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So yesterday I had Verizon come over and hook up my house for their fiberoptic Internet and cable TV service. Along the way they also reset my phones to go through the fiber optic system as well.
I judge it a good decision. Essentially my house has gained a little more Internet speed than Comcast offered, and about triple the number of TV channels I had before (BBC America, yah!!), along with a nice onscreen menu system, for a net reduction of $25 in my monthly cable/net bill. The cable picture is nice and clear, and the Net is as fast as it ever was. Possibly a bit faster, since I think I'm the only person in the neighborhood with the service just now.
Downside: There's occasionally a bit of artifacting on the TV screen the first second you switch channels, but it clears up almost immediately. More seriously, since the house's land line goes through the fiber optic network, it requires a battery (installed when they put the new cables in) to keep it going during a power outtage, good for only four hours of talk time. Fortuantely I doubt it'll take four hours to determine "Shit, the power is taking forever to come back, let's find a hotel room." Anything longer than that probably means the Apocalypse has come and I shouldn't count on the phones workign anyway.
I judge it a good decision. Essentially my house has gained a little more Internet speed than Comcast offered, and about triple the number of TV channels I had before (BBC America, yah!!), along with a nice onscreen menu system, for a net reduction of $25 in my monthly cable/net bill. The cable picture is nice and clear, and the Net is as fast as it ever was. Possibly a bit faster, since I think I'm the only person in the neighborhood with the service just now.
Downside: There's occasionally a bit of artifacting on the TV screen the first second you switch channels, but it clears up almost immediately. More seriously, since the house's land line goes through the fiber optic network, it requires a battery (installed when they put the new cables in) to keep it going during a power outtage, good for only four hours of talk time. Fortuantely I doubt it'll take four hours to determine "Shit, the power is taking forever to come back, let's find a hotel room." Anything longer than that probably means the Apocalypse has come and I shouldn't count on the phones workign anyway.
