Verizon Should Reveal HD Plans
Given the plethora of HD announcements from DIRECT and EchoStar's Dish Network, I contacted Sharon Cohen-Hagar, Verizon's Director of Media Relations, concerning their plans for the addition of new HD channels in the upcoming months on their FiOS service. I specifically asked about TBS HD, CNN HD, A & E HD and the new Discovery channels. This is the response I received.
"We'll be adding a few more HD channels along with some special interest SD channels this quarter. Beyond that, we're planning a major expansion in our HD, sports and multicultural offerings that will track with the removal of analog content from our system. The rollout of these new offerings will begin next spring. While we believe that HD leadership-in both quality and quantity- is critical to the competitive marketplace, we also recognize that we have to appeal to diverse interests to achieve the targets we've set for ourselves, hence the inclusion of sports and multicultural programming in our planned additions. At the same time, we believe one of our core advantages lies in the quality of the programming we deliver, therefore we will not compromise the signal we receive from the programmers."
Despite a follow-up request, Ms. Hagar would not name the new HD channels that would be offered and would specifically not commit to the addition of TBS HD in time for the upcoming MLB playoffs. (TBS has the rights to first and second baseball playoffs.) Nor did she commit to it not being carried either. Given the announcements of new HD content from the DBS providers and the recent TBS HD Comcast announcement, it is my opinion that it would be in Verizon's best interests to make their plans for the carriage of the new HD channels public rather than hide behind vague statements and promised concerning carriage. As of now, we will know when they are added once they are added. Not a good way to increase your subscriber base IMHO.
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18 Comments:
"Beyond that, we're planning a major expansion in our HD, sports and multicultural offerings that will track with the removal of analog content from our system."
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTT!!!!???
Weren't FIOS supposed to be the undisputed king of broadband? So now they're pulilng the CableCo game of removing analogs??? In fact, do they have that many analogs to remove???
I am telling you, the fact that I can't get FIOS TV is no longer bothering me that much....
I'm very disappointed by this. It's looking more and more that VZ's marketing is merely smoke and mirrors.
C'mon Verizon - how about step up to the plate and be honest with your customers?
Joe Whip - Please ask her why they need to wait for the removal of analogs to add HD? How could you NOT have asked that question when they claim to have all this available bandwidth? In reality, on dslreports a former Verizon employee has been telling us about their inability to add more HD and the reason is not bandwidth, but a lack of the appropriate hardware to utilize the bandwidth; clearly a case of amateurish management. Couldn't they have done a better job planning for the expansion of HD knowing that Directv was going to add so many new channels in 4Q 2007?
I have asked and have spoken with her at length over the phone on this issue and referred her to the dsl reports thread. I have provided all the information I have been given in response. Sorry.
The FIOS tv experience has turned out to be a relatively good one, but it could have been done a lot better. The current version of their new guide is buggy, and they should be adding HD much more quickly.
"In reality, on dslreports a former Verizon employee has been telling us about their inability to add more HD and the reason is not bandwidth, but a lack of the appropriate hardware to utilize the bandwidth;"
Do someone have the link to that thread on dslreports? I am really interested.
I was strongly considering switching to FIOS. Many of my neighbors are enjoying it. But I just could not find out their HD plans, so I reupped with DirecTV. I bet I'm not alone in that.
FIOS IS DEAD. THEY CAN'T INSTALL CABLE IN VENICE OR MARINA DEL REY. VERIZON TOLD ME THAT!
The only thing keeping me from rushing back to DirecTV at this point is their lack of a TiVo box with the enhanced features and access to the new MPEG-4 birds. Between SDV adoption and crappy DVR software from Motorola, what's a guy to do?
I thought the whole idea of FiOS was that we didn't have all those legacy analogs eating up critical digital capacity. Or is the dirty secret that Verizon FiOS TV is the same crappy cable headend with an optical middle man?
My neighbor got Fios and has had alot of problems. They had to re-wire his entire house and drill holes all over the place. Verizon also ripped out the coax cable and copper wires so now he is effectively stuck with Fios forever unless he wants to pay alot of money to ever go back to cable or traditional phone service. He needs a cable box on each and every tv in the household in order to view tv! He has also experienced alot of outages and service issues.
Verizon FIOS killed my neighbor's baby and ate his dog!
I have had FIOS for 8 months now, and love it. The install was extremely easy and I get more channels for less money than Comcast. And the internet is blazing fast. Just get me the new IMG already!
I have Fios and I used to have Comcast in the bay area. While the internet is amazingly fast, the HD offering is pretty weak - There's no HD VOD at all! Sometimes it losses sound a little hear and then as well.
I'm hoping that they are going to roll out HD VOD like they have on Comcast because I totally love it.
I'm going to inform Verizon I am seriously considering returning to Directv if FIOS TV can not add HD channels at a faster rate. I dropped Directv because they were slow in adding HD. Now they have exceeded FIOS HD offerings.What are they doing with all the bandwidth?
Travelfan1, EVERY media provider is removing analog content as per FCC directives.
This doesn't mean your local channels are going anywhere or that your going to lose out on the lifetime, only that more bandwidth on the system can now be devoted to digital which actually takes up less bandwidth than analog.
I spooke with Verizon two days ago. I live in NJ. The rep told me that by the end of October there would be the Discovery package in HD as well as TBS, CNN and A/E. We shall see.
Well I just got A&E HD.. most is A&E HD is el-stritchO. but the first 48 is HD. I work for TBS and I was told they they arent even close to a deal with Fios. but.. if that deal does happen CNN is part of it.
Analog bandwidth is being taken bake by the fcc... It is not verizon or comcast's fault that is happening. Maybe you should do some research before you bitch and mone
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