Verizon FIOS to add A&E HD on channel 842

In yet another installment of "what took so long" Verizon FIOS is adding A&E HD in at least the Tampa market -- for now -- on channel 842. This is the first HD addition to the lineup in six months, at a time when most other providers are adding new HD channels in record numbers. We're still trying to get to the bottom as to why Verizon is sitting on the sidelines, and then when they finally do add a new channel, they add one with so little actual HD content. Until then, we'll wait for this channel to show as indicated on scrolling message on channel 49. We dont' know when they'll it for the rest of the country, but it's usually Verizon's practice to add channels near their super head ends, just before the national deployment.

Thanks Bryan!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2007 1:50PM]

FIOS will be coming to my neighborhood soon, but I can't justify switching to them while Cox (my cable provider) keeps rolling out the new HD stations. It seems kind of silly for Verizon to have all that bandwidth and not use it.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2007 2:37PM]

I'm in Tampa and we don't have that channel yet. Just checked.

I did talk to a buddy of mine who is a FIOS installer, and he did say that we are supposed to get a bunch of new HD channels "soon". Whenever that is.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2007 2:37PM]

Nick, I'm in Tampa also.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 15th 2007 1:04PM]

I see the same scroll message for the Northern Virginia / Washington DC Metro region.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2007 6:03PM]

Verizon's channel changes are nationwide, unless there is some local contract issue.

I have the same message in NJ.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 15th 2007 12:35PM]

Maybe Verizon is waiting to intro scores of new HD content on one date rather than slowly introducing content. After all, I switched to FIOS, but my town in NJ hasn't been officially announced in a press release yet. I get the impression, they wait until they have a half dozen towns lit up before they issue a news release, so maybe they'll do the same with new channels.

BTW, what channels we do have in HD, look significantly better than the same ones on Comcast. Plus, the Internet is 3 to 4 times faster based on my own speedtests at DSLreports. And despite Comcast's ads to the contrary, the installer and customer service reps are significantly more professional than the Comcast employees.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 16th 2007 7:49PM]

I'm in Richmond, VA and we got it today, but I had to unlock for some reason.