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Media Manager for Mac enables iPhone / iTunes media streaming to FiOS TV DVR (video)

by Darren Murph posted Oct 30th 2009 at 9:01AM

We're hearing that the PC version of this here software still beats out the Mac counterpart, but equality is slowly but surely becoming a reality. The main new feature over on the OS X side, however, is a good one: the ability to stream iPhone and iTunes media directly to your TV via your FiOS TV DVR. Fire up an iTunes playlist and watch the fun roll by on your home TV, and there's even support for photo slideshows and the like. It's available to download right now from the read link, and those still skeptical can catch a demonstration vid just past the break.

[Via Zatz Not Funny]

Continue reading Media Manager for Mac enables iPhone / iTunes media streaming to FiOS TV DVR (video)

EpixHD celebrates today's FiOS launch with weekend movie streaming passes for all

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 30th 2009 at 12:15AM


Right on schedule, the linear version of the three-screen focused EpixHD service will go live for FiOS TV subscribers starting at 8 p.m. Already VOD and internet accessible, launch weekend (and subsequent weekends) will spread high definition streaming cheer beyond just the fiber-connected as anyone can grab a 72 hour access pass to stream some movies (we don't recommend Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but pretty much everything else mentioned in the launch lineup or the official PR after the break seems good.) Chief Digital Officer Emil Rensing let us know what the trip from beta to reality has been like, and while there won't be many tweaks in the experience from our largely positive preview experience, expect additional features like movie extras, behind the scenes peeks and more to roll out across the site over time. EpixHD.com/invite has the 72 hour passes, while we hear the company Twitter isn't a bad spot to check for extended access while waiting for its "movies anywhere" strategy to become officially available in your neck of the woods.

Continue reading EpixHD celebrates today's FiOS launch with weekend movie streaming passes for all

Comcast has issues with Verizon's FiOS VOD claims

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Oct 23rd 2009 at 3:07PM

Comcast's crazy claims
The only thing we love more than analysts and surveys is content providers bickering over each other's ridiculous PR claims and none are as fun as when Comcast is involved. Avid readers are all too familiar with Comcast's strategy to give up on the linear channel race and instead focus on VOD "options" no matter how silly it makes them look to those in the know. What really makes this particular situation interesting is that Comcast doesn't appreciate it when another provider, like Verizon FiOS, gets in on the action when it recently claimed it offered 3 times as many VOD offerings a month as the nation's largest provider. Comcast claims this is just not true and there are actually at least 17,000 VOD titles available in most markets. If that is news to you, then you aren't the only one as Verizon blasts back with "I'm surprised that Comcast wouldn't talk about these numbers in their PR and advertising. We make sure to let our customers know when we're adding more to their service." Too true, Verizon, too true. Honestly we couldn't care less about VOD because we're in the small group of CableCARD users, but there's no way we could turn away from a train wreck like this.

Epix HD queues up Iron Man, Madonna and Eddie Izzard for online & FiOS launch October 30

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 12th 2009 at 4:23PM


Epix HD has locked down a launch date and lineup, confirmed for Verion FiOS subscribers so far, the festivities will kick off October 30th with television and online premieres of Iron Man, Madonna "Sticky & Sweet: Live from Buenos Aires," and Eddie Izzard: Live From Wembley. Other titles set for launch weekend are The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Madea Goes to Jail, Pink Panther 2, the Indiana Jones movie that sucked, Cloverfield, The Duchess and more. Epix has previously stated a goal to build the largest stable of movies online with a planned 3,000 titles available in the Epix Megaplex, you'll see if this whole new way of delivering a premium movie experience is all it's appeared to be very soon.

Update: Epix just passed along the launch weekend schedule so check after the break for all the times (EST)

Continue reading Epix HD queues up Iron Man, Madonna and Eddie Izzard for online & FiOS launch October 30

Latest DirecTV sale rumors point to Verizon

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 28th 2009 at 3:08PM

The constant dance card shuffling with DirecTV's ownership and AT&T's satellite dealings fueled rumors of a sale earlier this year, now rekindled with Verizon and its FiOS TV unit listed as a potential partner. The idea, as described by the Wall Street Journal, is that Verizon's desire to expand its video business would manifest by buying a satellite company (DirecTV over DISH based on its performance and current restructuring by Liberty Media) and overnight going from number 8 to number 2 among cable and satellite operators. Whether the two telephone companies will actually battle it out over satellite remains to be seen, we're just wondering if this could give U-Verse or FiOS subs a crack at NFL Sunday Ticket.

