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WatchESPN app upgraded for iPad, still restricted to just a few TV providers
The free WatchESPN app that lets users tune into the family sports channels (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com) has been upgraded to version 1.1 on iOS (also available for Android) and in the process added a new UI designed just for the iPad. It sports a new tablet friendly UI, but the key restriction is still that you need to subscribe to Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks or Verizon FiOS TV to make use of the service. If you don't have one of those and need a quick hit of sports TV without your TV, there is an account preview option that gives a few hours of viewing, no authentication necessary. You can download it yourself at the iTunes link below or check out the commercial embedded after the break.
Verizon FiOS TV puts IMG 1.9 set top-box software rollout on hold over a few issues
If you're a Verizon FiOS TV customer waiting for the IMG 1.9 software to hit your box with its new HD guide and other updates you may be waiting slightly longer than you expected since the company has paused things to handle a couple of issues. Zatz Not Funny links to a forum thread where Director of Consumer Product Development Joe Ambeault confirms the rollout is "pausing for a moment to incorporate some customer feedback." Two issues specifically mentioned are the contrast between text and background and SD override wizard. There's no word of any change to the originally expressed plans of delivering the software to all of its customers in "the coming months" so we don't expect the delay to last too long, we'll let you know when we hear something more specific.
Verizon FiOS TV 1.9 software update adds an HD guide, DVR enhancements
Originally projected to launch in Q4 of 2010, Verizon has finally started pushing out version 1.9 of its Media Guide software to set-top boxes in Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany and Harrisburg. Other regions can expect to be upgraded over the next couple of months, but just in case you've forgotten what's coming here's a few of the new features: a widescreen HD guide as shown above replacing the old 4x3 SD one, support for switching 3DTVs into the correct mode automatically, native passthrough, 1080p, external hard drives, DVD-style chaptering on DVR recordings, an all new search function and access to DVR recordings from other boxes in the house. Those are just some of the features included in this massive upgrade (not all of the boxes support all of the new features, doublecheck to see if yours is supported first -- this could be a good time for an upgrade), check out the release notes on Verizon's forums for more details, or check out the press release and a trailer for the new software included after the break.
WatchESPN iOS app lets some people watch live sports wherever they want
Continuing the trend of tying streaming content to the ol' ball and chain that is your pricy cable subscription, ESPN announced the launch of the WatchESPN App for the iPhone and the iPod Touch, with an iPad optimized version slated for release in May. Said App can be downloaded now and will allow you to "stay connected to live sports and shows from ESPN, wherever and whenever you want them" -- assuming you're a Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks or Verizon FiOS TV customer that is. The ability to watch three of the most popular cable networks while on the go, or anywhere in your house, is certainly nothing to scoff at, but many sports fans' excitement will indeed be diminished until ESPN fulfills its promise to release apps for "other smartphones and tablets," and of course the other big service providers like Comcast, DirecTV and Dish Network get with the program. For now you can live vicariously through us by clicking through to the gallery or watching the western style WatchESPN App commercial available embedded after the break. %Gallery-120592%
Verizon FiOS offers triple- or quad-play customers in Florida free 500GB DVRs
Verizon's adding some juice to its triple- and quad-play FiOS TV bundles in the state of Florida, offering Bucs fans its new 500GB QIP7232 multiroom DVR from Motorola for free (normally $19.99) as long as they'll sign up for home phone and maybe mobile phone service as well. The discount applies as long as customers hang onto the bundled service which ranges from $99.99 to $129.99, plus any mobile service charges. Combine this with the still-being-previewed software upgrade to turn on a new UI, multiroom DVR browsing and external storage, and while it probably won't cause anyone to toss a Media center setup or TiVo Premiere aside, it's certainly worth a look if you were already considering bundling services anyway. Check the press release after the break.
Cox, Verizon adding TruTV HD in time for the NCAA Basketball Tournament
The good news is, all of the March Madness basketball games will be viewable in HD, the bad news is some of them will be relegated to TruTV HD. If you're like us, you may not have even known that channel existed (unless of course you, like our podcast guest Chris Ziegler, are a fan of reality TV) but a few more of you will have access now that it's been added to Cox and Verizon FiOS channel lineups. Check out the press release after the break for more details on where to catch it, or check out HDSportsGuide for info on how to find the channel on other providers.
