Shaw Direct Simsub discussion

[Jimmy49ERS]

Originally Posted by HiDefBob

Currently watching House "on FOX HD" 287 ... being simsubbed by GlobalTV HD here in Vancouver. This is the very first instance of simsubbing that I have experience with Shaw Direct.

That fact that Shaw Direct did not simsub was one of the main reasons for subscribing to SD rather than Bell TV.

Yep i was not to happy about that
Maybe u right

[HiDefBob]

However, interestingly they are not simsubbing the 8 pm PST west coast feed on FOX HD which I believe is FOX Seattle.

Actually it is FOX Tacoma - 291 that is not being simsubbed.

[peternm22]

Craig Ferguson is being simsubbed on HD for me right now.

[enterpriseabc]

Was being simsubbed by GlobalTV HD on CBS here in New Brunswick. Was watching Hawaii Five-O at 11:00 Pm last night. First time this happened.

[RADIOCANADA499]

Been subbed to SD since fall and always had global simsubs with amarican programming in the HD east feed only,amarican west feeds are untouched by simsubs since there is no global west HD feed,but that will change once the new sat goes up....

[cableredneck]

We live in a sim-subbed area (near Toronto), so we get sim-subbed . If we watch a show that is on City TV and an American network, we don't get sim-subbed in HD because City TV only comes up in SD. Global, CTV programs get sim-subbed. (SD and HD).

[peternm22]

I've been e-mailing back and forth with Shaw Direct, and they said I could opt out of this new simsubbing practice but there were two requirements:

1) Our account must be on the advanced channel lineup (we are currently on the classic lineup). This one seems a bit weird to me, and having to get everyone in the house to memorize new channel numbers seems silly. Is there a technical reason for this?

2) In order to have the advanced channel lineup, we need to have a new dish installed (not just a new LNB, an actual new dish). We currently have an elliptical dish with a dual stacked LNB. This one seems even stranger than the first condition. They said that since we've been a customer for so long, they will install a new dish for free.

They also said in the e-mail that this new simsub program started Sept 10, which it didn't (as evidence by this thread).

Can anyone clear up these technical matters before I e-mail them back?

Thanks.

[tunesman]

Got the shock of my life when looking forward to watching Hawaii Five-O last night.

I of course complained. Got this letter back from SD:

Hi Norm,

Thank you for taking the time to email Shaw Direct and we appreciate your feedback. I understand your frustration with seeing the broadcast channel change during commercials for the program you are watching. However, this does not shorten or take away from the program as it is only put in place during commercials. Whether you live in the Toronto area or are watching the channel on the other side of the country, Simultaneous Substitution stills stands. Simultaneous substitution is a CRTC requirement and must be followed by all major cable companies and Satellite TV distributors. It is designed to protect the rights of Canadian broadcasters. These regulations permit Canadian broadcasters who purchase American programming, to use signal substitution as a means to earn advertising dollars. This is done to bring millions of advertising dollars back into the Canadian broadcasting system and keep money within Canada thereby supporting the Canadian economy. The CRTC has a duty, under the Broadcasting Act, to foster a strong and financially viable domestic industry. When broadcasters buy programs from American and Canadian producers or networks, they pay for exclusive distribution rights in their home markets. The simultaneous substitution regulation, set out in the CRTC Cable Regulations, is designed to protect those rights. These regulations permit Canadian broadcasters who purchase American programming, to use signal substitution as a means to earn advertising dollars.

Being a Canadian owned and based company we felt like this would be a good move as it allows us to provide more local based information to customers that we may not have been able to reach out to before. However, I am sorry to hear about the frustrations that this has caused you. For more information about Simultaneous substitution, please visit the CRTC website at http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/tv12.htm.

Should you have any other questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact us; as well please include any previous correspondence with your replies.

