Verizon has once again transformed the way people experience television by introducing the Verizon fiber optic TV Interactive Media Guide (IMG) in 2007. The IMG has set another milestone in the list of innovations that Verizon is acclaimed for.
I am sure all of you are well aware of how tedious searching for programs over a typical TV Guide works. A standard TV Guide is a simple listing which shows you what is currently being played or what you are navigating to. You then have to spend hours searching amidst thousands of programs available, the one you actually want to watch.
Now, those painstaking days are over because at the core of the FiOS TV IMG, is basically a powerful search tool which enables a user to search for a particular program just like a search engine on the internet. When you pull out the search guide you have the option to either put in a range of filters that will greatly refine your search or you may easily search for a program by typing in a keyword just like you would in an internet browser. The search engine will shortlist all media related to your query be it reviews, events, competition, show timings and etc. The controls are similar to internet controls and will thus be very familiar to kids and the old alike.
Of course parental controls still apply so parents can prevent their kids from watching anything inappropriate.
The Verizon FiOS IMG is all about convenience. It gives you a unique television watching experience by making it very interactive. The simplicity of the system means that even non-tech savvy people can use it easily. Now instead of pressing colored buttons and dragging down menus to search for queries which at times still do not yield the programs you were looking for, you may simply use an IMG enabled device. You can even program a DVR to record a show or enable a prompt to watch it at some other time.
According to Eric Bruno, Vice President Product Management at Verizon, “Customers are at the center of everything we do, and that includes how we develop our products and services.” The company used meticulous customer feedback, focus groups and survey to identify the consumer touch points which were then used in the product development labs and field trials to create 25 new upgrades to the FiOS TV IMG which are now available to the subscribers.
These upgrades enable users greater search filtering options, greater storage option, 3D enhancement options and over all a higher level of personalization with their IMG software. All upgrades are designed to give subscribers a simple more customized experience.
The FiOS IMG can be utilized with a FiOS Television remote control as well as a FiOS Mobile application that when installed can make any android based handheld gadget into a remote control for the FiOS High Definition set-top box.
Furthermore the system is built on Flex View and FiOS TV online which are both innovative programs in their own right. This gives FiOS TV enabled withinternet dongle access beyond television and internet networks to cellular devices. There are many other products that come with this service such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Yelp. The in built internet dongle also enable users to watch personal photos, music and videos straight from their computers while the In-Home Agent software offers a host of diagnostic tools for maintenance of the system.
The system was first introduced in Verizon’s service areas of greater Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware and is unparalleled in the industry. Verizon has set a precedent which will be followed by other cable TV service and broadband providers nationwide just like it did when it became the only network to provide cable TV, broadband and home phone service on a fiber optic cable in 2005.
The introduction of fiber optic cables proved to be a very good decision because Verizon can now confidentially boast faster, sharper images and better sound then any other service provider.
The FiOS IMG is a groundbreaking tool which will quickly be adopted by other cable service providers nation wide according to industry experts because in this ever changing age of information users are always looking for convenience and greater value for their money.
