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Shaw Direct Complaint, Rant, Leaving SD Thread

326K views 1K replies 235 participants last post by  P2B 
#1 ·
This thread is for frustrated members to air their beefs and grievances over Shaw Direct.

If you have a technical problem that needs solving, please check out other threads, as this one is just for rants and complaints.

Please Note:

Although this thread is for rants and complaints, you are still expected to follow the rules of the forum when you post so No swearing, no oversized fonts, images etc.
 
#264 ·
Sigh...

After having a few not very stellar days on the technology front from different vendors this week, to top it off I get the following answer from Shaw Direct to a question I asked about when they are going to enable the eSATA port.

"Thank you for contacting us. In regards to your question about the ESATA slot, we are currently developing a VOD (Video On Demand) option. This will utilize the ESATA slot. We are still in the testing stages and do not have a date or many details beyond what I’ve shared with you in this email. As soon as we are confident we are offering a product that is good enough for the public we will be advertising this on www.shawdirect.ca and most likely on our bills as well."

I can't wait until I can get Video On Demand through eSATA...
 
#267 ·
Shaw Direct receivers are a total joke. They can't even enable eSATA for external storage support. Something that almost every other provider in Canada has had for several years. There guide looks like it was designed in the 1990s. I'm sure whole home PVR is no where near launching either.

They seem to spend time working on the most useless features. The mosiac channels (still not available) comes to mind. Then VOD via ethernet port. I bet most customers would rather have new HD channels then having them work on something like this. Plus their VOD selection is terrible. They have no deal with Astral Media so no TMN or HBO content for people in the east. They have nothing from CTV or Citytv. It's basically just a hand full of programs from Shaw Media and Corus Entertainment.
 
#268 ·
Current technology on the ground cannot provide more bandwidth for HD, without replacing many receivers. Right now it appears they are not pushing replacement, so new channels are at a trickle. Everything has to wait until the new satellite is launched and becomes available.

That leaves other software improvments, which VOD is a possibility, that likely requiring HDD space.

That said, they could do eSATA/USB DVR now (or within the year), and work on a SWiM system.

Matrix, to become public, requires more channel bandwith for the matrix root channels. That bandwith is either not available at all, or best used for providing regular channels.
 
#269 ·
VOD is a possibility, that likely requiring HDD space.
Which could be provided with an eSATA drive. Even though the SD person may have been misguided in some aspects, I wasn't laughing at the reply.

Much of SD's receiver problems stem from decisions made long ago. One is to use Motorola's encryption technology. That ties them to Motorola, which has since become a smaller player in the consumer electronics market. SD is basically their only remaining customer for DC2 satellite receivers so that is a very small market. Probably, the only reason SD even has a receiver is that Motorola still delivers a lot of DC2 cable receivers. Development of new SD receivers pretty much reflects these developments. The other probability is that SD is too cheap to spend much money on custom receiver R&D.
 
#270 ·
Enough is enough

After 10 years of being treated as a second class customer by the Shaw clan -- goodbye

Thanks for the $549 DSR500 that became obsolete for HD after 1 year

Thanks for the 2 MPEG4 upgradable DSR505's - that aren't

Thanks for Canada's least amount of HD programming.

Can't figure out why it took me so long to switch.
 
#271 · (Edited)
It wasn't easy for me to leave either. I had been a customer 11 years. I called them several times to see if they could do anything for me to convince me to stay. But as I assumed all along, they only really tied to keep me when I actually call to cancel and for me, that was too late. I had already switched providers.
 
#272 ·
I plan on leaving also due to the simsubbing now taking place. The reason I had switched to them in the first place was because they didn't simsub. I feel that I might as well switch back (if I have to watch simsubbing) to one of my local carriers that do simsubbing that way my money will stay in my community. (supporting local workers)

I have contacted Shaw (through the ask Jim) to inquire about opting out but was ignored with no reply. I guess they feel that if they ignore you, you'll eventually give up and maybe stay with them or just go away. I plan on doing the latter.
 
