FIOS TV switching to digital only

[SingSing]

Verizon FIOS TV service is sending letters to their customers to arrange shiping/installation of digital only adapter/cable card/setop box for all their TV sets, by 4/7/2008.

Verizon implied their TV customers without those won't be able to watch FIOS TV shortly after.

Note : I bet Verizon will embedded those crawing white dots on the bottom of the TV screen with their newly converted FIOS TV customers too.

[yoda313]

How is fios? AT&T is pushing UVERSE fios service. How fast can fios internet get? Do they have download limits? like

What about box costs? You do have to have a box for each tv right? Does that mean than you have to have a box to record to a tv capture card?

What about the dvr's? Do any of these allow file copying via usb or ethernet like TIVO?

[SingSing]

FIOS internet service works great. The advantage of FIOS vs comcast is FIOS upload at 1MBPS instead of 384KBPS, that make your VOIP phone service voice sound much better. All the boxes cost nothing, comes with wireless router with a beefy antenna, I could pick up that signal in the wood off my backyard.

Biggest problem with Verizon FIOS internet is their constant billing error. They almost overcharge me every other bill, and I have to call them to fix it, and spent 15 minutes every other months. If they get paid by credit card, you really have to watch your wallet.

Verizon FIOS TV programming is pretty bad, with channels that nobody care. Verizon made it up by adding crawing white dots at the bottom of your TV screen, from time to time. Of course Verizon FIOS TV doesn't provide true black color, in any TV brocasting.

Until now, the analog TV can plug into Verizon FIOS TV outlet directly. Don't care for DVR or TIVO. Life is too short already. I just use my DVD recorder on timer.

[usually_quiet]

What about box costs? You do have to have a box for each tv right? Does that mean than you have to have a box to record to a tv capture card?

I talked to Verizon about 3 weeks ago. You do have to have a box for each TV, unless you want to watch the same show on all of them, and one for each recording device, if you plan to watch one thing and record another. (All channels are encrypted.) I think their standard installation allows up to 3 TV's.

As I remember the rental fee for the boxes and DVR's varies according to what kind you need. I don't remember what features their DVR's offered.

Verizon has a lot of information about FIOS packages their website, which I used, although that turned out to be a bad decision. Existing Verizon customers were forced to register and give their email address to find out about the packages offered in their area. I was doing this for my parents, who do not have internet service, so I used my email address. At the end of the process, I found out that Verizon will use the email address you give them instead of regular mail for some communications, whether you want that or not. I had to spend about 2 hours on the phone being shuffled from one person to another, including a very aggressive FIOS salesperson, to finally get my parents un-registered. They weren't rude to me and eventually did what I wanted, but based on their tactics, I don't think I want them for anything other than local telephone service.

[dmodert66]

Please keep in mind that Verizon is giving away up to 3 FREE converter boxes per household, so you will still be able to view basic channels on a non digital tv without the use of an STB.

I'm very happy with Verizon on the TV and Internet front, although their DVR leaves alot to be desired...I'm thinking I'll go TivoHD soon. The internet package I have is quite peppy...Symmetrical 15/15 Mbps...

[disturbed1]

How is fios? AT&T is pushing UVERSE fios service.

Uverse is barely a step up from cable. Many problems, only one HDTV stream at a time............. http://www.dslreports.com/forum/uverse

Uverse offered us a package that under cut our current WoW service by $35, and we turned it down because it didn't have the same features.



Verizon Fios on the other hand

[SingSing]

FIOS TV Billing Special

six months after canceling FIOS TV sevice. I was suddenly billed as followed:

Late Payment Charge $0.30
State sales tax $0.02

Total new Charge $0.32

This is one of the many many Boo Boo Billing from Verizon FIOS

[SatStorm]

That's nothing: I was billed 500 euros from Sky Digital (UK) in advance for a year, even if I faxed them 3 times a month before, asking to cancel my subscription, because I'm not located in the UK any more (actually I never located in UK, but I was paying for Sky Digital for 6 years and watch it with no troubles).
What they did?

1 - They got the money in advance from my credit card
2 - They blocked my subscription card since I wasn't located in the UK (the reason I use so to cancel my subscription the first place)

And: I can't get my money back, because I'm not located in the UK. Something they learned from me and from the fax I send them so to cancel my subscription.

And then they wonder why Card Share is so popular in Europe...