After reading some of the technical issues with getting FIOS to work right, I wonder if the change from my system that uses Verizon DSL and DirecTV is worth the trouble, and would appreciate any opinions. I have a fairly large, active family that uses lots of entertainment and communications services. I have had every channel DirecTV broadcasts in my area for 11 years with occasional outages due to storms, but great picture. I have 3 plasma HD sets with 3 DVRs--two HD TVs are set up as home theaters with Denon receivers. I have Verizon landline phone and DSL with a combination modem/wireless router for internet, and 3 Verizon wireless phones for my family with 1400 minutes that include one unlimited data for a smart phone--Verizon wireless coverage is superior to the others, and although I have considered changing to AT&T for the iphone my friends who have done it say they wish they had acquired an ipod touch instead and used their Verizon wireless phones. The combination of all this costs me, monthly, after taxes: about $150 for DirecTV and about $240 for the phone, DSL, and wireless (triple freedom). So, I am paying nearly $400 each month for communications and TV.
In considering a switch to FIOS, here are my thoughts.
Positives: Most of my friends who have FIOS like it, and it is highly rated. TV service is unlikely to be interrupted for an hour as Tiger Woods is in the process of his second shot on 18 in the final round of the US open as it was due to a storm last year. The HDTV picture will be as good as DirecTV. I think access to the entire channel lineup, including HD, HBO, etc., and sports is available at about the same cost as DirecTV--but that is unclear in the pricing info I get from the flyers and the internet. The internet access speed is supposed to be a lot faster than DSL if I get the extreme HD channels.
Concerns: I can't understand the exact costs--for example, is there still a triple freedom discount? Will I still have unlimited long distance? Is there a per set HD box cost? What does the DVR cost, and might I need two? I understand that the DVR works for distribution to three sets, but can I watch one channel and DVR two others--my current setup lets me DVR 3 separate channels while watching 3 other channels. Does FIOS provide a good quality modem/wireless box that can handle PC, Mac, and wireless printing? With the digital service, will I still be able to use my fax machine (they require an analog line)? Will there be an issue with my security system that is tied to a monitoring station? Are the installation technicians capable of handling the transition to my system? When will the cable be buried, how deep, and is there an issue with getting it from the box in my neighbor's yard under my neighbor's driveway?
Having had challenges to get the system I have in place over the years, I may be overly concerned about these issues, but I would appreciate any information about other complex installations that have been installed, and whether they were successful or not.
