New on demand menus are terrible. Too difficult to navigate thru to find a movie or TV show. Should be an option to go back to old version menu.
The new VOD interface is very poor. The selected field or text or image is not uniformly changed so its hard to know if that image or text is the selected choice. Also the VOD exits out at times with a couple of remote clicks without warning.
Also we have had on most channels for the kids VOD titles which were included in our subscription for free. Now everything is $1.99 to $2.99. Titles which are free are hidden.
I am getting ready to exit the service. Its like the Apple premise forced upgrades to prompt changes to the Quantum hardware which may run this poor interface better.
I am within my new 2 year contact honeymoon period of 30 days. After 6 years VZ has made a big error IMO.
Who should I contact to voice my issues with this mess? For example, if I want to search all of HBO I need to look under several tabs to see everything. Why? There used to be a listing for recent additions on HBO and it's gone. Why? There are fewer movies showing on some of these channels. Showtime is down to 50 and The Movie Channel 3? Every time I click on On Demand I have to exit out of the promos being shoved down my throat. Every time! And on and on.
The on demand and search formats suck. Please bring back the old version.
Verizon's so called improved On Demand just plain stinks! All they've managed to do is make the feature harder and slower to use while removing some of the best features.
In regard to premium channel movies, there is no longer a "new arrivals" catagory. So, in order to see what's new, one would have to search through every movie listed. This search in itself is a huge downgrade. Rather than just going down a list of all available titles (which simultaneously gives a quick description on the side) you only get a set of hard to read pictures with no descriptions at all. This is an annoying, time consuming task.
Also, the number of movies available on premium On Demand has been greatly reduced. Some movies available will not be listed, but can be reached by using the "search" feature. This makes no sense. Last night I tried to watch Money Monster on demand. First, it was not listed on the Starz site, but I did find it via search. (I only knew it was available as I has seen it on the channel viewing guide) Once located via search, I chose On Demand, only to find I could only view it in SD, even though it was listed as being in HD. This is totally unacceptable!
It seems the only real upgrade is for Verizon trying to sell you episodes of old
TV series or movies. There sure are a lot of them to be found!
In short, I know Verizon spent a lot of time on this new interface, but it is terribly consumer non-friendly! Please bring back the old interface which worked so well, or at least give the customer the option of switching back to it.
The newly-released VOD menu being forced upon Verizon subscribers can only be described as a completely failed attempt to improve services. Non-intutive, cumbersome, lacks capabilites previously available. An apparent attempt to mimic other service providers' menus, such as Amazon, has resulted in a horrible product. I find it difficult to imagine they consulted a single actual user before forcing this product on all of their customers. They've managed to incorporate the WORST features of the other providers.
Text listings have been replaced by "posters/pictures" of programs that don't have titles until actually scrolled over. What was in comparison a relatively simple process to scroll through titles of available programming has been replaced with slowly scrolling through non-titled pictures. It is impossible to describe just how time-consuming and frustrating this "improvement" is. Obviously an attempt to mimic other providers. Easily the WORST aspect of the new version.
The VOD menu no longer allows customers to identify between SD and HD available content without navigating through multiple screens to the actual program. This program screen must then be opened and may or may not show whether the program is HD or SD. I guess the customer is expected to assume, and take their chances if purchasing a movie or program. Verizon should bring back the option to view HD only content.
The ability to go to a premium channel such as HBO or Showtime and view newly added movies has been lost. A "recently added" function has been added to the movie drop down, however this is filled primarily with movies requiring purchase. I have absolutely no desire to scroll through lines of "pay" movies to get to information that was once readily available at the actual premium channel menu. This function should be brought back immediately.
Programs that were available at no cost due to my subscription to services such as HBO and STARZ just before this update, now require a $1.99 rental fee to view. These are in CURRENT seasons. When I contacted a Verizon technician about this, he informed me this was a glitch in the new program. A potentially expensive glitch having customers pay for programming they have already purchased. Again, this needs to be corrected immediately and customers re-imbursed for any duplicative charges.
Along this same topic, individual program screens include "watch", and "rent/buy" buttons regardless of whether the program is already included in the customer's subscription (in my opinion ridiculous and another attempt to include the most confusing feature of another provider's menus). This was actually true of the previous version, but if you're making improvements, this would be one. The "watch" button should be modified to read "watch for FREE" or "available for free", or "included in subscription." Better yet, if the program is already part of the subscribers package, the "rent/buy" option shouldn't even appear.
In summary, the new VOD Menu is a cumbersome, confusing, non-intuitive step back from the previous version. It lacks capabilities that were available on the previous version, and as far as I've been able to determine, brings nothing new.
Verizon should take the following steps immediately:
-Bring back the Text Lists of available programming vice Untitled Pictures/Posters. This cannot be emphasized enough! Horrible decision that single-handedly makes this an unuseable product.
-Bring back ability to view HD only content. Clearly mark programming as 3D, HD, or SD.
-Bring back feature allowing customers to see what was newly added to EACH SPECIFIC PREMIUM CHANNEL. Upgrades to your services should make it easier for customers to find new content they've already paid for, not more difficult.
-Fix the glitch that is expecting/requiring customers to rent programming that is already part of their purchased package. If I purchase STARZ, I don't expect to "rent" an episode that first aired 3 weeks ago. If this isn't a glitch, notify customers so that they can decide whether to continue subscribing to that premium channel. Why would I pay twice?
For myself, the best case scenario would be for Verizon to recognize their mistake in rolling out this "upgraded" VOD menu and revert back to the older version. But, this won't happen. I was told by a FIOS representative they are reviewing all comments appearing on these forums and will make changes to the menu in mid-February. The only reason I'm posting is the hope they will review these comments and make changes.
Agree with poster. BRING BACK OLD VERSION. New VOD is Horrible.
Agreed. Horrible. Verizon needs to go back to old version.
This is a terrible change, it does not allow you to see new additions by provider as it did in the past. Now you must scroll through all the available choices individually to see what may be new. If you pull up the recently added option it displays a mix of movies to pay for and those included with premium stations. Also the synopsis of the movie is not listed. Now you must click on the selection to get a description of the show. I'm not sure which department is responsible for this "upgrade" but it is horrible. Now, when i want to relax and watch something i find that i get annoyed when searching for programing. Also as an investor in VZ i am extremely disappointed in the management of this company in rolling out such a flawed product. I hope management reads all the negative posts re this change and takes action.
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