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150 FiOS HD Channels in 2008
Company promises 5x the HD channels by end of next year

One of the major complaints we see from site users about FiOS (aside from their billing systems and support) has been the lack of HD channels. Particularly in contrast to DirecTV's promise of 100 HD channels by the end of this year (of which they've already delivered 75). Addressing those complaints, Verizon's John Zwartacki e-mails us to note they'll be offering 150 HD channels by the end of next year.

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It had been suggested that a bottleneck in Verizon's QAM-based FiOSTV network was slowing HD deployment. While the company wouldn't elaborate on what specifically needed upgrading to make increased HD a reality -- they're apparently confident they'll be worked out by the end of '08. From the announcement:
quote:
In the spring of 2008, Verizon will begin expanding its HD lineup as well as the sports and multicultural program offerings on FiOS TV. Verizon initially will double the current number of HD channels, on a market-by-market basis, to more than 60, including additional sports channels. Verizon expects to have more than 150 HD channels by year-end 2008 as it continues to add to its HD lineup and programmers launch new channels.
The company says they'll begin to offer HD VOD before year's end, with 1,000 titles planned for '08. We're guessing that the channel bragging game will quickly become irrelevant in 2008 as all cable, DBS and telcoTV operators ramp up their HD selections. Verizon's in a good position in that the ample bandwidth provided by the network allows them to avoid compromising HD quality via compression.
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Littlefalls
join:2004-11-16
Ringwood, NJ

Littlefalls

Member

Cool :)

I don't have Fios yet, but i've heard a lot of people complaining about the lack of HD Channels. Now I think the only problem left is some of the bugs on the guide?

And also better speed- but people will always want more.

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
Premium Member
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs

N3OGH

Premium Member

Re: Cool :)

Mmmmmmmmm, HD.

I love HD programming. Especially on NFL and MLB games.
eco
Premium Member
join:2001-11-28
Wilmington, DE

eco to Littlefalls

Premium Member

to Littlefalls
One word: BILLING.

I've have to call every month to get them to apply discounts I'm supposed to be getting, and they always tell me it will be fixed by the next bill. It never gets fixed. I decided to just give up because it's only 10 bucks more without the discounts I'm owed, but some people have it much worse than I do.
Nightwchtr
join:2001-09-10
Centreville, VA

Nightwchtr

Member

Re: Cool :)

Eco agreed, its a shame that with this great product that they cant come up with a somewhat average tech and billing dept.

K3SGM
- -... ...- -
Premium Member
join:2006-01-17
Columbia, PA

K3SGM to Littlefalls

Premium Member

to Littlefalls
How many channels of C-SPAN-HD, HSN-HD, and QVC-HD will that include??

It's nice to call it an HD channel, but it's complete Bull$#it to stretch, and overscan the original SD feed to HD, and try to pass it off as true HD programming.

The determining factor will eventually play out, as how many channels are actually filmed in HD, and how many are truly broadcast in HD.

DirecTV already broadcasts in HD-Lite, we don't welcome that same principle here on Fios TV.

JamesPC
join:2005-10-12
Orange, CA

JamesPC

Member

SPORTS

The best HD to me is sports broadcasts.

tnroroc
Let's Rock
join:2001-04-25
New Jersey

tnroroc

Member

I am Getting a Bit worried...

... that the contest has become whom can have the greatest number of HD channels, and not whom has the greatest number of QUALITY HD channels.

If someone gives you something you don't really want / have a use for, then having them give you 5x more is not really a great thing, is it?
jammmin
join:2000-12-14
Upper Marlboro, MD

jammmin

Member

Re: I am Getting a Bit worried...

Its will always be a numbers game. Whoever has the most HD channel wins and currently, Directv is winning by a huge margin. Good planning on their part. Bad planning on Verizon's part.

Dezbend
MVM
join:2001-04-20

Dezbend

MVM

Re: I am Getting a Bit worried...

not to hi-jack the thread, but I have seen the big news articles every time Direct adds additional HD channels, but it looks like Dish is keeping up. according to their website: »www.dishnetwork.com/cont ··· ex.shtml they have 75 HD channels and claim they have the "most national HD channels".

Even if this is just posturing from Dish, saying DirectTV is winning by a huge margin must be inaccurate. Dish needs to learn to play the PR machine like Direct has done this year with HD.

Tzale
Proud Libertarian Conservative
Premium Member
join:2004-01-06
NYC Metro

Tzale to tnroroc

Premium Member

to tnroroc
said by tnroroc:

... that the contest has become whom can have the greatest number of HD channels, and not whom has the greatest number of QUALITY HD channels.

