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. 

[DCJersey]

Just got the upgrade today and its more of a downgrade than anything else. PLEASE BRING BACK THE COLOR CODING ON THE GUIDE. 

[EllainVa]

I’m trying to find a customer service address to send an actual letter. 
Neither of my elderly parents can use it. 
I can’t get the summary of the show, I can’t tell if it’s a movie.

This is so AWFUL that I will cancel my service over it. 
I wonder if they bothered to beta test it.

It took something useful and made it HORRIBLE.

[SeeMeVA]

I don't have DVR service, but the new guide was pushed through in my area overnight.  And it is horrible.  There is too much on the screen.  Agree that eliminating color coding for movies, series, etc. is awful, especially for premium channels.  I don't understand the need for an icon after the channel and the an icon at the top of the screen when you cursor from line to line.  The channel numbers are tiny and I can't read them, and the channel icons are equally tiny.  I feel like I'm trying to read the fine print on a lip balm.  Called tech support and was told by Bill that he hated the changes as well, was fielding a lot of complaint calls, but nothing could be done.  I can't think of a single improvement.  What was Verizon thinking?

[Marioduke]

I hate the change also. I just turned my tv on 15 minutes ago and I am ready to cancel my Fios service. I know change is not always easy but why would they change something that worked perfectly fine. There was no need and I feel like I need to be trained to use this guide now. I want to be able to just use it and I have no interest in figuring it out. It sucks. Plain and simple it SUCKS!!

[JAYCEN1]

I just switched from Comcast to Fios, and I’ll be honest, if I knew how bad the guide was I probably would have stayed with Comcast. 
there’s like 8 to 10 rows of channels but it’s all so small I can’t read a thing. 
I have a 50 inch TV and I sit ten feet from it, max. I literally have to walk up to the TV sometimes to see what the channel are on the left when I’m surfing it. 

Why are there pictures for each channel when they are so small you can’t see them?? Take that out and make the left side bigger so we can see what channel we’re looking at. 

I am actually horrified at how bad this guide is compared to Comcast. Not only that but I can only have one remote at a time. We lose remotes in this house. Horribly. Now I have to buy one of those gps chirping things to slap on the back for WHEN we lose this one remote. Apparently two is one two much for this system to handle. 

[Pjp1106]

The new Verizon guide is atrocious. How can Verizon think this is an improvement. 
Bring back the color coding. Made using the guide extremely easy. 
It does not fast forward or backward. 
extremely cluttered and hard to read. 
Most movies do not show actors. 
this is a disaster. 

[Trisha356]

All the changes are awful. The info and graphics take up over 1/2 the screen!  and you can’t disable all the cr^p they insist on displaying. Click “info” - just tell me about the program at hand!  
If I want “Next” I can click the Guide button. Geesh. This isn’t an update — it’s a BACKdate!  Get rid of it. 

[dbh31]

Onto 2021 and no change for all the information displayed when one fast fowards  a DVR recording.   This is a terrible nuisance when watching sports games especially. Do we not know that the fast forward second speed is set on and have to be reminded continually along with the channel we are on, what we are watching , etc?  I have to hear my boyfriend complain each time.  Please save me and get rid of the display when fast forwarding!  thxs in advance.......???

[NJTVGUY]

This Guild is awful

icons are too small

fonts are two small 

removal of color code is ridiculous 

DVR functions were great and now are horrible 

setting up a forum just for guild

complains is all you need to know. 

[PaullyNols]

Hate the new guide. Seriously bring back the previous version.  The lack of color is terrible.  There is actually nothing I like about the new guide.  Who approved this?  

[annfk]

We got the new guide today.

IT IS HORRIBLE!!!!  

It's KILLING MY EYES!!! 

1. The numbers and letters are too small

2. the WHITENESS IS BLINDING

3. Too DARK

4. Where's the option for live tv in the corner

5. Seeing the tv BEHIND the guide is RIDICULOUS

AND 

I'm sure there are many other things to peruse what other things they took away and what idiotic new things we get as a present that we didn't ask for and will most certainly make our lives more frustrating than they already are...

I had to turn the tv OFF because MY VISION IS STRAINED.

IT LITERALLY GAVE ME A MIGRAINE!!!

I've been on the teetering on the edge  to switch from Verizon, my entire family has switched, and they keep telling me to as well....

WELL GUESS WHAT, VERIZON......

IF YOU DO NOT OFFER THE OPTION TO THOSE OF US WHO WANT TO SWITCH BACK TO THE OLD GUIDE

THEN

I.  AM.  LEAVING!,

AND

I HAVE 7 BOXES

 --INCLUDING MULTIPLE DVR'S

AND

EVERY. SINGLE. CHANNEL,

--INCLUDING

ALL MOVIE AND SPORTS, AND MULTIPLE COUNTY REGULAR STATIONS.

