VERIZON ADMITS BANDWIDTH INADEQUATE FOR SOME MAJOR SPORT EVENTS !!! GOODBYE NCAA FINAL FOUR!
stubaby
Enthusiast - Level 1

Live in Washington DC metro area and have FIOS Ultimate bundle - was trying to watch the Maryland - Georgia Tech game on ch. 574 ESPN2 which just froze or was blank.  All other surrounding HD channels and standard def channels worked fine.  Call Verizon Tech, who first tried to have me do standard diags like power down/power up and reconnect cable to STB. Of course, being a EE and technical type myself, I told him that was unlikely the issue because as stated above all other channels worked fine (I suspected a bandwidth issue related to the major sporting event).  The tech, after long time putting me on hold, eventually came back on a politely informed me that "I had correctly answered my own question.  That the bandwidth problem is a known issue, when the 'provider' doesn't send 'enough' signal".  He did not offer any further solution or compensation.  I informed him this was unsatisfactory (I watch primarily sports) and I wanted a credit, at which point the tech transferred me to the billing department.  After a nearly 35 min onhold wait (no joke - 35 mins) a Verizon billing rep came on line and offered me a 1 day credit of $1.60.   I almost laughed - nearly 60 mins on the phone, no HD ball game, and $1.60 credit is the best they can do.  To make matters worse, I was told if it recurrs I would have to call in again for each occurance.  He upped that to $11 credit when I complained loudly (although he said he wasn't really 'supposed to').     Truly pathetic!!!  ANyone else have similar problems during major events?   Please voice your dissatisfaction so this gets solved.

Now I can't look forward to NCAAs in HD (unless I head to the nearest sports pub, which I may need to to drown my sorrows!)

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Re: VERIZON ADMITS BANDWIDTH INADEQUATE FOR SOME MAJOR SPORT EVENTS !!! GOODBYE NCAA FINAL FOUR!
prisaz
Legend

It would be nice is FIOS could display a message instead of a blank screen during a black out. But the Guide is also lacking. It would be difficut for the VHO to inject a message since it is a local backout? Like when no feed is available out of a local VHO, have a signal feed that states:

The Local Event Is Blacked Out In Your Area.

Please look for the programming on a local broadcast channel also available on FIOS, if the programming is carried locally.

Even better have it show the channel where it is available. I know that happened during the channel realignment when the Premier was taken over by Extreme. So it is possible.

Just a thought.

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Re: VERIZON ADMITS BANDWIDTH INADEQUATE FOR SOME MAJOR SPORT EVENTS !!! GOODBYE NCAA FINAL FOUR!
Justin46
Legend

I think you are way off base here. And it doesn't matter what some CSR says, they frequently are very under-trained or ill-informed and will say almost anything to get you off the phone. And I agree, it is very frustrating to have the CSRs want to go through the script they are reading from, but I guess Verizon requires they do it or they get fired.

Since you are in MD, and you were wanting to watch a Maryland game, I bet that the game was blacked out on ESPN2. Happens every so often, on various channels. Verizon doesn't seem able to reliably post a black-out screen, typically what happens is that the you just cannot tune to the channel (typically you see a frozen image from the channel you just left) or the channel is dark, no picture at all. Did ESPN2 come back on shortly after the game ended? If so, almost certainly a black-out. Was the game also being shown on a local channel?

Of course there is also another simple answer, that the feed from ESPN2 was unavailable for some (probably technical) reason. Again, that happens on any channel from time to time, not much Verizon can do about it if they don't receive a signal.

Anyway, there is no FiOS bandwidth problem with the channels they now have, at least IMHO.

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
QIP6416-P1, IMG 1.7C, Build 09.83
Keller, TX 76248

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Re: VERIZON ADMITS BANDWIDTH INADEQUATE FOR SOME MAJOR SPORT EVENTS !!! GOODBYE NCAA FINAL FOUR!
stubaby
Enthusiast - Level 1

sorry, but think you are wrong.  Game was played in Atlanta - no blackout in MD.  It was available in standard def on ESPN2.  It came in once or twice momentarily on HD ESPN2 but picture froze.   Game ended and it still was doing it for the next game also.  Tech told me, after confirming with others, there are situations (I hope not too common!) where this happens.  If it was blacked out why would all above be true and they offer me credit?

