# March 1 New Basic Cable Packages come out



## Kim (Jan 10, 2011)

I know most of you live in areas where you don't even think about cable TV anymore but for ultra rural folks ( like myself ) it might be worth your time to phone and see what changes your provider has to offer. Cable companies are not advertising their forced options for buyers. There should be the possibility to save a few dollars.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/cable-changes-timing-1.3326645


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## mcoursd2006 (May 22, 2012)

Why would you even bother? All those channels mentioned are available to the public at no charge using an OTA antenna. But I suppose it might aimed at those who want the specialty channels like TSN, WTN, Weather Nework, 24-hour news, etc, which you still have to pay extra on top.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

mcoursd2006 said:


> Why would you even bother? All those channels mentioned are available to the public at no charge using an OTA antenna.


Yup, all but FOX & PBS are available here for free with a simple antenna setup.


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

mcoursd2006 said:


> Why would you even bother? All those channels mentioned are available to the public at no charge using an OTA antenna. But I suppose it might aimed at those who want the specialty channels like TSN, WTN, Weather Nework, 24-hour news, etc, which you still have to pay extra on top.


The OP has indicated they are "ultra rural". My understanding is location will dictate signal availability and specific channels OTA which you may not be considering. Not everyone is close enough to a tower. 

I am planning to build my own antennae shortly and research shows I should be able to pick up CBC, ATV, Global only, as I'm within about 50km of the broadcaster towers.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

RBull said:


> The OP has indicated they are "ultra rural". My understanding is location will dictate signal availability and specific channels OTA which you may not be considering. Not everyone is close enough to a tower.


Around here "ultra rural" means no cable whatsoever as only towns close to the city have cable service. The others that are way out in the boonies have always relied on antennas (unless they pay for satellite).


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

I doubt it was "ultra" but with a three mile walk into town with lots of vineyards, fruit trees, chicken farm barns between the houses, where I grew up would count as "rural".

No sewers or water or gas and a party line for the phone ... putting up a twenty foot tower with a rotor and antenna on it pulled in around twenty seven TV stations!


Cheers


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Some reviews of the new "skinny" basic television packages, shows nothing more than the telcos offering a few basic networks and everything else is an expensive add-on. The "bundles" include one good channel and some fluff.

The cost when added up was higher than it was before the changes.

The problem is the regulators could open up the competition, but nobody seems interested as Canada is not densely populated and spread out too much.

Nobody is going to build a network to service a couple million people.

We continue to get ripped off on all our communication needs compared to other countries.

The only way to beat them I figure is to buy shares in their companies and collect dividends..........


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## bgc_fan (Apr 5, 2009)

Too be honest was anyone expecting something different? It didn't take much foresight to realize that they would price the individual channels more than what the old bundles would be.


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

sags said:


> We continue to get ripped off on all our communication needs compared to other countries.
> 
> The only way to beat them I figure is to buy shares in their companies and collect dividends..........


Yupper!


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

^ Same here, if you can't beat em, join em :biggrin:

Same goes for gas prices, etc. One of few people at the pumps who cheer higher prices!


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## RCB (Jan 11, 2014)

Rural OTA can really suck. I checked on our location recently, and we would receive two channels...CBC and CTV. Back in the 70s and 80s we received all three US networks as well. Not now.

I had zero faith that skinny basic + a la carte would be useful for most.


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

RCB said:


> Rural OTA can really suck. I checked on our location recently, and we would receive two channels...CBC and CTV. Back in the 70s and 80s we received all three US networks as well. Not now.


I just checked using this link, and where we live in Eastern Ontario, near a fair size city, we would only be able to receive 2 OTA stations with any strength (both Canadian). To get any more we would need a tower (single story house)/ And even then, just 4 additional US signals.

We have choice of cable or satellite. Currently using Shaw satellite. We don't watch many channels but pay for a lot more. Have not yet checked the changes. Do they apply to Satellite as well as cable?


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## ykphil (Dec 13, 2009)

I tried four different OTA antenna setups at our condo located downtown Calgary and could not receive even one channel. It was just an experiment, we don't even watch TV, have no internet, and wouldn't subscribe to any skinny cable package anyway, we only keep the TV to hide a bad drywall patching job I did a few years ago.


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## wendi1 (Oct 2, 2013)

I'm thinking of doing what the kids do: no home phone, just a cell. 

No cable, just Netflix and downloads. Even newpapers, magazines and radio have become obsolete - everything comes down the internet.


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## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

agent99 said:


> Currently using Shaw satellite. We don't watch many channels but pay for a lot more. Have not yet checked the changes. Do they apply to Satellite as well as cable?


They apply to every TV provider... cable, satellite, IPTV, etc. 

Shaw Direct has a "Limited" TV plan on their website. I currently have the S.D. Ontario Life package with "420 channels" (that includes radio and Stingray). We barely watch 20 channels, if that. I also have an OTA antenna, and use it to record the local Ottawa news in high-def; Shaw only has it in standard-def. I can read the screen better with the HD.

I'm considering a change to the Limited package plus add a few extra channels we don't currently have (HBO/TMN). As long as the total cost doesn't change, I'd rather have the channels I want than a cluttered guide full of ones we never watch.


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

cainvest said:


> Around here "ultra rural" means no cable whatsoever as only towns close to the city have cable service. The others that are way out in the boonies have always relied on antennas (unless they pay for satellite).


I understand. I can't speak for the OP as to their definition of ultra rural. 

My response was simply to address the idea posted above that all people had access via OTA, which they likely don't if they're truly far away from a tower.


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## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

*HELP!!!!!!!!*

TV is about a third of what we pay to our cable company. Most is Internet. I contacted my cable/Internet provider a year ago and was unsuccessful in gaining access to better pricing. They even told me that I had grandfathered bundle pricing and that my prices would increase if I change my plan. I couldn't even get them to help me out with a replacement for our ancient PVR, best they would offer was sell me a PVR for almost $400 and allow us to pay it off over 36 months. 

My wife and I decided that we would switch to the competition but that is easier said than done. So much of our lives were tied to our ISP email accounts that we have spent months moving everything to Gmail. Bank accounts, Apple iTunes store, my wife's recipe clubs and dozens of other accounts needed to be changed and verified. It has also been slow getting our friends to use our new email address. 

If and when we do manage to change, we will save about 65% for the first six months and 35% for the next 30 months. They will also include free HD box rental. 

Has anybody here managed to successfully negotiate a better Internet rate from their cable company or telco without having to go through this exercise?


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

Userkare said:


> They apply to every TV provider... cable, satellite, IPTV, etc.
> 
> Shaw Direct has a "Limited" TV plan on their website. I currently have the S.D. Ontario Life package with "420 channels" (that includes radio and Stingray). We barely watch 20 channels, if that. I also have an OTA antenna, and use it to record the local Ottawa news in high-def; Shaw only has it in standard-def. I can read the screen better with the HD.
> 
> I'm considering a change to the Limited package plus add a few extra channels we don't currently have (HBO/TMN). As long as the total cost doesn't change, I'd rather have the channels I want than a cluttered guide full of ones we never watch.


Thanks - I will have to check out that Limited package.


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## doctrine (Sep 30, 2011)

wendi1 said:


> I'm thinking of doing what the kids do: no home phone, just a cell.
> 
> No cable, just Netflix and downloads. Even newpapers, magazines and radio have become obsolete - everything comes down the internet.


It's not just kids doing this. There aren't that many under 40 who still do (there are some though). Teleco's will still get them through cell and internet bills but cable is going to decline quite quickly.


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## mcoursd2006 (May 22, 2012)

olivaw said:


> TV is about a third of what we pay to our cable company. Most is Internet. I contacted my cable/Internet provider a year ago and was unsuccessful in gaining access to better pricing. They even told me that I had grandfathered bundle pricing and that my prices would increase if I change my plan. I couldn't even get them to help me out with a replacement for our ancient PVR, best they would offer was sell me a PVR for almost $400 and allow us to pay it off over 36 months.
> 
> My wife and I decided that we would switch to the competition but that is easier said than done. So much of our lives were tied to our ISP email accounts that we have spent months moving everything to Gmail. Bank accounts, Apple iTunes store, my wife's recipe clubs and dozens of other accounts needed to be changed and verified. It has also been slow getting our friends to use our new email address.
> 
> ...


