My Directv, Fios comparison

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aboz

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Sep 7, 2003
160
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Rochester,NY
I am now living in a location fortunately to have Fios. I must say that both services are very similar in some respects, and different in others. Here are some observations:

TV
The picture is phenomenal to say the least, the SD is clear and not compressed on Fios. The HD channels are both similar with Directv being very close in the MPEG 4 feeds, those of you who can't have Fios have something good with the MPEG 4 HD.

Receivers

This is a tough one to really compare because the HR24 and the Fios boxes are similar, but for me the guide on Fios is better, it is sorted by color based on what is showed. The MoCA multi room view is instant compared to the DECA there is no remote lag whatsoever, however the boxes don't communicate with one another, in a sense that you can't schedule recordings from the non-dvr boxes (this will change with the IMG 1.9 software) The bios boxes are capable of doing limited self diagnosis to try and resolve issues.

Internet
Here there is no comparison I have 35/35 mbps internet, but I get 47/32 in real applications, it's just excellent.

From a HD perspective both services are great, but the price for Fios is a no brainer, I got the equivalent of the premier pack, with the internet and phone for $150(this is after the cost of boxes and taxes) for 2 year price lock, no commitment, and I can re lock the price after the 2 years is up.
 
sounds great. wish i had fios as an option around here. congratulations
 
I looked into FiOs, but the price issue was the killer for me. FiOs was much more expensive than DirecTV. FiOs charges a fee for each receiver/DVR, including your primary one, and a much higher fee as well

DirecTV: Total Choice Plus, HD, HD Extra, DVR, and two rooms - $73
TWC Internet: $30
Ooma Phone: Free
 
From a HD perspective both services are great, but the price for Fios is a no brainer, I got the equivalent of the premier pack, with the internet and phone for $150(this is after the cost of boxes and taxes) for 2 year price lock, no commitment, and I can re lock the price after the 2 years is up.
What will it be afterward? This was one thing that irked me when I was talking to FiOs. They would not tell me the price after 2 years.
 
I guess if I was comparing my area's Fios to DirecTV, I'd look at programming comparisons. There, it's no contest, as a sports viewer. DirecTV wins that comparison.
 
I guess if I was comparing my area's Fios to DirecTV, I'd look at programming comparisons. There, it's no contest, as a sports viewer. DirecTV wins that comparison.

BINGO! For me it's about the sports. In the NYC DMA there is no HD for MSG or MSG+. While that falls squarely on the Dolans it's still a deal breaker for me. I switched from FiOS TV immediately after DTV added those HD feeds. As far as price goes, the more HD sets you have the better the deal with DTV is. FiOS HD boxes are somewhere around $16/month and their customer service can't touch DirecTV.

The only thing superior about FiOS TV, IMO, is the standard def picture and their on screen guide.
 
I sometimes wish FIOS was available in Michigan. While I might not care for their TV service, it would be cool if I were to get a great deal on their internet.
 
I just wanted to add that there is no comparing FiOS HD to DirecTV HD...FiOS wins hands-down! Of course, there is a lot of horrible quality HD being broadcast directly from the programmer and it looks just as bad on FiOS; garbage-in, garbage-out. Second, we have not had one-second of service disruption in more than 3 1/2 years (TV, Internet and Phone) with FiOS...it has been 100% reliable. Finally, if you don't like the FiOS DVR (the new box with 1.9 is much better) you can aways buy a Tivo or Moxi...these boxes rock!

From my perspective, other than wanting NFL Sunday Ticket there is no reason to select DirecTV over FiOS TV; FiOS beats D* for price, quality, reliability, hardware options (can use FiOS equipment or purchase your own Cablecard devices) and customer service. Plus, people can now order Sunday Ticket directly on their PS3. This is just my opinion, but if Verizon FiOS is available it's a no-brainer to sign-up with their TV/Internet bundle. Of course, if you like DirecTV then so be it. It's your money.
 
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