Can't Find the TV Remote? Use the Cell Phone Instead

NEW YORK, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- FiOS TV customers are getting an innovative new way to control the functions on their TV sets -- and enjoy some enhanced features as well.  All they have to do is reach for their mobile phone.

Effective immediately, FiOS TV customers who have an HD set-top box and a Motorola Droid or HTC Imagio mobile phone can use the phones as a television remote control.  The mobile remote has virtually the same functionality as the standard FiOS remote, plus additional features including instantly transferring photos from the handset to the TV screen.  Verizon will expand this service, Verizon FiOS Mobile Remote, to additional mobile phones in the coming months.  

"With FiOS Mobile Remote we're leveraging the in-home FiOS network to marry the cell phone to the TV for simpler, more convenient navigation, along with entirely new phone-to-TV experiences that cable can't match,"  said Shawn Strickland, vice president of FiOS product management for Verizon.  "This kind of feature underscores for customers how powerful the FiOS in-home network is -- and the potential it has for constant innovation."

(Note: For screen shots and a video of the Mobile Remote Widget, visit  http://verizon.mediaseed.tv/Story.aspx?story=37309).

FiOS TV customers, including small-business customers, access the new feature through the applications store on their mobile phone handset and then pair the device with their in-home FiOS network by opening up the Mobile Remote Widget on FiOS TV and selecting either the Motorola Droid or HTC Imagio icon.  Customers will be asked to register their wireless telephone number, using the widget.  Customers can register their handsets on any FiOS TV, at home or away.

Once set up, FiOS Mobile Remote offers these features for Motorola Droid and HTC Imagio customers:

• My Remote -- Controls a FiOS TV set-top box from the mobile device, with features  including changing channels, adjusting volume, managing parental controls and using DVR functionality such as  pause, rewind, fast forward or record live programming.  Customers can also use the handset to control the FiOS TV onscreen full QWERTY keyboard, or use their handset's keyboard to search for TV programming and video-on-demand titles or manage the Facebook and Twitter widget applications.
• My Photos -- Photos stored on the handset can be instantly transferred from the phone to the TV, with two options.  With the touch of a finger, subscribers can flick one picture at a time and see it appear on the TV screen. Subscribers can also display an entire slide show of stored pictures.
• My Favorites -- Users can import to the mobile device favorite-channels lists currently stored on the TV set.  The mobile device can then be used to flip through and select channels from the lists.  
• Tele- TV Mute -- Automatically mutes the TV when a call is answered with the handset and resumes the previous TV-volume level after the call is ended.

FiOS TV offers a broad collection of programming, with more than 560 all-digital channels, and up to 138 HD channels.  FiOS provides next-generation interactive services including an advanced interactive media guide; social-networking, news and entertainment widgets; remote DVR management via broadband or cell phone; multi-room DVR, Internet videos on TV; streaming of personal videos, photos and music from home computers to the TV; and many others.  The FiOS TV Widget Bazaar is a marketplace for applications that includes a selection of free interactive services, including widgets that let subscribers interact with Facebook, Twitter, KODAK Gallery, HSN and other services on their TVs. 

For more information on FiOS TV, consumers can visit www.verizon.com/fiostv or call their local Verizon sales office or 888-438-3467.  Small-business customers can visit www.verizon.com/smallbusiness  or call 877-346-7249.  For the latest news, updates and information about FiOS TV, visit www.verizon.com/newscenter and http://www.verizon.com/athomeblog.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 91 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of approximately 222,900 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon