The Academic
join:2008-03-14
| FIOS is Doomed, Is it Not?
I was a content Comcast customer for a number of years, but late last year made the jump to Verizon for the triple play and free TV at 99 dollars. I learned the hard way that these cable systems are not pretty much all the same.
The guide data and the interface are just junk. Here I sat with a $2500 TV, a recorder, and no sensible way to navigate through the hundreds of channels. The Verizon VOD offerings can't begin to compare to Comcast's. Some of the channels on the Comcast lineup are Premium on Verizon.
It's as if Comcast is about entertainment and Verizon is for technology geeks.
Now Comcast is meeting the prices of Verizon. Why would anyone today sign up for Verizon FIOS given a choice?
Eventually it will all be HD (I suppose). And what good is A+ picture quality VS A or B when the content stinks?
Verizon should throw in the towel on FIOS as they have such an awful product and little hope of making any big inroads in the market. |
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JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE | This is going to be a good thread...lol..
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"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" |
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mglunt
join:2001-09-10
Fredericksburg, VA
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·VoicePulse
edit:
April 7th, @10:23AM
| reply to The Academic
Comcast is the joke. Around here you get a handful of HD channels and Internet that is slooooo in the evenings.
Not to mention Comcast compressing their HD...
»www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthre···=1008271
Comcast is the one making deceiving commercials equating HD OnDemand Programs with HD Channels in their battle against DTV. Pretty soon, when FIOS has 100-150 HD channels they'll be doing the same with FIOS. Maybe if Comcast crams 4-5 HD channels into a single QAM, they can add more? You think?
FIOS has such little chance that of my 5 immediate neighbors, all but 1 has FIOS and she's an old grandmother living alone. |
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nteeman
join:2000-11-21
Port Washington, NY
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to The Academic
Count me as a very happy FiOS customer. They do have a few bugs to work out but day to day functionality is fine. Neighbors that had Cablevision can't believe how much better their FiOS service is.
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FiOS Triple play installed 10-21-2007. So far, so good ! |
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JPL
Premium
join:2007-04-04
West Chester, PA
| said by nteeman  :Count me as a very happy FiOS customer. They do have a few bugs to work out but day to day functionality is fine. Neighbors that had Cablevision can't believe how much better their FiOS service is. Me too. Different strokes for different folks and all - no one service is going to do it for every customer. I personally really like their new IMG interface. Yeah, it needs some enhancement, but still I think it's definitely a step in the right direction.
As for on-demand, yeah, Comcast has an edge, but Verizon is adding to it. There are lots of dish customers who'll tell you that on-demand is worthless - I personally really like it, but it's definitely not enough to get me to change to Comcast.
Also, around here - in Comcast-land - the number of people ditching Comcast for FiOS will make your head spin. I was shocked by how many people I know who have been praying for Verizon to roll the fiber into their neighborhood JUST so they could tell Comcast to kiss off. I've said this before, but it remains true - I've never seen a company so reviled in their own back yard. I can count the number of Comcast fans I know on one hand. There are people who still have it who are reluctant to switch, but most of those people tolerate Comcast - they don't particularly care for the service and they hate the company.
Finally, look at all the stories going around about the upcoming additional compression that Comcast is doing. Comcast appears (we don't know for sure) to try to up their HD by cutting corners. I've yet to see a real plan for HD expansion by them. Based on this last move (the 3:1 compression), they'll be able to add 10 - 15 HD channels. That may get them to 50 in some markets. With Verizon's latest plan, they'll have room for 3 times that, and then some. Based on how I read things, Comcast is setting themselves up to get their butts kicked - they'll have overcompressed HD, and they STILL won't have the room to add as many channels as say DirecTV, Dish, or FiOS.
