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T2k

Supporting Founder

Last reply Aug 24, 2005 · posted in Cable Television and Fiber Providers

Crazy bad@ss Verizon FIOS TV plans

I guess we can call this 'holy sh*t' category...

FiOS TV Features Update

I was lucky enought to participate in a Verizon FiOS TV marketing focus group earlier this week in Carle Place, Long Island. Here's what I found out:

1. Verizon will be launching FiOS TV to certain towns in Western Nassau including Great Neck, Manhasset, Port Washington and Roslyn (there may be others) on Sept. 1st.

2. The service will offer 300 channels with 18 sports channels, 3X the number of HD channels that Cablevision currently offers, 1,800 on-demand programs and all of the standard local channels (except stuff like News12 and NY1).

3. They will offer a DVR box that can record up to SIX programs simultaneously and stream video from one room to another if you have multiple DVR boxes.

4. Supposedly, it will be cheaper than cable, but there was NO other info about possible pricing.

That's what I know right now. Hope this helps!

Taken from http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/remark,13580131

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Wayne88

Aug 23, 2005

Other deals

Verizon Communications Inc. plans to aggressively target cable and satellite subscribers with three low-priced programming packages for its upcoming FiOS TV service, which the company plans to launch during the second half of 2005.

Industry sources said Verizon will attempt to woo customers with a $50-to-$55-per-month programming package that would include premium channels from Starz Entertainment Group and Showtime Networks Inc., along with more than 150 digital basic channels.

Sources said Verizon will also offer two lower-priced tiers — a lifeline video service which would only contain local broadcast channels, and a basic-programming tier which would feature traditional analog basic cable channels such as ESPN, MTV: Music Television, Cable News Network and USA Network.

Verizon spokesman Eric Rabe said the company will offer multiple programming tiers, but declined to confirm specific pricing or packaging offers.

"We hope to be more creative and, frankly, more user friendly on a lot of scores here," Rabe said when asked if Verizon planned to pursue unique packaging strategies with premium channels, compared to the way cable operators have traditionally packaged channels like Home Box Office and Showtime.

DEALS WITH150
A source said Verizon has reached distribution deals with programmers that would give the company more than 150 channels to market to subscribers. But Verizon has only announced a handful of programming deals for FiOS TV, most recently an agreement with Showtime Networks last week.

Verizon has also touted agreements with Starz Entertainment Group, NBC Universal Cable, A&E Television Networks, Court TV and, also last week, Varsity TV, Gospel Music Channel, Soundtrack Channel, MavTV and GolTV.

Sources said Verizon has also pitched HBO on the idea of joining Starz and Showtime channels in a widely distributed tier which would include digital-basic channels, but the telco and HBO haven't yet hammered out a deal. HBO declined to comment.

Officials at Starz and Showtime declined to discuss the terms of their agreements with Verizon, but Showtime executive vice president Mark Greenberg said he expected that his carriage deal would drive distribution for Showtime and the company's other channels, including The Movie Channel and Flix, plus HDTV and VOD programming.

"We are excited by the proposition that Showtime will reach a wider audience," Greenberg said.

hbk409

Aug 23, 2005

so i stand correct,no hbo. I do not think their service is going to go anywhere quick without hbo, its the number#1 premium channel that people ask for, especially if they are on a tight budget and want at least 1 premium.

korsjs

Aug 23, 2005

i have a feeling they will have it before their launch.

Stargazer

Aug 23, 2005

This looks great! Perhaps some of the HD channels are SD upconverted to HD.

rtt2

Aug 24, 2005

Verizon denies FiOS TV launch in NY
By Carol Wilson

Aug 23, 2005 3:41 PM

Verizon is denying a Web-based report that it will launch its FiOS TV service in Long Island, NY on Sept. 1. The reports have been posted on the Web-based BroadbandReports.com site, from an individual who claimed to be part of a marketing trial Verizon held in N.Y.

