FiOS subscribers are 96% happy

That's not too bad, right? Apparently it's really good. This article from EETimes is a little dated, but still relevant. The data suggests that subscribers to Verizon's FiOS service are more satisfied than customers signed up with DirecTV, Dish Network, and AT&T's new-ish U-verse service. Here's the relevant excerpt:

In a recent survey of customer satisfaction, respondents ranked Verizon's Fios FTTH network highest in satisfaction with 96 percent of respondents satisfied with the service. By contrast, satellite-based services for DirecTv and Dish Network ranked at 89 and 82 percent respectively, and AT&T's fibre-to-the node (FTTN) service was in line with several cable TV services that ranged from 70 to 73 percent.

Obviously I can't speak for the quality of the data, but that's a very impressive margin. If you're a FiOS subscriber, the moral of the story is to be glad that Verizon laid down your fiber instead of AT&T.

MLB Extra Innings coming to FiOS TV

At least it sounds like that might be the case. According to the Verizon FiOS Policy Blog:

We are currently working with MLB Extra Innings and we’re optimistic that we’ll begin offering the package soon. It won’t be everywhere, all at once unfortunately, but we are working hard to get MLB EI on FiOS TV for as many fans as we can as soon as possible.

This sounds promising. Baseball fans who don't live in the market where their team plays (like...me) will have to hope that the "won't be everywhere" part doesn't apply to them. More than likely the limited availability has to do with Verizon's bandwidth issues - the same ones that are keeping us waiting for an expanded HD lineup. For that reason, I'm not holding my breath on the games being available in HD, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Some suggestions for FiOS Video on Demand

I watched a movie via FiOS Video on Demand this past weekend. We were trying to watch Michael Clayton, and the RedBox across the street was fresh out. Driving to Blockbuster would have been a 20 minute round trip, so we decided to make use of the Video on Demand feature. After some reflection on the experience, here are some suggestions for Verizon to improve the service.

1. The price point for "featured" movies is way too high. I was in a pinch, but the $4.99 price tag still had me on the fence about whether I'd watch the movie at all. Considering that I can typically get a DVD from RedBox for $0.99/day, I can rent from Blockbuster for closer to $3, and depending on how many movies I watch prices via Netflix would be much lower, Verizon really needs to make the experience worth the $5. There are some problems though, as you'll see below.
2. The VOD application needs to be revamped. Selecting VOD launches a separate application from the IMG guide. This app takes some time to load, and once it does it's still quite laggy. It can take several minutes to scroll through the list of movies to find what you want to watch. When I finally found the movie I wanted, I tried to purchase it but I received an error message that basically told me "This isn't working right now, try again later." After trying a few times, the app crashed and my STB rebooted itself. After that I was able to go in and purchase the movie, but what a pain! Also, the infomercial content running in mono sound in the background of the VOD app is obnoxious.
3. The VOD picture quality needs to be improved. For $4.99-a-pop, I'd ideally want the movie in HD. I know that HD VOD is on the way, but I'm sure the price is going to go up. Even for SD, though, the picture quality is poor. There are all sorts of artifacts to the picture such that it feels like you're watching an old VHS tape. Plus the 4:3 picture format isn't ideal for movies; I'd much prefer a letterboxed version.

Those are probably my three biggest gripes. And I'd be willing to overlook the second two issues for watching free content, but with a pay-per-view model Verizon needs to give some serious thought to shoring up their offering.