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Re: VERIZON ADMITS BANDWIDTH INADEQUATE FOR SOME MAJOR SPORT EVENTS !!! GOODBYE NCAA FINAL FOUR!
jss9669
Contributor - Level 1

The game was blacked out on ESPN2 because it was also being carried on My20.

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Re: VERIZON ADMITS BANDWIDTH INADEQUATE FOR SOME MAJOR SPORT EVENTS !!! GOODBYE NCAA FINAL FOUR!
Weekender
Enthusiast - Level 3

jss9669 is correct.  In the DC area, the ACC Tournament games were blacked out on ESPN2 and shown on MY20 channel 506.

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Re: VERIZON ADMITS BANDWIDTH INADEQUATE FOR SOME MAJOR SPORT EVENTS !!! GOODBYE NCAA FINAL FOUR!
prisaz
Legend

It would be nice is FIOS could display a message instead of a blank screen during a black out. But the Guide is also lacking. It would be difficut for the VHO to inject a message since it is a local backout? Like when no feed is available out of a local VHO, have a signal feed that states:

The Local Event Is Blacked Out In Your Area.

Please look for the programming on a local broadcast channel also available on FIOS, if the programming is carried locally.

Even better have it show the channel where it is available. I know that happened during the channel realignment when the Premier was taken over by Extreme. So it is possible.

Just a thought.

Re: VERIZON ADMITS BANDWIDTH INADEQUATE FOR SOME MAJOR SPORT EVENTS !!! GOODBYE NCAA FINAL FOUR!
Hubrisnxs
Legend

Generally, a broadcaster would prefer to broadcast, instead of leaving dead air. Unless it was a mistake, then you can rest assured that the black-out was not anything Verizon did voluntarily, nor probably even anything that ESPN did voluntarily. Black-outs are often imposed to benefit the sports teams themselves. So you would complain, in your case, to Notre Maryland - Georgia Tech, as well as to the conference Georgia Tech is in, Pac-10, and the NCAA itself.

Black-outs may also be imposed to benefit other broadcasters. Essentially, the grantor of the license to broadcast would impose the conditions of the black-out on ESPN, so that ESPN doesn't draw more audience away from, say, CBS. In that case, it is again the schools, the conference, and the national association that you would direct your complaints to.

Best of luck.

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Re: VERIZON ADMITS BANDWIDTH INADEQUATE FOR SOME MAJOR SPORT EVENTS !!! GOODBYE NCAA FINAL FOUR!
stubaby
Enthusiast - Level 1

How would you know without channel flipping?  Nothing in the Guide indicated this.

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Re: VERIZON ADMITS BANDWIDTH INADEQUATE FOR SOME MAJOR SPORT EVENTS !!! GOODBYE NCAA FINAL FOUR!
Hubrisnxs
Legend

I feel like you guys that they NEED to put an identifier that the sports channel is blacked out and to check local affiliates or something to that effect.

doesn't sound like too big a request to me, but sometimes you can even check the station like I Think ESPN has a black out page too,   its really the station responsibility, but to avoid confusion Verizon should kick in there too.

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Re: VERIZON ADMITS BANDWIDTH INADEQUATE FOR SOME MAJOR SPORT EVENTS !!! GOODBYE NCAA FINAL FOUR!
prisaz
Legend

@Hubrisnxs wrote:

I feel like you guys that they NEED to put an identifier that the sports channel is blacked out and to check local affiliates or something to that effect.

doesn't sound like too big a request to me, but sometimes you can even check the station like I Think ESPN has a black out page too,   its really the station responsibility, but to avoid confusion Verizon should kick in there too.


I agree. But the station furnishes a feed, do they black out the signal, or is it the providers responsiblity to black it out in a given market? Not sure how that works. I would not think they feed Verizon a different signal for every market? Verizon should at least have a page that states the local feed from the content provider is not available at this time. Instead of a blank screen. Hey I know what would go over good. A 1960s B/W test pattern that showed when the channel was off the air.

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