Advice needed: Verizon FIOS vs DirecTV (looking to switch)

CJMST3K

Does anyone have any personal insight comparing Directv HD (and dvr) versus Verizon Fios HD (and dvr)?

-Quality of the picture
-Ease of use of the receiver
-Ease of use of the DVR
-Fios Program packages: Prime HD vs Extreme HD vs Ultimate HD
-Other differences between Directv and Fios



I've had DirecTV for about 9 years. Been relatively happy with their service (except their inept installers).

I don't have a home phone (just a verizon cell) and I don't have internet at home. Now that I'm looking at getting internet at home, I'm considering a bundle that has Fios Internet, HD tv and Cell service.

My DirecTV Bill, with no movie or sports channels but most other channels, is currently around $100 per month for 1 HD DVR and another regular receiver. Sometimes they will give me $10 or $20 off per month for 6 months at a time if I call to tell them I saw a promotion for new customers. So, lets say Directv costs $90 a month... and to add any ISP-only service per month, it's $50 per month. And my cell service is about $70 per month. That's about $210 a month I'm spending right now.

On the Verizon website:

Here's the Veriozon Fios CELL PHONE Triple Play options:

$114.99 per month
Verizon Triple Play GOOD BUNDLE
FiOS Internet
up to 15 Mbps/5Mbps
+
FiOS TV
Prime HD
+
Nationwide
Talk - 450


$129.99 per month
Verizon Triple Play BETTER BUNDLE
FiOS Internet
Up to 25 Mbps/25 Mbps
+
FiOS TV
Extreme HD
+
Nationwide
Talk - 450


$149.99 per month
Verizon Triple Play BEST BUNDLE
FiOS Internet Service
Up to 35 Mbps/35 Mbps
+
FiOS TV
Ultimate HD
+
EPIX
+
Nationwide
Talk - 450


(BTW - the above packages, I don't know if that price includes and HD DVR and/or the service for it, or if that's extra... and if any taxes go on top. Do you know?)

decides2dream

i have never had direct tv so i can't give a comparison.however, i have had fios internet since it was first introduced(our area was one of the first in the country to get it - got an awesome deal b/c we were long-time verizon customers), and last year got the fios HD (tho no idea which package) and all i can say is...
i LOVE fios!
total LOVE!
i have loved it since day one, when we got the fios internet...think it's lightyears ahead!
now, LOVE the fios HD....fantastic pic.....DVR works great......absolutely NO complaints.
we do have a landline, and we have a tripleplay package bundle of tv/internet/phone. i think with taxes and all it comes to about $140 a month. we are totally satisfied.



*edit - we don't have any premium channels, but our price does include the HD DVR.


funny too...i just add our cell phone package in with our verizon package, and it's about $210 a month. crazy really. however, as mentioned, we DO have a landline thru verizon, our cells are for 2 of us and thru AT&T. for whatever reason hubby doesn't want to switch to verizon for cells, i think we get a better package thru AT&T b/c we get special incentives due to his job.

BrianM

FIOS IS THE BALLS!

I own every station except for 1.
I have like 900 HD channels it seems like.
I pay 140 a month. Cant beat it

decides2dream

BrianM wrote:

FIOS IS THE BALLS!

I own every station except for 1.
I have like 900 HD channels it seems like.
I pay 140 a month. Cant beat it

you have all the premium cable channels for that price?
HBO, showtime, sport channels, etc? is that including taxes/fees too, in total? do you have internet/phone service too?
i don't care at all about those channels, i am simply curious.
i LOVE all the HD channels. i think fios has the most HD channels, tho i am not 100% sure. i love everything you get with it!

MayDay10

I have FIOS Internet. It has been very nice and reliable. The installers were cool too. My favorite movie "The Jerk" was on, and they sat on my couch and almost watched the entire movie with me.


I have Directv. I have been very happy with the amount of HD, and love the fact that you get the entire Center Ice in HD. I do not like the rare blips in service due to weather.... and a growing problem is cable companies buying content and holding Directv ransom as their main competitor.

If you like the NFL Ticket too, that will be out the window.



I have heard nothing but good reviews on FIOS. If I wasnt moving in the Fall I would think about switching... if for nothing other than the discount I would probably get with my sell and the FIOS internet I already get. Once I move, I will look into FIOS. The dealbreaker is probably getting all the NHL Center Ice games in HD.

vduboise

I have FIOS- just for internet-its very fast- 20mb up and down. We decided not to do the TV- we just download what we want to watch. Granted, we have to wait a day for someone to up load it- but the upside is no commercials. With the fast speeds- it takes very little time to download.

youngster

Have had FIOS for 3 years and love it. So much better than Comcast who I had before. The only thing is FIOS doesn't have a whole lot of On Demand compared to FIOS, but that is it. Good luck with your decision.

CJMST3K

I just ordered FIOS. 1 HDTV, 1 regular receiver, 25MBPS Internet and added my existing cell phone.

Apparently the FIOS must already be run to my house already, because their website says:
"Great News! Our records show that our FiOS equipment is already installed at your location. We'd like to offer you some special promotions and offers! We also anticipate that our overall installation may take less time on the day we visit you"

The guy on the phone said that means a LOT of more positive things.

