Starchoice versus Bell

VancouverIsl · 11-01-2004, 05:49 PM

I am still amazed at what you need to know about HDTV and would appreciate guidance from the forum on which company to sign up with:

Current Equipment: Sony KP 51WS520 rear projection HDTV ready t.v and Sony RDR GX300 DVD recorder all connected to a Shaw digital box, with mixed results.

We want lots of channells with the best possible picture so:

1) Bell's HD system requires a multi switch for multiple receivers....does this degrade the signal?

2) Bell's system has a DVI output, and our TV has a HDMI input will this give me a better picture than the Starchoice component video output?

3) Which equipment will be obsolete first?

4) Does any of this really make much of difference on a CRT RPTV?

5) Which company's equipment is most user friendly?

Your advice is appreciated...

dmarsden · 11-04-2004, 02:33 AM

1. Satellite multi-switches do not degrade the picture. Not the same as cable splitters.
2. DVI is video only - HDMI also carries audio. Both are really designed so that the providers can send movies with a copy protected "flag" to protect the studios. Not really going to improve your picture quality.
3. Satellite systems are constantly changing but have pretty good backwards compatability so obsolesence shouldn't be an issue for a few years.
4. Yep, you'll need as strong a signal as you can get and probably you won't be impressed until you're watching mostly high definition, true digital channels (HGTV, Discovery etc) and progessively scanned movies. I believe your DVD recorder outputs in S-Video and should deliver a 480p signal to your TV - that should be much stronger than a VHS recorder could deliver. I recommend that you use the best quality video cables you can get. If you live in the Victoria area you might want to check out Quayle (sp?) Electronics on Burnside as they stock a product that's as good as Monster at much lower prices. The other thing to do is to clean up your electrical current with a high quality power bar that has a filtering device (probably from Monster). This stuff is expensive but you've already spent a lot of money so you may as well get the best possible signal. I've spent upwards of $500 on cables and power bars on one of my sets alone - I like to call it chasing the Dragon.
5. I have a Starchoice DSR500 that's a little glitchy right now but their tech support is really strong and they will send people out to the house if you're having trouble. Starchoice has recently launched the newest and most powerful satellite in North America and they are currently ramping up new programming on 3 new HD channels (total - 9). I recommend that you go the www.starchoice.ca to check out their weekly HD programming. I think you'll find the fare is pretty much the same on both satellites with minor pluses for each provider depending on whether you like sports or movies. The amount of HD programming is more limited by what's currently available anywhere in North America than by the satellite provider you choose. On Vancouver Island I am receiving incredibly strong picture quality with the new Starchoice satellite launch but as I mentioned the service is still a little glitchy. I think they'll fix most of their problems over the next month or so and they download improvements to their software automatically on a regular basis.
I hope this helps a bit and good luck.

VancouverIsl · 11-07-2004, 01:49 PM

Despite my concerns about the customer service issues at ExpressVu, I am signing on there mainly for the output on their box being a DVI , which to my understanding is a purely digital signal.

I expect to be connected up this week, and hopefully the results will be good. Due to the connection problems documented on other forums, I called the installation company directly to order the services in the hope that they will hook me up properly. I also like the fact that I don't have to pay for anything until the signal is there and I am happy.

Your comment regarding a power bar that conditions the power is interesting. Is this supposed to control the electrical signal or the video input? I have purchased a power bar (Phillips P72957) that has inputs and outputs for satellite surge protection. Did you find that your power bar actually made a difference?

Thanks again for you help...I will be going to Quayle this week.

szimmer3 · 11-23-2004, 04:47 PM

I have read that the expressvu with the dvi output has it disabled due to copyright concerns. This may have changed but something to consider.

dmarsden · 11-27-2004, 08:32 PM

I'm sure your Phillips Power Bar with the surge protection will be fine. In my case, I have a brand new house and I have a lot of different wiring running in the walls. I found that I was picking up some transient electrical interference that was affecting the quality of my video signal. At first I was skeptical but the change with the Monster Bar was visible. Wish I could tell you what signals were cleaned up but it did make a difference. Try it if you see any ghosting on your set.
Are you happy with ExpressVu? I'm a little disappointed that SC has not picked up more programming to go with their new HD channels.

