Another Channel Guide Rant

[MTheriot]

First of all, let me say, for a multi-billion dollar company, could you guys get your crap together? I had to exit Chrome and load up Internet Explorer just to complete my registration on the forums because the page would persistently lack the final details of my registration in Chrome. Browser support, learn about it. The Lithium forum software used here works fine for me on the Sony Forums, so don't play the blame game on it.

Now I'm just a humble man who's been through 3 different channel guide layouts.

The first channel guide layout was a rather ugly gray theme, with a huge "VERIZON FIOS" tab displayed whenever you pressed the info button while watching a program. Hated it. After a few months you guys must have realized it was annoying and gave us that red/blue theme.

Red/blue theme. It was great. Finally something representative of this amazing FIOS product I keep seeing advertised, not some gray menu a guy whipped up in 5 minutes and shoved VERIZON everywhere. Here's a hint: I don't need a constant reminder I'm using Verizon. It's in my mailbox already, thanks.

Now you've changed it again, and regrettably it resembles that original gray theme I despised when I first began using Verizon. Hate it.

• 6 channels per page, as opposed to the previous 8 (seriously?)
• Ugly gradients that were clearly designed by a drop out graphic design student
• Text fails to vertically center in their boxes, wasting space and looking stupid in general
• Did I mention I can only see 6 channels per page? Well I'm mentioning it again, because it's really that bad and stupid.
• The miniature video box that displays the channel I'm watching as I surf the guide has shrunk even more
• If a program started before the current time, a little < arrow would be next to it. It's gone now
• Round edges instead of corners look rather dumb
• The info overlay when watching a program takes up nearly half of my screen now
• I have absolutely no idea how to use the old mini guide that worked while watching a program without opening the full screen guide

I've seen some rather rude responses to those who dislike this theme. While I am appalled that anyone can actually appreciate the awful "update", I would like to clarify:

• No, I will not be changing my service. I'm on a contract, so believe me when I say I would if I could. Thanks for your concern.
• What are you, blind? The old one was fine, this version looks like a confused student playing with oval shapes in MS Paint.
• Believe it or not, the "Classic" setting I keep seeing suggest actually does NOT return it to classic as you've been spreading lies about. In fact, "Classic" makes it display 4 channels per page instead of the new 6, opposed to the previous 8. So stop suggesting that. You know who you are.
• To the guy who is happy they won't change it back to the old interface for us, well, forget you.
• Apparently there was a poll on which layout people preferred. Here's an idea, if you want accurate statistics, put it in the channel guide itself. I always get spammed about some new 'feature' or widget I don't care about when you guys release it. Make a poll widget so we can show you how godawful this theme is, please. Don't forget to delay the channel guide from opening until the data loads, because we all love waiting for our precious widgets when trying to change the channel.

Now I'm not going to cry my heart out for the obviously superior previous theme, but would it kill you guys to add an actual classic option? I much prefer the old theme, and so does my Aunt, Father, Mother, 3 Cousins, and grandparents who use this service. In fact, nobody in my family prefers the new theme and it really shocks me people find this more ... visually pleasing than the old one.

If you're a newbie here and don't actually know the glory of the amazing old channel guide, here it is:

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2008/02/2-5-08-fios-tv-screen.jpg

Amazing isn't it? A true gift from the gods. I don't know who messed up the volcano dance, but it's been taken away now.

So what's it take to get this done?

I've literally never used the forums before. I've seen some annoying crap with this service, but this has fed me up so much I took the time to register an account here. Believe me when I say there are others who feel this way.

[idahosurge]

Well said!

I wonder if anyone at Verizon actually reads this stuff and cares what their customers actually think!

I also joined the forums yesterday for the sole purpose of telling Verizon in another thread on this subject how terrible I think their new guide is.

[gora]

Small fonts and light blue/light black/light white combination reminds of a project that I was on where the development was done overseas (meaning, no graphics design  experience). It took me multiple meetings and calls to get them change it to something not so hard on the eyes. So, what you are seeing in fonts and color choices is really what some overseas software coolie with a couple of computer courses has come up with in the first 3 months of  his/her first job.  The coolie is thrilled by that very first effort, the contracting company fulfilled its obligation, the temps in Verizon met their targets and the bosses met their milestones.

However, somebody forgot to the user acceptance testing. Forget the beta guys. If there was a UAT, it would have failed in glowing colors (with excellent contrast - pun intended).

As for me, I can leave because my contract obligations expired a year ago.  I am now examining the options available to me outside of verizon.

[bnucci]

MY whole family hates the new guide. The crappy slow response and bubble size for the current channel make me think I am on neither of the ones shown. It scrolls slowly and we just hate it. The old one was perfect and fast.This one is slow then catches up with the keypress once you smack it a few times then flies past the destination.

I hope Verizon did not really pony up for some clown to program this crap.

Boo give us back our old fast menu boney!!

[MTheriot]

No official response? No one here to defend the new guide? Only posters who dislike it?

Oh, how surprising, because we all hate it.

Take a hint, Verizon. Your site is equally crap. The layout here is godawful and I literally have to log in twice because the forums are not properly integrated with the small business center.

Mediocre at best, and quite frankly, as a web designer myself, just embarrassing.

Please give me the email of whoever manages user-friendly decisions, as they are doing a horrible job.