[85192]

For BlueCurve TV you have:

XG1v3
XiD
4K (XG1v4)
Wireless 4K (Xi6)
BlueCurve TV hardware overview

Up to three BlueCurve TV boxes can be installed and networked together for Increased storage and tuners. In addition, each BlueCurve TV Player (XG1v3) may have up to 3 portals connected, with a 12 TV maximum. Cloud PVR features are only available customers in Calgary and select surrounding areas at this time.

If you want to use the Wireless 4K (Xi6) then you must use BlueCurve Gateway
Everything else is typically connected by COAX (preferred). 4K (XG1v4) is hardwired.

 

[Ducs_Of_Hazzard]

Thanks Shaw Champ!

Just so I'm clear... If I want to use the Wireless XI6's then I have to use the Shaw Gateway XB6 as my Router. But If I wanted to use the Wired XG1v4 then I can use the Shaw Gateway XB6 as a Modem (Bridge Mode) with my own Router / Mesh Network.

Is there any difference in Picture Quality Between the XI6 & XG1v4? I would think not. Besides the Cloud PVR Functionality (For Calgary) of the Wireless XI6 is there any other differences between the 2 Receivers / Services (I'll Call It That)?

It's sad I can't get these answers from Shaw Directly and have to go to you guys on the forums... But when I called Shaw the Lady told me that they are Broadcasting 4K Channels (TSN, Sportsnet, etc.) so that pretty much told me the depth of knowledge I was dealing with on the other end of the line!

Thanks In Advance!
MD

 

[Dave Macpherson]

I considered swapping out my wired Bluesky PVR for the wireless ones but I'm not allowed to use my existing Eero mesh wifi system and I absolutely refuse to shell out an extra $120/year to rent their wifi extender pods, which is the only way to get wifi down into my basement where one of the wireless portals needs to go. Until they offer these wifi pods at no extra cost I'm keeping my existing mesh network and running my Bluesky gateway in bridged mode.

 

[Lorenzo1961]

Watching the Blue Jays on Sportsnet 4K channel 217 in Winnipeg right now. First time I've seen or noticed a 4K channel on Shaw before. Picture looks great. There's also a WNBA game on channel 218 Sportsnet 4k as well.

 

[dm_4u]

Watching the Blue Jays on Sportsnet 4K channel 217 in Winnipeg right now. First time I've seen or noticed a 4K channel on Shaw before. Picture looks great. There's also a WNBA game on channel 218 Sportsnet 4k as well.

Wow...this sorta came outta the blue.
Checked the guide and there they are...picture is incredible.
Don't know whether they'll want more money for these (and I sure hope they add TSN-4K and Love Nature-4K) but it's certainly a welcome addition

 

[bigoranget]

TSN 4K is available to Shaw customers in BC and Alberta only while Sportsnet 4K and Sportsnet 1 4K are available everywhere.

 

[magnet]

TSN 4K is Channel 216.
Warning if you have a mix of 4k and non-4k boxes in your house. If you record the 4K channel, then you will only be able to watch that recording on your 4K box or through the Bluecurve app or the Bluecurve website.

 

[Dr.Dave]

Don't know whether they'll want more money for these

Here are highlights from Shaw: About: 4K TV service

"Any package that comes with the regular HD version of a channel will also include the 4K version. If you're already subscribed to the HD version, you don't need a separate subscription for the 4K version. For example, a Total TV subscription includes both TSN and Sportsnet, which also includes the 4K version of those channels."

Available 4K channels
TSN 4K: Available to BlueCurve TV subscribers in BC and Alberta
Sportsnet 4K: Available to BlueCurve TV subscribers everywhere
Sportsnet One 4K: Available to BlueCurve TV subscribers everywhere

4K broadcast schedules

• 4K content delivery is determined by the network and varies by channel and broadcast.
• This means that, even on a 4K channel, not all programming will be in 4K resolution.
• The TSN 4K broadcast schedule can be found here.
• Sportsnet does not publish a 4K events schedule.

Learn more: How to watch 4K content on BlueCurve TV

Does streaming in 4K use more of my monthly Internet data?

• Yes, streaming 4K UHD content requires a great deal of internet bandwidth compared to HD to SD video.
• It's estimated that 1 hour of 4K Ultra HD programming will account for up to 7 GB of bandwidth.

