3 Weeks with Fios

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SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Sep 10, 2003
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After 14yrs with D* I switched over to fios 3 weeks ago. I was happy with my D* service but couldn't justify the 145.00 bill every month when there movie package is severely lacking. Verizon offered me a sweet deal and I'm paying a total of 156.00 for all 3 services with a 2yr price guarantee.
Here are my pros
Picture quality is outstanding
Movie package is incredible
VOD is terrific with a great library
I like the home media dvr setup
Great value for my money

Here are my cons
The guide lay out is terrible
The channel lay out is terrible
The dvr needs more recording space
I do not like the remote at all
 
After 14yrs with D* I switched over to fios 3 weeks ago. I was happy with my D* service but couldn't justify the 145.00 bill every month when there movie package is severely lacking. Verizon offered me a sweet deal and I'm paying a total of 156.00 for all 3 services with a 2yr price guarantee.
Here are my pros
Picture quality is outstanding
Movie package is incredible
VOD is terrific with a great library
I like the home media dvr setup
Great value for my money

Here are my cons
The guide lay out is terrible
The channel lay out is terrible
The dvr needs more recording space
I do not like the remote at all
I agree. FiOS TV isn't perfect, but the picture quality and value make it 2nd to none in my book. A few us picked up a TiVoHD (aka Series 3) DVR and a My DVR and we're very happy with the solution. Yes, the Verizon Motorola DVR is still a sore-spot with that tiny hard drive, no eSata support, etc. We're hoping Verizon can ink a deal with EchoStar and they start rolling-out the new EchoStar T2200S HD DVR next year. We shall see...
 
After 14yrs with D* I switched over to fios 3 weeks ago. I was happy with my D* service but couldn't justify the 145.00 bill every month when there movie package is severely lacking.

Yeah, the 26 HBO/MAX channels in HD on FIOS vs only the flagships of each in HD with D* did it for me too. Especially after D* promised 11 HBO/MAX channels in HD via a June 2007 press release that said they were coming in December of 2007. Almost two years after that press release, DirecTV still does not carry those HD channels.


The guide lay out is terrible

Yep, and not 16x9 either.


The channel lay out is terrible

While having the HD and SD channels side by side with DirecTV, having the SD channels on a lower number and the HD channels on a higher number is pretty standard for cable companies and FIOS has gone that route too. Most people switching to FIOS won't have a problem with it because they are used to it with their old cable company. I like DirecTV's layout of the channels better too. I think most people would once they got a taste of it. But most people are defecting from cable to FIOS and not satellite to FIOS.


The dvr needs more recording space

Yep, the DVR is one of the biggest flaws of FIOS. The other is the shared Internet bandwidth between VOD and your Internet service which you are paying separately for, which also causes a limitation of viewing one HD VOD at a time per household in many markets. Your Internet bandwidth is limited to 30Mbps in many markets. Usually 20 for the Internet plus 10 more for video as necessary. You get 10 for VOD and if it needs more it dips into your Internet bandwidth. An HD VOD requires 16Mbps, which reduces your 20 to 14Mbps. (20 Internet + 10 video - 16 HD VOD = 14). Some markets can hit 50Mbps, most can only hit 30Mbps. This is a horrible architecture in the 30Mbps markets, not being able to watch two HD VODs in the same household. Even with my previous cable provider, I could watch two HD VODs at the same time. Such a flaw with FIOS.


I do not like the remote at all

Haha... it is a remote.... now you are getting picky. Buy a universal remote or something.

--

I have FIOS and D*. For me, I had signed a contract with D* for two years and six months later was able to get FIOS. I couldn't pass it up because of all the premiums. So I lowered my package to the Choice Extra with no premiums and got FIOS with the $30 movie package.

I like having both because D* has a better DVR and some channels I don't get with FIOS. I record all my broadcast and basic cable HD shows with DirecTV and all my movies from the premiums from FIOS.

I am fed up with the fact that neither of these providers has added much HD in the last 6 months, while DISH and my local cable company are slowly catching up to FIOS.

