FiOS Mobile App Adds Remote DVR Streaming

Hitting a self-imposed deadline to have it rolled out to all FiOS TV subs by mid-December, Verizon said it has completed an update to its FiOS Mobile App for iOS and Android devices that lets customers access DVR-recorded shows and movies while they’re away from home.

Per Verizon, customers with both FiOS Quantum TV service and FiOS Internet service can stream “nearly all” of their DVR-recorded shows from outside the home anywhere they have a broadband connection.

Additionally, the new software update lets FiOS customers watch their full live TV lineup via the app when they are connected to the home network – something that  Comcast currently provides to X1 subs via its Xfinity TV app for smartphones and tablets and Web browsers. Comcast also offers a cloud DVR that provides out-of-home streaming access to recorded shows and a download option. Cablevision Systems’ network DVR, which lets customers record up to 15 shows at once, is currently limited to the set-top box.

Verizon, which enables subs to record up to 12 shows at once by combining the functions of  two six-tuner Arris-made Verizon Media Servers, began to make the new FiOS Mobile app features available in several FiOS markets, including Philadelphia, last month. At the time, the company said it expected to complete the rollout by mid-December.

"The latest innovations of the Fios Mobile app are how today's consumers want to watch TV and view content," said Susan Retta, vice president of consumer marketing, Verizon, in a statement. "These new features allow our customers to take their home Fios TV experience with them and to enjoy it whenever and wherever they go."