Many of the details of the service reported in the claim were accurate, according to a spokesperson. For example, Verizon does plan to offer about 300 channels with 20 HDTV channels and 1800 on-demand programs, she said.

"We will not be launching the service in New York," the spokeswoman stated. "We don't have any video franchises in New York, so it's highly unlikely we'll provide TV there that soon. We've always said we're going to launch in Keller, Texas."

That launch is still scheduled for later this year, with a definite date to be named later.

FiOS is Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises deployment, which currently supports voice and high-speed data service at 5 Megabits per second, 15 Mbps and 30 Mbps.

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Neutron

Supporting Founder

Last reply 3 minutes ago · posted in Computers and Gadgets

Apple HomePod Home Automation

Does anyone here use Apple Home/HomeKit with HomePods or Apple TV to automate smart devices in their house? We have had Amazon's Alexa set up in our house for the last 10+ years and I have been waiting to switch them out to Apple for a few reasons; We are already in the Apple ecosystem with our phones, tablets, and computers. I have never liked Amazon's stance on privacy and I really like that Apple has pushed for privacy for a long time.

I bought 4 of the new HomePod Mini 2 speakers to go in various rooms in our house and we have one of the new Apple TVs on preorder that will be the start of me replacing our Rokus. I have the HomePod Mini 2s set up and have an RPi that is running HomeBridge for our legacy smart devices that worked natively with Alexa but don't work with Apple Home natively. I had trouble with the older smart bulbs not keeping the brightness or light color consistent with what our routines were with Alexa despite trying every setting in HomeBridge with the bulbs just not shining very bright. I ended up replacing them with updated versions that are Matter compatible so they work in Apple Home natively. That in and of itself has been interesting to set up because I have my home network segretated with the IoT devices on their own vlan and wifi and pretty locked down. Matter requires IPv6 and due to how my home network is designed I had to do some digging with AI to figure out how to make it all work correctly.

Apple Home definitely has some shortcomings that Alexa does much better with but I am hoping Apple will continue to improve their Home products and introduce features that will bring it closer to the functionality of Alexa.

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b4pjoe

47 minutes ago

I tried HomeKit to be able to see my Ring cameras on my Apple TV as they are not supported natively on Apple devices. The best I could get was to be able to view the cameras live but I could not view any recordings. After the last major update version of HomeKit I could not even view the live cameras anymore. I gave up on it after that. If I were going to do it again I would only buy devices that can work on Apple devices natively as HomeKit didn't work well at all for me.

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Neutron

30 minutes ago

b4pjoe said:
I tried HomeKit to be able to see my Ring cameras on my Apple TV as they are not supported natively on Apple devices. The best I could get was to be able to view the cameras live but I could not view any recordings. After the last major update version of HomeKit I could not even view the live cameras anymore. I gave up on it after that. If I were going to do it again I would only buy devices that can work on Apple devices natively as HomeKit didn't work well at all for me.

That's what I started doing after seeing legacy devices work hit or miss using the HomeBridge. At least Apple is following a standard now with Matter which is unusual for Apple. Looks like HomeBridge does allow you to see the live views but I haven't seen how to view past recordings. I'd really like to ditch Ring altogether due to their stance on privacy and if I had my choice I'd go with UniFi since that's what I use for my network and I like the idea of my camera recordings being all local and not in the cloud. UniFi doorbells and cameras are quite pricey though.

I'll try to access the Ring doorbells in Apple Home for now but I'll see if it's useful any.

Foxbat

11 minutes ago

I found that the IoT devices need to see the Apple TV to be able to use it as the HomeKit Hub. Unfortunately, that means being in the same IPv4 subnet.

I was thinking of getting a HomePod Mini for my Mother-in-Law to play music and set up HomeKit scenes, as well as make FaceTime Audio calls. When Apple announced their price rises due to RAMageddon, I kicked myself as they went up 50% in cost. I'll be curious to see the HomeView in person as this might not be a bad way to get her started on automation.

