ATV Florida Forum

thinking of going to fiber optics and getting the verizon fios .anyone already have it ,how is it ?good, bad  ok??

Watch you bill with Verizon... They tried to charge my friend for stuff that he didn't purchase...

why get 5mb with you can get 8mb from comcast for the same price

I would go with Comcast.

 Dont be fooled by there stupid commercials.Sure it's Fiber Optic to your door but once it hits the demarcation point " your wallbox outside" it transform to coaxial cable before it hits your TV. And as far as it being on three different spectrums of light 1310,1490, and 1550 well that's just Verizon trying to make it sound like some big deal. That's just different wavelenghts of light. 1310 is for upstream data,1490 is for your downstream and 1550 is the wavelength used for your television signal. All of these are standard for any provider.And then to say the light is so clean it's 20 db hot.SO FREAKIN WHAT!!  If you have old internal 59 wiring with old crap radio shack splitters in your attic with do it yourself fittings you most likely have excessive signal loss and degradation anyway so what good is 20 db hot???I want to slap that kid in the head that does the Verizon commercial. He's the most annoying kid in the world. Bright House "aka" Time Warner has been using fiber optics for years just not to the door. Voice services " phone" internet and cable "including high definition" works fine using copper as long as the wiring is up to spec. Verizon has a phone mentality in a cable industry just like Americast and Knology tried to do in the past.It's over kill. Verizon Fios is already deployed in Palm Harbor and Bright House is taking customers back as fast as they go to them. Most customers just like to try something new. To answer your question,don't be fooled by those stupid commercials.

I've had it for 6 months and am very happy with it. At my house, the Brighthouse signal was weak coming in and my HD channels would cut out. I was also resetting my cable modem daily because of signal loss. The internet speed is also a lot faster, including the upload speed (at least in my neighborhood). I got the phone package, too. Unlimited long distance is nice. At the time I signed up, it cost me exactly the same as Brighthouse, but I did get the two additional cable boxes. Reliable internet service is extremely important to me as I'm on it all day long. It hasn't gone done in 6 months so I'm sticking with it.

I am amazed how many people think they get High Def but really don't LMAO people think they get a good deal on a TV on sale.  Something for people to think about, what you need:

1) High Def signal (and even though you pay for high def not all channels or programs)

2) Sat. Box / Cable box / Blue ray player (this box needs to be able to handle 1080 WITH the right connections)

3) Connectors (for video/sound NOT coax, right now it seems to be HDMI that is good it takes care of both at full 1080)

4) Last but not least a TV that can handle 1080

When you have all 4 picture and sound is AWSOME nothing compares (on Blue Ray)  I know there are even more things to consider (especially in a TV) but these are the basics

CRAP I am sorry I think this topic is more on internet speed than High Def. sorry just got carried away.

You said at the time you signed up it cost the same. Is it still the same price now? If not give it time and it will go up. Are you saying it was the same for all three services or just for cable because in most areas you can get phone,cable,and internet for under $100.00 with BHN. You stated that you had weak signal coming in and your HD channels would cut out and you would lose your internet. That is a situation that could have / should have been fixed by BHN.Your situation was such because Bright House Networks dropped the ball and did not fix your signal issue but like I said previously if the wiring is up to spec "including signal levels" then there is no problem with using copper/coax for all three Voice,Internet,and Cable services. Bright House won the JD Powers award for reliability and customer satisfaction the last two years.If you take that and combine it with customer turn over and customer retention you will see that Verizon Fios is no big deal. Alot of hype because it's new. As far as speed you can go as fast as you want with BHN as long as you pay for it. Some people want to use the residential service to run a business/server without paying business rates but you can get 5,10 and 15mb with the residential service for cheap.As far as the unlimited long distance goes BHN includes that as well with their phone service for free. You obviously had a bad experience with BHN and a good one with Verizon Fios but that is not the norm. You see it from a disgruntled customer stand point and I see it from a factual numbers stand point through weekly meetings,graph charts etc etc. I'm not saying you shouldn't feel like you do I'm just saying numbers don't lie which is why I initially answered CR1s question. There's room for both companys and competition never hurts. I could go on and on with reasons why BHN is a better choice but I will not bore you any further.CR1 if you want me to send you a comparison or if you have any questions just send me a PM and I will be glad to help you.

