A lot of people on this thread are ranting about how ROD is now. What you have to realize is that if they're going to do this, they are going to cut deals with all the Canadian networks to get basically all their stuff. So it'll all be there on demand.

What I don't get is how this saves them any bandwidth. They might save a couple downstream channels (20 SD channels = 2 downstream 6 MHz channels) but they would shift so much viewing to the on demand platform that I would think they could easily eat up more bandwidth than that. 10 digital boxes watching VOD = 1 downstream channel. I see this move forcing them to segment their service groups a lot further and upgrading their VOD equipment to pump out more streams.

I would be okay with it if Rogers moved to the new 3-tuner model PVR..but currently I record at least one program per hour during primetime in the west, simply because certain hours have 3 shows I want to watch and only 2 tuners to record.

But to be honest, with sub-par pvr, recent price increases and now losing my bundle pricing...going back to Bell seems like more of a reality!

SDV will save the day!

This is a terrible idea. Practically every night I need to record a time shifted program because there are too many shows airing in the same time slot.

If time shifting is removed I would need to hope and pray that the show would be available in a timely fashion and in HD. I rarely watch SD channels.

The other benefit of utilizing the PVR over VOD is that I can sift through only programs that I am interested in (since I recorded them), and I can do it relatively quickly. Even after the updates VOD is extremely slow and the interface is rather poor (IMO).

In all honesty, this would drive me to reduce my cable package and begin downloading more programs.

Practically every night I need to record a time shifted program because there are too many shows airing in the same time slot.

I'm not picking on you; several folks have mentioned this concept -- a two tuner PVR is inadequate because there are often three things on at once to record and without a second chance to record over time-shifting, the TV service is inadequate.

Really? Is this true? I get that someone, somewhere, will have unusual requirements that no mainstream system will ever address. But it seems to me that just yesterday folks were complaining that there were 500 channels and there was nothing on. How is it that suddenly there is so much on there aren't enough tuners in the PVR to capture it all?

When does anyone have time to watch all these triple-booked TV appointments?

What I like about On Demand is I don't have to plan, in advance, what I might want to watch -- there is (current) stuff waiting for me. It could be better -- more shows from more channels (CTV? CBC? TVO? PBS?) -- but I do have a PVR to fill in the gaps. Mainly I use the PVR for things I can "really" plan -- like TCM movies and documentaries. I'd record more -- probably from Newsworld, Documentary and Bold -- if I had a useful way of figuring out what they were playing when. I can't remember the last time I watched anything on TMN/HBO/MPix that wasn't On Demand -- 2007 perhaps? I look through Movie Magazine every month -- but check out "HD Spotlight" On Demand when I am in the mood actually watching for TV.

Time-shifting is a "nice to have"; but I rarely use it -- certainly very rarely "live", which is the whole point of it.

The wife already complains about when I'm PVRing two shows, so she can't watch a live channel; this will just make it worse.

Have you considered buying a second PVR? Cheap, considering the marital bliss it could bring!

I don't use it often, but loosing the timeshifting would majorly tick me off...

Using a Rogers-based PVR as a solution to losing time shifting? HA! Don't make me laugh! We DON'T have the superior Bell TV PVR. We use the dinosaur Scientific Atlanta 8300 series. When BellTV introduces a new PVR, they drop the price of the the previous top-level PVR. Where as Rogers hasn't bothered to update its SA PVR and hasn't dropped the price to reflect the passage of time.

It's 8-10 years out of date and its interface, much like the entire Scientific-Atlanta interface, is a barebones DOS-like joke! If they're going to offer the HD model at say, under $125, I'd *maybe* consider it.

But there's a PVR fee. PVR fee??!! Hell, I'd rather pay $1-$1.25/month to keep Canadian time shifting (we currently get it for free).

Rogers does not compress the major Buffalo HD channels, as discussed in the following post:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=104501

There are other issues regarding the Buffalo channels which have been discussed in this forum extensively (search for "Rogers issues Buffalo" or similar), but please do not perpetuate the myth that Rogers compresses all the channels. They do compress some, but those are listed in the above link.
Rogers does compress the Buffalo stations in my area--Kitchener. I know this, as I've worked for Rogers for years. They may not be doing so in Toronto, but that's a different cable system within Rogers.

