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. 

[UIdefender]

This latest software version release is by far THE worst "improved update" FIOS could have conceived of fostering onto their client base. Interface design and navigation are so prevalent and central in this digital age that numerous universities now offer a variety degree programs for various skill levels and focused areas of study. The resulting implementations from whoever headed up this design team handling this latest revision are on par with a neophyte in charge of their first web sitemap project.

The first of the all-too-common twin potholes that more than half of UI/UX designers inevitably run afowl of is that they are so intimate with their design workings and navigation concepts that they are clueless as to how a majority of their client's customers—the end user—will intuit, understand and otherwise be comfortable navigating the design team's conceptualization.

The other pitfall is often driven by ego and the need to impress some upper management individual or department head with their "cutting-edge, wizz bang" command of design and programming knowledge that's aligned with the latest industry trends. Inevitably, the resulting interface construction is ego-centrically dictated. Practical, feature-driven, user-serving, friendly & inuitive design? ...so five minutes ago! This held-hostage-to-vanity state holds true to insistently replace the second half of that all-too-familiar adage,  "If it ain't broke..." with the mandate, "...fix it anyway!"

1) So no one saw the value of being able to display a single channel's list of programming in a column format so users can quickly and easily focus on reviewing what's coming up over a two week period? "Naah, chuck it...and while we're at it, let's lobby MS's Excel team to drop the columns concept from spread sheets as well."

2) "Oh, and the type is way too big—let's make it smaller—just to prove my lasic eye surgery was really worth the investment...what, hasn't everyone gotten it done?" "Doesn't everyone have 75 inch TVs they're sitting eight feet away from?" "Seniors are such a boring demographic—they can't even figure out their settops and monitors have different on/off buttons, let alone handle technology, so let's just forget about simplicity and add more complexity to the navigation."

3) No one saw that when a recorded program is finished playing that it's really convenient to be able to immediately be presented with a familiar user menu for two minutes that will offer users the chance to free up more space by deleting that program right there and then before the box autoswitches back to live TV?

4) Or the value in keeping the accuracy of what the INFO button is labeled as—to immediately give the viewer an easy-to-read body of descriptive information for live TV or a pre-recorded listing? "Well...how about adding yet another step in between...after all, more choices is a better way to go—right?"

5) Or that color coding rows in the Channel Guide make it faster to focus on or skip over groups of channels a user may or may not be interested in while browsing?

Now...if that design team had focused on:

A) Adding the option to choose from two larger type sizes for those program guide listings, THAT would have been an added-value addition.

B) Assigning a remote button to immediately delete a DVR listing or folder without having to take two additional steps and a confirmation—THAT would have been an added-value addition (it's always still retrievable in the CONFIGURE menu—another tech-speak naming choice)

C) Changing that CONFIGURE menu label to reflect or include what its most-used primary function is—restoring a deleted listing, rather than giving it a vague, general name whose function has to be figured out using the "wonder what this button/menu does? " method.

D) Adding the option to sort recordings alpabetically or by folder/series first.

E) Optimizing the servers and software to shorten response time on remotes.

F) Achieving a viable method for moving every customer's DVR recordings to a "cutting-edge, wizz-bang technology" cloud server, so that customers who suddenly find their DVR settop box has crashed don't end up losing all their stored recordings.

Those would have all been "2.0" improvements users would have truly met with delight and kudos—what a difference!

[BillHinNJ]

It’s sad how most companies go forward, but Verizon keeps moving backwards! The new guide sucks! If it wasn’t for the good customer service and that the fact that I never have any outages , I’d be switching over to either dish network or DIRECTV

[Jojororo12]

I love how this is marked “Solved” it is not solved. The update is HORRIBLE! It takes me 10 minutes to change a channel and don’t even get me started on the hideous guide. It’s one thing to beta test it and allow you to revert back but to just change it in such a ridiculous way is absurd. Not surprising given that I pay almost $300 and my internet is still slow and half the time the DVR doesn’t work - I shouldn’t expect much from this company. Perhaps for the next iteration you can actually test it with people who use it. Bad job Verizon!

[PauletteM1]

The new guide is horrible.  FIOS should have field tested it prior to updating.  It’s harder to read, slower to flip to last channel, no longer shows the current show in a small box while checking out guide.. . . It just  sucks all around.

[Zups]

This new IMG is terrible.  The navigation is painfully slow.  You are inexplicably directed to the VOD page constantly.  And when you you finish watching a recorded program from the DVR, it is very difficult to delete the recording from the prompted menu.  When you click info, the new layout doesn't display whether it is new or live episode, who the actors are, and the abbreviated description is useless.  When you flip channels, it takes much long to advance to the next.  Finally, it is very annoying that every time you turn on the tv and the STB is already powered, the VOD Banner page is presented instead of the channel that is selected.  VOD is promoted in too many places and too often.  Please note that these comments span my 12 and 14 year old sons in addition to my 46 year old serve.  So you have failed to satisfy multiple generations.

[Reverberocket]

What a joke this new guide is.  Who created this?  Who approved it?  Unreadable, remote doesn't respond, can't view the current channel when browsing, color coding gone, doesn't give full description of show being browsed. . . .Time to cancel service!

[I_am_meh]

Terrible update!