[Via Barrons]

FiOS customers to get NFL RedZone channel for free this Sunday - Update: check with your provider

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Sep 28th 2009 at 1:57PM

NFL RedZone Channel
Not sure why Verizon didn't think of this until the fourth week of the NFL season, but never the less Verizon FiOS customers will be able to watch the NFL RedZone channel (835) from 1 until 4pm for free. We think it is kinda lame that Verizon charges $50 a season for access to this 6 hour a week channel -- and even more so that the so called "freeview" is only for three hours instead of the entire 6 hours subscribers get. Ultimately the 50 cents an hour this channel costs at this point isn't that much money in the grand scheme of things, but there is something about the whole offering that rubs us the wrong way -- of course this doesn't mean we won't be taking advantage of the free preview though.

Update: Turns out this "freeview" will go for several other providers as well, so far DISH, Comcast and RCN have all announced participation, check with your provider to see if the RedZone channel will suddenly activate in your area Sunday afternoon.

Is the NFL Sunday Ticket coming to Verizon FiOS?

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Sep 14th 2009 at 5:12PM

Sunday Ticket on Verizon FiOS
Chalk this one up as a total rumor, but you can imagine our surprise today when we saw all of these NFL Sunday Ticket channels show up on our CableCARD equipped Windows 7 Media Center connected to Verizon's FiOS. Unfortunately the channels didn't actually tune in when we selected 'em and this could very well be another case of bad guide data, but no way we could pass up the chance to share this one.

**UPDATE** As expected, this was confirmed by the NFL as just a glitch in the guide data, but it was fun to dream even if it was only for a day.

It's game day, who's got the NFL RedZone Channel?

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Sep 13th 2009 at 9:47AM

NFL RedZone Channel
The wait is finally over and today's the first big Sunday of the NFL Season which means that you're probably making your last minute preparations. As far as programing goes, the NFL has done a great job of getting carriage for its new NFL RedZone channel, but of course not everyone is going to carry it -- sorry Time Warner Cable and Bright House Network customers. So here's a run down of the Winners. Comcast, Dish Network and AT&T U-Verse customers made out the best because all they have to is subscribe to a $5 (aprox) sports package. Verizon FiOS and RCN customers didn't make out as well though as they will have to pay $49 for the season without any other channels included -- but hey at least they got it. For the rest of you, not much you can do, just keep calling your provider and voicing your desires and in the meantime maybe someone of Twitter will hook you up with access to their SlingBox HD.

The RVU Alliance picks up Verizon as a founding promoter

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Sep 6th 2009 at 1:43PM

RVU Alliance
Obviously Verizon is all about delivering a whole home DVR solution, so it's no shocker that something like the RVU Alliance is right up its alley. But we are glad to see the fiber to the home provider doesn't shy away from adopting someone else's technology -- we say this because we all know how much Verizon loves, tru2way -- and ask much as we want to be able to have access to the same content in every room of our house, we're not big on the current Verizon solution. The bottom line is that we are on the same page with Verizon here are glad to hear the CTO say that Verizon wants to "lead the industry to an ever-simpler process for integrating consumer electronics." What we hope he means though, is that Verizon will be bring an RVU server to the party so we can enjoy all those HD channels on a Samsung HDTV without a STB.

Verizon launches FiOS TV Online trial

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Aug 27th 2009 at 9:46AM

That smug FiOS guy wants you to know that Verizon has announced the launch of FiOS TV Online, extending your sitcom addiction to yet another screen with on-demand programming from TNT and TBS (with other providers coming "soon," apparently). If you thought watching Project Runway on your Motorola Krave was mind-blowing, wait until the latest Mark-Paul Gosselaar snoozefest is available any time, any day, on your laptop! Kind of makes Twitter widgets seem rather tame in comparison. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Verizon launches FiOS TV Online trial

