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Shaw Cable analogue to digital migration

200K views 490 replies 123 participants last post by  Dr.Dave 
#1 ·
I received a notice from my apartment building, who bundles basic cable into my rent, and was told that Shaw needs to install digital boxes to remain receiving basic cable. Makes no difference to me since I already have a HD PVR, an HD box (awaiting a new TV to hook it up to as it is a rental) and a SD box. But here in Lloydminster are they phasing out analog cable altogether or did my apartment building make this decision?

If so, does this mean that Lloydminster will finally receive all the channels Shaw offers elsewhere such as Canadian Timeshifting and Superchannel? I would assume this would be a solution to the finite capacity issue as I understand that digital has a higher capacity (possibly infinite like IPTV) and could carry all of these channels without a capacity issue.
 
#430 ·
Just checked in my area (Esquimalt) and you can still get all the analog channels without using the DCT. I once had an old Motorola DCT that locked up and would not work. Phoned Shaw and they said bring it in and they would give me a new one.
In the meantime I just connected directly to cable and at least I had some channels until I could replace my DCT. Once it goes all digital I guess when your DCT craps out you are sol as far as TV is concerned until the DCT can be replaced. I do feel sorry for the older customers who just refuse to go digital as they will soon be out of luck I guess unless the CRTC orders the telecoms to at least offer the basic channels via QAM. Problem solved, as long as you have a TV with QAM tuner you don't need a terminal. Only the insatiable greed of the big telecoms is preventing that.
 
#431 ·
It's the same in Victoria. You can still get the analog channels (the first 20 channels and some random other ones). I do ageee QAM would be nice as most modern TV's come with digital tuner's built in. I imagine Shaw doesn't do it because they have full control over digital boxes. The only thing that prevents people from getting cable is the disconnect in the grey box on the side of most houses. I imagine there's a number of people out there who open them and connect the cable. By eliminating analog, they also eliminate theft. Which means they wouldn't offer the channels on QAM unless ordered to so.
 
#432 · (Edited by Moderator)
At 6:10 AM this morning we received the following red banner message while watching Global TV Cable 11: " You will need a cable box to view this channel starting on March 25, 2015."
I immediately went to the Vancouver Shaw cable site but couldn't find any info about it.
Although we have the main TV hooked up to a HD/PVR, we don't switch it on until the evening news programmes are shown to save wear and tear on the box; also we don't have to keep changing the Source and have to use a different remote to view our building's Security channel on Ch.116
During meals, we watch the news on a smaller HD TV that isn't hooked up to a box so I guess we will have to get a digital box from Shaw to view Global TV News on Cable 11.
Does anybody have info on what is going to happen on March 25 re: channel re-alignment? Thanks
 
#451 ·
At 6:10 AM this morning we received the following red banner message while watching Global TV Cable 11: " You will need a cable box to view this channel starting on March 25, 2015."
The red banner is really annoying. We have TVs at work, in a bar and restaurant with the sound off and Closed Captioning turned on so as not to disturb the customers who don't want to watch. But for those who do watch, whenever the red banner comes on, it interferes with the Closed Captioning. It usually stops it from working all together or it causes it to display gibberish.
It also interferes with the program's Ratings so that TVs can be temporarily changed to a channels with programs that we don't want children to see (such as ratings inappropriate for children).
It also interferes with channel identification and titles of programs. (Some TVs from the 1990s and 2000s have features that on-screen displays title of the TV program you're watching, the length of the program and in the case of channel 125 TVA, it even shows titles of television commercials),

I don't know why this banner is interfering with these things when all it should be interfering with is the picture.
 
#433 ·
www.shaw.ca/television/digital-network-upgrade/

This might be the reason, Shaw is phrasing out of analog TV channel in Metro Vancouver. Just go to a Shaw store near your home and tell them the situration. (As far as I know, Shaw have their store in Oakridge, Richmond CTR, Guildford and Metrotown, the ground floor of the Shaw Tower might be there but this was two years ago)

*Don't forget to tell them you need the analog for your building's security camera or they will just give you a HD-box which might unable to get the analog security camera signal(My 3400 cannot get the signal which was suppose to be on ch. 398).
 
#434 ·
This is all fine and dandy if your Shaw remotes can distinguish between TVs. Except that they don't. Shaw's equipment is so antiquated that if, for instance, you have two TVs 20 feet apart but in a relative line, say in the kitchen and family room, when you change the channel on one, you automatically change the same channel on the other. At least with some analog channels in place you can use both TVs at the same time, one on analog and the other on digital.
 
