HD and Video Sources

[jlnjcb]

Hi all,

I am currently a shaw customer (i have all 3 services, digital phone basic, shaw high speed, and digital tv basic), and i was wondering if Telus TV was any better than Shaw. Im really interested in switching becuase of more channels for cheaper price, however, I read a lot of horror stories about slow downs in internet and tv speeds but the articles were really outdated. I was hoping for some current feedback. 

Thanks.

[Kayne314]

My parents have this service, and absolutely love it. Their internet is fast and reliable, their phone service is flawless, and their TV reception is clear and beautiful. It doesn't have as many HD channels as I'd like, but then neither does Shaw Cable (I'm on Bell satellite TV... I'm spoiled.) My parents opted into this service early on, and haven't had any problems with it. As I understand it telus is now using the same hardware as Bell TV. This is awesome. The ability to add a 750 Gb external hard drive to the PVR is just too cool.

My parents have the original Pace box. I need to talk them into upgrading.

There is nothing wrong with the Telus TV service that I know about. I don't think you could go too far wrong with it.

As always, your mileage may vary.

[Kayne314]

I have just learned that Telus TV still uses the Pace box. It is Telus Satellite TV that uses the Bell hardware. Sorry, I was unaware Telus had two different services. My parents are on Telus TV. ( not Satellite.) They love it dearly, and it is as good or better than Shaw Cable.

I hope this helps.

[Krypto]

I've had Telus TV from the day it was made available to the public (essentially -  I was the first non-Telus employee that the installers did).  I don't regret it one bit.  I can't stand Shaw cable because the standard channels are not broadcast digitally, meaning you often end up with a low quality picture, and while I liked Bell ExpressVu, I couldn't get a clear line of sight and would constantly lose my signal (hence why I switched as soon as TelusTV came out).  With TelusTV, I get the best of both worlds... all digital signal, and I don't have to worry about line of sight or bad weather.

While I was on the IP1000 (the original box), I've since upgraded to the Scientific American HD box.  The menu is an appealing and easy to read format, service is reliable, picture quality is quite good (not the same as Bell ExpressVu, but very close), and when something does go down, a quick call to Telus usually repairs it (not like Bell, where I'd sit on the line forever with technicians who never seemed to properly understand the problem).  The reason for this is that Telus is connected to the box via the internet system used to send the signal to it, meaning that they can usually diagnose issues much easier on their end.  Changing channels is not as fast as with regular cable service (might be a pain for people coming from regular cable), but its not too bad, especially once you get used to it.  And their prices are comparable to the other services (or in my case, a lot cheaper - I currently have basic service + 11 packs for $46).  Note, I'm not using the HD service.  I tried it, but I couldn't justify the extra cost, and to be honest, because of the all digital service, you don't notice as big a difference as you would if you were using regular cable.

FYI, I've now gotten my boyfriend's parents onto TelusTV and even his sister is now using TelusTV.  If my parents could get it where they are, they would also be on it as they aren't particularly happy with the service they've been getting from Bell.  The only thing to be aware of is that for most homes, there is currently a limit of 2 boxes... this isn't because Telus doesn't want to rent them to you, it's because this is all that current internet bandwidth can provide.  If you're in an area with fibre optics though, I've heard of 6-7 boxes being the limit.

[jlnjcb]

Thanks!

I was wondering also if you guys had any internet slow downs while using a tv (i only have one HDTV, would that be a problem?)?

[Krypto]

No problem on my end.  I also have just 1 HDTV, but I've been told that they set the limits purposely to ensure that there's no slowdown.  Supposedly, if you had 2 boxes and both TVs were constantly changing channels, you might see a slight drop in bandwidth, but that's all. 

[jlnjcb]

Hi again,

I have one last question, sorry, im assuming you have Telus High Speed Internet, do you notice slow youtube speeds? like do you have to wait for youtube (hd or sd)  videos to load before you watch them?

thanks a bunch!!!

[Krypto]

Nope, not usually.  And when I do, it's usually not a network issue.

[MrSavage]

Hi, I hope I'm not too late to give you some advice before signing up! I did the whole Telus bundle in June 2009. Interesting that you can save money even when you bundles Shaw, but let me say this. You won't have any regrets moving to Telus. I had some issues, but eventually those got resolved. It may help you, I've started (and will be finishing in a couple days) my full on Telus TV review. I think there are some things you need to understand BEFORE you sign up. It gets a bit technical when you are asking about internet slowdowns. Bottom line is, you must demand the HD profile so you get enough bandwidth to your home. Enough bandwidth means your internet speed is not dependant on whether you have 1 or 2 tvs on or if you are watching hd channels. This was the most frustrating part of the whole experience.

[jlnjcb]

Hey MrSavage,

I actually was waiting for the end part of your review . cant wait till you finish! thanks.