Verizon Goes To Extreme With HD Package

[Bschneider]

Verizon Goes To Extreme With HD Package

FiOS TV Extreme HD $10 More Than Telco's Previous Flagship Package

By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 10/3/2008 12:32:00 PM

Verizon Communications is widening the rollout of a new flagship TV-programming package that is $10 per month higher than its previous offering in most markets, while simultaneously stuffing in more than two dozen new channels.

The telco plans to offer the FiOS TV Extreme HD programming package across all of its territories, describing it as providing “the most HD programming available” with more than 50 channels included, as well as more than 200 standard-definition channels.

Extreme HD, listed at $57.99, is replacing the $47.99 Premier package, which is no longer being offered in markets where Extreme is available. Those currently include the New York City metropolitan area, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Portland, Ore., and Fort Wayne, Ind. (In the New York City area, the telco is offering Extreme HD at $47.99.)

By emphasizing the HD portion of the package, Verizon is taking aim at cable operators, which generally do not offer more than 50 HDs as part of a baseline package.

And “Verizon is constantly launching new HD content in each region, and offering a lot of this HD content as part of the Extreme HD service tier,” said spokeswoman Heather Wilner.

Meanwhile, the telco is introducing a lower-priced package with an HD lineup limited to local broadcast TV. The FiOS TV Essentials tier, which includes up to nine local HD channels, is listed at $47.99.

40-plus HDs available only with the higher-priced package are cable networks including ESPN HD, TBS HD, FX HD, Food Network HD, HGTV HD, Discovery Channel HD, Disney Channel HD, MGM Channel HD, CNN HD and Fox News HD.

In addition, two SD channels with FiOS TV Extreme HD are not included with Essentials: Current TV and RFD TV.

Verizon is planning to introduce Extreme HD and Essentials soon in other markets, including Southern California, North Texas, the Florida Gulf Coast and Buffalo, N.Y.

While it is increasing the price of the flagship programming package, the company does offer significant bundle discounts, Wilner noted.

For customers in northern New Jersey, for example, the telco knocks about $60 off a triple play that includes Extreme HD and a $5.95 HD set-top fee, the Freedom Essentials calling plan ($49.99) and 10-Mbps downstream Internet service ($42.99) -- to come in at $94.99 per month."

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6601796.html (http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6601796.html)

[Harry]

So does that mean we are going to get what is effectively another rate increase here? Just in time for them adding all the new HD channels.

Harry

[AmelFl]

lol

lame

[bdraw]

Yeah, disappointing, but not unexpected. They are spending a lot of money to double their HD lineup, $10/mo is worth it.

[skottey]

I see nothing wrong with this at all. I would gladly pay more for more channels. It is bad enough that I am currently paying both BHN and DirecTV and I still don't get everything I want. If I could consolidate to one provider and get what I want, I would gladly pay more than they are charging now.

My current charges-

DirecTV Premiere- approx $150 - all movie channels, all sports RSNs, On Demand, access magazine, two HD-DVRs

BHN- $75 digital HD basic package with one HD-DVR, no frills

BHN VO BIZ account- $90 - 20/2 Internet with static IP

Vonage- phone service $58 - 1 unlimited phone line, 1 fax line, 1 virtual line in another area code, 1 toll free number

Vonage (wife pays)- home phone- $30 -1 unlimited phone line

Not to mention cell phones! But that is another story. The point is, any form of consolidation PLUS additional channels is a good thing. So what if they are raising their prices. If I could bundle some of this to less than I am paying now, that is a good thing! I can't wait to at least lower my DirecTV to the minimum to avoid the breaking of my contract and paying out the nose and dropping BHN, and adding FIOS TV. I am going to do at least that, and then drop DirecTV eventually. I may keep BHN Internet around for business and get FIOS Internet for home stuff, video games and good stuff that could use the FIOS connection.

They dug my neighborhood up last week. I am looking forward to service. How long? Anybody know how long from the time they dig your street up?

