TV high def which was exceptional. Fios HD if flat and dull, doesn't even look like high def. Had to call a tech out today to see what was wrong. He said it doesn't look like true high def either. Changed the cables and the box and the picture still is low quality. Very disappointed. May have to go back to Direct TV.

Posted by: jcl at Jun 20, 2006 9:30:33 PM

Being that I have never had HD before and have no way to benchmark it against anything, I can only tell from what my eyes show me. So you went the route of changing wires...hmmmm....I guess it is worth a try but I tell the techs that the reason for having fiber to the home is like having the CO right outside my front door and seeing now ping times of 90ms on my data side now after installing the TV portion tells me that something in that ONT is doing some sort of QOS and that being where the problem or tweaking should start. I just checked for kicks and now it is showing 37ms where it should be but something is not right for when you get a FIBER anything connection.

A perfect example of what I am talking about is a concert I saw from broadcast and from the DVR was on channel 823 MTV-HD. The concert was of the FOO-Fighters. Tons of strobe and laser going on and sure enough tons of pixelization and when crazy audio drops! I just would want to know if I am expecting to much from Fios and/or is this just the limits of the current equipment technology? I can't get a straight answer.

Posted by: Stan at Jun 21, 2006 8:42:52 AM

Is there anyone out there who would be kind enogh to e-mail me the zip codes that Verizon Fios TV offers service in the Manatee County and Hillsborough County areas?

Posted by: Amy at Jun 22, 2006 12:41:18 PM

Hi I work in Verizons Fiber Soultions Center I see many negitive comments on here I have to say many customers are extremely happy with the product. FiOS TV has an incredible picture and the pricing when compared to cable rates cant be beat. It is light years beyond cable.

I know there are some issues as a new provider we dont have the 20-30 years expirence cable has but I think what we have accomplished thus far is AMAZING. However as with any new product rollout there are going to be bumps. These issues we are faulted for, for the most part are industry standard across cable as well Set top box resets, missed appointments etc. What cable never misses appoitments or resets there STB's?

Things we can control are the interactive program guide and the DVR software and menus which are being addressed. Verizon is listening to the customer and making changes based on feedback so if you have a suggestion call and let it be known we are listening.

Stayed tuned and trust me when I say FiOS tv is a truly amazing service and is only going to get better.

Posted by: Verizon Fios at Jun 22, 2006 3:06:13 PM

From one guinea pig to another future guinea pig……..DO NOT believe the hype!

Do yourself a favor and wait a while so they can work out all of the problems.

Amy says: Stayed tuned and trust me when I say FiOS tv is a truly amazing service and is only going to get better.

I half way agree with Amy, because there is NO way in the world it could get worse. The truly amazing service part is very disputable though. The only thing amazing to me about the service is how a company the size of Verizon could put out a product like this and charge full price while the first few "lucky" people get to be used as guinea pigs.

I feel like a drug addict. I was hooked on the concept that the service offers to the point where I have given it at least 6 weeks before I made my overall determination on the service. Putting it bluntly, it sucks.

Here is my experience with the service so far:

Ordering process – There system seems to be seriously flawed.
My first installation was missed. Then, they show up on a Monday morning that they were not even scheduled to be there. They missed my second appointment and when I called to get a third appointment scheduled they told me it would be July 10th before they could get to me. That happened to be around the 1st of May. Are you kidding me?!?!?!?! After multiple calls to customer service, I finally got a supervisor on the phone that would help me get an appointment for May 10th, which was nice but meant I had to take a day off from work to finally get this installed. That was the whole point of the 2 Saturday appointments they missed. But, I was so desperate to get the service and try it out that I was willing to do almost anything to get it installed.

I was very impressed at first just like a lot of the people in the posts seem to be. It took a few days before I started running into the issues that made me feel like every time I turned around I was getting kicked in the teeth.

Billing – Once again, there system is seriously flawed.
I was told that my bill would come to me in the mail and be combined with my FIOS Internet service and be due on the 15th of the month. Well, they were partly right, it was combined with my internet service, but they took $221 out of my bank account on the 10th of June, which is when my Internet service was usually due, instead of sending me a bill to be due on the 15th like I was told on the phone. I wont even go into how many people I talked to that time that would not take responsibility for this poor service.

