If I may add my "two cents" (or 1.75 cents Canadian). I live in southern Maine and have been an ExpressVu "customer" for almost seven (7) years. Yes, the decline of the U.S. dollar against the "Loonie" has meant that my monthly bill has gone from $40-something to $65 at last statement during this time, but still it worth it.
With our ExpressVu service not only can we receive the U.S. network affiliates in Boston and Seattle, but CNN, BBCWorld (24 hour news) and many of the standard U.S. channels, but also CBC, CTV and Global (the Canadian networks), several "public-like" broadcasters, like TVOntario, which carries a lot of British drama productions and sitcoms, not seen in the U.S. I can't speak for the sports offerings, but certainly hockey and soccer are plentiful via Canada. We appreciate the different perspective on the news and politics we get through Canada and the BBC. If you are French speaking, there's a whole world of excellent (and I mean quality) programming for young and old. There is a wide-selection of music channels and various Canadian radio stations, across the country available, as well.
They allow you to watch all networks in all five Canadian time zones and the U.S. networks in the Eastern and Pacific time zones. So, if you're in Dallas and miss the ABC Evenings News at 5:30, you can watch it two hours later from the Seattle ABC affiliate. If you're watching a Canadian program, you can watch it one or two hours earlier from the Atlantic time zone (Halifax) or Eastern time zone (Montreal) or two hours later from the Pacific time zone (Vancouver).
Both ExpressVu and StarChoice are good services, but ExpressVu (being part of the much bigger Bell Canada) has a policy of being very aggressive about cutting off any U.S. viewer it discovers--even if we're paying our bills. So you have to be careful. From what I've heard, StarChoice is a "friendlier" company and has chosen a "don't ask; don't tell" attitude. No, you can't just call them up from Tulsa and order service. You still need to "appear" to reside in Canada, and that's where the "programming brokers" come in.
Exercise caution in selection your programming broker, not all "brokers" are the same. For the first few years, I was "serviced" by an outfit in Winnipeg, with a U.S. 800 number. They charged me $100 a year and did the monthly processing of my credit card to pay the ExpressVu bill. Then, ever few months, I'd lose my service, call them, and by the end of the day, I was back up. What I later discovered was that they were not not paying my bill with ExpressVu, and keeping the money and I was being cut off for non-payment. I left them for a woman in Ontario, who merely acts as my "Canadian address". My Visa card is on my account with ExpressVu and they bill me each month and I've never lost service under this arrangement. If I have a problem or need to make a programming change, I send her email, she contacts ExpressVu and the matter is handed.
You will never been able to "own" your service completely, since you can't be seen to not be in Canada. So, for example, you cannot hook the receiver to your phone line and take advantage of pay-per-view movies or other interactive programming. You cannot call ExpressVu or StarChoice yourself and change your programming or report trouble. All this must pass through your broker.
That said, I found that my VoIP phone provider gives me up to four phone numbers in the U.S. and Canada and any one can be set as my Caller ID number. So, my programming broker lives in Ontario. I added a phone number to my VoIP service in that same town, where my ExpressVu account is set up. I arranged with my broker to add my Canadian caller id number to my ExpressVu account. I set my VoIP to display the Canadian phone number as my caller ID. I hooked up my receiver to my phone line. Now, I can use pay per view and interactive service, the receiver can "phone home" when it wants to, because the ExpressVu computer sees a Canadian phone number coming in. The broker won't provide me the necessary information to be able to dial up and speak with ExpressVu myself, as that would knock the broker out of her revenue. The one thing about having a Canadian phone number as you caller id, anyone else you call thinks someone from an unknown area code is calling and should they happen to use that number to redial you, they may be paying a higher rate to "call Canada." So, use with care.
LIke I said, it's worth it, if you consider a few points. If I can be of any further help, let me know. Good luck and good (I mean it) viewing...
Michael in Maine
