Computers & Electronics

What is wrong with your City (Toronto)

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  • Aug 2nd, 2009 11:36 pm
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Newbie
Jul 28, 2009
21 posts
Montreal/Toronto

What is wrong with your City (Toronto)

And maybe your province?

I am moving to Toronto from Montreal and pricing cable. And quickly finding out that (Ted) Rogers is nuts! I am currently paying 29$ tax for my cable TV (VDN), get the basics ABC/NBC/CBC etc. and CNN and CNBC. I am looking on Rogers website and the cheapest is 38! without my news channels!

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PRICING? I don't even want to know what my 23$ internet access will cost.

Not to mention Videotron has a la cart pricing, I see nothing like this in toronto.

What should I do, are there any good alternatives, what is this Cogeco? is it a cheaper alternative, does it work in Toronto proper?

Please help me with my sticker shock...



one final point, I dont understand how economies of scale are working here? Cost of adding cable subscribers is low, so you would think prices in the larger city should be less.
35 replies
Deal Guru
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Dec 3, 2004
10943 posts
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Markham/Mississauga
Cogeco is only available out west. Alberta and British Columbia.

Welcome to Toronto, where TV only comes from Rogers or Bell. Both have similar pricing.

In Toronto, we can only bend over and say, "Please sir, can I have some more?"

> :(
Deal Guru
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Jan 2, 2006
12227 posts
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Meh, i can and have lived without Rogers or Bell.

Newsgroups > *
Deal Addict
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Nov 20, 2004
4702 posts
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Haven't watched anything on cable for a really long time. I DL everything, commercial free HD.

Cable is a dying medium. Eventually everything will be available online (legal) which will be soon.
Deal Guru
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Jan 2, 2006
12227 posts
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xpoint9 wrote: Haven't watched anything on cable for a really long time. I DL everything, commercial free HD.

Cable is a dying medium. Eventually everything will be available online (legal) which will be soon.
+1


I dont mind waiting a few extra hours to watch it in HD without commercials.

Cable is for suckers.
Deal Guru
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Dec 3, 2004
10943 posts
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Markham/Mississauga
originalnutta wrote: Meh, i can and have lived without Rogers or Bell.

Newsgroups > *
Yeah, but they still got us by the balls when it comes to Internet. We're being charged an arm and a leg for substandard service compared to the rest of the world.

I don't watch TV either, I download all my shows.
Sr. Member
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Feb 6, 2008
664 posts
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xpoint9 wrote: Haven't watched anything on cable for a really long time. I DL everything, commercial free HD.

Cable is a dying medium. Eventually everything will be available online (legal) which will be soon.
Not any time soon in Canada.
Deal Guru
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Jan 2, 2006
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CSAgent wrote: Yeah, but they still got us by the balls when it comes to Internet. We're being charged an arm and a leg for substandard service compared to the rest of the world.

I don't watch TV either, I download all my shows.
Ugh, are you serious.

I thought we were at least on par with everyone else.


My cousins from Australia came here last year and were shocked at my cellphone plan. Even though i think it's pretty good.


I dont get why there is such a monopoly here.
Deal Guru
User avatar
Dec 3, 2004
10943 posts
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Markham/Mississauga
originalnutta wrote: Ugh, are you serious.

I thought we were at least on par with everyone else.


My cousins from Australia came here last year and were shocked at my cellphone plan. Even though i think it's pretty good.


I dont get why there is such a monopoly here.
Nope, in the UK their high speed is something like 15Mbps or 20Mbps (someone correct me plz) and a heck of a lot cheaper than us, no bandwidth caps either.

There are no competitions because well, Rogers built the existing cable network for TV and Internet - likewise for Bell built the telephone lines that DSL uses. All other companies that are supposed "alternatives" all lease their lines from Rogers and Bell; TekSavvy comes to mind. Even they're enforcing bandwidth caps when before they didn't because Bell jacked up their pricing.

Gotta love it here in Canada, we pay way, way much more for everything and anything.
Deal Fanatic
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May 25, 2009
9113 posts
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CSAgent wrote: Cogeco is only available out west. Alberta and British Columbia.
Cogeco is available in several parts of Ontario outside of the GTA and surrounding regions (York, Durham and Peel). Cogeco is available in Hamilton and North Bay for example although I wouldn't suggest them as they are absolutely terrible in the one year that I used them.
originalnutta wrote: Ugh, are you serious.

I thought we were at least on par with everyone else.


My cousins from Australia came here last year and were shocked at my cellphone plan. Even though i think it's pretty good.
We're not on par, Canada is rated like the absolute bottom in terms of cellular/wireless service, I think the only countries we really beat is like North Korea :P

Chat with anyone from Hong Kong or Japan, they have to buy their phones full-priced there because they are rarely subsidized by the cellular companies but the upside is that they don't have contracts and they pay next to nothing for service and data.
"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
Member
User avatar
Jul 22, 2009
298 posts
1 upvote
Toronto
CSAgent wrote: Gotta love it here in Canada, we pay way, way much more for everything and anything.
+1 agreed.