#273 ·
We switched from Bell last year when bell dropped the Sun News channel. All was well until the 605 started rebooting on it's own, Shaw replaced it with another 605 that will not store the user settings permanently. After a power failure the receiver resets to default settings like our weather city and hide unsubscribed channels. Now after several e-mails and phone calls they keep telling me that this is normal. The existing 630 keeps it's settings and also the original 605 kept it's settings. Now I am being shafted because I am paying for warranty and they don't plan on fixing it. They go out of their way it seems to drive customers away. My year will be up soon.
 
#274 ·
Bell telemarketers phoned me last night.

For 12cents/month less than I'm paying SD right now, I'll have 16 more HD channels plus a no charge rental HDDVR in their Better Bundle. I'll have to lose Peachtree, but I'll gain WGN, KTLA, + WSBK (2 in HD)

Since Shaw is now simwrecking like Bell, easy choice to switch.
 
#275 ·
Shaw entrapment

I just heard of someone a friend of mine works with that had an account with Shaw who was sharing the account with one or more people.
Granted it's wrong, but anyway, I heard Shaw cancelled there service then called them and got them to reset a code on there receiver then tried to get them to do it to the others and basically forced the person confess (perhaps even accused them of sharing the account). Sure that was the case but and the person confessed and was asked to give all the other contacts info of the other people.
What really pisses me off is that they apparently called the other person and got all the info from them and that person asked if they can cancel the account to which shaw responded that if they do they would fine that person. Is this not illegal? is this not some form of entrapment or something?
A company should not be able to perform illegal acts no matter the cause.
 
#276 ·
I just heard of someone a friend of mine works with that had an account with Shaw who was sharing the account with one or more people.
Granted it's wrong, but anyway, I heard Shaw cancelled there service then called them and got them to reset a code on there receiver then tried to get them to do it to the others and basically forced the person confess (perhaps even accused them of sharing the account). Sure that was the case but and the person confessed and was asked to give all the other contacts info of the other people.
What really pisses me off is that they apparently called the other person and got all the info from them and that person asked if they can cancel the account to which shaw responded that if they do they would fine that person. Is this not illegal? is this not some form of entrapment or something?
A company should not be able to perform illegal acts no matter the cause.
The only thing worse than a thief, is a thief that whines, complains, and rationalizes when he gets caught. I despise thieves. Your friend's co-worker is a thief. Period.
 
#281 ·
I don't know if this is the right thread to post this question, as it is not really a complaint, but the other threads didn't fit right.

Has anyone else noticed that CITYTV Vancouver (advanced ch 6 - not sure of Classic number, as we have Advanced) is washed out. When we watch AFV at 10pm EDT (7pm PDT), we notice that the outside videos are washed out, also the commercials and previous program (the cooking show). This must be a CITY problem, as our other channels are fine.
 
#282 ·
Hooked up to Shaw several months ago, and my biggest complaint is the Canuck HD net'works pixilate every time the action gets a little busy. I was watching Space on the freebie preview today and didn't see this behaviour at all. My 32" HD TV is but a few months old, and considering this only happens on some channels I'd assume it's not the TV. In fact, I wonder now why I even mentioned it. :rolleyes:

Any ideas?
 
#283 ·
A case where a friend of a friend was heading South and had lost a dish etc. In an RV accident, so got one sent out. Got to the destination and tried to get it to work. Got the friend who met up with them to try to get it working. No luck. Turns out an xku lnb sent out with no warning that things have to be changed and the help they got didn't twig to this either. Next stop he got a US sat guy to help who realized the problem right away.
I encountered the same situation beside me earlier in Yuma with an xku. The guy plugged into his neighbour's dish temporarily.

CS should know about old and xku lnb's and there should be warnings in the current dish packages.
 
#284 ·
Terrible string of luck with the HD 630

<rant>

I had to call into SD this morning to have my HD 630 replaced for the 3rd time in as many months. I keep having PVR-related failures (HDD failure, unable to record even with a healthy HDD, etc..).

