US Telco Support > Verizon > Verizon FIOS TV > 150 HD channels

150 HD channels

I believe each analog channel can become at least two (2) HD channels, the way VZ does it.
so eliminating approx. 50 analog channels should give us approx 100 more HD's to what we already have ( what, 30-50 now, counting all the Locals, Reg sports & movie channels?) & I believe they are also upgrading the CO's with additional QAM's now as well, for another 10 - 25 HD's on top of that.

reply to amarryat
From what I understand, Verizon has room for 40 analog channels per market. As meatchicken said, each of those channels, when eliminated, will create enough room for 2 HD channels. That adds 80 to the ~30/market. The rest will come, again as meatchicken said, from expansion of QAM channels. I believe Verizon will go the full 135 QAM channels by end of 2008.

And to complete out the picture, each analog channel uses enough space to carry 9 - 10 SD digital channels. Getting rid of those analogs will free up alot of space.

I've gotten into some debates with folks on a dbs forum. I can't tell you how many times I've read "cable can't compete - they're tapped out. They need to go switched video to compete with directv and dish." I used Comcast in this area as an example. Around here, Comcast has about 70 analog channels. If they move all those channels to their digital tier, they create enough room for about 62 QAM channels, giving them enough room to add 124 HD channels without additional compression... all without going switched video. I then generally get the normal counter argument "but comcast will never do that because then every customer would need a box on every tv... those customers will never accept that, so switched video is more likely." I was stupified at that argument - because if you go switched video, guess what? Every TV will need a box too!

Eventually these systems will also, likely, go mpeg4 (vs. mpeg2), which is a much more efficient compression algorithm, and will allow these systems increase their bandwidth significantly.

reply to amarryat
1 analog channel or 1 QAM channel uses 6 MHz of bandwidth. A QAM-256 channel has a 38.8 Mbps data rate or twice that of a broadcast ATSC signal of 19.4 Mbps or enough to carry 2 full bandwidth HD channels of 19.4 Mbps (or all the sub-channels of two local digital broadcast stations). So 1 QAM channel = 2 HD channels although some national HD channels don't get close to a 19 Mbps data rate (yes, Universal HD and Discovery HD, we are looking at you).

Verizon has 40 analog channels, not 50. One problem is that the earlier COs were built with 54 QAM channels, the later ones with 63 QAM channels. However, according to multiple sources, the system was built with a total limit of 103 channels, be they analog or digital QAM. The STB and DVRs can handle up to channel 135 or 860 MHz, a common channel limit for QAM tuners.

So the upgrade is in several steps. Verizon is reportedly upgrading all the COs to 63 QAM channels which may allow for a few more national QAM channels (we hope). Some of the channels from 54 to 63 are used up in the locations with HD locals from 2 cities or to add more digital broadcast locals. The last time I looked, all of the national SD and HD channels were carried in 44 QAM channels.

Kill the 40 analog channels and upgrade all COs and VHOs to 103 QAM channels. That gives them room for 60 to 80 more HD channels, but likely short of the "150" number they have put into the press release. But that is a marketing number to match DirecTV and Comcast press releases, because there may not really be 150 HD channels available by end of 2008.

Next stage reportedly is to upgrade to 135 QAM channels through the system, which will give them room for more than 150 HD channels with 100s of SD channels. This is supposed to be done by the end of 2008, but this is the same company that promised the IMG by fall of 2007 and HD VOD by end of 07 for markets that have not seen it yet. The bottom line is that Verizon made a major mis-calculation looking forward on the number of digital QAM channels they would need in their distribution system several years ago when they started up the TV system.

Thanks everyone for the informative responses!

It sounds to me like Verizon will have to perform some magic to deliver the 150 HD channels by the end of this year. Hopefully they make big strides so as to not disappoint those who signed up based on that information.

It is not magic. As long as the HD content is available from the content providers, it will be delivered. Previously announced carriage agreements, such as the additional Discovery HD networks, will be the first HD channels for 2008. The massive network upgrades being performed in 2008 will allow for 150 HD channels and beyond.

reply to amarryat
At this point, there are probably less than 16 of their current "basic Cable" channels they need in HD to keep the majority of their people happy ..
SciFi, TLC, Bravo, CNN, Sci, Hist, CNBC, FX to name perhaps half or so.....
so another full 30 HD's by June would go a long way , I could wait 'till December for the rest (above 30 addtnl), if the above come soon along w/ the addtnl few HBO feeds ect ...

I don't know, I wouldn't mind some other channels like Smithsonian TV, and MGM TV. And I'd like some more of the Starz channels in HD.

reply to MeatChicken

I agree.People are so hung up on the hd hype.I'll be happy with the main channels, sci,history etc...
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You have to speak up, I'm wearing a towel

reply to afiggatt
Existing analog channels aside, how many HD channels can VZ add right now? I find it hard to believe that they are totally maxed.

How many total channels (video) does Fios carry if you get everything, premiums included? I do not feel like looking at the channel line-up & counting, so if someone knows, cool, if not NBD.

They claim they were maxed out, they gave us a couple new HD's towards the end of 2007 and now they are upgrading the equipment.

reply to amarryat
For the "simulcast" HD channels, couldn't Verizon basically drop the SD version and just downconvert the HD version to SD? As more and more HD channels get added the duplicated channels would start sucking up bandwidth along with making the guide even messier to navigate. Of course, a new STB would probably be required...

stb cant down convert a hd signal to sd

reply to no

reply to DMS1

reply to mrlaugh