New HD Channels?

[mdl23]

Does anyone know if FIOS will add new HD channels or SD channels this fall?

 

[JMikeF]

Does anyone know if FIOS will add new HD channels or SD channels this fall?

I've tried to get a response out of Verizon, but they are silent. Right now in my area FIOS TV is the best value for the money, but if the rates go up, then it's back to which service has the programming I want.

 

[Stew]

Does anyone know if FIOS will add new HD channels or SD channels this fall?

Based upon what I've seen, you won't get any kind of response from FIOS one way or the other. The channels just "appear" out of nowhere. I've never seen or heard Verizon talk about what's on the radar.

 

[Bowtieman]

I left Direct for Verizon but Direct is starting to appeal to me again. Don't like the guide or remote or the dvr. Tried to get a new remote for the new guide and called and talked to 7 different csr's and was unable to get a new remote. I even offered to pay for it. I have to say that is fairly horrible customer service. The picture quality is excellent but it takes a complete package to make me want to drop around well over a hundred bucks a month. I have both my phone services and internet through them. I also hate the pause you get when switching channels. The customer service is the area that is bending that proveribal straw to the breaking point.

 

[jgantert]

I agree. I recently dropped Verizon FiOS TV because of the recently unreliable DVR.

I'm actually back to just OTA with a DVD recorder. So far so good. It's amazing how many digital channels (and subchannels) there are OTA anymore! Plus they all have accurate guide info, which is more than I can say about Verizon.

Anyway, if D* does add all the HD channels they are saying (70 this month, 100 by year end), I'll probably go back to them as well.

 

[andrews777]

I am getting Internet (15M down, 2M up), Fios TV and phone for $109.99 per month, plus taxes. This is a good deal since I am already paying about $82 (with tax) for 3M down DSL and very basic phone. I had to agree to a 2 year deal, but I figure I will save enough in a few months I could cover the $199 early termination fee if I had to do so (though I can't see doing that short of moving and I have no plans for that).

I recently purchased 2 Tivo HD units and they should be putting a M-CableCard into each on Wednesday.

I went ahead and got the Tivo HD units since the unit Verizon had wasn't highly thought of here....

Brad

 

[psumattDE]

Andrews-
Let us know if you get an M-Card. Noone in VZ has gotten one yet.

 

[andrews777]

They call them "M-cards" for Motorola, not multi-stream.

I now have 4 "m-cards" for my 2 Tivos. I will keep my eyes open for a true m-card since I would prefer not to pay twice as much per month. The tech said they don't do many cable card installs, so I may be stuck with these for some time....

Brad

 

[JMikeF]

When I first had FIOS installed back in July, I was ecstatic over the increase in PQ, especially for SD channels. I was less than pleased with the PVR, since I was use to Dish's best of breed 622.

But, Verizon has updated the IMG (still needs work). Better yet, in the past two weeks I've noticed an increase in speed and overall stability with the operation of the Moto PVR.

Come on guys, Verizon isn't a fly-by-night operation. They will deliver the goods, and provide the competition this industry desperately needs.

As for customer service, YMMV. Dish/Cox/DirecTV/Comcast is no better nor worse.

It is what it is.

 

[AIA_SMALZ_11]

DirecTv now has 21 new HD Channels to brag about ( i know that a lot of the programs are not in HD) Where is Verizon in all this. Fiber with unlimited bandwidth?!?!? I'm beginning to wonder. Verizon might be dropping the ball as they never anounce anything new coming our way. I just might have to go back to DirecTv especially if they ad FX HD and SciFi. I want more HD. What do you guys think?

 

[Bowtieman]

DirecTv now has 21 new HD Channels to brag about ( i know that a lot of the programs are not in HD) Where is Verizon in all this. Fiber with unlimited bandwidth?!?!? I'm beginning to wonder. Verizon might be dropping the ball as they never anounce anything new coming our way. I just might have to go back to DirecTv especially if they ad FX HD and SciFi. I want more HD. What do you guys think?

I am thinking seriously of dropping VZ and going back to *D. The only problem I ever had with *d was billing. They sent a bill in the mail for years and when I didn't get one in the mail. I woke up and found my direct tv connection no longer worked. I signed on to the *D website and saw that my bill was past due and I needed to pay X amount right now to have it turned back on. I call a csr and asked them what was going on. Their response, when they saw me signing on to their website they assumed that I was going to pay online and therefore quit sending me a statement in the mail. Yeah right.. So I settled up with them with my credit card and the csr said I would receive a statement from then on. Wrong...The very next month. Same thing all over.. At this point I switched to VZ. The dvr, motorola remote and the IMG for VZ is giving me reason to go back to direct and just pay online. I never had a signal problen and was for the most part happy with the PQ for HD and SD. Now that *D is finally getting the HD they have been promising for quite awhile I may just go back. Lurking on the the side and watching *D for the time being.