Verizon FiOS TV service now offers ESPN channels over the internet
It's always seemed weird to us that given its advanced fiber technology Verizon's FiOS TV service opted to deliver its channels the same way as traditional cable companies, but starting today users can taste the future since it's added access to ESPN Networks online, following Time Warner and Brighthouse. That means you can stream the live ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Buzzer Beater (and ESPN Goal Line when football season begins again) channels over any broadband connection after heading over to FiOSTVCentral or ESPNnetworks.com to get started. Support for other authenticated devices, like tablets and phones is still in the works per its deal with Disney but for now viewing is strictly a computer-only thing.
Verizon refreshes FiOS app, launches free iPhone program
Verizon updated its FiOS DVR manager for the iPhone, an application that lets you use your handset as a remote control for your FiOS television service and its DVR. In a fun feature, FiOS users with a penchant for taking photos with their iPhone can also easily flick their photos and watch them on their TV. The latest update was rolled out today and added support for multiple DVRs, a landscape view for the Guide and the ability to change the name of your set-top boxes. To celebrate the launch of the iPhone, Verizon is offering a sweet discount for those who purchase a triple or quad play bundle that includes FiOS TV, High-speed internet service, home phone service or Verizon Wireless calling. The discount provides new customers with a $200 rewards card that can be applied towards the purchase of a Verizon iPhone 4 as well as a monthly discount on FiOS service that can total as much as $20 per month. Verizon also debuted a new ad that showcases the benefits of combining FiOS TV with the advanced capabilities of the iPhone. Check out the ad after the break.
Verizon to demo Home Monitoring and Control system at CES, launch pilot in Jersey next month
Looks like home automation may finally be taking baby steps towards the mainstream -- Verizon's just announced that it'll be demoing that long-rumored Home Monitoring and Control system at CES 2011, with a planned beta rollout in New Jersey to follow. The system will allow users to remotely view security cameras, lock doors, and control lights, thermostats, and appliances through their smartphones or FiOS TV boxes -- the same capabilities most other automation systems offer, but with the added benefit of being integrated and installed by Verizon. The pilot homes in Jersey will receive an energy reader, smart appliance switches and thermostats, door and window locks, a power strip, motion sensors, an indoor pan-and-tilt camera, and a fixed indoor / outdoor camera when the system launches next month, but Verizon says that's just the beginning. We're told the system will use Z-Wave wireless control units and WiFi security cameras, so we're guessing there'll be a central box that integrates everything -- and we've got a feeling this whole thing is based on 4Home (pictured above), which was just acquired by Motorola Mobility. We'll find out more at CES -- stay tuned.
FiOS rolls out 'sneak peek' of updated v1.9 set-top box software
The much anticipated new guide for Verizon's FiOS TV service is out in the wild for testers recruited via its blog, and testers report new features like eSATA support and multiroom DVR browsing are present and accounted for. Another new feature is automatic switching for 3D content, with plans for enhanced user profiles, more HD and VOD and customizable menus in the future. Of course, we're just happy to see another guide for 16:9 displays, but if you're wondering what the new software can do, check out the thread on DSLForums for a few early impressions.
Hands-on with FiOS Flex View
At the grand re-opening of a Verizon Plus store in Tampa today, Big Red was demoing its latest FiOS TV feature, Flex View. As announced, this feature lets you take your video on demand content with you on your PC as well as various other Verizon Wireless devices -- no iOS support though as Apple doesn't license its FairPlay and the Microsoft PlayReady DRM used doesn't work on Apple's products either. There are about 2,000 movies available for rent now, with a subset of them available for purchase. Currently they are all SD with stereo sound, but HD and discrete surround sound are planed for later versions. Unlike the FiOS VOD, you can download these shows from any internet connection and play them back on the go or at home -- resume between devices is also in the coming-soon category. Overall the user interface looked good, but we did see lots of blocking artifacts that we just hope were a result of the in-store demo and not an indication of what customers can actually expect. The content is linked to your Verizon FiOS user ID, which means that purchased content can still be viewed even if you cancel your FiOS TV service. No word on if Verizon's free VOD selection will ever become available, but we have to say we really like the idea of watching content on the go no matter how good our network connection isn't. %Gallery-107260%
Verizon FiOS Flex View shows off VOD across TV/PC/mobile screens, will stream your files in 2011
Verizon's showing off the full capabilities of its Flex View service, already available on a number of its mobile phones, which brings FiOS TV On Demand even when you're away from the cable box. Up to five devices (all set-top boxes in the home collectively count as one device) can be authorized for viewing of any titles rented through VOD and can even be played offline on PCs running its Media Manager software or smartphones. The feature that allows users to keep personal content like music, video files and pictures synced across all three screens is due next year, but still no word on exactly when that live TV-to-iPad streaming will launch.
