Or you can do what I am doing and cut the cable, using ju...

[bernardf]

Or you can do what I am doing and cut the cable, using just streaming. If I have to adapt to a new way, might as well be one that has been getting better, not worse. And most of them don't have ads.

At least for the programming I watch, it seems to be worth trying.

[gdbccb]

I just got the dreaded letter from Rogers/Shaw and must now plan for post-Gateway life.  All of the information posted here by my fellow sufferers is very useful in trying to decide which of the two inferior options we lucky Canadians are graced with to grit my teeth and order.  I know it's somewhat off topic, but are there any substantive differences between Ignite and Optik that make one better than the other, at least in your opinion?

[rstra]

@gdbccb  I had to suffer with Optik while we were living at my mil’s while we were waiting for our house to be ready. I hate the remote and the navigation is really confusing.

[mdk]

@gdbccb -- using fiber-optic cable, one has "symmetric" Internet speeds -- "download" and "upload" are the same. When using Shaw/Rogers Cable, "upload" speeds are 10% to 15% of "download".

For most people, "fast uploads" are not required, and might not be noticed.

I use the "RogersOpen" and "ShawOpen" free WiFi points everywhere in my city. That is one area where Telus is far behind -- there seem to be well over 20 Shaw access-points for every 1 Telus access-point.

Telus' prices seem to increase in the 2nd year of a multi-year contract, unlike Shaw's "Value Plans" for TV & Internet.

[IHateRogers]

Same same here

[IHateRogers]

Yep I avoided BlueCurve like death as nobody could convince me IPTV was superior to my Gateway PVR.  Now we've been forced to take Rogers **bleep**ty IPTV and it sucks moist Beep.

[Christ0phrr]

A useful feature I found is to use the voice function for skipping ahead and back. You can choose any interval you wish. For example, to skip ahead one minute just say "one minute." Or to go back 20 seconds just say "back twenty seconds."

[mdk]

I received a letter from Rogers on July 15, telling me that my Gateway HDPVR will no longer be supported after September 9.  On August 14, they sent me a very-similar letter. 

Yesterday, there was a red-screen pop-up on my TV screen, saying the same thing.

I have a two-year Value Plan (TV/Internet/HomePhone). This contract ends on October 17 (just over 2 months away).

So, I called Rogers, to replace my Gateway, and to open another two-year Value Plan.

Before: Internet 500, with 100 Mbps upload. After: Internet 1000, with 200 Mbps upload.

Before: two PVRs. After: two TV boxes, with no charge for the second box.

Before: $188/month, plus taxes.  After: $197/month, plus taxes.  Yes, an increase, but Disney+ Standard With Ads is included. Being $9 more per month, the increased taxes on that extra $9 will be about $1/month more payable as GST/PST -- not payable to Shaw/Rogers.

Since I had 2 months remaining at the lower-price, I requested & got a $25 credit on my next invoice, which covers the extra $20 (2*$9, plus taxes), for those 2 months.

So, financially, I like the deal that I got. I am OK with paying $9/month more in 2024, than my Value-Plan rate that was "frozen" in October 2022.

I still will pay $0/month for the next 4 years for my Rogers Mobility phone -- "grandfathered" in from the first week that Shaw Mobile was offered in my city at that promotional price.  Nice!

The new TV boxes will be sent by Purolator, in a few business days. They said that I must "activate" the TV boxes within 3 weeks.

I wonder if I should call Rogers/Shaw, to work inside their Demarcation Box, to rewire the coaxial-splitter, to feed only the Shaw Phone Box and the cable-modem, deactivating the 2 wall-outlets that won't need to be active.  Maybe, I will leave them alone, in case "MoCA" is in my future.

[rstra]

@mdk  I wonder if they will hit you with the $7 rental charge for the second box like they are doing to me on or after September 1? I just signed up in June and they took my free rental away. 

My plan actually dropped by $10 compared to my last plan, so I will still be ahead. It is $152 for internet 300/150, popular TV, Disney plus and Crave. I was able to get a $100 bill credit. I will probably drop Crave and save $22 a month,

edit

[mdk]

@rstra wrote I wonder if they will hit you with the $7 rental charge for the second box.

During the conversation, I confirmed with the employee that the replacement for the second Arris TV box would not be charged.  I'm expecting the monthly invoice soon (August 17). We'll see.

I did check, via: https://my.shaw.ca/mybills  and none of the changes (deletes/adds) have been posted as of yet. 

I was not offered the option to stay with 500 Mbps.  Their web-site did not offer anything "slower" than 1000 Mbps.  I never seem to find a web-server that can transmit to me at over 100 Mbps. So, having "1000" is just over-kill (no gamers and content-creators in my home).  It is difficult to believe that their first (many years ago) offering to me was just FIVE Mbps!