This is like watching two child molesters argue over who's got the better shoes.

@The Name's Ash78, Housewares: Welp, that's that. Thread closed!

I actually quite like my FIOS service. Best service for the price where I am, and I've never had any trouble with it.

I like how the data Comcast released says the number movie channels Comcast offers is exactly double compared to Verizon, 224 compared to 112. The same thing happens with the HD television shows, with it being 288 to 144.

Somehow I don't think that's true....

@OmniZero: Oh, and the music clips numbers are NEARLY double, with 2.14 being the factor.

Thanks for fudging, Comcast!

@The Name's Ash78, Housewares: You owe me a new keyboard

I live in philadelphia. A couple years ago when I was moving to my current house I tried to find an alternative to Comcast and asked Verizon if there's plan for FIOS in my neighborhood. The rep actually laughed at me and said no.

If FIOS ever makes it to my neighborhood, I'm ditching Comcast and getting it.

@bonzombiekitty: What was the appeal, them laughing at you?

@The Name's Ash78, Housewares:

my girlfriend looked at me crazy for laughing so loud. jerk.

@bonzombiekitty:

Call the city council, then. Verizon's trying to launch FiOS in Philly, but they're getting pushback over their rollout plans (i.e. how fast they cover the whole city).

@The Name's Ash78, Housewares: Doesn't matter, they're both wearing white velcro running shoes from Big Lots.

I don't give a crap. I don' thave an HDTV. I won't have one for many many years (until my tv takes a crap).

Sorry forced obsolescence, you don't have me.

I can't speak to FIOS, but Comcast's HD offerings are pathetic. Sorry boys, but 6 week old episodes of "Desperate Housewives" do NOT count as added content. Where's SpeedHD? BBC? Hell, CBS for that matter...

That's hilarious - I'd love to know which how-to video is most popular with customers: "how to shave your legs" or "how to get rid of acne." Whose legs are they? Seems like the type of thing someone would download solely out of morbid curiosity: "I can't BELIEVE they actually have a video for how to boil water!" The irony of Verizon using a high-tech service to teach this stuff is overwhelming. Can't wait for the "how to walk, talk and chew gum at the same time" vid.

Lets see...

fiber or cable. Fiber wins.
uncompressed HD or compressed HD. Uncompressed wins.
fiber direct to house or fiber to box and cable to house.... you see where I'm going.

I have FIOS here in Texas and it is amazing. The cable I had in the past that was "fiber" was never as good as FIOS. Plus, 10mb fios internet gets me 1.2mb downloads... cable 10mb gets, maybe, 300-500.

Comcast should just fold.

How about working some numbers on how many complaints your companies resolve? I know of plenty of horrible customer service stories from both the companies. Work on that first you big babies.

@ The Name's Ash78, Housewares: ZING!

@Oranges w/ Cheese: Ditto...I keep thinking I want one, but there's a big part of me that scoffs at how manufacturers and retailers have conspired to convince the average family that their primary TV needs to be some $1,000+ monstrosity. Sure, they're bigger and have far more features than 10 years ago, but the average family 27" or 32" TV used to be well under $500. HDTV just doesn't enthrall me enough to discard a perfectly working piece of equipment from my den.

/rant over

@The Name's Ash78, Housewares: Your insight is staggering... I feel like my life is better for reading your comment.

@bonzombiekitty: I had DirecTV when I lived in center city. Not sure if that is an option for you, but it's worth looking into.

Let's look at the difference, because I had comcast HD before going FIOS. FIOS has much higher quality, more channels, gives me a better price and better service.

My FIOS has not been down once, comcast would have problems almost every week. Shows wouldn't record, cable cuts out, DVR won't allow me to watch recorded shows, guide doesn't work... you know the usual comcast issues.

So I'd like to know where these hundreds of channels are that tell me how to chop garlic and fold pillowcases, because I haven't seen them. Are they referring to food network? Because I think people actually watch that channel.

I'm all for FIOS on this one.

@Necoras: Any thoughts on the HD availability?

