More Info on the New FiOS Program Guide

One of the big things on the horizon for FiOS TV customers is the new program guide software that Verizon (apparently still) plans to roll out this summer. So far, there has been nothing in the way of screen-shots, videos, or demos.

I did notice a link on the bottom of the FiOS TV homepage yesterday that said something long the lines of "Be one of the first to see the new FiOS interactive program guide. Coming soon...", but there was no further information. That link is gone now, so I decided to see what information I could dredge up from other sources.

I found this article over at ScreenPlays that had as many details as anything else I've yet seen. Here are some of the key take-aways from the article:

• The new guide will include a 360-degree search feature and the ability to "access any program" in a maximum of 2 clicks. That sounds like a bit of marketing speak, so your guess is as good as mine as to what this means.
• They will be incorporating "rich graphics", like movie posters.
• Searches will make use of "cross-referenced data mining".
• The new UI is the result of a multi-year joint effort between designers from the FiOS and Verizon Wireless teams. I'm not a huge fan of the "standard Verizon phone UI", so that's a little scary.

The article also mentions that the new software will be launched first in New Jersey. No firm dates are given, so if anybody in that region has any updated information please pass it along.

Since Verizon hasn't backed off of their "Summer 2007" launch plans, I'm expecting more details to emerge soon.

Three New HD Channels Are Official

Verizon has officially announced the launch of Food Network HD, HGTV HD, and Lifetime Movie Network HD via a press release issued yesterday. While these new networks have been live for many FiOS customers since early last week, Verizon is promising that they will be available system-wide by the end of this week.

According to Verizon:

The three channels will be available in all FiOS TV markets by the end of this week, bringing the total number of HD channels to at least 27 in most markets, depending on the number of local channels that broadcast in HD. FiOS TV subscribers with an HD-capable TV and an HD set-top box will receive the three new channels at no additional cost.

Head over to Verizon's site to read the full press release about the new FiOS high definition programming.

Can You Handle Your FiOS 8x Faster?

You might have heard something by now about Verizon experimenting with new gigabit passive optical network (G-PON) technology that will increase the upper limit on their bandwidth by about 4x on the upside and 8x on the downsize. Lucky customers in Lewisville, Texas and Kirklyn, Pennsylvania will be the first to experience G-PON-ified FiOS.

However, before you get too excited, we should note that the bandwidth increase in on Verizon's side, and won't necessarily translate to immediate increases in customer bandwidth.

Here's the full press release on G-PON from Verizon.

New Motorola STBs Coming?

There's a blurb and some pics of Motorola's new CableCard STBs over at Connected Home 2 Go. Could these new boxes be on their way to FiOS customers this summer? No definite word yet, but we'll stay on top of it.

If you want to learn more about the whole CableCard situation, here's a CableCard Primer from ArsTechnica that's a bit old but still relevant.

Verizon Adds 3 New HD Channels

Verizon has gone ahead and launched 3 new high definition networks for all some of their customers. As early as yesterday, customers in Texas and Florida noticed that HGTV HD, Food Network HD, and Lifetime Movie Network HD were available on their systems.

As of this morning, the new programming was available in additional markets, including here in Northern Virginia. There has been no official word or press release from Verizon, and as of right now these channels are not listed in their online channel guide. If you want to check the availability in your area, the new channels appear to be coming in on 840, 841, and 845.

Verizon announced that these HD networks were "coming soon" several months ago, but there has been no word since. They did reshuffle the lineup back in February to make room for new content, however.

Follow the latest developments over at the AVS Forums. The Verizon FiOS Programming Master Topic is a good place to start. I've linked a relevant post.

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10:06 AM UPDATE:

Just got confirmation from a neighbor that the new HD networks are on in my neighborhood. Apparently the channels don't have names, and the guide info isn't populated, but the channels are broadcasting.

Now That Was Easy

Following up on yesterday's issue (HD STB wasn't displaying any programming info), I gave FiOS customer service a call earlier today. After mucking around with the automated answering system, I was transferred to a live rep in under 5 minutes. Not too shabby.

After verifying all of my account information, the rep had my unplug the router in my wiring closet for 30 seconds, and then plug it back in. He then told me to wait 5 minutes, while he re-set my STBs from their end. So I hung up with the rep, and 5 minutes later turned my boxes on. Within 10 minutes, they had all pulled down the guide information and everything seems to be running smoothly now. A pleasant experience overall as far as customer service goes.

On a bit of a downer note, I was perusing my neighborhood message board to see if anyone else had had a similar issue to mine. Nobody did, but I saw several complaints about missed service appointments and people lamenting that it took over a week to get Verizon to turn on their HBO service. I'm not sure if these issues are because of our unique service arrangement (see here) or if they can be expected system-wide.

My HD STB is Acting Up...

I have 3 FiOS STBs in my house: 1 SD (Motorola QIP 2500), 1 HD (QIP 6200), and 1 HD DVR (QIP 64xx). They've all worked flawlessly for a little under a year now.

Just yesterday, I noticed that my HD STB doesn't have any guide information. Whenever I press the 'Info', 'Guide', 'Menu', or any key that would cause programming information to be displayed, I get a message that the STB is receiving data.

This is standard operating procedure whenever the box is unplugged, but it usually downloads all of the pertinent data in a few minutes and resumes normal operation. What's odd about this situation is that I hadn't unplugged the box.

I played around with it a bit last night, unplugging the STB from the wall and plugging it back in, but I'm still left wanting for programming info. Weird. I left it unplugged this morning, and I'll plug it back in and try again after work tonight. Hopefully that will allow enough time to refresh itself.

Has anybody else run in to a similar issue? Any workarounds? If it's not working tonight, I'll call the customer service line and report back.

Questions and Answers with a FiOS Engineer

Catching up from last week... Verizon released the text of a question and answer session with Brian Whitton, Executive Director of Access Network Design and Integration. (Wow, holy job title!)

If you're in to the technical side of things, there's plenty to feast on. Get out your acronym pocket guide and dive in:

Broadband/FiOS Conversation with... Brian Whitton - Part 1

FiOS Engineer Answers Your Questions - Part 2

One of the questions addressed relates to symmetric connections. Some fiber providers offer symmetric packages, that offer the same speeds up and down. FiOS currently offers asymmetric packages, such as 15/2 or 30/5 where the up speed is significantly less than the down speed. Whitton's response about symmetry:

Indeed, our FTTP network can easily support a symmetric data service. As market dynamics change, we would re-assess the benefit to our customers of introducing a class of symmetric data services.

All in all, an interesting read.

Verizon Launches 'FiOS 1'

Two weeks ago Verizon launched its own local news channel, FiOS 1. Available in the Washington, DC market, FiOS 1 covers area news, weather, traffic, and sports. This is nothing new for cable providers, many of whom provide a no-frills local channel in their market, but it is a first for Verizon.

Living in the DC market myself, I've had a chance to check out FiOS 1 first hand. As you might guess, there's a round-the-clock news ticker with the latest updates. Aside from news readers and "Weather on the 5s" type of stuff, Verizon seems to be attempting to drum up some original sports content. For example, I've seen local high school football and lacrosse games while flipping through. The production quality is impressive given the relative new-ness, and of course it benefits from a sharp, digital SD picture.

No word yet on plans for other cities. I'd guess that we're a test market, and that Verizon plans to roll out other local content in major metropolitan areas. We'll keep an eye out for new developments.

According to this Media Week article, Verizon has secured rights to televise Georgetown and George Mason athletics on FiOS 1, and also plans to broadcast Washington Nationals games.