Oh Oh!

Just got a call a few minutes ago on my Majicjack from  a Shaw technician who wanted to make arrangements to install a new transponder on my satellite dish in Tweed, Ontario (cottage country). Tweed is where I’ve indicated the equipment is installed.

He said Shaw was in the process of migrating many of its channels to a new(er) satellite and already I would have noticed “time-shifting”  service an a couple of stations were no longer available. I said I don’t use time-shifting and didn’t notice any loss of channels. Was the new transponder really necessary?
Now the scary part!

The technician stated the new transponder was needed because Shaw would eventually migrate all its service.
I explained I had closed the cottage for the Winter. Could the new transponder be sent to my Toronto address (a friends house) and I would install it myself next spring. He suggested I call the regular Shaw service number, explain the situation and have them ship the unit to my friend’s house in Toronto where I can pick it up on my next trip up North.

I of course didn’t ask if the new transponder would allow for continued service way down here in Mexico.

Peter J. Is this the beginning of the end?

SunFan

Do you have a 600 or newer series box and the latest LNB? If not then you will indeed lose your channels.

SunFun, we are delaying the end, but the end is coming. Here is the deal. There are three satellites that carry the Shaw Direct Programming Anik F-1R and Anik F-2 which were launched in, as I remember 2004 and 2005 which send sloppy not well focused on Canada signals which we can pick up easily in Mexico and the new satellite, Anik G-1 which was launched in 2013 which has a much better focused signal which only bleeds partway into the US and not all the way to Mexico.

Starting in April 2017 Shaw Direct began to upgrade all channels from standard and HD to a more compressed Mpeg-4 signal which will take up less bandwidth on the satellite it is using.

Now to get these new more highly compressed signals, you need a newer Shaw Direct Receiver. It has to be a 600 or 800 series computer. The old 500, 400, etc receivers will no longer work.

So far so good and they should be finished with their upgrading my mid year 2020.

However here is what is scary, the average satellite averages about 15 years of life. And once Shaw Direct no longer broadcasts in a Mpeg-2 they will not need as much satellite space and just maybe one of the older satellites will fail and Shaw will only need one of the two satellites we get our programming from, and maybe eventually both of the old satellites will stop broadcasting, which means we will no longer get the signals from one of the satellites which are pointing their signals toward Canada, with no more bleedover into Mexico

When might this happen? I don't know. maybe it will begin in about 2020.

CanuckBob wrote:Do you have a 600 or newer series box and the latest LNB? If not then you will indeed lose your channels.

I do have the 6000 series PVR. The LNB I use was just released by Shaw in late 2011. Is that their newest one?

SunFan

and thanks Pete for a clear and detailed explanation.

Shaw is also offering a streaming service which is available to all satellite subscribers. They don't currently offer all their channels but I imagine they will soon. You require your own account and would probably require an IP masker to receive it.

SunFan wrote:

CanuckBob wrote:Do you have a 600 or newer series box and the latest LNB? If not then you will indeed lose your channels.

I do have the 6000 series PVR. The LNB I use was just released by Shaw in late 2011. Is that their newest one?

SunFan

and thanks Pete for a clear and detailed explanation.

That should be the latest one.

SunFun, I am guessing that the LNB you have will not pick up the data on Anik G-1 which was launched in 2013. But that is the satellite with the signals that don't reach this far south. So I don't understand why so many folks are trying to get and install the new LNB.

Me? I shall wait and as long as everything is A OK, I am not going to worry about the new LNB down here. Up north, I may well upgrade.

When I said new LNB I really meant something less than 15 years old. Mine is from 2012 and works just fine. I have seen many systems from the old StarChoice days. Those are the LNB's that may have problems with the new compressed format.

I assume that is what Sunfan meant by "transponder" because as far as I know there is a receiver, a dish and an LNB. I agree that if you are getting all your channels including many of the HD ones then don't sweat it.