I caution you against making assumptions about Rogers Cable technical practices, as they differ from region to region.

Using a Rogers-based PVR as a solution to losing time shifting? HA! Don't make me laugh! We DON'T have the superior Bell TV PVR. We use the dinosaur Scientific Atlanta 8300 series. When BellTV introduces a new PVR, they drop the price of the the previous top-level PVR. Where as Rogers hasn't bothered to update its SA PVR and hasn't dropped the price to reflect the passage of time.

It's 8-10 years out of date and its interface, much like the entire Scientific-Atlanta interface, is a barebones DOS-like joke! If they're going to offer the HD model at say, under $125, I'd *maybe* consider it.

But there's a PVR fee. PVR fee??!! Hell, I'd rather pay $1-$1.25/month to keep Canadian time shifting (we currently get it for free).
I agree if the HD PVR was cheaper I may have considered it, but it's just way too expensive for something that just works on Rogers. I doubt they will be able to get every show on ROD, and even if they did as someone pointed out earlier their is a delay from when it airs to it being on ROD.

Rogers does compress the Buffalo stations in my area--Kitchener.
If that's the case, I'd appreciate seeing your bitrates. I have not encountered bitrates that vary on this forum for Rogers Ontario. I will check with my Rogers contacts as I have time. Please add your bitrates to the compression thread for which I provided the link in post 19.

But it seems to me that just yesterday folks were complaining that there were 500 channels and there was nothing on. How is it that suddenly there is so much on there aren't enough tuners in the PVR to capture it all?

That's the problem. Not only is there nothing on but I hate commercials. I record programs that I am interested in so that I always have a recorded program to watch whenever I want to watch TV. With limited HD content most of the shows I record are during the prime-time hours.

Here's another point presently certain ROD programs from certain networks are "free" will Rogers suddenly start charging users for all programing via ROD from ie NBC,CBS,ABC,City TV,etc?

No, not a chance.

I think they tried on a few. survivor from global used to be .99$, I don't think anybody purchased it though.

My suspicions are that they will be free in the beginning , maybe for a few years, then they will try to charge for them somehow. I think its a bad idea to remove these distant stations. There is no way they will have programming on ROD up 3 hours after they air locally.

I pretty much don't care on this issue since anything worth watching I will PVR and watch at my convenience. The only time the timeshift channels come in handy is when it lets you get additional sporting events that you wouldn't otherwise get in Toronto - i.e. NFL games and when there are multiple NHL playoff games on at once - you may get a different game on CBC Vancouver or CBC wherever.

I'm surprised I missed this one -- the RSS feed must have changed because that's how I usually get wind of new threads.

With 2 tuners I still find myself in need of the West coast feeds. Especially on game nights -- if anyone is a fan of most sports, the games last 2-3 hours, and it is very possible that you would have both tuners already in action at some point during the game.

Als, there are several issues which result in your PVR missing a recording, where the West coast feed is your only (legal) recourse.

I would be quite upset if this happened.

I agree that if the PVR'S were even 200.00 - 250.00 I would consider it but timeshift is a lot cheaper. Really we only have so much time to watch tv anyway. PVR'S are a luxury item not a necessity and I wouldn't use it enough to justify the cost. We can also view a lot of poular shows via global and city tv that serves the same purpose.

Really we only have so much time to watch tv anyway.PVRs can help with this because they can allow you to watch 3-4 hours of TV in a couple of hours. My time is far too valuable to spend any of it watching commercials, or the boring parts of some programmes where I may be only interested in certain parts (Daily Planet is an excellent example).

I haven't watched live commercial TV since the mid 1970's. You can decide whether you want to watch more programming in the same amount of time, or the same programming in significantly less time.

Even if you only value your time at minimum wage - say roughly $10/hour - That's easily $3000/year!