DVR – I can’t believe real engineers are involved in creating these Motorola DVR’s.
1. Has no reminder feature. I was told that because I can record the shows, I don’t need a reminder feature. Unfortunately, when you have a dual tuner DVR, it doesn’t switch over to the show that is being recorded so if you want to watch it live and record it too, there is nothing that reminds you that it is on.
2. You can only view a pay-per-view on the box you order it on. Even if you wanted to pay for it again on another box, you cant do it according to customer service. I like to order pay-per-views and let my family watch them on any of the 4 tv’s in the house like we could do when we had Dish Network.
3. I don’t even have time to get into all of the jacks that are disabled on the DVR. It looks really good when you pull it out of the box, until you find out how much of the box is actually disabled and how bad the software installed on the box really is.

I am done being the guinea pig. I have never been so frustrated with a product in my life. I will be switching back to Dish Network tomorrow. There is not a discount in the world that could make me stay with Verizon. Prior to this I was with Dish Network for 6 years and didn’t have a single issue with them. I am sure they had their growing pains in the beginning too, so I will let Verizon get through their growing pains and maybe try them out in a year or so. But for now, I have had all I can take and it is time to go back to a trusted company that I should have never left in the first place.

P.s. I love the internet service, so hopefully the video portion will catch up to it in the near future and I will try it out again.

Posted by: John Owens at Jun 25, 2006 5:35:06 PM

Just signed up last night for Fios Internet / TV.
The kid selling it was for the most part very knowledgable about it but wasn't sure about one of the questions I had. I have my own DVR and was wondering if the Fios TV service will supply the TVGUIDE listings so I can more easily program recordings.
I'm switching from Cablevision (digital) mostly for the price and the fact that I'll get more Movie channels (that I probably won't watch anyway) and for 3.95 a box I'll get all the channels on any tv in the house. I wasn't able to get TVGUIDE service from cablevision and was just wondering if anybody knows if it's available on FIOS.

Posted by: Mike C at Jun 27, 2006 11:08:56 AM

Live in Valrico, FL, and have had Fios TV and internet for a month.

Internet is reliable and fast (switched from VZ DSL).

TV picture quality is very good for HD and SD channels - much better than DirecTV.

Customer Service/Installation was outstanding.

My only complaint is the DVR. It is not user-friendly, the menus are not intuitive, and it doesn't have many of the features my Tivo had. The season pass option doesn't work very well and they use basic descriptions of an overall series for each episode, not what each episode is about.

Also, the remote is poorly organized and must be pointed DIRECTLY at the unit.

Overall, though, I am happy I switched and I understand this is the first generation of equipment - things will get better.

Posted by: Laslo at Jun 27, 2006 11:42:46 AM

PIP - Does anyone know if PIP can be used with Verizon Fios TV? I called customer service one person said "yes" (without being able to tell me how) and the other said "no" and that Verizon was working on PIP..Anyone know if it can be done and if so, how? Would a DVR allow me to use the PIP function..? My tv has two separate tuners and one hd tuner...

Thank you!

Posted by: David at Jun 27, 2006 1:13:50 PM

Verizon TV Picture Quality

I'm in Tampa, I've had Verizon FIOS TV for about 4 months. I just helped someone upgrade to DirecTV HDTV over the weekend (They can't get FIOS yet).

OK, here it is.... (because I've complained about Picture Quality in the past).

Verizon TV picture BLOWS away DirecTV in both HD and SD. The SD picture on Verizon is getting better. The HD picture is fantastic. Watch ESPN HD or Discovery HD on DirecTV then watch it on FIOS. FIOS is so much crisper, beautiful.

Some notes:
--- To the person that says that FIOS doesn't seem to be HD. Check your settings (hit menu with power off), make sure you are outputing in 720p or 1080i. If you are outputing in 480 it's going to look bad.

--- I've had DISH, DirecTV (for 3 years) and the local Brighthouse. As far as hardware, the DirecTV TIVO was the nicest. BUT, it had the slowest program guide. Dish was just awful. And Brighthouse DVR built by Scientific Atlanta was horrible, a crashing nightmare. So to anyone complaining about a Release 1 FIOS product, give it up. FIOS is really great for being this new in the game.

