Verizon FiOS HDTV - Page 369

Verizon To Announce Philly FiOS TV Launch Plans Nov. 23

Telco To Take On Comcast In Top MSO's Hometown

By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 11/20/2009 10:30:41 AM

Verizon will hold a news conference on Monday, Nov. 23, to announce its FiOS TV rollout plans in Comcast's hometown of Philadelphia.

Under the terms of its 15-year franchise agreement with Philadelphia, Verizon has agreed to make FiOS TV available throughout the city over the next seven years. The telco has previously claimed it will offer more than twice as many HD channels as Comcast.

The press conference is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 23, at 10:30 a.m., at Verizon's Video Hub Office at 17 East Oregon Ave. Company officials on hand are scheduled to include Verizon Pennsylvania president Gale Given and Mary Yarbrough, vice president of marketing and sales operations for the company's Mid-Atlantic region.

Verizon began construction of the FiOS network in Philadelphia in April. The telco expects that when the buildout is completed in 2016, it will be able to offer FiOS service to about 660,000 households including living units in apartment buildings. The first fiber for FiOS will be laid in Chestnut Hill, followed by other neighborhoods including Brewerytown, East and West Mount Airy, South Philadelphia and Kensington, according to Verizon. About 500 workers will be dedicated to building out the FiOS network in the city.

Verizon will pay Philadelphia a 5% franchise fee, as Comcast does. In addition, the agreement requires Verizon to fund public-access channels but not until the fifth year of its franchise agreement. After that date, Verizon would pay grants of $1 million for educational access, $1.5 million for government access and $2.7 million for public access.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/...ans_Nov_23.php

Verizon in the City of Baltimore [?]

As part of Verizon Maryland's recent government relations outreach, company representatives held an informational meeting with Baltimore City Council members in October 2009 to discuss topics such as Verizon's presence in the city, its flagship FiOS product, and video services.

Currently, Verizon is focused on meeting our FiOS deployment commitments in communities where we have video franchises. However, company officials were encouraged to learn that there is enthusiastic support among Council members and their constituents for the company pursuing a video franchise in the City.

http://www22.verizon.com/about/commu...baltimore.html

HDMI is finally up and running with no green screen-- Thanks Jim. The Verizon tech brought over the 6400HD DVR boxes replacing the 74 and the 72. As you and others here said- series 6 works with both HDMI and component , series 7 might not work with all displays on HDMI.

He didn't have a 6200HD but will get one eventually. This will give me the multi room capabilities again. Currently, with only 6400 DVRs, the multi room cannot function.

I'm happy since now I can finally enjoy TV in a different room working off of an HDMI cable snaked through the walls. I can send back to Monoprice the 40 foot component cable set up temporarily. (The audio in this room is set up directly to each speaker through 5 separate audio cables snaked through the walls too.)

They're wiring my neighborhood right now, I have TWDC already. What should I expect from Fios, or should I stay with TW?...

I'm running a mixed Mac - Win network.

With WEP on Mac you are limited to 64 bit encryption that must be ramped down to 40 bit. AFAIK, there is no similar limitation with WPA on Mac - but I don't use it.

To accomplish the rampdown in ASCII, choose a 4 character password and precede it with a "$".

Thus - $1234 or $ABCD

Based upon the research you've already done, first tell us your thoughts and reasons for choosing one or the other. That would make it easier for us to guide you further in your deliberations.

Glad it worked out for you!

I hear a much better picture and a much faster internet is possible with Fios.. No?..

The picture is MUCH better. I had TW previously like you. I could not see a difference between SD and HD channels with TW. I can clearly see one with FIOS. The internet is much faster. I had 15/1 with TW. I now have 25/15 with FIOS. FIOS also has many more HD channels. I don't know how many there are in your area, but, in mine they only had 51. I now have over 120.

why is the vod not update like they should abc cbs nbc showtime are not update since 11/09 should be update the next day thats what verizon says iam in vho 8 (philly)

coming from the woods down here in maryland where i had dial-up before and ota, this fios is definitely cadillac city. you will never regret the move

To counter the previously mentioned rumor, there will not be any addition of Gospel Music Channel HD to the FIOS TV lineup, at least for the remainder of this year.

