Verizon FiOS HDTV

[Marcus Carr]

State Commission Approves Verizon’s Video Franchise in NYC

Telco Clears Last Regulatory Hurdle To Sell FiOS Service to 3.1 Million Residents

By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 7/16/2008 1:41:00 PM

The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) on Wednesday confirmed the agreement between Verizon and the City of New York for the telecommunications company to provide FiOS TV service to all five boroughs of the city.

The PSC’s confirmation clears the last regulatory hurdle for Verizon to begin selling the FiOS TV video service to some 3.1 million city residents. In the Big Apple, the telco will compete with Time Warner Cable, Cablevision Systems and RCN.

Verizon struck an agreement between with the city's Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications on April 29. The city's Franchise and Concession Review Committee then approved the agreement May 27.

Monica Azare, Verizon senior vice president for New York and Connecticut, said in a statement the telco will launch FiOS TV service in New York City “in the coming weeks.”

“Already, interest by the average New Yorker has been staggering,” Azare said. “In the past few weeks, we have been taking orders in the New York City launch neighborhoods for Verizon's triple play of FiOS TV, FiOS Internet and wired, reliable telephone service.”

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6579222.html

[Marcus Carr]

Verizon Customers Get New Content From NBC Universal on Multiple Platforms - any Time, any Place

By Verizon

NEW YORK and ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., July 17 --Verizon and NBC Universal have reached an agreement to bring Verizon customers NBC Universal's coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing on all three Verizon platforms -- TV, broadband and wireless. The content ranges from schedules and medal standings to news, photos and highlights. Also, in addition to Verizon's current carriage of NBC HD and Universal HD, Verizon will launch a robust high-definition (HD) offering with the addition of four new HD networks: Bravo HD, CNBC+ HD, USA Network HD and SCI FI HD. FiOS TV customers will see these four HD channels launch during the next few months, region by region.

"From TV to broadband to wireless, Verizon is delivering the very best content and programming, and that includes NBC Universal's unprecedented Olympics coverage," said Terry Denson, vice president -- FiOS TV content and programming. "That's exciting for our customers, and it is a great opportunity for us to be able to showcase FiOS TV's video-on-demand and high-definition content, our incredible broadband services, and Verizon Wireless' V CAST video service."

Through the agreement with NBC Universal, Verizon customers will have access to the following Olympic-related content:

Video on demand -- Verizon's FiOS TV customers already have access to NBC Olympics video-on-demand (VOD) programming, including athlete features, Beijing previews and more. During the Olympic Games, FiOS TV's VOD library will offer NBC's daily highlight clips in standard- and high-definition as well as replays of some of the best events of the day, including swimming, diving, gymnastics, track and field, and more.

Broadband -- Verizon's FiOS Internet and High Speed Internet customers now have online access to NBC clips, news, photos and slideshows, a countdown clock and background on various athletes. During the Games, Verizon's broadband customers will have access to NBC's live streaming of more than 20 different sports as well as highlights from various events and medal standings. Verizon's broadband customers can decide which Olympic sports to watch online, either live or on demand, through a high-quality, full-screen viewing experience.

Olympics in HD -- In addition to the four new HD channels coming to Verizon's FiOS TV customers, the company also will launch two NBC HD channels dedicated to covering Olympic basketball and soccer. Live events, highlights and studio programming will be made available on NBC Universal's USA HD and Universal HD.

Wireless -- During the games, Verizon Wireless customers can keep up with the Olympic action on V CAST video through NBC's wireless coverage, which will include daily highlights, breaking news, scores and results, features, and more.


For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. To learn more about Verizon FiOS TV and FiOS Internet, customers can visit www.verizon.com/fios or call their local Verizon sales office or 888-438-3467. Customers interested in Verizon's High-Speed Internet service can call 877-483-5898 or go to www.verizon.com/highspeed.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 67 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employed a diverse workforce of approximately 232,000 as of the end of the first quarter 2008 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

SOURCE Verizon

http://www.sunherald.com/prnewswire/story/689009.html

[slybarman]

Yawn- give me some HD VOD I really want to watch.

[aaronwt]

Originally Posted by slybarman

Yawn- give me some HD VOD I really want to watch.

What about the HD movies they have available on VOD right now?

[slybarman]

Originally Posted by aaronwt

What about the HD movies they have available on VOD right now?

I would like to see them start to compete with Comcast's library of free HD VOD and premium channel HD VOD. At $5.99 for new releases, I will go to Blockbuster and get a Blu-ray.

[URFloorMatt]

Originally Posted by Marcus Carr

Verizon Customers Get New Content From NBC Universal on Multiple Platforms - any Time, any Place

By Verizon

NEW YORK and ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., July 17 --Verizon and NBC Universal have reached an agreement to bring Verizon customers NBC Universal's coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing on all three Verizon platforms -- TV, broadband and wireless. The content ranges from schedules and medal standings to news, photos and highlights. Also, in addition to Verizon's current carriage of NBC HD and Universal HD, Verizon will launch a robust high-definition (HD) offering with the addition of four new HD networks: Bravo HD, CNBC+ HD, USA Network HD and SCI FI HD. FiOS TV customers will see these four HD channels launch during the next few months, region by region.

http://www.sunherald.com/prnewswire/story/689009.html

Timely! Not.