Is this just a string of bad luck or are these receivers really terrible? SD even had the balls to try and charge me the return shipping on a receiver which failed within 2 days of me receiving it.

</rant>
 
#285 ·
Moved your post to the rant thread. You may wish to check out the dedicated 630 sticky:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=128667

Usually when there are repeated problems, it's not the STB, but rather poor/bad connections, poor signal, or something else at your home, like lack of proper ventillation for the 630, etc. There certainly are issues (which provider doesn't have them), but repeatedly replacing STBs is not the solution. One must find the source of the real problem.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
 
#286 ·
I had multiple 630's and SD nor techie could solve but when I called to switch to the new rv program because I'm now on cable, the csr very smugly stated that all my problems were grounding related and he could have solved them if only I had reached him with my troubles....:D:rolleyes:
 
#287 ·
DSR 600 problem. Anybody run into this one yet? SD says I get Space HD, I can tune to Space HD, but if I have unsubscribed channels hidden it does not appear in the guide. I've already tried all the usual stuff including a receiver refresh. Oh, and the SD self serve page says I have different services than I do (Digital favorites is the only thing they have right).
 
#292 ·
You aren't missing much new right now

Most concerts are reruns such as:
May 28: Ted Nugent Live - I Still Believe!
May 30: Crosby-Nash: In Concert
May 31: Doobie Brothers - World Gone Crazy Live
June 1:REO Speedwagon
June 3: Bad Company - Live at Wembley
June 3: Bon Jovi, Lost Highway - The Concert
June 3: Nickelback - Live at Sturgis
June 3: John Fogerty - The Long Road Home

Paying extra for HD reruns on numerous Bell owned channels is much more entertaining.

Almost as entertaining as the 6 shows repeated daily on 12 Shaw owned cable channels.
 
#294 ·
I miss the HD-Net concerts, but am finding plenty on Youtube (plus all sorts of Midnight Special, Old Grey Whistle Test and Rockpalast clips - although not HD, the video camera/tape technology of the time is next to it). It is a double edged sword though, I like the "Classic Rock" artists, and they mostly don't look so good nowadays, their older shows in the prime of their careers was taped in SD.
 
#295 ·
Not much PPV

Okay this isnt a huge rant but we're just switching from Bell to Shaw and Shaw has hardly any PPV channels. :( BEV has lots and not just that it lets you choose what time to watch but they actually have more movies. Weve got some PPV credits fm Shaw but I dont know whether we'll be able to use them before they expire b'cuz there isnt much we want to watch. We looked at BEV's website and they've got more movies but we don't have free PPV there. :)
 
#296 ·
Okay this isnt a huge rant but we're just switching from Bell to Shaw and Shaw has hardly any PPV channels. :( BEV has lots and not just that it lets you choose what time to watch but they actually have more movies. Weve got some PPV credits fm Shaw but I dont know whether we'll be able to use them before they expire b'cuz there isnt much we want to watch. We looked at BEV's website and they've got more movies but we don't have free PPV there. :)
Agreed, that Shaw Direct has very few actual PPV movie channels, but I found the selection to be same as other providers in terms of movies offered. It's just that you'll find they are played at weird times. Like at 5am. Rarely are they playing at normal viewing times, so best thing to do if you have a PVR, is purchase movie and set it to record so you can watch it later. Shaw Direct website has each month's PPV movie listings. Just search via the menu for one and then as I say, PVR it, cause you'll rarely find a movie playing at a normal time.
 
#297 ·
Hi johnnucleo yes I think youre right that mostly Shaw plays the same movies as Bell but be'cuz Bell has more channels they keep them around longer. So for example right now we could see Puss 'n' Boots and War Horse on Bell but they aren't on Shaw where we have the PPV credits. :( I'm sure they were there maybe last month or month before but they're gone now.

We have been looking at the Shaw website and just hope that some good stuff will show up in June or July.
 
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