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Duplicate Channels

19K views 39 replies 20 participants last post by  17671  
#1 ·
I'm fairly new to Bell. I've noticed a large number of duplicate channels. It makes for a very long guide.

I've locked all the 800 channels because they are duplicated in the 1000's and this way I don't have to look at them in the guide.

Does anyone have a list of the channels in the 100 through 500's that are duplicated in the 1000's? It seems like a lot of work to try and figure this out, and yet I suspect at least 1/4 to 1/2 of them have a HD equivalent.

Thank you,
Chris
 
#2 ·
Some may appear as duplicate, but they're just from different areas across the country. If you download the channel list of Bell.ca, it'll identify what the channel is (ie. CBC-Toronto, etc).

I picked the locals from my area for my favourite list, but you might want to keep a BC station for the different showtime option (unless you have a PVR).
 
#3 ·
Channels in the 1000's are all HD, so they wouldn't duplicate anything in the 100 to 600's. Really the only thing that is duplicated are the HD channels between the 800's and 1000's, so blocking the 800's should do the job. However, there are some HD pay per view channels in the 800's that are not in the 1000's.

I think most of use are anxious for Bell to finally nix the 800's completely. That might finally happen after the receiver swap is finished.

-Mike
 
#7 ·
It's not really that difficult. Set favourites lists. Makes scrolling through the guide so much easier. I have 3 lists - music, PPV & everything else. On the everything else list I do not include the 800's (except the Yule Log), the shopping channels, and SD channels that have an HD equivalent. Sure, I have to update it everytime there are free previews, channel additions or if I make programming changes, but that tends to keep me aware of what's going on and saves a lot of time when normally scrolling through the guide.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Yeah awhile ago I ask Pinza " What the deal? why is there Dub channels"
So I am sure this has been posted,said before somewhere else many times, but for anybody
who is new to Bell/Telus. He msg to me is best way to explain it. so here is his post for anybody
that does not know and or who is new to these forms..

(Hope you don't mind Pinza, Just sharing info/trying help out) :)
------------------- Post by Pinza -----------

There are NO dual or repeated ACTUAL channels on Bell or Telus, they just do not have the bandwidth to do this.

If you are refering to the 800's and 1000's, these are nothing but 'remaps', meaning clicking on either number gives you the EXACT same channel.

Bell introduced the new numbering scheme a couple of years ago, where they decided to put all HD in the 1000's to clean up the Guides, well they screwed it up so badly, that 90% of ALL receivers had problems, the software on the receivers could not handle a 4 digit number, don't ask my why..... Anyway, within 10 hours, they had to try to force a guide update to correct the problem, it resulted in thousands of phone calls from angry customers and eventually all receivers went back to the 3 digit guide numbers.

Then just forward about 3 months, they launched new software for ALL HD receivers, that could use the 4 digit guide. So they roll out the new numbers but kept the 'old' numbers so customers could get used to the change. Great idea, made sense. After 6 months the 3 digit numbers were to be removed, leaving the 4 digit ones as the new normal.
Guess what the screwed up again but this time not quite as badly, instead of doing it to ALL receivers at once, they chose a specific model, think it was the 6100 and just did it on 20% of those. Within hours the phone lines went crazy, someone had again written some bad code and by removing the 3 digit codes, it corrupted the software, making the receiver crash.
That must have been at least 2 years ago and as yet, they have not yet had attempt number 3......lol
Bell are swapping out all the 9200 & 6100 models (Which are MPEG2) and replacing them with 9241 & 6131's, when this is complete, they can change the format of the signals from MPEG2 to MPEG4.
This is planned to be done, 1 transponder at a time and "should" go un-noticed by the Customers.
It will be interesting to see it it is.
----- End of Msg --------------

So there you have it.. Hope that helps? I really hope they fix this soon.. Maybe next year hopefully.
 
#9 ·
Does anyone have a list of SD channels that have a HD equivalent? It seems like a lot of work for me to identify them, and I'm hoping to capitalize off someone elses efforts. If Bell reads these forums, they should really make this a feature. Why display a SD channel in the guide if there is a HD equivalent?
 
#17 ·
Here's a List of Duplicate Channels

I've locked the following channels for the following reasons:

Duplicates:
Note: I've locked the first number in the list. The number in brackets is it's HD equivalent. I have only documented duplicates for the most basic Bell package.
201 (1011)
205 (1031)
206 (1030)
210 ((1050)
211 (1052)
212 (1051)
214 (1053)
218 (1057)
219 (1054)
225 (1091)
235 (1106)
243 (1131)
244 (1132)
250 (1151)
251 (1150)
252 (1152)
256 (1154)
280 (1200)
281 (1202)
283 (1203)
284 (1204)
287 (1210)
288 (1211)
289 (1212)
290 (1213)
291 (1214)
502 (1564)
551 (1646)

I have also locked all the 800's. They are either French, PPV, or duplicates of channels in the 1000's. The one exception is 892 which is the fire channel.

Other channels that can be locked if you only speak English are:
Everything below 194, 1800 to 1890.

If you don't want to see the PPV channels, they can be locked as well:
316 to 325, 338 to 387, 414, 425, 481, 561, 569, 793, 991 to 1000, 1933

If you think porn is smutt, then you can lock the following too:
740 to 791

There are also a number of channels that I doubt anyone likes that can be locked:
273, 275, 325, 399, 512, most of 900's.

If you lock all of these channels it makes it possible to go through the guide in a few minutes and find something to watch.
 
#21 ·
So we added the Kids Cartoon package to our bell subscription. Telat toon, Disney JR. Tree house and so one. There is about 8 - 10 channels in total. Bell cant offer any of them in HD? Hard to believe as most cartoons are in HD.

I am trying to pair down my channel list. It is weird as some of the channels dont mirror each other, even though they have the same call letters.

Example SD CBC w 7 HD CBC w will two different things on.
 
#24 ·
I have spent hours cross referencing the channel list to make a list that makes sense. Bell has done a total sh@t show on how the moved SD channels to HD channels.

Why is MTV only in SD?
Why is CMT only in SD?
Why is most of the cartoon package in SD?

I just dont get it. THe the 800's are totally useless.
 
#25 ·
1. Maybe MTV is NOT available in HD or Bell choose not to carry it.
2. Maybe CMT is NOT available in HD or Bell choose not to carry it.
3. Maybe most of the Cartoon Channels are NOT available in HD or Bell choose not to carry them.

Just "hide" the 800's, there is NOTHING in there except the Aquarium Channel this is now listed in the 1000's. Easy fix.
 
#26 ·
well i agree with you. ive got a pretty good list to work with, but it wasnt overly easy.

big company like bell you think they could clean up their guide.

as for not carrying certain channels i guess it is their progative to do that, but it seems strange.

MTV must be in HD. In the states most likely? Im just guessing, but it would be nice for the money being paid to watch tv, and the size of the company you figure they would make it happen.

And as far as going through the program guide i find im up in the 1500's but have to remember that some rogue channel is back down in the five hundreds to watch it.

i like when they bundle genras into certain areas of the guide. like the cartoons all in one place. yet they have YTV in HD way up in the 1700's for no apparent reason.

silly rant. its not the end of the world. but big companies should handle the small stuff to make it clear for the consumer. They put satellites into space, but cant program a guide.

LOL
 
#27 ·
I have been hiding the channels I do not watch or SD versions of HD Channels for years. I no longer require any kind of Favorite List and if Bell Launch anything as a Free Preview it appears in my Guide.

I also hie 505 the Weather Network because I have terrible trouble with the "Interactive" aspect. I now use 80 for my Weather Fix.