Not that I was excited, but just wanted to confirm...

Is it just me or HD VOD PQ is really subpar? I'm talking about network shows that are in HD. They look like upconverted SD in VOD but look fine when viewed "live".

Just in Time for Thanksgiving, Verizon Launches a New Era of Television Entertainment in Philadelphia

Mon. November 23, 2009; Posted: 10:30 AM

PHILADELPHIA, Nov 23, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/-- Just in time for Thanksgiving and its related activities, Verizon's award-winning FiOS TV is now available in parts of Philadelphia.

"The superb picture-and-sound quality of FiOS TV will enable consumers to watch the parade and football on Thanksgiving Day as they've never watched those events before," said Mary Yarbrough, vice president of marketing and sales operations for Verizon's Mid-Atlantic region. "Now FiOS TV-eligible consumers in Philadelphia join consumers in hundreds of communities across Pennsylvania who are enjoying the vast benefits and superiority of this service."

FiOS TV offers more than 600 channels, including 130 high-definition (HD) channels in Philadelphia -- more HD channels than the city's current cable provider, Comcast. Residents and small businesses in three areas -- parts of Chestnut Hill, South Philadelphia and North Philadelphia -- will be among the first to benefit from this exciting new service. Additional areas will be made available later this year.

A video Q&A on the FiOS launch in Philadelphia can be found here: http://verizon.mediaseed.tv/Story.aspx?story=37181.

Verizon's FiOS TV was ranked highest in the East Region in the J.D. Power and Associates "2009 Residential Television Service Provider Satisfaction Survey." It is the second consecutive year that FiOS TV has received the No. 1 ranking. In the television study, FiOS outperformed all competitors measured in overall satisfaction and three factors: performance and reliability, cost of service, and offers and promotions.

Verizon's consumer broadband services also outperform all their competitors when it comes to overall customers satisfaction in the East, according to the J.D. Power and Associates "2009 Internet Service Provider (ISP) Residential Customer Satisfaction Study"(SM)( ) released Oct. 28.

Philadelphia residents who are FiOS TV-eligible now have the option to trim their monthly bills with packages that include FiOS TV, FiOS Internet and voice service for as little as $99.99 a month with a price guarantee for 24 months. Customers who sign up for a qualifying FiOS service before Dec. 19 may be eligible for $150 cash back and a free Home Media DVR for three months. Verizon also offers a "quad-play" bundle of FiOS TV, FiOS Internet, home phone and wireless service starting at $105 per month, plus the cost of the Verizon Wireless plan.

Customers interested in FiOS TV can visit www.verizon.com/fiostv or call 1-888-GET FiOS (888-438-3467) for more information.

Small and medium-sized businesses interested in business-grade FiOS services can visit www.verizon.com/bizfiostv, or call 877-FiOS BIZ (877-346-7249) for more information.

FiOS TV Service Highlights

FiOS TV service highlights include:

-- More than 600 all-digital channels, in the Philadelphia region, grouped
by genres such as entertainment, sports, news, marketplace, music,
movies and family, making it easy for audiences to find their favorite
programming.


-- A total of 130 HD channels available for Philadelphia customers, with
extraordinary clarity and theater-quality sound.


-- An industry-leading library of more than 18,000 video-on-demand (VOD)
titles each month, 70 percent of which are free. In addition, the VOD
library includes more than 2,400 HD titles per month.


-- An innovative interactive media guide (IMG) that provides
next-generation, personalized interactive services, along with content
from TV listings, VOD catalogs and the digital video recorder (DVR), as
well as personal music, videos and photos from a home network. Among
the features of the IMG are:


-- Multi-Room DVR - Use one DVR to record HD and SD programs to up to six
other TV sets throughout the home. This includes the ability to watch
three separately recorded shows on three TV sets at the same time, plus
pause recorded programming in one room and continue watching in another.


