Comments on: FiOS TV – Why One Million People Have Signed Up

By: Verizon: New Hardware, Software, and Subscribers « Media Experiences 2 Go

Verizon: New Hardware, Software, and Subscribers « Media Experiences 2 Go — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:46:09 +0000

[...] is slowing, but three million is still an impressive milestone. Especially when you consider that Verizon has tripled TV subscribers in just over two [...]

By: One Million U-verse Subscribers and Counting « Media Experiences 2 Go

One Million U-verse Subscribers and Counting « Media Experiences 2 Go — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 01:56:17 +0000

[...] says it expects to reach the one-million subscriber mark as early as next week. Remarkably, Verizon hit the same milestone with FiOS TV earlier this [...]

By: JayDub

JayDub — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:27:38 +0000

Mari-
Of course you are correct. The potential is exciting. I just wish they had worked out more of the kinks before releasing the product or their salespeople were more informed about exactly where the product stood. I don’t like being told “everything is great!” when there are still so many kinks being worked out. As I said, I just have a bad taste in my mouth right now but it’s nothing a little accurate information about what Verizon is planning and when would go a long way towards keeping me from switching…especially with regard to expected HD channels. (Or in the absence of that, at least use the “loss leader” approach and keep it cheap enough for me that I’d be willing to put up with more.)

Maybe I’m just spoiled by my HD fetish, but it’s hard for me to accept that there are HD channels out there that I’m not getting and it’s not a result of technological limitations. (I know…”effin Waaaaah!”)

At this stage in it’s development the “apples to apples” comparison against other similarly priced products is no contest. When I execute my world domination plans, I’ll just be running the PR/marketing side of Fios TV a little bit differently.

By: Mari Silbey

Mari Silbey — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:58:34 +0000

JayDub- Agreed that there are problems. But:

1. Verizon has pushed the envelope with both the IMG interface and the multi-room DVR app. I hope they get all the kinks worked out of the interface, but having tested it myself, there’s an awful lot I like about it – the search capabilities, the options for different modes of data input (keyboard, predictive text, scroll wheel, etc.), and the widgets in particular. Plus, it’s the sharpest guide I’ve seen to date, a very good design model in my opinion.

2. Believe it or not, most people don’t need to see everything in HD yet. Yes, there is a vocal minority that is howling for HD everything. But, Verizon’s HD line-up is competitive, even if it’s not the best. For most people, that, plus the fact that more HD is coming, is enough. And ultimately, Verizon has the capacity for huge HD growth.

I don’t meant to sound like a Verizon fangirl, but I don’t disagree with most of what Evan says above. Just my own opinion, of course. And I love to hear others.

By: JayDub

JayDub — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 03:34:31 +0000

They have sold a million because they are good at selling it, not through any “compelling user interface” that the PR doofus is pitching in the article above. I would bet large sums of money that more than 50% of the current users (and 100% of the former DirectTV users) are dissatisfied with the FIOS DVR.

Personally, I feel ripped off and have told anyone and everyone not to get FIOS TV if they want to use a DVR. (I say this as someone who has FIOS internet and Verizon Cell Phones and am very satisfied with them.) Though I didn’t know it at the time, the sales guy at the Verizon store was either lying or just had no clue. Either way, there’s no excuse. I’m not paying $80 a month to be a beta tester.

I suppose I could live with the slow-responding, clunky interface but I’m not going to when I can get more capacity and more HD channels at another service provider that has performed for me in the past.

The topper is that I can’t find anywhere outside of (other posts on) this blog where a Verizon rep acknowledges the problems. I might be a little more patient if the company gave me accurate forecasts as to when problems would be addressed and channels would be added.