CES 2013 and items that will change the way you enjoy your Programming.

I was able to take time off from work this year, and spend it at the CES 2013 with Verizon in Las Vegas. The things that I was able to see opened my eyes to the future of video entertainment. As a Verizon customer and a Community Leader, I am very pleased with the way the industry is headed, and happy Verizon is leading the way in entertainment. Yes I am a big FiOS Fan! From the time I was first connected with fiber optics, I believe in 2006 with 15/5 speeds, and now Quantum speeds, I have been a happy customer. When the FiOS HD TV service was available in my area, I purchased my first 46” LCD TV. Can’t have FiOS quality on a 36 picture tube! Well you can, I just don’t believe it would look its best.

View the videos on the Verizon News Website. These provide a good overview of the way Verizon provides, and will provide entertainment to their customers.

Watch the video with Nicole Omo, who was showing Verizon devices and talks about items at the CES. Yes I was there and she was the first one I ran into when I darted off to see the new FiOS Media server as soon as I arrived at the show in the Verizon area.

http://newscenter.verizon.com/residential/news-articles/2013-01-verizon-ces-bringing-the-borderless-lifestyle-to-life/

Now if you want the details on the server, see them on this page, where Maitreyi Krishnaswamy explains them in more detail, again watch the video. Also you may wish to view the video about Motorola Medios+ and DreamGallery. I can’t wait to get my hands on this new hardware. I had the experience seeing and using the remote at different times during the show, due to the huge crowds at the show, but I was hooked.

http://newscenter.verizon.com/residential/news-articles/2013-01-verizon-motorola-fios-tv-media-server-ces/

Photo by prisaz

Widgets display with YouTube

In the video found via the link below, Maitreyi speaks about the panel she was on regarding smart TVs, and if you look real close in the video as the camera pans to the right to shoot video of the panel sitting at the table, you may catch me as the second person in the second row of the audience. My day one at CES is when she talks about yesterday that refers to the opening day. Tonight I was out looking at smart BluRay players, as my 46” Samsung is a bit older.

http://newscenter.verizon.com/residential/news-articles/2013-01-verizon-ces-minute-maitreyi-krishnaswamy/

The first day of course was Tue. 1/8/13 I wanted to see everything, but was able to see the start of the show. What I really went for was the Verizon area with the VMS, and it doesn't do it justice to call it a booth. I sat and listened to panel discussions of industry experts. Then of course the Keynote Address from the Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam. FiOS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyKx_615hOA&feature=youtu.be

Day two on Wed. 1/9/13 there was more time at the Verizon area and getting to see all the cool stuff. I was always attracted back to the Entertainment Area, with the new Media Server. Of course there was a chance to meet with various Verizon staff. To put this show together you know there were key people that were at the show. It is not every day you get to meet with the people you see on the websites. Putting the names and faces together with the people was really nice. Though they were all very busy with the media and the press, they managed to find the time to meet with customers like myself. I walked the entire South Hall top and bottom of the LVCC which seems like 2-3 football fields.

Everyone is talking and writing about the new FiOS TV platform. Six tuners pause and resume in any room! These are just a few of many articles. The VMS is buzzing, but what I heard was whisper quite, that is when it was running, with the exception of the excellent audio.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/07/verizon-and-motorola-announce-fios-tv-media-server-that-can-record-six-shows-at-once/

http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2013-01/verizon-6-tuner-media-server-dvr-arriving-soon/

https://twitter.com/davezatz/status/288716545985740800/photo/1

http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/08/verizon-media-server-and-ip-client-hands-on/

http://www.cedmagazine.com/products/2013/01/ces-motorola-provisions-new-media-server-for-verizon

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Verizon-Announces-FiOS-Media-Server-122656

http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/7/3848874/verizon-details-its-new-fios-tv-media-server

http://www.iptv-news.com/2013/01/verizon-picks-moto-for-next-gen-fios-tv-media-server/

http://www.fierceiptv.com/story/verizon-motorola-team-fios-tv-media-server/2013-01-08

