Verizon FiOS TV
VERIZON FIOS TV REVIEW: A Light at the End of the Cable
March 2007 By ––Grant ClauserA fiber optic system has the ability to deliver a lot of data very fast. One cable can give you Internet, phone and TV, and at least for now, do it cheaper than most anything else. That doesn’t mean it’s the best answer for every customer; it just means it’s a very compelling competitor, and especially in the area of television service, it helps lessen the monopoly hold that cable companies enjoy.
Since voice and data services, in everyday use, are essentially the same across providers except for who you write the check to and for how much, I’m going to concentrate here on Verizon’s FiOS TV, the part of the package that’s raising the most questions among consumers, because no matter how much everyone hates their cable company, it’s also the hardest relationship to quite.
The Offer
Verizon’s bid in most cities is a strong one—200 channels, including Music Choice channels and about 20 high definition channels all for $42 (the basic lineup and price may vary from metro to metro). That includes the local channels at no extra cost. The selection and cost compares very favorably to the cable and satellite offerings. Moving up you can add a variety of premium movie and sports packages. The set-top-boxes support both pay-per-view and video-on-demand (much of which is free). In the Philadelphia area (and others) subscribers can even opt for Comcast’s SportsNet, which is one of the major bonds Comcast customers have to their service.
The set-top-boxes Verizon supplies, all Motorola models, range from basic standard definition or high definition, to dual-tuner hard drive digital video recorders and a Media Center which can be networked to your PC for music and picture streaming and will send recorded programs to other set-top-boxes in the house.
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Marta, that buzzing when the program switches to commercials is not caused by the HDMI cable, so switching cables or upgrading to a more expensive cable will not solve your problem. Have verizon replace your STB. If that doesn't fix it then it may be further down the line, but my guess is the box.
We had fios installed last year. The tv portion came later. The problem we are having on our hd dvr set top box is a buzzing noise that happens when it goes from program to commercial. It is not consistent, therefore hard for a technician to duplicate. I recorded it on dvr but the tech is still puzzled. They took my hdmi cable off and hooked up a regular component cable. When I asked why, he said this may fix the problem and not to worry because the picture quality is just as good. I don't think so. I am wondering if anyone else has experieced something similar? I am now looking into trying monster hdmi cabe to see if it is the quality (or lack of quality) hdmi cable they used.
Poor picture with fios. Tech tried several times to fix it but nothing happened. Worst customer service. Never trust what they saying. If possible record it, else you will be in trouble. They offfered the tripple package for 89.99 and and the actual bill was $169.99....From the customer care i learn t that for 89.99 they only put the cable to the house and we have to pay extra rent for all the equipment ...which is not included in 89.99 offer...They are making money out of the disconnection fine
I don't like the lineup for tv's in the house that don't have a box. On Cox, we had a great lineup. Also, you pay extra for the golf channel?! We are switching back to Cox.
The broadband is double what I was getting from Comcast.
The broadband is at least twice as good and the bandwith is consistent from fios.
The TV on the other hand lags behind Comcast in some key areas. The on screen menu a notch below Comcast. Less search options. No HD on demand from fios. Can't last channel flip from recorded content on the dvr to a channel.Switching channels is faster with Fios. No Versus HD with Fios. Overall clarity is clearly better with Fios.
I started with Cable and switched to Dish and DSL because of poor service. I was very please! Then, FIOS was installed in our area and I began checking it out. I probably would have never changed except the Dish service was getting bad. Now I have FIOS and wish I had switced sooner! No isseus - very fast and dependable! ! bill for everything is nice as well.
comcast!? they're the worst. I would love to switch to FIOS, but they don't offer it in my neighborhood.
I tried Fios and had nothing but trouble from the start. I know there are a lot of Fios customers who love it but to be fair all companies have the same faults it is just who has them. I have Comcast HSI/Video/phone and have never had a problem, no slow speeds or outages. I pay about 99.00 for everything and ulike Verizon or dish I can get on any promotion after 6 months, which says a lot about the company and how they acknoledge how much you pay. And for trouble calls or upgrades you don't pay a cent unless you mess with things you shouldn't have and if your house is hit with lightning they will fix it for free also and more... My recomendation before deciding to switch is, do your research and not look at price. To me cable service's are far more worth the time and little trouble (even with biling issues). FIOS is still new but I think they have bitten off more than they can chew and afford.
My house was srtuck by lightning (Riverview FL.)and fried everything. Verizon replaced my phone and internet FREE! Also another thing I like about FIOS is no matter how many computers I hook up to my home network the bandwidth stays around 5Mb on each computer, unlike cable modems, bandwidth would drop. I have never experienced an outage either, unlike COX. Verizon rocks!
I've had FIOS internet & phone in two homes over two years, and the TV for just over a month. The reviewer is wrong, FIOS internet is unbelievably reliable, unlike cable providers who cannot handle peak demand. Also the installation and follow up service is outstanding, both for internet and FIOS TV. It blows everything else away.
In regard to Customer Support I would say Verizon is very poor in this area. I have been a long time DSL customer and when a billing or service problem comes up (which isn't often) it can be nightmarish. It seems there is zero communication or integration between departments. You end up getting passed around, dropped and sent on wild goose chases. Overall, Customer Service gets and F-.