Yeah but, He's got a nice van.  ;)

All networks use fiber optic at some point. comcast and the other cable companies use fiber optic it just doesnt go to your house, the fiber stops at a node then feeds a few city blocks. verizon's FIOS is FTTP (fiber to the premises) and once it reaches your house it turns to coaxial cable. FIOS is really growing in the northeast like new york, delaware, new jersey, and virginia. I know this because i design these infrastructures

who do you work for cable guy?

 Bright House Networks in Pinellas.

I too have had the Fios for about 7 months and couldn't be happier. I used to have Brighthouse networks and I hated it. I would constantly have to keep my fingers crossed hoping that my internet wasn't down. It would go out at least 3 times a month. I haven't had my internet go down not once with Verizon. Three times a month may not seem like a lot, but when you have a credit card payment that is due and your internet is down so you have to go find a library, then it is too much. Not to mention my TV would go in and out all the time. But what really made me decide to give BHN the boot was the fact that when I cancelled TV service with them and kept the sorry internet, they sent BHN guys out to my house twice to get me to sign up for TV service again. I hate people coming to my house uninvited, ringing my door bell while I am trying to eat dinner with my family.  That sealed it!

Verizon FiOS is superior in internet speed, video signal and voice quality. If I could get FiOS in WPB I would have it as I am continually having to reset my comcast modem daily. All companies have been using fiber for years for their trunking networks. What you need to do is compare them side by side as I have and you will see the difference.

Comcast just announced 12MBs. ;)

allrighty, most are beating up brighthouse, so I'll chime in.

I've had timewarner/brighthouse for my internet for 7 years now, I had an issue where I was resetting the modem and not getting very good speeds at all for about a week back when it was first installed three houses ago,,,,,,ever since then I have been down a total of one day.

and I download a lot,,,, I will see an average of 8Mb download speed throughout the day no matter what time it is.

fiber,,,pbsh, don't need it here.

Id@

FiOS offers 5mb, 15mb and 30mb currently with plans to roll out 100mb later this year. I happen to know just a little about the product and the cable offerings. My team trained over 1500 techs in Texas, florida and indiana before I retired and was also involved in the development of the training courses and currently consult on training for the AT&T training.

So I see why we BOTH would be a little biased.What exactly did you train 1500 techs to do?

splice, test and install fiber service, setup customer pcs, check for virus, wired and wireless networking and home entertainment systems for maximum performance

the FiOS product line was not susposed to show a profit for five years but actually started showing profit at 3 due to the overwhelming response and take rate. Verizon stock has been on the rise this year

I just realized after re reading your post that you have "Comcast". That's not comparing apples to apples because Comcast does not keep up or upgrade their system like Bright House does.They would rather put a cost effective band aid on a problem instead of correcting it. Before you compare companies side by side make sure your comparing the companies your considering.CR1,if you would like an ACTUAL side by side comparison of Verizon and BHN let me know and I could scan one and send it to you.

Actually I lived in Brandon until last December so I am well aware of what Brighthouse does or doesn't do. The training we did was classroom training I managed centers in the Midwest, Texas and Southeast plus Virgina, Maryland and Pennsylvania for a while. At one time I had over 160 instructors working including a retired professor from Duke University that did fiber optic research for them. I have given live demonstrations to our legislative bodies and had US Secretary of Labor Elaine Chow visit our training center to learn first hand what the fiber optics was about. So I believe I am well equipped to make any comparison

BTW I have compared BHN and FiOS side by side as I set up demonstrations for government officals to compare the differences. But thanks for the offer.

If you go back and read my previous post you will find that I offered CR1 the comparison not you since he was the one asking for advice.

i've been having trouble with my fios internet

Sorry,


What issue you having and if I can't talk you through it I do have connections that can fix it for ya.

