Verizon FiOS TV users get new program guide
Verizon FiOS TV subscribers in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a market Verizon just launched the service in, are the first users to experience the company's new programming guide. The interface, which Verizon calls its Interactive Media Guide, will launch to all FiOS TV subs by the end of the summer.
According to the Verizon website, the IMG's display and navigation is greatly improved:
- An enhanced interface with 32-bit graphics, 16 million colors and 8-bit transparency.
- It features a "hierarchical, tabbed menu system" with "animated layering displays" and "fixed-focus magnifying viewer" that presents information at the center of the screen.
- The IMG also boasts low latency of less than one-fifth of a second response time to user input.
The IMG's search function also brings enhancements:
- Network powered search with global queries of TV and movie channels, On Demand titles and DVR contents.
- Onscreen text entry options include: multitap, virtual keyboard and scroll wheel.
- Predictive results come up after the first character is entered and refined as additional ones are entered.
The IMG also features a number of "widgets" that currently include basics like weather, traffic and community info updates. More widgets are on the way, according to Verizon.
For more on the new FiOS TV guide:
- see this fact sheet on the IMG (.pdf)
- and view this demo of the interface (video)
Comments (6) | Post a comment
Comments
By Anonymous | Posted 10:04pm | September 30, 2007
I would like to see you add RFD TV to your programming
By david David | Posted 9:55pm | November 8, 2007
This new system needs ALOT of work. I liked the way you could actually hid channels you dont want to see.
I dont like clicking on favorites and it always starts at the beginning even if you are on 500. I agree the buttons around the ok were great to control the dvr. now you have to use the buttons at the top and they are not easy to reach if you try to hold it in one hand.
Another thing is I think the favorites has a limit on how many channels you can have in it. when i use it i can not scroll all the way to the HD channels. I dont mind change if things are better but if you ask me even though it may be prettier it is not near as usable as it used to be.
Oh yeah it is also harder to see when you are paging down because the expanded hightlighted selection in the center of the page....how about at the top or bottom instead...or better yet make it configurable so the users that want it in the middle can have it that way and the users that want it elseware they can have it that way.....
I think verizon should have field tested this software before they implemented it. and yes I am in I.T.
Sorry for any typos!
By Anonymous | Posted 12:21pm | January 16, 2008
I would also like to see RFD tv added to the programming.
By Anonymous | Posted 1:39am | January 20, 2008
New FIOS guide is overblown - too much - confusing and disorienting the way the channels pop out and scroll - and with all that razzmatazz they lost the star ratings - didn't always agree w them but at least they offered some indication about a movie
By Disappointed User | Posted 3:41pm | January 22, 2008
This new guide is horrible!
Too busy, too hard to read, etc.
At least give us the option to configure it to look the way we want. Give the option to shut off that stupid magnifying window in the middle of the screen! Also, the guide should follow the current displayed format. A 4:3 guide on a 16:9 screen is stupid!
By Anonymous | Posted 2:15pm | April 9, 2008
The old guide you could set reminder for as many shows as you wanted and the tv would automatically go to the program. I hate the new guide