Will they ever offer HDTV?? i've been waiting for months and still no hdtv... i called several times... Some of them said in a few months , the rest said they cant tell me lol.. anyways, does anyone know a fixed date?

If you are on the VDSL system, you will have to wait untill fiber is run to the house/condo before they can support HD and DSL and land line at the same time.

I wonder if there is anyone on the system here who could provide a "real life" update on Condo TV and esp. HDTV version. I was under the impression Bell signalled this would be in market late summer (and supposedly has been in end-user testing since January). I believe they are also promising PVR for the same time-frame.

Some posters here have suggested the HDTV channel offering from Bell will be at least twice as large by year-end. That would be a good reason for me to switch from Rogers (although I am a happy customer there now).

So I was just wondering if I should be sharpening my pencil to write an advance letter to Santa to make sure he and his elves have a Condo TV HD/HD PVR for me when the snow flies. :cool:

Rogers will probably match EV's HD offerings. They have until now, with few exceptions.

bell are really beginning to test my patience. if it wasn't for the EVforCondos prescence on the new look website, i'd think we'd been forgotton about entirely.

can anyone shed any light on the future of this? is hdtv or (for me, more importantly) some pvr type facility on the horizon?

my contract is up in november...

we've upgraded a few MDU building here to HDTV and especially nimiq 2 for ethnic TV. It can be done with existing equipment, however, it does limit the amount of units that would recieve it due to antiquated distribution

we've upgraded a few MDU building here to HDTV and especially nimiq 2 for ethnic TV.

You are talking satellite, the others are talking about VDSL - totally different

You are talking satellite, the others are talking about VDSL - totally different

whoops - sorry saw BEV for condos and thought sat

my bad

A friend has the condo version of BEV (not HD) and the same box feeds DSL to his computer. In re-arranging his system he ran a new 14ft ethernet cable from the BEV box to his computer. His TV uses the co-ax output rather than s-video as he wants to keep cable clutter down - he'd have to run a stereo pair for the audio. The TV is a new Samsung 26" HDTV which is also his Mac computer monitor. (For HD he uses the ATSC built-in tuner and an indoor antenna)
Anyway, after changing the ethernet cable from 6ft to 14ft, he found his TV signal was a bit 'messed up' (his description). After checking the co-ax cabling (which was OK) he switched back to the 6ft ethernet cable and the problem cleared up.
I can't see how a longer ethernet cable could mess up his TV. The DSL speed on his computer was the same. I have to see the problem for myself to get an idea of what might be going on, though I'm at a loss as to how the BEV condo box works - if he unplugs the ethernet cable the box goes crazy and a big dot moves round and round where the clock etc. should be. If he unplugs the TV cable, the same thing happens and he's unable to access DSL.

Does anyone have a clue as to what might be the problem?

Best guess, it might a shielding problem with the 14' ethernet cable. Try a different cable and make sure that it is a Cat5e or cat6 as they offer better sheilding. Of course it could also be his coax from the box to the TV, does his picture get messed up when using the vaccum or hair dryer close to the TV? if it does then the coax is not shielded correctly.

Hope this helps

Craig

I am now using Bell adsl, and homephone line. They said my building is equipped with new technology such as VDSL and since I only have phone and internet right now, I am thinking getting expressvu.

Are there any newer set-top box available? I have DELL 19" LCD TV and wondering if there's any problem on image quality.....

With a 19" LCD TV, ExpressVu for Condos should work just fine. Signals are compressed considerably more than cable which is likely to be noticeable on larger screens but not at the size you mention.

I understand there is only one STB -- for regular TV (not HD); no PVR either.

You'll find Rogers Cable will give you much more choice and programming (including On Demand channels) -- but you may be quite content with the Bell VDSL offering. New ExpressVu subscribers get a pretty decent deal, too.

With a 19" LCD TV, ExpressVu for Condos should work just fine. Signals are compressed considerably more than cable which is likely to be noticeable on larger screens but not at the size you mention.

I understand there is only one STB -- for regular TV (not HD); no PVR either.