Golden · 11-29-2004, 10:59 AM

I also was new to HD did some research and decided to go with Bell (6100). Glad i did too, HD picture and lineup of channels are great. Get yourself a good set of component cables (found no better pic with the dvi cable). Went to see Shaws offering of HD at a buddy's house and i thought i was watching regular SD signal, it was good , but not crisp , when he came to see Bell's HD, he noticed the difference as well and way more channels in HD. I have had no trouble with Bell's customer service as of yet!! Hope this helped and enjoy

CamCapek · 04-01-2006, 11:01 PM

ok,

March 15th, 2006 - Order bell HD satellite system including installation online

March 16th, 2006 - Receive a call from Bell customer service saying the date I booked was already taken. Re-booked and confirmed another date for April 1st

April 1st, 2006 - Stayed home for half the day waiting for the installation tech. He/her did not show. I called bell at two different 1-800/1-866 numbers and both reps. could not locate or find my order due to me booking online and the online booking company was only available on weekdays. THEY HAD NO RECORD OF MY INSTALLATION BOOKING! I HAVE AN OFFICIAL E-MAIL WITH A CONFIRMATION NUMBER AND EVERYTHING!

Sorry about the caps guys but this just bugs me as a new bell customer trying to get the most HD channels out there for canadian providers... What a way to treat a first time customer?

ANYONE else had similar problems with C.S? My friend used to work at bell and said they were a bunch of liars and will cheat you out of money if you don't stand your ground hard.

silly_walk · 04-02-2006, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmarsden

I believe your DVD recorder outputs in S-Video and should deliver a 480p signal to your TV - that should be much stronger than a VHS recorder could deliver.

S-video does not output progressive, so you will never get 480p using an s-video cable.

Mingy · 04-03-2006, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CamCapek

ok,

THEY HAD NO RECORD OF MY INSTALLATION BOOKING! I HAVE AN OFFICIAL E-MAIL WITH A CONFIRMATION NUMBER AND EVERYTHING!
....
ANYONE else had similar problems with C.S? My friend used to work at bell and said they were a bunch of liars and will cheat you out of money if you don't stand your ground hard.

Basically, Bell overall, any department, any servce, has devolved into a case study in crappy customer service. They outsourced most of it, so most of the time the person you are talking to doesn't work for Bell and the person who (might) eventually come sove the problem doesn't work for Bell or the company you talk to about the problem.

Besides huge screw ups at ExpressVu (who once sent me a replacement LNB for a DirectTV system, instead of a ExpressVu/Dishnet system), I've been unable to get the halfwits to send me a calling card (I gave up eventually). I cancelled my mobile service, and after them calling me for a month to get me to sign up again, they send me a statement. I call Bell Mobility and they said they had no record of me cancelling and accused me of lying. They refused to credit me until I asked them how I go about cancelling the other two mobility accounts I had with them.

Fundamentally, Bell Canada is a sick corporation. They are in full out self destruct mode. If it weren't for the govenment protecting them against competition, they would probably be dead already.

If you want something from them (and many times Canadians have no choice) be prepared to fight for it. If you get really pissed, call their ombudsman.

11-01-2004, 05:49 PM	#1
VancouverIsl What is HD? Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3	Starchoice versus Bell I am still amazed at what you need to know about HDTV and would appreciate guidance from the forum on which company to sign up with: Current Equipment: Sony KP 51WS520 rear projection HDTV ready t.v and Sony RDR GX300 DVD recorder all connected to a Shaw digital box, with mixed results. We want lots of channells with the best possible picture so: 1) Bell's HD system requires a multi switch for multiple receivers....does this degrade the signal? 2) Bell's system has a DVI output, and our TV has a HDMI input will this give me a better picture than the Starchoice component video output? 3) Which equipment will be obsolete first? 4) Does any of this really make much of difference on a CRT RPTV? 5) Which company's equipment is most user friendly? Your advice is appreciated...

11-07-2004, 01:49 PM	#3
VancouverIsl What is HD? Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3	I went with Bell... Despite my concerns about the customer service issues at ExpressVu, I am signing on there mainly for the output on their box being a DVI , which to my understanding is a purely digital signal. I expect to be connected up this week, and hopefully the results will be good. Due to the connection problems documented on other forums, I called the installation company directly to order the services in the hope that they will hook me up properly. I also like the fact that I don't have to pay for anything until the signal is there and I am happy. Your comment regarding a power bar that conditions the power is interesting. Is this supposed to control the electrical signal or the video input? I have purchased a power bar (Phillips P72957) that has inputs and outputs for satellite surge protection. Did you find that your power bar actually made a difference? Thanks again for you help...I will be going to Quayle this week.

