Everyone has been asking me how Fios has been since I installed it in July. Here is the 2 month report:

TV:
Crystal clear, TONS of HD (just under 100 channels including the movies package). Cablecards have been solid since install, even after loss of power. There was some minor pixelation occurring on fast action HD channels and this problem is well documented over at TiVoCommunity, but this is more an effect of using TiVo and not Fios itself. I have the line attenuators on hand should the problem come back. I can’t comment on the quality of the Verizon STB’s as I don’t use any. The one box I have is their $4 a month guide-less box which just tunes stations. This is controlled by a Tivo S2. I highly highly recommend Tivo boxes over standard cable provider DVR’s, it’s not even close. That’s a rant for another day.

Internet:
Solid 20/5 connection. Haven’t had a single outage. Haven’t experienced any slowdowns or throttling on Torrents, large downloads or uploading. I have the Verizon router configured as the main DHCP on the network and as primary 802.11B network. Off of this, I have an 802.11N network for the high speed devices. All working well, and I was pleased to see that the Actiontec router allows access to all controls and settings. Plus it was free.

Phone:
This isn’t VOIP and as such it comes with NO additional services that a typical VOIP provider gives you today. No web access to voicemails or call features. No email or sms alert to new voicemails. NOTHING. You get a phone that rings and a voicemail service that you call into. Call quality is fine and my alarm system is working, but if you’re used to Vonage or Optimum Voice you’re in for a rude awakening. I’ve tried services like GotVoice, but they were unable to access the Fios voicemail service. There is a product called IOBI from Verizon that offers some of the features I want, but I am not about to mess with the billing right now. It is a PAY service.

Billing:
Now the nightmare. The billing with Verizon is atrocious. The first 2 months I’ve been overcharged. I’ve been told it will all work itself out as the services synchronize and the discounts kick in. Well, I called them the other day and found that I was inadvertently charged for additional TV installs. I was credited $40 and now I’m actually “averaging” the expected amount per month. After 2 more months pass, i’ll see if I’m still averaging the right price. Reading the actual bill is impossible as there are multiple charged and credits sprawled across many pages. At least I’m paying the right amount in the end. But be warned that billing is a joke and you should be aware of all the promotions you’ve been offered and that they are in fact credited on your bill. So far so good…

I know I have mentioned SlingMedia before. I was very impressed with their setup utility over a year ago when I got one. But I wanted to mention a few new developments which solidify their status as being completely TechMoments approved. I have been using the SlingBox A/V more and more often lately. It’s just very easy to flip the TV on from any computer and just keep it in the corner of my desktop. This wasn’t even Slings intended use, but I use it this way more often than remote. Anyhow, I recently moved the equipment around and when unplugging the Slingbox, the IR cable got stuck to the box and ripped. Since the box is now damaged with half a connector lodged inside one if its ports, and I have a now useless cable, I call them.

I have no receipt. I have no idea what their warranty is. I’m expecting to be buying a new slingbox before I’m off the call.

I get straight through to their tech support and explain the situation. He agrees that I need a new Slingbox. I said I wasn’t sure if it’s still in warranty and he said, don’t worry it is. I said how? He said all of our products carry a lifetime warranty. Well, isn’t that nice! They send me out a new slingbox and cable and I used a prepaid label to return my current one. Setup was a breeze as always, but I was just so relieved to see how this company handled this.

The other very exciting piece of news is the release of Slingplayer Beta for Windows. What sling already does is awesome, I wouldn’t even think to complain about it. You can view your TV and Remote Controls on your PC and control everything. Find a movie, watch something off the Tivo, whatever, just use the remote. Well, now you don’t have to. They have now included an integrated program guide on the PC. So, I can browse locally for what I want to watch and it will tune to the channel. What’s more is that it can act as a DVR and record shows remotely. I’m not sure i would need this, but its certainly a nice feature. The only gripe I have is that this BETA is Windows only for now. Hoping the update comes to MacOS soon….