Is Verizon committed to being a content provider?

[Igor_Stravinsky]

As a Verizon customer who switched from Comcast Xfinity to Verizon FIOS in October (2017) I admit that I believe that I made an error in judgement regarding Verizon’s capabilities as a content provider. I assumed that Verizon would attempt to stay competitive with the features and capabilities of Comcast / Xfinity in term of the functionality of their X1 platform.

Unfortunately, I was sorely mistaken and my error was confirmed in statements by Verizon CEO, Lowell C. McAdam.  In a recent interview he stated that having a robust and reliable network / infrastructure trumps everything else.  This strategy is consistently followed by Verizon marketing in the television ads of that annoying adolescent who “informs” the world that is is all about the network.

In contrast, Comcast / Xfinity  provides many advantages in their X1 platform that leaves Verizon’s FIOS product in the dust.  These features enable a “single service” portal that is competitive with Roku Ultra, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Google Chromecast and Samsung / LG smart TV platforms in providing a portal for all content viewing. 

What Mr. NcAdam and company fail to recognize is that as a service provider, overall customer experience matters.  As a Verizon customer who has purchased premium content and has recently switch over from Comcast / Xfinity, the lack of capabilities on the FIOS platform are glaring and include the following pain points:

• Unlike Comcast / Xfinity X1, Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV, Verizon FIOS only has integration (Widgets / Virtual) channels for YouTube and HSC. Netflix and other content providers are missing.
• The Verizon FIOS On-Demand library is much more limited than what gets uploaded to the Comcast / Xfinity platform, so although you may have a Verizon FIOS subscription so HBO, Showtime, Stars/Encore or TMC, don’t expect to be able to view many titles unless you stream them over a laptop or via a Roku, Fire or Apple TV device.
• Comcast / Xfinity, Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV and Google Chromecast devices all have voice command capability that is lacking from the Verizon FIOS product. This is a huge disadvantage in the ease of viewing content provided by Verizon FIOS.  One great feature of Comcast / Xfinity X1’s voice command implementation is that searching for a title is very simple, straightforward and efficient.  Simply by speaking “Play Breaking Bad” into the Xfinity remote bring up a listing of episodes on Netflix. 

What is the benefit to Comcast / Xfinity in making it easy to find Netflix titles?  Why offer all title available through content providers that a customer subscribes to when you can try to get the subscriber to rent or buy the title from Verizon?  The answer is simple: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION!!!

If Verizon continues to pursue the current greedy, short-term strategy of driving customers to rent or purchase content that they currently should be able to access as part of their Verizon FIOS subscriptions, they are simply encouraging customers to “cut the cord” sooner rather than later.

Maybe this IS the long-term strategy for Verizon, to get out of the content provider business.  Maybe that is the smart strategic direction, to relinquish content provision to Comcast, Optimum and other traditional cable companies and focus on network as a core competency. 

I am not an expert in the business market strategy of telecommunications, cable television and ISP.  There are people with much more expertise tackling these issues.  What I can do is convey the experience of a customer whose expectation from Verizon FIOS TV has fallen very short of expectations.

If I may end this commentary on a positive note, the Verizon network as as evidenced by my internet performance has been nothing short of exceptional as was the technicians who installed FIOS in my home and provided great assistance in configuring my Ethernet home wiring.  Verizon has provided me with great service on my wireless and home subscriptions for many years.  It is my hope that Verizon decides whether to commit to being a (FIOS) content provider “all in” or get out of the business!  It makes no sense for a company with Verizon’s heritage and reputation to do FIOS TV half-way!

[Bethiekat]

I just switched to FIOS from Comcast. Boy am I disappointed. I'm sorry I switched. I loved FIOS last time I had it but after having Netflix and a voice remote with Comcast this service is now so inferior. I might switch back. Very very disappointed. These cable services cost too much to have to not have such features. 

[Mtracks]

Same here.  I'm really regretting leaving Comcast.  The X1 platform is light years better. Com'on Fios- step it up!!!!!!

[CRobGauth]

Generally the channels are referred to as content providers.

Verizon, Comcast, etc are just the conduit for the content.

Netflix should be available for all customers that have Quantum hardware this Monday 12/4.