--- If you have an OLD TIVO for your Cable TV and switch to FIOS, throw it out. Just use the FIOS DVR instead. Then you can record in HD and record more than one show at a time.

-- I love all the HD channels you just can't get yet on other platforms, MTV HD, National Geographic HD, NFL Network HD, etc, etc.

My only current annoyances:
- The "2 minute" Pre-record for recorded shows. Causes some annoying overlap problems.

- The remote for fast forward/rewind is very finicky when watching SD content. It's not as bad for HD content.

Keep it up FIOS TV. It can get better, but I love that they are pushing the envelope here and forcing the cable companies and satellite offerings to get stronger.

Remember, competition helps US (the consumer).

JackO

Posted by: JackO at Jun 28, 2006 4:35:33 AM

On reviewing all these posts since last year, my conclusion is that FiOS should be definitely worth waiting for (No - I have no relationship with VZ other than as an existing phone/DSL customer) and I wish it was in my area already. They've laid the basic fiber lines but I guess it will be a few months before they light up the pipes.

I have one HUGE concern based on what I read. I have been an avid TiVo user for 6 years and all my TV viewing is basically asynchronous to its broadcasting. I don't worry much about watching one channel while recording another and I don't mind waiting a couple of years to record HD on TiVo (I'm on digital cable - not a DirecTV user). The big BUT is that I LOVE the TiVo user interface - it is one of the most intuitive around. Those guys really knew what they were doing when they designed it. I frequently schedule recordings on my TiVo over the internet when away from home and often download TiVo recordings to my PC.

Many of the posts on this blog are very negative about the FiOS DVR user interface. If it isn't as good as the TiVo interface, I won't get FiOS TV. But my question is (like the post of Carol on June 10th) can I feed the FiOS signal (SD at least) through my TiVo box and still control channel changes via the TiVo, as I can now? Also, does VZ provide TiVo with its channel lineup so I can use the TiVo Program Guide rather than the one provided by VZ?

I read the comment from the FiOS guy himself that they are working on improving the DVR interface. I have to say, however, in my 30+ years of software development experience, that if a user interface is not very intuitive when first designed, it can never be tweaked to make it acceptable. Despite many years of trying, Microsoft has never matched the skill of Apple in user interfaces (despite having stolen the original Windows ideas from Apple!). I seem to remember that Microsoft is the developer of the FiOS DVR software, isn't it? Hmmmm. (I have no affiliation with either Microsoft or Apple, but use both of their products).

If there's a way for me to hook up my TiVo for the SD channels; change channels via TiVo and bypass the TiVo for HD channels (as I do now with my HD cable set up), I'll get FiOS when it comes. If not, I won't.

So, if any of you former cable/TiVo users have moved to FiOS and kept your TiVo - please let me know how it works. I'd rather have real experience than rumors - thanks.

Posted by: stu at Jun 28, 2006 9:42:08 AM

Stu,

I have both the Tivo box and the VZ DVR. The Tivo box works the same as it did when i had digital cable. As for the channel guide Tivo had it for my area.

Posted by: DVDinTX at Jun 29, 2006 2:36:50 PM

DVDinTX

Thanks for that info. I now have confidence I can keep TiVo with FiOS. I wonder if I have to get the VZ DVR or just their non-DVR STB.

Posted by: stu at Jun 30, 2006 7:57:28 AM

Can anyone tell me if Fox Sports and/or MSG TV is offered by FIOS TV in the New York area? I don't see them in the lineup so I am assuming Cablevision is again playing hardball with their competitors

Posted by: Jason at Jun 30, 2006 7:03:01 PM

I've had Verizon FIOS TV for about 8 months now in Beaumont, CA. I really don't think it is any better then DirectTV. The VOD is a joke.

Posted by: Craig at Jul 2, 2006 8:56:37 PM

I agree with DVDinTX that I'll probably go with TiVo instead of the VZ DVR (when the service comes to NJ) just because I know it will have the multiple room capability and is more advanced in features. I'm pretty sure that VZ would have to have a standard non-DVR HD STB. The way things are going with the NJ budget crisis/shutdown, I wonder how this will impact the franchising agreement -- right now I think the service is scheduled for Nov/Dec this year but I won't get my hopes up for this year -- probably low on the priorty list.

