Hi Sally,

I can't answer all of your questions, but I can tell you how cable service is for me. I have my tv, internet and phone from Comcast. Verizon Fios also is offering great deals in our area at the moment.

The problems I run into are randomly losing internet connection (it mysteriously reappears in a few hours). I have spent countless hours on the phone with Comcast trying to resolve problems. It is made difficult because English is not the person's first language. Although I feel bad about it, there have been times I have had to just say I can't understand and have to call back in hopes of getting someone I can understand.

I won't go into my woes with finding time to meet the cable guy!

I also dislike the way my phone goes out when the electricity goes off. If my cell phone isn't charged, I am S.O.L.

My friend's husband is a neurologist and has to read films from home on his computer. He insists on Comcast because he says it downloads the pictures faster. For me, an average internet user, Fios is plenty fast (my Mom has it). In fact, I can't tell the difference.

I am very tempted to switch to Fios. The only reason I don't is that I just am not up to have a bunch of "dsl guys" crawling around the house installing yet another set of wires.

Good luck with your decision and I will be interested to hear what you decide.

Pam

That's part of why I'm hesitant to switch. It's just a hassle. You said "dsl guys" but I thought fios is different from dsl. We have dsl at work and it's not nearly as good as cable. If fios is comperable to dsl then I won't make the switch.

Sally

You're probably right that I misused the term dsl. Maybe I should have said "fiber optic guys"?? Sorry for the error.

I've used both Comcast cable and Verizon Fios and I saw no real difference in speed as a person with average internet requirements.

I am a loyal FIOS customer (tv, internet and phone) and have been since it was offered here a few years ago. It is very reliable, fast and the customer service kicks ComCast to the curb. I've rarely (if ever) had the internet service drop for any reason and the phone and tv are super reliable!

I will never go back to cable.

Alexa

I, too, am a FIOS convert. We've had all (telephone, dsl and TV) for a couple years. I don't think we've ever lost any connection in that time unless it was a full electric outage.

Just be aware, the rates will change after your first year of contract.

Our dog recently ate one of our remotes. I called Verizon and had a new one the next day. And they 'gave' us 2 months of all the movie channels. I just need to remember to call and cancel those channels when the trial is over.

Well, cool. Right now Verizon is offering $150 rebate of some sort if you sign up before June 20, so I better hurry if I want to change. We haven't really had any problems with Time Warner and Road Runner, but if I can get digital t.v.with more channels, for less money, I'm very tempted to change - as long as we don't lose speed on the internet. Thanks for the input.

Sally

My parents and I live in the same general area, they have FIOS and I have cable. Not that I use their computer much, but I can't tell the difference in Internet speed when I do. FIOS has a battery backup so the phone will still work for a limited time in a blackout.

I've been set up for FIOS right up to my house for a couple years, but never got around to the switch. One major hesitation is the you have to sign up for a two year contract while cable does not require this. Also, silly as it may sound, I know I would really miss the News 12 Traffic and Weather.

With my current service I get these split second blips that knock me off of my VPN, so I end up having to re-start my work applications several times a day. It's getting old so I wouldn't mind trying something new. But for that contract...

A friend who recently switched feels he gets less HD channels (or at least those in which he's interested) and as some of you may have experienced, it's a daunting task to try to compare packages.

Well, I called Verizon to try to compare internet speed, and to try to find out what hidden costs might be involved. The lady I spoke with couldn't answer about the the speed, and said I'd have to talk to a tech person to find that out, and she couldn't answer about the fees, either, other than there certainly are fees, including $9.99 per month to rent the box, and $15.99 per month to rent a dvr if I want one. I asked if my old vcr would work on this, and she hemmed and hawed and didn't answer my question, just repeated that dvr rental is $15.99 per month. I asked her what about if I bought a dvr, are there rules against my providing my own? Again, she didn't want to answer. Finally she admitted that she's supposed to promote the fios equipment, and it's against the rules for her to say anything else. Also, she couldn't answer how much the taxes and fees (you know, those made up fees all phone companies include in their bills), that I have to call my local people for that. I understood why about that. Ultimately, she couldn't tell me how much it would really cost me without me ordering it first. What I have figured out is that it would not be the $99.99 per month as advertised, but $99.99 plus 9.99, plus 5.99 per box for any other t.v.'s we want to have hooked up. My current cable package is going up to 124.99 per month. So, Verizon is still a little less, but probably not enough less to make the switch worth it.

What's so frustrating about this is that I was ready to make the change so I could get a better price for more channels. I decided to call them because I got a notice from Time Warner that they're raising rates. I still plan to call them Monday and see if they can match Verion's price. At least with Time Warner, I don't have to deal with box rental. Or maybe that's just because I don't have digital cable, just standard cable. Is there box rental with digital cable?

My conversation with the Verizon people pretty much convinced me not to make the change if they're going to give me the run around and not answer questions, even when I'm talking to them about switching over to them. If I were them, I'd do all I could to sweet talk me into buying their service.

Sally

As it turns out, Time-Warner is running a matching special, and it sounds a bit better than what Verizon FIOS is offering. The box rental is is the same, but I don't have to have a separate box for separate t.v.s, and there is no installation involved, unless I want to have cable brought into the bedroom where I have my second t.v.. All we have to do is go to the local "store" (I forgot their name for it) and sign up for it and pick up or box. I could have done if over the phone, but I'd have to pay a technician to deliver the box. As their store is walking distance from my house, I don't see the point if paying for delivery. So, I'm sticking with Time Warner. What's odd is that we just got a notice that the rates are going up, but as soon as I call them and ask if they can match what Verizon i offering, they're happy to do it. Just goes to show that it pays to ask.

Sally