Fibe TV Rant Thread

[gun26]

I got a sales call the other night from a telemarketer pushing Bell's Fibe bundle. She claimed it was now available in my area (Pharmacy & Ellesmere in Toronto - I have my doubts but it's academic anyway, as it turns out - read on). I listened to her pitch because I'm tired of paying Rogers around $100 a month for TV. Trouble with Fibe is that Bell is, in the year 2011, _still_ playing those stupid "theme pack" games that I've grown to despise from Rogers. The few desirable channels are scattered amongst multiple theme packs of dreck. Why are we still playing this game in this day and age? It turns out that in order to get the channels I do want I'll end up paying a buck or two more than I'm paying Rogers now. Yes, I know the picture quality of Fibe is supposed to be great, but in order to switch to Fibe, I'm looking at up-front costs for installation and equipment so I expect Fibe, as the new kid on the block seeking to take away my business from Rogers, to beat Rogers' pricing by a solid $15-20 or so monthly.

As for the internet service that's part of the Fibe bundle, the monthly traffic limit on Fibe 12 is - wait for it - 50 GB. Are you kidding me? 50 measly GB monthly in the year 2011? I get a 200 GB monthly cap now on my 5 Mb DSL from Teksavvy for $32 a month, and if I paid $40 I'd have no cap at all. None. Period. It floors me that Bell thinks they have a shot at my business with idiotic limits like these.

Looks like I'm stuck with Rogers. Again. The idiots that apparently run Bell need to get a clue or two before they get anything other than my phone business from me.

[WIll_TO]

I could be wrong here, but I think some of the reason for the theme packs are regulatory and a result of CRTC regulations. I'm not too familiar with Rogers' packages since I went without TV at home for the last 5 or 6 years; but I find Bell's packages are pretty fairly distributed, hardly scattered.

I was previously with Rogers for internet, but cancelled because I was getting sick of the monthly bandwidth caps with overages. I was going to go with TekSavvy, but I realized that most of my bandwidth usage was for movies and TV, which has now been replaced by Fibe. Now that I have Fibe with TMN/HBO, I haven't been using more than 15 GB/month. Plus I can actually watch shows when they're on now, rather than wait til someone posts them to the scene.

[gun26]

First, of all, LOL and hats off to the admin who retitled my post. Well played, sir.

Next, in response to WIll_TO : I'm pretty sure that anything CRTC-mandated is already in the basic channel group, which you get (along with the timeshifting group) at the Starter level priced at $27/month. (I'm getting my info directly from Bell's Fibe TV Guide, btw.) Theme packs are by definition options we pick and choose from, therefore anything in them is also by definition not mandatory.

Let's look at Fibe's theme packs to (hopefully) show what I mean: Take news channels as an example. Fibe has a "News and Views" theme pack which gives you CNN, HLN (aka CNN headline), BNN (Bell's own business channel) CP24 and good old "fair and balanced" Fox News. But wait - it also includes History Television (or, as we call it here, "Hitlery"). This isn't a "news" channel or a "views" channel. What's it doing there? And wait again - where's MSNBC? Or CNBC? They are in another theme pack called "Learning and News" together with National Geographic, the Biography channel, iChannel, Book Television, Investigation Discovery and - wait for it - G4, Comcast's abysmal "gaming lifestyle" channel. Why does, say Fox News, rate a slot in the first group while MSNBC does not? Your guess is as good as mine. But wait again - where's BBC World News? Why, it's in a third theme pack called "Knowledge and News" along with Discovery, TLC, Animal Planet and Science channel.

See what they've done? If you want the news channels, you spring for no less than three theme packs to get them. If you want Animal Planet, Discovery and National Geographic (which, to my mind, belong together thematically) that's two theme packs. Let's move on to sports. The "Sports Zone" theme pack consists of TSN, Speed channel (car racing - yawn) and NFL network. That's it. So basically a whole theme pack is consumed by TSN plus filler. If you want Rogers' sports channels or the Score, they're off in the "Sports Fan" theme pack.

So, let's recap. If you want the sports channels that logically belong together plus the news channels that belong together, you're in for five theme packs and counting. I could go on. Why, for example, does a theme pack called "Sports Feed" include the Military Channel? It makes no more sense than putting Hitlery in with the news channels.

So, WIll_TO, do you still stand by your characterization of Bell's theme packs as "pretty fairly distributed, hardly scattered"? To me it's crystal clear that the nonsensical mix of channels in Bell's theme packs is expressly designed to force customers to order a maximal amount of theme packs (and thereby shell out a maximum amount of $$$) in order to get the channels they want, whatever their interest may be - news, sports, nature, etc. etc.

