Anymore HD coming soon
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I heard that they're working the deal with Viacom, and that those channels will be coming at some point this year. That's as specific as they've been. Then there's the .tv channels that are still coming... at some point. They still have C&I listed as 'coming soon', and NBA TV, which I think requires that Verizon carry NBA Center Court (I think that's what the package is called) before they can offer it.
JPL,
It is NBA League Pass, close enough though
You're right - I thought Center Court didn't sound right. Got it confused with NHL Center Ice I guess. BTW, what I saw on dslreports is that the rumor is that the Viacom channels will be coming some time this spring. Not that any of them show a whole lot of HD at this point, but I'll take them
I could use some more HD channels! I don't even look to see what's on SD channels anymore because I won't watch them.
Isn't there a web site that lists all HD channels available? If someone could post the URL I'd appreciate it.
Isn't there a web site that lists all HD channels available? If someone could post the URL I'd appreciate it.
This one does a nice side-by-side comparison of the HD channels for each provider:
Official AVS National HD Channel Lineups - Cable/DBS/Fiber/IPTV - Updated 4/16/09! - AVS Forum
Note - it doesn't include locals or RSNs - just national channels.
BTW, from what I heard, the 6 .tv HD channels will be coming sometime mid-May, if all goes well.
Official AVS National HD Channel Lineups - Cable/DBS/Fiber/IPTV - Updated 4/16/09! - AVS Forum
Note - it doesn't include locals or RSNs - just national channels.
BTW, from what I heard, the 6 .tv HD channels will be coming sometime mid-May, if all goes well.
If all goes well? I think that is a matter of opinion. What could these generic channels possibly offer that is more appealing than the missing national channels by Comcast, Viacom, Rainbow, etc?
I am still waiting for Crime and Investigation HD. I don't know what the hold up is. We have the SD version. I won't watch that. I want the HD version.
The only SD thing I watch anymore is Breaking Bad on AMC since we don't get AMC HD, other than non-HD shows on the networks like Family Guy or hockey games not in HD (which I cannot stand!).
I am of the opinion that the .TV channels are a waste. I could be wrong, and we'll find out in mid-May I guess, if you are correct.
What are you talking about? There is absolutely no indication from the chart (which is pretty accurate, and I have been visiting it for several months now) that Verizon FIOS will be getting those stations.
While you put together a good list of what HD channels we at FIOS don't get, it is not reflective of what is coming down the pike at FIOS. Yes, the .TV channels, NBA TV, and Crime and Investigation are coming, but there is nothing in the works for the rest, except for a few others like TEAM.
They have no plans at this time of giving us the others, such as AMC HD, which I have been wanting for Breaking Bad.
Did you not realize this was a FIOS inquiry? Because other providers have some of the other stuff in the works, but not FIOS.
I suppose we "could." And I "could possibly" be president one day.
In many areas FIOS needs to compete and add more channels. The ONLY thing that sets them apart from other providers is their HD channel lineup, especially the premiums. Their customer service and DVRs suck.
So when other providers catch up on channels, I see no reason to stay with FIOS. I agree they SHOULD add a ton of these. But look at their track record. They have had those ridiculous .tv channels listed as coming soon on the .pdf since November. It took them forever and a day to get Encore HD up and where the heck is Crime and Investigation HD?
In my city, the cable company Bright House has implemented SDV and announced many channel adds. I am sure that is a similar story in other FIOS markets. They need to start adding stuff, I agree. It just isn't likely with their track record. They don't understand the customer. I am not alone in that I am only with FIOS for the channels. I am not with them for consolidated billing or their customer service.
Also, many of those channels that say Q4 2008 and Q1 2009 never launched (not yet). Chiller HD for example was supposed to launch in October, according to their website. That obviously never happened, as nobody carries it yet.
I can only imagine the economy has something to do with many of the planned channels not coming into fruition. So FIOS cannot add channels that don't exist but there is absolutely no reason for them not to put Crime and Investigation HD online. It exists. I had it last year with DirecTV before I switched to FIOS. And FIOS has the SD version.