[aaronwt]

Originally Posted by slybarman

I would like to see them start to compete with Comcast's library of free HD VOD and premium channel HD VOD. At $5.99 for new releases, I will go to Blockbuster and get a Blu-ray.

Doesn't Comcast charge the same price? The new releases are $5.99 too. Or are they $4.99?

[slybarman]

I think comcast's are $4.99, plus they were always sending us coupons for free ones.

[afiggatt]

I'm surprised this has not been posted here yet. Verizon is apparently in the process of adding USA-HD and CNBC-HD+ nationwide for the Olympics. My guide - in Northern VA - shows USA-HD at channel 884, but I can not tune to it. There is the Olympics Barker channel at 79, CNBC-HD+ showing up in some places at 879, two not yet live temporary NBC Olympic channels at 896 and 897. Others are reporting at dslreports that they are getting a live feed for USA-HD. I'm going to do a reboot of my DVR and router to see what that does for channel 884.

[JWhip]

We have 879 and 884 on the guide here also in SE Pa but no channel is there yet.

[jrusnak]

Originally Posted by aaronwt

Doesn't Comcast charge the same price? The new releases are $5.99 too. Or are they $4.99?

$4.99 in NJ, but a few dollars more for movies that are offered before their theatrical release.

[ridgefamus]

Originally Posted by JWhip

We have 879 and 884 on the guide here also in SE Pa but no channel is there yet.

'Course we're going with the new lineup on Monday here in OR , but I tune to 884 and get USA-HD tonight. Oceans 12 is on now - with frequent audio glitches. But when I go to the guide, it shows the current tuned channel as 872. The guide also shows channels 896 and 897 as "NBC Olympics". Tune to either of those and the color bar pattern appears.

From tuning to 884 and getting 872 I hit the channel down button and get to Ch 879 which is CNBC.

[shawn12341234]

Originally Posted by ridgefamus

'Course we're going with the new lineup on Monday here in OR , but I tune to 884 and get USA-HD tonight. Oceans 12 is on now - with frequent audio glitches. But when I go to the guide, it shows the current tuned channel as 872. The guide also shows channels 896 and 897 as "NBC Olympics". Tune to either of those and the color bar pattern appears.

From tuning to 884 and getting 872 I hit the channel down button and get to Ch 879 which is CNBC.

i have them in tampa....

[jpilcher]

the pay per view setanta channel , does any one know if you are required to have a sports tier subscription to get access to it? The guides that are showing up seem a bit confusing in that regard.
As I am going to have to ante up to watch some rugby ... finally ...
I want to know if I need to bet s ports sub as well... if I do , can i get it on a month by month basis?

[HDntheCity]

Originally Posted by jpilcher

the pay per view setanta channel , does any one know if you are required to have a sports tier subscription to get access to it? The guides that are showing up seem a bit confusing in that regard.
As I am going to have to ante up to watch some rugby ... finally ...
I want to know if I need to bet s ports sub as well... if I do , can i get it on a month by month basis?

Setanta Sports is not a PPV ch per se-it's a subscription ch(about $15/Mo. last I looked) like the foreign language chs.

shouldn't make any difference whether you have the sports pkg. or not unless Vz plans to offer a bundle discount(and no one has reported any such thing.)

[anonfios]

I just checked.. ITs on programing guide.. But we only have the gig-e links from the vho's in NY.. so NY by end of month and NJ.. AS for everywhere else.. The 100 or so HD channels are already at the SHE, but waiting for the gig-e link upgrades to the many many other VHO to actully carry the channels.. Still looking end of year.. sorry

[Marcus Carr]

Verizon Adds 22 New Channels to FiOS TV Lineup - Including 15 in HD - for Oregon Customers

                           New Channels Now Available
                           --------------------------
    Animal Planet HD        History Channel HD        TBS HD
    Big Ten Network         Outdoor Channel 2 HD      TLC (The Learning
                                                       Channel) HD
    Big Ten Network HD      Reelz                     USA HD
    Bravo HD                RFD TV                    Veria TV
    CNBC HD+                Science Channel HD        Versus/Golf HD
    CNN HD                  SCI FI HD                 WAPA TV
    Current TV              Setanta Sports            Weather Channel HD
                            Smithsonian Channel HD

                            Channels Coming Soon
                            --------------------
    GMA Pinoy               Starz Kids and Family HD  Starz Edge HD
    Starz Comedy HD         Showtime West HD          Showtime 2 HD

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/stor...9%7D&dist=hppr

[ridgefamus]

Yep, up and running.

Just poured through the HD channel set in the online Guide and I cannot find Sentanta but I guess that's not surprising as it has been noted it's a subscription addition. But that has not been advertised as available here.

