Tag Archives | FIOS

A Few FiOS TV DVR Notes (vs. TiVo)

Posted by Dave Z on January 24, 2011 at 10:20 pm

As regulars know, we recently left the cable hegemony behind in favor of Verizon’s FiOS TV…. to overcome switched digital video (SDV) tuning adapter flakiness and a CCI Byte content lockdown that essentially neutered our TiVo ecosystem. And, on the technological front, we couldn’t be happier. (But I may follow up with a less glowing billing and support post, as many of you cautioned.)

We’re a three TV/DVR household, although currently only possess two televisions — one powered by a TiVo Premiere and the other powered by the Verizon FiOS DVR shown above. So the question is, what DVR will power TV #3 when the time comes?

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This Old House: Fiber Arrives

Posted by Dave Z on December 29, 2010 at 3:06 pm

If you recall, we recently picked up a new (old) house and our plate is full of projects – including some relevant to a digital media blog. So, on with the story…

I’ve continued to make progress removing and recycling speaker and aerial antenna wire as I encounter it. There’s no way I’ll extricate it all, and fortunately I’m not quite OCD enough to have to. But it’s no longer an eyesore in various built-ins and closets.

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FiOS Goes Month-to-Month

Posted by Ed Oswald on June 21, 2010 at 9:44 am

Looking to better compete with cable, Verizon has announced that users will be able to sign up on month-to-month plans for its FiOS Internet, cable, and phone service. A contracted option would still be available, which would lock in prices for the duration of the contract. The move is aimed at eliminating one of the criticisms cable providers have leveled against it in advertising.

The cost to go month-to-month would be no more than having a contract, the company said.

Cable companies are looking to stoke the flames of resentment against the concept of early termination fees, which have become increasingly unpopular thanks to overzealous cell phone companies. There is good reason to fight back hard against FiOS: anecdotal evidence suggests cable rates decrease when FiOS is also available in the same area.

People are also looking for another option. In the places where it operates, on average FiOS holds a 25 percent market share.

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Verizon Plans FiOS IPTV Service

Posted by David Worthington on May 19, 2010 at 3:51 pm

Verizon is in the early phases of deploying an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) system in a move to bring its FiOS brand to the Web, according to a well-placed source within the company. The service will extend beyond PCs to gaming consoles.

While I was was not given any timetable for the service’s arrival, Verizon is operating under a sense of urgency. “We are late to the game,” my source told me. Internal testers at Verizon are already using the service, including software for Sony’s PlayStation 3. A Verizon spokesperson said that the company did not comment on “rumor or speculation.”

“Verizon is a clear leader in video entertainment innovation, and as such, we are always looking at new ways to transform and enrich the user experience,” the spokesperson said. “Consider all of the features and services that FiOS introduced first: widgets; online video programming, including HBO Go, EPIX and last week’s announcement that we’ll be launching Turner networks online in June; social media (Facebook and Twitter) and Internet Videos (YouTube, Dailymotion, etc.) on TV, and more…”

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