For the record, my comment of 'if all goes well' was meant from a TECHNICAL perspective. They were supposed to roll out those .tv channels months ago but hit a technical glitch. What that glitch was, or whether it was on Verizon's end or not, I have no idea. If all goes well, and they've ironed out the technical issues, those 6 channels will be added within the next 2 weeks (from what I've heard). I won't speak to the content of those channels.
As for the channels on that list, Verizon has already committed to adding C&I HD and NBA HD. They also indicated that they have reached an agreement with Viacom and THOSE HD channels will be coming in the next couple months. Not sure when. Personally, given how little HD content there is currently on those channels, I can wait a few months for channels like Comedy Central HD.
In terms of the rate at which they've been adding channels... I guess I'm at a loss at the comments about not having alot of confidence in their ability/desire to do that. What did they go through just 9 months ago? Between late summer 2008 and now they went from 30 HD channels in my market to 109 (I think that's the current count). Is that the 'track record' you're referring to?
When they add these 6 channels, they'll be up to 115... and when they add the Viacom channels, NBA, and C&I they'll be up to what, 122 - 125. Not sure how that doesn't qualify for them being on the ball with adding HD channels. It's those other services (TWC, CV, Comcast, RCN) that have been working to play catch-up with Verizon... not the other way around.
As for the channels on that list, Verizon has already committed to adding C&I HD and NBA HD. They also indicated that they have reached an agreement with Viacom and THOSE HD channels will be coming in the next couple months. Not sure when. Personally, given how little HD content there is currently on those channels, I can wait a few months for channels like Comedy Central HD.
In terms of the rate at which they've been adding channels... I guess I'm at a loss at the comments about not having alot of confidence in their ability/desire to do that. What did they go through just 9 months ago? Between late summer 2008 and now they went from 30 HD channels in my market to 109 (I think that's the current count). Is that the 'track record' you're referring to?
When they add these 6 channels, they'll be up to 115... and when they add the Viacom channels, NBA, and C&I they'll be up to what, 122 - 125. Not sure how that doesn't qualify for them being on the ball with adding HD channels. It's those other services (TWC, CV, Comcast, RCN) that have been working to play catch-up with Verizon... not the other way around.
Me too. :up
The top two on my FiOS HD wish list are CI and Investigation Discovery (channel 123 on FiOS SD).
I love Investigation Discovery but haven't watched it in a while because I am growing increasingly intolerant of SD video. Does Investigation Discovery HD exist yet? I cannot believe Discovery pushed that Planet Green so hard and Investigation Discovery is still SD. I'd have that on at least four hours a day if they would go HD. Right now my advertising eyes go to Fox News during the day. I love the shows on Investigation Discovery and judging by the black frame around the whole picture, you can pretty much tell it is a 16x9 HD image down-rezzed from the other Discovery HD channels to go SD on ID. In other words, much of the content is shot in HD anyway. It would be a perfect fit for an HD channel by Discovery.
I admired FIOS until about 2007 when the satellite companies started passing them by in HD. Yes, they added a bunch last summer-fall. If they hadn't, I had made my mind up not to subscribe to them when they came to my neighborhood.
But they did, so I subscribed in Nov 2008, as soon as they went live in my neighborhood. From the perspective of a Nov 2008 subscriber, they haven't added much and "coming soon" seems to be a theme.
I am saying that FIOS needs to stay on top of everybody else with the HD channels. If they don't, NOTHING is special about them. The ONLY thing in my opinion that sets them ahead of the rest is the HD channel lineup. CS sucks. The DVRs suck. The architecture of the On Demand and guide depending on the Actiontec modem and the dipping into your Internet bandwidth sucks. It is the channels baby. The HD channels.
DirecTV and Dish both have way better DVRs. If either one of them had ALL the HD channels FIOS has, I'd ditch FIOS. The cable and sat companies will catch up to FIOS eventually. And then what?
You are right about the Viacom channels. I also subscribe to DirecTV (contract before FIOS) and the Viacom channels don't show much. I'd like to see the Comcast and Rainbow channels. AMC HD is my to choice for Breaking Bad.
Really, other than HD channels, what sets FIOS ahead of anybody else other than possible faster Internet than you can get from competitors?