She asked about it because her friends have Alexa and they use it to control lights. But like you, I feel better putting in a HomePod or HomeView that's listening for commands instead of Amazon or Google.

b4pjoe

3 minutes ago

Neutron said:
That's what I started doing after seeing legacy devices work hit or miss using the HomeBridge.

Homebridge is what I meant when I said HomeKit. Forgot the name of it.

Bruce

Supporting Founder Lifetime Supporter

Last reply 6 minutes ago · posted in Internet Television (IPTV) Discussion Forum

Traditional/Streaming Live TV Providers Losses, 3rd Quarter 2026 Edition

Comcast is the first to report, with a massive 274,000 loss in video subscribers.

In the 3Q of 2016, Comcast had 21.42 million video subscribers and was the #1 provider, now at 10.39 million and is the #3 Provider, YTTV is #2 ( who also surpassed DirecTV-8 Million and Dish-under 5 Million), Charter/Spectrum is #1.

Comcast Just Lost 274,000 TV Customers & 144,000 Internet Customers In Just Three Months | Cord Cutters News

Comcast Corporation reported its third-quarter 2026 results on October 22, showing continued erosion in its domestic residential broadband internet and video customer bases as competitive pressures intensified across the connectivity market. The company recorded a net loss of 144,000 domestic...

cordcuttersnews.com

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ncted

Today at 12:06 PM

All my parents had to do to get a discount on Spectrum Internet is say the words "Verizon Home Internet," and they cut the price by $30/month.

NYDutch

Today at 12:38 PM

ncted said:
All my parents had to do to get a discount on Spectrum Internet is say the words "Verizon Home Internet," and they cut the price by $30/month.

I don't think they'll go below the current $30 price since it's part of a deal they have with the non- profit that owns the apartment building.

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ncted

Today at 12:46 PM

NYDutch said:
I don't think they'll go below the current $30 price since it's part of a deal they have with the non- profit that owns the apartment building.

Yeah, I was just saying Spectrum suddenly wants to keep what customers they can.

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Tom Speer

Today at 1:26 PM

Optimum, which bought up our previous cable company, Suddenlink (originally COX), replac ed all of their coax disdripution with Fiber several years ago. They ran new fiber links to the house, but installed RFOG (RF over glass) devices on the outside of the house, which makes the house coax system look like a cable system. They used DOCSIS modems and of course we had the same assymetric bandwidth of cable internet. When I called them a couple years ago, and said I had installed a connection to the local Fiber provideer, MetroNet, They panicked and offered me the 300 MBit "Fiber powered" cable service for $20 per month. They were bleeding customers. I cancelled my Metronet and went with the $20 deal for a year, even though I didn't like the old cable technology.

Then T-moble Fiber struck a deal with Metronet Fiber where T-mobile would take over the marketing, billing and customer relations for residential Customers. They offered a "Founders Deal" for 2 Gigabit service, symmetric speeds, for $70 per month for new customers. That included all taxes and fees and was guaranteed for 10 years. I couldn't resist. That deal is no longer offered, but I am set for 9 more years.

Now the successaor to the old local telephone company, Brightspeed has also installed a modern Fiber system in the neighborhood, but won't be getting my business. But their Fiber technology is also superior to Optimums cable based system.

With Fiber competition, the cable companies are eventually doomed.

Foxbat

6 minutes ago

Meanwhile, my neighbor 300' away has gigabit fiber, and I'm stuck with copper solutions.

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klang

Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter

Last reply 24 minutes ago · posted in TV Shows

Rockford Files Reboot - NBC, Peacock

'Rockford Files' Reboot Gets NBC Pilot Order

I grow tired of all the reboots. Most I don't bother with but will depend on the actor chosen.

