FiOS Vs. Cable TV

What sets FiOS apart from traditional cable is the use of fiber optic cable connected directly to your home. Fiber optic cable can carry more data faster than traditional copper and coaxial cables, meaning that FiOS can provide a more robust set of options and increased communication between Internet and television devices. On FiOS, for example, you can access Internet applications such as social networks and video programs from your TV and send pictures and other content from your computer to your TV. Regular cable TV usually works through the coaxial cable already installed in your home -- those thick wires that stick out of the wall in some rooms -- making installation easier but limiting the connectivity options between cable TV and other communications services. Some options, however, also use partial fiber optic networks in order to provide similar services.

As a bundled service, FiOS provides telephone, Internet and cable service from a single provider. Depending on where you live, combined FiOS service may not necessarily be cheaper than contracting the three services separately, but will at least save you some time with a consolidated bill. The consolidated service also simplifies some of the data transfers between your Internet connected computer and television, as all your communication services will transmit data through the same fiber optic cables. Some cable operators also provide bundled Internet and phone services, yet the data transmission between services is slightly more limited because of the reduced capacity of coaxial cable.

In terms of video signal, the increased capacity of fiber optic cable allows more pixels to be transferred and for a general increase in the image quality of high definition programs. As a result, FiOS offers a wide range of high definition channels, although most at an additional cost. The increased capacity of fiber optic cables also allows for continual increases in image quality as technology improves, while the data transmission capabilities of coaxial cables limits the amount of new content and features that can be added. Nonetheless, many cable TV operators offer ample high-definition programming, many a good deal more affordable than FiOS, making cable TV a good value option in the short term, albeit with limited growth possibilities into the future.

In addition to the work required to connect fiber optic cables directly to a home, FiOS also requires new equipment to manage the service. Depending on your home configuration, FiOS users may need a combination of set-top boxes, cable cards and DVRs specially designed for the system. This equipment is designed for use on fiber optic cables and is different from the equipment used by most cable services. This additional technology, of course, also means that FiOS is limited to areas connected to Verizon's fiber optic network. Verizon is expanding coverage, but FiOS is still not as accessible as services working over traditional infrastructure that is already in place in most of the country. Traditional cable TV, on the other hand, can be installed in the vast majority of homes in the country, often with shorter installation times that FiOS. Cable TV operators usually have their own equipment requirements or TV boxes that work with their respective systems, some more affordable than FiOS equipment but some even more expensive.