They have been all over northeast St. Pete lately with several crews. I can't wait until I am serviceable.

[AmelFl]

lol at wife separately paying for a phone line

skottey, its going to take probably another 3 months until you get Fios

[pilotbob]

So, this will move my FiOS TV portion of my bill up to $70 a month... that is with no premiums. Wow! I watch 99% of what I could get OTA for free. We only watch 3 shows on SciFi... which I could buy full seasons of from Amazon Unbox and watch on TiVO for about $60 (3x$20) each season. Or I could wait until the seasons are over and get the DVD sets.

Does this mean they are going to bump everyone up $10 automatically, or will you be moved to the non-extreme package, whatever that is?

Also, if I don't get this package will I still get the SD versions of these channels?

Moving to OTA starts to look better and better (the OTA rates don't increase). I could get an ALL you can eat Netflix account for alot less than $70 a month.

BOb

[devilraydave]

I signed up yesterday. My premier plan before was 235.00 month. no movie channels, 4 hd dvrs,home phone,and 20-5 internet. My new extreme plan that is the same as before but the new hd's is 184.00 a month. I asked the guy twice if this was correct. he said you get big savings with the new bundle. I can't wait to see my new bill. hope its right.

[bdraw]

I don't understand why anyone who doesn't watch sports pay for cable anymore. Or if you only watch the Bucs, there is no reason since their games are always available OTA.

You can just wait until the season is over and rent the discs from Netflix for $20/mo of the shows that are cable only.

Not to mention if you are OTA only, then you can roll your own Media Center PC and avoid any DVR subscription costs.

Personally, I love College football, so there is no way I can get away from ESPN.

[skottey]

lol at wife separately paying for a phone line

It is because it started out as her phone line for her short lived career in real estate before the market went south. She kept the line for future usage and just uses it as her land line now. I pay for her cell phone! haha

[skottey]

I don't understand why anyone who doesn't watch sports pay for cable anymore. Or if you only watch the Bucs, there is no reason since their games are always available OTA.

You can just wait until the season is over and rent the discs from Netflix for $20/mo of the shows that are cable only.

Not to mention if you are OTA only, then you can roll your own Media Center PC and avoid any DVR subscription costs.

Personally, I love College football, so there is no way I can get away from ESPN.

There is more to cable than sports and movies. There are some wonderful programs on the Discovery family of channels, NatGeo, A&E's family of channels, and even some of the Viacom smut.

[bdraw]

No doubt you are correct. I suppose what I really meant was that there is more than enough programming for me on broadcast TV with the exception of sports. Personally I'm a much bigger fan of Nova, Frontline and Nature than I am of anything on Discovery or NatGeo. I just don't need drama added to my documentaries, they are interesting enough on their own.

Also, most of the best programming that is on the other cable channels is offered on DVD and Blu-ray. So $20 a month for Netflix is a much better deal.

[skottey]

No doubt you are correct. I suppose what I really meant was that there is more than enough programming for me on broadcast TV with the exception of sports. Personally I'm a much bigger fan of Nova, Frontline and Nature than I am of anything on Discovery or NatGeo. I just don't need drama added to my documentaries, they are interesting enough on their own.

Also, most of the best programming that is on the other cable channels is offered on DVD and Blu-ray. So $20 a month for Netflix is a much better deal.

I really enjoy the History Channel's 'Universe' series, which like you said is available on DVD. But there are some gems out there that never make it to DVD. Although I am sure you can find plenty to watch with Netflix, I think without cable one would miss some of the other goodies offered. Is it worth $100 or more a month? That is up to each household I guess. For me it is.

[bdraw]

It isn't worth $100, but it doesn't cost that much. While I can live without most of the channels I can't live without Internet access. And since I don't rent a DVR or subscribe to any additional programing, it's only about $50/mo (more thanks to the Extreme HD package).

Is it really worth $50 to me? No probably not, but for whatever reason since I've subscribed my entire life, I can't bring myself to canceling it.