The Associated Press finally got wise to big cables practice of
squeezing three HD channels into one QAM channel -- something we've known for years -- but the real winner in the article was Verizon, who's FiOS service came out looking like the next savior. The author completely missed the fact that the real reason why FiOS doesn't squeeze as many channels in as Comcast, is because it has the
worst national HD line-up of any major HD provider in the country. The closest the article gets to not giving FiOS a free pass, is when it mentions that "The FiOS system didn't offer Sci Fi HD, which Fowler's testing showed at 12.59 Mbps on Comcast." The author really buys into Verizon's marketing by saying that it doesn't compress because it has so much bandwidth,
but we know better. In fact the reason why FiOS customers have to wait almost a year for a new HD channel is because Verizon is in the middle of infrastructure upgrades, and the sunsetting of analog channels, that will allow it to live up to it's promise of
150 HD channels by the end of 2008. Don't get us wrong, we agree with Verizon's decision to offer quality over quantity, we're just annoyed that we have to wait until the end of 2008 to watch Sci Fi HD or History HD.
[Via
1080eyes.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
why not the LS2LS7? @ Apr 21st 2008 8:15PM
We'll see. It's unclear to me at this moment exactly how FiOS works. If it really is point-to-point, there's no reason it ever has to overcompress a channel, unless they decide to do so in order to allow you to watch more programs at once in a single household.
But if it really shares bandwidth at some point within the system, it might be beneficial to compress the channels further.
I'm currently skeptical that FiOS can deliver true point-to-point video forever. It would seem it would run into the head-end problem at some point. It seems inescapable.
I do know one thing about FiOS. It's awesome.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MiHsxQJ9ZOo
Ben @ Apr 21st 2008 8:17PM
FiOS uses a QAM system just like every other Cable company in the country, they are not like U-Verse who uses IPTV for all their channels. FiOS does use IPTV for PPV, but the rest of their channels are QAM.
The FiOS connection to your house is very fast, it is the infrastructure upstream that has bottlenecks.
Britboyj27 @ Apr 21st 2008 8:26PM
Seriously? You think FiOS is worse than the Cox offerings in Northwest Arkansas?
What the hell man?
HistoryHD
A&E HD
Discovery HD Theater
ESPNHD
ESPN2HD
Universal HD
National Geographic HD
Mojo HD
MHD
And my locals, if I don't want to pay for HBO and Starz etc.
That's it.
If I don't like sports or music, I'm fucked and Universal HD barely shows new content. I want BSG BRAND NEW IN HD, not waiting to see it.
Cox NWA needs to step up. I'll be gone in a month, so long sucka.
kuoirad @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:46AM
I think I get a few more than you (TW in Austin, TX), but not by much. And I'd kill for SciFi in HD - and yeah, for BSG.
*grumbles*
Harley3k @ Apr 21st 2008 8:31PM
The current bitrate for Sci-Fi HD on my FIOS-TV is 0.0Mbps.
David Hildreth @ Apr 21st 2008 8:54PM
DirecTV
It solves all these problems.
The Fuzz 53 @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:09AM
Just as long as you do the installation yourself. Their free "professional" installation should be called free hatchet job installation.
air12ick @ Apr 21st 2008 9:12PM
What I actually am hoping for is for other MamaBells to invade other MamaBells territories for a much better price competition and the ability to choose from 4 different services i.e. ATT vs Verizon vs Cox vs Comcast. I really do not like the fact that I have to choose between Sat, Cox or ATT. Outside of that, being in San Diego, our Cox service is actually pretty good compared to other areas serviced by Cox that I have seen/heard. UVerse, well lets just say there are 4 tvs that UVerse needs to power, and so far they can not do that.
Kevin @ Apr 21st 2008 10:14PM
Does Fios use switched digital video? Just wondering if that is in the pipeline as well.