I don't honestly know the words to describe how much this update truly sucks. So just please, Roll it back. What I have now is all asthetics and no function. I actually  HATE scrolling now. 

Sign 

**bleep**

[mister_fixit]

The only question left for me is, Youtube TV or Hulu?  I was thinking about it anyway, this "update" made the decision much easier.

[Elsa1]

There is nothing positive about this update.  I just got the update two days ago and having nothing but problems.  I don't understand why they tried to fix something that wasn't broken.  It's not color coded and it looks all jumbled together, you can't watch the show while going thru the guide, the chapters are gone and so on and so on.  It's hard to believe that this was tested with anyone before it was launched.  Bring back the old guide!!!!!!!  Whoever approved this should'nt be in that position of authority.

[FiosInEC]

Previously, I was able to browse tv shows by category. I'd press the right-arrow, and a menu would appear on the right side of the screen. I'd select HD, then movies or sports, then I'd see all the current programs playing that match those criteria. That functionality is gone with this recent Sept 2020 update. Is it still available? If so, how do I get to it?

[RG625]

"New and Improved" is a scary word for consumers because they know it's only advantageous for the ones doing the changing.

[Psych0Surfer]

I am guessing the only way to revert this back is to Travel in Time
Of course at this time it is not possible
So what is the next step
Cut the Cord(Thinking that way)
Even my mother in law who is in her 70's called to complain

The New Info bar Guide and whatever I haven't seen yet is Horrible
I didn't pay for a DownGrade
The Menu's are in the way and Hard to read
**bleep**, I guess Verizon doesn't like their Customers
Just Money!!!

Please Revert this Back!!!!!!!!!!!

[klo2716]

Add me to the list of unhappy customers.  This downgrade is horrible.  I was already thinking about going to Comcast and this may seal the deal.

[Mkk12]

I have the same complaints as a lot of people. It’s too hard to read the guide. I miss the color-coded guide (green for sports, etc. I also don’t have the box in the corner showing what I’m watching while looking through the channels. It’s just a picture from that episode but not what’s actually playing. 

[Southern2356]

They'll have to learn to live with fleeing customers.  Sorry I have had too many people in the last week tell me how horrible this "new" guide is without asking.  

8 mos. can't come fast enough for me now when my contract is up.  The guide has made TV watching a lousy experience.  I'll will go full streaming and over the air.

[JCN1908]

Yeah, the PR press is now full court.  Just got my first "What a Great Upgrade to your TV viewing experience..."   There could 10K negative postings, or 100K.  They just don't care, even if any or most of them leave.   Seriously now, NOTHING is gonna be done and nothing is gonna change with this piece of road kill.  Forget also Customer Service.  They are just reading a script -- my experience was identical to the ones reported on this thread.

This is what we get with semi-monopolies (actual mono's in many areas).  I could go back to Concarp ala 2012 but I left them for valid reasons.  Best we can hope for is that some of the color, font and lag time annoyances get attention, but do not expect miracles, esp reconstituted prized features.

I would love to have been the mouse in the corner to view how this all came together.  Was a reqmts spec shipped overseas for implementation?  Who exactly was on the testing and focus groups?  Who was the highest level VZ exec who actually used the OLD guide and then the NEW one?  Alas, we won't ever get any of those details either.  When is "tech" ever transparent?  When there is real competition, or real regulation.  Or when it is open source.

Somebody start a pool :  Date of the last VZ DVR program download.  I'll vote for 1-Jun-2024.  BTW Whatever became of those DVR in the cloud experiments / services?  Did the courts nuke them?  I'm too depressed to look it up on Google right now.

[RG625]

Most people use the Information Bar to see at a glance what channel they are on- Seemingly simple, right?  NOT ANY MORE.

WHY IN THE WORLD does this "Information Bar' NOT emphasize right on top, to read at a glance, the channel or network you're viewing or changing to along with a legible network logo? I'm not seeing any network logos and the network name is s small and buried. Some information bar. I just got an email from Verizon saying I'm "going to love the new Fios TV".   Wow. How phony. NO ONE LIKES IT.

But Verizon chooses to emphasize non-essential crap in a huge area that takes up a third of the screen. I cannot wrap my head around their reasoning for spending resources on TOTALLY RUINING a customer experience.

[TallGuyVA]

I chatted with an online support rep earlier today. 

Bottom line (paraphrasing), it is what it is and you'll get used to it.

[mattdaddy72]

At least that means they're monitoring this thread.  Whether they heed it is another story.  If so, it may eventually benefit many of you.  Not me, though...  I canceled my Fios tv service yesterday and am trying different streaming services now.  

I still love Fios' gigabit internet service, and sincerely hope Verizon doesn't decide to "improve" that, too.  

[F_PK]

Doing NOTHING seems to be something Verizon does ALMOST as well as NOT LISTENING TO THEIR CUSTOMERS!

[NJBob1]

Feels like piling on but maybe increased volume of complaints will get Vz to pay some attention.  My specific issues with the new guide are:

1.  Removal of the Chapters function

2. Large banners that stay on for six seconds

3. No color coding for movies, sports, etc.

4.  PIP while viewing Guide is removed.

5.  Appearance of the guide is bland, hard to read and just plain ugly.

I was quite happy (used to) the old guide.  The new one is a step backward; not an upgrade.