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I won't disagree, but the Tivo HD does a pretty good job (2nd to Dish Network's HD DVR), Verizon's bundled services (value and reliability) can't be touched by E*/D*, and the amazing picture quality of FiOS TV pretty much blows the satellites out-of-the-sky.
- D* HD picture quality isn't bad, but I have been hearing more complaints lately.
- E* stopped offering HD back in October 2005, but they have plenty of HD-Lite for customers who don't care about quality.
Still, I would still like to see Verizon add more "high quality" HD channels to the channel lineup and expand their lead in the number of HD channels they currently offer. There are currently 110 HD channels in my FiOS TV lineup and I would like to see more added soon.
The thing is, these things are far from static. What you're saying about FiOS I've heard DirecTV subscribers say about that system - disappointment that they squandered their top-of-the-heap status. Look, at the end of the day, in terms of programming, there won't be much difference between the various providers. Eventually they'll all get past their bandwidth limitations. Before all the recent changes in TV systems (VOD, DVRs, HD) all systems were pretty similar in terms of their offerings. Then changes started happening - they all picked different paths to get to 'point B' - but eventually they'll all get there.
Why do I like FiOS over other services? Well, I was a DirecTV subscriber. I got my first HDTV in 2007 and I wanted HD service. I went with FiOS (vs. getting HD with DirecTV) for a few reasons - I did this even though DirecTV announced their boatload of HD coming later in the year. Partly I became convinced that FiOS was the more promising in terms of future expansion.
Overall, here's my take on what FiOS has over, say, DirecTV:
1) Better PQ. I've never seen their mpeg-4 HD channels, and I understand that they're pretty nice, but at least in terms SD Verizon beats DirecTV hands down.
2) More channels - first they had more SD and HD, then more SD, and now more SD and HD again.
3) Better bang for your buck - not only can I bundle and save a bunch, but just their TV service alone fits my needs better. I have the movie pack, e.g. - for $13/month I get 47 SD and a bunch of HD channels. I get additional sports channels without having to sign up for a sports pack. Add in bundling discounts and the saving get even bigger.
4) I perfer Verizon's hardware/software, actually. I had two R15s (SD DVR) with DirecTV. I liked the boxes fine, except that they were really slow, and some of the functionality/limitations just defied description - no series manager? can't setup the same series on 2 different channels? max limits on todo and series lists? I find Verizon's IMG lightning fast compared to the R15s. There is some functionality that's missing that I would like to see, and the harddrive on the DVR is really too small... but apart from that I have no complaints about their stuff.
One other thing - one thing you said wasn't quite right. That VOD eats into your internet speed. In a vast majority of cases, it doesn't. Your ONT can go up to 50Mbps (the newer GPON ONTs even higher). Verizon bumps your internet speed automatically to compensate. It's up to the max that the ONT can support, so if you have 50Mbps service, and you have a BPON ONT, then yeah, you take a bit of a hit. When I first signed up I had 5/2 internet service, and my speed would actually go UP when my kids watched VOD. In fact, my kids are watching VOD right now, and I ran a speed test, and I got my full speed.
Why do I like FiOS over other services? Well, I was a DirecTV subscriber. I got my first HDTV in 2007 and I wanted HD service. I went with FiOS (vs. getting HD with DirecTV) for a few reasons - I did this even though DirecTV announced their boatload of HD coming later in the year. Partly I became convinced that FiOS was the more promising in terms of future expansion.
Overall, here's my take on what FiOS has over, say, DirecTV:
1) Better PQ. I've never seen their mpeg-4 HD channels, and I understand that they're pretty nice, but at least in terms SD Verizon beats DirecTV hands down.
2) More channels - first they had more SD and HD, then more SD, and now more SD and HD again.
3) Better bang for your buck - not only can I bundle and save a bunch, but just their TV service alone fits my needs better. I have the movie pack, e.g. - for $13/month I get 47 SD and a bunch of HD channels. I get additional sports channels without having to sign up for a sports pack. Add in bundling discounts and the saving get even bigger.
