About to call Shaw (and cancel Bell XpressVu)

[mecdatlanta]

Hey Gang!

After nearly 10 years of trouble-free service from Xpressu, I am about to pull the plug on our beloved DVR. Why? Because I live in Atlanta and, as I have been told by the informed frequenters of this forum, Bell is going to pull the plug on anyone living much further south of the Canadian - U.S. border. Also, we will soon be heading back to Ontario for our annual summer visit and I would need to take seize the opportunity to bring back the new hardware (in addition to the President's Choice jam that my (American) wife can't seem to get enough of).

So I thought that I would check, one last time, to see if I really need to call Shaw and order the 630 receiver (the one with PVR). Is there a chance that I might get another year out of my Bell hardware? Is there a chance that Shaw will release a 700 series any time soon?

It kills me to retire hardware that still functions and provides us with the programming that we want, but if it means several months of nothing before we make our trek back to Canada for Summer Trip 2013, then move on we must.

Don

 

[QCK]

The best chance you have of keeping Bell is if the Nimiq6 launch goes bad or that there will be a problem with it once they try to operate it. The footprint shows that it will not be seen in the US south: SatBeams - Satellite Details - Nimiq 6 The launch is on May 17th, so you might want to wait and see how it goes before calling Shaw.

There will not be a Shaw Direct 700 series anytime soon. There are new firmware upgrades to come later this year for the 600 series receivers, but then again you can never really make concrete promises in regards to Shaw Direct.

 

[mecdatlanta]

May 17th! That's good to know. I have my fingers crossed that the launch is a failure. Just kidding, of course.

Assuming that it is a success, is the belief that the legacy satellite will be shut down immediately? Does anyone have a sense for how long after a successful launch the old satellite will remain in service?

Thanks for telling me that the launch is just a week away QCK. I planned on ordering the Shaw system in the next couple of weeks, but will definitely be waiting until I hear more on the launch.

Best,

Don

 

[bayguy]

Hi Don we're in California and we decided to go ahead and get Shaw now so we wouldnt have a gap after Bell goes away. Yeah there's a chance the Bell sat will fail but probably not and anyway now we have HD and also our Bell rcvr was 12 yrs old and the guide was very slow and so its fine to finally get something newer. But if you want to wait and see thats fine just you might be w/o sat TV for a while til you get the new rcvr and dish set up.

I saw somewhere else that BEV might start using the new sat really soon like a week or two.

Also SD is going to put up a new sat maybe later this year that also won't get to Calif. or Atlanta but people seem to think that it will just have some minor channels and we'll still be okay with the channels we get now or at least most of them. Ive read for a long time that SD is friendlier to snowbirds and other customers in the U.S. so maybe they wont cut us off. I sure hope not b'cuz with Bell going away Shaw is our only way to keep all this great timeshifting and stuff!

 

[Frenchophile]

The sat launches next week. expect 2-3 months for deployment and for them to ensure it is working properly. then things will be phased out. so plan on end of August

 

[rogue17]

Thanks french.

 

[mecdatlanta]

Merci Frenchofile!

The sat launches next week. expect 2-3 months for deployment and for them to ensure it is working properly. then things will be phased out. so plan on end of August

Ah mon viel ami Frenchofile. Are we the only two living in the U.S. who use CDN satellite to get French content? Although, I have to admit, I am enjoying this Ann Murray special on CBC tonight. So we do watch a little English content (hockey games included). ;-)

My plan is to buy the 630 and then go to Amazon and buy a video transmitter to transmit the signal to other parts of the house. BTW, for those of you who haven't checked these video transmitters out lately, you should. No need to buy extra receivers. These transmitters use less electricity, allow you to access your PVR from any room in your house.

I assume that Shaw ships the receiver within days of ordering it? How much in advance do I need to order the hardware? I'd hate to order it and have it arrive AFTER we have left for Atlanta.

Thanks for your feedback everyone. While my current hardware is still fine, I am looking forward to looking forward.

Best,

Don

 

[Frenchophile]

you can purchase receiver from best buy or future shop, but not sure about the dish antenna.

for me, having access to french programming is a bonus, not primary reason, although i do have a grandfathered bilingual package. my main reasons for subscribing are: hockey, Detroit locals, and commercial-free children's programming.

 

[joshuals]

Ah mon viel ami Frenchofile. Are we the only two living in the U.S. who use CDN satellite to get French content?

Salut mon Mec et Frencho…..non, vous n’êtes pas les seuls aux États!!! Je m’abonne au forfait « tout-en-français » moi itou…..

Better switch back to anglais or they’ll delete my post! Couldn’t get along without RDS and the Habs games, in spite of the season they had. Also like the documentary programs on SRC and some of the old-time téléromans on Prise2 and ARTV that originally aired in the ‘60s when I lived in the US, but near enough to the Québec border to get a signal with an ordinary roof antenna. Also enjoy the TVA station from Rimouski where we have our summer residence, so can get the local news while we’re in the US for the winter.