#435 ·
You should be able to "block" the signal on both STBs so that the IR doesn't interfere with another STB. Simply angling the STB a bit should work if they're that far apart. Or a small piece of electrical or similar tape covering part of the IR "eye" on the STB. Here's a thread on the topic:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=48693 Post 2 has several different ideas.

Please don't take this thread off the topic of the migration. Thanks.
 
#437 ·
It would be interesting to get numbers from Shaw as to how many of their TV customers are still on analog only. I would guess these would be older customers who just don't want to use DCT's at all. I know a few myself and as OTA is not an option for many people I would think they would have little choice. I assume the end of analog signals in any area would involve adequate notice of at least a month or more.
 
#438 ·
Swan-ch
"Don't forget to tell them you need the analog for your building's security camera or they will just give you a HD-box which might unable to get the analog security camera signal(My 3400 cannot get the signal which was suppose to be on ch. 398)."

I dropped in to the Shaw store in Surrey today to return a faulty remote for the DCT-700 digital box. I asked about the situation when you have an analogue security system and what might happen when Shaw goes completely digital on March 26. The tech answered that she thought it should work but if it didn't, I should phone 1-888-845-8303 for help. Thanks for your input!
 
#439 ·
They say after March 18th 2014 the only analog channels we'll get is Shaw's community channel (ch 4 in my area) and the TV guide (ch 96 in my area) and maybe channel 128 -whatever that is.

And I don't understand why people say removing analog channels from TV cable is Shaw moving forward with new technology.

How is it outdated technology when you buy a brand new 2015 HD TV and still have to have a digital converter between the cable and the TV so you can get something? What the point of having a TV with channels then? Might as well get a monitor since it is always "the box" that does the tuning!
Can't TV manufactures build TVs with 999 channels just like "the box"?

I hear people say and even Shaw say that the reason they are going all digital is because consumers want digital and want HD picture. This doesn't make sense to me because:
1-All new flat screen TVs are already digital. (Just plug an antennae into a new digital flat screen TV and get digital over-the-air broadcast in digital format). And;
2-All new flat screen HD TVs are HD already!
.
 
#445 ·
...I don't understand why people say removing analog channels from TV cable is Shaw moving forward with new technology.
1. The analogue channels take up far more bandwidth than digital HD channels. You can put 3 HD channels or 8-12 SD channels in the same space as one analogue channel. This bandwidth is required for the services that everyone wants (HD, internet, etc).

2. Analogue channels are subject to all kinds of interference which degrade picture quality. Analogue is not used for HD in North America.

3. TV tuners could (and can) receive QAM (digital) signals, however, these would have to be "in the clear" (unencrypted). No providers provide all the channels unencrypted because many people would then attempt to receive these for free (stealing cable). With digital and a STB you get the channels you pay for.

4. In the US they used CableCARD to decrypt channels, however, there were many issues with that approach and it was never implemented in Canada. CableCARD and Tru-2-Way are both dead and there's no reason to discuss them further. See the following post:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?p=1410444#post1410444

5. By encrypting the channels and using a STB to decrypt the channels you pay for, the customer can change their package at any time receiving or not receiving the channels they pay for. Previously with analogue a truck run (technician to your site) was required for each change. Also, the changes were only by groups of channels using a filter, not individual channels. People are changing their packages and channel lineup all the time these days and in future, there may be à-la-carte selection.

6. With digital most monitoring and issues can be assessed (troubleshooting) without going to site, again saving many truck runs, saving costs.

7. Satellite and IPTV has always required digital STBs, so now cable is no different.

There are several other reasons, but analogue is almost gone and there is no chance for unencrypted signals to be sent to your TV's tuner from a provider. In the US some select few (digital, QAM) "OTA-type" channels are sent to the TV via the cable companies, however, all of the other channels are encrypted.
 
#441 ·
^ The 3400 series boxes don't have analog tuners and thus aren't able to receive analog signals at all. You won't be able to receive an analog security feed through your 3400 boxes. Your best bet is to talk to the apartment manager about replacing the security cameras with digital cameras.
 
#446 · (Edited by Moderator)
Would it not be possible to use a splitter to feed both the STB and the TV RF input? Then you could just change TV inputs to see the security camera.

Yes, it is very possible. 57 told me how to do it about four years ago and since then I've shown several other people in our building how to access the Security Channel using that method.
I'm hoping that on March 25, I won't have to do that so that my wife won't complain that, "There are too many ugly wires visible where every one can see them when they come to visit!"
Furthermore, we wouldn't have to use two remotes i.e. the Samsung to change the Source from Analogue to HDMI so that we can view HD channels by using the Shaw remote.
 
#447 ·
As mentioned by bigoranget, many MDUs now feed the security signal into the cable connection to be tuned by the STB. Usually it's a channel like channel 998, or whatever the provider/MDU select.

Switching inputs if your MDU doesn't have this, is easily accomplished with a programmable remote like a Harmony, which of course has the additional advantage that it can be programmed to handle many devices with the one remote. On sale they're only about $50.
 
#450 ·
Thanks for the info, Dr. Dave. I've tried several ways in the past to use just the Shaw remote to access Security on Digital 398 and/or Analogue 116 with no joy and ended up having to switch back to the Samsung remote to get Security on Ch.116. I'll give it another shot using your suggestions.
It looks like, on March 25, we will have to turn on the HD/PVR on the den TV to watch the morning News on the local channels and hopefully will be able to receive the Security channel in the same format. Up to now, we watch the News and Security on Analogue by bi-passing the box using a splitter and only turn it on in the evening to receive HD.
 
#452 ·
Accessing our security camera for our building has been a problem for years. My parents have had to ask Shaw to allow their box to tune 398 or 399 for several times. Each time they get it working for them and it works for a few days. And suddenly, the next week later the box stops letting them tune to 398. It just won't go there. So it's back to phoning Shaw and repeating the same thing again and again. After the fifth time my parents gave up.
And so I split their cable to a small b/w analog TV and tuned it to UHF 60 (which is channel 116 on modern TVs) and placing it where they could turn it on quickly. And the main TV connected to the cable box.

By the way, when Shaw goes all digital I don't see it effecting our analog TVs tuned into UHF 60 or 116 because the signal is coming from our building and not Shaw.
 
#454 ·
Shaw D-Day arrived at 8:07 a.m. this morning and as expected we now have to have the HD/PVR on constantly to go from the Security Ch.116 on Analogue to then watch any other channel as they are all on Digital. Our Analogue security system can not access the Digital security channels on 398,776,777,and 778. The only channels available on Analogue now are 116 and Shaw Community Channel on Cable 4.
I found a Logitech Harmony remote that my son gave us a few years ago and I plugged it in to start charging it up. It is able to operate several electronic devices just using one remote and hopefully this might be the answer. We haven't used it for the last few years to help lessen the number of wires and devices that clutter the den.
Update: 4:30 p.m. The Community Channel is no longer Analogue and is now on Cable 4 Digital.
 
#455 ·
Shaw D-Day arrived at 8:07 a.m.
Update: 4:30 p.m. The Community Channel is no longer Analogue and is now on Cable 4 Digital.
I don't know why they also took out the Community Channel 4 because it was one channel that Shaw did not have a red banner saying we would need a digital box to get it. But since yesterday, it's gone.

And now they've placed a color test pattern on ch. 3 and replaced channel 14 (KSTW) which was suppose to be removed. I see they've kept analog channel 96 which an up to date TV guide but with an outdated channels listing. Almost two years ago, analog channel 126 became Family Channel but it's still listed as TV5 on that guide.

For some reason, Shaw is continuing to broadcast analog on channels 121 through to 128 but at greatly reduced power. Some sensitive TV tuners can tune them: especially channel 123 which is the House OF Commons and 124 TVA.
 
#458 ·
By using my Harmony 720 I can now go from Analogue 116 (Security) to HD/Digital and vice versa which is a big improvement from having to use two remotes to switch formats.
However, we are not too pleased that we have to use the HD/PVR box to view all the channels. Before the complete switch to Digital, we only used the box in the evening starting at 5 p.m.
 
#459 ·
I have about 18 channels right now, they are free because I'm in a very old "looped" cable building. Should I expect to lose then all on April 15th if I'm getting that banner? or will I still get them because I have a digital tuner in my T.V?

Bit confused if they mean a specific "Shaw digital cable box", or if it's just a warning for those that have older T.V's that can't convert a signal.

thanks
 
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