If DirecTV continues to brag about its earnings and subscriber gains they will lose me for sure when the contract gets closer to being up. Unless they start adding HD channels. I want AMC HD for Breaking Bad and neither provider has delivered for me. Dish is adding channels left and right. I'll bet DirecTV would be too if they were bleeding like Dish.

DirecTV is getting fat and lazy and it will bite them soon if they don't get off their high horse and start adding channels.
 
An HD VOD requires 16Mbps, which reduces your 20 to 14Mbps. (20 Internet + 10 video - 16 HD VOD = 14). Some markets can hit 50Mbps, most can only hit 30Mbps. This is a horrible architecture in the 30Mbps markets, not being able to watch two HD VODs in the same household. Even with my previous cable provider, I could watch two HD VODs at the same time. Such a flaw with FIOS.
Just an FYI...my neighbor in TX is a Verizon exec and he had 100MB running when we were invited to their Chistmas Party. With Cablevision announcing they will be rolling out a 101MB service, I think we'll see higher speeds, in certain markets, early next year.

I am fed up with the fact that neither of these providers has added much HD in the last 6 months, while DISH and my local cable company are slowly catching up to FIOS. If DirecTV continues to brag about its earnings and subscriber gains they will lose me for sure when the contract gets closer to being up. Unless they start adding HD channels. I want AMC HD for Breaking Bad and neither provider has delivered for me. Dish is adding channels left and right. I'll bet DirecTV would be too if they were bleeding like Dish.
Gotta love competition...it's the driver of innovasion. With the competition catching up, I got the feeling we'll see Verizon roll-out more HD channels this summer. If nothing else, we should see the six (6) .tv channels go live pretty soon. Plus, they supposedly have inked deals to carry nine addition HD channels...just don't know when all 15 will be active.

I am currently staying at my old house while doing some work in northern Virginia. I have cable (which sucks big time compared to FiOS TV), but I must say that I really appreciate having AMC HD in my channels lineup (28 HD channels).
 
Just an FYI...my neighbor in TX is a Verizon exec and he had 100MB running when we were invited to their Chistmas Party.

Haha.... too funny. This reminds me of the the Dish Network uplink reports for channels that never show up and then they just go away. You've got these guys over there saying they are personal channels for Charlie, the boss at Dish. I think it was TBS HD (before the common folk got it weeks or months later) that showed up in the uplink report and there have been RSNs. These channels sometimes go live for the actual customers but some time it is just Charlie's "testing."

We already know FIOS just needs to make live a couple circuits for Internet bandwidth and we'll be all set. I just don't understand why I didn't get 50 when I was a fresh install. My whole CO was a fresh install. Surely the ONT can candle the extra circuits. They probably have to keep everybody on the same page in each market.

Must be nice for this executive to have eggnog cocktails and caviar, along with really fast Internet that the people he is showing off to don't and won't get for a while. "Look at me, I am bad ass, I have a 100Mbps connection, that caviar you are eating, well it was delivered right across my Internet connection. Yep, we can do that now. We can deliver goods over the Internet it is so fast now. Margret, I'm sorry dear but it won't be available in this neighborhood until next year." "But Steve, you live next door and have it????" "I am an executive with FIOS, of course I have it. " haha....

That will be nice if they do this upgrade. Even if we don't subscribe to the fast speed, we will benefit because the VOD in your house will be able to play multiple HD VODs at the same time with now problem. My math says six. You could have six DVRs watching six different HD-VODs at the same time if they hat 100Mbps. Much better than the limitation of 1 as it stands now in many markets. Bring it on!

I was at my father-in-law's house last night (new to FIOS) trying to explain to him the HD channels are the higher ones. They were watching Showtime west SD in the 300s on an HD TV via stretch-o-vision. I was sickened and had to wake them up. Well my mother in law doesn't get it but pops #2 cares and I showed him. I turned to the 800 version (HD) of the same channel and my beloved father in law could clearly see the light. FIOS could do a better job job telling novices where to find the HD channels. They thought their stretch-o-vision was HD and I meet so many people like this.