[Arikeita]

I have had Verizon Fios for 5 years now and could not agree with you more.  Initially it was out of necessity but recently Comcast ran fiber optic cable lines through the neighborhood.  From your “rant” it seems Comcast offers more for less and an interactive menu without the blackouts to force you to rent or buy from them.  Unlike you though, my internet sucks.  I pay for 75/75 and frequently speed test in the 10 range.  My channels pixilate, my cable, and internet frequently go out or require reset.  I have done everything customer service tells me to and have spent hours with reps with less Network and computer knowledge than myself.  I have been looking to cut the cord, which always returns to I still need internet.  I am thinking of making the switch to Comcast or maybe goi g back to direct tv.  All I know is that you alaysis was spot on, 

[LawrenceC]

Hi Arikeita,

Your issue has been escalated to a Verizon agent. Before the agent can begin assisting you, they will need to collect further information from you. Please go to your profile page for the forum and scroll down the page to an area titled "My Support Cases". You can reach your profile page by clicking on your name located above your post, or at the top right of this page.

Under "My Support Cases" you will find a link to the private board where you and the agent may exchange information. The title of your post is the link. This should be checked on a frequent basis, as the agent may be waiting for information from you before they can proceed with any actions. To ensure you know when they have responded to you, you may subscribe to the case. At the top right of your support case there is a gear icon which provides a drop down menu with support case options. Click that and choose "subscribe". Please keep all correspondence regarding your issue in the private support portal.

[vzuser121]

I must say, I'm a little disappointed with some of the features lacking with Fios.  I came from comcasts' x1 system and it seemed far superior in terms of ease-of-use and features.  For instance, on x1 you can just start typing with the remote and the shows will pop up that match those letters.  Fios has the archaic move-the-cursor around a keyboard system.  x1 also has netflix built in which is a great feature.  And what's up with the ancient remote with no backlight?  I'm not a comcast fanboy, any normal person will agree the picture quality and content is the same across these companies... just wish they had the intuitive features.

[CRobGauth]

Comcast has an alphabetic remote?

FiOS search does update search as you select characters.

And they remote is not 100% backlit, but enough keys are, IMHO, to navigate.

FiOS does have Netflix available on their quantum stbs.

[vzuser121]

No, it's not an alphanumeric remote.  It looks the same as VZ's remote in that it has the 3 letters on each number.  For example, let's say you want to watch Terminator 2.  You would just press, while watching TV, 8-3-7-etc., and as soon as you start pressing buttons, a window pops up (on the right 1/3 of the screen, doesn't take up the whole screen) showing you any text string from any show (Netflix included) that you can watch.  You probably hit 4 or 5 letters before your movie / show is found (or maybe only 2 if it's currently popular).  So I was just saying that instead of moving a cursor around a keyboard on the TV (Fios), you literally just hit a few keys on the remote and the results pop up instantly.

But, their remote is motion-sensitive for the backlit keys, and every key is lit.

[CRobGauth]

Verizon used to have the key search but dropped it a couple of years ago (was actually user selectable).

I haven't tried it but supposed to be able to do vocie search from FIOS mobile app.

[Ejfselmo]

Couldn't agree with you more!  I have been with Verizon for almost 8 years after a horrible experience with Comcast at the time. In the beginning Fios was competitive and "cutting edge" but now that it's gain a platform it's AWFUL!  Besides not keeping up tech wise, thier streaming app is an absolute joke!  It doesn't work more than 90% of the time and you can't even watch it outside your home!  Isn't that the whole point!  They charge so much money for horrible service and everytime I call customer service about a discount due to me receiving only 50% of what I'm paying for, they say "the systems down and we can't review discounts, can we call you back?"  And surprise surprise, they never call back!  Happened 4 times in the past 2 months, crazy.  On top of that like other users mentioned my channels go out often and I have to hard reboot by troubleshooting at least 3 times a week.  I have truly given up and I am transitioning over to xfinity as it's still Comcast but I can't even deal anymore.  Just recently my favorite channel Reelz is no longer working as it says the content provider stopped.  Over it! 

[CRobGauth]

I use the app outside my home all the time.

