New Bell HD Packages (formerly titled: Bell HD Price Increase)

  • Thread starter Thread starter haystack
  • Start date Start date
Holy moley... and yet another permutation :rolleyes:

That may be the way to go though. It still kinda bothers me that if I just want 3 SD themes, that's all I should have to subscribe to, and be charged fairly for them. It's bad enough that even within these themes, there are channels I've never tuned in to. If Space was availabe separately, I'd only subscribe to 2 themes + Space, but that is another discussion thread.
 
If you want Raptors from sports HD1 you still need to sub SD sports 1 and 2. Or Sports SD 1 plus pick and pay from sports SD 2.
 
Bell may not realize it but it may be time to begin divorcing SD and HD or they will start losing viewers.
 
TSN HD is going to be free preview near the end of the November till mid January for anybody that was interested. Saw commercials for it, think they're doing it for the Grey Cup to kick it off.

Seems to be a bunch of stuff in free preview right now as well.
 
In response to I_Want_My_HDTV:

1. Bell quality has gone down:
Mr.TV: refer to Rogers latest press release - just wait and see their growing pains....

2. Bell prices have went up: l\
Mr.TV: last I checked companies were in the game to make $$. The prices are par, but then again so are all the gas stations, bread, eggs, and milk. Big deal.

3. Package choices and organization have gone from very good and easy to understand to sometimes illogical and very complicated.
Mr.TV: What has really changed?? All that has happened is that you can now choose which themes you want, and they can expand their line up with out a price increase to the base that has the $10 pack as Rogers just did in March. Are they to keep introducing new costly HD channels into their $10 HD pack and have absolutely no margin to expand. How many times do I have to remind you that the linkages are contractual. It was the same as before when Bell had the $10 pack. You always had to sub to SD TSN, Raps, and RSN. It is also the reason why Rogers VIP or a very similar combination is REQUIRED to take the HD extra pack. $61.97+$8.95 = $71 VIP Speacial. lol.
Most HD channels were offered free
Mr.TV: Which ones, can you advise of proof? The only channels that are offerred for free with subscription are TMN, The Score, All French, Super Channels - again this is contractual. Bell has equalled the "free HD" offerred if you take out the PPV HD and Barker channel Rogers includes. That is bogus.

Rogers does not include TSN HD simple.
Mr.TV: Sub to a $61 pack, then add $9. How is that free or cheap?

Please realize that all the pick a pack channels 5, 10, 15 are all cat 2. I.e. junk or very speacialty that the odd person watches. BDU's know there isnt much value in the pick pack structure...more of a marketing play.

I know for a fact that Bell offers the most choice, flexibility when choosing your channels, change themes every 30 days if you like. Pick your themes and channels. Dont let them choose one fat tier that they think will serve the mass. They do a brilliant job marketing though. I will give them the edge there.

In terms of their HD package, = no flexibility, no choice. Take or leave it. Must be taken with a $62 subscription or something very complex..ie building up to a VIP style.
 
So if you want TSN in HD, you need Sports 1 SD theme and Sports HD theme (8$ + 5$).

If you want Golf HD you only need More HD Sports theme 5$ (even though Golf channel is part of the same SD theme as TSN - Sports 1, it seems SD is not required to get Golf HD).

If you want The Score HD, you get it free if you have the SD channel in Sports 1 theme 8$.

DOes this seem illogical to anyone? You need to sub to both SD and HD to get TSN HD, you only need to sub to HD theme to get Golf HD, and you only need to sub to SD theme to get The Score HD.

Would be nice if Bell could get some kind of structure around this.

Is there anyone in close contact with Bell that can confirm what I wrote above? Especially the TSN issue.

Thanks
 
The reason to switch would be to get National Geographic, Showcase, and TLC HD as you probably aren't receiving them yet. I switched back in May, with a lower package then you, because I wanted those three channels and had no use for Treasure, Equator, and Oasis. I also received RDS and RDSHD, as they moved to the sports package, Animal Planet as it became part of News and Learning 1, and the only way to receive those changes was to move to the new packaging. I also got an extra theme pack for the same price I was paying, so the move was worth it. Plus any new HD channels that are added into packages I will get after free previews, Golf HD and CBS College Sports for instance, although I think CBS College is a waste of a channel, I never watch it.
 
What HD channels are included with just the $32 digital standard. Their broshure is hard to read. Is it just ctv and cbc?
 
Panache, it is my understanding (subject to correction) that TSN wants it this way not Bell. That of course doesn't make it any more logical.
 
ok thanks, well i was wondering if bell was changing things around as you never know what they may do next, lol. By the way not sure who added Hi Fi to the title of my thread, didn't that term disappear in the 70's, ;) i believe it should be Hi Def. :)
 
Ok, first off lets discuss linkages. I.e TSN, RSN, Raps. All of the other BDU's link these channels to the sd counterpart. Some BDU's even link more than this.
Rogers, take HD Extra pack with Digital VIP...hmmm 61.97 for VIP inclusive of discounts and then $8.95 on top. Bell, HD Essentials I.e Dig Standard + 5 Themes + now choice of 4 HD themes = $62. Close to the same package, oh wait very similar price. I assumed no HD world was taken and it is not offerred by Rogers anyways so moot.

This is not news nor is it any different the industry. No other major BDU offers the HD Oasis, Treasure, Equator. So many on this board of complained about its irrelevence and that they wouldnt take it if is was offerred for free.

What about the choice now of going with Digital Standard + choice of SD themes (no restriction) + choice of HD themes (no restriction). Who else in the industry offers this choice, flexibility, options. I really dont understand why everyone is happy with big fat clumsy tiers - maybe cause they get branded well. "VIP" - sign me up to a $62 package and TELL me what I am taking. With Bell, I tell them what I am choosing and change programming, themes, all the time.

....
 
So is there any reason not to switch from a price perspective. It seems like I am locked into the pricing plan and Bell cannot increase the cost of my programming other than the monthly serivce fee. If I switch, does it allow Bell to increase my pricing?
 
If that was the case, Rogers, Videotron, Shaw and others would require purchasing both the SD and HD feeds in order to get the HD feed.

To my knowledge, Bell is the only provider who does this...
 
How come you dont speak objectively about the packaging at hand and comment only about the negativity. I am sure Bell is glad you left their company and as a customer.

DJ, do you sound surprised....? How come you arent in the Rogers thread ragging on their soon to be just as poor PQ.
 
If EV follows its past practices, they will make you switch packages to get NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC and SHOWCASE. Putting WGN in with TSN and RAPTORS irks me. That's Ok if you don't need to get the Sports 1 theme to get TSN HD and RAPTORS HD (like now.) Otherwise, it's a dumb move.
 
I would like the option to subscribe to only hd channels. As far as I know, this would break CRTC regulations, but it sure would be nice to not pay for alot of sd channels I never watch. How many mandatory carriage sd channels are there in digital basics?
 
It's actually only a mandated digital Signal for Over-The Air broadcasters that has a date (2009 in the USA and 2011 in Canada). However for most people DTV = HDTV and so by 2011 I agree with your opinion. Most services will begin to close down their old SD channels and introduce a digital HD equivalent (dissenters anyone?). Any service that doesn't is going to find itself left behind.

As they do this you can expect Bell to develop more HD theme packs and expand the offerings in the existing packs. For the next few years BEV and all the others will be scrambling to accommodate a very rapidly changing TV structure which will be reflected in what at times will look like a very illogical assignment of channels.
 
Back
Top