Discussion of internet bandwith caps is probably off topic here, but I salute you if you live within 15 GB monthly. I just checked my Teksavvy DSL usage - I'm around 15 GB already for January. I subscribe to Netflix and each hour of video at maximum resolution is around 2.4 GB. I download video podcasts that run around 400-500 Mb per show compessed with h264. I download numerous Linux ISOs running from a few hundred Mb to a full DVD in size, 4.4 GB. Most months I end up using a little bit north of 100 GB and that includes no shady material from the so-called "scene". As I make more use of Netflix in the months ahead (because I recently got a video game console to stream through) I fully expect my bandwidth usage to go up.

Barring a wholesale change of corporate policy by Bell (fat chance!), Fibe is a non-starter for me.

[WIll_TO]

I just wrote a long reply, but apparently this forum logged me out automatically and then when I clicked back it was all gone... so I'm not re-writing.

key points were just that I think there are other CRTC restrictions aside from mandatory carry (ie. number of US channels per pack; explaining why CNN, FOX, MSNBC, CNBC, HLN, etc... can't be in the same pack)

Also, that I understand the bandwidth issues, I just found my disappeared once I got TV, with TMN and a PVR plus on-demand, I have no need for netflix.

and for theme packs, they are fair for me... but I suppose everyone's different. I have 7 theme packs + tmn and have no interest in any channels I'm not getting.

But yeah, best of luck in finding your perfect TV/internet solution... seems hard to come by here in the great white north

[herba]

Not sure for ontario but in montreal we have:

Fibe 10 limit is 75 gigs
Fibe 16 limit is 90 gigs
5$ per 40 gigs xtra you take.

For TV we have "a la carte" selection.
The starter basic package is 18$, which is pretty good considering it includes the US networks.. Then, after that we have:
15$ for 15 channels
20$ for 19 channels
22$ for 30 channels

The problem is not all channels are in the "a la carte" lineup. Videotron has a much better "a la carte" lineup. I totally agree with you that packages are stupid.

[sotovski]

Gun 26: Who the heck wants to have 6 different news channels in 1 theme pack ??? Do you really watch 6 different news channels ? Seems like 1 or 2 would be enough to cover the day's news...which then makes more sense to divide them into different packs...I do agree with you however that the cable company will try to maximize the amount of packs the customer would want to purchase...its business 101, unfortunately for us. The TSN pack also includes RDS (which carries all Habs games for those who care)...

In a perfect world you would pay for every channel you want separately and end up with about 15-20 channels and a very modest bill...

[macjones]

no. in a perfect world they'd give you access to all the content and then bill you according to what (and how much) you watched that month. this way, you get to watch whatever's on and never have to pay for what you dont.

[WIll_TO]

To be honest, I'm thinking of dropping back to 3 theme packs from 7. I'm not a huge sports fan, and aside from that there aren't too many other HD channels in theme packs. News pack with CNN, News pack wth MSNBC and the package with Oasis, Equator, Treature would probably do.

With that said, I'd probably switch to 7 or 8 theme packs again if they started getting the HD versions of some of the channels that I know are out there.

Of course, no matter what I'd be paying the $20-25 for TMN/HBO.... That's gotta be the best pack out there.

[ErikBRak1m]

Oh, I'm more than familiar with the games that both Rogers and Bell play with theme packs, such as taking channels that logically go together and then scattering them amongst umpteen unrelated theme packs (for at least some channels anyway -- no logic whatsoever). Some channels are available a la carte, but I think most of us are sick of these theme pack shenanigans.

[wm_cheng]

Hi all,

Like many of you early adopters, I got hooked in last August in the Beach with some nice promotions. FibeTV was new and only available in certain areas and being so sick of how I was treated by Rogers, I jumped at the chance to rid myself of them! At the time, there were these Bell ice cream trucks on the boardwalk selling 3yrs free PVR and STB with a new subscriptions. It seemed like a good idea at the time. But by the time I got to the installation, I was told I only had 2yrs free PVR & STB since I had to switch my cell phone over to bell as well to qualify for the 3rd year. I wasn't prepare to do that, but even though the deal soured a little, the idea of the whole home PVR was enough for me to take what they offered anyways. Even leave my great old grandfathered Bell Sympatico internet deal for the new Fibe6 internet plan with a lower cap.