Last time I was at my in-laws, I streamed a lot of content.

Both recorded and live.

As for Reelz, don't udnerstand the comment.

They closed the channel down.
Verizon fault?

[CRobGauth]

Confused reelz with another channel that did shut down.

But I do still see reelz as active.

[topdog5]

Last month, I switched from Xfinity to Fios and I've been happy for the most part. Mainly because of the decreased monthly bill and increased internet speeds.

However, I have to comment on the very poor Fios TV remote and guide.

Comparing the Xfinity vs Fios tv remote and guides is like a competition between a JV high school football team vs and a pro team. It's really not even close which is what surprised me. It's like the remote and guide was an afterthought for the Fios team. Fiber optics, fiber optics, fiber optics....and oh yeah, I guess we need a remote too.

I think it's really important because you actually interact with the remote and guide more often than almost any other part of the system except possibly for picture and audio quality.

I gave it over 1 month for me to get used to the new Fios system so I wouldn't unfairly judge it. So, here are the BIG differences between the two company remotes and guides.

---------

TV Remote - The Xfinity remote has MANY benefits over Fios. Fios has the following issues:

1. Poor engineering - I assume most consumers don't realize how much engineering goes into the everyday products you use. Almost every consumer product you use is usually designed not only for cost and usage reasons but also for customer convenience.

First, the Fios remote feels big, bulky, and more poorly made compared to the Xfinity remote. Don't get me wrong, the Fios remote doesn't feel "cheap" just of lesser quality. Conversely, the Xfinity remote is lighter, smaller, and just feels better in your hand. Think the difference between a high-end mobile phone vs lower-end knockoff.

It's not just the feel that's the problem, which you may think is subjective. The Fios remote has a poor user interface. The remote buttons and functions are poorly laid out. For example, it's too easy to click the wrong option because there are too many buttons that are poorly spaced. The buttons are also harder to click. In addition, the remote just has a busy look and feel.

On the other hand, Xfinity does a much better job of design including special touches like raised etching on certain buttons to more easily differentiate between the buttons and functions. Fios tries to accomplish this by many, many different sized buttons and colors which just makes the remote bigger, longer, and more confusing to use. It's a big swing and miss for Fios here.

2. Slightly delayed reaction - The Fios remote has a slight few milliseconds delay from the time you click a button to when you see action on the tv screen. In all fairness, this may just be my unit and this also has to do with the cable box.

It is not 5 seconds or anything close and you would only notice it if you migrated from Xfinity but it is definitely noticeable and drove me crazy when I first switched to Fios. I'm more used to it now so it's not as much of an issue but I think it should be noted on this list.

3. Voice search - Call me lazy but the Xfinity remote voice search is extremely convenient, especially compared to using the Fios search guide to find a show or channels (which is very poorly conceived...but more on that later). I honestly didn't think I was going to use the Xfinity voice search that much when I first got it but it is very useful and you will miss it when you switch to Fios.

4. Backlighting - All the buttons on the Xfinity remote have subtle backlighting that turns on when you pick up the remote making it easy to view in no/low light. For some strange reason, the Fios remote only lights 5 buttons out of 47. And since the remote buttons are poorly designed (see above) it makes it hard to make your selection in no/low light situations.

Compare this to the Xfinity remote, buttons are easy to see but you really don't even need the backlighting because you could figure out your selection just from the design layout.

TV GUIDE - Again, the Xfinity remote has MANY benefits over Fios.

I'm just going to come out and say this...The Fios tv guide is REALLY BAD.

Think of a bad website this is WAY too busy, distracting, and hard to use. The Fios guide has a very poor screen layout cramming too much into too little space. What makes it worse is they use too many colors that adds to the overwhelming. I assume the designers made this choice with the goal of helping users distinguish between the many, many icons and displayed options.

Here Xfinity shines again by using a much more "simple is better" approach that is cleaner, easier to read, and more user-friendly.

The Fios guide also has poor navigation that forces you to go through too many screens to get what you want. There is just too much click right, click down, click right again, etc. etc. Add this to the earlier mentioned lack of voice features and poor remote design makes for a frustrating user experience. To be fair there are remote shortcuts for some functions but Fios would be better off with an all-new guide user interface design.