Dude did I hit a nerve or what? 160 instructors,a retired professor from Duke University,live demonstrations to our legislative bodies?????? You are either talking about something else or you are off your rocker.IT'S ONLY CABLE!!!!!Why would the US secretary of labor want to learn first hand about fiber optics and how much can she actually comprehend or obtain to make any decisions based on what she heard or seen on a particular visit. I am strictly talking about the benefits or differences between Fiber and RF / Coax pertaining to the consumer,not the architecture of the plant or the infrastructure for that matter. The concept is simple. Unless I'm looking at it all wrong and I should be pushing for a meeting with the secretary of defense in hopes of saving the world followed up with a meeting with NASA to see if I can possibly go on an expedition from galaxy to galaxy looking for life form only to subject them to my theories and ultimately leave them a comparison guide between several different cable providers. Lighten up a little. Theres enough business for all cable companies.

Enough for this debate the proof will be in the eyes of the consumer just as not all people like Ford or Chevy, not all will like BHN or VZ.

tastes great

Id@

Less filling. ;)



Ok, I'm sold!! Where do i have to move to for 100mb??

Sarasota, Tampa, North of Clearwater, maybe QT will let you room with her or Cain maybe another option :) :)

ENOUGH!..........................Sprint is the BEST!       Wi-MAX coming soon to your area.  ;D

If I wanted slow internet I would just get a Direcway like I sell, at least it will work ANYWHERE. ;)

Oppps......... did I just let Sprint top sercet Wi-max (Xohm) on the internet? Oh well  :)

Clueless again?

let me bring up to speed...hehehehe  http://www.xohm.com/index_a.html

My 6mb DSL from AT&T seems to work just fine.  its a constant 5.9-6mb down speed and cost me $37 a month.

I'm not complaining

Settle down now, don't start with the personal attacks. This vaporware is hardly a secret.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/15/sprints-mobile-wimax-service-called-xohm/


A little research and we find this gem:

Confirmed: Sprint’s WiMAX Solution is “Xohm”
August 16 John Biggs     
Photo via EngadgetAre you ready to rock and xohm? Are you and your family xohmin’? Are you xohming like a… homing pigeon? If you answered any of these questions with a resounding “Xyes” then Sprint Nextel has something special for you.

Enter Xohm, their WiMAX solution which should be announced later today. It xounds like “home” but with a z and the reaxon there’s an x in there ix becauxe “The X-factor makes it cool.” Mmmhmm.


The new service, which should reach market saturation by the end of 2008, will run at about 2Mbps over the air with a potential maximum of 4Mbps  — these are obviously in ideal conditions without interference. No pricing or real availability, xo i guexx we have to wait.


Blazing fast Directway speeds. LMAO, we are talking about FAST internet here. ;)

No personal attack here  8)  If your sprint card is as slow as you direc-way system, maybe you're using that laptop that Fred Flintstone gave you.

Are you kidding me with this? It is a well known fact that sprint cards are slow and unreliable to the point I know guys who have thrown them out their truck windows. Direcway is certainly not the answer for everyone, but is the only way to get reliable 2Mbs internet in many remote locations. I am in fact going to install eight of them in the Bahamas next week at a VERY exclusive resort so expensive if I posted the price of a week stay there you and no one else would ever believe me. I will say one week there could pay off your house though.

Nick Hexum of 311 has one installed on his private rental island off of Big Pine Key, and I suspect people forking out $8500 a week would complain if it had any issues at all. ;) http://melodykey.com/main.html
Cell phones and air cards do work there so don't try and steal my customer. LMAO.

WOW..........I guess you know it all when it comes to wireless....

I am impressed, normally at this point you would post a picture or something else equally silly. ;)

I never claimed to know it all when it comes to wireless, but considering I have heard these tired old claims at both the 2005 and 2006 CES shows excuse me if I am just a little apprehensive on yet more BS from a guy who fell for....Bah, nevermind. (http://www.floridaatv.com/smf/Smileys/Lots_O_Smileys/laughing7.gif)
If this system turns out to be worth a damn I will certainly be offering it to my customers it will serve well.

I'm still trying to figure out why you even injected this into this thread where people were talking about home based solutions that run up to 100MBs using lightwaves and fiber though...oh well, it was fun for me anyway.

