The eminently valuable Verizon Idea Exchange is not only a rich resource for customers and employees, somewhat reminiscent of the TiVo Community Forum back when TiVo actually cared participated, it’s also a blogger gold mine. Unfortunately, the news I bring you today represents a little short term pain based on customer feedback. Yet, it’ll presumably result in a better long term experience. The FiOS IMG 1.9 nationwide rollout has been temporarily placed on hold. From Verizon Director Joseph Ambeault:
We are pausing for a moment to incorporate some customer feedback into 1.9 (e.g. SD Override wizard and improved contrast between the text and background)… we’ll be back in action shortly.
We’re incorporating feedback we got from customers in the 4 markets that were already upgraded to 1.9. Just some minor tweaks as we get ready to roll to other markets in the coming months.
Anecdotally, based upon ZNF commentary, it does appear some users have had difficulty reading text within the toned down color scheme. But I have no idea what this SD Override wizard is, as I do my best to avoid SD channels. Not to mention that most televisions offer plenty of display modes to stretch or zoom content. But our audience is probably a little more savvy than the typical cable customer and it sounds like Verizon may have ended up with a number of confused or disgruntled subscribers who’ve received 1.9. Hopefully, they clear these issues and resume the rollout in short order. As I’m ready for the 16:9 guide and whole home streaming to/from each and every HD DVR.
In other Verizon Idea Exchange news, Joe reiterates his desire to free us from the set-top box – as originally covered from CES, where we witnessed FiOS TV running on Blu-ray players and an undisclosed gaming console. Perhaps fast tracked and corroborated by Disney and Fox. However, I’m most interested in an iPad app that streams live video simulcasts, to use as a kitchen and sunroom television, similar to what Cablevision and Time Warner Cable already provide. Make it so, Joe.
Lastly, it looks like the Verizon IMG widget platform will see an update at some point, making the SDK friendlier and more suitable for third party developers.
Hmmm. I can wait. Especially because our older Motorola hardware can’t handle some of the new features anyway. No idea when VZ will be replacing them or going with more compact models like Comcast is already doing.
In related news, the Silicon Dust HDHomerun Prime is available for preorder. Is it time to drop the set top box and fees and go back to my idea of a Windows Media Center whole house experience?
I suspect the “SD Override wizard” is related to the political mess that is channel numbers. Why providers don’t put channel 8 at channel 8 is beyond me. Honestly this is one thing that DirecTV gets right(er). All the HD channels are right next to the SD equivalent by default, and you can turn off the duplicate channels with a quick preference in the settings. (the preferred would be to reverse the defaults, hide the SD channels by default)
Nope, instead everyone else puts all the HD channels in the ghetto, rather than where they belong, then they put pop-ups on the screen to let idiots know how to find the ghetto.
The bottom line is that they while they are preventing calls to customer service, they are encouraging people to watch SD on their HDTVs. Which makes their customers think their HD quality is terrible!
You suspected wrong. It has nothing to with channel numbers. It’s due to user confusion that results when the 1.9 software is first loaded onto customer STBs. After it downloads, the first time you turn on your TV, you get prompted for the format of your TV. That’s how the s/w knows whether to give you the SD guide or the HD guide. That’s what they’re reworking.
Ahh, thanks for the clarification. Seems odd that the STB wouldn’t be able to auto detect in this day and age though. At least if you were using HDMI.
Seems odd that they would desire to “free” people from the STB. Seems like the whole industry runs on opportunities to nickel and dime the consumers.
I also find it odd that they don’t make their communications on a forum a bit more end user friendly. Are they posting for investors or users? Maybe I scrutinize the vocabulary too much, but he should have said “areas” instead of “markets”. But I’m a marketing person, so I see the world through that lens.
thanks for the update and staying on top of this. I saw your headline today in my RSS feed and I said, what???? and after reading it, i’m glad by the time we get in (VA), it’ll be even better.
Jeremy, while most of the MSOs do indeed seem to nickel and dime us most of the time, I don’t think anyone’s making money off STBs. In fact, it was rumored they couldn’t charge more than what it’d cost to recoup their hardware fees over like a 4 year period or something. But I don’ recall the details or if that’s factual.
Related to Joe’s presentation, all I can say is I’m glad he’s not from the marketing/press group and is involved in IMG project management – it provides for a very different sort of interaction. And I say that viewing the world through my blogger lens where most PR/marketing people, while usually good intentioned, are often less informed and more reserved.
It can take years to make money back on modern STB hardware. If Vz can free up the hardware expense (as well as the expense of support, delivery, installation, etc for those boxes) then it’s a win for them. As an option, it’s a win for customers too as long as the channel lineup is complete and picture quality is the same.
[daydream] I could definitely see replacing STBs with apps on connected electronics, and non-connected TVs could have cheap Roku-like STB’s that pull down those same streams. Fios has the bandwidth to do it. Use MOCA in those little boxes and they’d be gold for sure. [/daydream]
I really wish Verizon would release the update already. I mean it’s been a long time since they announced it and it still isn’t there. I’m really mad that they haven’t released it yet.
While I’m eagerly awaiting the upgrade, I’m glad they’re taking their time with it. Software for an STB really needs to be bug-free and bulletproof. The kind of bug rates you get with most computer software just won’t fly. It really has to just work, or it’s incredibly annoying.
The box does auto detect HDMI but the problem is then when a customer selects an SD channel they get vertical pillar bars. The SD override issue is one of a few issues holding back 1.9 from moving forward. I know, I have 1.9.
You folks are a bunch of whiners, you’ll complain about just about any thing.
Why don’t you spend your time watching the moves etc. and not be so hung up on a channel guide.
We welcome opinions of all flavors. So, please, feel free to express yourself. But you gotta keep it civil if you want the floor.
I can guess at what the SD override wizard does. I for one have used the STB’s ability to stretch 16:9 content to full screen. My TV, supposedly a top of the line Samsung at the time, has disabled the stretch/zoom abilities on any content that is transmitted over HDMI. I’m sure this is for my own ‘protection’, but it makes it very frustrating since I don’t want to manage component and HDMI connections to get around this silly measure. In the last IMG update Verizon brought some of the STB stretch abilities that were previously only available in the diagnostic menus to the surface for a more average user. So anything that keeps this intact or betters it, I’m in favor of seeing.
Joel, just go to your nearest Verizon office with your old boxes and swap out for the new boxes. Thats what I did
Yes, DO NOT sign up for the lame “we’ll give you a newer DVR with more capacity for $50” email they’re sending out – just exchange your box(es) for free at a FIOS Store – worked for me in Northern Virginia
OK, some clarification………
the SD Override wizard is not a stretch. When you update and set your TV as an HD on prompt, if you by accident (or annoying relative/neighbor) set box to SD network, it will automatically bypass the SD signal set for that channel number and give you the HD broadcast instead of “stretching.” The new update also will allow a multi-room DVR setup to allow scheduling from all boxes, chapter skip (preset like a dvd, not skip 30 second button) option on recordings.
The other reason for the 1.9 update holdup however was issues with color contrast/readability on DVR menus & updates causing scheduled recordings to be lost and/or showing on schedule list, but not actually recording.
As for the new boxes, as previous others have mentioned, changing box at store waives charge Also, the initial reason for the e-mail update option was to make sure the “in the know” customers were the first to get the new boxes before stock ran out on first run, and rest of consumer base would get after inventory was able to meet demand.
Lastly, a new router is confirmed to be coming out july/august which is wireless N (unconfirmed dual band 2.4/5)