Verizon at Home

[#1]

In the past few months we’ve written a lot here about “product co-creation” – how Verizon directly engages with customers in several different ways as we envision, develop and roll out new products and services.

A great example is the continuous evolution of FiOS TV’s advanced operating system – known to many of you as the Interactive Media Guide (IMG).  Launched in 2007, the IMG continues to evolve, and we recently began delivering the ninth significant upgrade to the service.  Many of the new features of the latest version were the direct result of customer ideas, testing, and feedback.

Thanks to the continued input from FiOS TV fans, in April the upgrade was deployed in Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse, New York, and in Harrisburg, Penn.  But the “co-creation” process didn’t end there.

As customers in those markets began enjoying the new IMG, they gave invaluable feedback on a few areas they thought needed fine tuning.  For example, they wanted better color contrast on the channel guide and an easier way to interface with our standard definition set-top boxes.  Because feedback during our launches is just as important as customer input during product development, we didn’t hesitate to temporarily pause the roll out while we tweaked the new IMG to make it even hotter.

I’m pleased to say that our upgrade rollout is back on track and over the course of the summer, all FiOS TV customers will benefit from the new IMG.  We’re not publishing a specific launch date for each market to receive the new IMG, but we will keep you apprised of the rollouts here.

So, what’s the big deal about a more intuitive and useful interactive media guide backed up by an advanced operating system?  Well, customers told us what a big deal it is to them!

Here’s what a few of our beta testers had to say:

The look and layout of the guide needed improvement.  We succeeded – I’m proud of what’s evolved.

                                                -Mark R.

The ability to record and set features from any room – not just where the DVR is located – and the 16 x 9 layout of the guide are great additions.

                                                -John P.

The navigation on the new guide is excellent and the new features – chaptering, HD channel notification, the mini-guide and widget carousel make things so much easier.

                                                -Mike D.

The ability to add an e-SATA hard drive for someone like me who watches a lot of tennis and can now record 20 hours on multiple channels is great.  I also made the suggestion that the ability to save searches be included and that’s part of what’s been incorporated into the final version.

                                                -Don L.

I now have a 1 Terabyte e-SATA drive which really helps because I record so much and hate to delete anything. That and the ability to schedule recordings from any room are the best things for me. The look of the new guide is a vast improvement from the previous version.

                                                -Matt C.

Award-winning FiOS TV has been a hit from the day we rolled out the service in September 2005 with its superior picture and sound quality, interactive applications, social TV features and more.

Now, the FiOS TV viewing experience is several more miles ahead of any other TV service, thanks to millions of viewers who have helped us create an unparalleled entertainment experience.

[#2]

That's some spin. Delay an already-delayed upgrades for additional months and months (was supposed to be out 4Q 2010), refuse to tell people what the actual rollout schedule is (yes, @FIOSTV, "coming months," we know. March 2017 is a coming month, too), and then tell us it's about co-creation? How about you just FINALLY roll out the fix to enable the eSATA port on the front of the DVR, which has been sitting there unsable since the day I got FIOS, while my DVR, even with the 500gb drive, constantly fills up? The guide could be light grey on slightly darker grey for all I care right now, I'm dying for hard drive space, have been for years, and not only do you drag your feet giving it to me, you refuse to tell me when I'll get it, I guess allowing for the possibility some other person ahead of me will call in with another great idea and we'll stop the rollout for two more months for additional "co-creation" possibilities.

[#3]

Kenboy,

Thank you for the comments.  For everyone looking forward to expanded storage space, there are others who told us they wanted additional improvements.  We do listen to our customers and factor their thinking into our system upgrades.  The good news is that the latest updates are rolling out this summer, and you'll be getting them soon.

[#4]

Spin indeed. Chalk this up to the initial beta testers being too knowledgable. Once an average Joe got his hands on 1.9 he was lost. IMG was not idiot proofed.

[#5]

It's completely ridiculous that Verizon refuses to tell its customers when this will be available in their areas.

[#6]

Doesn't this company realize that people have choices available? I agree, the withholding of rollout schedule timelines is an insult to customers.

[#7]

I am also one who wants to know when to expect the new IMG in my area.  

[#8]

I cant get mine to go to full screen...

[#9]

I went out and bought a 1TB external drive because my DVR was full, and my box didn't recognize it.  Only after I called tech support was I told that the external drive would only work with IMG 1.9, and it wouldn't be in my area (New York) till sometime in August.  Now my old programs are being deleted by new ones before I get a chance to view them.

Thanks Verizon for withholding the eSATA information from loyal customers!

[#10]

The new option to use an eSATA drive to store recordings is only available to those customers with the new IMG 1.9 as noted in the original post above.  Once it is available in your area, you'll be able to use an eSATA for additional storage.

[#11]

More spin... This is why I am staying with DirecTV.  I looked into FIOS last year and after three different customer service reps couldn't give me an answer to whether I could plug in an esata (because Verizon put a ridiculously small hard drive in their DVRs) I signed another contract with DirecTV. 

I was thinking of switching over to FIOS when I heard about IMG 1.9.  Four months after reading about it (but no roll out information, only "It's coming soon to your area".

Anyway, signing another contract with Direct.  I find it strange that a company with Verizon's clout can't give customers what they want, can't tell them when and where they are going to start installing the new software, and can't give them a 1TB DVR but forces them to buy an esata.

[#12]

Still waiting in North Jersey...  Any update on when this will go live in the NY Metro?

[#13]

Just had FIOS installed today (10/07/11) in Northern Virginia.  IMG 1.8 is on my whole home DVR.  From all the posts I read prior to ordering service...they said 1.9 should have been out nation wide by end of summer.  Not a good start

[#14]

It's nearly the end of DECEMBER..  and still no 1.9 in nyc..

no update, no reset expectations, no word since June!!  

I'd take a less than perfect 1.9, before I'd wait longer for a 2.0..  

this is the first thing that FIOS has disappointed me on..