 

[Speck's Dad]

Don't hold your breath for HD additions

Well, like many of you, I called V* to try to pry some information out of them regarding some HD additions. I routed to some yahoo who gave me the standard line about how they're constantly working to add channels and upgrade service. I told him that was nice and all, but that it would nice to know something so I wouldn't be tempted to jump on the D* train. The resp told me that once the content is available that V* would broadcast it....again nice, but weak since the content is available....just not on Fios.

Do any of your business-types out there know if there are any rules regarding publicly traded companies that require them to keep shareholders up to date with what's going on?

As a shareholder (I am not), I would want to know what in the blue hell my company was doing to stay competitive with its competitors.

 

[robjlevin]

Sadly, Verizon is falling behind almost all of its competition, especially in the NY Metro area. Cablevision is adding HD at a pretty good clip and DirecTVs recent additions blow past VZ as well.

The good thing is there is competition. If after my one year is up in a few months, VZ hasn't added MSG, FSN and Vs in HD I will be come a former customer for TV.

 

[mindgrind]

Wow, so I thought it was just me that was thinking of dumping VZ after viewing both Dish and Direct's new HD offerings.

I don't get it, you would think VZ would throw us a bone and at least say what is coming in the future.

I mean, I was one of the first to report on this forum of how wonderful the PQ was, but when others are offering 20 more HD channels... makes you think.

 

[Speck's Dad]

Almost dumped V*

But I didn't. I went so far as to sign up for D* at my local Costco last Sat. I even got a quick install date of Oct. 3. I called today though to cancell the install. When I was in the process of ditching Comcastsucks, I chose V* over D* and I figured there was a good reason.....the last time I made a bad choice, I ended up in law school.

Aynway, I'm going to stick with V*.....good PQ and once I did some figuring, it would cost less.....hopefully I'm getting a "good deal" instead of paying less for something that's worth less.

Hopefully, it will be worth it. I've been calling V* a couple times a day to try to get somethin from someone about more HD......all I've gotten are lots of words that don't really say anything.

Hopefully V* analysts and shareholders follow their stock closely enough to raise hell if V* choses to become uncompetitive in the HD market.

 

[mindgrind]

Yeah, as I was doing the research I remembered how with Directv and Dish you have to have a land line (possible, but was often a pain with none close), as well as the local HD still have to come via an antenea. Ugh. Plus you can have two HD dvr's IF you pony up and $498 with Dish!

Sheesh... those extra HD channels are tempting, but at a cost I suppose. I too will, for know, wait for the surprise channel appearances with Verizon. Let's hope they come soon.

 

[scifilaser]

I'm still waiting for their TV service. We just got their Fios internet back in June. I've been so tempted to DUMP Comcastsucks (Good one Speck's dad) for D* as Comcast isn't adding anything here for a while, with nothing coming. Reps says more is coming but probably not until next year. There is a slight possibility we might get National GEO HD and A&E HD soon, but just a rumor at this time. I'm sure Verizon will add more soon. So I'll keep watching on the side for a short while longer. I'm witing to make sure D* isn't just blowing smoke at us.:

 

[Speck's Dad]

Part of the reason I chose not to go through with my D* installation for tomorrow was cost. I got a good deal through my local Costco ($169 for the HD DVR and $10 off my bill for 10 months), but I would be looking at slightly more than $140/month with D* and FIOS internet and FIOS phone (pre-taxes). By staying with FIOS for all three services, I pay around $123/month once the discounts kick in and the damn billing errors get fixed.

$20 isn't super big cash but it adds up ...and a wife, daughter, and a law school loan will make you think..."are you really going watch all those channels".....I say to myself...."not likely....mostly just ESPN and the networks for college and pro football and some auto racing."

...then there's that whole over compression thing with D*.....I don't have any experience with it myself, but with as much hell as even the pro-D* people have raised about it, I sort of got scared off.

 

[Pistol P]

Had D*, switched to verizon fios, now back with D*.

I recently lived in an apartment that did not have fios yet so i was always a D* customer because the time warner service at the time was terrible. I always had this thought of fios but just couldn't get it in my area. Since then i moved into a house and immediately canceled directv and left for fios because of talk of an all fiber network. I immediately disliked the motorola dvr, the customer service was TERRIBLE, and channel guide and dvr made me wish i was back with D*. Since then, i signed back up with D* and now have new hd channels with more to come. Customer service is better and all i had to pay was the $19.95 shipping and handling for a hd-dvr, and two standard set top boxes(because i was a previous customer). The only good thing i had with fios is the internet. luckily i didn't have to pay a cancellation fee because i kept their internet service.

 

[andrews777]

The Tivo HD works fine with Verizon Fios. I liked my Dish 522 interface better, but the Tivo is decent. I have never tired the Verizon unit. I heard so many bad things about it I went out and bought 2 Tivo HD units before Fios was hooked up in my house.

Brad