That's one of the problems with our telcom industry. There are so few players, and these players all offer multiple products that we all purchase. Not only that, but the products are bundled to to offer us 'discount'. So like you said, everything you have online is tied to that company. You can't terminate just one service without affecting the rest of your package. Migrating to another provider proves to be such a headache that many people opt to stick to their current one, even if it meant they had to pay more.

Personally we don't have cable. We get enough channels through OTA. We stream the occasional TV show. Our cell phones are prepaid ones, not even smart ones, that costs us $100 or so a year to maintain. Our home phone is VoIP which costs us nothing to maintain, other than the initial start up of about $100 or so. That was over three years ago. So, taken together, we pay just under $700 for our internet, TV, home phone, and cell phone needs. None of these products are tied to one another; we are completely free to terminate one without affecting the others.

But I realize that not everyone can do what we do. I'm okay with not having the newest iPhone 6 or the Golf Channel.


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## mcoursd2006 (May 22, 2012)

Interesting article in G&M about just this:

https://secure.globeadvisor.com/servlet/ArticleNews/story/gam/20160305/RBRIMCKENNACOLUMN


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

People still pay for TV?


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## avrex (Nov 14, 2010)

Is it worth it? Here are some “skinny basic” plus a bundle of channels options

The above is nice article that shows you some package scenarios, of all of the providers:
Rogers - Bell - Shaw - Telus - Cogeco - Videotron 

It shows potential savings for the following fictional viewer types:
- The Sports Fan
- The Emmy Juror
- The Do-It-Yourselfer
- The Busy Parent
- The Newshound

For example, I'm with Cogeco and would fall in line with the fictional 'Sports Fan' list of channels.
The article shows I will pay $52/month (including the set box rental).

That's very good, considering that I'm almost paying $100/month now.
Yes, I will be calling the cable company soon to make the change.

Finally. The CRTC is finally helping Canadians.


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

^not quite all of the providers. They left out a major one in this part of the country- Eastlink. 

Sounds like a great arrangement for you.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

They also left out Shaw Direct who omits any US Networks from their Skinny Basic offering.


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## latebuyer (Nov 15, 2015)

For those interested in the shaw limited package you need to get 1 themepack (6.00) to get on demand and music channels.


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## CalgaryPotato (Mar 7, 2015)

olivaw said:


> TV is about a third of what we pay to our cable company. Most is Internet. I contacted my cable/Internet provider a year ago and was unsuccessful in gaining access to better pricing. They even told me that I had grandfathered bundle pricing and that my prices would increase if I change my plan. I couldn't even get them to help me out with a replacement for our ancient PVR, best they would offer was sell me a PVR for almost $400 and allow us to pay it off over 36 months.
> 
> My wife and I decided that we would switch to the competition but that is easier said than done. So much of our lives were tied to our ISP email accounts that we have spent months moving everything to Gmail. Bank accounts, Apple iTunes store, my wife's recipe clubs and dozens of other accounts needed to be changed and verified. It has also been slow getting our friends to use our new email address.
> 
> ...


Here is what I found, I phoned Shaw, I told them that my one cable box wasn't work at all, and one of my PVRs was failing sometimes. They didn't really offer us a whole lot.

I was at a festival and went into the shaw booth, because my son wanted to see something inside of it. The person there offered me a great package, I explained I was already with Shaw and wasn't even from that city, it didn't matter, she got me setup with all sort of equipment on a free 2 year rental, and gave me 6 months of cheaper prices on everything. 

So go to whatever festivals are going on in your city, find the shaw booth, and see what they can offer you. At worst it'll be better then what they can offer you over the phone, even with escalation.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

RBull said:


> The OP has indicated they are "ultra rural". My understanding is location will dictate signal availability and specific channels OTA which you may not be considering. Not everyone is close enough to a tower.
> 
> I am planning to build my own antennae shortly and research shows I should be able to pick up CBC, ATV, Global only, as I'm within about 50km of the broadcaster towers.


Why build? You can get a winegard amplified flat antenna and it is good for most strong signals such as CBC, Global , French channel, CTV and TVO.
The signals are good most of the time, but they do go off the air occasionally.

This is a better deal though.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0...m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_r=TPWAH625WEAGDFM2YP4Z


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

my OTA setup has come from 'save and replay', and they distribute and web sell direct across the country, I recall.

I am a ham radio operator, and make my own radio antennas, but TV antennas cannot be made for the price these guys sell for when I am able to pick up from them.

