Boston, MA - Verizon - Page 4

I have this morning sent the following email to Stephanie Lee & Carol Baribeau of Verizon

New FIOS customer in North Reading. I was misled. I specifically asked about NESN HD & was told you had it. But you don't! Love the service...much better HD picture than Comcast. I've emailed customer service about the NESN HD but have no reply!
Can't understand how you can carry NESN SD, but not HD. If its not available soon I'll have to go back to Comcast!

Just ordered FIOS TV in Belmont!!! Install is Tuesday!

Let me know if you get a response. I heard a rumor that NESN-HD would be available the end of November.

Heard yesterday from Stephanie @Verizon CS. She said they were still in negotiations w/Nesn for HD. Odd isn't it they have NESN only in SD. I've emailed NESN with an inquiry to these negotiations, but haven't heard back. FIOS-TV is such a great alternative to Comcast, I hope I don't have to switch back to get NESN-HD. The Fios picture is far superior to Comcast's, I'm really amazed.

Just what are they negotiating about? They already carry NESN content!

Is the Verizon picture quality so much better than Comcast's digital service?

Yes I'd have to say it is. Its a lot sharper...colors brighter. Of course that's in comparison to the picture that we had here w/Comcast. I think they just kept stringing wire without boosting the signal. They had to replace 4-5 of our HD set-top boxes, that burned out straining to draw the signal. Plus the cable in the area is 20 years old.

I just heard that Verizon TV is coming to my town within the next 12 months. However, I have compared the Comcast HD PQ to OTA HD PQ on the same display in my house, and found them to be highly similar. So I am not sure how Verizon can improve on that. It's possible you were experiencing some wiring/connection issues in your cable setup.

Anyway, looking forward to the competition.

Mickey

Yes I think that may have been an issue. We've had a lot of new homes built here in the last 20 years, so with the older cable being added to w/out boosting the signal the picture quality suffered. When they replaced our last set-top box they also replaced the wire to the street. That box lasted the longest...6 months! The change in picture quality in both SD & HD with FIOS is amazing. But to be fair, I think it is a local issue. Comcast really never invested in the infrastructure in this area, they just kept adding to it.

Gostan I emailed the cable committe in Sudbury an was told that Verizon is more interested in persuing towns with higher popluation denisty right now thatn Sudbury.

How much would Verizon cost? I took a look at the website and got the following:
$35 or $45 for internet depending on speed
$40 for basic cable plus some more for dvr options
I already have phone through Verizon. Are there any bundle discounts for having all 3?

Thanks.

I live in Wakefield and am having a Verizon bundle installed on 11/6/06 that includes phone, internet and TV. The cost for the whole nine yards which includes HBO/MAX SHO and starz is $145.
I cant wait and i will let everyone know how it works.....

Here's a tip, i repeatedly checked the Verizon site to see if TV was available in my area (Wakefield MA) and the site said NO its not. Last week i called Verizon to make sure and was told that indeed yes it i and has been for quite some time now so dont go by what the Verizon web site says about avialblility, make a call to be sure!

Joe

Cya later RCN

Bump - I will be getting FIOS installed tomorrow in the town of Tewksbury - will post feedback soon after. Besides the non-HD NESN, I heard I can't watch my beloved Celtics (negotiations still ongoing with FSNE) - but that's not a huge deal. I just can't wait to leave Comcast in the dust.

I'd be interested in sharing any comments, criticisms, or complaints about the new service. I also live in Wakefield, and I'm having the FIOS package installed tomorrow (11/2/06). They ran the line to the pole outside my house earler this week. Are they installing the wireless router for you?

I have a friend in Burlington who is entirely happy with the service. No more HD and digital TV pixelation. Screaming fast internet. I can't wait.

I am another RCN convert. RCN should be very, very concerned. The day after I called to change my service, a rep. from RCN called and said they will reduce my current bill by $60/month if I stay. What a slap in the face! - they basically said they've been grossly overcharging me for the last couple of years. I requested that they send a check in the amount of $1,440 to retroactively compensate me for overcharging me for the last 2 years. Apparently they could not do that.

Looks like Hopkinton, MA has FiOS now. I called to look into it but the only problem for me is NESN and FSNE are STILL only offered in SD. Verizon CS says that as of today, they are still in negotiations to add those 2 HD channels. Seems odd they have SD but not HD, is this more an issue with either bandwidth or cost (outside of any negotiations). In the end, Comcast is cheaper for me for the same services, but if Verizon service is better, than the few extra $$/per month, is worth it.

Also, I'd like to have CableCard, Verizon CS says its 2.95/ea/month, and that ON-Demand is available through cablecard. Exact words were, CableCard offers everything a STB does except PPV. That does not sound right, since comcast says there is no EPG, PPV or ON-Demand. It merely allows all unencrypted channels to be received and unencrypts premium channels you pay for through provisioning. I'd venture to guess the cards are exactly the same for both providers. ASFAIK, Moto is the only manufacturer of CableCard.

I'm surprised to hear that Comcast is cheaper. If this is true, I don't see Verizon making much headway. They need to buy market share.

Mickey

It's only a couple of dollars different for TV, I am looking at a bundle package of TV, voice and Data. For Voice, Comcast is cheaper, for data, Verizon wins (with almost double the speed to boot) and they are very close for TV with a slight edge to Fios, there may be a couple of channels that one has that the other does not and vice versa. I also only want cablecards, so DVR and/or STB fees may differ one way or the other, so depending on what you need for Hardware, 1 provider or the other may come out cheaper. Also, I know Comcast has different rates for every individual town, I'd assume Verizon has different rates based on town as well.

