While the list is impressive and I know the PQ has always been good, I wish Fios were available in my area.
Anyway, I want to ask why some of you D* subs want to switch? D*'s HD lineup is just as good if not better very soon, and as far as we know D*'s MPEG4 will be in good PQ contest too, so why switch especially some of you need the NFL ST? Not to mention most of you dont care about the $16/ea HDDVR fee.
I don't agree that DirecTV's lineup will be better than Verizon's when all is said and done. It depends on what you want. If you're a big sports nut, then I agree, DirecTV is the place to be. With the specialty sports packs, and all the RSNs that you can get access to. But if you're not into getting the extra sports pack, I really don't think DirecTV would be a better choice in terms of programming. Many of the channels that DirecTV is adding in this go-round will be RSNs and PPVs. Take away the PPVs, and you're looking at an equivalent number of HD channels per market (about 100/market, give or take). But of those 100, a good 15 - 17 will be RSNs with DirecTV, while they'll be standard cable channels with Verizon. It really depends on what you're looking for.
Here's where I see the advantages to FiOS over DirecTV are:
1) More overall channels - yeah, DirecTV currently (very soon to change) has more HD channels, Verizon has more channels overall.
2) Better SD PQ. I've never had DirecTV's HD service so I can't compare, but the SD PQ is just very clearly better on FiOS.
3) VOD - Yeah, DirecTV rolled out DoD, which is a sorta-on-demand capability, but it's not the same.
4) Local stuff - more local channels in HD, plus I get all of my local digital subchannels, and I get local weather on the 8's on TWC, and WeatherScan Local.
5) No rain fade.
Those are just some of the pros from my personal experience.
Edit - from a pricing perspective, again, it depends on what you want. Both companies price things very differently so it's a little hard to make a general comment as to which is the better deal. Add in discounts due to bundling with Verizon, and it complicates matters further. Yeah, their DVRs are more expensive every month, but then again you don't pay anything for them up front, there's no required commitment, and their normal programming price is significantly less than DirecTV's ($47/month gives you access to everything but the premiums and their sports pack - there's no HD fee, there are no tiers). Also, in terms of bang for your buck, FiOS is really a good deal - again, depending on what you're looking for.
For example, I have their movie pack, which includes: Starz, Showtime, TMC, Flix, Encore, IFC, and Sundance (45 SD channels in all), both in SD and HD (soon to have a large number of HD channels), AND includes the VOD feeds for those channels to. I pay $13/month for that. They've since raised that price a bit (I think it's $14/month now) but I'm grandfathered into the older price.
