Verizon on top of a huge trend - transforming the smartphone into a remote controller

I imagine that every service provider will soon be enabling remote control capabilities on smartphones and tablet computers; it just seems that Verizon's FiOS is ahead of the curve...as usual. The company reports that its Mobile Remote application is now available on more than forty devices.

The FiOS TV Mobile Remote app can be downloaded to Apple’s iPhone and iPod devices and will soon be available for download on tablet devices. Mobile Remote - which launched in February on DROID by Motorola - is also available on every device running Android software v.2.1 or above that supports Wi-Fi.

Verizon’s suite of applications is available for download - at no additional cost - in the Verizon Wireless Media Store, the Android Market, Apple’s App Store and BlackBerry App World. After just one year in the market, both Verizon’s DVR Manager, which lets customers manage DVR settings via their smart phone, and Mobile Remote have been downloaded more than 500,000 times.

In our Broadband, Communications & Entertainment Bundles study (press release here), we find that one-third of consumers in U.S. broadband households are highly interested in such a feature. So, yes, this one is going to be a difference-maker.

Verizon expands its TV Everywhere offering to include Cinemax

Verizon FiOS TV customers are getting another piece of the TV Everywhere pie, with the company and HBO today announcing the launch of MAXGO.com, Internet access to Cinemax online video. The website gives FiOS subscribers unlimited access to Cinemax offerings from any Internet-connected computer at no additional charge.

May 27, 2010 - Internet music streamed through the entire house!

If you want the extended version of the saga regarding trying to play Internet radio through my AV system and through the in-ceiling speakers, click here. Otherwise, the short story is that I hadn't found a way to stream my favorite Internet radio station through the AV receiver to enjoy a whole-house experience. I'd tried different media adapters, the ZVBox, and even a direct laptop-to-receiver connection, but nothing worked. The direct connection came closest, but with a really annoying buzzing sound.

Today, thanks to the help of a Verizon technician, I've got a clear stream from WOI FM from Ames and Des Moines (yes, there is classical music in Iowa) playing throughout the house! The Verizon technician ran some updates on the Media Manager software, and he tried to get WGUC out of Cincinnati running first. However, he told me that because radio stations tend to be all over the board with exactly how they are distributing their streams (even if they all use either Windows Media Player, Real, Flash, or other solutions), Verizon can't support every stream. I thought that this was an interesting point. They've managed to put YouTube on my TV in a really nice application, but audio will still give them problems in some cases.

At any rate, it's a cool application, and one that will come in handy, particularly on those work-at-home days or the hour on Sunday mornings when I have time to read the paper and listen to some baroque or St. Paul Sunday morning.

Verizon's FiOS continues to impress

I had written about some of Verizon's new features through the Media Manager, including access to YouTube. Sunday afternoons during the baseball season are fun for my son and me. If the Cubs win at Wrigley, they play "Go Cubs Go." As they were on the road yesterday (here in Arlington, actually), the Rangers' PA folks weren't gracious enough to crank up the music (even though half the stadium was Cubs fans). So, I found the clip on YouTube, turned on all of the music zones, and we jammed to it after the win.

I've also written about my quest to try to play my favorite Internet radio station throughout the home's speakers. Verizon now gives me that option, although I tried several times to get a couple of the radio stations configured and playing, and so far haven't had any luck.

Finally, we had some fun last night watching my four-year-old follow along to Evolution of Dance. These guys are really raising the bar on entertainment, at least for our home!

Evolution of Dance on my 42" Plasma - Thanks, Verizon!

Verizon introduced YouTube and streaming music access to FiOS TV customers yesterday. They have screen shots and video available for a closer look.

Verizon's Internet Radio and Internet Videos services are both accessible via Media Manager, which already allows subscribers to search and view on their TVs user-generated content from online video-sharing sites blip.tv, Dailymotion and Veoh. In addition, Verizon has expanded the Media Manager service, making it available to all FiOS TV HD customers. Previously, it was available only to DVR customers.

