Big Update on Verizon Quantum

Lefisc

Lefisc

New member
Joined
Jun 29, 2013
Messages
482
Location
Long Island, New York
Big Update on Verizon Quantum

I had a huge problem with the new system, now resolved. Of course, people on out site may seem fussy to Verizon, but we do know what we are talking about. Let me give you the short version and then, if you have the patience a bit more detail.

I wrote, “The unit gives better contrast and color than the previous units, but with a slight loss of detail... The sound seems a bit thinner…” I was damn right. But the controls went from being sluggish to totally none responsive and I lost the picture and sound TOTALLY on my “slave” units! Verizon came today, Sunday, and after nearly 3 hours fixed it.

Now, the picture and sound are better than when first installed and better than the old system, going from 720P to 1080P

The cause: An incompetent first installer and deliberately inept service at Verizon.


The details:
After watching the picture weaken and losing into totally on Friday, after 2 hours on the phone, I asked for the old service to be returned. They came today, Sunday, at 9 AM.

The GOOD installer wanted the check out the new system before replacing it. He pulled up on the screen a NEW guide that measured the signal and “computer switching” strength of the system.

This is something the FIRST installer should have done. He told me that the three “slaves” should all have signals near 650. They had signals barely past 500.

The FIRST installer was supposed to replace the obsolete and old relays and switchers, he didn’t even check them. So the new guy did and the signal strength jumped to where it should be. The picture got better and the sound fuller and louder. (This took time because everything needed to be rebooted). Let me stress checking this is mandatory for a new install, especially when there was old, old wiring but the first guy didn’t do his job.

MORE: The first installer set my TVs to 1080i, but the new units do 1080p. There were a few other setting too that we adjusted.

We had to “turn on” the DVR service again (or refresh it from Verizon). Here is the deliberate ineptness. This too nearly an hour. Verizon WILL NOT give the installers access to this. They have to call in, wait for a service operator and they have to do it. Then they call back the servicemen, wasting his time and mine. The serviceman suspects that Verizon doesn’t want too much control with one person, but this added a huge amount of time to the service.

In addition, the people who teach the installers NEVER have installed anything, they have no field experience whatsoever. So they don’t know how to handle real work situations.

While I would not say this is a Quantum leap from the last system, it’s a nice jump. I can record 6 programs at once and the picture and sound seem better. They need a menu (software) update and I am sure that will come this millennium. Again it only cost me $1 a month.
 
Thanks for the update, Barry. I am a Verizon customer and have been considering the move to Quantum. Verizon always had the better product with Fios, but their customer service is a nightmare, much worse than Optimum, and they are slow to fix problems….and they do have problems, with their system. It has taken me forever, and numerous attempts, to get things running smoothly and I am extremely hesitant to start dealing with their technicians and technical support once again. It's too bad, but it seems the only way I have gotten anything done is to call and ask for the "disconnect" department.

I agree with you 100% that they are deliberately inept. I have watched their installers sit in their vans on hold, waiting for a response from someone who can activate the system. They even make it difficult to find a technical support phone number in order to contact them. The alternative is Optimum, with better customer service and less bugs, but a user interface that looks and functions like it's still the 1990s.
 
Bruce, I am on Long Island and I switched from Cablevison. Their picture was worse and I though their service, or lack of it, was about a tie. But everything you said is true.

But, let me say although i have had the system 12 days, this is the first day I can enjoy it and play with it a bit. Play means going through the menus and recording 4 shows at once and watching another. Now I have NO reason to record four shows but I wanted to play!!!!!! Had all this been done the first day, I would have promoted Verizon and soon forgotten about the delays in the phones calls. Now, I say if you are happy with the Verizon you have, wait a few months. And if they come to yuour house
1. Make them put the signal strength on the screen.
2. Make sure they change their splitters both inside and outside th house.
Get a new router for your internet service.
 
Barry, I am in pretty good shape right now, but I am sure they could mess that up if I choose to make a change and go to Quantum.
 
Bruce, I don't know your needs. Do you need 6 programs recording at once . Would a 1080p be nice on you set. You realize that in a few years this will be their standard. But I would wait six months. You see, I thought this was an update of the old system, but it is a totally new system
 
I could appreciate 1080P on my big Kuro, but not necessary. I do watch some Blu Ray, but not much. Right now, I can record four programs because I have two multi room DVRs….one free. If I have two records going in one room, it will ask if I want to record in the other. I can watch either from any of four rooms.
 