11-23-2004, 04:47 PM	#4
szimmer3 What is HD? Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1	just a thought to consider I have read that the expressvu with the dvi output has it disabled due to copyright concerns. This may have changed but something to consider.

11-27-2004, 08:32 PM	#5
dmarsden High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 32	Vancouver Isl - power bar I'm sure your Phillips Power Bar with the surge protection will be fine. In my case, I have a brand new house and I have a lot of different wiring running in the walls. I found that I was picking up some transient electrical interference that was affecting the quality of my video signal. At first I was skeptical but the change with the Monster Bar was visible. Wish I could tell you what signals were cleaned up but it did make a difference. Try it if you see any ghosting on your set. Are you happy with ExpressVu? I'm a little disappointed that SC has not picked up more programming to go with their new HD channels.

11-29-2004, 10:59 AM	#6
Golden HD, oh ya Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Great white north Posts: 6	Went with Bell I also was new to HD did some research and decided to go with Bell (6100). Glad i did too, HD picture and lineup of channels are great. Get yourself a good set of component cables (found no better pic with the dvi cable). Went to see Shaws offering of HD at a buddy's house and i thought i was watching regular SD signal, it was good , but not crisp , when he came to see Bell's HD, he noticed the difference as well and way more channels in HD. I have had no trouble with Bell's customer service as of yet!! Hope this helped and enjoy

11-04-2004, 02:33 AM	#2
dmarsden High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 32	1. Satellite multi-switches do not degrade the picture. Not the same as cable splitters. 2. DVI is video only - HDMI also carries audio. Both are really designed so that the providers can send movies with a copy protected "flag" to protect the studios. Not really going to improve your picture quality. 3. Satellite systems are constantly changing but have pretty good backwards compatability so obsolesence shouldn't be an issue for a few years. 4. Yep, you'll need as strong a signal as you can get and probably you won't be impressed until you're watching mostly high definition, true digital channels (HGTV, Discovery etc) and progessively scanned movies. I believe your DVD recorder outputs in S-Video and should deliver a 480p signal to your TV - that should be much stronger than a VHS recorder could deliver. I recommend that you use the best quality video cables you can get. If you live in the Victoria area you might want to check out Quayle (sp?) Electronics on Burnside as they stock a product that's as good as Monster at much lower prices. The other thing to do is to clean up your electrical current with a high quality power bar that has a filtering device (probably from Monster). This stuff is expensive but you've already spent a lot of money so you may as well get the best possible signal. I've spent upwards of $500 on cables and power bars on one of my sets alone - I like to call it chasing the Dragon. 5. I have a Starchoice DSR500 that's a little glitchy right now but their tech support is really strong and they will send people out to the house if you're having trouble. Starchoice has recently launched the newest and most powerful satellite in North America and they are currently ramping up new programming on 3 new HD channels (total - 9). I recommend that you go the www.starchoice.ca to check out their weekly HD programming. I think you'll find the fare is pretty much the same on both satellites with minor pluses for each provider depending on whether you like sports or movies. The amount of HD programming is more limited by what's currently available anywhere in North America than by the satellite provider you choose. On Vancouver Island I am receiving incredibly strong picture quality with the new Starchoice satellite launch but as I mentioned the service is still a little glitchy. I think they'll fix most of their problems over the next month or so and they download improvements to their software automatically on a regular basis. I hope this helps a bit and good luck.

04-01-2006, 11:01 PM	#7
CamCapek What is HD? Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 2	Bell installation ok, March 15th, 2006 - Order bell HD satellite system including installation online March 16th, 2006 - Receive a call from Bell customer service saying the date I booked was already taken. Re-booked and confirmed another date for April 1st April 1st, 2006 - Stayed home for half the day waiting for the installation tech. He/her did not show. I called bell at two different 1-800/1-866 numbers and both reps. could not locate or find my order due to me booking online and the online booking company was only available on weekdays. THEY HAD NO RECORD OF MY INSTALLATION BOOKING! I HAVE AN OFFICIAL E-MAIL WITH A CONFIRMATION NUMBER AND EVERYTHING! Sorry about the caps guys but this just bugs me as a new bell customer trying to get the most HD channels out there for canadian providers... What a way to treat a first time customer? ANYONE else had similar problems with C.S? My friend used to work at bell and said they were a bunch of liars and will cheat you out of money if you don't stand your ground hard.