Bell or Shaw HDTV

[Da_Chief]

Simple question, who gives better value?

For Bell, Im looking at the Essential Package.

For Shaw, Ive heard they offer student discount, anyone gotten it and know roughly how much discount can you get on home phone, digital tv, internet?

THanks

[HOOT]

Just don't listen to me or OilKiller we are bias

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by HOOT

Just don't listen to me or OilKiller we are bias

Ok, im listening.

[HOOT]

I love ExpressVu and he loves Shaw. These threads always turn into me and him battling Its this love/hate thing we have going on...

IMO

Bell Programming > Shaw Programming
Bell Customer Service < Shaw Customer Service
Bell Price = Shaw Price

[Bill Bumface]

It seemed to me that if you had Shaw internet and cable, that the discount you get makes it quite a bit cheaper compared to Shaw internet and Bell sattelite... no?

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by HOOT

I love ExpressVu and he loves Shaw. These threads always turn into me and him battling

Nope, I don't love Shaw. I just find Shaw more livable than Bell.

Bell - Brutal simsubbing which means crappier product delivery. Plus awful customer service. I've heard the HD PVR is quite good, but have never used it so I can't say.

Star Choice - Good customer service. No simsubbing on HD channels. Brutal HD PVR.

Shaw - Good customer service. No simsubbing on HD channels. Pretty good HD PVR.

That's about where it lies for me.

Da_Chief, what are you watching mostly? That will most likely decide which way you should go.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by OilKiller

Nope, I don't love Shaw. I just find Shaw more livable than Bell.

Bell - Brutal simsubbing which means crappier product delivery. Plus awful customer service. I've heard the HD PVR is quite good, but have never used it so I can't say.

Star Choice - Good customer service. No simsubbing on HD channels. Brutal HD PVR.

Shaw - Good customer service. No simsubbing on HD channels. Pretty good HD PVR.

That's about where it lies for me.

Da_Chief, what are you watching mostly? That will most likely decide which way you should go.

would be watching flames, stamps..mostly sports but there will be some indian channel watching as well.

[HotHotHeat]

Bell>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Shaw.

Starchoice is somewhere in the middle.

People always complain about the costumer service, but in 3 years I've called them once. Took 10 minutes and they fixed the problem.

Shaw is so far behind on HD, I'm not sure what there plan is exactly. They won't offer an HD discount to students...I'm almost positive of that.

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

would be watching flames, stamps..mostly sports but there will be some indian channel watching as well.

Shaw will provide all of that quite easily. I don't find a lack of HD sports on Shaw at all. Flames will be in HD when available on CBC. TSN and SNW (Shaw puts up another SN HD feed for this). Stamps available in HD on all the usual sources.

The only thing they were lacking on last season was NHL CI HD content. It was their first season of NHL CI so perhaps they will be better this season.

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

Shaw is so far behind on HD, I'm not sure what there plan is exactly.

I'm not sure how you have come to that conclusion. Please provide information as to how Shaw is SO FAR BEHIND Bell on HD. Go have a look at the Shaw SC HD thread for more details about this, as we were just discussing this.

[RW99]

Bell > Shaw. You will get better quality channels and for me that's large portion of my decision. It may cost a little more when you don't bundle with internet, but I pay the extra few dollars for the quality in the channels.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

would be watching flames, stamps..mostly sports but there will be some indian channel watching as well.

Well Bell does have APTN HD which I believe is directed towards the First Nations market.

If you are going to subscribe to NHL Centre Ice Bell had 4 HD channels while Shaw only had 2.

Plus Oilkiller has heard correct the Bell HD PVR is the best in the market. My old roommate now has the Shaw HD PVR and hates it! He said if he could get satellite he would switch tommorrow.

[rubecube]

Bell HD (picture quality) >>>>>>>>>>>>> Shaw HD

[flambers]

Personally I have seen both...

Few comments

---Shaw's channel line up is confusing.... Bell is way more organzied....

---programming seems very similiar between the two... Not a huge difference in my opinion.

---Never had a problem with support staff with either

---Main problem with Bell is the signal strength it was a problem off and on over the years. Depends where you live...

---Shaw however offers much better Promo deals (for example Movie channels are 50% off for 6 months, there is a promo on HD PVR's ... etc)... Where Bell has not offered much of anything in my experience.

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Bell HD (picture quality) >>>>>>>>>>>>> Shaw HD

Oh please...

BEV converts every signal to 720P.

I prefer my HD signals to be left alone thank you very much.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by OilKiller

Oh please...

BEV converts every signal to 720P.

I prefer my HD signals to be left alone thank you very much.

I can say every Shaw customer than watches HD at my house can sure notice a difference....

[ken0042]

I recently got a chance to compare the 2 services side by side. (Needed an HD-PVR for my brother in law. )

Anyways, I have to agree with what others have said about customer service. Shaw wins that hands down. If you do go with Bell make sure you record everything said, employee ID, what was promised, time and date, etc.

Anyways, back to comparing them side by side, I found the picture quality was better on Bell than Shaw on regular HD programing. (Discovery channnel, Sports Centre, etc.) However it looks like that when the playoffs were on (This was May when I did this) the picture quality on Shaw was suddenly better than Bell. I'm not sure if they dropped compression for important events or what.

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by OilKiller

Shaw will provide all of that quite easily. I don't find a lack of HD sports on Shaw at all. Flames will be in HD when available on CBC. TSN and SNW (Shaw puts up another SN HD feed for this). Stamps available in HD on all the usual sources.

The only thing they were lacking on last season was NHL CI HD content. It was their first season of NHL CI so perhaps they will be better this season.



I'm not sure how you have come to that conclusion. Please provide information as to how Shaw is SO FAR BEHIND Bell on HD. Go have a look at the Shaw SC HD thread for more details about this, as we were just discussing this.

Shaw's NHL CI package last year was a disaster, especially in HD. Always turning on and off and the guide accuracy was terrible...It made it almost impossible to record the game and watch it later.

Shaw Calgary has 28 HD channels. Bell has 44.

Bell has better boxes with much better software and larger PVR's.

Bell is a superior HD provider, I'm not really sure how you can argue against it.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by fotze

Bell is like a hot chick who humps like a rabbit but then you find out she's a prostitute and you have herpes, by the end you want to bury her in the back yard after strangling her. Shaw is the girl you will likely marry, not a big time hottie but a good person with flaws like yourself who will be a good mother to your kid.

I've banged the bell slut and she was good to look at and good in the sack for a bit, but then you have to talk to her and that's when it goes downhill. Maybe you will get the rare girl who's had her larynx removed like rubecube or hothotheat, take your chances, the odds aren't in your favour.

I also get an employee discount so I never pay more than $50/month for everything unless I have one of the sports packages (i.e. Sunday Ticket, CI). I've also found that Shaw's SD programming came out all grainy on my nice 42" plasma, whereas Bell's is crystal clear.

Also, getting help from their customer care people isn't that hard. If you're having reception problems just demand a tech come out.

[liamenator]

Anyone from Ontario care to weigh in on one's options there?
As far as I can tell its Cogeco vs. Bell... I'm moving to St. Catharines in about a month and will be looking to get the full HD+Centre Ice package set-up out there.

[Buff]

Bell may have a good offering, but if they make a mistake with your billing or you need to use their support you will never want anything to do with Bell again. Never ever.

Shaw has a decent offering, and their billing department may make mistakes, and you may get a couple of lazy support personel but nothing in comparison to the headaches that Bell can give you.