I might be wrong. but its cause bell and rogers are playing the monopoly game. Too bad we don't collect 200 each time we pass go :( .

cellphones
internet
cable TV
home phones

Also getting charge for text messages now too. WONDERFUL!
Newbie
Mar 21, 2005
53 posts
7 upvotes
Winkle wrote: Chat with anyone from Hong Kong or Japan, they have to buy their phones full-priced there because they are rarely subsidized by the cellular companies but the upside is that they don't have contracts and they pay next to nothing for service and data.
A-freakin-men. Some of the plans I was on when I lived in HK for 4 years was ridiculously cheap in comparison to what we pay here. I don't know what the norm is now but before, anything over $40-50 CAD for a monthly cell phone bill in HK was considered ridiculous.

The amount of competition over there is absolutely insane compared to the 3 giants (Telus, Bell & Rogers) we have here controlling the market.

Unfortunately this is because even though we have a lot of people in Canada, we're all way too spread out in order to create the demand or need to set up the high-speed networks and competitive market place. No one's really trying to 1-up each other because it's still just a turtle race.

Which in end ultimately, sucks for us consumers :cool:
Banned
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May 5, 2005
13286 posts
13 upvotes
Toronto, Canada
originalnutta wrote: +1


I dont mind waiting a few extra hours to watch it in HD without commercials.

Cable is for suckers.
Do you eat your meal hours after you've cooked it?

There's good and bad about getting your entertainment strictly from newsgroups or whathaveyou, but getting news and sporting events from a LIVE feed is like no other. It's also monotonous having to search, download, and finally wait for your media.
Joe Zawinul
1932 - 2007
Sr. Member
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Apr 11, 2008
562 posts
1 upvote
T.O.
It is assinine. In my building, the cheapest available cable (can only get rogers here) is 50 bucks! I just cancelled it...now shopping for new high speed internet for the new academic year + my cell phone contract has 2 months left and I will be out of the claws of Rogers once and for all! Feels good
Deal Fanatic
Nov 3, 2007
8443 posts
2349 upvotes
Toronto
How about ditching the cable and just go OTA with an antenna?
Deal Addict
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Nov 20, 2004
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Emancipated wrote: Do you eat your meal hours after you've cooked it?

There's good and bad about getting your entertainment strictly from newsgroups or whathaveyou, but getting news and sporting events from a LIVE feed is like no other. It's also monotonous having to search, download, and finally wait for your media.
The thing is these shows are available instantly after they've been aired and with the high speeds of newsgroups and private trackers you can download a 30min show in less than 5 minutes.

Most people (including myself) prefer getting their news online. I just can't stand news on tv.

I don't really watch any live shows, so I can't say anything about that.

----------------------------------------

Part of the reason New companies don't enter Canadian market is because of our small population.
Newbie
Mar 21, 2005
53 posts
7 upvotes
Population's not the problem; it's how we're so spread out and strict government regulations that discourage companies from setting up shop here.

But that's a whole other topic... back to the OP, all I can say is welcome to the club of screwed-over consumers in Toronto.
Deal Addict
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Apr 29, 2001
4799 posts
40 upvotes
Toronto
poop_on_you wrote: Not any time soon in Canada.
Oh, it's already here.

You just have to know how to find it and ask the right people.

For some programming, you can even watch it before it's even shown on cable, satellite or broadcast network.
Mark77 wrote: That's not very nice....and you're missing out on a lot of valuable knowledge if you ignore me. Your loss.
Deal Guru
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Jan 2, 2006
12227 posts
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Emancipated wrote: Do you eat your meal hours after you've cooked it?

There's good and bad about getting your entertainment strictly from newsgroups or whathaveyou, but getting news and sporting events from a LIVE feed is like no other. It's also monotonous having to search, download, and finally wait for your media.
So my show has been cooked hours before i watch it? I really dont care if my show airs a couple of hours before i watch it. I dont like to schedule my life around a tv show, and rather watch it at my convenience.

News and sports might matter to most other people. Not to me. I watch UFC events at bar, i read my news online. Newsleecher/NZBs makes searching a breeze, downloading takes about 10 mins for an hour show. Enough time for me to make a snack.

Granted its not for most people, but it works well for me and i'm one of the few who has less dependence on Rogers or any of the big companies.
Deal Addict
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Nov 20, 2004
4702 posts
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originalnutta wrote: So my show has been cooked hours before i watch it? I really dont care if my show airs a couple of hours before i watch it. I dont like to schedule my life around a tv show, and rather watch it at my convenience.

News and sports might matter to most other people. Not to me. I watch UFC events at bar, i read my news online. Newsleecher/NZBs makes searching a breeze, downloading takes about 10 mins for an hour show. Enough time for me to make a snack.

Granted its not for most people, but it works well for me and i'm one of the few who has less dependence on Rogers or any of the big companies.
+1 to that whole thing

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