I’m a little nervous about the eventuality when Shaw puts up its new satellites that won’t cover the southwestern US, but hopefully they’ll keep at least the current SD programming on the existing satellites until the end of their life. After that, who knows what will happen? I can’t imagine being without the French programming, as I rarely watch anything on our local cable.

you can purchase receiver from best buy or future shop, but not sure about the dish antenna.

The dish or spare LNB’s can be purchased via an Internet business in Montréal. The shipping charges to the US are a killer, but it’s the only way I know of to get a dish. Send me a PM if you need more info.

 

[Marg]

Myself I'm not sure if Shaw is going to do the same thing as Bell I plan on putting Bell on vacation for 6mths and buying Direct or Dish for the winter mths in AZ if you buy the equipment then I heard you can put them on vacation for the summer.

 

[mecdatlanta]

Planning to order [Shaw --> CDN Residence]

Ah d'autres francophiles! Je commencais a me sentir un peu seul. ;-)

I plan on ordering the system (dish included) directly from Shaw and having everything shipped to my mother's house in Ontario. Mike Kohl, who is active on this site (I suggest connecting with him if you haven't already), was very helpful in indicating that the only way to get the dish is by ordering a free installation when you purchase the receiver. I plan to make an installer very happy -- when he shows up I am going to tell him that "I'll take it from here" and send him on his way. It will be his easiest job he never did.

I do have a problem with the idea of buying multiple receivers. As I understand it, Shaw charges $6/mo/receiver. In addition, these receivers are "energivore", even though they have improved markedly in their energy consumption since the early versions. So instead, I will buy this system Amazon.com: Actiontec My Wireless TV WiFi / HDMI Multi-Room Wireless HD Video Kit: Electronics, to wirelessly transmit the signal from my 630 PVR and my Roku to a second room. I really want this system Amazon.com: Peerless HDS100 HD Wireless Multimedia Center - Black: Electronics, but adding additional receivers is simply too cost prohibitive. I'm interested in hearing what others think about this logic.

I guess I will want to buy an additional RF remote control to use in our second room. Is buying the URC 600 (IR/UHF) directly from Shaw the best bet? It seems reasonably priced at $39.99.

Salut mon Mec et Frencho…..non, vous n’êtes pas les seuls aux États!!! Je m’abonne au forfait « tout-en-français » moi itou…..

Better switch back to anglais or they’ll delete my post! Couldn’t get along without RDS and the Habs games, in spite of the season they had. Also like the documentary programs on SRC and some of the old-time téléromans on Prise2 and ARTV that originally aired in the ‘60s when I lived in the US, but near enough to the Québec border to get a signal with an ordinary roof antenna. Also enjoy the TVA station from Rimouski where we have our summer residence, so can get the local news while we’re in the US for the winter.

I’m a little nervous about the eventuality when Shaw puts up its new satellites that won’t cover the southwestern US, but hopefully they’ll keep at least the current SD programming on the existing satellites until the end of their life. After that, who knows what will happen? I can’t imagine being without the French programming, as I rarely watch anything on our local cable.

Don




The dish or spare LNB’s can be purchased via an Internet business in Montréal. The shipping charges to the US are a killer, but it’s the only way I know of to get a dish. Send me a PM if you need more info.

 

[QCK]

I do have a problem with the idea of buying multiple receivers. As I understand it, Shaw charges $6/mo/receiver.

If you have more than one receiver you pay a "Multi-Receiver Warranty Fee" of $5.99, you do not pay this per each receiver, it is a single fee of $5.99 whether you have 2 receivers or the maximum of 6 receivers on a single account. I have six 630 receivers, 3 at my Canadian residence and 3 at my HAFH residence and pay a single fee of $5.99 each month.

 

[mecdatlanta]

If you have more than one receiver you pay a "Multi-Receiver Warranty Fee" of $5.99, you do not pay this per each receiver, it is a single fee of $5.99 whether you have 2 receivers or the maximum of 6 receivers on a single account. I have six 630 receivers, 3 at my Canadian residence and 3 at my HAFH residence and pay a single fee of $5.99 each month.

Wow 6 630's! That's quite an investment QCK!

That brings up a good point. How does having an installation at a second residence work? I tried to look that up on the Shaw website, but they don't seem to talk about using a subscription at a lakehouse, etc. Is it just a matter of buying a second dish and receiver and paying the $5.99/mo fee?

Don

 

[QCK]

You need to tell them you want the Home Away From Home package. It will cost you $99 + tax and they will mail you a dish to your Canadian residence. Just have the dish installed at your secondary home. You must provide them with a fax of proof of your secondary residence (tax or utility bill with your name on it) before they will send you the dish. Having receivers at both places saves the hassle of crossing the border with them.

 

[Frenchophile]

regarding relaying 630 to multiple tvs:

The outputs on the 630 (and all Shaw Direct receivers) are all live. I have the component video (YPbPr) hooked to TV1, the Analog component video and audio (Yellow/red/white) hooked up to a vcr. the audio out from vcr is connected to TV1, the vcr then feeds out analog via RF, which is distributed to TV 3-6. TV2 is hooked up via a 25' HDMI. and I have four receivers. but in my man cave, I have three tvs (numbers 4-6), and two receivers, so the extra feed from the 630 comes in handy especially on Sundays during NFL season and early rounds of NBA and NHL playoffs.