Comcast does have some advantages over FiOS, but that gap is closing very quickly. |
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bcushman
join:2007-04-01
Warwick, RI
| My son who lives in Mass., and has Comcast said that he has noticed that some HD channels are great, and others have recently become very compressed. Another son who has Cox Cable in RI has noticed the same thing. I will take PQ over quantity anytime - FIOS doomed? I don't think so!!! |
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amarryat
Verizon FiOS
join:2005-05-02
Marshfield, MA
| reply to nteeman
said by nteeman :Count me as a very happy FiOS customer. They do have a few bugs to work out but day to day functionality is fine. Neighbors that had Cablevision can't believe how much better their FiOS service is. Ditto. And as someone else said, Comcast has some advantages, but overall I am much happier with FIOS and wouldn't go back. I have had ZERO outages (that I know of) since mid December in phone, TV, internet. I could always count on problems with Comcast though they had gotten much better. One Comcast advantage of note was the SA HD DVR was rock solid - but I was an Adelphia area and believe that the rest of Comcast areas use the crappy Motorola boxes. |
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ktorster
join:2002-01-06
Bloomfield, NJ | reply to The Academic
Me thinks someone (cough *The Academic* cough) works for Comcast. |
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Calabria
join:2007-11-06
Lansdale, PA
edit:
April 7th, @11:32AM
| reply to The Academic
Either your another clueless consumer or your just trying to stir the pot.Either way this thread is a waste of time.
Oh, by the way, just priced C* and V* the other day.With my setup, C* still $60 higher after trial period.
HEY JEEPMATT!!How's the land of compression  I couldn't resist.Thats a better Avatar
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9929 |
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Hajman
join:2001-12-17
Phoenixville, PA
| reply to The Academic
Well . . . you identified 2 definite weakness of FiOS: (1) the guide data is terrible and (2) VOD, especially as compared to Comcast's offering. I'll add one more - the DVR is somewhere between poor and just barely adequate depending on the user and their setup
That said, FiOS is far better for me compared to Comcast. First, the signal quality is far better than Comcast's in my area. Second, I use TiVo so the guide data issue does not affect me at all. Third, the combo of TiVo and Netflix addresses the VOD weakness as well. Fourth, in terms of price, Verizon's TV is less than $60/month (with 2 cablecards and 2 SD STBs0. Comcast was $95/month for less programming and far less quality.
Doomed - quite the opposite - it is a compelling good TV service (at least when paired with TiVo). |
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Thespis
join:2004-08-03
Keller, TX | reply to The Academic
jammmin? ... is that you? |
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darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Verizon FIOS
 ·Comcast
| said by Thespis :jammmin? ... is that you? Naw, The Academic is the OTHER Comcast fanboy that likes to post here 
If I were really all that interested in Comcast (and it's not like I haven't had them), I'd be hanging out in the (gasp!) Comcast forum. Wish these two would do the same |
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JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE
·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast
| reply to Calabria
said by Calabria :HEY JEEPMATT!!How's the land of compression I couldn't resist.Thats a better Avatar Snoping-
Ugh, the land of compression is like being stuck in North Philly after dark. 
Thanks for asking. I've been living in DirecTV-ville most of the time now, and have actually scaled back my Comcast subscriptions.
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"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" |
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lets456
join:2008-01-21
Hainesport, NJ
edit:
April 7th, @12:40PM
| reply to darcilicious
Remember, competition is the consumers best friend. I love Comcast and D* for the simple fact is they keep Verizon pushing for more HD, better service and package discounts.
On the other hand, Comcast in our area is not that impressive regarding it's line up and PQ... with the exception of it's VOD content. Verizon needs to increase it's content of VOD and HD VOD...this will happen soon. Remember that FIOS is "young" and they are laying cable, upgrading IMG's, getting contracts and rights for programming, etc and trying to keep up with the competition.
We would all like to see this happen faster, but 3 year old technology is moving along rather quick when you realize everything that has to be done.
I had D* for 7 years and they promised more HD for 2 years....then 3 months after I left it happened. 2 years!!!
I know Verizon is slow, but not that slow.....Complain, but realize that the grass is never greener.... |
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danclan
join:2005-11-01
Midlothian, VA
·Verizon FIOS
| no its actually going to dominate in about 5 to 10 years tops.
Guide Data will eventually be resolved and timely.
VOD as well will fill. I though rarely ever use this and don't lose sleep cause its not there.
Picture quality and sound are key for me. I was comcast for 12 years with all it whistles and bells. Verizon hands down beats it in my area. Sure comcast 4 more HD channels...big whoop.
