crs wrote:I just found out from Telus that they now have Optik TV (no satellite dish required) FINALLY available in my 'hood. Now before I dive in & make a 3 yr commitment (I HATE that part) and say adios to Shaw, has anybody recently made the switch from Shaw Cable/Internet to Telus Optik? In some of the comparision blogs, I'm reading where your internet speed is impaired with Telus when you're watching Optik TV or recording shows on the PVR. While it would be nice to have phone/cable/internet all on one bill, I'm in no hurry to make the switch if it comes with a few "surprises" you don't find out about until you've made your 3 year commitment. Thanks in advance.
It claims to use "Fiber Optics", and then in the fine print that "all or part of the network may be covered by fiber optics", so what's the rest? Phone line? If so that's basically DSL, and if you've got cable now I wouldn't switch from Cable to DSL. I'm going to guess it is VERY unlikely that anywhere other than a major market would be completely covered in fiber optics, and even then that's also unlikely. Networks are only as strong as the weakest link, so if at some point it's just running through 20 miles of phone line, that's going to be a bottleneck.
I guess if the TV is connected to the router in some way, that would explain the Internet speed problems while watching TV/using the PVR, if they're separate lines/not running through the same equipment that should not be the case. That would be something I'd look into (the website doesn't seem to explain that). It's interesting though, those claims of 25Mbps for $50 ($28 a month for the first 3 months). That service is available from Rogers for like $120 a month. Though they cover themselves with fine print and claim that you might get "5.0 to 25.0 Mbps" (a MAJOR difference) with that service depending on network traffic, overall usage in your area, and where you are actually located. If you use
www.speedtest.net you can find out what your speed is right now and what you're currently paying for.
I guess I haven't really answered your questions, but hopefully it helps with the decision making. The fine print also shows an $8/month charge for getting out if you want, so I mean if after a year you think it's garbage, it'll "only" cost $192 to get out and go back.