There are also the 2 NBC Olympics channels 581 and 582 waiting for programming.

The channel guide mailed to us included Lifetime HD 640 but it seems that has been dropped. Didn't scan for SD programming changes so I have no idea what/where RFD, Veria, Current and WAPA TV are. They're not in my printed guide.

[afiggatt]

Originally Posted by ridgefamus

The channel guide mailed to us included Lifetime HD 640 but it seems that has been dropped. Didn't scan for SD programming changes so I have no idea what/where RFD, Veria, Current and WAPA TV are. They're not in my printed guide.

Lifetime HD and other HD channels are still in the channel line-up. I've been following the OR re-alignment thread at dslreports today. Lots of pixelated channels, TBS-HD was added during the day, does not sound like Verizon is done yet in OR. Might have to wait a few days or longer for all the promised HD channels to show up in OR. Or maybe Verizon will change the PDF line-ups again at the end of the week. NY is supposed to get the big re-alignment on July 23.

Official Verizon press release on the OR upgrade: http://newscenter.verizon.com/press-...hannels-1.html. Verizon will probably send one out as each VHO is upgraded to keep Fios TV in the news.

[Zuke2962]

Quick question. I live in NOVA, and last night apparently was the cut off on analog. No big deal, but we have a small TV in the bedroom the wife puts on in the AM for the weather in traffic while getting ready. Don't really want to pay for another box, just wondering if there is a way to get locals back there w/ out paying out every month.

[afiggatt]

Originally Posted by Zuke2962

Quick question. I live in NOVA, and last night apparently was the cut off on analog. No big deal, but we have a small TV in the bedroom the wife puts on in the AM for the weather in traffic while getting ready. Don't really want to pay for another box, just wondering if there is a way to get locals back there w/ out paying out every month.

Sure. Call Verizon at 1-800-GODIGITAL and ask for a DCT700 SD STB. The official deadline in the letter that I got was July 14, but I would expect that they will send out a DCT700 w/o charge if you just got cut off.

If you only use the TV for the local stations & news, another option is to apply for the $40 coupon from NTIA and get a $60 digital "converter" box (aka digital tuner box) for $20 out of pocket cost and a antenna for free over the air reception. I was recently experimenting with a Zenith DTT901 and a Silver Sensor antenna from the top floor of my townhouse and had no problems getting all the DC stations at 16 miles and most of the Baltimore stations at 43 miles. It will take months to get the coupon however.

Yet another option is to get a small flat panel TV with a ATSC/Clear QAM tuner. You can get all the local stations on Fios with a clear QAM tuner. This is most expensive option as the 19" size range LCD TVs are still mostly in the $350 and up range.

BTW, which Central Office or area do you live in? Curious about which CO was the first to get converted.

[Zuke2962]

Thanks for the reply, I never got a letter, I remember a automated VM message but I think I deleted it before I got to the end. I was thinking of the new TV, the wife wants a flat panel to hang on the wall. We will see.

[rickypicky]

Originally Posted by Zuke2962

Quick question. I live in NOVA, and last night apparently was the cut off on analog. No big deal, but we have a small TV in the bedroom the wife puts on in the AM for the weather in traffic while getting ready. Don't really want to pay for another box, just wondering if there is a way to get locals back there w/ out paying out every month.

Where do you live? I checked last night and in Fairfax, the analogs were still there.

[Zuke2962]

I live in Leesburg and the wife called me on my way to work around 7am that she turned on the TV in the bedroom, no box cable just hooked up directly to the TV and there was a message displayed that if you are getting this message please call such and such a number becuse the TV could no longer receive signals.

[JohnMc]

Originally Posted by rickypicky

Where do you live? I checked last night and in Fairfax, the analogs were still there.

If Verizon is converting your area, you should recieve a letter outlining how to get one or two "Free" digital Converter boxes. These boxes actually get all of the channels you subscribe to, but have no frills, such as interactive guide, etc.

[seplant]

CNN HD finally available in Fort Wayne.

[aaronwt]

Originally Posted by Zuke2962

I live in Leesburg and the wife called me on my way to work around 7am that she turned on the TV in the bedroom, no box cable just hooked up directly to the TV and there was a message displayed that if you are getting this message please call such and such a number becuse the TV could no longer receive signals.

I just checked and it's the same here in Woodbridge. All the analogs are gone!
Finally!

[JadeBee60]

Originally Posted by JohnMc

If Verizon is converting your area, you should recieve a letter outlining how to get one or two "Free" digital Converter boxes. These boxes actually get all of the channels you subscribe to, but have no frills, such as interactive guide, etc.

I got 2 boxes (North TX) a couple of weeks ago. Good reception, but in addition to other shortcomings (no online guide, etc) I personally miss the ability to designate Favorite Channels most of all. PITB to have to channel up/down thru ALL SD channels.

[FAZ8218]

It is a wonderful NY morning. All my channels are in their new spots!!!

[TKEON230]

I'm curious if Verizon was adding the channels to NY in stages. I'm in White Plains and we didn't get the new channels last night.