FYI - TSN analog is on channel 30 In Burnaby, BC, so therefore He is not getting TSN HD for free because he only has Basic Cable so that $13.95 is not fro TSN HD - it is to pay for Tier 1 to be added to your package because once you have TSN analog you get TSN HD.

For Most Shaw customers TSN analog is on Basic Cable, that is why this is not an issue

I just wanted to clear this up - SHAW IS NOT CHARGING FOR TSN HD! Bottom line. If you have the analog version in your package, you get the HD version

Thanks
Shawguy

I was wondering the same thing! Not very many I bet! Re: Basic Cable + HDTV

Just cheapy me I guess lol

You're not cheap! It's a matter of different strokes for different folks!;)

I can confirm that it's still free here in Winnipeg. Just got off the phone with Shaw, they said that they split the channels into groups and in doing so that the TSN HD channel got dropped for some people. So they just had to add it to my account again. They said it wouldn't cost me anything, it was just a mistake on their part. When I spoke with the rep he mentioned that it has happened to a few people, so if it's happening to you just call them and they'll fix you up right away.

-RP

if you have the SD version of TSN you will get the HD for free BUT if you dont have regular TSN (its not part of basic cable in vancouver) then you have to upgrade basic to the next level to get TSN HD.

personally, I only have basic cable not because of the price but because the only HD channel i wasnt getting was the movie one (i have other sources for hd movies)...im not at all interested in SD channels and NEVER watch them...it just seems crazy to have to upgrade your tier's just to get one channel...now if they gave you Discovery HD and TSN HD for 13.95 that would be more reasonable...BUT it looks like in order to get Discovery HD (just theory since there is no announced plans yet) you have to upgrade yet another tier. So that will be something like $30 for two HD channels...

Some day, there will be a-la-carte selection...

57, I don't know if you said that as parody or what. But it's extremely unlikely we will ever see a-la-carte selection in Canada.

They've been dangling that possibility for 20 years, and no provider in existence offers a truly viable a-la-carte option.

The technoloy to do that as been in place for many years. The number of channel options is ample to do it.

So why don't they? Simple, profits come ahead of quality for these outfits.

They sell a 'sports package' that has 2 or 3 channels people want, and 6 or 7 they don't. If people could purchase only the 2 or 3 desirable channels, the other 6 or 7 would probably not get enough subscriptions to survive.

The ones that offer a so-called 'a la carte' jack the price of the 2 or 3 desirable channels so they end up costing more than the whole sports package. It's all designed to make you buy more than you want or need.

It's no different than the music industry selling a $20 CD that has 2 songs a consumer wants, or they can buy the two singles for $7-8 each.

I-tunes business model success is proof consumers don't like bundles when they have a real choice.

So when consumers have no choice but to buy packages like this, the industry misinterprets that as approval.

I can still remember the cable company executive who believed that the Golf channel and Outdoor Life Networks had the exact same viewership as TSN. I asked him how he could possibly think that? He said "I checked the subscriber numbers and they are the same." He didn't realize that most people are buying the bundle to get TSN and that Golf and OLN are just extra's for most people.

It's a gimmick that you don't have to pay for TSN-HD as is a gimmick that you don't have to pay for MC-HD. Most people with HD never watch any SD channel so it's normal to not pay for those. If you are forced to pay for 20 SD channels to get TSN-HD then that is the price you have to pay for TSN-HD. If you ask me, is not worth it. At the same time if you have to pay for 4 MC channels to get the only one that matters, then that's the price for MC-HD.
It's like when you buy an HD TV the seller would say to you, it's free, but you have to buy 10 analog legacy TVs to get it. Just crap.

57, I don't know if you said that as parody or what. But it's extremely unlikely we will ever see a-la-carte selection in Canada.One of the reasons we don't have a-la-carte is because the CRTC requires certain channels to be carried in basic cable (the must carry rule).

The other reason is that we still have analogue channels at all and for those people who don't have digital, there will always be "tiers" because it's too difficult to do "filters" for individual channels.

Once the analogues are gone (in a few years) then we can possibly have a-la-carte. Those discussions are already underway in the US...

I don't understand the objections of some people though. The basic rule is that if you subscribe to the SD channel, you get the HD "free". If you don't, you don't.

Just wait until you get more HD channels and they start charging you for them even though you already have the SD ones. For example, we at Rogers must pay $5 to get DiscoveryHD, TSN and Timeshifts, even though we're already paying for those SD..

Seems to be back. Maybe they are throwing us a bone by allowing us to watch the Canucks game in HD tonight.

Just off the phone with Shaw (only on hold for 7 minutes). They did a quick reset of channel 308 (TSN HD). They are also aware of the problem with the HD boxes not showing the song and artist information on the music channels.