I can see why Comcast doesn't want fios in their neighborhood but I see no reason why FIOS shouldn't move in. My family has comcast cable and internet for years and it was one of the worst experiences. The price would always increase with ever decreasing speed and quality of the service. Then FIOS moved in and we switched with 2 times the speed and channels and cable boxes at the same price. The real reason comcast is complaining is because they know they are no competition.

@Oranges w/ Cheese: I see what you mean, but I gotta say, HDTV is the shiznit.

Not only is the picture much sharper, but the widescreen aspect ratio really improves things like movies and video games, even in standard def.

I'm sure if I had no HDTV I would feel the same as you, but now I find standard def, 4:3 TV almost unwatchable.

@Gearhead_42: I agree, Comcast's HD channel line-up is rather pathetic. This is also coming from a former Comcast employee.

They use their HD On-Demand content to skew numbers in their favor, allowing them to claim they have more HD content available than everyone else at any given time, despite having few HD channels available for viewing and it doesn't seem like they're interested in expanding anytime soon.

I'm still waiting for ESPNEWS HD.

@narq: Yeah I call bull on Comcast's numbers. I think nearly all of the different things listed could be called "irrelevant" or "mundane". It's the real HD channels that matter, and according to this story, Verizon has 104 and Comcast is sputtering along at 37.

With my rooftop antenna & $40 converter box over 30% of my channels are now full HD. Monthly cost = $0.

I'd just like to see them publish who has more HD bandwidth. I'm pretty sure that a) Comcast counts its HD on demand offerings like that matter and b) Comcast compresses their HD a lot more than Verizon. I think the on-demand is pretty stupid since during the period where I had no alternative to Comcast, I noted that they generally update their on demand content on a monthly basis. I'd also like to point out that my on screen guide had ads on it... Anyway, to Comcast - you're shitty service, unreliable billing and just general douchebaggery have lost you a customer for life. I'm much happier with U-verse, but will give FIOS consideration if it ever comes to my area. I'm pretty pissed at AT&T for not honoring their referral rewards and cashback promises.

our hd kicks your hd in the teeth! now that's some good hd.

@nataku83: My point exactly. How many of the chumps with their huge "full 1080p" flat screens have any idea that the so-called HD they're watching (and paying a princely sum for) is heavily compressed? Do an A/B test between a local channel on FIOS/Cable HD and the same channel on OTA - not pretty.

I think the worst part about this is the fact that Verizon has to get the government to give it permission to compete with Comcast.

Please, is this even a battle? Comcast's HD is atrocious, and when compared to FiOS it's not even in the same league.

I am very happy with my FiOS HD package. My only complaint is that I still don't have MSG HD, but that's all damn Cablevisions fault. BASTARDS!

When are these companies going to figure out that people don't care about the other BS like music clips and to an extant movies as they the NUMBER OF HD CHANNELS they have, where DirecTV has them both smoked.

We were told a few years ago that the NFL Sunday Ticket was 1, under exclusive contract, and 2, incredibly expensive. I wouldn't expect it on any cable box any time soon.

I live in Philly. I get a kick out of flipping through the channel guide and certain shows have (HD) in the description when they are on the standard definition channels!

Now that's what I call Comcastic!

After the battles I've had with Comcast here in West Virginia I can't wait to get Verizon FIOS if it becomes available. Comcast has got to be tied with Microsioft as one of the greediest, most abusive monoploies in the USA.If I wasn't stuck with Comcast as a monopoly provider for Broad band I'f dump them right now.

We just switched from Comcast high speed internet to Verizon FiOS. We didn't bother with the FiOS cable box - we don't watch a whole lot of TV - between Netflix streaming, and the Xbox Live Video Marketplace, we're all set for TV. What I can tell you is that FiOS internet punches comcast's high speed internet in the teeth.

First, what you pay vs what you get

Comcast:
6mbps/1.5mbps = $59.99

Verizon
20mbps/5mbps = $57.99

That's over 3x the speed for $2 less than we were paying w/ comcast.

Next, quality of service. Our comcast cable modem would lose it's connection at least once a week, requiring me to unplug the modem, count to fifteen, and plug it back in. We've had FiOS for just over a week now, and I haven't seen any sort of issues with the signal, and I haven't had to restart the FiOS modem once.

