# optimum vs. fios



## gary712 (Apr 3, 2010)

the optimum salesman came to my door today.I could save $45.00 per month if I switch back. My internet speed would go from 75/35 to 50/8. also I would lose cinemax and the movie channel.no big deal there but I would lose the tennis channel which I watch. Any thoughts?


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

I can think of no option EVER that would have me willingly give up my FiOS connection, you'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands...

Part of my recent house hunting also consisted of the question "is there FiOS in the neighborhood?" and yes, the house I just bought, has FiOS.. 

So there's my opinion


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## Mike-Wolf (Feb 25, 2013)

dianebrat said:


> I can think of no option EVER that would have me willingly give up my FiOS connection, you'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands...
> 
> Part of my recent house hunting also consisted of the question "is there FiOS in the neighborhood?" and yes, the house I just bought, has FiOS..
> 
> So there's my opinion


Funny, I'm the exact same way with Comcast, in fact I told my friends and future room mates that "I'll only move to an area serviced by Comcast.... or Verizon FiOS", much to their displeasure and dismay.  Sadly there is only one town, Greenwich, that has Verizon FiOS in Connecticut, and the area is way out of our price range.

I like FiOS because of the high quality HD content and inherent MoCA network a geek like me can play with. Only drawbacks are the difficulty in implementing my own router in place of the Verizon one, and of course availability.

I like Comcast because even with all it's quirks, I've had it for so long where I'm currently at, I know what to expect, plus there's no switched digital video and dumb tuning adapters to make me wanna jump off the roof.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

dianebrat said:


> I can think of no option EVER that would have me willingly give up my FiOS connection


Google Fiber


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## Mike-Wolf (Feb 25, 2013)

wmcbrine said:


> Google Fiber


Pretty sure that's not going to be a contender until they can tweak it to be compatible with consumer grade routers and networking appliances. I've heard stories of it causing consumer routers to catch fire. Would be a total waste on the TiVo's and pretty much any other networked home theater device since nothing really has the ability at this point to take advantage of the excess speed. It would be like strapping a jet engine on a Mini Cooper and having the windshield cave in from the speed.


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## CoxInPHX (Jan 14, 2011)

FWIW: Optimum (Cablevision) uses SDV and Cisco Tuning Adapters, FiOS does not.


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## compnurd (Oct 6, 2011)

CoxInPHX said:


> FWIW: Optimum (Cablevision) uses SDV and Cisco Tuning Adapters, FiOS does not.


Not all Cablevision areas use SDV... for 45 bucks i would switch and try put fios on hold while you try


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

dianebrat said:


> I can think of no option EVER that would have me willingly give up my FiOS connection, you'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands...





wmcbrine said:


> Google Fiber


Ok.. I can see that!


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Mike-Wolf said:


> Funny, I'm the exact same way with Comcast, in fact I told my friends and future room mates that "I'll only move to an area serviced by Comcast.... or Verizon FiOS", much to their displeasure and dismay.  Sadly there is only one town, Greenwich, that has Verizon FiOS in Connecticut, and the area is way out of our price range.
> 
> I like FiOS because of the high quality HD content and inherent MoCA network a geek like me can play with. Only drawbacks are the difficulty in implementing my own router in place of the Verizon one, and of course availability.
> 
> I like Comcast because even with all it's quirks, I've had it for so long where I'm currently at, I know what to expect, plus there's no switched digital video and dumb tuning adapters to make me wanna jump off the roof.


There should be zero difficulty implementing your own router. You can hang it off the FiOS one through a DMZ and it will work perfectly fine. I've tried mine this way before and it worked every bit the same as when I have it connected directly to the ONT. But I also have ethernet to the ONT which is more flexible.

I told them that was the only way I would get FiOS in 2007 since I did not want to be reliant on a MoCA connection to the ONT. Since if their router died I would have been unable to have access until it was replaced.

But now I also have the 150/65 tier which requires an Ethernet connection anyway. They will only use MoCA with the 75 Mb/s tiers and lower.


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## vurbano (Apr 20, 2004)

dianebrat said:


> I can think of no option EVER that would have me willingly give up my FiOS connection, you'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands...
> 
> Part of my recent house hunting also consisted of the question "is there FiOS in the neighborhood?" and yes, the house I just bought, has FiOS..
> 
> So there's my opinion


I can think of a few and I've ad Fios for many years.

1 Ever increasing price
2 ever decreasing PQ

And the 50 MBps download speed the OP referenced is totally acceptable. The upload speed depends on what you are doing with it.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

Mike-Wolf said:


> I've heard stories of it causing consumer routers to catch fire.


I think someone was pulling your leg.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

vurbano said:


> I can think of a few and I've ad Fios for many years.
> 
> 1 Ever increasing price
> 2 ever decreasing PQ
> ...


almost 3 years, I'm still on the same $99 plan, just doubled the download speed so it's $109, I've never seen a price increase with Verizon.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

vurbano said:


> I can think of a few and I've ad Fios for many years.
> 
> 1 Ever increasing price
> 2 ever decreasing PQ
> ...


I'm paying less now than I did in 2007. And I have the quadruple play with Ultimate HD, a landline, cellular, and 150/65 internet. In 2007 I did not have my cellular bundled with it, slower internet, and fewer HD channels. I paid a lot more then for less back then.

Sent from my HTC ReZound using Forum Runner


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## jcondon (Jul 9, 2003)

I have had both FiOS or Cablevision for Internet, phone and TV for 15 years.

Verizon Internet in my experience is better and more consistent. 