Well both networks have its issues. You will hear horrors from either side cable or fios. You have to pick what fits your speed/budget needs. Fiber is better then copper lines for many reasons speed, durability, inductance, it does not rust or short out in water and other reasons. There is a reason the Networks (verizon, dimhouse, sprint, ect) use it rather then copper. At some point your internet/phone ride fiber. For todays needs either is fine. Think of this if you have a 30 meg. download and the website or file server your downloading your file from only has a t1 1.54 meg upload your not going to get your file at 30 meg. Most people only see the big number networks throw at you and miss the small one up front... example dsl 768k up 3meg down.. all fine and good but if your at home expecting a 3 meg download from a server off site with the same dsl 768k up 3 meg down you can only get the 768k to your house. On the other hand if you are downloading from large company's.. ex microsucks, ebay, yahoo. They have large internet pipes ds3's and Oc's 45 meg uploads and higher. So you may get your 3 meg download from music from them. All in all there is no "best" quite yet. Until the day comes that we all have 10 meg up 10 meg down or better. However, I would put my money on the fiber network after it is fully deployed.. meaning no more Mexicans digging ditches laying in fiber. That is usually the biggest complaint fiber network users have when they add another leg to the fiber they knock crap down. And the voip they use to get your phone line isn't quite there yet either there are some lil' issues with that to. ex: your alarm just might communicate to dispatch anymore.. your faxes just might not work all the time.. oh an if you need disconnect supervison on your line forget it.. oh and if you want trunks they dont do those yet. All said just get what doesnt break the bank and if you dont know what something is ask questions. Companies are always going to oversell you its what they do. Ps my YFZ 450 is the bestest. :P

September 20, 2007 11:36 AM ET Two Years After Launch, Verizon FiOS TV Continues to Break New Ground in the Subscription TV Marketadvertisement
 
 
 
Article tools E-mail this article Print-friendly version Discuss this articleStocks mentioned in this articleVerizon Communications Inc (VZ) Stock Quote, Chart, News, Add to WatchlistRelated newsVerizon Spent $3.4M Lobbying GovernmentStocks End Higher After Oracle EarningsBusiness HighlightsSector Glance: TelecomLeaders & Laggards: DJIA
All PR Newswire newsIndustry Experts, Customers Cite Verizon's Focus on New Ideas and Customer Satisfaction Setting Sales Records in Texas

NEW YORK, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon is bringing new ideas and products to the subscription TV marketplace as it celebrates the second anniversary of Verizon FiOS TV this week and as customers and industry analysts alike praise the all-fiber-optic TV service.

The service is a hit with customers. In the short two years that Verizon has been offering FiOS TV in its first market, Texas, more than 25 percent of the customers there who could subscribe to FiOS TV have done so. Penetration for FiOS Internet, launched in August 2004, exceeded 35 percent in Texas as of June 30, 2007.

Independent experts from the industry research firms Parks Associates, In- Stat and the Yankee Group, as well as customers, say Verizon is offering more choice for entertainment throughout the home and providing high-quality service that creates customer loyalty.

When it was introduced in September 2005, FiOS TV offered excellent value and superior picture quality and performance to its subscribers. Soon after, Verizon began adding new services and personalizing features to differentiate FiOS TV from the competition and deliver greater value to its customers. This commitment to continuous service innovation is moving Verizon FiOS TV to the forefront of the marketplace, according to Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst for Parks Associates.

"Verizon is leveraging its infrastructure and technology advantages -- its fiber-optic network, the in-home network and the FiOS TV platform -- to maximum effect," Scherf said. "At this point, FiOS TV is 18 months to two years ahead of where the rest of the industry needs to be."

Among the FiOS TV breakthroughs cited by Scherf are its Home Media DVR service, which was introduced in August 2006, and the new FiOS TV interactive media guide (IMG) that helps customers quickly and easily find what they want from all content sources -- TV listings, video-on-demand catalogs and digital video recorders (DVRs) -- in a single search.

Home Media DVR has two groundbreaking features not available from cable: multi-room DVR and Media Manager. With multi-room DVR, families can watch different recorded shows on up to three TVs at the same time, and they can pause a recorded show in one room and resume it in another. Media Manager allows customers to create photo slideshows and music playlists on their home PC and play them on their home entertainment systems.

