Stupid Canadian TV brodcasters

Should Canadian Broadcasters have the right to take over their american counterparts Channel when they are broadcasting the same show at the same time?

Or perhaps our brodcasters need to stop purchasing the shows if they are going to be showing them at the same time?

They have the right because they are not paid for by Americans , in other words the Super Bore commercials don't pay your bills here in Canada . They have had the option to do this for along time . Thank God as we get less Ad time per hour then them and we are getting bad.

If you take away this arrangement you miss all of your favorite shows that are American . Least Americans want to pay Canadians to show products not available in Canada.

It has to be that way Deank. They need their advertising revenue to stay on the air... Of course. But also to broadcast their programming in off prime hours. I'd say some programming subsidizes other programing.

And...some of the advertisers are getting "wise" to it.

I went and watched all the "Superbowl" commercials online after the game.

Turns out, about 1/2 of them were aired here on CTV during the game. So Budweiser & GoDaddy must've paid the Canadian counterpart to air their commercials as well.

A few of the Superbowl commercials had nothing to do with Canadians though...like joining the Army, and tax date of April 15th (H&R Block)...so why would I care if I see them or not?

If the show is available from a Canadian brodcaster and an American one at the same time, it should be my choice which channel I would like to watch. Too bad for the Canadian Brodcaster if his show is not the one I am interested in.

Its not just the ads, but yeah that is mostly it. Often there are parts of the show missing. This bites.

I understand the logic behind why the Cdn. channels do this, but it annoys the hell outta me.

If you use Shaw, then your accustomed to seeing all of their own commercials overlayed on top of the other commercials as well. many times cutting into the actual programming.

Not to mention when some programs show a sneak preview during the edning credits...I believe Global is pretty bad for putting it's own preview of it's crappy shows on top....

Very annoying.

[end rant]

could always get an american dish.. its not so bad or hard to instal/use.

One "could" do that, and I've done that in the past. It was great, until the unit is "zapped" when you actually want to watch something.

A co-worker has free-to-air set up, and says it's just as good, if not better then the old Direct TV/Dishnetwork hacks. The only problem, it goes down. So you need a subscription, or a friend with access to the codes in order to get it to work again.

Plus, every 2-4 years the system "goes black" and you have to find the next big thing to switch to.

I'd gladly pay Direct TV or Verizon for their service, especially compared to what's offered up here.

JT Estoban wrote:One "could" do that, and I've done that in the past. It was great, until the unit is "zapped" when you actually want to watch something.

A co-worker has free-to-air set up, and says it's just as good, if not better then the old Direct TV/Dishnetwork hacks. The only problem, it goes down. So you need a subscription, or a friend with access to the codes in order to get it to work again.

Plus, every 2-4 years the system "goes black" and you have to find the next big thing to switch to.

I'd gladly pay Direct TV or Verizon for their service, especially compared to what's offered up here.

well now when it gets "zapped" it takes about 2 hours to get new codes and some units get codes with in seconds via internet with out you ever knowing it went down.

Yeah, I had DirecTV and it is by far the superior system. I too got zapped about 3-4 years ago and that was that.

I have Shaw HD digital now. They have decent programming. I've also had BellExpressVu. Good programming but un-friggen-reliable. Every rain storm or snow storm it would go down.

Speaking of American commercials being overlayed/blocked in Canada...

I saw a Verizon ad the other day for a PVR box, one box, which sits in
your home and you can connect up to 3 (that's not a typo) different
TV's in your home to this box. As far as I know, all 3 units can watch
TV at the same time, and watch recorded content on this one, PVR box.

Other features include:

"Record shows on one DVR and watch up to three recorded shows on three different TVs at the same time"

"Eliminate the need for multiple DVRs throughout the house and save money"

"Pause a program in one room and continue viewing it in another"

"PC
Media Manager, included with your Home Media DVR, allows you to view
slide shows and listen to music stored on your computer on your
television"

I understand that this service is using a fiber backbone, so that's
going to be a while before it makes it's way up here. But after
watching the commercial, the PVR unit is the exact same Motorola unit
that I got from Shaw. The difference is the firmware.

Why can't we get services like this in Canada? We're getting hosed.....a $600 receiver for every TV....remind me to buy some Shaw stock!

I get dish network and every channel is in atleast 720i HD upto 1080i its pretty good. I didn't think it would be a big differance, but it does.

JT Estoban wrote:Speaking of American commercials being overlayed/blocked in Canada...

I saw a Verizon ad the other day for a PVR box, one box, which sits in
your home and you can connect up to 3 (that's not a typo) different
TV's in your home to this box. As far as I know, all 3 units can watch
TV at the same time, and watch recorded content on this one, PVR box.

