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Topic: Satellite TV

Albireo
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3052

posted 17 March 2003 05:13 PM

I'm thinking of ditching my cable company. What are my other legal options: antenna only, Bell ExpressVu, and... anything else?

Is an "illegal" satellite setup a viable option, or not worth the risk?

If you have a satellite TV service, what do you think of it, for channel selection, price, various hassles, etc?

Any info or opinions appreciated.

[ 17 March 2003: Message edited by: albireo ]

From: --> . <-- | Registered: Sep 2002 | IP: Logged

clersal
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 370

posted 17 March 2003 07:49 PM

We have the dish. The only problem I have is that now it is very popular so naturally the monthly cost is rising and I am sure will continue.
Where I live, cable is not an option. Rabbit ears gives me one station, sometimes.
Am I satisfied? for the moment.

From: Canton Marchand, Québec | Registered: Apr 2001 | IP: Logged

Marc
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 287

posted 18 March 2003 01:41 AM

Being an employee of Star Choice I would have to recommend Star Choice. I could get you a deal!

From: Calgary, AB | Registered: Apr 2001 | IP: Logged

TommyPaineatWork
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2956

posted 18 March 2003 02:17 AM

You could go the illegal route; I know people who have. But it seems a hassle to me to have to get the card redone all the time.

My main objection to Rogers is how they parcel off their packages. I'm paying for a lot of crap I don't want so I can get the few stations I do like. In checking with people who have gone the satelite route, it seems they still package off groups of stations like Rogers does.

When someone offers a service where you only pay for stations you want, I'll jump to that one.

In the mean time, better the Rogers you know than the one you don't.

From: London | Registered: Aug 2002 | IP: Logged

Marc
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 287

posted 18 March 2003 03:42 AM

To the best of my knowledge there is no provider that allows you to pick which ever channels you would like. At Star Choice, we have channels put into bundles of 5-7 channels and you can pick whichever bundles you like on top of the Essentials which consist of local channels from across Canada as well as CPAC, Newsworld, etc. There are 30 channels that are in bundles but are also called Pick and Pay channels that come separately that range from $0.99 to $3.99 as well as Playboy and Pridevision which come separately as well.

This has been a paid presentation of Star Choice.

[ 18 March 2003: Message edited by: Marc ]

From: Calgary, AB | Registered: Apr 2001 | IP: Logged

radiorahim
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2777

posted 18 March 2003 03:25 PM

The other consideration is if you have more than one TV in your house...yes some do! You'll need a separate satellite receiver for each television...not that they're that expensive any more...but it is more $ going out of your pocket.

Using an outdoor VHF/UHF antenna is an option (and really not very expensive)...but only if you have a rotor so that you can "aim" the antenna at the stations you want to watch.

With a good VHF/UHF "yagi" antenna (& rotor) you should be able to watch any "over the air" TV stations that are within 100-150 KM "as the crow flies".

To be quite honest, even with all of the channels that are available, 80% of my very limited TV viewing is channels that are available for free over the air.

From: a Micro$oft-free computer | Registered: Jun 2002 | IP: Logged

nonsuch
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1402

posted 23 March 2003 02:14 AM

We had satellite for two years. We had access to 200 stations and the same five programs, over and over again. Which mostly sucked, anyway. So we quit. Now, we have rabbit ears and four and half stations, two of them very fuzzy, but the programs still mostly suck.
Any ideas for a lightly-used dish? (No, it doesn't make a good wok.)
I'm thinking of buying an old aerial to stick up over the roof, but probably won't.

From: coming and going | Registered: Sep 2001 | IP: Logged

Pogo
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2999

posted 23 March 2003 12:36 PM

Has anyone else with rabbit ears gotten the annoying cable calls. First I had the guy in the truck telling me that I had been using cable for free and they were considering prosecution (I asked him to come to my house and check the wiring, to which he called me a liar and hung up). Now I get the calls offering me incredible deals and not understanding that it is a lifestyle choice.

From: Richmond BC | Registered: Aug 2002 | IP: Logged

radiorahim
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2777

posted 24 March 2003 12:09 AM

Most homes in major cities are already "wired" for cable TV. With not a great deal of technical know-how its possible to pirate.

Pirating cable is much more common in the U.S. Canadians tend to be more law-abiding in this regard.

From: a Micro$oft-free computer | Registered: Jun 2002 | IP: Logged

Pogo
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2999

posted 24 March 2003 01:21 AM

Yes the cable was connection may have been live, but my TV was in a wall unit on the other side of the room connected to an antenna system (that's what I wanted him to see).

From: Richmond BC | Registered: Aug 2002 | IP: Logged

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