Bell TV Pricing, themes and programming package discussion

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Bell HD themes are here check the fine print # 8. Its 3/4 of the way down on the right of page 2
http://www.bell.ca/web/tv/en/all_regions/pdfs/channels/channels_on_en.pdf
Now look at HD theme sports and HD theme more sports See the little # 8 beside them.
So if you want the channels that are in the 5 HD themes for $15. Its really $15 for HD themes $8 for SD sports 1 and $2.5 for pick and pay from sports pack 2 for a total of $25.50
 
I'm confused with the brochure that Bell has and what a Bell salesperson told me at the mall. For the Essentials Value Package, it says on the brochure it's $62/month. When the salesperson explained it to me, she said it's more like $52/month [Build-Your-Own-Package price of $32 + $20 for 5 themes].

So, is the $10 difference due to rental of the HD box or the promo Bell has until the end of the year or did I remember the facts incorrectly?
 
No HD channels are available individually. For TSNHD and SNHD you do need to be sunbscribed to their respective SD channel packages.
 
So how does one get Rogers Sportsnet-HD if one was to move from the regular HD packages that now includes RSN-HD to the package you just went to?
 
Good luck actually trying to order that... I can assure you its NOT possible.
Look at the current brochure, the cheapest (before any taxes or other fees) is $62. And that won't include everything... Everything is more like $83+.

http://www.bell.ca/web/tv/en/all_regions/pdfs/channels/english_menu.pdf
 
Hey all,
I'm on the fence going between companies for HDTV programming. So I was wondering if I could garner some advice on this forum.. I have certain channels I would like to have in HD and was wondering if someone could suggest the best and cheapest package for me... cuz I don't really understand how it all works.
I'm looking for the following channels in HD:
ABC HD, NBC HD, PBS HD, CTV HD, CBC HD .... (network channels)
TSN HD, Sportsnet HD, TheScore HD (if possible), Raptors TV HD (if possible).
National Geographic HD.

those are essentially the only channels I would want and watch. Does anyone have any suggestions concerning pricing/promotions, etc... ?

Thanks so much in advance!
 
reidw
If you want Raptor HD you have to take SD theme pack 2 or a $2.5 pick & pay. You cant drop that.
If you want sportsnet you have to take SD sports 1 or $2.5 pick & pay you cant drop that, even if you don't want TSN HD
That leaves A&E HD and Discovery HD which I admit I don't know what would happen to your $10 hd package if you dropped those 2 SD themes.
I don't think there are any more HD channels left that were once associated with the SD themes in the $10 HD pack.
As far as changes to others movies/themes, I am surprised if you say bell has not done the same as they have done with every other legacy package.

Glen do you have A&E and Discovery covered with sd themes, if not did you loose the hd .
 
My issue is that they use a double standard. Some HD are only available if you subscribe to the SD. Now they change the rules for these two channels. Why should we have to pay twice for a channel? Just another Bell cash grab!
 
Be sure to factor in the following hidden fees:

Homephone
$2.99 TouchTone & e911
$5.95 Network Charge

Internet
$3.95 Modem Rental

TV
$3.00 Digital Service Fee
 
Right now I'm on Shaw subscribing to basic cable with the two Chinese channels (Fairchild and Talentvision) for about $40/month. I really want to move to Bell and get the 9242 HDPVR receiver. Does Bell have any packages that cost similar to what I'm paying now? If I want to add the basic HD channels (ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox), how much extra would I have to pay? I don't need every single HDTV channels. I'm looking for a deal in this recessionary climate...
 
Correction: one could not even pay $20. only to get the 4 HD theme packs, the reason is that you still need an SD Sports theme pack first (cost $8. stand alone, or included in one of the packages).

Friend and I both only like non Sports stuff, and this is paying for nothing. Right now I had no choice but to get the Sports theme pack, which also means I gave up the choice on one of my choices on the SD theme packs within.

The Supervisor from the Retention Dept. said that "you are not in a very good (negotiating) position", hinting that because I could not refund the receiver despite I could cancel the service w/o fees. In other words, he meant that "hey, we got you, ha!".

One can see that if Bell's offer is not that confusing, they also would not have made the mistake on the fact that A&E HD doesn't require A&E SD (which is already mentioned on the forum here, so I already knew that part). They created a super complicated pricing and offer structure, their rep not up to the training, and they expected the customers to just go w/ whatever they say?
 
Trueimage I suggest you do what I did and that is get your hands on the ExpressVu Programming Guide brochure. It is chalk full of information.

I can see that your picks hit a few Theme Packs. That means you will have to take a lot of SD themes. The HD Theme Packs (all 5) will cost $15 but without the equivalent SD Theme Pack you are SOL.

Just quickly looking your SD Theme Packs would include:

News and Learning 2
Variety 1
Sports 1
News and Learning 1

Look into the Essential Value Package. It includes 4 HD themes and 5 SD themes. This is $62/month plus the $3/month access fee.
 
Hey guys,

do I need to sub to National Geographic SD to get the HD?

djino
"I have National Geo has a pick in play SD, could save me $2.50 to get rid of that"
 
I was told the same thing, although not in a Bell store, but by the sales rep who came to our condo building. I specifically asked "With the HD service, will all the SD channels I subscribe to that are available in HD be part of the package?" and the reply was "Yes, everything will be there that's subscribed to".

Now, I'm finding out that that's not true at all, instead I have to subscribe to TSN or Discovery or whathaveyou, twice.
What's the point of paying for the SD channel if I have the same channel in HD?

I've had Bell TV three days now and I'm ready to chuck the whole thing, this on top of their broadcasting upconverted 4:3 SD channels so reruns of House on Showcase are letterboxed and pillarboxed has just peeved me off.
 
You would have to subsribe to the More HD Sports package that includes Sportsnet, RushHD, and Golf HD or you could just get Sportsnet for $2.50/month I believe.
 
So are the networks (both east and west) automaticlaly included once you pick any HD theme or are they part of the standard pack now even with no HD pack?

Is it basically $5 extra now to all all the HD themes to get all HD chaneels over the old HD Channels pack?

Just not clear on how to change this around from what I have now.
 
From what I gather, the channels that show up in red in 'all channels' are basically pick-n-pays (ie a channel where you don't have to subscribe to a theme pack or an hd channel's sd equivalent in order to subscribe to it individually). The theme packs that you don't subscribe to will not have channels listed in 'all channels' except for these pick-n-pays. I think this has something to do with being able to subscribe directly from your receiver without having to call Bell, but I'm not sure.
 
I have been with Expresvu Bell since 2003 and I am presently on the old Legacy package On Monday April 13th 2009 I noticed that Sportsnet had been removed from my programming. I had been receiving this channel for the past three years. When I called and spoke to the CSR he was very apoligetic. When I asked why it was removed I was told that sportsnet demanded that the subscriber had to subscribe to the analog signal to get the HD channel.
I was somewhat confused when the CSR blamed Rogers and sportsnet for the issue.Bell is doing what Rogers tells them, that will be the day? The CSR insisted that was the case and he attempted to give me the spotsrnet programing back. He could not add it to my programming unless I went with the new packages under Genesis and paid more money for my programming.
He apologized for the inconvenience and noted the file that I was upset.

I would suggest that all you old time customers check your HD sporstnet.


I find it a little strange that after three years I lose a channel. It seems a very bad business pratice to use a negative to indirectly to get you to change your programming.

The bottom line I probably can do little about this and I wonder what else I will lose?

It would make more sense to offer me some incentives to change by offering HD channels that I may wish to view instead they take a channel away.
 
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