We gave YouTube a try yesterday evening, and it was a fun diversion. I introduced the wife and the four-year-old to "Evolution of Dance." In all, I found the YouTube experience quite good - Verizon has a nice interface, and it was easy to figure out how to use my universal remote controller to get a full screen view of the videos. Searching is an area where I still think these PC-on-TV type of services are going to get stuck. We keep hearing how consumers don't want full-sized keyboards in their living room, but doing one-letter-at-a-time searching for YouTube content is an arduous process. I think that these online services on the TV - Facebook, streaming music, etc. - are fun distractions, but I honestly don't know how many times we'll use the service beyond the introduction last night.

Verizon, don't mess with Dennis Streed!

Sometimes, it's worth it to be an insomniac. I was awake at 4:50 this morning for the Marketplace Morning Report on NPR, and heard the story of the man from Oregan who demanded a signed contract from Verizon that a $77.99 bundled service offer would be honored as such, with no additional or hidden fees. Those of us who have such contracts realize, of course, that the base price is just that - the starting point for pricing that will invariably include additioanl fees (taxes, regulatory fees, franchise fees, set-top box rental fees, etc.). As a Verizon FiOS customer myself, I checked my latest bill, and found about $50 in the extra fees. It's nothing new.

For Mr. Streed, however, this was unacceptable, and even though he was told by Verizon officials that a monthly payment of $77.99 would be sufficient, the company did cut off his services.

The lesson for Mr. Streed?

"Well, don't ever go for any bundling. Keep everything separate. Smaller lots. Your television with one. Your TV with another, so that you can't be completely destroyed."

Yeesh. Not great publicity for the service providers.

One side note: Verizon has restored Mr. Streed's services at the $77.99 price.

Verizon allows TV viewers to Tweet

Here it comes. Just a few weeks after introducting Twitter and Facebook access on its Widgets Bazaar, Verizon has added enhancements to allow subscribers to use their onscreen keyboard to send Tweets and the ability for subscribers to update their Facebook status with personalized messages.

Internet Video and My Video Services now Available to FiOS TV Customers

Web video is available to FiOS TV subscribers that have the Home Media DVR feature ($19.99 per month). I received a note from Verizon this morning noting that the implementation of Internet video and My Video (personal/home video) for the Home Media DVR service across the FiOS TV service footprint has been completed.

Now, all new and existing Home Media DVR subscribers have the ability to view Internet video content and personal/home video on their FiOS TV screen.

New Home Media DVR subscribers simply have to download the latest version of the bundled Media Manager software application and install it on a PC connected to their FIOS in-home LAN. Once that’s done, they’ll be able to stream Internet video, My Video, digital images and music files stored on the PC to their Home Media DVR set-top box. Current Home Media DVR subscribers who have previously downloaded/installed the bundled Media Manager software are receiving messages to upgrade the application to enable the additional new Internet video and My Video capabilities.

FiOS TV gets social networking and Web video

As someone who gets paid to write well (I hope), I think that Twitter is the beginning of the end of Western civilization. The Verizon folks decided to ignore my opinion, however, and they're integrating tweets and Facebook into an updated Widgets Bazaar. The social networking feeds add more content to the Widgets that already included ESPN Fantasy Football, customized news, traffic, and weather, and horoscopes.

The Widgets Bazaar is being launched as an open development platform. In the coming months, Verizon will add to the FiOS TV Widget Bazaar dozens of additional free and transactional applications developed by the company and others.

Verizon soon will publish its Software Development Kit (SDK) to enable open development. The open development platform will enable developers to publish applications to FiOS TV's growing base of more than 7 million interactive set-top devices in FiOS TV homes. The company expects open development to unleash a plethora of innovative, television centered applications. The SDK will use Lua, a robust and efficient programming language.

Verizon is also adding Web video sites to its Widgets. Later this month, customers who subscribe to the Home Media DVR service will have access a new Internet Video feature that will allow them to search and view on FiOS TV user generated online videos from video-sharing sites blip.tv, Dailymotion and Veoh. In addition, a new My Videos feature will let these subscribers view via FiOS TV personal videos stored on their PCs. Both new features will be available free of charge to FiOS Home Media DVR customers and require no additional equipment.

Veoh's content is pretty decent, and includes both catalog and recent television programming (CSI, NCIS, Family Guy, The Daily Show, etc.). I'm particularly excited about The A-Team!