Arris MP 2150 gateway and Total TV.

[Lightrain]

Went to Shaw a week or two ago to get a free cellphone connected. While there the sales rep made some TV channel lineup suggestions that made sense at the time. Since I'd save $50+ a month I thought why not. I asked if Total TV was compatible with my Arris MP 2150 gateway and was told it was. Next thing I had a list of Total TV channels and what I would gain or lose channel wise and a Technicolor XB6 Bluecurve router/modem to replace my Hitron 2250. I had a relatively ok experience installing XB6 for internet. The rep said I needed the XB6 hardware in order for the Total TV to work. Fair enough. So I lost TCM after 3 days after installing the new router, but my other channels seemed to be the same as before, including my existing time shift channels even though I added the time shift option to Total TV. Crave/HBO still work and all my channel numbers are the same. The old gateway shows old channels and the Total TV printout showed the Total TV channels with totally different channel numbers. So, did Shaw trick me into something that won't work with my old gateway, or do I need to do something more to get Total TV switched over. Thanks for any help you can provide to clarify this matter.

Norm

PS My old TV channels were grandfathered I think, so if I need to go back, if even possible, I suspect I won't be able to recreate the same channel lineup.

[rstra]

If the rep told you that the Gateway was compatible with Total TV, why would you need an XB6 for it to work? Did you sign up for a two year value plan?

[mdk]

@Lightrain -- the Total TV printout showed the Total TV channels with totally different channel numbers

Can you give an example?

Could it be the difference between Standard Definition and High Definition channels? For me, CBC Vancouver is SD #2, and also HD #209.

> if I need to go back, if even possible

There is a short number of days for you to "cancel" the new contract, and revert.

[Lightrain]

My old 2 year plan was ending, and this is a new 2 year plan.

I asked why the new modem, the rep just said total TV was needed for it, I found that hard to believe myself since it's on my PC and not my old gateway.

[Lightrain]

My old TV plan had many SD channels, but most had an HD equivalent.

Old SD channels were from 2 - 195ish

Old HD channels were from 200 - 300 plus a pile of crap beyond 300.

Blue channels start at 101 - 500, then more HD beyond 500 for Stingray and some new channels

Old System Calgary CBC is chan 6 in SD, channel 209 in HD, and channel 102 on bluecurve HD

Old system NBC Spokane is 16 (SD) and 202 (HD) and on blue curve/Total TV it's 114 (HD)

There are a few Bluecurve channels in the printout that didn't have an HD after them but 98% did have HD and no channels were listed with SD

My old Hitron was several years old and so I accepted the free upgrade to XB6. The term gateway on the XB6 is confusing to my arris gateway function. As far as I can tell it's just a router/modem nothing to do with TV channels per say, only Netflix via WiFi. My old arris gateway seems to be humming along as usual except for the missing channels now. No sign of any new channels a tall.

Again, thanks for your help.

Norm

[rstra]

@Lightrain The BlueCurve and gateway systems use different channel maps, that is the reason the numbers are all different. 

Did your internet speed change? That could have been the reason for the change to the XB6. The XB6 will also be required if  you ever decide to switch your TV boxes to the wireless BlueCurve TV boxes. 

[bostonbob]

I have the Total TV package and am still using the Gateway system. Because I'm not using the BlueCurve system I do not have access to a bunch of HD channels that are part of the Total TV package: ABC Spark, Cartoon Network, CW 11 Tacoma, Cottage Life, Crime + Investgation, Deja View, Discovery Science, E!, Game TV, Investigation Discovery, KTLA, KVOS, Makeful, NFL Network, Paramount, Teletoon, T+E and WSBK. When these channels became available in HD I was told that there was a good chance that some of them would become available to all SHAW customers regardless of what cable box they were using which of course was completely false.

[Lightrain]

Phew, I was worried it wouldn't work at all. Thank you bostonbob! 

So what did you, if anything, have to do to have the new channels appear in/on your old gateway? I have the bluecurve app on my cellphone but it's either confusing, or I am.

Thanks again

Norm

[Lightrain]

No, speed is the same at 300.  I get >300 down in Canada, >100 down in US/MEX; >100 up in Canada, >50 up in US/MEX. About the same as my old Hitron.

Maybe the guys counting on my old gateway not working well in the future and setting me up for the 'necessary' future upgrade.

Someone else on here said there were a number of Total TV channels not available on the old gateway. If that's so, would shaw allow me to select a couple of non total tv channels as compensation?

Thanks

Norm

[Lightrain]

When you switched did you lose recordings on your old gateway?