TiVo projects larger than expected losses, still taking the patent fight to AT&T and Verizon

by Richard Lawler posted Aug 26th 2009 at 8:13PM

We'll let the analysts make sense of TiVo's new projection that it will lose $8 to $10 million in the third quarter, larger than Wall Street expectations while projected revenues are lower -- we're too busy adding Verizon and AT&T to the patent battlemap. Today it filed complaints against both for violating three of its DVR-related patents -- Nos. 6,233,389 B1 ("Multimedia Time Warping System"), 7,529,465 B2 ("System for Time Shifting Multimedia Content Streams"), and 7,493,015 B1 ("Automatic Playback Overshoot Correction System") if you must know -- seeking damages for past infringement and a permanent injunction. We'd assumed it would wait until settling things with DISH to push forward against other companies, but it looks like we're not the only ones getting impatient. Beyond the legal slapfight there's a few nuggets for the bleep bloop faithful, with the Comcast TiVo on-line scheduler beginning to roll out in Boston plus further expansions on the way and the due-in-2010 DirecTV HD TiVo still on track -- we'll need a few seasons of Law & Order queued up before this mess ever gets resolved.

Read - TiVo Swings to Loss, Files Infringement Suits
Read - TiVo Reports Results for the Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2010 Ended July 31, 2009
Read - TiVo Files Complaints for Patent Infringement Against AT&T and Verizon Communications in United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas; Seeking Damages and Injunction

FiOS TV expansions: August 23, 2009

by Richard Lawler posted Aug 23rd 2009 at 10:16AM


Time goes by and FiOS TV just keeps on crawling along, most recently into a few more New york communities and NYU housing. Also of note in NYC is a deal to stream Yankees games over the internet, while customers everywhere can take advantage of new and newly expanded features,

Read - Verizon and YES Network Team Up to Bring Online Yankees Games to FiOS TV, Broadband Customers
Read - Verizon Wins Approval From New York University to Install FiOS Services in Faculty Housing
Read - Two Additional Central New York Communities Take Step Closer to Real TV Competition
Read - Advanced Multimedia and Remote DVR Features Now Available to FiOS TV DVR Customers
Read - More New Choices Now Available From the No. 1 Video-on-Demand Service - Verizon FiOS TV
Read - Verizon Adds Even More Interactivity to FiOS TV's Facebook and Twitter Social TV Widgets

AT&T also has a grudge against Cablevision

by Richard Lawler posted Aug 14th 2009 at 3:11PM

Looks like Verizon's not the only one to have beef with Cablevision's treatment of its MSG HD channels, now that AT&T has also petitioned the FCC to compel the cabler to sell the high definition feeds to its competitors. AT&T cites stats showing high definition is a big deal for consumers, with 45% saying they'd switch providers for a superior sports package, claiming it can't compete in Connecticut without the networks. Just as before, Cablevision claims it can do as it likes, that it already sells them every single game (in SD format) and that AT&T is a bigger company that doesn't need a bailout. We've had plenty of summertimes squabbles about who was and wasn't playing by the rules that ended with one side claiming they'd take their ball and go home, but we usually didn't bring the FCC in to settle it. The FCC is still on a five month clock to consider the complaints and the "terrestrial loophole," 'til it responds we can't guess how this one will end.

Media Manager, Remote DVR scheduling features reach more FiOS subscribers

by Richard Lawler posted Aug 12th 2009 at 12:27PM


New features they aren't, but Verizon has just loosed its Media Manager software and Remote DVR scheduling features to more customers, now that they're available to all subscribers with both FiOS TV and internet service. Previously available only to Home Media DVR owners, and then all DVR owners, now more customers get the unending joy of scheduling recordings even away from home, or streaming pictures, music and compatible movie formats to the set-top box from their PC.

Updated FiOS Twitter and Facebook widgets add onscreen keyboard, not friends or followers

by Richard Lawler posted Aug 4th 2009 at 7:21PM


Just a few weeks after debuting its Twitter and Facebook widgets, Verizon is refreshing them by giving viewers an onscreen cellphone-style keyboard to mash out their own tweets and Facebook status updates from the remote. Though we wonder if it wouldn't be easier to just use ones actual cellphone to spread your inane viewing habits amongst those unlucky enough to count you as a friend, the services have apparently been quite popular so far, with millions of Tweets and Facebook photos viewed since it was released. As usual, the free apps can be found in the Widget Bazaar, where Verizon CIO Shaygan Kheradpir will be looking for more tools that "engage viewers" once the SDK is released later this year. Not close to your TV (or an area with FiOS TV service?) check out a few screens of the new functionality below.

Gallery: FiOS TV updated Facebook & Twitter widgets





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