canuck

If anyone is considering a switch, make sure you compare functionality of the hd receivers. I have had both in the last year, here are a few things to watch for:

A little one sided but all valid points.

1. Starchoice has little to no program searching ability compared to Bell.

3. PVR functionality, Star choice is exactly like your VCR with out the Plus. Bell allows you to set it up to record all show of a series or just the new shows. You can tell is to record a show that you don’t even know what channel or time it is on. When the show airs Bell records.

4. Show listings, Starchoice shows you all the available channels all the time. Not fun when you are surfing unless you pay for ALL channels. Bell works like this: press the guide once and get your subscribed channels only (+pay per view) press guide again and see all the channels. In this mode they color the channels you have access to a different color.

5. With Bell’s HD PVR box, you can hook up the system to two different TVs so that two people can watch two different shows at once. They include two different remotes as well. Or both can be hooked up to the same TV. Starchoice nope.

6. HDMI, simply put Starchoice does not have an HDMI output on their box. Bell does. Not necessary just less cabling.

7. Pic in Pic. Starchoice no. Bell yes.

8. Size - Starchoice’s 17” receiver does not fit in my standard pioneer size stereo rack, Bell’s does.

9. Hours of recording - Starchoice 160 Bell 180.

10. Loading the menu after reset – Starchoice 15 minutes. Bell less than 30 seconds.

11. Picture Quality – at 1080 can anyone really see a difference? They both look awesome.

12. Web site – You actually see what you are subscribed to with Bell. Starchoice nope.