-- Media Manager - This feature lets FiOS DVR customers access personal
photos, videos, music and slide shows from their home computers and play
them on their TVs. Subscribers also can search for and enjoy online
videos from blip.tv, Dailymotion and Veoh on their TV screens.


-- Remote DVR management - Subscribers can remotely control their DVRs
online, and via any cell phone with a data plan. Customers can use the
service to remotely review, change or add recording requests; delete
recorded programs; browse and search TV and VOD listings; set parental
controls; and more.


-- Widgets - Customers have one-touch, on-demand access to personalized
information such as local traffic reports, daily local and national news
headlines, fantasy sports, daily national sports headlines, and daily
horoscopes, as well as interactive social TV applications from Twitter
and Facebook, all while still enjoying their TV programming. Additional
widgets include:


-- ESPN Fantasy Football - FiOS TV customers who are registered users of
ESPN Fantasy Football will have instant on-screen access to personalized
NFL statistics, including rosters, box scores, scoring leaders and
player information.


-- Pro Football Widget - One-stop access to NFL stats and the NFL RedZone
channel, giving customers who subscribe to the channel the ability to
set on-screen alerts for whenever a team is moving into its opponent's
20-yard line. The alerts, once set, pop up at the bottom of the TV
screen while viewers are watching any channel.


-- KODAK Widget - This widget gives registered KODAK Gallery users instant
on-screen access to photos and slideshows that they have stored on
Kodak's online digital photo service.


-- Weatherbug Widget - Provides instant access to real-time, personalized
weather information and forecasts. Subscribers can customize weather
reports by any zip code, pull up hourly or seven-day forecasts, and view
radar weather imagery to see how local conditions are developing.


-- Free casual games - With the remote control and an HD set-top box,
customers can access chess, solitaire, sudoku and wordplay.


-- What's Hot on FiOS TV - Features information on the most-popular
programs currently being broadcast in the region and the most popular
VOD titles.


-- Dual Pause and Play - Allows customers to pause live programming, change
channels, and then return to the paused program and pick up where they
left off.


-- Channel sorting options - Customers can create two separate lists of
favorite channels for family members. Customers also can filter
channels in the guide by genre, for instances where a customer may only
want to see HD content, international channels or kids programming,
among others.


Programming choices for Hispanic, African-American, Asian, Russian and other multicultural audiences are available, making FiOS TV an outlet for emerging and independent networks to showcase their diverse programming.

FiOS TV is delivered over Verizon's all-fiber-optic network, which brings the power and capacity of fiber optics directly into people's homes and has industry-leading quality and reliability. Fiber delivers amazingly sharp pictures and sound, and has the capacity to transmit a wide array of high-definition programming that is so clear and intense it seems to leap from the TV screen. This network also offers FiOS Internet service, which delivers downstream speeds of up to 50 Mbps (megabits per second) and upstream speeds of up to 20 Mbps, as well as high-quality voice services.

Free Verizon Wi-Fi access at thousands of locations across the U.S. is available for FiOS Internet customers with up-to-20 Mbps or faster packages. Free Wi-Fi hot spot locations include hotels, airports, restaurants, coffee shops, retailers and other public locations across the U.S. For a list of hot-spot locations, visit www.verizon.com/hotspots.

The value of FiOS TV extends to installation and customer support. Specially trained Verizon technicians will install the service for up to three existing TV outlets and acquaint subscribers with FiOS TV features and services. Verizon provides 24 x 7 technical assistance by phone from its Fiber Solutions Centers.

Verizon FiOS customers also have access to the Verizon In-Home Agent, a free application that gives them valuable tools to set up services, configure Wi-Fi links, set up and manage voice mail, auto-fix video problems, and trouble-shoot and correct Internet issues - all with the simple click of a mouse.