We are a Netflix household, with OTA providing quite a few channels in the west end of the GTA.

We watched the still active cable for the first four months when we moved in here 13 years ago. 
Then Rogers figured we were not signing up and cut us off.

We have used the no cable bills to in fact buy Bell and Rogers stock, since we have not forked out about $10k on cable in that period.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Ponderling said:


> We have used the no cable bills to in fact buy Bell and Rogers stock, since we have not forked out about $10k on cable in that period.


Probably a good idea to buy their stock..they used to have a promotional special if you signed up for 2 years with them. 
Now it's $99.99 a month for their Ignite package (ignite a fire under the subscribers a*ses) on two year contract + other charges.
advertised download speeds of UP TO 100MBS per second **) basic cable and home phone. 

That's $2400 for 2 years + $312 for the "out of control spending" Wynne gov't looking for yet more revenue to pay off their deficit.
Greedy cable guys looking for more suckers out there. 

Now with regular programming done until the fall ..its reruns upon reruns and CBC has been doing that a lot lately.

Cable TV..your worst entertainment value as a subscriber..but good if you are a stockholder.


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

carverman said:


> Cable TV..your worst entertainment value as a subscriber..but good if you are a stockholder.


Is it worse than satellite? With that, we pay $110/mo. for a whole lot of channels, of which we watch about 5 from time to time.

As an aside, the OP wrote of "ultra rural", juxtaposed with "cable TV". Seems to me those two are mutually exclusive. Where we are is somewhat rural...off the grid, miles from any cables, landlines or roads that go anywhere. The places I used to go moose hunting were, by and large, what might be "ultra rural".


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Mukhang pera said:


> Is it worse than satellite? With that, we pay $110/mo. for a whole lot of channels, of which we watch about 5 from time to time.
> 
> .


what is your point here? Satellite and cable are becoming more and more expensive each year. The bundle deals is what rogues and bulls are offering.
If you are outside their service area,the piza sized dishes are not much good. Heavy rain or wet snow sticks to those dishes and you could experience
a prolonged signal interruption.


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

carverman said:


> what is your point here?


No need to get testy. Not sure that posing a question can fairly be said to be making a point. I asked a simple question, in response to your comment that cable tv is the "worst entertainment value for a subscriber". I have had cable tv in places where I have lived in the US., SE Asia and, in Canada, in Vancouver. But all of that was more than 8 years ago, so I am completely out of touch with what a basic package costs with cable. I am assuming it is not much different than satellite in that you must subscribe to some kind of "package". Certainly our Bell tv satellite does not let us choose and pay for only the few channels we want. We pay $110/mo. for not much. I was just curious if cable pricing is worse, as you say.

If my question was inane, obtuse, unfocussed, unworthy of a reply, then just say so.


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

Go out for a beer after work on fridays cost more than a good cable and internet package....why dont we rail about 8 dollar pints from Boston Pizza like we do about Rogers lol


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

Eder said:


> Go out for a beer after work on fridays cost more than a good cable and internet package....why dont we rail about 8 dollar pints from Boston Pizza like we do about Rogers lol


Makes cable sound dirt cheap. We pay $280/mo. for satellite internet and $110 for tv, for a total of $390/mo. Tv was $170, but we found out we were signed up for some channels we never watched and were able to delete.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

Mukhang pera said:


> Makes cable sound dirt cheap. We pay $280/mo. for satellite internet and $110 for tv, for a total of $390/mo. Tv was $170, but we found out we were signed up for some channels we never watched and were able to delete.


Wow, that's gotta hurt.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Mukhang pera said:


> No need to get testy. Not sure that posing a question can fairly be said to be making a point. I asked a simple question, in response to your comment that cable tv is the "worst entertainment value for a subscriber". I have had cable tv in places where I have lived in the US., SE Asia and, in Canada, in Vancouver. But all of that was more than 8 years ago, so I am completely out of touch with what a basic package costs with cable. I am assuming it is not much different than satellite in that you must subscribe to some kind of "package". Certainly our Bell tv satellite does not let us choose and pay for only the few channels we want. We pay $110/mo. for not much. I was just curious if cable pricing is worse, as you say.
> 
> If my question was inane, obtuse, unfocussed, unworthy of a reply, then just say so.


I replied to your reply to my reply....


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