Posted by: Bob at Jul 6, 2006 7:39:36 AM

I see comments about FIOS TV on the East Coast and Mid West... What about the West Coast? I am in Redondo Beach CA and have FIOS 15/2 internet connection for about 4 months but I have not heard about FIOS TV in my area....Anyone know when they will offer it to Southern California?

Posted by: No Fios TV at Jul 6, 2006 4:19:08 PM

Does the remote/receiver only function through IR? Any idea if the remote is UHF capable? My current setup (using Dish Network DVR) uses a UHF remote, and allows me to hide the DVR out of sight.
thanks.

Posted by: asem at Jul 6, 2006 9:15:30 PM

Verizon? This isn't the service your looking for. [waves hand]

Posted by: CG at Jul 10, 2006 8:54:38 AM

I just signed on with FiOS Internet, and was wondering if anyone knew when TV was going to be available in PA.

Posted by: FiOS in PA? at Jul 10, 2006 10:46:06 AM

I just signed on with FiOS Internet, and was wondering if anyone knew when TV was going to be available in PA.

Posted by: FiOS in PA? at Jul 10, 2006 10:46:08 AM

My Tivo and FIOS experiences...

Got FIOS TV a few weeks ago (Tampa, Fl). Two FIOS DVRs. Have had TIVO for years. I kept TIVO active just in case--figured I'd give the DVR's a month to see if I can live with them.

I can't. The DVR interface is absolutely, irredeemingly horrible. Maybe I've been spoiled by TIVO, but it's not just a matter of some TIVO features missing (like wishlists, games, etc.). It's the totally inept interface, the hideous button-crazy remote and the general flakey-ness of the whole thing. Any operation is a chore: the menu system is inconsistant to say the least, the buttons on the remote seem to have gone through a randomizer in terms of their placement, jumping past commercials is just ugly--nothing like the stop on a dime with 3 second back up of the TIVO.

Here's a quick example of one of the many, many things that set your teeth on edge when using this POS...watch a show, pause it (letting it build up). Now go check your previously recorded stuff, access menus, etc. When done, come back to tv and...you've lost your build-up. Your back on live tv. If you don't click RECORD to force it to keep the backlog, you lose it when you go into the menu systems or access already recorded stuff.

Needless to say, I put my TIVOs back in, and am using the DVRs right now as glorified STB's with them. They don't have serial ports, so I have to rely on IR to change the channels--very slow, very unreliable. The STBs have serial ports, but as of yet, I have no word on if they are active for channel control. Verizon will be out on the 19th to replace the DVR's with the STB's. If the serial ports don't let me change channels, I don't think I can keep this system. TIVO would make it useable if I can get serial working to change channels quickly and reliably--TIVO with IR control (at least with their DVR's) is too slow and often misses the channel change.

Honestly, I'd just about rather be on antenna tv with TIVO, then a system like this without it.

On the positive side--picture is fine, channel selection if fine, price is fine, and on the internet side--smoking fast...I'm getting 14.5 mb consistantly...very close to the 15 mb I ordered.

Posted by: Daniel at Jul 10, 2006 1:23:50 PM

Just a note for the folks asking when FiOS TV and/or internet service will be available in their area...

Verizon is keeping close lipped regarding their FiOS deployment schedule to:
a.) avoid setting expectations they may not be able to live up to as a result of deployment delays
b.) avoid the tremendous expense incurred from handling consumer inquiries regarding release schedules
c.) keeping a competative edge by not giving local cable companies a "heads up" on when and where they are deploying

Since Verizon needs to apply for a cable franchise with local (county/city) governments prior to providing TV service, the best way to get an inside scoop is to Google "Verizon cable" or "Verizon TV" along with your local county name and see if anything has been filed with your local government. Search Example: Verizon TV Howard County

Hope this helps!

Posted by: Paul at Jul 13, 2006 2:11:42 PM

I've had Fios for a week now and love it!

I've saved $70 switching my Internet/phone/TV service from Comcast and I get a lot more for a lot less.

Picture quality is much better, more HD channels and many more premium channels.

The EPG looks horrible...almost like going back to Win95, but I was told there would be an update soon.

Installation to two hours longer than I was told, but it's new to the techs and since I get a lot more for a lot less...I really didn't mind.

