Bell value

E

Ed H

New member
This is not a rant so I feel this discussion can be here. I have been a Bell customer for the better part of 6 yrs and generally have to admit that their service or lack of it has not hindered my viewing to the point where I should cancell.
But...
This fall and now going into the new year, it is my impression that programming is going downhill. There are more re-runs than ever, fewer really top notch shows and movie central is showing more 3rd to 5th rate shows(my rating). I have also noticed that PPV is now starting to play and charge for movies that were previously on Movie Central. I'm afraid this will result in poorer quality movies on Movie central to which i subscribe,
Bell has steadily increased my Bill, not so much by new programming but switching packages around. Five years ago I was paying somewhere in the $50-60 range now I'm over $100.00. There are now more channels that i don't watch but subscibe to so I can get the few channels I like to watch regularly.
Credit to Bell, this year I seemed to have more football and hockey, especially my home teams.
News programming seems to have better in depth coverage of events, more "as it's happening", some of the political coverage appears more objective but these things are a result of better mgmt and tech by individual stations and networks as they strive to be more competitive.
As I mentioned, this is not intended to be a rant against Bell. These are merely my impressions and may be a result of me watching too much TV recently because of the cold weather keeping me in the house and out of my woodworking shop.
So let me know your thoughts, are these just the mutterings of a cranky fussy old man?
Is Bell trying to retain customers by improving our options or falling back onto raising fee's through reducing options? That is "Is Bell giving it's customers more bang for their buck or less"?

Ed
 
Programming, quality of programming, and quantity of channels is not really under Bell's control, unless they were denying us a lot of channels people really want, and I don't think they are, so far. Other Canadian providers offer exactly the same channels with the same content. Personally I find there is plenty to watch, but there are way to many channels. We just don't need them all.

I have seen a few older movies offered up as Pay-Per-View, but not many, and it hasn't tainted my view of PPV. I just don't order them.

I don't completely disagree with what you're saying, but I think you're putting the blame in the wrong spot.

-Mike
 
for their programming yeah, downhill. i do know there is a topic for this but tcm and amc never launch on bell tv, and its been a couple of years since its here in canada.
For channel on demand, especially when Directv does offert channel on demand, well, i am wondering why they can't come up with better technology? If Directv manange to offert those channel, why not bell? and also they should change channel 230(NEWS AND UPDATE), I don't know if many people like me think the same way, there is nothing on that channel. only the info to help them to upgrade their guide.

for the channel on demand that directv has here is a link(hope i can put the link here):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_DirecTV_channels

It will be nice for a change to be able to watch what ever you want at any time. and also when you are programming a show, and it does recording it on your pvr and when you press enter to watch it, and does not work, well, it making me ...

if some one has a good explanation why bell tv hasn't come up with channel on demand such has YTV On Demand, Teletoon On Demand etc... please tell me.
 
True video on demand services require a 2-way connection. By its nature, your Bell connection is a one-way connection - from the satellite to your home. There are ways that you can do VOD with a combination of satellite/Internet delivery, but nobody is doing that in Canada yet. And that method certainly doesn't compare to true VOD as cable does it. Another way is for movies to be downloaded to your PVR in advance, and then available for you to purchase when you want to watch them (or just sit there, ignored).

If you want true VOD, subscribe to cable. Complaining about what should be done by your provider, when it isn't technically feasible at this time, isn't going to solve your problem.
 
If I am correct the On Demand offered by DirecTv and by Dish Network both rely on a broadband connection to the receiver. As yet no Canadian Sat Co has anything like this running.

There are huge areas of canada without Broadband anyway, so for countless thousands of Customers it is not an option.

Never mind dreaming of what we should have and get what we do have to be as good as possible first.
 
Hi Pinza,
I never made a note of the movie's I noticed but I will post The next one here. I have noticed several that I had watched on MC. If it had been only 1 or 2 I would not have bothered mentioning it.
Again, I need to point out this is not a rant. I usually just cruise along in my own little world but recently I've noticed our local gvt officials helping themselves with pay raises and other perks, so I started paying attention to a few area's. Once we started paying attention to some area's, everything else seems to deserve some scrutiny.
I also believe that Bell probably pays attention to forums like this, so maybe the next time they are tempted to increase their bottom line by just increasing fee's either by moving programming around or straight increases, maybe they will hesitate if there's some discussion about their value.
 
If you really want to make a statement, cancel some of your programming with Bell.

-Mike
 
Bell TV is denying us TCM which in my opinion is one of best channels in North America. Other Canadian providers have offered this channel for at least two years.
 
But it's one of only a handful of channels Bell doesn't carry. If it's that important, switch to a provider that carries it. Keep in mind that other providers might not carry every channel Bell does either. Anyway, I don't think these few examples change my assertion.

-Mike
 
easier said than done to switch to another provider. the receivers are very expensif these days so when your only option is bell you stick with it. b'cause illico does not offert any deal...I call.
 
I know what you're speaking of. Occationally BTV will offer a PPV of older movies in which there is a sequel comming out or on PPV or bundle them as a 2 or 3 movie package as a promo for those that want to watch the 1st or 2nd movie in a series over again before watching the latest installment. I've been temped at times to take advantage of this but havn't as of yet. I'm sure others do who don't own the DVD or anything like that which is why they run it. Usually they're only a fraction fo the price compaired to a normal PPV movie.

As far as programming goes, that all comes from the channel provider. BTV has nothing to do with what a network wants to show. I agree that it has been noticably worse with repeats and extended breaks in shows or limited episodes but thats not Bell's fault, they're only the middle man in that case and its the same with every provider be it Roger's or Shaw or Videotron ect..
 
Hi Pinza,

You asked which movies I had noticed on PPV that were previously on Movie Central.
Today, Feb 5,09@ 1730hrs Constant Gardener is available on 834 and 386 for $5.99. This movie has been available on MC.

Ed
 
Thanks for that. I was not doubting you but as I rarely even look at PPV or the Movie Channels it is just nice to have it confirmed. That movie has been around for ages, I wonder why they are doing this, maybe they get them cheaper if they are old Movies.?
 
Hi Pinza,
I like the movie Constant Gardener. Probably why I noticed it.
It seems to me that some of the better movies used to show up on MC several months after being on PPV. Now MC seems to show much lower quality movies. Occasionally a good one shows up. but only occasionally.
Hard to believe how many terrible movies there are, MC has them all. Not ranting, merely observing.

Ed
 
Keep you eyes open for the worst Movie ever made, "I bought a Vampire Motorcycle", if that is ever shown on ANYTHING in North America I will eat my 9200.....lol
 
Back
Top