B
barter
Guest
I can rent 2 new dvd's at the Gas Bar for $3.99, would would I pay $5.99 for a PPV movie than been out on DVD for a month?
D
dirtyjeffer
Guest
for convenience...i can use a payphone and talk for as long as i want locally for 25 cents (to be 50 cents June 1st)...why would i pay $25/month for the same service for a landline phone??...convenience.
S
scrooloose
Guest
Some need reminding that Rogers doesn't serve all of Canada. My local cable company (Cogeco) still doesn't offer as much HD as BEV (even less in my area). If cable has such an advantage, then why don't they use it? Offer ALL the available HD channels and charge accordingly?
MPEG4 can keep satellite going for many years, indefinitely actually. The hardware exists, the technology is already deployed elsewhere. All BEV needs to do is execute.
-Mike
MPEG4 can keep satellite going for many years, indefinitely actually. The hardware exists, the technology is already deployed elsewhere. All BEV needs to do is execute.
-Mike
I
i hate tv
Guest
It is going to be a slow process. I'm glad that is going to happen, so it allows for more channels to be added (HD especially). I rent my HD box, so I dont have a problem, seeing as I will get a new box, free of charge (I'm assuming because I am renting it)
I do feel a bit for recent buyers of HD boxes, but, I guess thats the chance you take buying equipment. I am glad this site has stood behind the article, and not crumbled to a bullies orders. It is my understanding that this site is for all things digital, positive, and negative, giving members the info needed to make an educated decision. That being said, I think this will be an extremely slow process, starting with the HD boxes, and I am curious if there will be any sort of "credit" or buyback for old MPEG 2 boxes (DishNetwork Subscribers speak up) I still prefer ma Bell to Uncle Teddy Rogers, for now...
I do feel a bit for recent buyers of HD boxes, but, I guess thats the chance you take buying equipment. I am glad this site has stood behind the article, and not crumbled to a bullies orders. It is my understanding that this site is for all things digital, positive, and negative, giving members the info needed to make an educated decision. That being said, I think this will be an extremely slow process, starting with the HD boxes, and I am curious if there will be any sort of "credit" or buyback for old MPEG 2 boxes (DishNetwork Subscribers speak up) I still prefer ma Bell to Uncle Teddy Rogers, for now...
B
barter
Guest
It can't be that convenient. I don't know anyone that would order a PPV. Terrible selection, usually out for 1 month before they show on BEV then they are on there for 3-4 months. Extremely inconvient if you don't own a PVR, you can't pause rewind etc.
S
SensualPoet
Guest
Please go back to basics.
Bell ExpressVu satellite has physical constraints based on their current satellite delivery capacity -- unlike the laws of Canada, these can't be avoided: the Laws of Physics.
Bell has -- more-or-less -- maxed out the satellite delivery capacity (aka transponders/spectrum) they have available. There is no relief on that level until probably 2010 with Nimiq 5 -- and even there no one has yet confirmed they will have NEW, Additional spectrum, just an extra bird in a new orbit to serve the east coast.
Until then, for every new HD channel beyond this, they need to DROP 4 to 6 SD channels. Which will it be? Time-shifted channels might disappear; and a handful of very low watched specialty digital channels. But satellite (and modern digital cable) is based on the premise of diversity of choice, speaking many languages (literally and in matters of taste) -- and there remains a finite number of HD/SD slots on the birds.
In the short run -- using existing modulation and compression schemes -- Bell is essentially out of capacity to launch new services till 2009 and beyond. MPEG4 will help, a lot, but that won't be on receivers in enough homes till 2009 or perhaps even 2010. Currently, MPEG4 is available to 0 (zero) customers out of 1,827,000 customers. Will Bell ask all of them to buy a new receiver?
If you believe that Bell ExpressVu and Rogers Cable are, more or less, at par in regular channels today -- can you imagine where Bell will be, standing still, for the next 24 to 30 months? Guaranteed: Rogers will not sit on the sidelines and wait.
Bell ExpressVu satellite has physical constraints based on their current satellite delivery capacity -- unlike the laws of Canada, these can't be avoided: the Laws of Physics.
Bell has -- more-or-less -- maxed out the satellite delivery capacity (aka transponders/spectrum) they have available. There is no relief on that level until probably 2010 with Nimiq 5 -- and even there no one has yet confirmed they will have NEW, Additional spectrum, just an extra bird in a new orbit to serve the east coast.