 

[mecdatlanta]

How best to redistribute HD signal from 630

regarding relaying 630 to multiple tvs:

The outputs on the 630 (and all Shaw Direct receivers) are all live. I have the component video (YPbPr) hooked to TV1, the Analog component video and audio (Yellow/red/white) hooked up to a vcr. the audio out from vcr is connected to TV1, the vcr then feeds out analog via RF, which is distributed to TV 3-6. TV2 is hooked up via a 25' HDMI. and I have four receivers. but in my man cave, I have three tvs (numbers 4-6), and two receivers, so the extra feed from the 630 comes in handy especially on Sundays during NFL season and early rounds of NBA and NHL playoffs.

Frenchophile (and others who wish to chime in):

My current Bell XpressVu system is set up in such a way that the signal that the receiver sends out is sent throughout my entire house. Meaning that any tv that is hooked into a coaxial connection is picking up a (albeit analog) signal of the channel being viewed via my Bell PVR. I didn't think that the same would be possible with the 630, since it emits a digital signal and such a signal wouldn't be able to be transmitted over coaxial, but perhaps I am mistaken. At any rate, the analog signal that I pick up in my " man cave" isn't terrific -- it's acceptable, but not great (even strictly by analog standards).

I thought that a HD video transmitter would be the best solution, but I seem to be in the minority of those actually planning on using one (at least no one has spoken out in favor of them on this forum). Can someone suggest a better solution? I really want to have access to the PVR in our upstairs living room from my man cave. So getting a basic receiver for the basement isn't the best option for me. Also, the thought of being able to share a Roku and a Blu Ray player is appealing. I am curious to know if it is even possible to redistribute a signal from the 630, via coaxial (or even wirelessly) throughout the house. Frenchophile, you mentioned using analog via RF. I'm not sure how that works, but would be interested in learning more.

Thanks everyone!

Don

 

[Frenchophile]

Don: very easy to do. you hook up the analog component out (Yellow/red/white) from 630 to a vcr, then use the coax from the vcr to distribute throughout your house on either channel 3 or channel 4. best thing is that if you dont have a vcr at home anymore, you can pick up for next to nothing on CL. if you also have an OTA antenna running on same line, you would need a signal combiner, which run about $20.

i'm not familiar with HD video transmitters so i cannot comment.

 

[mecdatlanta]

Glad I asked!

Don: very easy to do. you hook up the analog component out (Yellow/red/white) from 630 to a vcr, then use the coax from the vcr to distribute throughout your house on either channel 3 or channel 4. best thing is that if you dont have a vcr at home anymore, you can pick up for next to nothing on CL. if you also have an OTA antenna running on same line, you would need a signal combiner, which run about $20.

i'm not familiar with HD video transmitters so i cannot comment.

Thanks for that tip, Frenchophile!

I didn't know that the 630 offered analog out. So it looks like I already have the setup as required, since I am doing exactly what you described above with my Bell hardware.

Me not have a VCR?!? I haven't upgraded to DVD yet and use VHS tapes exclusively for recording all content. OK, just kidding. I'm not that far behind the technology curve. ;-)

Don

 

[bayguy]

Don we didnt get a 630 'cuz we already have a fine Magnavox PVR but before we decided which rcvr to get we looked a the SD website and you can see there all the tech specs for all the rcvrs. We got one that doesn't have an RF output but like the 630 it has RCA plugs. Choose "Compare" and you can see all three at once.

 

[mecdatlanta]

They Insisted in Installing The Dish...

Hi Gang,

My 630 and 605 arrived this week (the good news). The installer also refused to leave the hardware with me and call it an early day (the bad news). That's right, Shaw installers are now required to do a full install and activate the receivers prior to leaving. I wasn't prepared for that and I am not having to undo everything that the technician did. My mother already has a Bell installation, so having this second one installed was a pain, to say the least.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but there should be no issues with taking the hardware and moving it to my home south of the border, right? I mean the receiver doesn't lock in coordinates or anything, does it? If it does, is there anything that I will need to do to make it work at its new southern home?

Thanks in advance!

mecdatlanta

Hey Gang!

After nearly 10 years of trouble-free service from Xpressu, I am about to pull the plug on our beloved DVR. Why? Because I live in Atlanta and, as I have been told by the informed frequenters of this forum, Bell is going to pull the plug on anyone living much further south of the Canadian - U.S. border. Also, we will soon be heading back to Ontario for our annual summer visit and I would need to take seize the opportunity to bring back the new hardware (in addition to the President's Choice jam that my (American) wife can't seem to get enough of).

So I thought that I would check, one last time, to see if I really need to call Shaw and order the 630 receiver (the one with PVR). Is there a chance that I might get another year out of my Bell hardware? Is there a chance that Shaw will release a 700 series any time soon?

It kills me to retire hardware that still functions and provides us with the programming that we want, but if it means several months of nothing before we make our trek back to Canada for Summer Trip 2013, then move on we must.

Don