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Shaw cable customers still facing quality issues?
We had heard that some Shaw customers up north (that's Canada, to be precise) were having some serious quality issues with their HD programming towards the end of 2007, and according to a recent writeup by Digital Home, the problems haven't gone away -- entirely, at least. Apparently, the audio dropouts and macroblocking that seemed to be present on nearly every HD channel were finally brought to the attention of management, and while the bigwigs did proclaim that they were taking the complaints "very seriously," nothing had been done as of early January. After a six-week effort that consisted of gathering data from 38 volunteers experiencing the problems, users say that the audio issues have improved somewhat, yet visual quirks are persisting. Any problem that hangs around for months on end can't be good, but we're curious to see if Shaw's done anything since to improve matters. So, dear Canadians, has it?[Image courtesy of Vidiot]
Canada's Star Choice, Shaw launch Speed HD and NASCAR HotPass
Ready for the Daytona 500? No, seriously -- are you ready? For Canucks subscribed to Star Choice or Shaw, you can harmoniously nod your head up and down right about now, as your provider just launched Speed HD and NASCAR HotPass. Effectively immediately, said customers can tune in and catch the latest on Speed HD, while two HD channels will open up on February 17th as the debut of HotPass coincides with the 50th running of the famed race. If you're interested, you can upgrade to Star Choice's HD SPORTS bundle in order to secure Speed HD, while NASCAR HotPass will be available for $9.99 per month. Better still, the former is free for everyone for the first month, while the latter will be beamed out gratis for Sunday's event.Read - Star Choice adds Speed HD and NASCAR HotPassRead - Shaw adds Speed HD and NASCAR HotPass
Canadian cable providers locking out Vista Media Centers?
Nearly a month after Warner Bros. axed advanced screenings in Canada while tagging priacy as the scapegoat, now Canucks are facing another bout with DRM right inside their homes. According to a lengthy list of complaints over at TheGreenButton, it appears that some Canadian cable providers (Rogers and Shaw, namely) are seemingly throwing the broadcast flag onto a questionable amount of content. Essentially, users who are trying to record said programming via their own Windows Vista Media Center setup are receiving all sorts of errors and messages informing them that the material (even on basic cable) they are trying to record is laced with "restrictions set by the broadcaster and / or originator of the content." Interestingly, it seems that the blame here lies more with the cable companies and not some glitch within Vista, as more than a few customers have received responses from their providers suggesting that they ditch the whole PVR idea and instead rely on the company-provided DVR (at a cost, of course). So, dear Canadians, are any of you fighting this same battle?
Shaw freshens up cable lineup with HD offerings
While a number of other Canadian programming providers have already caved to the HD demands, those stuck with Shaw Cable can start rejoicing, too. The provider has just announced that "it will change analog and digital television channel lineups in Victoria starting Thursday" to include more digital options, a few "time-shifting channels," and an (admittedly small) HD tier. On the high-definition front, Shaw customers can soon look forward to HDNet, Movie Central HD 2, WXYZ-ABC, WWJ-CBS, WDIV-NBC, and WJBK-FOX, while GOL TV and World Fishing Network join the digital SD suite. So for those of you in the line of the newfangled HD fire, be sure to tune in tomorrow and let us know your initial impressions.