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dfergie

Yesterday at 6:24 PM

Teaser

View: https://youtu.be/g7R669yokr4?is=wv_qN0B-YOBxRt24

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long_time_Dish

Yesterday at 6:32 PM

dfergie said:
Teaser

View: https://youtu.be/g7R669yokr4?is=wv_qN0B-YOBxRt24

I wonder how they're/if they're going to do something like the answering machine message opening? It was always funny...

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Howard Simmons

Today at 11:41 AM

long_time_Dish said:
I wonder how they're/if they're going to do something like the answering machine message opening? It was always funny...

I hope they can find enough Pontiac Firebirds to keep the show going.

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dishstaller

Today at 12:16 PM

long_time_Dish said:
I wonder how they're/if they're going to do something like the answering machine message opening? It was always funny...

I had forgotten all about that part of the show. Used to really like it.

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osu1991

Today at 1:45 PM

View: https://youtu.be/yg1Cx26-928?si=xCPDzM8lZEduYWm5

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long_time_Dish

24 minutes ago

The one where Beth is telling him about her cat is one of my favorites. "...he's not very discriminating".

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Scott Greczkowski

Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge

Last reply 28 minutes ago · posted in The Chit Chat Club

Song Name Game Part 3!

Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!

So let the game continue!

The last song was added by Bobby who posted...

One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters

CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!

Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game

Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.

Example:

Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow

Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio

Another example:

Ride the Lightning -- Metallica

Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne

Get it?

An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....

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dishstaller

Today at 11:22 AM

Knights In White Satin - The Moody Blues

Reactions: long_time_Dish, RaiderPower and sdfntx

Bobby

Today at 11:46 AM

The Topical Song - The Barron Knights

dishstaller

Today at 12:04 PM

The Logical Song - Supertramp

Reactions: long_time_Dish, RaiderPower and gms49ers

sdfntx

Today at 1:26 PM

From a Logical Point of View - Robert Mitchum

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long_time_Dish

28 minutes ago

Point Of Know Return - Kansas

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b4pjoe

Pub Member / Supporter Cutting Edge

Last reply Today at 3:06 PM · posted in Computers and Gadgets

Fox Is Buying Roku in $22 Billion Deal

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Arctic_fox

Jun 25, 2026

MSN

harshness

Jun 25, 2026

Given that Tubi is one of the hottest FAST services out there, I don't expect it to go anywhere. Building up intolerance for ads takes a while, and as long as the advertisers are willing to foot the bill, why not?

Reactions: Mr Tony and primestar31

osu1991

Today at 11:42 AM

Fox Closes $22 Billion Roku Takeover, Says Streaming Platform Will Remain ‘Open Ecosystem’

Surprise! Fox Corp. has closed its acquisition of streaming platform Roku, a deal valued at $22 billion, well ahead of the expected 2027 date.

variety.com

Surprise! Fox Corp. said Friday it has closed the acquisition of streaming platform Roku, a deal valued at $22 billion, well ahead of the expected 2027 date.

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Neutron

Today at 3:04 PM

Another reason I'm glad we are swapping or Rokus out for Apple TVs. I was already planning on ditching the Rokus earlier this year and had been waiting on Apple to announce the new one last month. Our Rokus have had issues the last year or so with freezing video and reboots, and one with an HDCP issue randomly.

dishstaller

Today at 3:06 PM

harshness said:
Building up intolerance for ads takes a while, and as long as the advertisers are willing to foot the bill, why not?

That is what I have to explain to customers all the time. They want it free with no ads :facepalm

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dishstaller

Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter

Last reply Today at 3:05 PM · posted in The Chit Chat Club

It's easy to get into too much of a rush these days. Glad I slowed down this morning

Thought some might find this encouraging. It turned out good but I still feel a little bad about it.
Had to drop by Walmart on my way to the store this morning, I had enough time but no time to spare either. As I was walking across the parking lot I noticed an older gent pushing his buggy with a confused look on his face. I said hello as I passed but he didn't respond...something was bothering him. I kept walking and then stopped and chided myself for being in too much of a rush. I turned around and asked him if he needed some help. Turned out he had NO idea where he had parked his truck. He told what color and model and looked around...nothing. I asked him if he had tried his key fob, he wasn't sure what I was talking about and got it out and handed it to me. Hit the lock and listened for a horn like my F150 does. Nothing. Finally I hit the panic button and we heard his truck...it was on the complete other side of the parking lot. He thanked me and I went on about my business.

