FIOS has been available to our house for a year or so but I have resisted because I really like my E* service and before this years' price increase & the Virginia 5% sales tax were added, E* gave you more HD for le$$. In addition, I really like the Sirius channels, I enjoy the VOOM package and I am wowed by the 622. I also have Earthlink DSL (Earthlink is not available via FIOS).
My daughter & son-in-law live in Springfield, VA and have had FIOS for several months now. The first month was a bit troublesome - but after that the internet service has been outstanding. They have 4 kids and as many computers, so they got the 15 Mbs package (?). I did a speed test to Verizon's Vienna, VA CO and with all 4 computers active, it still ran 13.25 MBS!!!!! And the reliability is now rock solid. Awesome internet. Period. Nothing like it anywhere else.
Their TV needs some major work however. To begin with, the PQ is outstanding. Like their internet service, nothing can beat it - period. There is a whole lot more to FIOS' architecture than FTTH - Verizon does understand the concept of network (the total package) - and their technical excellence is simply unparalleled. FIOS has to be seen on a quality receiver to be fully appreciated - awesome PQ. That said, the rest is lacking - the service is not cheap, the channel selection is still fairly limited (especially the HD), no VOOM, no SIRIUS music, etc. The DVR is very, very weak: 1) No OTA tuner w/record capability, 2) very small HD (remember the high PQ is driven by high bit rates), 3) no external storage has been announced to be in the offing, and 4) a very poor program guide. In short, the 622 just blows it out of the water!
My committment to E* runs out in a few months and the recent price increase really irks me. I certainly will take a fresh, hard look at my options in a few months.
Just my 2 cents.
---Doug
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