Friday, February 6, 2009

Verizon Adds 13 New Channels to FiOS TV Lineup for Rhode Island Area Customers

New FiOS TV Customers Eligible for a High-Def or Home Media Digital Video Recorder - Free for 6 Months

PROVIDENCE, R.I., Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon FiOS TV continues delivering the ultimate home-entertainment experience, with the addition of 13 new channels to its Rhode Island lineup. FiOS TV customers in the area now have a total of 105 high-definition (HD) channels available, and more than 1,400 HD video-on-demand (VOD) titles, which are offered each month.

"Only Verizon delivers all-digital TV over an all-fiber-optic network straight to customers' homes," said Bob Driscoll, Verizon vice president of sales, Northeast region. "Our advanced network creates the ultimate home-entertainment experience, with an ever-expanding channel lineup, the most HD channels, the best picture-and-sound quality and interactive features that go beyond old-fashioned cable."

New customers who subscribe to FiOS TV between now and Feb. 21 will also receive their choice of free use for six months of either a high-definition (HD) digital video recorder (DVR) or an HD Home Media DVR. Customers who take advantage of this offer will save between $95 and $119 for the first six months, depending upon the DVR customers choose.

Customers who take advantage of Verizon's multi-room DVR can use one DVR to record programming that can be watched on up to six other TV sets in the home. This includes viewing up to three separately recorded programs simultaneously on different TV sets, and the ability to pause recorded programming on one set and continue watching it on another. Verizon's Home Media DVR also allows customers to access photos and music from their personal computers and play them on their TV or home theater systems.

New Content

The 13 new channels provide subscribers in the Rhode Island area more movie and sports content, with channels such as Encore HD, which provides a great selection of movie choices; Chiller, a 24-hour channel devoted to suspense and horror movies; and sports channels, including CBS College Sports Network. Customers will also have access to The Home Shopping Network (HSN) in HD and Blue Highways, a channel highlighting music, neighborhoods, art, festivals and celebrations that define American culture.

FiOS TV also continues to expand its diverse content with the addition of eight new multicultural content channels: CCTV-9, Deutsche Welle, Zee TV, ProSiebenSat.1Welt, Jus Punjabi, SET Asia, Starz Indie and Starz Retro, leading channels for multicultural audiences as well as Asian, Indian, German and European audiences.

FiOS TV's innovative interactive media guide (IMG) helps customers quickly and easily find and enjoy content from TV listings, VOD catalogs and their DVR, as well as personal music and photos from a home network. Among the features of the IMG are:

  • Remote DVR management - Subscribers can remotely control their Home Media DVRs either online or via select Verizon Wireless handsets. On-the-go FiOS TV subscribers can use the service to remotely review, change or add recording requests, delete recorded programs, browse and search TV and video-on-demand listings, set parental controls, and more.
  • Widgets - Customers have one-touch, on-demand access to local weather and traffic reports shown on TV screens. Widgets provide local traffic and weather reports, daily local and national news headlines, daily national sports headlines, community news, and daily horoscopes.
  • Free casual games - With the remote control and an HD set-top box, customers can access chess, solitaire and wordplay.
  • "What's Hot on FiOS TV" - Features information on the most-popular programs currently being broadcast in the region and the most popular VOD titles.
  • Return to paused programming - Allows customers to pause live programming, change channels, and then return to the paused program and pick up where they left off.
  • Channel sorting options - Customers can create two separate lists of favorite channels for family members. Customers also can filter channels in the guide by genre, for instances where a customer only may want to see HD content, international channels or kids programming, among others.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 80 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 224,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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