Eric @ Apr 22nd 2008 1:00AM
Doesn't look like the worst to me: http://i32.tinypic.com/k1vpcp.png
Ben @ Apr 22nd 2008 8:13AM
Eric,
The only providers have less on that list are ones I never even heard of. How can they can be considered "national?"
pete @ Apr 22nd 2008 4:30AM
I'm on comcast HD in denver and I don't get SciFi or any non big premium channels in HD. Just the basic HD package. Verizon is on par with Comcast here.
Justin @ Apr 22nd 2008 8:03AM
History HD? Is there a shortage of stretch-o-vision channels on Fios?
Verizon and AT&T are new to the television game. It takes them awhile sign contracts with content providers. In 3-5 years telcos, cable cos and sat cos will be in full school competition with roughly the same amount of high def goodness.
Ben @ Apr 22nd 2008 8:04AM
Great theory Justin, but AT&T has a much better lineup than FiOS.
palehorse @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:10AM
I heart my FIOS....
David S @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:37AM
I would switch to FIOS cable if the QAM was unencrpyted, but since Comcast offers the most unencrpted QAM. I'm sticking to Comcast for now.
WizarDru @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:53PM
Maybe Comcast beats FIOS on the national level, but FIOS has a better lineup locally, for me, than Comcast.
FIOS has FoodHD, Discovery HD, Nat Geo HD and some others that my local comcast didn't have. About the only thing I'm missing is Mojo, which of course replaced INHD1/2. Yeah, I lost Discovery Home Theater....but I never watched that channel. I wanted Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs in HD, not endless reruns of Sunrise Earth.
My local Comcast didn't offer SciFi HD...just Universal HD, which would rerun BSG in HD nearly a YEAR after broadcast.
So basically, I got a bunch of cable channels in HD I wanted from Verizon for less money and with a better picture than my local Comcast affiliate. And since the article pretty much waffles and admits that every national cable provider is different in each market, it's a wash (and isn't every other announcement here about adding a channel IN A SPECIFIC MARKET?).
Ben @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:56PM
WizarDru,
Not sure what you're talking about. FiOS has HD Theater and doesn't have INHD. Also, the FiOS national lineup is the same in every market.
The fact is that FiOS only has 21 HD channels, which is less than any other national provider you've heard of.
Don't get me wrong, I'll choose quality over quantity any day of the week, which is why I have FiOS instead of BHN which has more channels. I'm just saying the article should've pointed that out.
JimF @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:10PM
Ha ha ha... SciFi HD or History HD? I live in Northern NJ, part of the biggest DMA in North America, and I currently have Comcast. We don't have SciFi HD or History HD.
What is considered "national lineup"?
diskman8004 @ Jun 27th 2008 8:54AM
I don't agree with earlier comments that Directv is the way to go. FIOS offers several huge advantages over satellite. One major one being, NO RAIN FADE! Period. I had Directv for 12 years before FIOS came to my neighborhood. I loved it. It worked during the hurricane of 2006 (Isabelle), flawlessly. Neighbor's Comcast was out 4 days during the storm. Mpeg 2 Tivo boxes provided me with a wealth of media content no problems. However, Directv wanted to add more content and choose Mpeg 4. Compress everything. Ok, suddenly the signal on some of the channels started to look real grainy and drab. Directv CSR said you " must upgrade to our new Mpeg 4 boxes to get the new benefits" but they didn't want to pay for upgrade. I held out until Directv was going to upgrade everything for free with a 2 more years commitment. Directv almost had me but they failed 3 key points. Number 1, Directv didn't offer home media access to the other boxes or to LAN personal computers. Number 2. Directv didn't allow access to remote regional stations i.e. my address is in Baltimore and I could only get local stations per my area code and can't get Washington DC just 40 miles south, without using an external antenna. Number 3. Directv new sytem removed the external antenna so question 2 is now a dead issue. I thought long and hard but Directv and satellite in general are so locked up by legislation that ties their hands on providing entertainment to their customers in multi regions. FIOS by Verizon solved my media access and remote stations. (I no longer need the external antenna get Washington DC stations). So, I can contest that FIOS kicks butt against cable and satellite If Directv wasn't so draconian in their ways, I'd probably still be a customer with them still but it was time to move on. Just my 2 cents.