Fios Fine Points

Re: Fios Fine Points

I think you looking at the Optitcal Network Terminal that goes on the outside of your house. The coax's will be used when Video becomes available and will run to where your coax comes into your house. They pretty much remove the cable companies coax and put theres in. There Video Service will blow you away. The quality is jaw dropping.

They will run your Modem/Router to any room in your house that you want for free and like any other Router/Modem Cat 5 will be your only option from there other then Wi Fi. There is No Coax Out used from there routers.

Cable Companies might be in trouble in the near future not enough bandwith in that copper coax.

Re: Fios Fine Points

Let me offer a simple comment regarding Verizon Fios....

It is by far the best service I ever brought into my home.

At this point I only have Fios Internet. I held off on Fios TV
simply because they do not support Tivo and I greatly enjoy
using my Tivo with DirecTV.

However...

As far as Internet is concerned, it is far beyond anything cable
broadband can offer, and cheaper too!

With cable I was only getting 5-6mbps download for $60
per month. With Fios I get 20mbps for $45 a month. That's
4 times the speed at $15 less per month.

Best of all, no disconnects like I was getting with cable.
Furthermore, Fios does not suffer from the same kind of
slowdowns that occurs with cable lines when other people
in your neighborhood are using it at the same time.

Re: Fios Fine Points

Lew,

I know in our area they were using a Modem/Router Combo Unit that works great. They would run that anywhere in your house that you wanted. That had no Coax, but I would think that if you are going from your modem to a router that Cat 5 would be the only way to go. NOt sure why you would want to use Coax?

Ron might be able to give his setup in his area.

Ron, make the switch to the video. Those new DVR setop box's they have can be networked together where if you record 1 show on 1 TV that you would be able to watch it anywhere else in your house that you have a Set Top box hooked up.

Also the HDTV and even the Plain Digital Channels blow away any service out there. No compression!!!!

I think I read somewhere out there that they can carry upto 200 HDTV channels on there Fiber Network at this time and once they switch to GPON Network (2007 and beyond) that number goes upto to over 1000 Hi Def channels.

Most Cable Networks If I remember the article correctly can handle 40 or so on there network and thats with compression and GPON is not an option for them.

Seems like Verizon is on the right path and hopefully other Telecommunication Companies follow suit. Competeition is good for the Video Industry!

Re: Fios Fine Points

Lew, Looks like your right. I just went online and it seems the Modem is now built into the ONT and they will run Cat 5 or Coax to anywhere in your house and install the router and software for free. Will allow them I guess to use pre existing wiring in your house. I would go with the Cat 5 option if possible. Also looks like they are giving away $100 with any new FIOS Install.

I knew I should have waited. LOL I like Ron have never been happier with a new service like this and would recommend FIOS to anyone that can get it.

Re: Fios Fine Points

Well... TiVo Series 3 (the HD TiVo) supports CableCards--and even though they don't like it, FiOS offers CableCards...

Of course, that TiVo Series 3 ain't cheap, nor was the lifetime subscription transfer. But you can get a fully integrated TiVo using FiOS...

To the original point, I'll have to review the FiOS offerings thanks to the information here... as if my install in 2005, we only had 5/2, 15/2, and 30/? service, not 20/5.

The service is great, both internet and TV.

- Steve

Re: Fios Fine Points

While a current verizon customer for 2 weeks, I cannot wait to leave! I don't even know where to begin with the issues there are so many. First they couldn't install all 3 services in the same day because I had to go through a "win back" program and was told I had to order the 3 services separately. That's 3 straight Saturdays I had to give up! I even received a bill for $64 for just the phone service and I have only had it for 2 weeks! One positive is that the phone and Internet installs went ok, but were once again 2 separate days.
It continued to get ugly with the install of the TV Service, which is where they completely lost me. First when I made the initial order I was informed the install would be from 8-12. When NO ONE called to confirm as with the other 2 installs, I called the day of to find out the window was actually 8-5. Unacceptable. If they would have told me that I wouldn’t have made plans for that evening.

At 3:45 I called to see where they were and was told they would call me back shortly. At 5:15 I called back AGAIN since so one called me. They had no idea on what was going on, and I was told for a second time they would find out and call me right back. Why hadn’t they called in the first place to tell me they were going to be late at any point, it’s common courtesy, and I don’t think is asking too much.

Now I have the installer, and 2 separate service reps that never called me back to explain what’s going well after 6! So basically I wasted a Saturday (3 if you count the other 2 installs) and don’t have HD for my Super Bowl party tomorrow. To make matters worse, I purchased a new HDTV on Thursday just for this event too!


Let me go on with some other shortcomings of Verizon. Need assistance with your bill due to issue or any other reason, they are only available Monday-Friday. Another pathetic service flaw. There is no communication between Verizon departments/services as well as their installers. Each rep states, I can’t answer that you have to speak to “this department”…

It seems I have to each some crow here. After years of complaining about Cablevision and DTV, I never realized how good I had it! While overpriced for years, their support is LIGHT YEARS ahead of Verizon.

To think, all cablevision and DTV needed to was to have another player in the sandbox to realize they weren’t so bad after all……

STAY AWAY FROM VERIZON AT ALL COSTS, unless you don’t mind the worst customer support in the entire business!

Re: Fios Fine Points

Michael,

I am very sorry to hear of your Fios problems, and honestly as
far as TV service goes, I am not surprised.

Let me once again reiterate that I am a very satisfied FIOS
customer. Using Fios broadband is nothing short of amazing!
The sheer download and upload speed cannot be matched by
cable. I feel like my computer is on steroids every time I
browse the Internet. To date, I have never had a dropped
connection -- something always common with cable.

That being said....

Verizon Fios TV was introduced to my area this month.
I did not jump at the opportunity to sign up simply because
of the many problems that have been reported on other
forums. These problems range from bad installations to
reception problems and even a lackluster supplied PVR.

As far as your initial charge from Verizon, that is common.
Every time I add a new service (I have phone and Fios) they
send you a pro-rated bill for that month. Eventually, it all
evens out so don't think you are being charged more than
you should -- and if you still don't feel comfortable call
Verizon and they will explain how and why you were pro-rated.
After all these years with Verizon I know how they work.

Verizon being closed SAT-SUN is inexcusable. I think that
they are still operating as a phone company with those hours
without taking into consideration that they need to provide
customer support for television and Internet subscribers.

But getting back to why I am not surprised about your situation...

A friend of mine scheduled his Fios TV to be hooked up
last December. He was given an install date in January and
when that date came, nobody showed up. As it turned out,
there was poor communication with the installation department.

My friend decided to stick with cable until Verizon got their
shit together.

I am in a similar situation. Sooner or later DirecTV is going to
change their coding to MPEG4 and I will be forced to go with
Verizon Fios.

Really, Michael, I think that eventually you may want to
try Verizon again. I know you feel burned, but I think that
given time, they will get things right. This is all a new venture
for them and they really have only recently entered the
television market. I sort of see them as a necessity only
because they are the ONLY service providing UNCOMPRESSED
high definition. Really, you can't top fiber optics as far as
bandwidth is concerned. You'll never get the picture quality
of FIOS with DirecTV, Dish Network or cable. For that reason
alone, I know that sooner or later FIOS is going to be the way
all of us receive our television and Internet.

I honestly feel a year from now things will be a lot better
under Verizon.

Re: Fios Fine Points

Seems like they are really getting there installs down better. I heard it used to take a day for them to install the Fios product.

Re: Fios Fine Points

Wish they offered the 20 Megabit service here in Texas...



- Steve