Sept 2020 Fios DVR and Guide Update

[Scott804]

This week Fios pushed out interface updates for their TV services. After nearly 3 hours in chats, I was finally told that there is no way to roll back updates once loaded and they base new update options based on posts in the forum. Below are my complaints that they will only fix with enough support on here, if you have the same issues, please mark the post. 

1. They removed the chapter function for recorded programs on the dvr (the up arrow that would allow you to move to any 10 min marker in a program).

2. The new Now and Next function causes latency when switching channels. Even after setting it to 0 seconds. 

3. They removed the ability to view a single channel lineup in the tv guide. In the past I would just hit guide a second time to see the next 5-10 shows on a single channel. 

4. Finally, I just find the prettier guide view harder to actually read and process. Not sure if it is the number of channels,  dark screen, or just that it is too busy.  Turning off the background video helped a little, but not much. 

[OldManMigz]

Decided to make a profile just to respond to this thread. This update is ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE! The older UI was perfectly fine! Why change something NO ONE was complaining about?!? I swear the **bleep** who thought this change was a good thing are just that, **bleep**!!! UPGRADE the customers from this garbage of a "downgrade" that we were given. 

[espresso4jb]

Not sure who captured the requirements for the change or drove the UI/UX design, but difficult to understand how key usability and base functionality could be removed.  Agree with the other posts and just to reiterate again:

1. Live picture in top left of guide - it is impossible to see anything in the "transparent" rear of the guide and furthermore the replacement picture is just a larger version of what is next to the channel anyway and adds nothing.
2. Color code programming - Movie channels do not show movies all the time, general channels sometimes show sports - the color coding was a key base functionality of the guide
3. Guide real estate and font - added padding of pictures that do not add much on the left and display less readable information in the guide in a more difficult to read font
4. Customization - not so much a change but a request, give people the option to tune their guide the way they would like to see it - that would be a true reason to make a change that people would actually use

As others have suggested, while fixing these items it would be best to roll back to the old guide and if need be roll back the entire update to the previous version that clearly had less issues than the current version.

[F_PK]

ALL these complaints are valid! No need to repeat them AGAIN. Why verizon chose to "improve" what WAS NOT broken or NEEDED ANY change is beyond me, But that's verizon for you. It's now SOOOOO frustrating, other options are looking better than ever. I'll stop throwing away those annoying mailers with cheaper pricing even though I liked FIOS TV in the past. But these issues HAVE to be fixed. I don't need to PAY a premium to be annoyed and frustrated.

[mfidelman1]

It seems like every time Verizon releases a "new & improved" channel guide, we lose functionality. 

Last time the "last" button, on the remote, got all kinds of new features - but it now takes forever to load, when all one wants to do is simply go to the last channel viewed.

This time we seem to have lost:

- picture-in-picture while viewing the channel list (current channel is no longer shown in the upper left corner)

- scene-by-scene fast forward, when watching stuff off the DVR

- and it seems like a whole bunch more functions no longer let you back up one level

Meanwhile, I can't seem to identify a single new or improved function.

Why do they keep doing this?

[Horse6]

Can I change back to the old background

[AnothrBadUpdate]

The new update is ridiculous. It takes us over 60 seconds just to turn on the tv, exit out of the stupid ad screen, and cycle through three or four attempts to enter the channel number we want. The first three tries, apparently something’s still loading in the background so the STB only registers one or two of the channel numbers we’re entering.  If I were the programmer that rolled this out I’d be fired. Complete lack of concern for the paying client. 

[Kde1]

We agree in this house- this last fios update is absolutely horrible.  Why would they take away functionally?! Horrible. 

[Quadform11]

Verizon new guide

Verizon your new guide sucks.It is way too slow because when you change the channels, the picture to the top the screen remains the same until you stop searching channels, to get this to feature to work your way you have to press your remote one by one push. The channels id/numbers to the left of the screen is way too small ,there is no more pip.This roll out is just a poorly design guide all the way.Please fix this mess soon and fire the manager who approved this.Also Verizon the current date eg.Monday Oct.5 2020 needs to be shown on the top of the guide.

[AAByron]

- Why in the world did they take away the chapter function for recorded programs on the dvr?