What is the difference between 4K UHD HDR and 4K UHD SDR?

• HDR stands for High Definition Range whereas SDR stands for Standard Definition Range. Both 4K formats require a 4K TV, but a HDR format will have better colour and contrast than SDR. Shaw's 4K channels are delivered over IP in 4K UHD SDR format.

Related thread: Sports in 4K in Canada

 

[dm_4u]

TSN 4K is available to Shaw customers in BC and Alberta only while Sportsnet 4K and Sportsnet 1 4K are available everywhere.

Does anyone know when Shaw plans to rollout TSN 4K to the rest of us, east of Alberta???

 

[CowtownChina]

Good news! Shaw has finally entered the new TV era and now has live 4K channels. Was going through the guide today and there is TSN4K on channel 216, SN4K on 217 and SN14K on 218. Looks awesome! Watching live Ryder Cup in 4K on TSN right now and Blue Jays in 30 is on the SN4K channel right now. Woman's soccer is on SN14K.

 

[Classy1]

I need to buy a new TV by the end of the year. Seeing that most stores these days only offer 4K/Ultra HD TV's I guess I'm going to have to buy one. I've done some research but I just want to double check with you guys to see if I've got my facts right so here we go.....

1) The only way to get 4K TV channels is through BlueCurve TV. My old HD samsung boxes won't give me 4K

2) Even without a bluecurve, watching 1080 HD content on my samsung HD terminal will not be a problem on my new 4k tv. ( old HD terminals are compatible with 4k Tv's right?)

3) With the exception of sporting events on sporting channels (TSN/Sportsnet) there are no TV channels broadcasting anything in 4K at the moment

4) 4K TV programs are mostly available with on line streaming services (netflix/amazon, etc)

5) I will probably have to buy new HDMI Cables

6) If I want to stream TV/Movies from the device I need to replace my 3rd generation Chromecast with a Chromecast ultra

7) do i even need to buy a new casting device if i have blue curve tv?

Thanks in advance

 

[Digmor Crusher]

I can answer some of your questions.
1. Don't have Shaw but as far as I know to get 4k channels you need a 4k box.
2. No problem
3. I think there are a few other 4k channels but they are scarce, in my opinion not worth getting the 4k box and paying the extra cost.
4. yes
5. Not necessarily, if so do not fall for the line where you have to buy $100 cables, you can get a pair for $20 that will work just as well as long as they are rated for high speed.
6. Nope, I have an old Chromecast that still works perfectly.
7. Don't know.

 

[sonyxbr]

I need to buy a new TV by the end of the year. Seeing that most stores these days only offer 4K/Ultra HD TV's I guess I'm going to have to buy one. I've done some research but I just want to double check with you guys to see if I've got my facts right so here we go.....

1) The only way to get 4K TV channels is through BlueCurve TV. My old HD samsung boxes won't give me 4K

2) Even without a bluecurve, watching 1080 HD content on my samsung HD terminal will not be a problem on my new 4k tv. ( old HD terminals are compatible with 4k Tv's right?)

3) With the exception of sporting events on sporting channels (TSN/Sportsnet) there are no TV channels broadcasting anything in 4K at the moment

4) 4K TV programs are mostly available with on line streaming services (netflix/amazon, etc)

5) I will probably have to buy new HDMI Cables

6) If I want to stream TV/Movies from the device I need to replace my 3rd generation Chromecast with a Chromecast ultra
7) do i even need to buy a new casting device if i have blue curve tv?

Thanks in advance

1) correct
2) correct
3) yes as of now that is correct
4) yes + 4K ultra HD disk
5) no… your old hdmi cables will be fine if you connect your old equipment, if you buy new equipment eg apple TV 4K you will benefit from new 2.1 hdmi ultra high speed cables (HDR - dolby vision)
6) if you don’t want to buy any new streaming boxes the TV will have all streaming apps built in to them that you can use
7) shaw blue curve also has Netflix and amazon prime apps

 

[Classy1]

My current tv's are not smart tv's. If I do buy a smart TV then I not longer need a chromecast or any casting devices right?

Are all 4K Tv's smart TV's?

 

[boatoar]

My current tv's are not smart tv's. If I do buy a smart TV then I not longer need a chromecast or any casting devices right?

Are all 4K Tv's smart TV's?

