Shaw VS Telus Optik

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livewire
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Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by livewire »

Considering the switch from Shaw to the new Optik from Telus. Any experiences out there I should know about?
clefairy47_
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Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by clefairy47_ »

We switched a few months ago and telus has had to re wire from the pole so that we could have it . It took them three days of them working on it too. I guess they really wanted our business.
SurplusElect
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Re: Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by SurplusElect »

Remote control for Telus has a delay, it sucks.

Telus boxes have known HDMI compatibility issues.

Be prepared for long phone wait times.
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Captain Awesome
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Re: Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by Captain Awesome »

livewire wrote:Considering the switch from Shaw to the new Optik from Telus. Any experiences out there I should know about?


Yes. As soon as you switch to Telus, you'll want to switch back. At the same time people who switch to Shaw will whine and complain, and would express strong emotional desire to switch back to Telus.
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bottleman
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Re: Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by bottleman »

SurplusElect wrote:Remote control for Telus has a delay, it sucks.


I have the latest shaw HD box (not DVR) that just came out like 2 months ago with completely new menu and interface, however the delay is extremely bad, no exaggeration it is between 5-10 seconds after you press "menu" before you see the menu or when you press to go to the next page in the listings. Oh an don't press a button twice when waiting for slow response, as it registers and will screw up what you are trying to do. One of my gripes with the old boxes was the menu interface was fairly slow at responding, but the new boxes are 10 times worse. Looks prettier though...
.
SurplusElect
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Re: Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by SurplusElect »

So if you like using a computer loaded with malware where every "click" takes a minute to register - get Telus!

I like their Internet, btw. Cheap.
Quixote
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Re: Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by Quixote »

Also note that when you're using Telus TV, it cuts down on the bandwidth available for your internet, which is generally less than Shaw to start with. Shaw doesn't have term contracts (unlike Telus) and all the Shaw support personnel are located in Canada - there's a good chance calling Shaw support will land you at their call centre in Kelowna whereas calling Telus support you call will go overseas.

I'm not a big fan of recent changes Telus has made - they halved their bandwidth caps & then bumped prices within a couple of months - everyone tied into those Telus 3 year contracts are now getting less service and paying more than when they signed up, but cancelling will cost them at least $100.
Loed
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Re: Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by Loed »

To get telus optik you're forced into a pair of extremely subpar internet packages from telus as well(not a choice, forced).

The first question that should be asked is "Why?". If it's just money driving your decision then you can rest easy knowing that telus will find a way to make up that difference very quickly! You get one(1) free service call if there's issues in/around your home that need diagnosing with telus, after that they are upwards of $90 charged to your bill. Shaw gives you unlimited free service calls.

I see someone mentioned the new boxes that shaw has had out for... 2 months I think now? They are very new and speaking to shaw this morning they actually just went through an update. My menu browsing is a decent amount faster now on the new hd guide box.

Shaw has a bigger "pipe", they have extensively more over-head available to them than telus does. Telus optik service is severely limited if you enjoy HD content. You can watch, at max, two HD shows before you run into performance issues with their hardware. Shaw has a limit of 24 HD shows, given that you have the hardware. This means that the average household with 2-3 TV's and a couple computers will not be running into issues with bandwidth ever, where-as with telus if you're watching a couple HD shows and someone wants to download/youtube/whatever online, they will be limited to a minimal download cap of around 2-3MB's. This can be enough for some people though!

The last point is that telus guarantees at most 30% of their service bandwidth. Shaw will send someone out if they find their line is delivering less than 80% of advertised service.
Loed
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Re: Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by Loed »

bottleman wrote:I have the latest shaw HD box (not DVR) that just came out like 2 months ago with completely new menu and interface, however the delay is extremely bad, no exaggeration it is between 5-10 seconds after you press "menu" before you see the menu or when you press to go to the next page in the listings. Oh an don't press a button twice when waiting for slow response, as it registers and will screw up what you are trying to do. One of my gripes with the old boxes was the menu interface was fairly slow at responding, but the new boxes are 10 times worse. Looks prettier though...



If it's honestly around 5-10 seconds then there's something wrong with your box. Call shaw. Seriously, if you have an issue just bring it up with them in a mature, polite way and they will work to fix your issue.

I admit mine has a slight delay, but it's no worse than the previous box I had and actually better than my neighbours on telus(watching the super bowl at their place allowed me some insight).
underscore
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Re: Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by underscore »

I've had nothing but headaches every time I deal with Telus (I won't bother listing them but I've got at least a dozen examples of horrible service and ripoffs from them). In addition their billing department is, shall we say questionable in its methods. I've never had a bad experience with Shaw.
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harrinsa
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Re: Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by harrinsa »

If you live in an older Apt. Complex , and the cable from the street is under ground to the building,, that has not been upgraded, also old cable in the building. is it still Optic TV ??
Quixote
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Re: Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by Quixote »

harrinsa wrote:If you live in an older Apt. Complex , and the cable from the street is under ground to the building,, that has not been upgraded, also old cable in the building. is it still Optic TV ??


No part of Telus' service from their equipment to your house is fibre optic; Telus' Optik services are fibre to the node and then copper from the node along the utility poles or underground to your premises. You can check service availability on telus.com
harrinsa
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Re: Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by harrinsa »

So nobody gets Optik Tv unless you build a new home and get it stalled right to the TV right ??
netfreak
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Re: Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by netfreak »

Shaw is the lesser of the evils, but their product is still garbage compared to what can be found in other first-world countries.
underscore
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Re: Shaw VS Telus Optik

Post by underscore »

netfreak wrote:Shaw is the lesser of the evils, but their product is still garbage compared to what can be found in other first-world countries.


Anything technology-wise is horrific both in quality and price in Canada (cell phones, internet, cable, etc)
cliffy1 wrote:Welcome to the asylum.
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