Shaw basic... +t1 +t2 +t3 +music for free?

[trefrog]

Recently noticed the changes to the channel line-up last couple weeks. I subscribe to the most basic, 2-13 & YTV & Much basically. At first I thought they just changed the numbers around, then I finally broke and forced an auto-scan on my Sony Bravia. 'super wicked dude..' now I have all basic tiers and even these "(!) audio only" channels @ 59.204 and 66.200 which are obviously Galaxie and whatnot, just without the track info.

Is this normal? Can anyone else confirm these channels on a digital-capable TV (or analog sets for that matter)?

Seems to have come along with the channel reassignments. My bill has not been jacked up. I have not received any notice of changes, nor have I found any talk on the internets.

It said digital channels were found during the scan. There's a menu feature to "add digital channels", but that search came up with (zero).

Just wondering if there's any tricks so I can get the music channel infos or maybe I'm missing out on even more new freeness that I'm unaware of.

I just hope this isn't some kind of mistake on Shaw's part.

[BGY11]

The digital music channels are unencrypted (ClearQAM) which is how your digital TV can receive them - technically any digital-capable TV should be able to receive them, but not everyone actually does a scan like you did.

As for the track information on the music channels, you'd need a set-top box for that. It's the STB that actually has the interface used to display the information.

[vjose78]

Not sure how you can receive the specialty channels free by simply doing a scan. Those have nothing to do with digital tv or a scan anyhow. You must be paying for them. You didn't mention how much your bill actually was, so who knows.

[trefrog]

basically, I know for sure as of 2 or 3 weeks ago that I wasn't getting Fox - same old fuzzy grey picture (can see the image quite clear thru the fine static, but no audio, just straight hard noise).

and now I get Fox, CNN, Discovery, Showcase, TeleToon etc.

we were just talking about upgrading the package - missing all those cartoons... well if they take them away, we just might trade up.

[vjose78]

Well, i'm more confused, because Fox is part of the basic package.

[trefrog]

as am i - maybe just geo differences

used to be (pretty much always been):
2-13: listings, CTV, ABC, NBC (x2), CBS, sports (x2), local, Global, Knowledge, CBC

14-21: channels I haven't got since I downgraded to rock bottom

then scattered around: YTV... Much... MTV... APTN... another Global somewhere in there... I think TVtropolis maybe... all the stuff nobody cares about lol, and that's about it

now: (already said) + Spike, MuchMore, CMT, Wimmens, Space or whatever, Comedy, yeah

[CastleRockDays]

Well, i'm more confused, because Fox is part of the basic package.

FOX is on Basic here too where I live. But in some cities they put it on Tier 1 for some reason

[s40]

If you don't get the proper channels above 13 check to see that the tv is set for cable, not antenna. I get channels in weird places when I have the tv set for antenna.

[TheIndividual]

I have a line connected that isn't filtered? I recieve basic, basic service from this line. About 2 weeks ago I thought I'd set up a tv tuner to it and to my suprise the channels you are talking about showed up for me too. Only lasted for a week and then nothing but static on channel 14. Maybe they are just moving channels around, but my extra free channels disapeared so enjoy comedy while it lasts.

[llcarlos]

I give you a month before it's all shut down. Shaw monitors the cable line and they will cut you off. The same thing happened to me when I bought a digital TV.

Edit: I didn't receive all the channels in tiers 1,2,and 3 but I received a few channels that I shouldn't have received including Teletune. In the end I was angry because it pointed out there is no reason to have set-top boxes.

[trefrog]

bumping for relevance...

I saw the van as I pulled in today. No more free channels. I don't think this has to do with not having a shaw box (now only $2.95/month! ). Someone gossiped a while back about absolutely going to need a Shaw® brand box to get any TV at all down the road... I'm still oblivious/ignorant of all the system upgrade talk. It's all just FUD without reliable sources anyway.

[vjose78]

Well you're not supposed to be getting free channels anyways, unless they are on a free preview. I guess somebody caught on or reported you and Shaw disconnected you.

[Shootmaster_44]

If you want strange, when I first moved into my apartment here in Lloydminster, I had to wait 2 weeks for the Shaw guys to come and install the boxes. Anyway, since my building includes all the non-digital cable as part of the rent, I had the coax plugged into my TV. I did the scan and discovered that I had EWTN, CITY-TV Toronto and Vancouver Canucks PPVs on the digital subchannels for free. Since I live in Alberta, the Canucks are not carried in my area and neither is CITY-TV from Toronto. When the box was set up, I was flipping around noticed CITY-TV was gone, so I called and asked and the Shaw CSR had no idea about subchannels etc. For some reason, Shaw doesn't offer Canadian timeshifting here, just the US timeshifting.

[Shaw Guru]

Is your TV an HD TV? If so you may have tuned in the HD CTVTV from Toronto if the encryption was not in place. Otherwise no idea.

[Shootmaster_44]

Originally Posted by Shaw Guru

Is your TV an HD TV? If so you may have tuned in the HD CTVTV from Toronto if the encryption was not in place. Otherwise no idea.

My TV is an HD TV. However, what I was receiving was the SD CITY-TV signal, not the HD CFTO signal you had mentioned. Just thought it was weird.

But I had Googled it and apparently this is quite common. In the US, it isn't unusual for cable companies to "test" signals on certain digital subchannels. The reason they do this is that most people with an HD, digital set also have a set-top box. Essentially, they can test the channels and few people ever realize that they're there.

Since I quite enjoyed watching the CITY-TV news when I lived in Toronto (and when I had Sasktel MAX in Saskatoon), I should get a splitter and see if I can hook the coax to my set too. Then I could watch the few things on CITY that aren't on channels elsewhere. Sadly, in the last year that has slowly gone to almost nothing. Especially since their late night Ed & Red's Night Party/Baby Blue Movies have disappeared and their news has been reduced to one hour on weekdays and no weekend broadcasts. Sad what Rogers buying the channel has done to it.