About a year ago we had our then 3 month old baby and my mother-in-law would come down to take care of him when I had to work for a few months and while my wife was on maternity leave to help her out. My mother in law is a lifetime move watcher and watches CNN and Fox News (as well as MSNBC, which doesn't yet have a live HD channel. I kept catching her watching channels like A&E and Lifetime in SD that had HD versions of the channels. She didn't know any better. I was just thankful she was helping out so I let her enjoy and didn't say anything after maybe once. She went on watching SD in strecth-o-vision of channels available on another channel in HD.

Gotta love competition...it's the driver of innovasion. With the competition catching up, I got the feeling we'll see Verizon roll-out more HD channels this summer. If nothing else, we should see the six (6) .tv channels go live pretty soon. Plus, they supposedly have inked deals to carry nine addition HD channels...just don't know when all 15 will be active.

Believe me, I do love competition. I just wish my providers DirecTV and FIOS would start adding content. If it takes the other providers to pass them up in channels, so be it, but it should have to get that far. It is like, if they didn't have competition they wouldn't have rolled out so much HD. They didn't do it for us, they did it to compete. Cost doesn't matter to me up until a certain point. I'd be willing to pay more to get all the HD channels. These companies will fight tooth and nail over pennies. If AMC wants $.50 per subscriber for HD and FIOS has been holding out for $.40, it just isn't worth it. FIOS, pay the extra ten cents and pass it along to me in my bill. I want the channel.

Maybe we would be better off in an a la carte system. I'd get the Premium movie channels of course, Fox News and Fox business, History, NatGeo, AMC, Fx, and a handful of others.

Heck, FIOS should have a HD and locals only package. Then if you add the premiums you'd also get the SD premiums that aren't available in HD yet, like a few of the Showtimes, Starz, Encore. . That would go over well since many of us pretty much only watch HD.

but I must say that I really appreciate having AMC HD in my channels lineup).

Must be nice. I hate watching Breaking Bad in SD because neither one of my providers will add AMC HD. Jerks.
 
Haha.... too funny. This reminds me of the the Dish Network uplink reports for channels that never show up and then they just go away. You've got these guys over there saying they are personal channels for Charlie, the boss at Dish. I think it was TBS HD (before the common folk got it weeks or months later) that showed up in the uplink report and there have been RSNs. These channels sometimes go live for the actual customers but some time it is just Charlie's "testing."

We already know FIOS just needs to make live a couple circuits for Internet bandwidth and we'll be all set. I just don't understand why I didn't get 50 when I was a fresh install. My whole CO was a fresh install. Surely the ONT can candle the extra circuits. They probably have to keep everybody on the same page in each market.

Must be nice for this executive to have eggnog cocktails and caviar, along with really fast Internet that the people he is showing off to don't and won't get for a while. "Look at me, I am bad ass, I have a 100Mbps connection, that caviar you are eating, well it was delivered right across my Internet connection. Yep, we can do that now. We can deliver goods over the Internet it is so fast now. Margret, I'm sorry dear but it won't be available in this neighborhood until next year." "But Steve, you live next door and have it????" "I am an executive with FIOS, of course I have it. " haha....
It's all about money. Verizon says they have very few takers for the higher-priced 50Mb/20Mb package, so their is little incentive for them to roll-out 100Mb/20Mb. To be honest, when I first signed-up I had the 5/2 package, which was later bumped-up to 20/5. After suffering though 8-years of Adelphia/Comcast broadband (unreliable/frustrating internet service because they were the only provider in the neighborhood), I am quite happy with Verizon's 20/5 speed and reliability, and I imagine their "standard" package will be 50/20 in another 18-24 months. We'll shall see.

That will be nice if they do this upgrade. Even if we don't subscribe to the fast speed, we will benefit because the VOD in your house will be able to play multiple HD VODs at the same time with now problem. My math says six. You could have six DVRs watching six different HD-VODs at the same time if they hat 100Mbps. Much better than the limitation of 1 as it stands now in many markets. Bring it on!
True. I love their FiOS' VOD, but we probably don't watch more than handful of shows each week so multiple HD-VOD streams isn't a big factor for us. I keep one FiOS DVR for VOD/Widgets, but we use other DVRs since the FiOS DVR is lacking. To be honest, I would use their HD-VOD more often, but I just set the season pass/timers so it's not a problem.

