Verizon Upgrades FiOS TV Guide In Maryland, Virginia and D.C.

Verizon released an HD-optimized upgrade of the FiOS TV Interactive Media Guide for subscribers in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., service areas, which cover more than 2.2 million homes passed.

Version 1.9 of the FiOS TV Interactive Media Guide provides features including: a full 16-by-9 screen for HDTVs, more personalization options, improved search capabilities, additional parental controls and DVR enhancements.

The telco in mid-April began deploying the next-generation guide in Harrisburg, Pa., and Syracuse, Albany and Buffalo, N.Y., followed by Tampa, Fla., and Pittsburgh. This fall it launched IMG 1.9 in New Jersey, Philadelphia and Delaware.

Originally Verizon expected IMG 1.9 to roll out to all FiOS markets through June, but that was delayed to make tweaks to the guide's typeface and background, according to the telco.

The IMG 1.9 release is not supported by some FiOS set-tops, including the Motorola DCT700 and the standard-definition Motorola QIP 2500 P1 and P2. All other Motorola and Cisco Systems set-tops are automatically upgraded to IMG 1.9 with no user action required.

Verizon introduced IMG in 2007. Initially the telco was developing the FiOS guide with Microsoft but took the software in-house in 2006.