Verizon introduced FiOS TV in the greater Philadelphia region about three years ago. The company now offers FiOS TV service in about 300 communities in Pennsylvania.

(More information about FiOS TV and fiber optics is available in Verizon's online News Center at www.verizon.com/news.)

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 89 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 230,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $97 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.verizon.com

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/...0News/2674379/

I don't feel it's necessary to C&P the entire Verizon marketing blurb for new service areas. Just give us the key point and a link to the rest, for folks who get a thrill out of reading this kinda stuff.
Thanks...

Yes. We've discussed it before. Didn't you read all 9999 pages on this thread?

They apparently have to compress the VOD signal somewhat. Both movies and shows seem to be affected.

Doug

I don't care whether you feel it's necessary or not. Thanks...

Anybody know the Secret WordTM to getting a good HW upgrade deal? I complained a while back about being promised an upgrade from 1 HD DVR + 2 SD boxes to 1 HD multi-room DVR + 2 HD boxes. The in-store salesguy said my rates wouldn't go up, but when I called CS to check on the order, was told there would be an increase (can't remember, maybe $20 a month). We hardly use the 2 SD boxes, so it wasn't worth it, but now the wife wants to upgrade.

My sexy baritone doesn't seem to do the trick. I guess I could threaten to go back to DTV, but that would be ridiculous.

Doug

I agree with The Wizard. What is the point of posting the complete press release? Especially since it's 99% identical to every other Verizon press release of this sort. Are you getting paid by the word for posting???

the HD VOD is only around a 15mbs MPEG2 stream. So with that low bitrate you get alot of macroblocking like the HD channels have.

Anyone want to explain why this keeps happening? This is the third time a content provider has announced carriage of a channel that Verizon isn't actually planning to add. First CBS College Sports HD, then TBN HD, now GMC HD. And apparently in the case of CBS College Sports HD, there isn't even an agreement in place.

Granted, I don't really care about GCM HD or TBN HD one way or the other.

FIOS is ordered for me...will be installed next Thursday. I cannot wait. I like DirecTV, but it's gotten too expensive for me and I am currently on DSL.

As much as I'm irate that Fios is taking a giant step backward in terms of adding HD, I'm just speculating if their lack of HD content has anything to do with upgrading their dvr capability in 2010. I only say this because with a current amount of 135 HD channels (at least that's the amount from where I'm at), a dvr that can only sustain 20 hours of HD content is hardly suffice. I'm also wondering if it has the kind of bandwidth to add a plethora of HD channels. Hopefully this will be a wake up call to Fios to return to greatness. I'll give them till next summer to get things right.

And then you'll switch to a provider with more HD?

DirecTV can add up to 80 more beginning around March 1...

What specifically are you missing at this point? I'd like to add MSNBC in HD, and maybe that CBS sports stuff, but other than that, I find the HD lineups of most carriers filling up with some really worthless stuff just to say they have X number of channels!

Agreed. In fact, at least one new channel is absolutely worthless (IFC-HD). Not only does it have no HD, but they stretch all content. Doesn't matter if it is 1.33, 1.85, or 2.35...they stretch EVERYTHING. No reason for it to exist, yet we have it,

Sure, I'd like MSNBC and BBC, but I can wait. TCM-HD is hardly showing any HD content whatsoever, so I can wait for that one as well. Right now, FiOS has more HD than I can ever watch. That's a big change from Comcast.

FWIW, I only have the HD channels programmed in my Favorites Guide. If it is not HD, I don't watch it That said, I even EXCLUDE several HD channels (including *all* off the .TV channels). I still have more programming than I care to watch.

Having more useless channels, just to brag about the "HD channel count" is not something I can get excited about. I'd rather see VZ put effort and investment into fixing the known issues/bugs and adding USEFUL features. Spend the money on a better guide, improve the UI, maybe even incorporate streaming content from the internet, or Netflix.

Every time I've quoted just the highlights, I get hammered for not posted the entire story. Go figure ?