If someone gives you something you don't really want / have a use for, then having them give you 5x more is not really a great thing, is it?
Well the thing is that there are only so many HD channels right now, and the more you have, the greater the chance of having quality ones.

-Tzale

stuckiniraq
@dsid58.usmc.mil

stuckiniraq

Anon

Sport HD=Higher prices for everyone

Sure, I wouldn't mind having more HD channels...as long as they are channels I want. Personally I couldn't care less about sports programming. Now, if I have to pay more for my programming because some athlete believes he's worth 20 mil, then yeah, I start to give a hoot.

Add all the sports programming you want, but don't forget to change the rules so that I can get A la carte programming and not pay for someone else's entertainment.
LndnTex
join:2003-07-23
College Station, TX

LndnTex

Member

You can promise the world, but can you deliver

It seems everyday you see companies promising their customers the world, and then down the line they get revised and revised up to the deadline until its peanuts.

If they can deliver, good... but I doubt there will be 150 real HD channels(emphasis on channels, not Event/PPV/etc.) delivered to the FIOS customers.
smokarz
join:2006-07-24
West Hartford, CT

smokarz

Member

Re: You can promise the world, but can you deliver

wish FIOS was in my area....crappy AT&T is in town, and U-verse is not even available yet for my neighborhood.
Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA

1 edit

Sammer to LndnTex

Member

to LndnTex
Their statements that it will be on a market by market basis and they'll be providing HD VOD suggest they'll be making much greater use of the IP capability for HD. It also makes me wonder when they'll start introducing HD boxes with MPEG4 capability. As to whether anyone will be able to offer 150 real HD channels that's really up to the content providers.
moonpuppy (banned)
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

moonpuppy (banned) to LndnTex

Member

to LndnTex
Looks like we will have to wait and see.

drx792
@bellsouth.net

drx792

Anon

Not a threat

I dont see how this is much of a threat to DirecTV as they will have the capacity for over 150 HD channels after D11 launches in December. They could easily offer any national HD channel the minute they launch.
robertfl
Premium Member
join:2005-10-10
Mary Esther, FL

robertfl

Premium Member

Re: Not a threat

Direct TV is HD LIGHT. I'll take TRUE hd anytime.

-Rob

grydlok
join:2004-01-06
Richmond, VA

grydlok

Member

Re: Not a threat

Prove the mpeg4 is not full rez.
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory to robertfl

Member

to robertfl
I've had BOTH. You don't know what you're talking about. You're just copying some jibberish you heard.
njcellfreak
join:2006-12-28
Union City, NJ

1 edit

njcellfreak to robertfl

Member

to robertfl
I've compared OTA, Comcrap and Directv and noticed hardly any differences whatsoever. The new MPEG4 channels looked great to me. Definately not HD-Lite IMO.
robjulo
join:2004-08-22
Louisville, KY

robjulo to robertfl

Member

to robertfl
Directv's new MPEG4 channels are NOT Hd-lite and very close if not as good as OTA HD. At least know what your talking about before posting.
Cyber2lz
join:2001-11-15
Odessa, FL

Cyber2lz

Member

Billing

Fix the Billing and the customers will come.

Thespis
I'm not an actor, but I play one on TV.
Premium Member
join:2004-08-03
Keller, TX

Thespis

Premium Member

Re: Billing

said by Cyber2lz:

Fix the Billing and the customers will come.
Really? You would choose a video provider based on the reputation of the billing department?
I would rather base that decision on the availability of desired programming and picture quality, but to each his own...

NotAgainAndAgain

Anon

Verizon Can't Deliver!

150 HD Channels dosen't mean crap if you can't get FIOS! Fios is starting to look like a half-baked cherry picked spot deployment. The Verizon networking Guru's can't even deliver DSL in the suburbs of major cities.

The Verizon Bullshit is getting out of hand here!

ScrewVerizon
@optonline.net

ScrewVerizon

Anon

Re: Verizon Can't Deliver!

150 HD channels to what? 0.01% of the population?? LMAO oh please. Wow the cable companies and DirecTV must be $hitting bricks!!! How terrifying OMG, What a threat!!! The cable industry will go bankrupt booo hoooo hoooo. Verizon's Fios deployment is a joke. It's laughable when people refer to them as "competition" LOL thats not competition. What competition??? LOL. They just don't get it. If they really want the get the cable companies where it hurts, they need to stop cherry picking.
pvc00
join:2001-03-10
Hampton, VA

pvc00

Member

Re: Verizon Can't Deliver!