I felt bad however because I almost didn't stop. I was so focused on what I had to pick up that I almost just kept walking without seeing if I could help. Years ago I wouldn't have hesitated. It seems that as we age it is easy to focus more on ourselves and ignore others which is why you'll see footage of these muggings in big cities and people just walk by the wounded victim who is laying on the sidewalk.

Moral to the story: Don't let your humanity die just because so many others have allowed theirs to.

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telstar_1

Today at 1:19 PM

Years ago you wouldn't have hesitated...What was your hesitation? In breaking stride to assess another's situation, which you wouldn't have done when younger? Usually it's younger people who are less observant or likely to break routine to help an old lady cross the street, etc.

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TRG

Today at 1:31 PM

Kinda reminds me of a verse from an old John Prine song.

So if you're walking down the street sometime
And spot some hollow ancient eyes
Please don't just pass 'em by and stare as if you didn't care
Say, "Hello in there, hello"

https://genius.com/John-prine-hello-in-there-lyrics

Reactions: dishstaller

Jimbo

Today at 3:05 PM

dishstaller said:
Thought some might find this encouraging. It turned out good but I still feel a little bad about it.
Had to drop by Walmart on my way to the store this morning, I had enough time but no time to spare either. As I was walking across the parking lot I noticed an older gent pushing his buggy with a confused look on his face. I said hello as I passed but he didn't respond...something was bothering him. I kept walking and then stopped and chided myself for being in too much of a rush. I turned around and asked him if he needed some help. Turned out he had NO idea where he had parked his truck. He told what color and model and looked around...nothing. I asked him if he had tried his key fob, he wasn't sure what I was talking about and got it out and handed it to me. Hit the lock and listened for a horn like my F150 does. Nothing. Finally I hit the panic button and we heard his truck...it was on the complete other side of the parking lot. He thanked me and I went on about my business.

I felt bad however because I almost didn't stop. I was so focused on what I had to pick up that I almost just kept walking without seeing if I could help. Years ago I wouldn't have hesitated. It seems that as we age it is easy to focus more on ourselves and ignore others which is why you'll see footage of these muggings in big cities and people just walk by the wounded victim who is laying on the sidewalk.

Moral to the story: Don't let your humanity die just because so many others have allowed theirs to.

Actually, I think it's a bit different ... as we age, we do what we need to ... I being retired, don't leave home as early as I would other wise have, some day I have a ton of stops to make, others just a few ...

I think the problem is the generations behind us are all about themselves and generally could care less about others ...

Thats not everyone behind us, but I would guess a majority ...

There comes a time in life that you decide your going to do whats Right, or not ...

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TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Today at 2:22 PM · posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

This Week in Space 235

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZvzVN2MnSs

Direct YouTube Link - This Week in Space 235
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed

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TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Today at 2:22 PM · posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Binance’s $6.3 Billion Crypto Heist: Gone in 20 Minutes #shorts

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Yian5I3puiU

Direct YouTube Link - Binance's $6.3 Billion Crypto Heist: Gone in 20 Minutes #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed

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TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Today at 2:22 PM · posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Google Making School Opt Into AI Usage, or Lose Access to Search

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JlKj326jgtI

Direct YouTube Link - Google Making School Opt Into AI Usage, or Lose Access to Search
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed

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TFLEV

Today at 1:43 PM · posted in TFLEV

Breaking News: The Tesla Cybertruck Is Dead!

Time for another AWESOME video from TFL Electric Vehicles!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRwyPKJclbQ

Direct YouTube Link - Breaking News: The Tesla Cybertruck Is Dead!