When will Verizon get competitive with Comcast

[mustbjones]

I live in the central Virginia area.  I have friends with Comcast that now get Picture-in-Picture (PiP) with their DVR.  They don't have to do anything special except push the PiP button on the remote.  No special wiring, no splitting the cable, etc. When is Verizon going to offer the same service???????

[ksoza1]

Your title is a bit wishful and possibly reversed.  Although Verizon does not offer PIP directly, the overall competition loser has been Comcast.  By the numbers, they are losing share where verizon is active.  As far as features, Comcast has an edge currently with On Demand title counts and caller ID on the TV screen, but on almost every other feature, V beats what I had with Comcast when I left. 

I will not even get into the service issues, where Comcast truly lost me and V has been world's better.  Obviously, you mileage will vary, but on the qualitative feature issues, V has an edge.

[Reaper]

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@mustbjones wrote:
I live in the central Virginia area.  I have friends with Comcast that now get Picture-in-Picture (PiP) with their DVR.  They don't have to do anything special except push the PiP button on the remote.  No special wiring, no splitting the cable, etc. When is Verizon going to offer the same service???????

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Your title could have been more accurate, like "When Will FiOS Get PIP Like Comcast?" However, I agree with your sentiment and would also like PIP with a single line out. Dish Network offers this too, while DirecTV doesn't.

FiOS HD DVRs have dual live buffers so adding PIP would simply be a matter of writing the software (software is far easier to deploy than new hardware).

[Justin46]

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@Reaper wrote:

FiOS HD DVRs have dual live buffers so adding PIP would simply be a matter of writing the software (software is far easier to deploy than new hardware).

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I don't know one way other the other whether it is possible or not with Motorola DVRs, but a post in this thread by KenAF says not, and I have found him to be very knowledgeable:

http://forums.verizon.com/vrzn/board/message?board.id=FiOS_TV&message.id=4954&query.id=45200#M4954

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.2, Build 08.58
Keller, TX 76248

[Reaper]

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@Justin wrote:

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@Reaper wrote:

FiOS HD DVRs have dual live buffers so adding PIP would simply be a matter of writing the software (software is far easier to deploy than new hardware).

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I don't know one way other the other whether it is possible or not with Motorola DVRs, but a post in this thread by KenAF says not, and I have found him to be very knowledgeable:

http://forums.verizon.com/vrzn/board/message?board.id=FiOS_TV&message.id=4954&query.id=45200#M4954

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.2, Build 08.58
Keller, TX 76248

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KenAF is always saying that the Motorolla hardware won't support this, that or the other (16:9 guide, external hard drives, PIP, etc...) due to a lack of adequate memory. His argument usually is essentially that no one else is doing it with this equipment so FiOS can't either. I don't believe that for a minute. Software solves a lot of problems and there are always smarter ways to get it done.

The hardware seems fine to me. With the right development effort, I'm sure that Verizon could make PIP work.

Message Edited by Reaper on 04-23-2009 01:37 PM

[Justin46]

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@Reaper wrote:

KenAF is always saying that the Morolla hardware won't support this, that or the other (16:9 guide, PIP, etc...) due to a lack of adequate memory. His argument usually is essentially that no one else is doing it with this equipment so FiOS can't either. I don't believe that for a minute. Software solves a lot of problems and there are always smarter ways to get it done.

The hardware seems fine to me. With the right development effort, I'm sure that Verizon could make PIP work.

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OK.

I don't remember him being proven wrong on any of his statements, so I think I will go with him on this....and hope I am wrong  

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.2, Build 08.58
Keller, TX 76248 

[Reaper]

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@Justin wrote:

I don't remember him being proven wrong on any of his statements, so I think I will go with him on this....and hope I am wrong  

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He probably hasn't been proven wrong only because Verizon hasn't gotten off their duffs yet. 

If Verizon releases a 16:9 guide and adds support for external hard drives (each for the current Moto boxes), both of which are rumored, then he will be proven wrong. Let's hope...

I just don't like the "it can't be done because of the hardware" answer. Unless that answer is coming directly from Moto, then I don't trust it.

[DzWR]

IMO I think those features will pop up with a new manufacturer of a stb, like scientific atlantic.

[mustbjones]

Hardware issues are easy to fix.  Just tell Moto that with the next buy, add PiP, or Verizon goes to another supplier.

[DzWR]

Maybe, but you have no idea what was placed into the contract they have with them and the specifications on it.