A Shaw Free Program of Interest

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A Shaw Free Program of Interest

Postby jon » Wed Jan 25, 2012 8:32 pm

If you have at least two of Shaw service "types" -- phone, TV or Internet -- you qualify for the Shaw Friends program. Shaw has begun charging for Installs, and this program gives you free Installs, though "triple play" customers (3 service types) are still exempt from Installation charges even without the program.

The main benefit is a lifetime warranty on Shaw hardware. Admittedly, in the past, Shaw would sometimes replace out of warranty hardware for free, but it sounds like they have ended that practice if you are not a member of this program.

You also get a couple of free Video on Demand programs of your choice and 25GB or 50GB per month more data if you have Shaw Internet. There are some other benefits, too:
http://www.shaw.ca/shawfriends/


Unrelated to this program, Shaw is currently running a promotion for customers with both Shaw Internet and TV: their cheapest home phone service is discounted for the first year, then $19.95 after that:
  • free install
  • free first month
  • $14.95 for months 2-12 (rest of first year)
  • one year of free long distance to U.S. and Canada
  • you can keep an existing phone number, but that requires 10 business days to move over
Promo Code is 841 but I'm not sure how long the offer lasts. The letter my parents received is dated January 17th.
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Re: A Shaw Free Program of Interest

Postby jon » Sun May 13, 2012 5:37 pm

An eagle-eyed friend, and fellow member of the Shaw Friends program noticed that Shaw is suddenly silent about lifetime hardware warranties.

I took a look at the main page for the program, and I couldn't find it either:
http://www.shaw.ca/shawfriends/

Anyone know anything about this? I'm now on my third generation of Shaw digital TV box -- the previous two failed -- and this one looks like it may be on its last legs.
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Re: A Shaw Free Program of Interest

Postby PMC » Sun May 13, 2012 8:35 pm

Isn't the market for the digital box changing... that crtc piece the other day.
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Re: A Shaw Free Program of Interest

Postby Howaboutthat » Sun May 13, 2012 8:40 pm

jon wrote: I'm now on my third generation of Shaw digital TV box -- the previous two failed -- and this one looks like it may be on its last legs.


What are you doing to it?
I've had my HD one (with an expander) for 2-1/2 years and other than the odd brain fart, which can be remedied by unplugging it for 30 seconds, it works fine.
Houston, We're dealing with morons!.
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Re: A Shaw Free Program of Interest

Postby jon » Sun May 13, 2012 9:30 pm

Howaboutthat wrote:
jon wrote: I'm now on my third generation of Shaw digital TV box -- the previous two failed -- and this one looks like it may be on its last legs.


What are you doing to it?
I've had my HD one (with an expander) for 2-1/2 years and other than the odd brain fart, which can be remedied by unplugging it for 30 seconds, it works fine.

Each of my boxes has lasted at least four years before it started to not recover from momentary interruptions in service from Shaw. A real problem since any failure between when I last check the box and when what I want to record comes on gives me either a blank screen and/or no sound.

I'm moving in just over two weeks, so I'll check and see if I still get the momentary service interruptions that were causing this overnight most nights as recently as a week ago. If it is still a problem, I'll try to find a Shaw person who might not be aware of the change in policy, and will give me a replacement.
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Re: A Shaw Free Program of Interest

Postby Howaboutthat » Sun May 13, 2012 9:42 pm

jon wrote:Each of my boxes has lasted at least four years before it started to not recover from momentary interruptions in service from Shaw.


So you're telling me that digital TV in Canada has been around for at least 10 years? I'd be interested in seeing something that proves that because I figured 7 years tops. (Unless you're also counting those silly little boxes that simply gave you more channels of crap?)
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Digital

Postby jon » Mon May 14, 2012 6:55 am

Howaboutthat wrote:
jon wrote:Each of my boxes has lasted at least four years before it started to not recover from momentary interruptions in service from Shaw.


So you're telling me that digital TV in Canada has been around for at least 10 years? I'd be interested in seeing something that proves that because I figured 7 years tops. (Unless you're also counting those silly little boxes that simply gave you more channels of crap?)


While I'll happily concede that they used to be called "set-top boxes" officially, or "cable boxes" by most people, rather than "digital boxes" as they are today, the technology has not changed. Channel 135 today is still the same as it was in 1998, a digital channel. The only difference is that earlier boxes also picked up analogue channels, while current boxes are "all digital" in that Shaw feeds a second digital signal for every analogue channel, and that is what the new boxes pick up.

Again, the technology really is digital and has been since 1998. To date, every box I've owned has been Standard Definition only.

I presume you are referring to High Definition in your 7 year time frame. Whether it is OTA or cable, HD channels have only ever been fed as digital channels, never analogue.

I totally agree with you in one respect: the entire subject is confusing.
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Re: A Shaw Free Program of Interest

Postby Aaron » Mon May 14, 2012 7:46 am

Howaboutthat wrote:
jon wrote:Each of my boxes has lasted at least four years before it started to not recover from momentary interruptions in service from Shaw.


So you're telling me that digital TV in Canada has been around for at least 10 years? I'd be interested in seeing something that proves that because I figured 7 years tops. (Unless you're also counting those silly little boxes that simply gave you more channels of crap?)


I got digital cable with Rogers in 1999.
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Re: A Shaw Free Program of Interest

Postby albertaboy4life » Mon May 14, 2012 9:38 am

Fall 2001 and I had my first digital cable box in Victoria, BC through SHAW
Faster cars, younger women, older cheese, more money . . .
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Re: A Shaw Free Program of Interest

Postby johnsykes » Mon May 14, 2012 3:41 pm

I had one digital box that I bought, I think, for about $99...it worked until I decided to go for a PVR.....I'm now working on my third PVR in three years. Each one that failed has been replaced on warranty.....the most recent one was about three weeks ago. I also just recently got an upgrade on the internet modem....Think its called Broadband 150....it also gives me Wi-fi for when the grandkids come over and want to play their games in the other room. I was told that too is under immediate replacement if it breaks down.
I am on the Shaw Friends program.....one of the best deals is if someone I want to call is on Shaw Phone, its a free long distance call. Between that and Skype, you can't go wrong.
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Re: A Shaw Free Program of Interest

Postby jon » Mon May 14, 2012 4:51 pm

OK, it is not just me. "Digital" was the commonly used term in 2002 for the cable box:
"So I'm stuck here watching TV
I don't have digital
I don't have diddly squat"
Sheryl Crow (co-written with Jeff Trott) - "Soak Up the Sun"
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Re: A Shaw Free Program of Interest

Postby johnsykes » Mon May 14, 2012 5:38 pm

You wanna come over and watch TV here....and have a beer or two, or six? With that move of yours, slow down, don't think too fast.......feel groovy, etc. Am I dating myself?
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