LOOK ME UP, YOU'LL SEE IT'S TRUE.

SHEEEEEESH!

[MadamKatia]

Has anyone notice since the update  you can only "rewind" the last channel you were on. Seems as if they are pushing us to DVR more.

It was nice to scroll through last channel grid and see a show, select and you could rewind the 2 hours. 

And don't get me started on the guide.. Why fix things that, are not broken 

[JaredVanBuren]

What a joke. Unnecessary, horrific update. Having to change from the light grey as a title to sometimes being a category makes you dizzy. Everything is sluggish, and overdone. It was so simple and worked so well...why screw it all up? Or at least roll it out and give the option to use legacy or new. Please please please switch back. I much prefer Verizon but I can’t take this new guides design. It’s painful to scroll through channels. Optimum is looking good for a change...

[FiosWatcher1]

Worst update ever!! Guide sucks!!  Change it back!!!

[Psych0Surfer]

I agree
We pay your Salaries
Please Revert this back!!!!

[Psych0Surfer]

This is like when Coke decided to put out New Coke
Nobody wanted that

Nobody wants this new guide and Info Bar
Please Revert Back

[Psych0Surfer]

Please FIOS can you revert the Guide Info Bar
I want to see the current shows Information complete
I do not need to see What is coming up next
I will look at the complete guide to see that
Also I would like to see the Live TV when in the little Box when viewing the guide

Please Help
This new info bar and guide is Awful!!!

[brs5056]

• Agreed, the new guide is awful. We need the old one back. 

[Siggy6]

On the new update, I have a TV logo next to every channel and nowhere does it say what channel it is - am I missing something ?? 

[Georgeinny]

Could this update be any worse??? SUCKS is way too mild a word. I thought my system was broken but apparently the CEO of Fios is broken allowing this to be updated this badly.

George in NY - With ALL the complaints we all have now.

[Ed_F]

The new guide was pushed out to us on Tue Oct 6. Using it for 2 days, I have to say this is the most absurd excuse for an UPGRADE that I have ever seen. LOWlights that are the most irritating and useless:

• Program chaptering is no longer available for DVR viewing. This is the most irritating of the new changes. During recorded replay, the up arrow used to bring up the chaptering display so you could immediately skip to your approximate point of interest. It was especially useful when viewing long recordings when you wanted to skip far into the program, such as a tennis match. Without this feature, your only recourse is to set the skip interval to the max 10 min and repeatedly skip into the program, then you would have to reset the skip interval to allow shorter skips to zero in on the exact spot you are looking for. Thoroughly convoluted and way more time consuming. Did FiOS get pressure from advertisers to remove this feature to force viewers to watch more of the recording so as to ensure more viewing of ads? Can't think of any other good reason to remove program chaptering. BTW, the help screen at Settings -> System -> DVR -> Help still shows Program Chaptering as an option in that menu section so either FiOS removed chaptering in error or did not bother to clean up their help screen, either way the contradictory info is poor programming.
• PIP is gone from the guide, replaced by a program icon for the current channel. Who thought THAT would be preferred by viewers?!? Keeping up with the current program via PIP while viewing the guide is SO nice, looking at a static icon reminding me that I am on the channel that ALREADY KNOW I'M ON IS USELESS. Oh I see they have  replaced the PIP with a "transparent background" of the current channel still playing. I hate to tell you this FiOS team, but the FOREGROUND would have to be transparent for this to be useful since the guide bars are OPAQUE GRAY and almost totally block the playing channel in the background. Did anyone even test this feature?!?
• Speaking of the guide, the channel logos have been shrunk to a size that is not discernible from across the room. If you can't easily see what channel line you are looking at in the guide, that severely limits its usefulness.
• Other worthless changes include displaying the program information and an icon showing a skip forward or backward arrow and the interval EVERY TIME I SKIP FORWARD OR BACKWARD. It would be OK if I could disable this feature but it does not appear top be an option that I can find so every time I skip, the bottom 25% of the screen is un-viewable for 6-7 seconds, which is very irritating when viewing a sports program with score info and/or a crawler at the bottom. And the skip arrow icons right in the middle of the screen are distracting as well and totally unnecessary since I KNOW that I just pressed the skip button! YES, I know that I can press the Exit button to clear the garbage on the screen so it's not there for the full 6-7 seconds but that is just another unnecessary button push I would not have to do if I could just disable these worthless displays of information that I'm already aware of.
• Lastly the overall speed of the system is much slower than before. There is a delay when entering digits to select a channel, and the moving around the menu system is noticeably slower than before.

IF THERE WAS EVER A GOOD REASON TO ROLL BACK TO A PREVIOUS MENU/GUIDE VERSION, THIS NEW "UPGRADE" IS IT!