"With Home Media DVR, Verizon is opening up a variety of new entertainment experiences for its subscribers," said Scherf. "When you add the powerful yet simple content-search capabilities of the new IMG, it's clear that FiOS TV provides a more personalized user experience that is very different from the 'one size fits all' services that others offer."

FiOS TV Called a 'Change Agent'

Michelle Abraham, principal analyst for In-Stat, believes that this focus on service innovation has positioned FiOS TV as an "agent of change" in the pay TV industry.

"Change agents are service providers that force their competitors to respond to unique new features they bring to market -- features that positively change the user experience," Abraham said. "In much the same manner that satellite TV's advocacy of the DVR forced cable providers to add DVRs to their offerings, FiOS TV is rolling out new features and functions that cable will be forced to address.

"Verizon has steadily enhanced FiOS TV, moving it to the head of the class," Abraham added.

Verizon also gets kudos for its success in delivering high-quality customer care, said Yankee Group analyst Josh Martin, whose research brings him into contact with a variety of subscription TV customers. "You can never minimize the importance of customer service to the strength of the business relationship and customer loyalty," he said. "A good customer service experience begins with installation, continues with regular support and is an important customer retention tool."

Two-Year Customer Applauds FiOS TV

Customers like Marc Clemons of Keller, Texas, have responded by signing up for the service as soon as it's available in their area. Clemons, who participated in a pre-launch trial in 2005, was one of the first customers to sign up for the service when it launched. Two years later, he is still bullish.

"It's been the most incredible TV service I've ever had," he said. "You're either part of the technology revolution or you're not, and I wanted to be part of the cutting edge. I was lucky when Verizon solicited me for the trial, and it's been a whirlwind of incredible opportunity ever since."

Shawn Strickland, vice president of video solutions for Verizon, said, "On behalf of the thousands of Verizon employees who work on FiOS TV, we appreciate the positive reviews of these experts and the comments we receive from customers every day. We look forward to delighting our customers with morenew services, including bringing Internet content to the TV, which will further enhance their whole-home entertainment experience."

Verizon launched FiOS TV in Keller, Texas, on Sept. 22, 2005, delivering the service on the nation's largest fiber-optic network that extends all the way to customers' homes. As of June 30, 2007, Verizon FiOS TV had 515,000 subscribers and was available to more than 3.9 million households in nearly 500 communities in 12 states. The company will update FiOS TV statistics when it reports third-quarter earnings on Oct. 29.

Verizon Communications Inc. VZ, headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 62 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon has a diverse workforce of more than 238,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $88 billion.

I switched from verizon to bright house last month.  Verizon customer service was horrible and they always overcharged.  I traded that for Brighthouse and withing the last month I have missed more of my favorite tv shows than I can mention because the darn tv just goes blank and stays that way.  I have also lost my internet connection 4 times this month for over 3 hrs each time.  They all suck.  I mis my very large antenna and ham radio.  :'(

got a new router and it seems to be working. thanks though

Diggin' up an old post here, but here's the scoop. After a year my bill went up $32. I made a bluff and called Verizon to cancel the whole thing. They were nice on the phone and setup the whole bill to be like it was before. I knew they would do this so I didn't have to cancel. If anyone else out there is in the same situation. Just call to cancel and they will do what they can to keep you as a customer.

i sent you a message

I responded.Check your PMs.

Bones, it's as if you're stating this like it's a positive. Almost any utility company will do this as long as there is competition.They do it routinely when a customer is threatening to go to the competition. The fact that your bill went up by $32.00 in one year is ridiculous.The sad thing is you had to bluff them to get them to reduce it when the fact of the matter is they got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Dont you see all of the asterik commercials?lol. They do this to allot of customers.Real them in and set the hook.

I heard a deal the other day...triple play (phone cable and internet) for $99.95. If you threaten to cancel they will reduce it to "meet" the competitions price.....btw.... have you had any repair calls...lately???/ just curious if and how much they charge.

Ouch.

http://www.reuters.com/article/COMSRV/idUSWNAS281920080228