Until then, for every new HD channel beyond this, they need to DROP 4 to 6 SD channels. Which will it be? Time-shifted channels might disappear; and a handful of very low watched specialty digital channels. But satellite (and modern digital cable) is based on the premise of diversity of choice, speaking many languages (literally and in matters of taste) -- and there remains a finite number of HD/SD slots on the birds.
In the short run -- using existing modulation and compression schemes -- Bell is essentially out of capacity to launch new services till 2009 and beyond. MPEG4 will help, a lot, but that won't be on receivers in enough homes till 2009 or perhaps even 2010. Currently, MPEG4 is available to 0 (zero) customers out of 1,827,000 customers. Will Bell ask all of them to buy a new receiver?
If you believe that Bell ExpressVu and Rogers Cable are, more or less, at par in regular channels today -- can you imagine where Bell will be, standing still, for the next 24 to 30 months? Guaranteed: Rogers will not sit on the sidelines and wait.
S
SensualPoet
Guest
I was intrigued by the phrase "special programming" as well. It's logical it would be related to HD and programming which commands a premium.
What if Bell were planning a Rogers-style Super Sports Pak? Or were to offer NFL Sunday Ticket next fall and move the HD content ALL to "bonus tier" which required MPEG-4 transponders/receivers in order to get the extra games in HD? They might lose a few customers, but most of the alternatives are no games (most cablecos) at all or SD games only anyway (Star Choice doesn't have the HD games I believe). It might be a powerful way to move a few thousand customers to an MPEG-4 environment without needing to upgrading vast numbers of boxes.
And again, HD could be segmented into some premium package including things like HDNet and channels not year carried -- Showcase and National Geographic in HD -- and migrate those customers to MPEG-4 first. The remaining HD channels would still be good value at $10/mth.
The Premium Movie channels in HD could be another target: again, a group that is a subset of HD users and not gigantic quantities.
In short, Bell could migrate those customers willing to spend the most, first. The offers might balance out to zero for the customers in exchange for extended contracts but with enough of a deterent that 100,000 customers wouldn't call up at once.
The drawback with going slow is that it will be several months -- well into 2008 you'd think -- before Bell could have enough happy campers on the MPEG-4 side of the fence to start adding new HD MPEG-4 channels or migrating existing HD channels like HDNEt and the HiFidelity channels to MPEG-4.
So whatever they plan to do, Bell will have at least one hand tied behind it's back for another year with respect to significant HD channel expansion. What happens if Star Choice effectively catches up by the end of 2007?
What if Bell were planning a Rogers-style Super Sports Pak? Or were to offer NFL Sunday Ticket next fall and move the HD content ALL to "bonus tier" which required MPEG-4 transponders/receivers in order to get the extra games in HD? They might lose a few customers, but most of the alternatives are no games (most cablecos) at all or SD games only anyway (Star Choice doesn't have the HD games I believe). It might be a powerful way to move a few thousand customers to an MPEG-4 environment without needing to upgrading vast numbers of boxes.
And again, HD could be segmented into some premium package including things like HDNet and channels not year carried -- Showcase and National Geographic in HD -- and migrate those customers to MPEG-4 first. The remaining HD channels would still be good value at $10/mth.
The Premium Movie channels in HD could be another target: again, a group that is a subset of HD users and not gigantic quantities.
In short, Bell could migrate those customers willing to spend the most, first. The offers might balance out to zero for the customers in exchange for extended contracts but with enough of a deterent that 100,000 customers wouldn't call up at once.
The drawback with going slow is that it will be several months -- well into 2008 you'd think -- before Bell could have enough happy campers on the MPEG-4 side of the fence to start adding new HD MPEG-4 channels or migrating existing HD channels like HDNEt and the HiFidelity channels to MPEG-4.
So whatever they plan to do, Bell will have at least one hand tied behind it's back for another year with respect to significant HD channel expansion. What happens if Star Choice effectively catches up by the end of 2007?
A
ARR
Guest
Cablecos have gone from 64 QAM to 256 QAM to better accommodate the HD needs of their subs and is similar to the QPSK to 8PSK migration that *C is currently undertaking.
These are both excellent ways to gain additional bandwidth while preserving the heavy investment in existing MPEG2 compression technology.
MPEG4 is a handy solution as well, but comes with it's own issues.
Just like Bells MPEG4 dilema, other MPEG4 set top deployments are hampered by the massive inventory in MPEG2 STB's.