On my third day of the CES it was time to head off to the Central Hall to some TV vendor areas where I could see the types of Smart TVs and devices that would take advantage of the entertainment services the new Verizon hardware and streaming features can provide. What you have should work just fine if you are a FiOS customer. Or even if you are not. I could not pass up the chance to see all the new stuff for TVs. Curved screens, 10K TV. Etc. At home we have an Xbox with the 75 channels streaming over the Internet, but the Smart TVs are really amazing. If you do not have a smart TV, you may wish to make your TV smart with the use of an LG or perhaps Samsung BluRay player. For streaming to a portable device I do not have an Ipad, but do have an Iphone. It is amazing what Redbox Instant by Verizon can do, even on an Iphone. Redbox Instant by Verizon will be available to the public soon after testing. After walking what seemed to be miles, I was back at the Verizon space for some additional video that was being done.

Day four was finishing up for the trip home and winding down. The flight home from Las Vegas to Baltimore Washington International seemed like it was going to be a longer trip than the one out to the show. I did have one stop in Denver that held me there for a while because of snow, but I did manage to get on the Verizon Community Forums from 41,000ft in the sky, and may have even made a few posts.

Accepted answers

prisaz

Another item I should mention. The photos in my previous post were taken with a phone. So if some are blurred, that is certainly not the way the TV picture looked. So excuse my poor photography.

All comments

prisaz

Another item I should mention. The photos in my previous post were taken with a phone. So if some are blurred, that is certainly not the way the TV picture looked. So excuse my poor photography.

JoeP4

So what did you learn that no other news article has posted about?

For instance did you ask anyone about VZ's plan for full IPTV?

Or anything about the other values customers might get out of this? For instance will a two box solution cost less than a MRDVR + traditional STB?

prisaz

@JackBauer wrote:
So what did you learn that no other news article has posted about?
For instance did you ask anyone about VZ's plan for full IPTV?
Or anything about the other values customers might get out of this? For instance will a two box solution cost less than a MRDVR + traditional STB?

1. I don't have anything other than what was widely covered by the media / press. But see my opinions below that reference your third question. My post was to outline my experience, with links to existing coverage to raise pubic awareness in regards to the CES 2013, and items that users may not have seen that are available on the Verizon news site, and other pubic media websites.

2. Verizon does provide 75 of their channels in an IP streaming format to Xbox360, smart TVs, Smart BlyRay players, and the Ipad. Regarding a full IP conversion, I am not aware of that. Though it would be nice to see all the channels available for streaming. I did ask some of the powers to be, when all the channels would be available for streaming, but you know as much as I, they are not going to make announcements until they decide if that is the direction they are headed, or it is ready. I do know the new server hardware has more power to handle IP content. It was displaying streaming video directly from Youtube. With the existing hardware, I believe it must be streamed through your PC to the DVR and then to the TV.

3. In regards to pricing, and cost, that had not been disclosed to me. I can say there will be a price for the unit, but I do not have any details. The server has six tuners which is more than other providers, and 1TB of storage, which I think is about 100 hours of HD, so recording conflicts will be less of an issue, unless you want to record more than 5 programs at one time. I think that would be rare. But you could have more than one server. Pause and resume in any room, if you only have 1 STB this may not be as important to you. This is much better that what we have. It all depends on what we as a customers want or need from our entertainment package. Then there are the streaming features of the widgets for Youtube as mentioned. I know this is Verizon's platform for the future, so if it is anything like the past history of the DVRs, features will continually be added as time passes. I know there are many advantages, over our existing DVRs that we use. It was displayed and operating when I used it. I was very impressed with the speed, and the features. I want it as soon as possible.

prisaz

Correction. I referenced the TVs as 10k Ultra HD.Those were 4K Ultra HD. All I know is, it looked as if you were looking at a photograph, or better than 20-20 vision, and you were actually in the picture. I could see no pixles. But my eyes are not as good as when I was much younger. Smiley LOL