By the end of this month I will have 2x more than comcast. And they wont be pixelvision either.
I'd rather go with true fiber to the house than anything comcast can deliver these days
Oh and i get it at 40$ cheaper than comcast can deliver and at speeds comcast cannot.
Don't bet against the fiber. Copper is dying slowly but surely in this country. |
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jammmin
join:2000-12-14
Upper Marlboro, MD
| reply to Thespis
said by Thespis :jammmin? ... is that you? Not its not.
Comcast finally came and installed service this past week. I can get FIOS(in fact, there is an ONT and battery backup already installed at the house).
I currently get their 16 megabit Blast service for $24.99 a months for six months. Also, I got their Digital Preferred Package with HBO for $29.99 a month for six months.
FIOS could not match those deals. I am very happy with the service so far.
Analysis so far
1. Analog channels(2-99) okay picture quality
2. Digital channels (101+) very good quality
3. HD channels(excellent quality). I haven't seen any of that "degradation" of picture quality that some folks here wrote about the other day. I also have an antenna attached to the TV and I did not notice a difference in PQ between Comcast HD and the OTA antenna. I have seen FIOS HD and it looks the same also. Maybe they haven't "degraded" the HD channels yet in Maryland.
4. VOD is unbelievable. So many choices. So little time to watch.
At the end of the six months, whoever offers me the best price(Comcast, FIOS, Directv or Dishnetwork) will get my business.
I had cancelled Directv. The retention department was willing to take $10 a month off my bill and well as give me a HD DVR for only $49.(lease not own) |
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Steely
I used to have OOL
Premium
join:2000-10-15
Princeton Junction, NJ
| reply to The Academic
said by The Academic :Some of the channels on the Comcast lineup are Premium on Verizon. Such as??? |
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MrSpock29
join:2008-02-09
Hammonton, NJ
| reply to The Academic
said by The Academic :I was a content Comcast customer for a number of years, but late last year made the jump to Verizon for the triple play and free TV at 99 dollars. I learned the hard way that these cable systems are not pretty much all the same. The guide data and the interface are just junk. Here I sat with a $2500 TV, a recorder, and no sensible way to navigate through the hundreds of channels. The Verizon VOD offerings can't begin to compare to Comcast's. Some of the channels on the Comcast lineup are Premium on Verizon. It's as if Comcast is about entertainment and Verizon is for technology geeks. Now Comcast is meeting the prices of Verizon. Why would anyone today sign up for Verizon FIOS given a choice? Eventually it will all be HD (I suppose). And what good is A+ picture quality VS A or B when the content stinks? Verizon should throw in the towel on FIOS as they have such an awful product and little hope of making any big inroads in the market. I was a content Comcast customer too, however, the phone going down for hours at a time, several times last year, would lead one to think that THEY might have the problems.
As far as the IMG, that isn't a reason I don't believe to call Fios doomed. Things do get updated and change. Comcast has been offering tv for many years, Vz just a couple. Improvements always come in time.
Comcast's infrastructure is inferior. That is why when my internet wasn't working properly, causing me to have to make several attempts to download the SAME large files, which led to the harassing phone call saying they would shut me off. Another mark against Comcast and for Fios.
However, you love your Comcast, and that is fine. The market place at this point does not agree, and people around here anxiously await to dump their cable.
Bottom line, competition is good, and so it appears is the product. I anxiously await it. |
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as2higpark
join:2007-11-28
Braintree, MA | well said...I will echo that.. |
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RQFinMD
join:2007-07-09
Pasadena, MD
edit:
April 7th, @02:39PM
| reply to The Academic
From the Comcast TV thread, a Comcast tech said the following, and I quote: "When you have a legitimate use for 100mbps net connections, Comcast will provide it... Until then we're happy to keep up with FIOS..."
(In other words, Comcast will decide FOR YOU what is "legitimate use for 100mbps." Furthermore, it appears one of Comcast's strategies is to REACT to what Verizon is doing rather than innovate and define the cutting-edge...if this guy is speaking with any authority, of course.)
Bottomline, I'm with everyone else--COMPETITION IS GOOD! |
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