Switching Satelite Companies

  • Thread starter Thread starter greerb
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greerb

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I am strongly considering switching from Starchoice to Bell. And woulf like to get a few opinions before I switch.

Is the picture quality really as bad as they say? Will I notice a difference?

Renting vs buying. I am thinking of renting a 92xx and purchasing a 62xx.

Does it cost extra to add a hard drive? I have a 750 GB installed in my 530 and will be pulling it out.

I live in Saskatchewan will there be Sim Subs?

I think that is all. Thanks in advance.
 
I would suggest finding someone with Bell TV and decide for yourself.



As a new Customer signing up for a 2 year term you can do that but expect to pay for the line that feeds the 61xx (No such receiver as a 62xx). The 9242 would be installed free but an extra $50 or $75 for the second receiver.



It is an External Drive, the software is already in the 9242 to allow you to connect in a Plug & Play fashion.



Get an Enclosure and see if it works, check the specs for the EHD on the Bell website.



I expect so, we all get them I believe.
 
IMO, it was more good than Rogers digital cable. I think Bell SD channels' quality are good.

I think all of Canada will get simsubbed because it is sat...
 
I live in the states and still have cable, lets just say that it is hard to notice a difference in HD in everyday usage. If I was to constantly compare my cable HD to Bell HD I would notice a difference, but it is hardly worth complaining about. I like to watch football on Sunday from my cable service, but 90% of the time I forget to switch over to it. That should give you an accurate description of the difference in quality. I think the type of HD tv you have is much more important, but that is just my opinion.
 
I would stay with starchoice. Bell has really bad customer service and the picture quality is not as good, not to mention bell has higher package prices too.
 
Starchoice folks seem to enjoy their technical support, which I assume translates to... they call them a lot. Personally I haven't called Bell support enough times to establish any sort of track record, but that's the way the service is supposed to be delivered. :D

I left Starchoice three years ago because of lack of HD, and those crap receivers of theirs. They've improved on the HD offerings, but I still prefer what Bell offers. I don't think they've added one feature to the 5xx line of receivers ever. Bell has a few problems, but between those two, it's an easy choice.

I agree with Pinza though. Find a store that is showing the real Bell HD service, using a real Bell receiver, and judge for yourself. The HD picture quality is generally excellent. Play around with the 9242 for a while, and see what a real PVR should look like.

-Mike
 
I have Bell and my parents have StarChoice so I can do some comparisons. Basically I would never purchase StarChoice. The main thing that bugs me is the SD receiver's program guide. It is so slow and unresponsive, doesn't put enough info on the screen, and you can't filter it to show only subbed channels (at least, I couldn't figure it out). I suppose after a while you'd learn to live with those limitations, but I can't wait to watch my own Bell TV after being at the parents' house. Picture quality seems to be a toss-up, though it's tough to compare since the television sets I see them on aren't comparable.

At one time I thought StarChoice did not sim sub, and if that were true, it would be the only thing attractive about their service to me.
 
I believe that *C may have a different technology that allows them to simsub in more defined areas than can BTV. They still have to simsub, but basically they can do it in a smaller area than BTV.

That is the way I understand it.
 
It has nothing to do with technology. It is regulated by CRTC. Few months ago I read in the newspaper that CRTC was after Star Choice for breaking simsubing rules. I think that SC just pays the fine and does what it wants.
 
Ther is no sim-sub with Starchoice where I live. That will be about the only thing I miss. The weekly re-boots of my 530 and the non-recording of a few HD channels have really made me decide I will indeed switch. Another thing about rentals, at the start I will be renting both units if I decided to buy a 61xx later this year and return the rental would that be in violation of the contract? Also, do the recievers need to be hooked up to a phone line? I ask this because I only use a cell phone, why pay for two phones if I don't have to, will Bell be upset at this?
 
Right now Bell doesn't care if receivers are hooked up or not. Before they used to remind me that receivers have to be connected to phone line whenever I talked to them , but not any more. In the last 10 years or so I have never had my receivers connected. They did call me few times to check if I have all my receivers at home , but not for the last couple of years.
 
I was reading that more and more people don't have land lines at all (roughly 20%)
Don't worry about the phone line, but you will get stuck with the rental receiver for the term of the rental contract, unless you can talk your way out...
Why not just buy the receivers when you sign up?
I saw at a BellWorld in Brampton the 9242 on sale for $199, ONLY for new customers...
If you were renting, and then decided to buy, there are usually no specials, so its almost always better to buy when you sign up
 
It actually has everything to do with technology. *C had VCO (virtual channel override) technology, which allows simsubs to be performed at the receiver level.

Bell simply does not have this technology, therefore they simsub at the uplink (and do it very, very poorly).
The CRTC did come down on *C/Shaw for failing to implement HD simsubs, but people were hardly complaining at the lack of simsubs.
 
Everytime Bell simsubs I will complain to the CRTC about. They will have to change thier ways somehow.

So far my experience hasn't been well recieved with Bell I booked the appointment for install for today 8am-12pm. Installer is late. I booked time off of work to be here and if there is a no show I will be really upset.
 
i personally dont hook mine up to phone line. I dont have a jack there, and i dont see a need for it. The only time i do hook the line up is to order pay per view, i connect a fifty foot phone cord to a jack in another room just to order pay perview then i immediately unplug it, have never had a problem,or an issue with this.
 
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