4) I perfer Verizon's hardware/software, actually. I had two R15s (SD DVR) with DirecTV. I liked the boxes fine, except that they were really slow, and some of the functionality/limitations just defied description - no series manager? can't setup the same series on 2 different channels? max limits on todo and series lists? I find Verizon's IMG lightning fast compared to the R15s. There is some functionality that's missing that I would like to see, and the harddrive on the DVR is really too small... but apart from that I have no complaints about their stuff.
One other thing - one thing you said wasn't quite right. That VOD eats into your internet speed. In a vast majority of cases, it doesn't. Your ONT can go up to 50Mbps (the newer GPON ONTs even higher). Verizon bumps your internet speed automatically to compensate. It's up to the max that the ONT can support, so if you have 50Mbps service, and you have a BPON ONT, then yeah, you take a bit of a hit. When I first signed up I had 5/2 internet service, and my speed would actually go UP when my kids watched VOD. In fact, my kids are watching VOD right now, and I ran a speed test, and I got my full speed.
Yes, the PQ, but that falls into the same category to me as the channels. It is all about the number of channels. I have both FIOS and DirecTV and have done many side by side comparisons and the FIOS picture is better, but not make or break better. DirecTV isn't bad. If DTV had more HD channels that I wanted, I'd go with them between the two.
As far as Tivo, I do realize that is an option. I just don't want to shell out a lot of money for Tivos for two TVs. Wouldn't I need two cable cards for two tuners? Also, do they utilize tru2way? I could still enjoy VOD with a Tivo? I actually have 4 DVRs (1 Fios and 1 DTV on each of two TVs). I would need 4 Tivos and 4 or more cablecards. I'd actually rather get that Moxi (or is it Moxy?) if I had the money. I'd need four probably though.
I just feel like FIOS handles things by sitting back until everybody gets ahead and then they add a bunch of channels. At least that is what they did with the big wave in the summer. Why not add a few here and a few there and not wait until everybody gets a little bit ahead and then blast forward? It is like running a 10K. Here I am pacing myself for the race while somebody else goes really fast until they run out of steam and then they fall back and then they blast ahead of me and then they fall back again. I don't like that business model. Just make some deals now and give us some more channels.
Overall, I am happy with FIOS right now with the channels. I cannot complain about having all 26 HBO/MAX channels in HD. Especially not after watching DTV say they'd be adding like 11 in a June 2007 press release for Dec 2007 and then them never adding them. I just think they could do better.
It was ridiculous watching Encore HD show up in the guide, get an error message, disappear, come back, and finally go online in like March. They announced channels in Nov and many are still missing. It is just annoying is all.
"Coming Soon" for six months is a stretch for a TV provider.
Oh, I wish you were right on this. What you said is not true in all markets. It is actually 30Mbps in most markets. I have been around and around with them on this. I won't get into it too much unless you request it, but I am in the Tampa market, which is one of the first, but my city of St. Petersburg just got service in the fall of last year. I was literally one of the first in my part of town. I am in a 30Mbps market. My Internet is 20/5. I don't care about it using my Internet bandwidth because I only have FIOS as a secondary Internet provider to BHN biz for my business with a static IP 20/2. I have a dual-WAN router and it load balances. I never use the bandwidth for my computers, server, slingboxes, Xbox 360s, PS3, Vonage phones, etc, where I need more than the 20. I just got the TV/Net bundle for like $22 more a month so I would have redundancy. The problem is, since my market has 30Mbps service, and I realize it only dips into my paid for Internet service if it needs it, is that I cannot watch two HD VODs at the same time. That is my beef. That and they require you to use their Actiontec. Yes, I have wireless turned off, blah blah blah, and it passes through to my own wireless rotuer. That isn't the problem. It is another point of failure. But anyway, HD VOD requires 16Mbps download. Watching two equals 32. They pixelize and freeze up. If I want to watch a movie in one room and my wife in the other that are both HD, we cannot. If we had 50 in my market, heck we could watch 3, but we only have 30, so there lies the problem. But you are right, it will burst to 30, only dipping into 6 of my 20 down if I am watching a HD VOD, leaving me with 14 down. I don't care because it is just backup to my biz Internet with BHN.
So, if you are lucky enought live in a 50 down market, you are all set. You are right, but many of the markets are still 30.
I went through hell to finally get this answer from a senior engineer at FIOS. But that is a long story.
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