Best to read the What's on in High Definition Forum for specifics...

As of right now...
HD programming (widescreen, high resolution) only is on for US primetime, and Leno, Letterman, and Conan (except for Reality and news magazine shows) and 1/2 of the sporting events on weekends. Syndicated shows (Oprah, ET, Judge Judy) and most daytime programming will be on the HD station, but with bars on the sides (known as upconverted standard definition (SD) programming).

Just to confuse things more... CBC has a upconverted, widescreen SD programming. It is mostly programs from the UK like Coronation Street and Kids programs that they unnoticably stretch from UK widescreen ratio to 16:9. The CBC shows the 1st game of HNIC (read only the Leafs game) in HD. TSN has about 1 hockey game a week in HD. Sportsnet has near zero HD until the Jays start playing Home games at Skydome.

CTV (only in Vancouver on Shaw) has very little non-US HD programming (Corner Gas in 4:3 HD) and Global (not on Shaw) even less. Buying the HD PVR can compensate for Shaw's lack of HD timezone shifts. The WB network (which merges with UPN in September to become the CW) has most of their primetime in HD, but only Bell Expressvu has a WB-HD channel.

Movie Central HD and PBS HD both offer a 24 Hour HD channel to wow your friends with.

As for picture quality (PQ)... Starchoice would actually have a better picture since their compression of the digital signal is lower than Shaw or Expressvu. Shaw used to have only 2 HD channels per channel of analog bandwidth, but now they have 3 HD per analog channel. Shaw uses fibre from source and Starchoice to feed their HD.

I'm getting a DCT 6208 soon and I know I can operate it on a normal TV but would I be able to record off the high def channels and lower them for playback to be recorded onto a vcr not that I would need to but I’m just curious or even view them but lower the resolution.

P.S. I will be getting a high definition TV soon but this a just for now thing.

checking: http://broadband.motorola.com/dvr/dct6208.asp

The 6208 has RF and Baseband Output (Video, L/R Audio) Ports (RCA Yellow, Red, and White)- so plug those into the old vcr and record with black bars on top and bottom.

checking: http://broadband.motorola.com/dvr/dct6208.asp

The 6208 has RF and Baseband Output (Video, L/R Audio) Ports (RCA Yellow, Red, and White)- so plug those into the old vcr and record with black bars on top and bottom.

Thanks that website link answered all of the questions I had or would of had.

Shaw introduced CBC-HD just prior to the olympics. When they called to inform us of this new channel, they told us that it would only be for the duration of the olympic games. The monday after the games, they removed the channel.

Now we are stuck with only 4 channels: Movie Central, CBS, FOX and Sportsnet.

I was dissapointed and called Customer Service and the rep told me that they are planning to add 5 more HD channels including CBC-HD by the end of the week ending March 11th.

This would mean that we would have 9 total HD channels including: CBC-HD, NBC-HD, ABC-HD, TSN-HD, PBS-HD and the 4 current ones mentioned above.

I have heard that this fiasco of introducing CBC-HD and removing it was a local Kamloops region problem. They told me that they did not have the Hardware installed to handle the Bandwith of more HD channels but they were working on installing it.

I'll let you know what happens by the end of the week.


Hey did you manage to get more channels or did shaw just get your hopes up for nothing. Nothing had happened in Southern Sask yet.

Now shows Kamloops and P.G.(maybe old news) having the 9 HD channels now.
I also see Vernon and Williams Lake also show all 9.
Can the Kootenays maybe be next?
We must be the last ones in the province.
Can anyone in the Loops confirm this?
Every place that gets these channels must mean Cranbrook is one step closer, I hope.

Shaw Calgary has the HD channels renamed. They are now:
HDABC, HDCBS, HDNBC, HDPBS and HDFOX
TSNHD, CBCHD, MCHD and whatever Sportsnet is.

Shaw Calgary has the HD channels renamed. They are now:
HDABC, HDCBS, HDNBC, HDPBS and HDFOX
TSNHD, CBCHD, MCHD and whatever Sportsnet is.

