Look Communications Closing Soon-ish (Nov 15, 2009) - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

hoodlum · 2009-05-05, 04:48 PM

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/a.../05/c8408.html

Look believes that Inukshuk is interested in finalizing the Agreement as
soon as possible and therefore Look will commence the orderly wind down of its
present operations over the course of the next 90 days. Further details of
this action will be provided to Look's subscribers over the next few weeks.

Jase88 · 2009-05-05, 09:18 PM

I figured something was up. They had stopped doing installs for a while there...and haven't offered any HD channels.

When Look first started up, Rogers (whom I worked for at the time) was quite worried. Many high profile people at Rogers left for Look.

Obviously it didn't pan out as expected.

stampeder · 2009-05-05, 09:35 PM

Refreshing in a sense because a failed business model did not drive them to governments with hat in hand.

RingtailedFox · 2009-05-06, 01:55 AM

hmm. *writes on Look's tombstone*
"Regarding Look... I Came, I Saw, I Conquered. -- Rogers"

PlayitSimple · 2009-05-06, 01:25 PM

Anyone know what is going to happen to the TV service they operate, just curious?! The article makes no mention of it, I assume that means it will be shut down, especially since Bell & Rogers are the vultures who will be picking up the pieces...er I mean assets of Look.

It was not bad as an alternative, except for the line of sight thing. I was wondering why they didn't convert it to an IPTV service since they also offer Internet service I guess now I know why- they were on the brink of shutting down.

stampeder · 2009-05-06, 01:27 PM

Did customers buy the rooftop antenna and tripod/mount, or are they considered assets of Look's?

In good DTV areas the antennas would definitely be useless for OTA but the mounts could easily be reused for that with a proper OTA antenna.

hoodlum · 2009-05-06, 03:06 PM

The antennas are owned by look but I know that ours still sits on the roof even though we cancelled the service over 3 years ago. I suspect it would cost more to take down then the antennas are worth.

windows7 · 2009-05-06, 05:35 PM

I'd use that mount to put up a decent OTA antenna. If you're lucky enough to be close to the Canadian/US border, you might get some US OTA sub-channels we aren't allowed to receive via BDUs (THIS TV, RTN - Retro Television Network).

webweave · 2009-05-11, 04:22 PM

Anyone know what is going to happen to the service? I dumped rogers and bell for lousy internet service and if they swallow up Look which I've enjoyed for the last five years what will happed to my wireless internet?

Wonder what the Bell vs. Look suit is about?

I don't like the sound of look being able to sell wireless rights. Do we just sell off the spectrum?

nakedgord · 2009-05-11, 07:24 PM

Anybody know why they'd go under?

I'm hoping more poor business management rather than business model (aka a third TV sub option for Canadians).

classicsat · 2009-05-12, 08:52 AM

It could be a number of things.
Yes, poor management.
Yes, saturation of the pay TV market.

Also, it could have been their inability to innovate and compete, given the limited bandwidth they have to play with.
It could be becasue they need that aerial, which some HOAs/strata councils would not allow.

ScaryBob · 2009-05-12, 11:20 AM

Looks TV service was severely hampered due to limited bandwidth. It maxed out at about 60 SD channels with no chance for delivering HD. Quality on the available SD channels was very poor as well. Bell signals are pristine compared to Look and we hear enough complaints about Bell's picture quality. Look competed on price by undercutting local basic cable but there is no way they can compete with digital cable services. They were also hampered by limitations on line of site reception. Many homeowners around here could not get their service. (It was equivalent to aiming a dish at a satellite only 10 or 15 degrees above the horizon.) Look has been in financial trouble for many years and it was only a matter of time. They also had a wireless internet service in some areas. If they had abandoned the TV service and stuck to that, they might have had a better chance. I imagine they were hampered by funding and needed TV to stay afloat. Instead, they resold DSL.

Blackburst · 2009-05-12, 11:30 AM

I had Look internet (Dial-up and later DSL) service for almost a decade. I was very happy with it. But, I tried to get a dry-loop in order to drop my regular phone line, and they would not provide a dry-loop. So, I dropped the service several months ago. Glad I did. I would be now running around trying to find another provider.

holymoly · 2009-05-12, 02:03 PM

Hoodlum says:
The antennas are owned by look but I know that ours still sits on the roof even though we cancelled the service over 3 years ago. I suspect it would cost more to take down then the antennas are worth.

----------------------------------------------------------

Take it down!

Mine was hit by a lightning strike and I had lots of electronic damage a good chunk was covered by the surge protection company.

Vikzak · 2009-05-12, 03:03 PM

We have been using Look Wireless Internet here at work for over 7 years in Scarborough. We are a little concerned at the moment. Our phone lines have always been bad which would have caused problems for an ADSL line, and cable wasn't available in our area (of course Rogers would run the cable line for $$$$$, and even had the nerve to ask us to go to everyone on our street to see if we can find someone to split the cost, I thought that is why they have a sales department, but that's a whole other issue). Look was initially our only option for high speed internet in our area and it served us well (albeit for almost twice the price of similiar service ADSL from other companies). I guess we are going to find someone that can service out needs.

2009-05-05, 04:48 PM	#1
hoodlum Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Markham, ON Posts: 1,006	Look Communications Closing Soon-ish (Nov 15, 2009) http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/a.../05/c8408.html Look believes that Inukshuk is interested in finalizing the Agreement as soon as possible and therefore Look will commence the orderly wind down of its present operations over the course of the next 90 days. Further details of this action will be provided to Look's subscribers over the next few weeks.