Other features include:

"Record shows on one DVR and watch up to three recorded shows on three different TVs at the same time"

"Eliminate the need for multiple DVRs throughout the house and save money"

"Pause a program in one room and continue viewing it in another"

"PC
Media Manager, included with your Home Media DVR, allows you to view
slide shows and listen to music stored on your computer on your
television"

I understand that this service is using a fiber backbone, so that's
going to be a while before it makes it's way up here. But after
watching the commercial, the PVR unit is the exact same Motorola unit
that I got from Shaw. The difference is the firmware.

Why can't we get services like this in Canada? We're getting hosed.....a $600 receiver for every TV....remind me to buy some Shaw stock!

Sounds like a Media Server. HP makes these and I think Apple too

IG Guy wrote:Sounds like a Media Server. HP makes these and I think Apple too

Your close, it's a "Home Media DVR"
http://www22.verizon.com/Residential/FiOSTV/Equipment_Overview/Equipment_Overview.htm


Which, just happens to be the exact same Motorola HDPVR that Shaw sells:
http://www.shaw.ca/en-ca/ProductsServices/Television/Digital/Hardware-HDPVR.htm


So, it's not a PC....the hardware is already in many people's homes. It's the Firmware that's different.

oh yes, i see now.

this is what I was more thinking of.
http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/mediasmart-server/

JT Estoban wrote:Speaking of American commercials being overlayed/blocked in Canada...

I saw a Verizon ad the other day for a PVR box, one box, which sits in
your home and you can connect up to 3 (that's not a typo) different
TV's in your home to this box. As far as I know, all 3 units can watch
TV at the same time, and watch recorded content on this one, PVR box.

Other features include:

"Record shows on one DVR and watch up to three recorded shows on three different TVs at the same time"

"Eliminate the need for multiple DVRs throughout the house and save money"

"Pause a program in one room and continue viewing it in another"

"PC
Media Manager, included with your Home Media DVR, allows you to view
slide shows and listen to music stored on your computer on your
television"

I understand that this service is using a fiber backbone, so that's
going to be a while before it makes it's way up here. But after
watching the commercial, the PVR unit is the exact same Motorola unit
that I got from Shaw. The difference is the firmware.

Why can't we get services like this in Canada? We're getting hosed.....a $600 receiver for every TV....remind me to buy some Shaw stock!

Shaw is advertising these for free right now to new/returning subscribers.

MTS has this with their HD package.

MTS's box already could handle up to 3 tvs on one box...just didn't have the PVR built in.

That's how I got mine....I was a returning customer. They charge almost $600 otherwise. My sister got a coupon when she bought hers, it only knocked it down to $450....for one TV.

Yes, MTS can have one box for 3 TV's or so, just no HD or PVR....which is the main reason for going to this type of system IMHO.

JT Estoban wrote:That's how I got mine....I was a returning customer. They charge almost $600 otherwise. My sister got a coupon when she bought hers, it only knocked it down to $450....for one TV.

Yes, MTS can have one box for 3 TV's or so, just no HD or PVR....which is the main reason for going to this type of system IMHO.

Actually MTS will have full HD in March (so they claim), and PVR is available too.

My plan (since I really don't like Shaw), is to call MTS and "cancel" in March when the new stuff comes out...tell them that I'm switching to Shaw. It's their policy to "match" other services...so they'll probably offer me a free HD PVR Box, and cheaper first 3-months of service .

Free HD-PVR to own or simply no charge to borrow?

grumpy old man wrote:Free HD-PVR to own or simply no charge to borrow?

They are to own...as when you "normally" subscribe...you buy them...not rent them.

They don't offer them to "lease" anymore the way the old boxes were...it's buy, or do without.

understand that this service is using a fiber backbone, so that's
going to be a while before it makes it's way up here. But after
watching the commercial, the PVR unit is the exact same Motorola unit
that I got from Shaw. The difference is the firmware

And a Fiber Optic s network

Grumpy my sattelite go'es off every rain storm or snow too , it is the nature of the beast least you buy a 20 ft dish and a amplifier .

Pavolo wrote:Grumpy my sattelite go'es off every rain storm or snow too , it is the nature of the beast least you buy a 20 ft dish and a amplifier .

sounds like you should adjust it. It doesn't sound like your hitting the satellite as good as you could be. You should be able to get your signal strength higher, should be in the 90% range with quality strength close behind in the high 80% range. My dish can be covered in snow and still be getting good picture. Or your LNB freq. need to be tweeted abit.

O thats possible but it was set up by a pro at the lake and when it rains real heavy or the sunspots are in season it affects the picture . As the signal doe,s not get to it as easy . Rest of the time it is fine crystal clear.