- Why is the latency for Prev/Next that takes you back 10 seconds so long? It appears to be about 10 seconds before the latency screen disappears, so if you are watching the news and trying to read the scroll at the bottom of the screen, you have to go back 30 seconds or it is blocked...just why?

-  Why would they remove the ability to view a single channel lineup in the tv guide? Is the point to try to make the guide harder to view? If so, they succeeded...the new improved guide is beyond confusing.

- Why is it that every "upgrade" makes things worse for the consumer? If it is not broken, don't fix it!

[HarlemD]

HORRIBLE update!! Watching television is supposed to be relaxing. Instead it has become so stressful. Why set an update that the customer has no control over their preferences . You’ve taken away all our options. TV is so slow to change. Numbers are dropped when changing the channel. The guide us the worst. Now I cannot browse the guide and watch tv at the same time. I’m will definitely start looking over mail I receive from other companies. 

[McNoodle]

Can I revert the smart guide to previous version? I don’t like the new format at all. 

[JohnEHammerStix]

Absolute worst “update” ever. Sluggish, counterintuitive and frustrating.   Please fix or go back to the way it was.  

[Annoyed67]

Remote is soooo slow now.  How did anyone think this was a good idea? Also, the guide is so difficult to read.  Updates should be improvements not detriments.

[angrycust1]

I cannot get through the hundreds of posts on this  but I am sure this has come up.  I think the worst part is when you use the quick guide (press down arrow).  You used to be able to type in a station number and the mini guide would jump to it.  Now it turns to that channel and which is beyond frustrating.  Especially if watching shows on a couple of channels and not recording you end up losing the ability to back up and watch what you missed.   The sluggish response on the TV to remote control commands is unacceptable.  I have been a Verizon customer for more years than I can remember,  but I am really thinking about leaving.  The website is awful to navigate, the AI chat terrible, and they charge us ridiculous fees each month.

[Family061]

Exactly! The new upgrades are horrible!!! What was Verizon thinking? There are so many bad changes, it is hard to list all of them. Response time changing channels is so much slower!!! The info bar at the bottom of the screen when changing channel is unnecessary & slows system down.  The new guide is difficult to read: channel numbers too small, some network icons illegible, 3rd column photo of show is distracting and unnecessary, all white script is too bright and hard to read. I liked the different colors highlighting movies and sports. The info bar no longer gives the strip of the actual info of new, HD, etc. You can’t see the current tv show while searching the guide which is awful. The list goes on and on. Please change the guide back, the ‘improvements’ are terrible!

[Family061]

Please, please, go back to the old guide. There are so many problems with the new updates as everyone has stated. We are all in agreement! You also took away much of the existing functionality that people want and like. You clearly need roll back this enhancement, reinstate all the old features people like and fix all the system problems you created. Testing is key to any enhancement along with user feedback on upcoming changes. Clearly neither was done. Watching tv is the safest thing we can do in 2020 and Verizon has managed to ruin that too! This is really crazy and totally unnecessary. 

[Det8z11]

This update is horrible!! No color coding. Remote to beyond sluggish. Slothes move faster. The remote will only advance the guide a page at a page... not a line at a time. And I can’t move left or right on the guide to see what is playing in 2 or 3 hours. I can only toggle 24 hours at a time. 
BRING BACK THE OLD GUIDE!! THE DESIGNER OF THIS INTERFACE SHOULD BE FIRED. 

[Labmom21]

The new guide is AWFUL! Incredibly hard to read and navigate! Why in the world would you take the color coding away?! I also was excited to have service with Fios for this very reason! In typical cable fashion, you take it upon yourself to change something that worked just fine and make it worse! Thanks Fios for ruining my morning!

[bigrig4]

The new guide is awful and seriously has me considering my other options for television service.  Somehow they managed to make it busy and bland at the same time.  The removal of the color coding is my biggest complaint.  Instead they added another column of distracting images next to the channel symbols on the left.  

I'm extremely disappointed as a long-time customer. 

[RyOz]

Hate this new update!  Have no idea why it was changed in the first place when it doesn’t seem like anybody was having issues with it. The guide looks very bland and crammed and the interface is horrible for finding shows, movies, sports, etc. because of no more color coding. Really hope Verizon listens to its customers and goes back to the old user friendly guide

[MrOctober771]

They removed the option in the DVR to use the down arrow to skip to 10, 20, 30 etc minutes in a recording.