Let's not forget the difference in traffic management with the two companies. With comcast, we had a 250gb cap. We came very close to it every month - like I said, we stream a lot of video. I don't have to worry about it with FiOS. Also, comcast would choke any type of traffic we used too frequently. For example, when we first started streaming Netflix, everything we watched streamed at the highest video quality available. After a week of that, everything started streaming at the lowest quality available. I'm an IT contractor, and I monitor my network very carefully. Running a normal speed test on the line would show a full strength signal, however, the traffic coming from Netflix was only able to take advantage of a very small portion of the bandwidth that should have been available to us. In other words, comcast was penalizing us for using our connection too much. This is also not a problem with FiOS

The big disadvantage is the equipment. We live in an apt, and as such, the white box powering the bigger outside box had to be mounted in our living room, instead of, let's say, a basement in a house. This isn't really a deal breaker - it was pretty easy to hide, but it did take up an extra outlet. It's really a small price to pay for having a dedicated 20/5 line though.

Comcast keeps talking about how they're going to be offering better speeds, but honestly, given all the restrictions they put on what you can do with your traffic, I'd rather have a hassle free 20/5 than a choked 50/10.

@philipbarrett: Same here. I just dropped cable last month and installed an antenna. Now all I get is digital signals and most are HD. The only "monthly" cost is the power running to the pre-amp at the antenna.

The only thing keeping people from switching to Verizon is the time it takes them to lay the fiber cable. Comcast has abused and mistreated their customers for too long. Even if Verizon offered no HD channels, I would switch upon immediate availability because at least I would no longer be sending money to Comcast every month.

@OmniZero: East coast/West coast feeds. Math is done. ;)

What's HD music? I have this thing called Satellite Radio.... I don't need to have my TV on for it to work. Much more energy efficient!

@Rhayader: But did you *need* it?
I just hate how people don't realize how manufacturers and retailers are basically brainwashing you into buying shit you don't need.

I'm sure your tv worked perfectly well before you bought your nice HDTV. I'm glad you can sit and stare at your eyecandy. I'm glad you had the money to burn.

I don't mind the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen when I'm watching a movie. If I want my video games to look pixel-perfect, I'll play on my computer, or better yet I'LL GO OUTSIDE.

Much rather spend the $1000 on a couple nice dinners anyway. Or a new computer, or like 5 bicycles.. or.. several hundred gallons of gas.

@ianmac47: I don't even have comcast and for the speed/bandwidth boost I'd see from Verizon I want it!
Plus its hella cheaper!

@Rhayader: WIdescreen aspect ratio in standard def looks worse - either the image is stretched wide, or there are black bars on the sides of the screen. What are you talking about?

Comcast is like the 1910 buggy whip company claiming the automobile is a fad. I love my FIOS--phone, 20mbps Internet and tons of HD for $99 per month.

I can't wait until FiOS comes to Chicago.

@ianmac47:

Exactly. I cannot wait for the day I can tell Comcast to suck it. :)

@Oranges w/ Cheese: I don't think it's necessarily brainwashing--for many people it is a genuinely improved experience in something they spend a fair amount of time doing, and I don't think analog TV or cable are more inherently a need than HDTV, after all. But at heart I'm in agreement with you that there's no need for the purchase to be a default, and that a lot of people do tend to treat availability as a mandate for spending money rather than figuring out if that's really the best expense with which to enhance their lives.

@youbastid: You need to turn your TV on it's bottom, instead of it's side.

Stadard def on HDTV has black bars on the sides; unavoidable, unless you really like to see pancake headed people. High def on a standard set (letterboxed) puts the black bars top and bottom of the picture.

Both options are preferable to 'Formatted to fit your [square] TV' where you can't see the entire scene.

@Rhayader: It's actually quite good, much better than what I had on satellite when I transferred a year ago. They just upped the number of HD channels a few months ago, so most of the things I watch (history, discovery, sci fi, broadcast stations, etc) are now in HD. I've never really researched cable as it's usually too pricey.