BostonBob, I definitely understand your frustration, I ca...

[Zeph]

BostonBob, I definitely understand your frustration, I can relate as well, as for example in switching to Shaw from my phone provider as I was unable to get access to a faster internet connection with my local phone computer, but that's a different story all together. If you don't mind, I want to take a step back as to how television has changed throughout the many years of delivering service to their customers. For example, I'm sure a lot of us can remember the days of VHF television, when we were limited to channels 2 to 13. Then came more channels, which either required customers to obtain a TV with increased channel numbers, or by obtaining a TV converter that would do this for older televisions. Then came digital TV, where customers would either purchase or rent a digital TV receiver to obtain even more channels, with enhanced TV services such as on-screen purchasing and your very own digital TV guide from the receiver. This was made available through fibre optics, because older cables made of copper are limited to the number of channels they can carry, to which the switch to a digital TV service made sense. Now even with digital TV services being delivered, they're still limited via bandwidth limitations on the amount of information they can carry. Then came new technologies, such as MPEG-4 and IPTV, which gives customers even more enhanced features and even better images, but even MPEG-4 has it's limitations, which indeed needs much more bandwidth, so in order to provide customers with even more channels and features, they've decided to deliver these features by IPTV, which has a much more greater bandwidth rate... which at some point will give customers the availability to even more MPEG-4 channels, along with 4K and even 8K channels. For MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 channels, you may notice complaints from customers in regards to compression rates, which decreases picutre imaging, so in order to hopefully resolve those issues, they're now sending channels via IPTV to help or eliminate this problem all together, and make the digital TV service future proof for all customers.

[bostonbob]

Zeph - yeah TV and how we watch it certainly have come a long way. I'm old enough to remember having to go outside to twist the antenna so the US channels from Vermont could come in a bit clearer on cloudy days. So I understand that technology is constantly changing but there are still 2 things that will likely sway my decision once my 2 year deal here is finished. Number 1 - what happened to all those promised HD channels we were supposed to get once that mythical DNU ( you know - the DNU that was going to be the answer to the prayers of all SHAW TV customers ) was completed. Bottom line - we got squat despite all those promises. At this point I honestly think we were simply lied to by SHAW in hopes of keeping us around a bit longer. Number 2 - now SHAW basically says that Gateway customers don't mean crap to them anymore as they add almost 90 new HD channels BUT only for Bluesky customers. I've been told why this happened but I still think it's complete BS. It's too bad because when it comes to the performance of their services I honestly give SHAW a 9.5 out of 10 but this lack of any new HD channels is going to be the reason if I end up deciding to leave at the end of May.

[NotImpressed1]

As a long time customer with Shaw, I am extremely disappointed and upset with the continuous price increase every few months. It has come to a point where it has become very expensive and unaffordable!!!! What a rip off for same service and channels but yet another ridiculous increase. I will be making the decision to leave Shaw and find another provider who has more reasonable prices and better service

[DXER]

I agree with BostonBob's two points. He's right. Many of us took the word that the DNU upgrades would mean converting most SD channels to HD. This has not happened. Yet the price increases continue. Even with no improvement in service and increases way over any inflation. My opinion echoes asha. Freeze the price increases for non-BlueCurve customers AND assist the transition into new equipment standards. Otherwise we have a situation of Shaw ripping off older customers in order to pay off new customers, or at least customers who buy new equipment.

[RichardH]

January 1 it is going up $7

[rickatk]

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@bostonbob wrote:

Talk about a slap in the face. So Gateway users get no new HD channels but are supposed to accept another rate increase starting in January. 😡

https://support.shaw.ca/t5/service-updates-outages/jan-1-2020-rate-adjustment-faq/ta-p/9851

At this point even if SHAW adds a bunch of new HD channels for their Gateway customers ( and we know that there's about 0% chance of this happening ) I think I'm outta here at the end of May when my 2 year deal is up. I have a hard time now paying just under $125 for what I'm currently getting so there's no freaking way I'm going to accept paying any more then that. Like I said before - it's too bad that SHAW is forcing my hand here because when it comes to overall performance I think they do an outstanding job.

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Why don’t you turn in that old Gateway gear, negotiate a new two year plan, which will lock in your rates and get on BlueCurve. Gateway and QAM is old tech that is not likely going to get much attention going forward. IPTV is the tv of the future. Lots of HD channels, more and more streaming options as well. I have been with BlueSky for well over a year now and watched as it grew in features. I just recently moved into another two year agreement
protecting my old 11 theme pack option. No rate increase!

Feeling real daring I just swapped out my BlueSky gear for the new Xi6 wireless boxes and full IPTV including Cloud PVR. There have been a few hiccups but the system seems to be settling down. I haven’t seen a rate increase in at least 4 years (2 cycles) maybe longer, thanks to these rate agreements. I have found the Shaw agents work hard at staying on top of the rate plans and packages, they know their stuff. Phone in see what you can do!

[bostonbob]

rickatk - I'm not trading in my Gateway for 2 reasons: it has always performed great and you can't add an expander to the BlueCurve system. Listen - I already traded in my old 3416 box for the Gateway system because the 3416 couldn't get any of the new MPEG4 chennels that SHAW had already added to their line-up. This is my main argument - the Gateway is perfectly capable of receiving all those new HD channels that SHAW recently added for their BlueCurve customers but SHAW just refuses to add them for Gateway users. Anyway - at this point it probably doesn't matter as I'm fairly certain that I'll be switching providers at the end of this May.

[rickatk]

Only as a point of discussion...I never had much luck with the tv gateways and expanders. Loss of data on a number of occasions left me quite sceptical about the whole local based PVR technology. Me, I prefer cloud tech and welcome the latest cloud PVR features of Blue Curve. Seems to me whatever you do, stay with Shaw or move on to a competitor or cut the cord totally, IPTV will likely be in your future.

[mdk]

> Why the fjell do we even have SD channels anymore ???? 

Daily, I auto-record "A Little Late with Lilly Singh" in Standard Definition.

It's a "talk" show -- I don't need HD video to [mostly] listen to the program.

Each recording takes much less disk-space on my PVR, leaving more space for other recordings.

[rickatk]

Couldn't have said it any better. I am quite excited about the latest IPTV system Shaw is using. Very clean implementation, certainly the promise of IPTV at work!

Indeed there have been a few hiccups but that comes with the bleeding edge tech.

I am finding things are settling down after going back to a dual band setting, swapping out one defective Xi6 player and adding pods. I have also been in contact with Shaw about the pricing as these latest enhancements occurred after doing an early renewal of my two year plan.

Overall my rate plan is down, I have wireless tv in my kitchen and IPTV around the house. Not to mention Cloud PVR which is proving to work well. 

I have looked at the competitors and in particular Telus. Shaw still seems like a good platform to go with.

I have found the aggregator features of the voice search works well.

Moving forward...more 4K HDR options and apps like CBC Gem would be nice.