Can a Shaw XIone or Shaw XI6 WiFi TV box be added to a Shaw account ?

[mdk]

From: 

  https://support.shaw.ca/t5/tv-articles/equipment-info-4k-wireless-tv-player-xione-xi6/ta-p/6588

it seems possible to add a TV box in a different room in my home, and use WiFi from my XB7 cable-modem to connect to an XIone or XI6, and watch TV in that room.

Yesterday, via online chat, one Shaw Advisor said "yes" even when I have the older Shaw Gateway HDPVR. He indicated that I need to telephone Shaw, to make it so.

However, today, on the telephone with a Shaw Advisor in Ontario, I was told that I would have to replace the Gateway HDPVR by the newer HD TV box, before adding the XI6/XIone, because the XI6/XIone cannot be provisioned without de-provisioning the Gateway HDPVR. The Advisor  mentioned some techno-babble about the two channel-delivery systems "fighting for dominance".

[Note that I telephoned the local Shaw office in my BC city, and their system routed my call to Ontario. Load-balancing, I presume.]

So, what's the truth?

That Ontario-based Advisor also stated that my Gateway HDPVR has been decommissioned, and upon return from any power-outage, it would not reconnect to Shaw.  Really?

[I have received no notices about needing to switch my two-year Value Plan to Rogers ?!]

[rstra · Accepted solution]

@mdk Legacy and Ignite TV equipment can’t co-exist on the same account, they use different billing systems. The Gateway PVR was retired in select areas of Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver on March 23/23, I imagine they will all be retired eventually. Maybe the rep meant if it was damaged it wouldn’t be replaced?

[mdk]

@rstra -- if Shaw does not preemptively "retire" the Gateway HDPVR, the (aging) internal 500 GB disk-drive probably will fail, forcing the customer to replace it with the current equipment.

One Shaw Advisor was insistent that a loss of electrical power to the Gateway HDPVR would mean that it would never reboot. Hmm. Last month, I just replaced the battery in the UPS that feeds my TV & my HDPVR, which required a complete power-off, and both devices successfully restarted.  YMMV.  

Today, in person at the local Shaw/Rogers store-front, one Advisor suggested that there will never be a transfer of my Value Plan to Rogers -- why try to break something that is working?

A few months ago, I (seamlessly) migrated my Shaw Mobile account to Rogers Mobility.

Last month, via the My Shaw Portal, I switched the monthly invoicing for my Value Plan from BMO MasterCard to Rogers Bank MasterCard.   My latest invoice from Rogers Bank shows a $30 "cash-back" credit. Cool! I have created a monthly E-transfer from my BMO account to pay equal amounts to Rogers Bank MasterCard.  Call it "set it and forget it" -- no late fees, ever, and no need to use my time to pay the monthly invoice.

[rstra]

@mdk  Both “advisors” don’t have a clue. It is nonsense to suggest that the gateway wouldn’t reboot after a power failure. There was a power failure the other day at our other place in Parksville, our gateway is fine. A power failure in the Victoria area would generate 100s of service calls and would be a nightmare to fix.

I don’t think the Value Plans will be transferred to Rogers, but I am hoping that we will eventually be offered the same Rogers bundles when our plans come due. 

[mdk]

@rstra -- when our plans come due.

For me, maybe fortunately, that will be a while:

Promotions

2-Year ValuePlan Total TV Discount (expires 17-Oct-24) -25.00
Personal Phone Discount                  (expires 17-Oct-24) -10.00
Service Agreement Discount            (expires 17-Oct-24) -15.00
ValuePlan Internet Promotion          (expires 17-Oct-24) -10.00

Total Promotions $-60.00

[rstra]

@mdk  Rogers has 2 year plans that have more TV options than the Rogers/Shaw plans, and are also a few dollars cheaper. I like the variety of TV plans and the fact that their Ignite TV can be purchased un-bundled from the internet, so I could subscribe to cheaper third party providers. 

My plan expires at the end of next summer, I hope we get access to the Rogers offerings by then.

[mdk]

@rstra -- my thought is the most TV channels for the least price.

On their web-site:

How do I get Ignite TV?

Visit https://www.shaw.ca/tv to see our Ignite TV (formerly known as BlueCurve TV) bundles.

So, upon the expiry of your current Value Plan, you can switch.

It's nice to see "Popular TV" and "Total TV" options, rather than just "skinny TV" and "Total TV" channels.

Still, I like the "cash-back" to my Rogers Bank credit-card for the Internet component of my bundle. I would have to measure the cash-back that I would not get if I got my Internet from some other provider, when comparing prices.

P.S. It seems like Shaw cannot administratively provide 2 TV services on one account, but it seems like both services can be carried over the same technological coaxial-cable between the BC Hydro pole and the Demarcation Box.  I think of a MURB (Multiple Unit Residential Building) that has some residents with the older Shaw equipment, and some with the newer BlueCurve equipment, without any technological issues for the traffic on that cable.

[rstra]

@mdk Popular TV is pretty close to our current plan, so that’s a good thing. We also only really need Internet 150, as it is just the two of us, as long as it is unlimited. 

Yes, one coax line can carry more than one account as well as both legacy and Ignite.