Hands-On with the unannounced Verizon FiOS RedZone iPad App
We were searching the App Store for NFL this morning and we stumbled upon an app called FiOS Football. The app lets you watch the NFL RedZone channel live on the iPad if you subscribe to the channel and if you're at home. After enjoying the quality live feed (not quite HD, but better than most streaming we've seen) of the RedZone channel full screen -- or in a window with scores, stats, info and even a mini Twitter widget around it -- we realized we'd never heard of this app. We went back to the iTunes store, and what do you know, it wasn't there anymore. This obviously made us curious and while Verizon announced its intent to stream live TV to iPads back in August, to this date no apps have been released. Overall we think the app is a great way to follow the highlights of the league while watching your favorite team on the HDTV, and hope that this is just the beginning of Verizon trying to make the iPad the perfect couch companion. Obviously the app needs to come back to the iTunes store for that to happen, so everyone with FiOS TV and an iPad can enjoy it. %Gallery-106911%
Verizon announces more 3D VOD we can't watch
Verizon, we need to talk. It isn't that we don't love your fast and reliable internet and we still really appreciate the fact that you don't mess up our favorite channels by recompresing them, but this 3D thing is really starting to get between us. You see we love to keep up with the latest technology, which is usually a reason to love FiOS, and you continue to deprive us of 3D while giving it to others. It was bad enough when you broadcasted some 3D NFL preseason football and a Yankees game to only your New York customers, but then it really hurt when you signed a new deal with ESPN, only to delay the launch of ESPN 3D until after the end of the College Football season; adding other channels in the meantime. But now your going to offer 10 additional 3D movies via VOD starting November 16th from Disney and Warner, which can only be accessed by customers who accept your pitiful HD DVR and its 160GB hard drive. Sure, you just started shipping a 500GB model, but it's hardly widely available and still can't even render a 16x9 guide. We're not saying this is the end for us, we're just letting you know how we feel and that we're not sure how much more pain we can't take from this relationship. Sincerely, HD lovin' 3D fans who are lucky enough to live in the Verizon FiOS TV footprint.
Verizon FiOS TV finally getting tough on CableCARD users
TiVo and Windows Media Center users that rely on CableCARDs to get 'em HD goodness have had a unique reason to prefer Verizon FiOS TV over the competition, which is apparently at its last stop. You see, ever since FiOS starting deploying CableCARDs, a year after all the other cable providers, it has never enforced the pairing of the cards or used Copy Control Information (CCI) flags more restrictive than Copy Freely. This meant that users were free to swap the CableCARD to another device without so much as a call to Verizon, and more importantly, it meant that all the content was accessible via features like TiVo To Go and Media Center Recorded TV sharing. So far the new restrictions only seem to be applied to HUB HD, which was added within the past few weeks, but many believe this is just the beginning to a full roll out. A Verizon rep shared with us via email, "it's our policy that CCI is a byte defined by the content provider and completely under their control," but we're still waiting to hear back if the current CCI flag on HUB HD is indeed in line with what Discovery Communications expects, which seems odd considering the other Discovery channels delivered via FiOS TV are still marked Copy Freely. Update: Shortly after this post went live we noticed the issue went away. Still waiting to hear back if it was intentional after all.
Verizon, Disney deal means ESPN on tablets, ESPN 3D and Goal Line channel for FiOS
Verizon FiOS subscribers can expect a few new channels in the lineup now that it's reached an agreement with Disney for ESPN content across a variety of channels and even devices. While ESPN 3D isn't scheduled for launch until 2011 (maybe in time for the BCS National Championship game, but too late to catch LeBron, Dwyane, Chris and those other guys take on the Knicks) ESPN Goal Line will go live on the 9th for Extreme HD and Ultimate HD package subscribers (except for D.C. and Harrisburg, PA) giving live look ins at all the college football games on Saturday. Playing further into Verizon's tablet plans, the agreement also means customers can watch ESPN live channels directly on PCs or other authenticated devices, mirroring an earlier agreement between ESPN and Time Warner. Beyond that there's a new Disney Junior channel on the way in 2010 plus Disney XD and ABC Family content coming to V Cast but we pretty much tuned out once we got past the sports part. Check the entire press release out after the break.