For those wanting to know what channels are available, try here: http://www22.verizon.com/content/fiostv

Posted by: Bill F at Jul 14, 2006 3:56:40 PM

VERIZON IS COMMING TO DO AN INSTALL IN A COUPLE OF DAYS, I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT TYPE OF STANDARD BOX THEY USE AND COULD WE BUY THESE BOX'S FROM A THIRD PARTY INSTEAD OF RENTING FROM VERZION?

Posted by: DAN at Jul 18, 2006 5:22:38 AM

Could others test their eyes to see if you are seeing this pixelization or macro blocking effect that is happening with mpeg-2 compression to my picture when watching intense motion or full picture scenes?

I am seeing no FEC errors on my side from the STB point of view. Had the tech test the line and says the S/N ratio is good. I am led to believe that this is as good as it gets with FIOSTV. If so this is crap. I design home theaters and when showing HD to potential customers, I have to show them slow moving HD shows in order to show off a great picture.

I enjoy watching concerts on the MTV-HD channel and from what I can tell any high movement from strobe lights or even from someone taking a flash picture of someone, there is the pixelization. Artifacts on a 92"diag screen make it even worse.

Are there others that are seeing what I am?

A side note: VZ is now offering 50/5 service to those in the NE Tri-state area. Would it be true to say...where the hell would a casual user with even 4 computers in their home be pulling all that bandwidth. Also, the article mentions that if someone downloads a music file from itunes, that the download would take a second. Does itune's servers allow a connection for someone to pull at 50megs?

Posted by: Stan at Jul 18, 2006 9:14:09 PM

Stan,
You should definitely not be experiencing pixelation while watching a show.
Do you know if you have RG-59 or RG-6 for your coaxial cable?
Call VZ and make sure they get your picture corrected, there is no reason to experience pixelation while watching a show.
Additionally, if you don't know what you would use 50 megs for then you don't need it. It wouldn't typically be for, as you say, the casual user. But it's ok to offer a service for the hardcore user, and a seperate service for the casual user, right?
If you do the math, 50 megabits/sec is about 6.25 megabytes a second. Your average song? maybe 3 megabytes? So if you are able to DL at 25 Mbps then you could still get the song in about a second.
Another example is you are downloading a game from one server, maybe a 1 gig file, and maybe they only allow 25 mbps download. thats going on in the background while you stream music and play a game online. since you are hitting all different servers, you can easily max out that 50 mbps. Its all about what you will be able to do with that speed. Less wasted time, more applications. If everyone gets the 50 mbps service, guess what itunes will do? increase their download cap. It is all about initiating advances in technology. Dunno if you ever remember hearing "I'll never be able to fill up 20 gigs of space" or, before that "I'll never fill 100 megs of space. etc etc.

It's an exciting time, don't try to fight it, try to improve it.

Posted by: SomeGuy at Jul 19, 2006 12:41:29 PM

Great points SomeGuy...Thanks for making me see the light! ha ha fiber light...anyway, I have RG6. Would you know what AGC means in the diagnostics menu? Is anyone seeing their volume all over the place between commercials and between channels? For me on the MTV-HD channel, I have to select the compression to 'Heavy' in order to get a decent input volume to the HTX receiver.

Anyway, I am going to give VZ a shot at troubleshooting the issue. But the clock is ticking. I have 2 more weeks until the 30day cancel goes away. These seem like little issues for generally a ok service. Being that I only use FiosTV for HD in my theater room on a awesome 92" screen 7.1 surround, HD 720p Native Projector so if this can't be fixed then away I go and get me a HD-DVD unit and call it a night.

Thanks for your help,

Stan.

Posted by: Stan at Jul 19, 2006 10:53:44 PM

Stan,
AGC = Automatic Gain Control
is it poor or fail?
make sure you are on the channel the has the problems and chack the SNR and AGC, if either are poor or fail something needs to be done. Additionally, make sure your RG6 cable runs are not bent at any sharp angles, 90 degrees is too much all at once. Make sure it isn't pinched or stapled. Since it is only on HiDef it is happening when more of the Coax is in use, so minor damage to the wire can cause issues like that. It could also be a poor / bad splitter. There are some things on VZ's side they can check, but only after eliminating all those possiblities. If you need a tech to check for you, I don't think it would be a problem from them to dispatch. The easiest way though, if you have spare rg6 long enough to bypass all the current wiring, is to do just that. if it still happens? obviously something that VZ needs to do, whether it is replace the Set Top Box or something more extreme.
Are you getting any 5 second error counts?
Let me know how it goes