Phone is phone whatever. FiOS has an app (for Android and I assume iPhone) that lets me get my voicemails from my cell phone. Perhaps Cablevision has that now. Not sure.

TV I like Verizon better. Better PVR. I left before the Samsung boxes started being deployed. The SA 8300 is a POS I HATED it and went through a bunch of them. 

As another poster mentioned SDV sucks. And in my area Cablevision uses SDV for some premium movie channels. I ended up disconnecting the tuning adapter and canceling the premium movie channels. The TA would reboot or go offline often enough to mess up my recordings. With FiOS there is no TA. 

CableCard install with Cablevision was horrendous. With FiOS other then not being told it needs to be paired to the box for HBO to work it was very simple. Picked up a card. Called an 800# keyed in some info and all my channels (other then HBO) worked. First time. 

All that said I would switch back to Cablevision just long enough (6 months?) to get new customer pricing on FiOS if Verizon wasn't willing to extend a decent deal to me when my locked in pricing goes up.


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## gary712 (Apr 3, 2010)

It looks like I am keeping fios. Now if I call them and tell them cablevision was here and offered me lower prices would they do something?


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## Mike-Wolf (Feb 25, 2013)

jcondon said:


> ...As another poster mentioned SDV sucks. And in my area Cablevision uses SDV for some premium movie channels. I ended up disconnecting the tuning adapter and canceling the premium movie channels. The TA would reboot or go offline often enough to mess up my recordings. With FiOS there is no TA...


Another reason why I'm happy with Comcast, because of all the horror stories I've heard from customers with SDV affecting and in some cases frying their TiVo's.


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## Mike-Wolf (Feb 25, 2013)

compnurd said:


> Not all Cablevision areas use SDV... for 45 bucks i would switch and try put fios on hold while you try


Even if only _some_ areas of Cablevision use SDV, there is no reason not to expect that won't change in the future. At least with Comcast or FiOS, they don't use it anywhere.


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## Mike-Wolf (Feb 25, 2013)

wmcbrine said:


> I think someone was pulling your leg.


Well that explains some things..... lol


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## CoxInPHX (Jan 14, 2011)

compnurd said:


> Not all Cablevision areas use SDV... for 45 bucks i would switch and try put fios on hold while you try


Perhaps, but according to a posting by the OP his does:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=8154610#post8154610


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## wesbc (Mar 17, 2003)

gary712 said:


> It looks like I am keeping fios. Now if I call them and tell them cablevision was here and offered me lower prices would they do something?


Verizon won't care. I switched back from FIOS to Cablevision a little over a year ago. Main reason, My bill with FIOS was over $140 (this included an international channel only available on FIOS which was $16) to now only a little over $80.

What Verizon does best.
Better and more stable broadband service, upload speed MUCH faster.
No copy protection allowing me to transfer all recording, including premium channels, to PC. Not sure if that have changed.

What Cablevision does best
Cheaper and good service, but installation was a pain as it took a month to finally get my TA setup correctly after numerous house visit.
Optimum app but it only work on certain devices and only on home network, but there are some workaround with home VPN setup.
Optimum Rewards - Free movie on Tuesday at local Clearview cinema. That's if you have one local. This is nice, but theater can get crowed and movie sold out. Haven't been able to take advantage of this for a while since I have a toddler.
Optimum Wifi all over the neighborhood but the actual connectivity has been spotty for me.

One note, with Hurricane Sandy, my FIOS ONT was flooded. Not sure how that'll impact service and I'm sure it'll need to be replaced if I switch back to FIOS. Cablevision service was down for me a little over a week and service was restored without any tech having to come to my home.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Some of the Premium channels are now copy protetced on FiOS.

Sent from my HTC ReZound using Forum Runner


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

aaronwt said:


> Some of the Premium channels are now copy protetced on FiOS.


HBO and Cinemax, to be exact.

But also, Fios now has apps for various devices, probably comparable to that Optimum app.


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## gary712 (Apr 3, 2010)

I've had fios for 2 1/2 years. 6 months ago my tivo xl crapped out and was replaced under extended warranty. Twice my internet went out and I had to call to get it resolved. They reset the box in the garage over the air. In all the years I had cablevision I can count on one hand how many problems I had. PQ is the same so thats a wash. Internet is much faster with fios, but the real deal breaker is cablevision does not offer The Tennis Channel.I will eat the $45.00 and stay put


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

dianebrat said:


> I can think of no option EVER that would have me willingly give up my FiOS connection, you'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands...
> 
> Part of my recent house hunting also consisted of the question "is there FiOS in the neighborhood?" and yes, the house I just bought, has FiOS..
> 
> So there's my opinion


I wish I was in an area to be able to do that.  I'm moving, but I'll still be 13 miles West of the border with FIOSland.



Mike-Wolf said:


> Funny, I'm the exact same way with Comcast, in fact I told my friends and future room mates that "I'll only move to an area serviced by Comcast.... or Verizon FiOS", much to their displeasure and dismay.  Sadly there is only one town, Greenwich, that has Verizon FiOS in Connecticut, and the area is way out of our price range.
> 
> I like FiOS because of the high quality HD content and inherent MoCA network a geek like me can play with. Only drawbacks are the difficulty in implementing my own router in place of the Verizon one, and of course availability.
> 
> I like Comcast because even with all it's quirks, I've had it for so long where I'm currently at, I know what to expect, plus there's no switched digital video and dumb tuning adapters to make me wanna jump off the roof.


I hate Comcast because of the picture quality, but the internet is pretty good. That's why I have them. And CableCard. The other cable provider in my town is a big pile of suckage.


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