For me, planning on getting my First HDTV primarily to see NESN and FSNE in HD, so until FIOS can get those up and running my choice is made for me. Like I've heard before on these boards, Let the Price Wars begin! The Gravy train for Comcast is coming to a grinding halt. Unfortunately, it will take a while for Verizon to lay down enough infrastructure to really take away from Comcasts bottom line and start the cycles of stealing each others customers with attractive sign up offers. It's been what, 25 years in the making and now, finally, the cable company monoply is dead.

NESN-HD and FSNE-HD are also essential for me. And the Price Wars have indeed begun here. Even if you are keeping Comcast, I suggest you call them and threaten to leave for V-Fios, and then watch them throw money at you.

Mickey

Right now I have Dishnetwork, and I only get Comcast Basic cable so that they discount my internet by $15, basic costs about $7 so its a net savings to keep it even though I don't need it. Recently I purchased a Sony DVR that has a cablecard slot and OTA as well as QAM tuner. I hooked up a $15 UHF antenna and I have been getting HDTV OTA crystal clear. Hooking the Cable from the wall to the Sony has also picked up a bunch of digital channels(some HD) from comcast including seeing my neighbors on demand and PPV selections.

You will see FSNE in HD soon.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061116/nyth154.html?.v=64

Great news!, thanks for the link, before I read that article, I was about to post that I read here on AVSforum that Fios was adding these "very soon" and that that post was back in March of 2006!

NESN can't be far behind now. Just a matter of time, and with the Bruins season already underway, Fios is at a real disadvantage to Comcast.

I live in Burlington, MA, but Verizon continues to tell me that FIOS television is not available to me. Are they allowed to cherry-pick which parts of a town they're willing to serve? Is the fact that I'm further away from the center of town justification for not providing service out that far? (I'm actually about 2.5 miles from the center of town, and on the border with another town Verizon serves, Woburn.)

Sudbury seems to have some sort of a sweet deal going with Comcast. They're definitely stalling the the public hearing process for Verizon's license which is pissing me off. They're using some BS line about adding Community Access channel.

Comcast service is horrible. Their service people are meatheads. They couldn't resolve a simple splitter problem on numerous visits. Instead they had me run a new line to the exisiting outlet.

I have had Verizon FIOS phone and Internet for three months now. Excellent. I know the phone package is going up $5 next month(to $44) but I am not switching back to Comcast.
I'd rather pay a little more than deal with Comcash morons.

It's possible that each town has a unique existing arrangement with the local cable company that might create political hurdles for Verizon to overcome. In that way, Verizon probably weighs the potential hassle versus the population of that town. Initially, it makes sense for them to reach for all of the low hanging fruit.

Mickey

You would have to check to see what Verizon has for a franchise agreement. But, yes, they can cherry pick where they want to set up services. My brother and I listened to a commercial during the Patriots/WBCN broadcast and we both realized that Verizon is only setting up services in middle-high class, predominately white suburban neighborhoods. Dorchester is the first part of Boston to be wired but that will take them a few years. Since the cost of running fiber is so expensive, Verizon is picking which sections will turn a quicker profit.

Attention residents of NATICK. A hearing has been scheduled to consider Verizon's application for a Cable License. The hearing takes place at 7:00 p.m. on Monday December 18th in the Dlott meeting room of Town Hall at 13 E. Central. I plan to attend to support the license, and I hope other FIOS customers will do so as well. For further info, see the town's website.

Cool. I live in Natick aswell and have the Fios internet...I can't wait to get their TV so I can dump Comsmack. I don't know if I have the time to go to this hearing though

All towns have deals going with the providers. In Belmont the town had to have hearings and figure out if Verizon had to provide exactly the same benefits to the town as Comcast or if they could just be monetarily equivalent. They decided that it just had to be monetarily equivalent...free fiber lines, equipment for schools, things like that. Fair competition that way, each provider has to pony up the same value of benefits to the town, but when a town has limited resources/committees that meet maybe once a month they don't make progress very fast getting things done. And yes they probably want a CA channel so that all the town announcements get broadcast.

Lynn just signed a contract with Verizon. Fios TV should be available to 60% of the city next week!!!!!!!!!!!!


Lynn Signs Verizon Contract - Daily Item of Lynn

When will they serve the outer 40%? (I bet it depends on what the average level of affluence is in each neighborhood -- that's what it looks like happened here in Burlington).

Georgetown just signed with Verizon for FiOS TV. We've had FiOS for Internet for a while, but the FiOS TV service is only days (weeks?) away.

I've heard little about the Verizon FiOS OnDemand offering. I would assume the free and pay-only content is still less than Comcast's offering, no?

I plan to get rid of TiVO and Comcast DVR (of course) so I'll have 3 Verizon HD DVR's soon. It's too bad they charge $12.95 per DVR. The Multi-Room DVR (this is the same box as a normal DVR with their multi-room service enabled - BUT - HD at the primary location and only SD at a remote location) is $19.95 plus a standard box at the remote location for $3.95. So 2 TV's would be $24 per month for one multi-room DVR + set top box, or 2 HD DVR's for $26 per month. For $2 per month more you get HD on both TVs and two DVRS i.e. twice the recording .... what was Verizon thinking?!