Have a good day,

KirstenBusiness Support - On behalf of Jim CumminsSHAW) Direct – 100% Digital Satellite TVSuite 100, 2400 – 32nd Avenue NE Calgary, AB T2E 9A7Phone: 1.888.554.7827 Fax: 1.800.872.8219Follow us on Facebook or Twitter

I find it most interesting that the "channel only changes during commercials". And "it is only put in place during commercials". Guess WWJ-TV is putting up a Global HD logo for the entire program and removing their own just to please their Canadian viewers. Talk about friendly neighbours...

"we felt like this would be a good move as it allows us to provide more local based information to customers that we may not have been able to reach out to before". Global Toronto is now planning to cover happenings in the Central Vancouver Island area? A third Island TV station that is not even on the Island (or in the province). What a novel concept!!!

I have written to the CRTC requesting clarification of the regulations. I also very specifically asked whether the regulations differed for cable systems and satellite operators.

I will keep the forum posted and share all future correspondence as it comes in.

Thanks a lot gang.

[gonkster]

So they have to do it, but they only do it for Global, the channel they own...interesting set of rules they are following...lol.

[gzink]

Please do keep us informed. May lead to a campaign against Shaw/Global and their attitude towards their 'ignorant' customers out West. Or it may be a legal requirement. Curious BC'ers want to know!

[57]

I also very specifically asked whether the regulations differed for cable systems and satellite operators.

There are some differences.

1. Cable systems usually simsub under the CRTC regs (I believe 100km of an OTA station) based on the location of their head end. Therefore the head end can specify the simsub, but just because someone is 101 km from an OTA channel doesn't mean he's not going to get the simsub because the company can only sub by head end. Same is true for Shaw Direct based on Postal Code.

2. Bell cannot distinguish their customers like Shaw Direct can by the postal code (their equipment cannot), so they have an exemption from the CRTC and the channel is subbed typically Canada-wide.

3. Some Cable Systems receive signals from Bell and the sub has already occurred on the channel, so they don't have an economical choice.

4. Since the digital changeover in the fall of 2011, there are not very many locations that no don't have HD OTA, so the CRTC has allowed almost all simsubs since very few people are impacted (outside the rules) - this makes it easier for the BDU.

5. Even non-broadcast specialty channels are now allowed to sub because the intent of the regulations is to protect Canadian channels, so TSN and SportsNet have been allowed to sub over other channels - specialty or OTA.

Note: The picture and audio quality are supposed to be equivalent to (or better than) the US channel, so if that's not the case you may complain to the BDU, the channels involved and the CRTC, for all the good it'll do now. In the early days we at Digital Home were able to stop CTV from subbing for about a year because the audio and video quality were not equivalent - they are now. Good luck with that now.

[jcups]

I noticed them too last night. The worst part of the sim subbing is that the Global broadcast has lower quality than the regular broadcast. As soon as I hit play I could tell something was wrong since it looked like I was watching through a fishbowl. Then the stupid Global icon came on and it all made sense.

Garbage.

[Simonizer]

This is a great reason why broadcast distributors shouldn't be allowed to own networks. Shaw is only doing this with Global to pad their bottom line. To show Toronto ads on Vancouver island as tunesman mentioned makes no marketing sense.

[cableredneck]

I used to notice this when we had cable. The sim-subbed version on the American Channel was of lower quality. With sim-subbed shows I just watch the Canadian Channel. With Shaw Direct, I have always watched the Canadian feed, so I have not noticed this. I did notice one tim a few months ago, I was watching the Simpsons in HD on FOX Rochester (NY). There was no sim-subbing (even though the show was on Global TO as well). After 19 minutes (after a commercial) I noticed the Global logo in the bottom of the screen. Guess the person doing the sim-subs was late.

Does any one know the actual sim-subbing rules and the formula used to determined who and where is sim-subbed??

[57]

Does any one know the actual sim-subbing rules and the formula used to determined who and where is sim-subbed??

Post 191, item 1, but also read the rest of that post to get the gist of what is happening. The CRTC is trying to protect Canadian interests in advertizing and programme rights, while also ensuring that the customer sees an "equivalent" signal.

As I mentioned in my previous posts, there are very few areas of Canada that are not (or may not be) simsubbed these days.