subscribe channels
bob4281
Enthusiast - Level 2

Back in April, I had an issue where channels that I was not subscribed to started showing up in the guide when "subscribed channels" was selected.  Back then it was the only the sports package showing up.  Now there is no real difference between all channels and subscribed channels.  If you click on the channel, the screen you are not subscribed to this channel is displayed. I tried to autocorrect and rebooted the STB, but no difference.  If you run the self diagnostics under menu>Customer Support>Self diagnostics everything looks fine except the package (last item).  It says (I'm at work now, this is from memory) Prime HD, Ultimate and Prime HD, DVR, On demand.  We only have Prime HD. Should Ultimate be there?  Anyone with Prime HD want to run the test and confirm?  Could this be why the subscribed channels showing all channels because the guide thinks we have ultimate HD? 

Thanks

0 Likes
Re: subscribe channels
djb5
Contributor - Level 3

Can someone tell me how to select only "subscribed channels"?  I know I saw this once before but now cannot find (and am having to rebuild my favorites after a technical support reset wiped them out).

I tried Settings ---Favorites, nothing there

0 Likes
Re: subscribe channels
djb5
Contributor - Level 3

Well, I poked around some more on FiOS menus, found nothing. I tried Verizon Live Chat and was told there is no way to select only subscribed channels other than to try to view one and see if I get an error message ... one at a time.

0 Likes
Re: subscribe channels
djb5
Contributor - Level 3
OK - I found it!
When viewing the Guide, Options button on remote scrolls through choices, Favorites, All, AND "Subscribed"!
0 Likes
Re: subscribe channels
armond_in_nj1
Master - Level 1

@djb wrote:
OK - I found it!
When viewing the Guide, Options button on remote scrolls through choices, Favorites, All, AND "Subscribed"!

You may have found the "Subscribed" selector, but there are many reports in the forum indicating that it doesn't actually work.  Have you tried it yet?

Most folks have resolved this issue by setting up a custom favorites list containing only the subscribed channels in their tier.  See for example:

http://forums.verizon.com/t5/FiOS-TV-Technical-Assistance/Subscribed-favorites-list/m-p/55172#M12316

Re: subscribe channels
djb5
Contributor - Level 3

Well, my bad!  I didn't confirm that using that option did in fact show me only subscribed. I just checked and no, it doesn't work; definitely channels displayed with that option to which I am not subscribed.

And, thank you armond_in_nj for the Favorites info - yes, I do know about Favorites and use them. Since I lost mine the other day, I had been searching for a way to populate Favorites with only subscribed channels as a starting point. Back to the pick and poke (I like to have one Favorites with everything I "might" watch, the other with a smaller subset).

too bad the "subscribed only" option doesn't work, would at least be good to browse for interesting channels.

0 Likes
Re: subscribe channels
djb5
Contributor - Level 3

and, thanks to suggestion on another thread - I am now going to keep my settings backed up in the Cloud!

0 Likes
Re: subscribe channels
Justin46
Legend

@djb wrote:

and, thanks to suggestion on another thread - I am now going to keep my settings backed up in the Cloud!


Keep in mind that if you are still on 1.9.1 of the IMG the only thing backed up to the cloud is your recording schedule from the DVR, no support for other STBs. With 1.9.4 the cloud option is expanded to several items, including your Favorites list, plus it will work on any HD STB and DVR (I don't know about SD STBs, I do not have one), but according to the dialog when you do the backup, they are stored in the cloud for only 30 days. So if you really expect to have current backups you will need to do it on a regular schedule. Oh, one more thing, and I don't know what the real impact of this might be, but the dialog is very explicit that the save/restore function is only for replacing an STB; is this just to keep the number of servers required to store the data to a minimum, or is there some actual technical reason that might affect people who use it reguarly? I have no idea at this point...

One thing with the new save/restore function in 1.9.4 that I really like is that I can create/modify a Favorites list on one STB and transfer the list to other STBs. I tested this by updating the list on my DVR and saving it, then restoring that saved data to one of my HD STBs. Remember though that you can't be selective in the data saved or restored, it is all or nothing.  

__________________________________
Justin
FiOS TV, 25/25 Internet, and Digital Voice user
QIP7232, QIP7100-P2, IMG 1.9.4
Keller, TX 76248 (VHO 1)

Re: subscribe channels
djb5
Contributor - Level 3

Justin -- re:"With 1.9.4 the cloud option is expanded to several items, including your Favorites list, plus it will work on any HD STB and DVR" and they are stored in the cloud for only 30 days"

Great information! I really don't understand why all this information is not available via Verizon FiOS Help somewhere. And, the fact that the "support" staff doesn't seem to be trained sufficiently to be able to help is beyond belief.

So - I just verified that I am on 1.9.4, good news. Thank you.

0 Likes
Re: subscribe channels
Justin46
Legend

@djb wrote:

Justin -- re:"With 1.9.4 the cloud option is expanded to several items, including your Favorites list, plus it will work on any HD STB and DVR" and they are stored in the cloud for only 30 days"

Great information! I really don't understand why all this information is not available via Verizon FiOS Help somewhere. And, the fact that the "support" staff doesn't seem to be trained sufficiently to be able to help is beyond belief.

So - I just verified that I am on 1.9.4, good news. Thank you.


You are welcome.

Regarding Verizon not making information available and the lack of training for the support staff, it is a shame they do such a lousy job of it. Pretty much the only way to figure out how things work in FiOS, TV or internet, is to just sit down and go through every option, and try things out.

When I wrote up that 30+ page document I called FiOS TV: Getting Started With Interactive Media Guide 1.9 and posted it here on the Forums, I suggested that it might help their tech support people answer questions if it were distributed to all of them, and then maybe Verizon could include something in the customer new installation package to provide a link to the document here on the Forums. I thought it would help everybody. But as far as I know nothing was done other than "stickying" my post with the document. I was so disappointed in the lack of interest on Verizon's part that I just decided it wasn't worth my time and effort to update the document for 1.9.1, and now 1.9.4.

Sorry, just whining here a little bit, it is just so frustrating to try to help and be ignored.....

Hope everything works for you, I have had FiOS TV and internet now for almost 8 years, overall a very satisfied customer.

__________________________________
Justin
FiOS TV, 25/25 Internet, and Digital Voice user
QIP7232, QIP7100-P2, IMG 1.9.4
Keller, TX 76248 (VHO 1)