FiOS' TV Online now includes CNN and HLN
Continuing to extend its lead in the TV everywhere space, FiOS has added CNN and HLN to the list of streaming options for FiOS subscribers. Although it is tied to your FiOS account, you only need your user id and password to access it via any internet connection. The service provides a live stream of the CNN feed by day, and the HLN feed by night and although the quality is far from what we've grown to expect from CNN HD, it is far and away better than most SDTVs available in hotels and airports.
FiOS TV Online gains three more On-Demand channels courtesy of Time Warner
After picking up content from TNT and TBS back in March, Verizon has reached additional agreements with Time Warner Inc. to bring Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and TruTV on-demand channels to its FiOS TV Online service lineup. As per usual, each will offer a free selection of programming from their respective channel as soon as 24 hours after it has aired live, which in the case of Adult Swim shows like The Boondocks, The Venture Bros., Delocated, Childrens Hospital, and Metalocalypse should have already started to happen. Content from the Cartoon Network and TruTV however is currently slated to appear within the next month thanks to the deal. So for now waiting a few weeks to get your Hardcore Pawn fix on FiOS TV Online is both the reality and actuality of the situation folks. Can't stand it? Then bide your time by reading the PR below.
Verizon FiOS set-top boxes getting a new HD guide, external storage and more in Q4
Streaming and downloading TV content to mobiles is nice, but we enjoy watching TV... on the TV, and Verizon had plenty of that to talk about today as well. Due in Q4 along with its FlexView app for mobile VOD access, version 1.9 of its FiOS TV guide software will finally add a 16x9 HDTV-filling guide to those Motorola boxes and it looks like many of our suggestions (and yours, according to Director of Product Management Joe Ambeault) made it in. Beyond a fresh coat of paint (although, with animated transitions, highly customizable viewing and browsing options and 3D-ish elements it's shaping up to be a very nice fresh coat of paint), the real meat is in the enhanced DVR features. New updates include support for external storage (up to 1TB eSATA per DVR), automatic DVD-style chaptering on recordings, and an undelete button to bring back mistakenly removed recordings. Also freshened is its MoCA-powered multiroom setup that now shows all recordings from any box or external storage all in one list. About the only thing we can find missing from the new software is any sort of support for conflict resolution across DVRs or using all tuners as a pool, but it's otherwise robust, with each box handling up to 4 streams (2 in, 2 out) at once, and 7 connected devices (6 boxes plus one router) per home. Check out a couple more screens after the break, though skipping directly to house shopping in FiOS-connected neighborhoods may make for more efficient use of your time.
Verizon FiOS will stream live TV, VOD plus your own stuff to TVs, iPads & mobile devices soon (video)
Despite whatever other tablets Verizon may have on the way, it showed off a new trick for FiOS TV at a press conference today by streaming live TV and video on-demand to the iPad. NewTeeVee grabbed the above picture of the app, which Chief Information Officer Shaygha Kheradpir says brings the same software from its set-top boxes to the iPad and other screens. That hasn't stopped potential licensing issues with offering video on off-TV devices, but Reuters reports the company doesn't expect to pay any additional fees to programmers, probably because the app will only work from subscriber's homes. While live TV streaming is a big draw, it also showed off a video on-demand app called FlexView due later this year for Verizon's new Android phones, the Blackberry Storm and Windows Mobile 6.5 (other platforms due later on, it will work on other mobile networks as well) that would let videos purchased/rented via the cable box or website be downloaded onto up to five different devices, while its Media Manager service will be refreshed with an update that lets users upload video to 70GB of cloud storage and then stream it to their PCs, TVs or mobiles. Reports indicate live TV streaming should be available early next year, we'll see if FiOS beats Cablevision to the punch. Update: ZatzNotFunny pointed out a video of the demo posted by Steve Donohue on YouTube, check it out after the break.
