I have a question.
Now, I currently have DirecTV but I've been thinking about getting Verizon FiOS when it is finally available in my area. One thing though that I'm noticing about Verizon is they appear to be doing this same crazy practice that the local Cable Companies does... It drove me crazy all the time... Basically, it is where they shift all the local channel numbers around so you have to keep stopping to think about where the channel has been moved to.
For example in the Boston, the local terrestrial channels are like this.
2(WGBH), 4(WWBZ), 5(WCVB), 7(WHDH), 11(PBS New Hampshire), 25(WFXT), ... 44(WGBX), 56(WLVI) 62, 68,etc. Simple enough. Now thankfully DirecTV keeps this same pattern...
However on Verizon for say the city of Belmont, MA (Zipcode "02476") the channel lineup is like this.. 38 comes in on 3. 25 comes in on 8. 56 jumps to 12... etc. No kind of normalcy basically....
Why did Verizon do this????I see they already have channels going over 1000 so why didn't they vacate 0-99 nationally so the local channels can fall into their correct slot and then start the cable stations like say above channel 99???
In having DirecTV, I've noticed the way that company gets around needing to shift all the local channels all over is they start all of their cable TV stations above channel 99. This leaves 2-99 as open- so that the local channel can goto its correct allotment anywhere in the USA. It just seems logical to leave the local channels in their true slot so I'm wondering what was soo appealing about this type of format where everything gets scattered all over.
Does anyone have some idea of what I'm missing and perhaps if there's some kind of method to this madness-- which I've never quite understood?
~J. P.
I can tell you for sure that Verizon is not doing that here in Texas. Since the new channel realignment that took place some weeks ago:
Our local SD channels are carried on exactly the same channel numbers as over the air: 4 on 4, 5 on 5, 7 on 7, 8 on 8, etc. As far as I can tell, all of the channels carried by FiOS are this way, although there is some other stuff mixed in, like WGN SD is on Channel 6 for some reason.
Our local HD channels are carried on the channel number + 500: 4 is 504, 5 is 505, etc.
Before the realignment, yeah, they made no sense, seemed scattered all over. But now they seem just fine to me (although my wife and I are still getting used to the new locations, we have had FiOS TV for over three years, you get into some strong habits when you have something that long).
I know that in some areas of the counrty Verizon faces a problem, they carry channels from two markets to one area, and if there is a conflict, two channels using the same broadcast channel, they cannot replicate that in one channel scheme. But that should be few and far between.
FWIW, the cable system I converted from made no sense with their channel assignments, so really, today, FiOS makes a lot of sense, at least here in North Texas.
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.0, Build 06.89
Keller, TX
Hey Justin,
Now that is reassuring. Hopefully if VZ has done this in the Texas markets already hopefully- the rest of the systems across the nation will follow suit.
I find it to be the weirdest thing...
I mean the thing that was strange is when my market was controlled by MediaOne for cable TV. All of the channels were in their normal allotments. Suddenly came the AT&T BB buyout and then the Comcast buyout then all of a sudden they channels are all over now.
Comcast for my area is crazy... It looks like this
WLVI-56 (CW) is channel 12
WFXT-25 (FOX) is channel 13
WSBK-38 (IND) is channel 14
WBPX-68 (ION) is channel 15
WGBX-44 (PBS) is channel 16
WUNI-27 (UNI) is channel 17
WZMY-50 (MyTV) is channel 18
WNEU-60 (Telemundo) is channel 19
WMFP-62 (IND) is channel 20
WUTF-66 (Telefutura) is channel 21
WYDN-48 (Daystar) is channel 23
etc.
So it was like when I saw Verizon's channel lineup the first thing that came to mind. -- ohh no here we go again. I really, really, hope VZ corrects the channel lineup for my area as well. It isn't as bad- as Comcast but I'm not used to hunting down stations on their non-channels.
~J. P.
I'm glad I was able to reassure you, but I now think I went too far. Looking at your channel listings you provide, Verizon has some major problems to make it all line up. And looking in more detail at ours, it isn't as simple as I made it out to be.
Verizon, IMO to their credit, has tried to standardize channel assignments for most everything around the country. Easier for them I suspect. Anyway, they start their SD cable channels at 50 in most places, I think; that means that UHF channels 50 and above must be relocated somewhere, and they do that, down into the low range. Here in Texas, some of the higher broadcast channels, but not all, are relocated - 27 to 7, 33 to 9, 39 to 10, etc, while 21 is on 21, 29 is on 29, etc.Verizon puts the local PEG cable channels at 30-47, then TV Guide at 48, and local weather at 49, then the real cable channels 50 and above. So all of the local broadcast channels that they carry are reloacated if necessary to below 30 here.
The HD channels (the ones that do offer HD channels) do follow the scheme I mentioned, local + 500.
When I made my statement earlier, I was really thinking of the "major" channels (ABC, CBS, FOX, PBS, etc), because those are pretty much the only local channels I watch, I forgot about all of the various smaller channels (religeous, Spanish language, etc) that they do carry. Sorry, I really didn't mean to make a mistake, I should have actually looked at the lineup first.
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.0, Build 06.89
Keller, TX
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