Bruce, I had the same system that you did. I also had an additional cable box in another room. I called up to see how much more or less this system would be. It cost me one dollar more a month than having the two separate DVR boxes. I did not know that I would have to go through hell to get the new system. But now on a quiet night, while I have time to play, I am enjoying it. The reason I wanted this six channels is not the obvious I want to record six programs at once. But other than watching the Yankees in the Mets, many shows now go one minute or so passed the normal quitting time of on the hour. So I'm able to have a show run an extra minute or two and not confuse my DVR and not miss the opening of another show. With the new download that came today I have all the options I had on my old system and the picture is actually a little sharper and slightly more colorful and was worth the switch if everything was handled right. What can I tell you? To have to go through an additional three hours just for them to get it right is ridiculous. I should mention that the cable box that is not a DVR now allows me to fast-forward stop, rewind and pause whenever I want. So for a dollar more it is worth it
 
Barry, Bruce, I received some flyer for Quantum that I really didn't read through yet. Is Quantum just an upgrade to the DVR machine (more hours, more concurrent recording) or an upgrade in programming as well? And any comparison between Tivo and Quantum would be helpful, too.
 
The new quantum equipment does give you 1080 P instead of 1080i. This is the only substantial difference and the quality of the equipment. It does give you 100 hours of recording time on HD however you have to DVR machines and that will also give you 100 hours. The menus and the guides are virtually identical and you even use the same remote control. So although it is a very different system internally and in its software there is very little difference between the new system and what you have. I do appreciate the slightly better picture. It's not a quantum leap forward it is more of a big hop. The machines are also about one third the size of the older machines. And as I mentioned on the non-DVR boxes you are still able to fast-forward rewind and FreezeFrame. My experience with TiVo is dated so I cannot tell you what the new machines are doing. But to my knowledge these DV ours do everything a TiVo does. In addition and I must check this out, I believe that I can get Extertal storage on this if I wanted to but I will rarely go over 25 hours let alone come close to hundred. Alan I know you don't live in New York so I cannot compare this to your cable system. It is my experience here that the Verizon system is so hugely better than Cablevision I don't know how they still have customers. My friends have the Time Warner system and in my opinion the picture and reliability on the Verizon is much better and easier to use. My brother switched from Comcast and is very satisfied with Verizon. My brother lives in New Jersey. I went from DirecTV to Verizon with its triple play. I so prefer Verizon in every aspect but one to direct TV. I am not anything more than a baseball fan but I know that DirecTV does have many more sports options. One of those options was to get not just the major-league baseball games from various cities but you also got their local stations so you got the post game shows and the pregame shows on DirecTV I do not get that on Verizon. Verizon also has more movie channels in hi DEF then DirecTV. DirecTV may have a few more stations but they're mostly stuff I would never watch. In the past however DirecTV has slightly better standard definition broadcasting. I have not checked this out on the new unit yet. Allen it's always great to hear from you
 
Here's a preliminary update on how Verizon handles the standard definition channels on their new equipment. I was surprised to find out that the 480i signal has now been upscaled to 1080p. The stations look very well. I checked a few including some of the movie channels. And of course the Yankee game which is on right now. They all look very good.
 
Last word: The picture is noticeably better but not a Quantum Leap. The sound and surround aspects are MUCH better. The controls are sluggish to the point they are annoying. The equipment is fine, but the service remains questionable, both in person and on the phone.
 
Despite the advancement in technology, their service will remain woefully the same...

But glad you are enjoying the other bits of Quantum. I have to look into it a bit more...
 
An August Update to Verizon.

I expected a major download in a year to correct all the mistakes made in the original programming, but the download came yesterday, far quicker than I thought.

Seriously, I wish I had waited until now for the installation and not gone through installation hell.

The remote control and other items are not sluggish anymore. The system works fine. What is difficult is for 7 years I was used to the system working a certain way and had to get used to it working a new way. Well, I have to go through that again.

The major differences include: The Name of the show, it stars, date and synopsis are on an information bar every time you change the channel, rather than on a separate information page; You have far more options for various forms of information; you can shut off the banner ads and there are more choices in the audio settings (mono, stereo, surround) and video.

But it works basically the same.

On my IPad I can, away from my home, set up recordings, watch shows and even see who called me on my home phone.

Cons:
After the download, even tech support did NOT know that the main box had to rebooted for everything to work, so that took some time to figure that out. Also, my settings were wiped out and I had to put in Favorite stations, audio and video setting etc. The “widgets” don’t work properly and I bet that will be fixed soon.

Basically this is a good system that works well, I just woish it hadn’t taken up so much of my time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top