VZ is delivering, at least they are trying. Here in our area we now have fiber to the trailer park(ftttp).. that sure isnt cherry picking if you ask me. Oh by the way, please TROLL on over to the OOL forum. thanks.. See Yaa!
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory

Member

Re: Verizon Can't Deliver!

OMG. Thank you for the laugh!
njcellfreak
join:2006-12-28
Union City, NJ

1 edit

njcellfreak to pvc00

Member

to pvc00
How is the guy being a "TROLL"? Doesn't fit the description. Are you sore cause he speaks the truth? Because he states what you fanboys dont wanna hear? What's even more laughable is you get "ftttp" in a trailer park. First of all, what the hell is "ftttp"? LOL

Secondly, I truly think you should get your priorities straight and start using the money you spend on your "ftttp" per month on moving out of that ghetto trailer park you supposedly get service at.

The point is that what good are Verizon's services if you can't get em. Who gives a rats ass? As the original poster of the thread stated, Verizon needs to stop their bullshit.
dishrich
join:2006-05-12
Springfield, IL

2 edits

dishrich

Member

Re: Verizon Can't Deliver!

said by njcellfreak:

The point is that what good are Verizon's services if you can't get em. Who gives a rats ass? As the original poster of the thread stated, Verizon needs to stop their bullshit.
And that's DEFINITELY the truth here in ALL the Verizon service areas in IL! In the majority of their service areas in IL, they offer NO DSL service at all. And, in our paper this week, after IL enacted statewide video franchise legislation back in June, a Verizon spokeswoman says "the company has no immediate plans to apply for a cable franchise in IL". Verizon has ALWAYS treated their IL service areas as scum of the earth, so this doesn't surprise me in the least.

This in contrast to AT&T, who has already been awarded a statewide franchise & will start rolling out service in early 2008. (in Chicago, of course - but us downstater's south of I-80 are used to this... )

Maybe one of these decades we might just get some competition from Comcast - but certainly not anytime soon...

GeekNJ
Premium Member
join:2000-09-23
Waldwick, NJ

GeekNJ

Premium Member

How many HD channels??

I'm having a difficult time deciphering what the true outcome they are projecting.

Is it a total of 150 HD channels across all their various markets but no more then 60 within a given market?

HarleyYac
Lee
Premium Member
join:2001-10-13
Allendale, NJ

HarleyYac

Premium Member

Re: How many HD channels??

True Directv is using the same BS. I maybe wrong but no one is getting 100 on one market. Maybe marketwide. Thats it
Lee

NOCMan
MadMacHatter
Premium Member
join:2004-09-30
Colorado Springs, CO

NOCMan

Premium Member

Market by market basis?

So what's this, we only see more channels only in markets where the cable companies have expanded their HD lineups?

I smell a rat.
pimpinparker
join:2005-06-14
North Baltimore, OH

pimpinparker

Member

TWC Behind

I have Time Warner Cable and I have about 15HD channels (including local) and have heard nothing about adding anymore anytime soon

toolazytologin
@verizon.net

toolazytologin

Anon

multiroom dvr to be hd compatible

I think the biggest announcement is that the multiroom dvr will finally stream to the hd boxes.

NOCMan
MadMacHatter
Premium Member
join:2004-09-30
Colorado Springs, CO

NOCMan

Premium Member

Re: multiroom dvr to be hd compatible

I could care less what it can do. That new interface is a steaming pile of poo. It's more difficult to use than the previous interface. My wife hates it, my mother in law has trouble using it when it was put on her dvr, and hell if I have problems using it then there's something seriously wrong.

Sure they took the Xbox blade design, but you do not take a design that works and screw it up and expect people to like it.

Navigation is not seamless and required several different button presses depending on where you are.
francishsu
join:2000-06-27
Wyoming, MI

francishsu

Member

can't wait for my favorites in HD

Looking forward to HSN, QVC, ShopNBC and Jewelry in HD!

odreian615
join:2006-01-18
Chicago, IL

odreian615

Member

Re: can't wait for my favorites in HD

I can't wait for nick and cartoon network wait would one tell the difference in HD cartoons and SD cartoons
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory

Member

Re: can't wait for my favorites in HD

Yes. There is a big difference.
degeester
join:2002-03-08
La Quinta, CA

degeester

Member

Bring on the 180 Channels!

Per technician installing FIOS @ neighbors, I won't get FIOS TV until fall of 2008, so they should have the process and channels down pat.

Rob A
Adjusting
Premium Member
join:2005-01-17
Pompton Plains, NJ

Rob A

Premium Member

That's all fine and dandy...

But it doesn't do me any good if the service ain't available!

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