In addition, a lot of existing infrastructure just doesn't play with MPEG4 at all, particularly for cablecos.
In theory, it should be easier for DTH/DBS providers to do MPEG4 as they need only deal with a single uplink and then user set tops.
Even though the last 2 *C HD units are MPEG4 ready out of the box with many 10's of thousands already deployed, it will be their attachment to the cable world that either delays them are they go the cost alone.
Their 8PSK swap is requiring upgrades to existing headends.
I DO like the idea of moving into 8PSK initially for it's 3/2 gain over QPSK and then later on leveraging MPEG4 for another doubling of B/W once the cost of infrastructure goes down and the selection and reliability goes.
I fear that Bev is being dragged along due to their affiliation with Echostar and hasn't considered all the possibilities and costs.
These are both excellent ways to gain additional bandwidth while preserving the heavy investment in existing MPEG2 compression technology.
MPEG4 is a handy solution as well, but comes with it's own issues.
Just like Bells MPEG4 dilema, other MPEG4 set top deployments are hampered by the massive inventory in MPEG2 STB's.
In addition, a lot of existing infrastructure just doesn't play with MPEG4 at all, particularly for cablecos.
In theory, it should be easier for DTH/DBS providers to do MPEG4 as they need only deal with a single uplink and then user set tops.
Even though the last 2 *C HD units are MPEG4 ready out of the box with many 10's of thousands already deployed, it will be their attachment to the cable world that either delays them are they go the cost alone.
Their 8PSK swap is requiring upgrades to existing headends.
I DO like the idea of moving into 8PSK initially for it's 3/2 gain over QPSK and then later on leveraging MPEG4 for another doubling of B/W once the cost of infrastructure goes down and the selection and reliability goes.
I fear that Bev is being dragged along due to their affiliation with Echostar and hasn't considered all the possibilities and costs.
S
SensualPoet
Guest
Customers who have an AIO contract -- almost everyone new since July 2006 and many renewing since -- are locked in to their current hardware for 24 months. There is no option to swap one model for another without paying fees. Bell may relax that rule but that's the official word. Customers who signed up, for example, for a PVR with programming for two years and accepted a second SD receiver "free" for a year, must pay for the second year. You can't downgrade the PVR and, I was told, can't upgrade it either. You can, of course, add some additional hardware -- at full fees. Do you have 3 TVs? Will you pay for the extra install?
Currently the word is once the AIO contract expires -- and this was in the fine print of the Bell World flyer recently -- you have the option to upgrade to the latest model (only at the end of the contract) but you then lock in for a SECOND two year contract. Hmmmmm. Good deal?
Currently the word is once the AIO contract expires -- and this was in the fine print of the Bell World flyer recently -- you have the option to upgrade to the latest model (only at the end of the contract) but you then lock in for a SECOND two year contract. Hmmmmm. Good deal?
A
ARR
Guest
If they are still in business as we know them today for the next tidal change.
Competition is GOOD for consumers, otherwise we'd all still have 13 channels of analog cable.
Competition is GOOD for consumers, otherwise we'd all still have 13 channels of analog cable.
B
bev fan
Guest
Does anybody know if DN has switched to MPEG- 4
S
scrooloose
Guest
Their formula seems to be working well, with over twice the customer base as Starchoice! Clearly Starchoice could learn a few things about the business from BEV. Too late for them though, SC won't be in business much longer.
-Mike
-Mike
B
barter
Guest
Bell has been streaming firmware for a EV211 off and on for the past year.
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=40264&highlight=vip211
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=40264&highlight=vip211
M
Mozza
Guest
I'm so glad people keep pointing that out to the troll. BEV may not be perfect, but they've done something right to have as many customers as they do...
As for this transition - I think part of the real problem is that the voices we hear here are only a very, VERY small portion of BEV subscribers. I'm sure most people will transition rather smoothly when the time comes.
As for this transition - I think part of the real problem is that the voices we hear here are only a very, VERY small portion of BEV subscribers. I'm sure most people will transition rather smoothly when the time comes.
J
jvillain
Guest
Truer words ....
M
Mozza
Guest
Hate to speculate... but heard a rumour about the new BEV boxes, and the ethernet ports, and got pretty excited about the possibilities. Bandwidth would certainly be less of an issue if what I heard today was true!
W
Walter Dnes
Guest
And in the current environment where they don't know who their owner will be next quarter, are they going to "execute" a multi-million dollar upgrade?