After spending the last 9 months with out cable and relying on the internet/Xbox for entertainment in the house hold. I have decided that I need to reinvest in the service. Shaw has a sick basic HD package that would bring my beloved and struggling Oilers back to my living room and am leaning this way. While I am in the process I am thinking of upgrading my internet. I use it for my Xbox, Netflix, general surfing/blogging as well as the two smart phones in our house.
I am not sure what quality of Telus internet I have currently and am trying to figure out Shaw's numbers on their personalization page. Does anyone have any insight into what internet package would be worth it for me? (Shaw's CSR are dolts and remind me of Gil from the Simpsons). Personal or professional opinions welcome!
You'll get 101 different answers in here. I have Telus Optik, and it's great, and my download speeds are usually about 1.2 Mbps. I'm sure you will find some sort of similar offer with other carriers too. This argument has been made 1000 times over on this board.
You'll get 101 different answers in here. I have Telus Optik, and it's great, and my download speeds are usually about 1.2 Mbps. I'm sure you will find some sort of similar offer with other carriers too. This argument has been made 1000 times over on this board.
Might want to clarify if that is megabytes per second or megabits...very big difference there.
TV services between the both i say slight edge to shaw (basic hd includes hockey), only advantage telus has is price and "free" rental boxes....
Internet i would have to say hands down shaw... greater potential interms of speed... 50/100mbps sure shaw might be on a shared network.. but even at 50% service level you are still getting 25 or 50 mbps
Disagree with the Shaw boosters. I was paying through the nose for 25mbps, but speed usually sat at 7-12. I didn't mind so much when they were giving me a good deal and good service, but when I started complaining about the speed when my introductory deal ran out, I had to deal with surprisingly unhelpful technicians.
I had been happy with Shaw, but they've taken a step back. My new 25mbps connection with Telus has consistently clocked in at 21-23, and it's cheaper, and I didn't have to sign a contract. Never thought I'd say this, but I'd recommend Telus right now. We'll see how long that lasts...
This market is ripe for a legitimate third ISP provider to keep Shaw and Telus honest!
I instead spent 400 bucks, built myself a home theater PC, subscribed it to a couple uploaders for TV shows, and by about 8 o clock every night I have all the TV shows I am interested in ready to view, in HD. No commercials.
Admittedly I don't pay for the expressvu (its registered to my parents account), but honestly I don't see a reason to have cable. You can buy a jailbroken Apple TV that will have NHL Gamecenter on it where you can stream all hockey games in HD, on home or away feeds. My roommate just did this and its great.
Oh, no not this again. This is about as bad as PC vs MAC.
The Area you live in has a lot to do with services. I used to like Telus, but they screwed me around for almost 3 months when I wanted to upgrade (basically we will give you the upgrade, but nothing has happened). Then my parents ordered with Telus this last summer and it took nearly 6-7 weeks after called 2 weeks beforehand for a brand new install to happen. I cant say Im that impressed with them yet. The free laptop came in a month before they even had service haha.
On the other hand Ive had Shaw for 3 years now after having Telus for almost 7 years or so, and Ive enjoyed the service. No problems after 3 years. Wait time for service reps isnt great anymore when you do need to call, but there is also the online chat help too.
So it all just depends. What I personally like more than Telus is my Shaw TV. I pay for Channels 1-13 (SD), then all HD. None of this pay for SD then even more for HD BS, and no contracts. I haven't checked lately but Shaw had more capability for faster speeds as well. Free stuff from Telus is always a tease though 8)
So here's the deal you will get people who will tell you; well I had company A and payed for Internet Speed Plan B and only got 65% of B. Others will come and tell you well I had company A and payed for Internet Speed Plan B and got 110% of B on a regular basis. Neither of these people are lying the internet speeds are so varied from all of these companies depending on a multitude of things (ie. distance from server, router types, quantity of ethernet gnomes in your lines) that every person experencies something different.
If you are planning to watch high deff tv, torrent and play one xbox at a time anything 20Mbit/s or above should more than suffice. I will tell you that my family routinely has 3 computers and 2 xboxes hooked up and active to a 20Mbit/s connection and we never run into issues (aside from outages that our company has in our local area). We do have a router which prioritzes gaming traffic in order to reduce lag on the consoles though and i find this works very well.
