Sasktel, Cogeco add HDTV channels for Canada
By Richard Lawler 
posted Nov 1st 2006 12:55PM
posted Nov 1st 2006 12:55PM
HDTV owners in Canada got a few more options recently as Sasktel and Cogeco have both announced addition to their HD lineups. Cogeco Quebec has added eleven new HD channels, eight of which are in French, the new channels are SRC (Montreal), CBC (Montreal), Canal Vie, HiSToRiA, Ztélé, Canal D, Séries +,VRAK.TV, CTV (Toronto), Global (Toronto) and HD Super Ecran. Meanwhile Sasktel has partnered with High Fidelity HDTV Inc. -- owned by Rainbow, basically Canadian Voom -- to add four new 24/7 HD channels to its services, Rush HD, Equator HD, Treasure HD and OasisHD. These four channels and Discovery HD are a part of the HD Adventure package that should run customers an additional $9.95 per month.Read - Cogeco Quebec adds more HD to its line-up
Read - Four new HD channels launched on SaskTel Max
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The Sasktel Max HD service is one of a kind actually in all of North America. It offers fiber connections to your house and allow for up to 4 STB's which can handle HD content. They use Motorola's IPTV boxes and will be offering a 160GB PVR. I don't know of many providers that offer this kind of service, let alone in the western provinces on Canada.
Bell Canada has been offering these Sasktel channels for months and years now via its satellite service, but it's good that other carriers are finally starting to catch up. Bell is still the no.1 provider of HD content here ... english-speaking, anyway. I've also had a 250GB dual-tuner HD PVR with Bell for over a year. In Calgary here we have Shaw Cable, but they are lagging behind in this department, and so Bell offers the best HDTV service in Alberta, and in Canada overall.
Bell doesn't offer a 7 MBit broadband connection without any extra charge with their HD service. I am actually a subscriber to Bell, its just not installed yet. I do know that as far as Calgary is concerned, Bell is the best way to go but it doesn't compare to what Sasktel is offering. Bundle your HD (with broadband) with cellular, landline and security monitoring and you can't find anything similar. Sasktel's prices are great and honestly the hardware is the same price if not cheaper. The infrastructure is better as it allows for on-demand movies (just Shaw, but not like Bell).
A free broadband connection with HD service? That is quite nice! Too bad the 45,000 subscribers had to wait so long to get the HD service ... I am reading on the linked article that Sasktel started offering HD service on October 16, 2006? Also, I am reading that Sasktell will invest over next five years to bring fiber optic closer to the home ... does that mean that fiber optic cable will go into a home, or to a distribution network close to a home?
ib.