You'll find Rogers Cable will give you much more choice and programming (including On Demand channels) -- but you may be quite content with the Bell VDSL offering. New ExpressVu subscribers get a pretty decent deal, too.

cool ok, I'll find more about the express vu. Personally I like the Rogers Multicultural programming such as Korean ch. but since I am using Bell, I will think about going either rogers or bell....

Just to provide another point in the long trek for BEV for condos.

Our building signed an agreement with Bell in 2005 and Bell has yet to install anything. The building was told that they were on the list for sure for 2006 but have now been told it's 2007 at least because they're going to install an upgraded version of IPTV.

Maybe by the time Bell gets its act together my agreement with Rogers will have expired and I'll give them a look but they sure don't inspire confidence (and I've been a Bell Sympatico DSL subscriber since '98 :rolleyes: )

NefCanuck

Hi there,

I would like to pursue this as an option for my condo.
Currently our building choices are 'TV for Condos' from Bell and Rogers via cable.
The Bell option I don't like because I can't get HDTV.
So....I want to see if the shared dish on the roof is an option.

Is Bell pulling away from such things since they want to use 'TV for Condos'?

Any experiences with this would be great to hear before I purpose this to the condo board.

Thanks

Bell no longer installs MDU (condo) dish systems. The only way to get it done is with an independent contractor. Depending on the existing wiring, it is possible to support HD using DishPro Plus equipment. Bell is now doing TV over IP in some areas but that does not support HD yet. I suggest you get a couple of quotes to present to your condo board. Considering the extra cost, Rogers may be the best way to go. There is not much difference between the HD offerings by EV and Rogers.

I am in a similar situation.
My condo (Marina Del Rey) has Bell VDSL TV which is built into our maintenance fee.
I have been calling Bell ExpressVu For Condo's since 2004 (I even called them again today) asking them when HD will be available. They keep telling me it is coming.
There is no sense in me buying an HD TV without having an HD feed.

:confused:

I just got off the phone (1-866-770-6555) with Bell ExpressVu for condos (VDSL) and they said that they have no date set for HD availability.

This has been the same story since 2004.

I feel like I am being held hostage since the Bell ExpressVu service is built into our condo fees. This means that if I choose to go to Rogers I will be paying for the Rogers service as well as the Bell service (built into condo fee).

What choices do we have!

I even asked Bell to give me a HD dish until the VDSL service supports HD and they said no.

:confused: :confused: :confused:

HELP!!!

I feel like I am being held hostage since the Bell ExpressVu service is built into our condo fees. This means that if I choose to go to Rogers I will be paying for the Rogers service as well as the Bell service (built into condo fee).

Bell's TV for Condos does not offer HD, as you point out; neither does it offer PVR; neither does it offer On Demand programming. Bell's IPTV announcements have never, in my read, mentioned PVR -- and certainly there are no plans for an HD PVR. No provider offers an HD PVR over phone lines at this time anywhere -- the bandwidth for 2 TV streams, 2 HD streams, and reasonable Internet speed is more than the commercial technology can handle.

You probably pay something like $20-30/mth for inferior Bell TV service built into your condo fees. You might want to lobby the board to renegotiate with Bell to make it optional. Bell has clearly not lived up to promises when your board signed the deal.

Whereas there are subjective merits to both Bell ExpressVu satellite and Rogers Personal TV which may make them somewhat equal, Bell's TV for Condos clearly doesn't cut it. Probably 20% of your building would have moved to HD and/or PVR by now -- you're stuck at the gate with 1999 TV service.

Bell's IPTV will have lots of WOW factor no doubt but that's at least nother year away. In a recent business analyst meeting Sabia and other senior management only commited to "completing IPTV development" in 2007 -- not actually installing it on any sort of commercial mass basis.

Well, you can always watch the Superbowl and Oscars at a local pub or ask a friend nicely if you can come over to watch it in HD ... :rolleyes:

IT's a pity you can't just bite the bullet on the Bell payment and order Rogers anyway.