I believe someone on this board said it best in the last thread like this that popped up:
"Find a company you are willing to hate for the next three years and go with them"
I would just like to revive this to let everyone my experience with Telus through the last while. Also, I would just like to put out there that I had a very bad experience with Bell as well similar to this, but I did have Shaw for internet for a short while, and had no issues, and if I were to switch providers, which I seriously considered over the last few days. Basically we had Optik TV and internet, we first got it when we lived in Red Deer and loved it, and had 0 issues. When we moved to Sherwood Park, they neglected to tell us the infrastructure here was worse, and that our PVR function would be almost useless, only able to record the same channel which we were watching, and the picture would be pixelated at times, sound cutting out, etc. Our contract was running out in September so I decided to call the loyalty department, and this is how it went:
This is rather long, so bare with me...lol
Experience with Telus last week to present..
Sunday, the 19th
Call Telus Loyal/Retention and say we are leaving unless we get a deal. Having crap luck with Optik TV, internet is okay. Want better deal with putting up with crap TV for two years. Guy says no problem, lets see what we can do. Says he can give us Satellite TV with basic TV/Sports HD/other them pack/HBO-Movie Central for $28 a month, Internet 10-15 mbps for $25 for a year. Sounds unbelievable. Books guy to come install Satellite, also supposed to get guy to pick up modem/optik receiver, and drop off latest modem. Yay for us we got a good deal.
This Past Friday
Guy shows up to install Satellite TV, but no one shows up to pick up receiver, modem, or drop off new modem. Call Telus. That was never scheduled, WTF. Installer finishes TV install, says just leave it, should download guide and everything should be good to go in under 2 hours, leaves. Call Telus back about internet situation, says that they can send someone to drop off modem in a few weeks, I say F that, just mail me one and I can plug it into the wall myself. Okay, sends priority, will be here on Monday. Hang up. TV channels are says no subscription, WTF? Call, find out that guy never put on any theme packs and just ordered us basic TV. Lady says none of what he put makes any sense, tries contacting him, no answer. Has no idea whats going on, just gives us theme packs, and says will touch base at end of her shift (never calls). Check internet speed, running at a whopping 1Mbps, call back AGAIN, guy at tech support adjusts bandwidth, still only getting 6Mbps. Ask what is going on, tells me that is the plan I am signed up for, I say I am supposed to be on 10-15Mbps plan, he says it was never ordered. FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUU..... Transfers me to loyalty dept. Woman goes through and supposedly puts in order proper internet. Okay, it will be good in 12 hours or so. Okay.
Hours roll by, TV is still messed up, go to sleep.
Saturday
Wake up, TV is STILL f'd. Call Telus. Time doesn't show up properly on TV, missing channels still. Guy at tech support does whatever, time is fixed some channels show, assures me everything is fixed. Leave house for short while, it's been 12 hours, no internet adjustment. Call tech support, no info for internet adjustment yet. Hang up. Call telus about TV instead, as channels still aren't on. Ask why everytime I call the number printed in the actual Satellite TV manual, it directs me to Optik Tv/Internet support. Apparently wrong number posted all over internet and in every manual. Redirected. Lady says sports HD channels were never added. Adds Channels. Call tech support, lady says impossible for us to get internet as there someone has to come out here to install microfilter. Try to explain to lady that microfilter is just something to seperate voice and data lines with a DSL connect, it just plugs in-line with your phone-cord, and we don't use a home phone at all, therefore it's completely unnecessary, and that I am actually a communications tech so I know what I am talking about. Acts like I am an idiot and assures me that you need it no matter what and apparently only tech can master skills of plugging in things to a phone jack. Get mad and end conversation. Call telus. Ask to speak to loyalty dept. Lady there says order could not be placed because only one thing can be processed at once, and TV issues were being processed today. Says the lady I was talking to before doesn't make any sense, says she can put through order and will work tomorrow between 8-5.
