Netflix Launches New, Low-Quality Streaming for Canadians
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
- Start date
Almost everyone I know is canceling (or has canceled) their cable, and all of them have turned to Netflix streaming as a replacement. Comcast wants $60 for Tier 1 programming plus $15 for HD enabled boxes. Netflix wants eight bucks. Hmmm...Braedan said:
They deregulated cable television pricing because they insisted competition would keep everything in check. Cable rates increased triple the rate of inflation, and a company with the worst customer service in the industry managed to scrape together enough cash to buy Universal/NBC. Now that Comcast is finally losing customers due to price gouging, the obvious solution is to lower prices.
Just kidding. They'll try to establish a cap first. Then they'll start taking Universal/NBC movies/shows off of Netlfix. Because it's such a good idea to give an infrastructure provider a private monopoly and content control.
Wow. Mainland internet ISPs suck. Luckily down here Aliant has yet to implement caps, so I can watch movies and whatnot to my heart's content.
If only the government would get off it's collective ass and do something about Bell Canada/Rogers/Comcast/and so on's banditry.
If only the government would get off it's collective ass and do something about Bell Canada/Rogers/Comcast/and so on's banditry.
Ugh while I'm glad Netflix did this, because it shows the greedy little fucks that make up most of Canada's ISPs that they can't simply push out competition because they have some sort of cartel monopoly, at the same time this shouldn't be even happening. Maybe with the election coming up, some politician will get it in his head that this is a good election point to make now that its out in the open. I know if one of the big parties makes it a goal, they get my vote.
I haven't decided whether Canada Crapcast or Canada Capcast is a better name. I mean, the former is just an awesome fuck you. But the latter is a more subtle, "Here we decided to release this service just for Canadians who have to deal with shitty, expensive internet caps so we can still get our service in the country" fuck you.
Poor Canada, we Australians know exactly how you feel. The ISP's in Australia have only recently deigned to grant us mainstream uncapped plans in the last couple of years.
Maybe 10+ years ago. These days the minimum is 6000-8000 kbps and many people are lucky enough to enjoy ADSL2+ which gives speeds in excess of 12000 kbps all the way up to 24000kbps.
Maybe you need to investigate getting yourself a new internet provider.
Also since when was 200kbps fast in Australia?Super Toast said:
Maybe 10+ years ago. These days the minimum is 6000-8000 kbps and many people are lucky enough to enjoy ADSL2+ which gives speeds in excess of 12000 kbps all the way up to 24000kbps.
Maybe you need to investigate getting yourself a new internet provider.
They're already doing this for other programs like WoWVeloxe said:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/108792-Canadian-ISP-Admits-to-Throwing-Brakes-on-World-of-Warcraft
Shaw used to cap with a hidden clause that stated a monthly data allowance but not anymore that I can see. They've resorted to throttling instead. Not that I am shunning Shaw as I'm currently using them myself but I just recall those heady days of "the Internet is for email and web browsing."icyneesan said:
As for Netflix the biggest reason I've held off on their service is that they are still only serving up shit content because they haven't secured the Canadian streaming rights for a lot of the better films. Why American companies are holding back on releasing these streaming rights to make bucks is beyond me... You might as well be holding the door for pirates...
I also use Shaw, and there are no caps for me (that I've run into... and I tend to download and use netflix, as shitty as it may be), but you never know when they will sneak a clause into their next contract renewal.... so I'm kinda suspicious.icyneesan said:
Actually Shaw does have caps, I'd know we got a snidely written letter informing us that it was our first over limit warning (is 125 GB) last month. Telus on the other hand (to my knowledge, upon investigating their site) does not have any caps to speak of, I'd change but I'm not the one in charge of the Internet connection here.icyneesan said:
Telus does have caps (http://www.telus.com/content/internet/highspeed/compare-high-speed-plans.jsp). As far as I know, however, neither Telus or Shaw will enforce their caps unless you regularly go over. That is, I've never had trouble here in Calgary. I'd stay away from Telus, though, unless you like crappy customer service and semi-regular outages.
Okay, they may have improved by now. Just remember that they lock you in with one of their crappy service agreements for at least a year at a time. I got out a couple years ago, and had to fax them proof that I had in fact served out my three year contract. They tried to tell me I still had six months left.
Okay, they may have improved by now. Just remember that they lock you in with one of their crappy service agreements for at least a year at a time. I got out a couple years ago, and had to fax them proof that I had in fact served out my three year contract. They tried to tell me I still had six months left.
I'm on Telus and they do have soft caps on their service but like you said you only get snotgrams from them if you are regularly over. I've been using their ASDL service since it first rolled out in our old town (back in very late 90's) and haven't been on a contract with them. I've only pestered them a couple times for replacement modems/routers (which they happily send and don't charge me for) but have never signed a contract. Maybe that's just the joy of being an old customer?