Someguy

Posted by: SomeGuy at Jul 20, 2006 2:32:23 PM

I am a resident in Ellicott City, Howard Co.
Had Verizon Fios internet, HD TV and phone installed a few days ago. Took my box back to Comcast today and it spoke volumes that they didn't even ask why. I wanted to say
the following:

1: No more service calls to Comcast. I have probably called for service due primarily to a weak signal 40 times. Not only did they not fix it, they promised to run a line straight to my house (The line terminates at my house hence the weak signal). They didn't and could offer no explanation. Also didn't return e-mail about the issue.

2: I am saving about 27%.

3: Better technology. So far, everything about FIOS, the cable box, the service and the programming has been better.

4: More HD channels. (although I won't have Comcast Sports Net in HD).

5: Wireless modem, no extra charge.

6: Used good quality wires for my setup, even had HDMI to DVI conversion cables. The installer also stayed and helped me get all my components working.

I ran into a friend while I was turning in my box and was talking to him about the issues I had with Comcast. As I was leaving I was stopped on the parking lot by people who were very interested due to the some of the reasons I listed above. I just hope that Verizon keeps prices down and the service up or next stop will be satellite.

Posted by: George at Jul 22, 2006 8:18:48 AM

Yes, I know that I'm cheap, but wondering if I can get the $12.95 local channels FIOS TV and have it include HD channels.

I don't want all the extra channels such as CNN, just basic local channels with good reception, and the ability to use my new High Def TV set. Most of the local stations in Balt/Wash area now have a HD station.

Cheapo in Howard County Maryland

Posted by: Cheapo at Jul 22, 2006 5:48:05 PM

I have Fios TV in Southern California and was wondering:

1. on demand NFL. I had read the local icon was supposed to be local NFL choices. All of mine are back east choices. (New York teams mostly) I called Verizon and they said they would work on it, because it shouldn't be like that. It has been 2 months with no change...Any one else have this problem?

2. Does anyone know if Verizon is working on their menu and favorites? It would be great to create a menu of channels for our kids...one for my wife, and one for me. We were able to do this on direct tv, but not with fios. With fios, we only have the option of one favorite listing and that is all it is...a listing. It would be great to "Save" favorites and not just browse looking at the favorites list menu, but to actually "flip" trought the favorite channels. (for each of our favorites)

3. The picture qulaity on Non HD channels with Fios TV is far superior to that of non HD Direct TV channels! GREAT!

4. I read that in June 2006 Verizon made a deal with PBS for PBS kids etc...What channel is PBS kids on? We have multiple PBS channels, and PBS kids may be on in the AM for a while on one of those channels, but I can't find the 24-7 PBS kids channel like Directv had available.

4. Sometimes the DVR will not record a whole show. It will stop with the recording 5 minutes or so before the end. This has only happened a few times...strange.

Very happy so far with Fios TV, though.

Thanks

John

Posted by: John at Jul 23, 2006 11:18:49 AM

Dan,
This link has the 3 types of cable boxes that Verizon uses. I don't know for sure if you can use a third party box but I'd doubt it.

http://www22.verizon.com/content/fiostv/customer+support/customer+support.htm

Posted by: Frank at Jul 25, 2006 7:18:34 PM

No Golf Channel on FIOS ? An amazing omission for me.

Posted by: Don at Jul 26, 2006 12:40:44 PM

I'm back from Verizon Land amusement park and let me tell you...what a ride!

Since my last post, I have had 3 techs out to my house. Two of them have never seen this pixelization before and the third one thinks it is my projector. Hmmm....talking to him more I come to find out that this guy used to fix the Verizon vans and was pulled in due to the high demand for the FIOS/TV services. He kept saying DVM instead of DVI even though I was running HDMI...So I let him go off into his 1960's flashback.