-2 year contract is WAIVED
-Save $10 more off a month because it's already installed


So, the monthly amount for their mid-ranged bundle:

-$119.99 per month for all (including the $10 off per month because the lines are already at my house)
-$15.99 per month for HD DVR
-$ 5.99 per month for a standard receiver
____________________________________

$141.97 TOTAL BILL (but BEFORE taxes)


Also, I have a $29 per month additional "data" plan that I have on my existing Verizon cell plan, but since I use it rarely to check email, I'm gonna downgrade that, as the above bundle doesn't account for that extra $29.


I also asked, since the FIOS is already at my home and the 2 year contract is waived, does that mean I could cancel service after 3 months or something... and he said absolutely, and there would be no cancellation charges or anything.

All of this sounds good to me!

NOW... how do I get all the PJ HD shows off my Directv dvr?? :?

MayDay10

I think you made a good choice. If FIOS is available at whatever house I buy, I am very likely to use the entire package. Have been very happy with the Cell service for almost 10 years, and like my year of FIOS.


what is in your package by way of sports tiers and movie tiers? Is there a lot more available? (Excluding sports leagues' packages)

CJMST3K

MayDay10 wrote:

I think you made a good choice. If FIOS is available at whatever house I buy, I am very likely to use the entire package. Have been very happy with the Cell service for almost 10 years, and like my year of FIOS.


what is in your package by way of sports tiers and movie tiers? Is there a lot more available? (Excluding sports leagues' packages)

Actually, there was an error in the email. on the phone with them now.

For the "better" package with EVERYTHING including taxes (except additional optional data plan for cell) $162 per month, total everything. For $15 more a ton more sports channels and Showtime and The Movie Channel, plus it would upgrade from 25 MBPS to 35 MBPS... but 25 is already killer speed. At work I have 7mbps, so I couldn't imagine what I'd do with more than 25. And I'm not a sports fan, so no reason for that for me.

81

i've had my eye on it for a couple of years but always get this message

We're sorry, but Verizon does not offer home phone service in your area based on the address you entered below:

we use dish network for tv, and WOW! for internet/home phone. it's something like $150 per month for all that.

for cell, it's tmobile prepaid. i barely use my cell, so it costs me about $8 per month. gf uses hers a bit more, although she pays it, i'm not sure what her monthly usage is.

blackredyellow

We still don't have FIOS TV here yet (Albany, NY area). I'd really like to get away from Time Warner. The old owners of our house had FIOS internet, so everything is already ran to the house.

decides2dream

congrats!


weird tho - i never had a fee of $10 a month for the install and they did have to install it as it didn't exist before. hmmm...maybe that is why? maybe my area was one of the guinea pig areas, b/c EVERYthing about it was free to get installed. also, pretty sure we have no contract, but i won't swear by that. price seems spot on. we have landline, you have cell....same difference more than likely in regards to costs....cause yea, we're right around the $140 mark too.


enjoy - it's awesome!
i am so spoiled, i've had it for years now for my internet and it is just SO fast and fabulous! the HD is a newer added bonus for us.

CJMST3K wrote:

I just ordered FIOS. 1 HDTV, 1 regular receiver, 25MBPS Internet and added my existing cell phone.

Apparently the FIOS must already be run to my house already, because their website says:
"Great News! Our records show that our FiOS equipment is already installed at your location. We'd like to offer you some special promotions and offers! We also anticipate that our overall installation may take less time on the day we visit you"

The guy on the phone said that means a LOT of more positive things.

-2 year contract is WAIVED
-Save $10 more off a month because it's already installed


So, the monthly amount for their mid-ranged bundle:

-$119.99 per month for all (including the $10 off per month because the lines are already at my house)
-$15.99 per month for HD DVR
-$ 5.99 per month for a standard receiver
____________________________________

$141.97 TOTAL BILL (but BEFORE taxes)


Also, I have a $29 per month additional "data" plan that I have on my existing Verizon cell plan, but since I use it rarely to check email, I'm gonna downgrade that, as the above bundle doesn't account for that extra $29.


I also asked, since the FIOS is already at my home and the 2 year contract is waived, does that mean I could cancel service after 3 months or something... and he said absolutely, and there would be no cancellation charges or anything.

All of this sounds good to me!

NOW... how do I get all the PJ HD shows off my Directv dvr?? :?

decides2dream

oh and btw - you figure out how to get shit off your DVR, please post! i would LOVE to burn to disc some of the shows i have on there - most especially pj.

DeLukin

I have Dish network, and while outages due to weather are rare, they DO happen. Not saying that the power won't go out and leave your FIOS a brick, but it's pretty frustrating when the power is on and you can't get a signal. I won't go with a cable company, but if they ever got FiOS out here I'd be on it in a second. My parents have it in the Philly area and it's pretty slick.

CJMST3K

decides2dream wrote:

congrats!

weird tho - i never had a fee of $10 a month for the install and they did have to install it as it didn't exist before.

They weren't charging $10 more for install. They deducted $10 per month (for 6 months apparently) since they don't have to install.

decides2dream

CJMST3K wrote:

decides2dream wrote:

congrats!

weird tho - i never had a fee of $10 a month for the install and they did have to install it as it didn't exist before.

They weren't charging $10 more for install. They deducted $10 per month (for 6 months apparently) since they don't have to install.

oh interesting, i see.
the way i read your first post, i thought there was a charge. gotcha.
nice thing with verizon, thus far anyway, our costs have remained relatively unchanged since day one. i think our fios internet got raised once when they upgraded service even more and/or just a regular increase, wasn't anything too bad either.....and that was many years ago before the triple-play package. now with that, costs have remained constant. i like that.