Verizon is telling customers that its FiOS TV apps for Xbox game consoles and smart TVs will be discontinued, limiting the options for hardware on which to view live programming.
Several people have reported receiving an e-mail from Verizon that states the following:
On March 31, 2016, the FiOS TV app you are using to watch your FiOS TV programming through a Smart TV or an Xbox gaming system will be retired and will no longer be available for use. Sorry for the inconvenience.
But we have great news; you can watch your FiOS TV content using our FiOS Mobile app from your smartphone or tablet. This app allows you to stream TV content in and out of your home and so much more.
Verizon's website still lists the FiOS TV app as being available for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Samsung's smart TVs and Blu-ray players. Verizon says the "app allows you to enjoy FiOS TV without the need for an additional set-top box"—for the next 10 days, anyway.
The FiOS Mobile apps for iOS and Android will continue to offer live streaming TV channels and on-demand programs on phones and tablets.
A Verizon spokesperson confirmed that the company is retiring the Xbox app, telling Ars that the decision was due to "the limited number of FiOS customers who were using the FiOS app on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One." Verizon also said the app had only a "limited number of channels available," rather than the full lineup.
Verizon's change comes shortly after the Federal Communications Commission proposed a new software-based replacement for CableCard that would let pay-TV customers watch channels on third-party set-top boxes. The FCC wants to require Verizon and other companies to make their programming available to makers of third-party apps and hardware so that consumers won't have to rent set-top boxes from their TV provider.
Pay-TV providers generally opposed the FCC's decision, saying that new requirements aren't necessary because TV companies are themselves building applications for third-party set-top boxes and other devices. Verizon did not join the main industry coalition opposing the FCC proposal, but the company's decision to drop app support for Xbox consoles and smart TVs shows that consumers can't always rely on their pay-TV provider to support the devices they want to watch channels on.
FiOS customers are disappointed in the decision. One Ars reader wrote an e-mail to us saying that he had been using the app on two Xbox consoles in order to have access on two of his TVs. "This will now require two additional boxes to be rented," he wrote.
"This is why I dislike cable companies," another person wrote on Reddit. "I recently cut my cord and was using my XB1 to stream content in my bedroom. Now it looks like I am stuck with Sling and might have to look into Playstation Vue. This is ridiculous, I can't wait until the FCC opens up the set-top box market."
Several people have reported receiving an e-mail from Verizon that states the following:
On March 31, 2016, the FiOS TV app you are using to watch your FiOS TV programming through a Smart TV or an Xbox gaming system will be retired and will no longer be available for use. Sorry for the inconvenience.
But we have great news; you can watch your FiOS TV content using our FiOS Mobile app from your smartphone or tablet. This app allows you to stream TV content in and out of your home and so much more.
Verizon's website still lists the FiOS TV app as being available for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Samsung's smart TVs and Blu-ray players. Verizon says the "app allows you to enjoy FiOS TV without the need for an additional set-top box"—for the next 10 days, anyway.
The FiOS Mobile apps for iOS and Android will continue to offer live streaming TV channels and on-demand programs on phones and tablets.
A Verizon spokesperson confirmed that the company is retiring the Xbox app, telling Ars that the decision was due to "the limited number of FiOS customers who were using the FiOS app on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One." Verizon also said the app had only a "limited number of channels available," rather than the full lineup.
Verizon's change comes shortly after the Federal Communications Commission proposed a new software-based replacement for CableCard that would let pay-TV customers watch channels on third-party set-top boxes. The FCC wants to require Verizon and other companies to make their programming available to makers of third-party apps and hardware so that consumers won't have to rent set-top boxes from their TV provider.
Pay-TV providers generally opposed the FCC's decision, saying that new requirements aren't necessary because TV companies are themselves building applications for third-party set-top boxes and other devices. Verizon did not join the main industry coalition opposing the FCC proposal, but the company's decision to drop app support for Xbox consoles and smart TVs shows that consumers can't always rely on their pay-TV provider to support the devices they want to watch channels on.
FiOS customers are disappointed in the decision. One Ars reader wrote an e-mail to us saying that he had been using the app on two Xbox consoles in order to have access on two of his TVs. "This will now require two additional boxes to be rented," he wrote.
"This is why I dislike cable companies," another person wrote on Reddit. "I recently cut my cord and was using my XB1 to stream content in my bedroom. Now it looks like I am stuck with Sling and might have to look into Playstation Vue. This is ridiculous, I can't wait until the FCC opens up the set-top box market."
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