:cool: maybe soon u will see DISHD. Could this be the first step? Hope so.:)

I own a dell projector whose dvi ports are not HDCP compliant, I plan to buy one of the shaw HD boxes, will I face any problems with connecting dell projector to shaw HD box using DVI Cables
In simple words does any of the shaw HD channels enforce HDCP on source and display

Thanks
Sonisame

My DCT6412/2000 with Shaw does require DHCP on the DVI port (at least when I tried it). I tried using an LCD flat screen when my projector was being repaired. I saw the channel for about two seconds before a nasty message came on the screen saying something like "HDCP authentication failed. Plug it in with component video instead." It didn't matter if I was watching SD, HD, or even the cable box settings. Needless to say, I was not very happy!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DCT6412#HDCP

It seems that Shaw has started to add a anti-copying signal to their HD channels..... you may record to your PVR, but it wont let you record to your DVD recorder......maybe I'm doing something wrong. Anyhelp out there?
I have the 6208 PVR and a Sony RDR-GX300 DVD Recorder

Homebrew

It seems that Shaw has started to add a anti-copying signal to their HD channels..... you may record to your PVR, but it wont let you record to your DVD recorder......

See this thread:
http://www.digitalhomecanada.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34604

You'll find lots of discussion on this there (part way through the thread) and a work-around.

meshmellow

My DCT6412/2000 with Shaw does require DHCP on the DVI port (at least when I tried it). I tried using an LCD flat screen when my projector was being repaired. I saw the channel for about two seconds before a nasty message came on the screen saying something like "HDCP authentication failed. Plug it in with component video instead." It didn't matter if I was watching SD, HD, or even the cable box settings. Needless to say, I was not very happy!

Thanks for your help
I guess no HDTV for me than!, I am in no hurry to buy new projector and monitors/tv so that I could meet these annoying HDCP requirements( too mamy HDMI standards, handshakes issues seen by people who have HDCP compliant displays, amplifiers, blu-ray/hddvd issues etc). I will let the dust settle before I invest my hard-earned money on these things again.

Good, that setlles it. Now can we get back on topic with respect to Shaw HD programming? I'm surprised these posts did not get moved. They clearly belong in the Motorola 6000 series sub-forum.

Every time I read this forum and see this thread in bold, I think something is happening, especially when rumors are flying about the possible addition of a couple of HD channels imminently.

Hi Pcouture,

Can you tell us what channels you have you have heard are coming to Shaw? And how soon?

I have heard a few but I am interested in what you know.

Thx!

First, let me say that I'm far from the person "in-the know" as far this present rumor goes. So keep this in mind, please.

As of today, Edmonton has 9 channels:

301 Sportsnet
302 MC HD
303 ABC HD
304 CBS HD
305 NBC HD
306 PBS HD
307 FOX HD
308 TSN HD
309 CBC HD

I've heard that Discovery HD and CBC HD are coming soon, mainly from what I read here. I've also heard that HD VOD is coming, although probably later than the previous two I mentioned.

The VOD "rumor" comes from a Shaw tech who was recently at my house to install a booster. He said he had no idea where the beadwidth to do this was going to come from.

I would tend to agree with him. Quality has worsened over the past 6 to 9 months and half the time, VOD on my 6412s in unavailable, a sign that bandwidth is scarce (still according to the tech) in my neighbourhood. If you take into account that I'm in a newer area of Edmonton where everyting underground is fiber, it sure begs the question...

Now that you mentioned it myt VOD is not working anymore either. I live in Richmond, B.C. It was working when it first came with the upgrade, but now it deosn't anymore...

sorry, I have a 6412 also.

I have a Sharp LC37GB5U, and the picture on the anolog channels is great. Have ordered a Motorola DCT6200, but now am informed the picture on the anolog channels will not be so good, is that true? Am now considering getting Star Choice, but am concerned about having a reciever for all my TVs.
Any advice would be greatly appreceated.
Andy

You can always just use the TV's tuner for SD, and the HD box for HD channels only. Alot of people on here do that.