Before this third tech came to my house, I finally got a hold of some video techs from the Fios Center was on the phone with them for 1.5 hours. Went to Diagnostics menu number 14 and looked at the HMA/Connected Home (Mbps) and noticed that I was getting readings around 150 or so. They said that was low and needed to be higher for HD. So we tried bypassing the splitter and ran directly into the NIM and then to my set-top-box. Speeds increased to 240/250 so they wanted me to keep it connected and watch the FOO Fighters concert that I see this pixelization a lot on MTV-HD and report back b/c that concert is not showing until Thursday morning at 2am. So they scheduled another tech to come out Thursday morning and change the 12db 8-way splitter to something smaller so that the loss is less.

Sooooooooo this brings us back to the third tech who came over and he put his meter on and said that if I continue to run with such a high gain (meter showing in the red) the box would become damaged. He said that they like to see like .1db or something and he was showing like 16db.

Well with all that…looks like I am back to where I started. This pixelization is starting to grow on me and it kind of looks like art in a way…wait…what the hell am I saying…sorry you stare at the screen to long and Verizon will have you saying anything…What I am going to try is to record the concert tonight connected directly to the box and see if I get the pixelization. My guess is that it is still a mpeg-2 compression artifact and not that noticeable on smaller screens but on the big screens it is. I need a beer. Any suggestions?

Stan.

Posted by: Stan at Jul 26, 2006 7:25:55 PM

Im going to take the plunge with fios TV. We have broadband and have been very happy with it. One question I have is I have been quated a price of 34.95. When I asked for how many tvs they said up to 7 plus the fee for the TV box. So I asked if I wanted 3 tvs hooked up with basic service it would be 49.95. I know others have had issues with billing. Is this the rate most others have?

thanks
Mike

Posted by: Mike at Jul 27, 2006 8:19:14 AM

Stan
How did you get to the Diagnostics menu ?

Posted by: Ken at Jul 27, 2006 6:30:25 PM

Power off box and then hit the ok button.

Posted by: Stan at Jul 27, 2006 8:06:59 PM

Hey TV Dude, what is the hold up in Anne Arundel County MD? I switched from Comcast to Fios internet 3 months ago. The hook the salesman used was that I could get Fios Direct TV in less than 30 days...needless to say 90 days later, love the internet, still hate Comcast with a passion, and cant switch yet. Can someone please tell me what the hold up is?

Thanks

Posted by: Bill at Jul 29, 2006 4:46:10 AM

Golf Channel is now on channel 305 sports package

Posted by: T at Aug 1, 2006 1:01:58 PM

Hi all
I have a detailed review of Verizon FIOS TV service, from experience. A poor one at that.
First let me say that I am NOT a fan of cable! I ditched my cable internet a year ago when FIOS became available. Unfortunately, the Voicewing voip phone is not very good, but the FIOS internet is awsome.
That said, I had my Verizon FIOS TV installed three weeks ago and proudly dumped cable.
Prior to ordering FIOS TV, I was sure to ask many technical questions to the sales person.
All their answers turned out to be wrong, even after they checked with tech support before commiting to an answer.
First off, they need to change your internet router. They replaced my "daisy chained" d-link and wireless Linksys with a cheap, bulky Actiontec router. The tech and I were unable to daisy chain it, so I lost 4 ports!! The reason for this change is due to the fact that a coax cable must be inserted in line with the TV service so the TV service can update through the internet.
Second thing is very very important: The high definition picture is sub-par. It is not nearly as vivid and crisp as IO Cable. I have a 1080P TV and the picture from cable was incredible. From Verizon it was just "OK." The difference is very noticeable. If you have never had HD before, you would not know this. If you currently have Verizon, you are missing out on your TV's full potential, if you have a good quality set. Now, Verizon techs will tell you how it's impossible, "we have a stronger signal", bla bla bla. And they probably do. But the problem is not the signal. The problem is the box! The box does not allow pass through signal. Meaning the box converts the signal and sends it to your TV. The IO cable box allows for pass through, thus allowing the awesome picture. There is no fix for this unless they change the box they currently use. Another issue with the box is that you have to point the remote exactly at the box for it to work. Even then, it is hit or miss when you try to enter 3 numbers. This may sound like a minor issue.But take my word for it, it soon becomes a real pain!
Another issue that may be meaningless to you, but to me it was important. My kids watch G4 Tech TV. It's a technical computer/Video game series. When you get verizon, you lose G4, a standard channel on cable