Sunday
TV channels are STILL messed. finding channels still missing upon double checking, call Telus, need to add theme pack. Add theme pack (supposed to be already there, but whatevs). So that works now. Wait until 5, no internet. Call tech support, sort out issues with bandwidth, everything is working......OH BUT WAIT. Neighbor calls, installer apparently runs ground wire across her back lawn to a metal box just sitting on PVC pipe, making the whole purpose of the wire completely useless, not to mention the wire is like an 18 gauge wire which is also useless. Tell neighbor I will fix later.
Monday
Come home from work, modem isn't here. Good stuff. Installed PROPER ground wire MYSELF. Thinking about sending Telus a bill from Vandelay Industries for my services. Call telus, sort out bill and monthly payments, get everything I wanted, but for $20 more a month for everything, still not bad, but not what first rep said, just tired of dealing with it.
One thing bad about Telus is their internet and TV run through the same line. In other words, a faulty modem or troubles with your internet means bye-bye to your TV service. TV also takes priority for bandwidth.
I have Shaw and haven't had a single problem with them, other than a bit of inconsistent internet speeds.
no offense to the OP as I know these decisions can be tough but these threads end up turning into long winded peeing matches. Telus and Shaw are both large corporations and the truth of the matter is people fall through the cracks with both companies. Your location does have a lot to do with it. I've worked for Shaw and work for Telus and there are pros and cons to both. If you are in a newer development you would be fine with either service. Let me know the general area you are in and I can try to give you information on the cable plant for both providers as far as quality and age.
One thing bad about Telus is their internet and TV run through the same line. In other words, a faulty modem or troubles with your internet means bye-bye to your TV service. TV also takes priority for bandwidth.
I have Shaw and haven't had a single problem with them, other than a bit of inconsistent internet speeds.
ummm Shaw runs cable and internet through the same line...
ummm Shaw runs cable and internet through the same line...
Yes but the bandwidth capabilities of twisted pairs and coax are a huge difference...try getting 5 hd tvs, bb50 Internet and phone with telus.they would have to set up a satellite and use the in home coax,or rewire Ethernet cables through the house(not likely)..in most cases the telus optik uses the wifi modem to feed the coax in the home for your tv, it also has a phone port to backfeed all the tel lines and is a wifi/ethernet router...lt honesty has alot to do with the installer that sets everything up for you...I am an installer for Shaw, if the installers has the time to ensure optimal specs then you won't have a problem... But the wifi router in the shaw modems are not great and a lOt of speed is lost with overhead to be honest. I have bb50 at home...direct Ethernet gets 45ish and the wifi gets around 20-25......the modems put in bridge mode and a good router attached gets 35-45
Yes but the bandwidth capabilities of twisted pairs and coax are a huge difference
not as huge as you would think, with technologies like line bonding and vectoring on vdsl2 ports you can push some pretty impressive speeds. Plus all new developments in edmonton are GPON (gigabit passive optical network) bandwidth on fibre is tremendous. Plus fibre is leaps and bounds more reliable.
see peeing matches.
It comes down to service and it is almost nonexistent with Telus. You also usually end up dealing with someone overseas with poor english. Shaw has its faults too, but if you have a problem it's usually fixed in the matter hours or they'll have a tech out in a couple of days. Telus it could be a matter of weeks before then send a tech out.
not as huge as you would think, with technologies like line bonding and vectoring on vdsl2 ports you can push some pretty impressive speeds. Plus all new developments in edmonton are GPON (gigabit passive optical network) bandwidth on fibre is tremendous. Plus fibre is leaps and bounds more reliable.
see peeing matches.
Very True shaw has g/bs in Edm areas as well.....but very limited......if u want to pay for it in......UP TO 250mb/s speeds should be available everywhere ..but also not cheap(110/mth).the shaw free basic hd includes better sports....
Very True shaw has g/bs in Edm areas as well.....but very limited......if u want to pay for it in......UP TO 250mb/s speeds should be available everywhere ..but also not cheap...the shaw free basic hd includes better sports....
Just for a reference ..
1 gigabite/sec = 125 megabytes/sec
In nearly every shaw cable area...250 megabytes/sec speeds are available...with very limited 1 gigabyte/sec areas
1 Gb = 128 MB
250 Megabit is available in nearly all Shaw areas but seldom ever achieved.