Just to be sure...is TSN in Richmond, B.C. (or GVA) on basic cable. That's all I have, but I swore it was there before and now not. I don't want to complain if I shouldn't be getting the channel in the first place.

Just to be sure...is TSN in Richmond, B.C. (or GVA) on basic cable. That's all I have, but I swore it was there before and now not. I don't want to complain if I shouldn't be getting the channel in the first place.

TSN is part of tier1 in Vancouver.

Also TSN-HD shows up as a seperate code in the Shaw billing system. The dependency has been setup so now it gets added by default... it didn't used to so unfortunately sometimes people wouldn't get TSN HD even when they were supposed to. Just a small mixup can always be fixed in like 2 minutes.

Also the other reason for "tiers" is because who the hell would pay for channels like Bravo and the Life! network on their own. Basically Tiers and bundles are to subsidize the crap channels otherwise they would be quite expensive. As fewer people subscribe to them it costs more to get them. Its a system that keeps more channels on the air... even if they suck. Oh well

I'm assuming Tier 1 means basic cable?

Analog Cable (Tv Channels that do not require a digital box) are in the following Basic, Tiers 1, 2, and 3. When you have Basic and all the Tiers - Shaw Calls that Full Cable.

Tier 1 is not basic cable, Tier 1 is an add-on to basic cable.

I thought Id give it a shot and voice my displeasure with Shaw tier level pricings and offerings. Thought I'd share it with you guys in case anyone is curiuos.

Me

I currently subscribe to basis cable, shaw high speed internet, 5
specialty chanels and Movie Central. I would like to view TSN HD. That
is the only chanel in the upper bundle you offer that appeals to me. For
me to pay an extra $20 a month for one channel is rediculous. Satelite
providers seem to cater to customers that feel the same way I do. What
can my cable provider do for me to resolve this issue.

Shaw

Thank you for taking the time to contact Shaw Customer Care. We
appreciate the opportunity to correspond with you.

Our current agreement with TSN requires our customers to take the
analogue version of TSN (contained in Tier 1) if they want to receive
TSN HD. Since there is no means of separating the analogue version of
the channel from the rest of the tier, you must pay the $13.95 charge to
receive TSN HD.

If you need any further help or assistance, please consult our website
at http://www.shaw.ca or call us at 604.629.8888.

Thank you for choosing Shaw.

Matt
Customer Relations - Vancouver
Shaw High Speed Internet Service
van.help@sjrb.ca

Me

Other regions do not have to purchase tier 1 to view TSN. So why do we
in the lower mainland? Do you believe $13.95 per month is an acceptable
charge for viewing one channel? Keep in mind my previous comment on how
TSN is the only channel that I would watch in that bundle. If you
honestly believe this is OK I suggest you take another look at your
offerings and how they are set up. The market is more competitive now
than it has been in years, with Telus getting into the game you need to
do it better than the other guys in order to remain successful.
All the offerings in the future will be almost identical with all the
cable and satellite providers in this market. What will set companies
apart in the customer service. Being on the cutting edge, not the
bleeding edge of customer service and giving your clients what they have
been asking for will determine what Market share you will keep in the
coming years. The competition will do anything to take your customers,
what will you do to retain them?

Shaw

Thank you for contacting Shaw Eservice.

We understand that you would prefer to pick and choose the channels you enjoy watching, specifically TSN, instead of receiving bundled packages.
As you are aware, the clustering of channels into packages is a universal practice of cable television and satellite operators in North America. Traditionally we, as well as other cable companies, package channels in a variety of groupings usually based on CRTC-regulated priority, as well as maximizing choice and value for our customers.
Current technology does not allow us to offer "pick and pay" in a cost effective way on analogue channels (2-59).

We appreciate that our customers have different viewing preferences and we do not expect you to be interested in every channel that is available. However, by packaging a number of channels together we can appeal to a broad range of interests and provide a variety of channels at the best possible price. A similar analogy is that purchasing groceries in bulk packages results in the per unit price being cheaper than if each item was purchased individually. Even if a customer is interested in only a few of the channels it is still less expensive to order them in a package than if we offered each channel individually.

We hope this information has been useful to you. Please feel free to contact us by phone 604-629-8888 24hrs/7 days a week or by email response. If you need further assistance you may also visit our website at http://www.Shaw.ca/.

Thank you for choosing Shaw!
Camilla S
Eservice Team

Can shaw turn "on/off" TSNHD from their head office, without coming on site? I know they have to come on site when more analog channels are requested (another tier), but if I wanted to upgrade from tier1 but couldn't care less about the other analog channels, can they turn on just TSN HD for me??

Technically they can just throw the switch for TSN HD and not have to come by, in practise they will have to come by if you are upgrading from basic to another tier as they will have to remove the filter in your cable box for you to get all the analog channels in that upgrade package. So you better get back into that box and put that filter back in before calling them. :D