Well a year later, the lost of 25Gbps bandwidth (which was used as a selling point) to be capped at 6Gbps, some PVR growing pains, lack of any real free "On Demand" programs and the initial estimate of $94/month for TV, Internet & phone ballooned to $160/month - I now discover that I no longer have my PVR & STB credits on this months bill. It seems like its been a slow simmer over the last year. I called them up and was told that I only had the free PVR & STB deal for 1 year only - since I only started 1 new subscription service with Bell. I told them that was not what I was assured of last year (but now I look back on my records and nowhere is it written down that its free for 2 years - even old bills just say PVR &STB promotion credit). After putting me on hold for 20mins to transfer to a supervisor, I was told that it was after 9pm and none were available to take my problem. So I was told that I'd have to call back. The problem is, without any written documentation, how do I explain my case? I owned my Rogers HD-PVR before hand, but have subsequently given it to my parents now. Should I call Rogers to ask what they'd give me if I switch back? I'd hate to lose the whole home PVR function when switching back to Rogers (who are just as crooked!) I just feel so taken advantage of! Argh!

It seems as though Bell and Rogers are always a frustrating headache waiting to happen! Any suggestions would be welcomed. Has anyone also experienced anything similar with their FibeTV promotion?

[macjones]

sounds like Bell lol ....

i had a similar issue when i subscribed last year after i couldn't get the channel package i had been assured was possible. turns out - get this - that the printed documentation as well as the one available online was any of the fine print that was "supposed" to be there. CSR's i kept calling were confused as they apparently had a different version of the documentation than what was available to us. i had to go through at least two supevisors and then someone above them to make sense of it. in the end, they just told me that it was a "marketting team mistake" and that they'd "look into it" ...

they gave me some credits and kept the service, trying to make sense of why this company somehow didn't seem to actually want my money. but right then not even after a full month of being a new customer, i just gave up on Bell as a company and won't be thinking twice about switching when something worth it comes along ...

and now, im afraid that this will happen to me too, as i was also offered the pvr for free for 2 years, but (obviously) did only one new subscription (how could you even do more than one ?!) ..

aaah...

[wm_cheng]

Well after spending another hour on Sunday, I was finally told that my promotion was eligible for 3yrs and they told me they will e-mail promotions and billings to get that sorted out on my next bill. Unfortunately I got a voicemail message the next day (yesterday) that after looking into it, I was only eligible for 1yr and that has expired! That wasn't the terms I was promised when I signed on though - do I have any reason to call back? I feel like I'm just given the run-around and if they make me spend enough time jumping through their hoops I'd give up. I feel like they lied to me.

They originally promised;
-3yrs free PVR and STB - now I only got 1 (since they said it was only one new service)
-25Gbps download when all TVs were off (yes the sales guy actually told me that as an added benefit) - now they're capped at 6Gbps
-$94/month all in - now its $200/month all in (incl. bell home phone, fibe 6 internet and fibeTV)
-occasionally the programmed series would not record (ie; Survivor: South Pacific this fall)
-I'm experiencing picture breakup/pixelization and sound cut-out again

I wonder if Rogers has a whole home PVR function by now? What a waste of my time!

[wm_cheng]

Another Sunday afternoon and 90mins on the phone later being on hold with "Retentions" and all I got was another -$10 off a month - but whoever told me about my initial offer was "mistaken" as they kept telling me. I've spent over 3hrs on the phone with various reps - what a hassle! Plus I am told that even though my promotion was for one year, I am still on a 2 yr contract with them so I would have to pay $99 disconnection fee if I chose to leave now. I just hope Rogers comes up with a whole home PVR by next year! I feel so hosed and abused by Bell right now! What horrible service.

[upsdriver]

Well, It seems that I will be ditching Fibe TV, I have been comparing the two providers for cable in Toronto, Bell Fibe TV vs Rogers Cable TV, Rogers HD VIP Pack is way more of what we get on Bell Fibe TV, why does bell limit all the channels to Theme Packs? With Rogers I will be getting practicly all the channels I get on 8 theme packs plus many more channels for $78.00 a month, I just dont like the way Bell is making us order all these theme packs to get one channel from each pack that we really want, why dont they bundle theme packs together and call it FIBE VIP pack where you get tons of channels, anyways I am just finding it that I am paying way too much for so little... maybe someone else feels the way I am feeling about this, please share your comments to see if I am the only one who is feeling this way..

[PhuFighter]

When I gave up on Bell 10 years ago, it was due to exceedingly poor customer service.

now, just 7 days into my FibeTV service, I am reminded just how bad their service is. Argh. I called in on 9 march to remove the upload speed upgrade and replace it with the time shifting package. Easy enough. I got a single confirmation email saying that my FibeTV was being modified. I just checked today and noticed that I still have the upload speed upgrade.

And I've been spending over an hour trying to get on the phone. The phone has been answered four times now, each time there's someone on the other end that won't speak and then I get disconnected. This is an impossibly annoying process to get a hold of someone.

is there a grace period to cancel at the start of a contact? Like buyers remorse?