FIOS Live TV Doesn't Work?

[Rapture911]

Can anyone help me with the LIVE TV we're supposed to get on the Verizon website? It used to work before but now nothing works. Some of the videos just load a black box and never play anything. Some give me an error saying: Requested Format Not Available. Some just endlessly reload between play and pause never getting anywhere. Live TV is anything but live or TV. What exactly is going on? 

[CRobGauth]

What browser/OS are you using?

[philovance]

Since moving from Spectrum to Verizon a couple of weeks ago I have found these live tv streaming issues to be disappointing, since after a rough start, Spectrum's streaming platform was actually very good.

I think you will find that most of the problems with Verizon streaming are on channels that appear to be hosted by Verizon itself. Some channels like CNN re-direct you away from Verizon to their own website, which I have found to work better, probably because the programming is more compatible.

The channels that are hosted by Verizon, ABC for instance seem to use some combination of the Shockwave Flash and Microsoft Silverlight plug-ins. Those plug-ins have always been buggy and prone to security risk, and Firefox and Chrome do not really support them fully any longer, which I think is the source of our problems.

The most advanced streaming platform today is HTML 5, which the latest versions of FF and Chrome support, and which I believe are what Netflix and Amazon have migrated to. I strongly encourage Verizon to catch up and implement this for live streaming.

Meanwhile Microsoft Edge seems to work better than FF or Chrome, although not perfectly. And the basic live functions of the Verizon mobile app (for Android anyway) seem to work ok, although some features are quirky and unreliable.

[Lewisg]

I'm having the exact same problem. Brand new Fios customer. Very disappointed.

[lalaa1]

I cannot watch Fios on any of my browers. Chrome, FireFox or Microsoft Edge.

I log in, clicl watch live TV and choose a channel just to have a black box. Its like there is no player at all showing up. Some channels say Now Playing, but show nothing while others say "Requested format not avialable."

Whats going on? I did not have this problem a few months ago.

I have flash and java updated. Am i missing something or is this on Verizons end?

[jonjones1]

---

@lalaa wrote:

I cannot watch Fios on any of my browers. Chrome, FireFox or Microsoft Edge.

I log in, clicl watch live TV and choose a channel just to have a black box. Its like there is no player at all showing up. Some channels say Now Playing, but show nothing while others say "Requested format not avialable."

Whats going on? I did not have this problem a few months ago.

I have flash and java updated. Am i missing something or is this on Verizons end?

---

Do you have the Microsoft Silverlight plugin? Others have said the tv runs on this platform. Others say after they have it the player works.

others say that the silverlight often times also has issues.

[blackhound]

Trying to watch FIOS livetv online. Getting this error message:

Requested Format Not Available

Close

None of the requested formats are available for this content.

I can watch channels that use 'watch live at' and then take you out of the interface but anything using the interface: tv.verizon.com/livetv gives that message. I've seen it in the past but it was temporary -- a few hours -- but this time it's been 3 days. 

Anyone have a fix?

BH

[tns2]

All it should do is send you to the various channel providers websites.

E.g.  hbo go, cnn, etc. 

Many of those then require you to login to your provider, in this case Verizon.net 

Its possible its trying to send some form of video that your browser doesn't support (mpeg,avc, etc)

If you are having problems logging in, here on my notes with HBO as an example

A bunch of things lead to problems loging into HBO GO and many other Online Channel sites.

• You must get HBO (or whatever channel you are trying to use) from Verizon
• At least the first time you may first have to sign out of the Verizon site.  It gets confused easily and rejects your signon if you are already signed on.
• You must allow third party cookies
• You must be running Flash, Flash must be allowed to store info for third parties.  Not sure what is used for the apps or browsers that don't support flash, but they seem to behave similarly
• You must not have your Browser options set to delete Information when exiting Browser.  Flash takes this as deleting information when exiting a site.

The general way it works is for you to go to HBO GO site.  Ask to look at something and it switches in a FRAME pointing to VERIZON and you signin. Verizon stores some information in flash and returns. That information must still be there so that HBO accepts you as authorized. 

[rickw2]

I had the same problem until I downloaded MS Silverlight plugin.  After installing I tried Chrome, FireFox and Edge, but none of these worked.  The only browser that works after the plugin install was IE 11.