2009-05-06, 01:27 PM	#6
stampeder OTA Forum Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: North Delta, BC (96Av x 116St) Posts: 23,338	Did customers buy the rooftop antenna and tripod/mount, or are they considered assets of Look's? In good DTV areas the antennas would definitely be useless for OTA but the mounts could easily be reused for that with a proper OTA antenna. __________________ New To OTA? OTA FAQ & Knowledge Base OTA Antenna Chart 8.2

2009-05-11, 07:24 PM	#10
nakedgord Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 605	Anybody know why they'd go under? I'm hoping more poor business management rather than business model (aka a third TV sub option for Canadians). __________________ OTA Free: CBC, CTV, CHCH, PBS, PBS World, TVO, WNLO, Global, OMNI1, CityTV, OMNI2. Premium TV: R2 DVDs (Cheaper)

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2009-05-05, 09:18 PM	#2
Jase88 Moderator Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kitchener, ON Posts: 4,104	I figured something was up. They had stopped doing installs for a while there...and haven't offered any HD channels. When Look first started up, Rogers (whom I worked for at the time) was quite worried. Many high profile people at Rogers left for Look. Obviously it didn't pan out as expected.

2009-05-05, 09:35 PM	#3
stampeder OTA Forum Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: North Delta, BC (96Av x 116St) Posts: 23,338	Refreshing in a sense because a failed business model did not drive them to governments with hat in hand.

2009-05-06, 01:55 AM	#4
RingtailedFox Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Windsor, Ontario Posts: 539	hmm. writes on Look's tombstone "Regarding Look... I Came, I Saw, I Conquered. -- Rogers"

2009-05-06, 01:25 PM	#5
PlayitSimple Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 844	Anyone know what is going to happen to the TV service they operate, just curious?! The article makes no mention of it, I assume that means it will be shut down, especially since Bell & Rogers are the vultures who will be picking up the pieces...er I mean assets of Look. It was not bad as an alternative, except for the line of sight thing. I was wondering why they didn't convert it to an IPTV service since they also offer Internet service I guess now I know why- they were on the brink of shutting down.

2009-05-06, 03:06 PM	#7
hoodlum Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Markham, ON Posts: 1,006	The antennas are owned by look but I know that ours still sits on the roof even though we cancelled the service over 3 years ago. I suspect it would cost more to take down then the antennas are worth.

2009-05-06, 05:35 PM	#8
windows7 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 304	I'd use that mount to put up a decent OTA antenna. If you're lucky enough to be close to the Canadian/US border, you might get some US OTA sub-channels we aren't allowed to receive via BDUs (THIS TV, RTN - Retro Television Network).

2009-05-11, 04:22 PM	#9
webweave Rookie Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 3	Anyone know what is going to happen to the service? I dumped rogers and bell for lousy internet service and if they swallow up Look which I've enjoyed for the last five years what will happed to my wireless internet? Wonder what the Bell vs. Look suit is about? I don't like the sound of look being able to sell wireless rights. Do we just sell off the spectrum?

2009-05-12, 08:52 AM	#11
classicsat Veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Kincardine ON. Posts: 3,941	It could be a number of things. Yes, poor management. Yes, saturation of the pay TV market. Also, it could have been their inability to innovate and compete, given the limited bandwidth they have to play with. It could be becasue they need that aerial, which some HOAs/strata councils would not allow.

2009-05-12, 11:20 AM	#12
ScaryBob Veteran Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: The Dandelion City Posts: 7,133	Looks TV service was severely hampered due to limited bandwidth. It maxed out at about 60 SD channels with no chance for delivering HD. Quality on the available SD channels was very poor as well. Bell signals are pristine compared to Look and we hear enough complaints about Bell's picture quality. Look competed on price by undercutting local basic cable but there is no way they can compete with digital cable services. They were also hampered by limitations on line of site reception. Many homeowners around here could not get their service. (It was equivalent to aiming a dish at a satellite only 10 or 15 degrees above the horizon.) Look has been in financial trouble for many years and it was only a matter of time. They also had a wireless internet service in some areas. If they had abandoned the TV service and stuck to that, they might have had a better chance. I imagine they were hampered by funding and needed TV to stay afloat. Instead, they resold DSL.

2009-05-12, 11:30 AM	#13
Blackburst Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Saint-Laurent Borough, Montreal, QC Posts: 804	I had Look internet (Dial-up and later DSL) service for almost a decade. I was very happy with it. But, I tried to get a dry-loop in order to drop my regular phone line, and they would not provide a dry-loop. So, I dropped the service several months ago. Glad I did. I would be now running around trying to find another provider.

2009-05-12, 02:03 PM	#14
holymoly Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Mississauga, Ontario Posts: 179	Hoodlum says: The antennas are owned by look but I know that ours still sits on the roof even though we cancelled the service over 3 years ago. I suspect it would cost more to take down then the antennas are worth. ---------------------------------------------------------- Take it down! Mine was hit by a lightning strike and I had lots of electronic damage a good chunk was covered by the surge protection company.

2009-05-12, 03:03 PM	#15
Vikzak Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ajax Posts: 22	We have been using Look Wireless Internet here at work for over 7 years in Scarborough. We are a little concerned at the moment. Our phone lines have always been bad which would have caused problems for an ADSL line, and cable wasn't available in our area (of course Rogers would run the cable line for $$$$$, and even had the nerve to ask us to go to everyone on our street to see if we can find someone to split the cost, I thought that is why they have a sales department, but that's a whole other issue). Look was initially our only option for high speed internet in our area and it served us well (albeit for almost twice the price of similiar service ADSL from other companies). I guess we are going to find someone that can service out needs.