FiOS HD Lineup

[ojisan54]

The selection of HD Channels is still very poor compared with those offered by DISH Network.  I regret moving to Verizon from DISH.  Verizon is now placing many of the HD channels I want in a higher "Tier Package".  Most of these channels were included in the basic HD package from DISH.  I'm going back to DISH as soon as my Verizon contract expires.

[Beaver]

I agree.  When I signed up for Fios, I was told that "many" more HD channels were coming.  Now I see it's at a higher price.  I couldn't be less happy with Verizon.   I wish I would never have switched from Comcast.  Like you, the second my agreement is over I'm gone.

[beerhead500]

If you call and ask to be upgraded to the EXTREME HD package you will get the new HD channels and more than likely save some money. I saved money and got a bunch of new channels. From my experience and about 80% of the other people you will save money.

[Techman28]

I'm about to close my dish account (and pay early termination fee) in favor of fios. While I find the quality of fios slightly higher, I was fairly happy with dish but I'm pissed off with some of their practices, such as 4 leased tuners limit, the way they can take the channels off line while negotiating the contract, etc. I can remember at least 4 times when they took a channel off line for almost 3 weeks.

However, I went Tivo HD route. Not sure if I'd give up dish 722 to fios dvr. But Tivo is superior and you don't have to pay $50 to activate external storage.

Dish claim of 1080p blu-ray quality movies is ridiculous. I don't care what they say, their severely compressed 1080p signal is worlds away from blu-ray 1080/24p. Even uncompressed fios 1080i will beat it with an average deinterlacer.

We just switched from Dish to Fios. Yes, the Dish DVRs are way ahead of Fios DVRs, features, capacity, etc. -- no competition there.

The picture quality is much better on Fios, both HD and SD. The first couple of weeks after we switched we were missing all the HDs that we had on Dish. But Fios came through with their major HD upgrade at the end of July. We timed the switch over just right! So right now we are not really missing Dish.

Well, not much other than DVR features and the much wider choice of international PPVs and channels (Indian channels for us specifically).

I have both Fios and Dish as well. Because
of channel selection,
I would choose Fios.
Would not think twice
about giving up Dish.
Dish would go and I have a 722 and 622 DVR.

Fios gives me CSN HD,
YES HD, SNY HD and New York and Phila HD locals. I do not
get an HD RSN with Dish and Dish only provides 4 HD locals.
Of those three RSNs,
Dish only provides SNY but does not provide SNY to my area to save money.
Dish limits RSN coverage areas.

Although the Dish DVR has a bigger hard drive, I do not like the swap aspect and prefer the Fios DVR for recording a program and then start watching 20 minutes later to fast
forward through the ads, going out of the
program to watch the baseball game and then going back to the program I was watching. The Fios DVR takes you right back to where you left off. Dish DVRs do not. Eventually Fios will get esata and the hard drive issue will even out with Dish.

Then you have issues of rain fade and the triple play pricing.

What seems to be fact:

• No more Premier Package for new customers -- it is probable that once contracts run out for current customers they will no longer be able to keep this package;
• No more separate Sports Package -- it has been rolled into the new Extreme HD package (see below);
• Created a smaller package called Essentials -- the ONLY HD channels being offered in this package are up to 14 local HDs. It also does NOT include certain SD channels such as RFDTV, CurrentTV or any of the channels formerly in the Sports package. Current price is $47.99/month if not bundled with other services;
• Created a new package called Extreme HD -- includes all "non-premium" (e.g. HBO, etc.) channels, including some SD channels (RFDTV, Current TV), all the channels in the previous Sports Package, and ALL the HD channels available. Current price is $57.99/month if not bundled with other services;
• Other packages (e.g. Movies, etc) are still available on top of whatever package you get (Essentials or Extreme HD).

Additionally, Verizon is in the process of re-aligning channel numbers and adding new channels in the CA market while continuing to add more (primarily) HD channels to markets where the re-alignment has already taken place.

Depending on the market you're in, many of the "Phase 2" HDs will only be available through Extreme HD. Customers may see a "free preview" next to these channels in the guide before the channels are removed from the lineup of Premier Package customers. An up-to-date list of these channels for different regions can be found at this page:

• »https://www22.verizon.com/Residential/Fi···pPDF.htm

All of this is creating a lot of confusion about who should have what and when. As customers it would appear that the following is happening:

If you're a current Premier Package customer and NOT in NY (or WA possibly) you will LIKELY NOT get the following channels until you upgrade to the Extreme HD Package (all of these are HD unless otherwise noted):

• RFD TV (SD)
• Current TV (SD)
• Sports Channels from 300-319 (All SD)
• FX HD
• WGN America HD
• Speed Channel HD
• Versus / Golf HD
• Fox Business Network HD
• Fox News Channel HD
• Bio HD
• QVC HD
• Planet Green HD
• Travel Channel HD
• ABC Family HD
• Hallmark Movie Channel HD
• MGM Channel HD
• Disney Channel HD
• Toon Disney HD

Current Premier Package customers will most likely grandfathered in with their current lineup, keeping the HDs that are NOT listed above.

Last but not least, Verizon has released numerous new bundles that may actually have the effect of saving Premier Package customers when they upgrade to Extreme HD; however, two-year contracts are no longer being offered. If you move away from your current (Premier Package) contract, you will be re-upping with a new, one-year contract.

Two example bundles are seen below (possibly only offered at these rates until end of October):

• Freedom Essentials Phone + 20/5 Internet + Extreme HD for $109.99/month = $50.98 savings/month
• Freedom Essentials Phone + 10/2 Internet + Essentials for $99.99/month = $40.98 savings/month

One final note: receiving additional channels is completely independent of getting the new version of the IMG (v1.6/6.89). The are each being deployed on a different schedule and you do not need the IMG 1.6 to get the new additional channels.

[Coolcsh]

I switched from Comcast because I got a whopping 28 channels in HD no matter what I paid. With Extreme HD I get close to 100 HD channels. All Comcast will tell you is they offer more on demand. If you are in some part of the country that you get more HD on Comcast then you should move back. Good luck!