Must be nice. I hate watching Breaking Bad in SD because neither one of my providers will add AMC HD. Jerks.
AMC is nice, but I would glably swap my 110 FiOS HD channels for these 28 Comcast HD channels.
 
When my wife was looking at housing in Texas, I made sure she was looking in a FiOS neighborhood.

Fios is nowhere near where we'd be going. Good thing I'm still on good terms with D.
Now their sports crazy attitude will be in my favor. I won't need to miss my Seahawks, Mariners or Sounders. :)

I'll still keep my Tivo hooked up for OTA.
 
It's looking like I will be moving this summer and leaving Verizon territory. Going to miss my Fios.

Looks like you wouldn't have had a choice, even if you stayed. Verizon announced that they're selling off a good chunk of their system to Frontier. That's mostly their copper stuff, but also includes FiOS in IN, OR, and WA.
 
Looks like you wouldn't have had a choice, even if you stayed. Verizon announced that they're selling off a good chunk of their system to Frontier. That's mostly their copper stuff, but also includes FiOS in IN, OR, and WA.

Finally coming to a head with the crazy spending spree building out FIOS are they? Now they have to sell off assets to clean up their books. Not surprised.

(Selfishly) As long as I have my FIOS down here in FL, I am all set. haha.

Chances are the TV portion of FIOS would stay the same though if one lived in a household that was bought out. Before Verizon was Verizon and still GTE down here they started a cable company named Americast. It was traditional cable. When it was sold off, it remained the same channel lineup. They have barely added anything over the years though and is now known as Knology, focusing on low price.
 
Finally coming to a head with the crazy spending spree building out FIOS are they? Now they have to sell off assets to clean up their books. Not surprised.

(Selfishly) As long as I have my FIOS down here in FL, I am all set. haha.

Chances are the TV portion of FIOS would stay the same though if one lived in a household that was bought out. Before Verizon was Verizon and still GTE down here they started a cable company named Americast. It was traditional cable. When it was sold off, it remained the same channel lineup. They have barely added anything over the years though and is now known as Knology, focusing on low price.

What they're doing sucks for people in those markets, but from what I understand, the FiOS footprint in all three markets combined is less than 70k TV subscribers. I'm guessing they figured that the roll-out costs wasn't worth it. Not sure what Frontier plans on doing. They currently offer video services through Dish Network. But I agree with you, this will likely mean next to nothing... for a little while after the sale. But eventually it won't be nothing. Around here, when Suburban Cable was bought out by Comcast, the prices started going up. Yeah, we got a few more channels right off the bat, but the prices jumped several times a year.

Ditto down at my in-law's beach house (down in Southern, DE). They initially had a really small, local cable outfit. They didn't get a whole lot of channels (maybe 30 all told), but they were dirt cheap. Then Comcast bought them out, significantly increased their channel line-up... but also significantly increased the cost too. I think it all depends on who buys out whom.

Also Verizon has franchise obligations in those areas that Frontier will now have to meet. Do they have the money to roll out fiber on that scale, to the home? I don't know. I look at what happened with the Verizon/Fairpoint deal, and it looks like Fairpoint bit off alot more than they could chew. I wonder if this is going to be the same.
 
Looks like you wouldn't have had a choice, even if you stayed. Verizon announced that they're selling off a good chunk of their system to Frontier. That's mostly their copper stuff, but also includes FiOS in IN, OR, and WA.

I'm surprised Frontier would have the chops to pull that off. I've always thought of them as totally rural. Where I live is suburban and would seem to be
part of what Verizon would want to keep.
 
I'm surprised Frontier would have the chops to pull that off. I've always thought of them as totally rural. Where I live is suburban and would seem to be
part of what Verizon would want to keep.

I don't know if they do. This could be another Fairpoint deal in the making. I don't believe Frontier has experience with fiber, much less providing their own video service.
 

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