It's easy to see that the Xfinity guide is clearly superior to Fios by the special user experience touches. For example, Xfinity allows you to filter out the channels you do not have access to on your TV plan. Unless you have an all channels plan, this is very useful allowing a user to bypass possibly hundreds of channels you don't have access to. For all my searching, I can't find this option on Fios.

Instead, Fios seems to often be pushing upgraded services which are annoying like popups ads on a website or mobile app. For example, when you first turn on your tv/cable you are taken to a "dashboard-like" page with upselling options. You will also often see a popup movie rental reminder when you click on the Fios "On Demand" button.

I believe that difference between the Xfinity and Fios tv remote and guides comes down to this: Xfinity put time and effort behind these products and for Fios, it's just an afterthought.

I understand why. Xfinity (Comcast) was primarily a cable company. Verizon (Fios) was primarily a phone company that later added cable/internet. So it just makes sense that Xfinity would have a more mature product with a better-dedicated team behind it.

Despite my ranting and raving above, I am saying with Fios because the internet is most important to me and Fios is clearly superior in that category and my monthly bill is much cheaper. I just hope that Fios will start to invest more in the tv user experience because Xfinity is presently kicking their butt and consistently innovating in this area.

[jonjones1]

Long rant about Fios not included 😀

if xfinity is the better service why the long post about what is wrong with Fios?

[topdog5]

---

@jonjones wrote:

Long rant about Fios not included 😀

if xfinity is the better service why the long post about what is wrong with Fios?

---

Not sure I completely understand your question but my main purpose is to hopefully get the Fios team to improve their tv remotes and guide.

The secondary purpose is to share info with other Xfinity migrants.

[jonjones1]

---

@topdog5 wrote:

---

@jonjones wrote:

Long rant about Fios not included 😀

if xfinity is the better service why the long post about what is wrong with Fios?

---

Not sure I completely understand your question but my main purpose is to hopefully get the Fios team to improve their tv remotes and guide.

The secondary purpose is to share info with other Xfinity migrants.

---

Ah ha I see.

the problem is these are customers of Verizon and the forum is customers helping customers. No one higher up in Verizon will ever see your post.

customers viewing the post are not going to change services on the post of one person which is more like a advertisement than a post for help.

[CRobGauth]

Couple of comments:

1) FIOS absolutely allows you to change filter on guide. FIrst, go to menu, settings, system, television, last guide viewed state. Make sure that is enabled. Then hit options. A variety of options including subscribed channels.

2) You can disable all of the upselling. Go to menu, settings, system, tv recommendations. Disable them.

3) You can disable Fios Home page on power up (btw, no reason to power off as boxes consume same amount of power regardless). It should show you on the screen how to do it. Same with on demand pop up. Should be option to disable.

4) Big debate on Voice control. I personally would find it annoying if someone was sitting in the room and kept saying waht they were looking for. BTW, I beleive FIOS app supports voice control. And Alexa support is coming as well.

5) I have used Cox remotes and find FIOS pretty good. Never used Comcast but don't beleive the FIOS remote is as poorly designed as you. But that's what opinions are all about. I can't say yours is any more wrong than mine is right.

[topdog5]

Thanks for the tips, especially the "last guide viewed state".  Makes a big difference.

[cmo220]

I completely agree with pretty much everything in this thread.  I can't wait until the day I can leave Verizon.  I'll probably just pay the early termination fee, even though giving them money for nothing seems to be exactly what they are after.

[GrumpyGrandma]

I agree with you 100% -  I only recently switched to Fios because of the increased internet speeds.    And granted, they are great... BUT they make you work so hard to watch TV.    

After a long day at work, one wants to sit down, relax and watch a nice show.   I could do that with my Xfinity.  Honestly, FIOS makes you work so hard to watch TV, I'm ready to just pull the box out of the wall and stick to NetFlix & Hulu.

The constant pop-up ads to upgrade or buy something is flat out insulting.    You expect that on a free internet service - not from a company you are already paying between $100 to $200 a month depending on your package.

I could go on all day about how much I miss the ease & simplistiy of my Xfinity TV.