![]() On average, I’d say there was about a service interruption every 3-6 months. While Time Warner Cable MAXX was decent, I did have several service interruptions and issues that required visits to replace modems or outside cables over the years. Having worked from home for the last 10 years, I’ve become extremely dependent on fast, reliable internet service. As with other services, you’ll pay for additional TV’s and premium channel add-ons but there’s no additional fee for DVR service – it’s included. Google Fiber’s on-demand selection is excellent and priced about the same as what I had with Dish Network and Charter Spectrum. I had the reasonably priced Dish Network Top 200 package while Google has a single TV service tier that includes all of those channels, plus some additional I did not have previously. I’ve had no stuttering or picture issues with the IPTV – changing stations is as fast as cable or satellite. The HD picture quality is outstanding on both 52″ 1080p and 32″ 720p TV’s though it was with Dish Network as well. While not as common as the cable providers would have you believe, my Dish Network service did cut out from time to time in the absolute worst weather, but I no longer have to worry about this with Google Fiber. ![]() The same basic DVR options for setting scheduled or one-time recordings are present as with my Dish Network ViP 722k and with 8 streams, setting buffers doesn’t cause conflicts. The Network+ Box has an embedded 2TB hard disk that can store up to 500 hours of programming and enables watching or recording of up to 8 shows at once. The learning remote is a combination Bluetooth and IR transmitter, with very basic TV controls (on/off, volume, input) – it does not have additional device modes, but it was able to learn the IR codes to control the volume on my Samsung sound bar. The interface is quick to load after powering up and shows pictures shared via Google+ as a screen saver when not in use. There is still some small room for improvement, but overall, it’s easy to understand and the guide works well. Switching to a new interface was going to be a challenge, but after a day or two using Google’s latest interface for Fiber TV, I like it at least as much as Dish Network’s. In fact, we have Charter Spectrum service at a vacation rental property with the same interface, and it’s terrible. I absolutely despised the Time Warner Cable interface and guide and always found it very difficult to use anytime I visited a friend’s house. The guide was clean and easy to understand, allowed for customization, and had quick access to all the menu’s I used. I loved the interface on my Dish Network ViP 722k. You can find specifications about the devices here. The Network+ Box provides DVR storage and acts as a wireless router, and each TV box can extend the wireless network for larger homes. A straight RG6 run is necessary to each TV box – no splitters after the TV distribution panel. Google Fiber Jack, RG6 run to TV panel, old TWC connectionĪ CAT5e cable connects the fiber jack to the Network+ Box which has RG6 output to the TV boxes at each TV location (MoCA). ![]() ![]() He also ran a new RG6 cable back to the TV distribution panel outside the house for TV service. It was then another few weeks before they started scheduling installations, but I was able to get the installation scheduled on the day after they started in my area. Installation was fairly smooth – the installer placed this fiber jack in my home office next to the incoming RG6 cable from TWC. Soon after, a team came and installed the network demarcation point (NDP). The day Google announced they’d be accepting new installations, I signed up for installation of both TV and internet service. And, not surprisingly, AT&T also ran their Fiber service shortly after Google Fiber was installed in our area.Ĭonstruction made quite a mess of the neighborhood – we still have paint from the utility labeling throughout the development – and it was almost a year that we had to wait between when they buried the cable, and when they announced service availability. Within a month of Google’s announcement, Time Warner announced the launch of their MAXX service in my area bumping speeds to 300/20 for which I promptly signed up. Working from home, it was imperative that I had solid internet service, and the combined cost of Time Warner Cable’s internet service and Dish Network had me thinking about making the switch when Google Fiber became available. Having moved from New England, I desperately needed to be able to watch the Red Sox and Bruins, something being a Dish “mover” allowed me to do. Since moving to Charlotte, NC, I had been a Time Warner Cable (now Charter) internet customer, and a happy Dish Network customer for the last 15 years. In early 2015, Google announced they would be blanketing Charlotte, NC in fiber to support their Google Fiber internet and TV service.
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