Not all 4k tvs are smart TVs but the vast majority are. It'd probably be hard to find one that isn't nowadays. That said not all are created equal. My old Samsung's smart features were brutally slow and unusable in most instances.
My new lg CX oled is of course phenomenal w all the bells and whistles. Rtings.com does a great job at giving you solid breakdowns of all aspects of each tv model.

As far as needing a Chromecast plugged into a smart tv? Redundant for the most part, sometimes you may prefer the UI for certain apps on your phone through Chromecast than the smart tv's option. I'd hang onto it until you test everything out.

For folks w shaw cable I notice that for tsn they claim an upcoming 4k event in x amount of days but if I tune to it outside that window (like right now for the chiefs bills game) it's not scheduled as a 4k broadcast but it's on the channel and the HDR is cranked. It actually looks pretty good. Chiefs jerseys pop hard. Can't say it's higher resolution per se but it's better than the reg tsn channels. Anyone know of they're using an upscale tactic since it's not natively in 4k?
Alternatively, snet 4k does list baseball in the guide schedule right now, but the logo doesn't say 4k when tuned to the channel.

Fwiw tsn and snet will show their logo with "4k" next to it if it's natively in 4k. I've caught a few of these events. They look phenomenal.

 

[Classy1]

I've bought Sony Tv's all my life, they seem to work well for me

Does anyone here own a sony 4k smart tv. If so how is it working for you

 

[sonyxbr]

I've bought Sony Tv's all my life, they seem to work well for me

Does anyone here own a sony 4k smart tv. If so how is it working for you

I as well only use SONY and have not had any issues + all Sony 4K tv will have apps for streaming in them

 

[magnet]

Not all 4k tvs are smart TVs but the vast majority are. It'd probably be hard to find one that isn't nowadays. That said not all are created equal. My old Samsung's smart features were brutally slow and unusable in most instances.
My new lg CX oled is of course phenomenal w all the bells and whistles. Rtings.com does a great job at giving you solid breakdowns of all aspects of each tv model.

As far as needing a Chromecast plugged into a smart tv? Redundant for the most part, sometimes you may prefer the UI for certain apps on your phone through Chromecast than the smart tv's option. I'd hang onto it until you test everything out.

For folks w shaw cable I notice that for tsn they claim an upcoming 4k event in x amount of days but if I tune to it outside that window (like right now for the chiefs bills game) it's not scheduled as a 4k broadcast but it's on the channel and the HDR is cranked. It actually looks pretty good. Chiefs jerseys pop hard. Can't say it's higher resolution per se but it's better than the reg tsn channels. Anyone know of they're using an upscale tactic since it's not natively in 4k?
Alternatively, snet 4k does list baseball in the guide schedule right now, but the logo doesn't say 4k when tuned to the channel.

Fwiw tsn and snet will show their logo with "4k" next to it if it's natively in 4k. I've caught a few of these events. They look phenomenal.

I agree the quality of normal HD programming on the 4K channels is much better as I believe the normal HD channels are much more compressed than HD on the 4K.

 

[Classy1]

some final questions then I'll leave you all alone

1) If I buy a smart 4K TV and upgrade my netflix package, I should have no problem watching 4K tv programs on netflix right? In other words this is all I really need to watch 4K on netflix.

2) Do all Smart 4k Tv's Have Wifi Capabilities? If not then I guess I'll have to buy a Wifi Adapter unless it comes with the TV. Also when what be better, a TV which has Wifi Built into it, or a TV with non wifi with a Wifi adapter plugged into it?


Thanks guys for all your help

 

[magnet]

Wired is always better than wireless so you aren't competing with your neighbors for wifi radio signal bandwidth.
Personally, I use a 4k Chromecast with a network adapter to get all my 4k sources (including those "borrowed from the internet" to play on the Samsung 4kTV.
There is a newer version with a remote control that is $70 https://store.google.com/ca/product/chromecast_google_tv?hl=en-GB
plus $26 for the ethernet adapter. https://store.google.com/ca/product/chromecast_ethernet_adapter_gen_2?hl=en-GB

However, most 4k TVs do play 4k content through their built-in apps. But every manufacturer is different.

But I mostly use the Shaw Bluecurve box to play Amazon Prime, Netflix and YouTube 4k content as this doesn't slow down the bandwidth for the rest of the house.