Go Green With Shaw Direct

22_binYou try to do your part to help protect the environment; you recycle, shop locally, walk or bike to nearby destinations. So, why not sign up for Paper-Free Billing and Pre-Authorised Payments through Shaw Direct?

With Paper-Free Billing, you don’t have to worry about wasting paper and ink from the bill and envelope, or about the energy used to print and transport the bill to you. Instead, you receive an emailed notification each month to let you know that your bill is ready. Just click the link in the email, and you can login to your Self Serve account to view your most recent bill, and up to five of your past bills. Plus, you don’t need to worry about losing your bill, or not receiving it on time due to a delay with your mail!

If you sign up for Pre-Authorised Payments, say goodbye to  driving to the bank each month, or writing a cheque and mailing the payment to us! You can save time, money, and natural resources. And, your payment will be withdrawn on the same day every month, so you never have to wonder when you’ll see the money come out of your account.

As an added bonus, if you sign up for both Paper-Free Billing and Pre-Authorised payments at the same time, we’ll give you a small present as a token of our appreciation: you can choose from either two free Pay Per View or Shaw Direct On Demand Movies (to a maximum cost of $6.99 – cannot be applied towards events or adult titles), OR a one-time $5.00 discount on your next bill! If you would like to sign up, log in to your Self Serve account, or send us a note; we can be reached in the comments below, on Facebook, Twitter, or through email.

Shaw Direct is proud to do our part to be environmentally-conscious, too. Besides offering options like Paper-Free Billing and Pre-Authorised Payments, our head office uses electricity from a green energy provider, and are in a BOMA BESt certified building. We’re also happy to offer our HDPVR 630 with large cooling vents to allow for efficient heat dispersal, and a variable speed fan that only runs as fast and as long as needed to maintain an appropriate operating temperature to help reduce the energy required to watch and record your favourite shows.

Have any questions for us? As always, don’t hesitate to leave a comment for us!

*rg

600-Series Receivers – February 2013 Software Update

Starting on February 12 (for HDPVR 630 units) and February 18 (for HDDSR 600/605 units), Shaw Direct will be deploying software version 09.15.  Once targeted (as seen on line I in OPTIONS 4-7), your receiver will automatically update at around 2:10AM local time.  It is not possible to force the update if you have not been targeted.

The overall look and feel is unchanged with this download, with the exception of updating branding.

This release provides increased VOD speeds, significant PPV enhancements, updated Closed Captions decoding and improved stability.  Prior to 09.15, the last software download was 08.26 in late October 2012.

09.15 Release Highlights

Overall Stability Improvements

  • General updates related to stability/reliability to reduce the chances of the receiver becoming “frozen”
  • If an issue is encountered that the unit is unable to resolve, a reboot may occur automatically to restore normal operation.

Shaw Direct On Demand (VOD) Dual Streaming & Usability Updates

  • Network and streaming drivers have been rewritten to enhance network throughput Speed Test - Results (GL)and VOD streaming performance.
  • A substantial increase in average speeds has been experienced with our Field Trial and Employee Trial groups.
  • If you previously had unexpectedly low Speed Test results, or issues streaming during local peak usage, an improvement should be seen with this release.
  • Unsubscribed content on VOD should display “grey” consistently, rather than sometimes giving a W4 error.

Shaw Direct On Demand (VOD) Adult Content

  • Support has been added for Adult content.  Adult content is found in a separate VOD menu, which is hidden by default.  A variety of Parental Control options are available to further limit access to this content.
  • To enable access to the Adult VOD store, Parental Controls must be enabled.  Then, press D to access the VOD menu bar, scroll to “VOD Settings”, and enter your password.  Change “Adult VOD” to “Enabled”.  Exit the menu, and press D again.  You’ll see a new button in the middle of the menu bar labelled “Adult”.
  • All Parental Control options (including Purchase Limit) will also apply to Adult content.
  • As with Adult PPV Content:
    • There is no free preview period on Adult VOD content
    • Coupons do not apply to Adult VOD titles
    • Adult VOD content features discrete billing.

PPV Order Enhancements

  • PPV programs now feature an “Order ID” in the Guide.  You can use this number to PPV - IPG with Order IDquickly place your order via the automated phone system (1-866-782-7778).
  • Once your receiver gets the order, the “!” alert icon will appear.  Pressing ENTER will display the Purchase History screen, which will list details of the title you ordered.  The “$” sign will also appear in the Guide on the title you purchased.
  • You must still setup an auto-tune, recording, or remember to tune in when the PPV starts.
  • If you didn’t receive confirmation of the purchase and the title doesn’t appear in Purchase History, use the “receiver refresh” option via the automated phone system or Self Serve to send the purchase through again.
  • In alignment with industry and studio standards, PPV movies recorded on the HDPVR 630 will be available for unlimited viewing for 48 hours, after which the title will automatically expire.

External HDD Updates

  • Once paired, eSATA hotplug is now supported.  However, unplugging your external HDD while it is connected is still not recommended. (Note that on initial pairing, you must still reboot the receiver to initiate the connection).
  • Units with a large number of recordings stored on an external drive should see improved performance after bootup, in the PVR List, and with the playback of recent recordings.

This release also updates the Shaw Direct logo to reflect the new brand launched in late Fall.

*mk

NBA League Pass on Shaw Go

app01Are you a basketball fanatic? Are you not always able to watch your favourite teams play because you’re commuting, away from home, or on the road? If this is you, we’ve got great news: We are excited to announce the launch of NBA League Pass on Shaw Go, available for all Shaw Direct customers who subscribe to NBA League Pass! This great app is a new way to experience your NBA subscription on your iOS (Apple) or Android device for customers who subscribe to NBA League Pass. Combining a live stream of games, along with a portal for scores and game schedules, the NBA League Pass app on Shaw Go promises the most interactive and complete NBA viewing experience.

If you don’t already have NBA League Pass as part of your programming package, all you need is a subscription to either HD Sports or HD Combo. Once you’ve taken care of this, you can contact us by calling in, emailing, or messaging us on Twitter or Facebook to get your redemption code for the app.

online01After getting a redemption code from us, visit the NBA League Pass page to register for an account so you can view content on the app. There will be a form to fill out with a username, password, and your personal details on the left, and then an area to enter the redemption code that you got from us on the right. Enter this, click “Check,” and then when you’re done the rest of the form, click “Submit.”

Now you can download the app to your favourite mobile devices. If you use Android, you can get the app here. If you use Apple, it can be downloaded here. The app will work on app02version 2.2 of Android and up, and on the iPhone 3GS and up, any iPad, or third generation iPod Touch and up with iOS 5.0 and later.

Once you launch the app, you’ll be taken to a login page where you can enter the account information that you just set up on the NBA League Pass page.

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You can scroll through the schedule day-by-day, or click on the date at the top of the screen to select a specific date from the popup calendar. For games that have already aired, you’ll see the option to watch the game replay, while for games that are currently airing, you’ll see the option to view the live game.

Bear in mind that, as with many sports, blackout
restrictions can apply. If you try to watch a game that was not available in your area, you will see an error message appear on your screen.

When you select a game to watch, you can skip ahead (only if the game has already aired), skip back 30 seconds, pause the game, adjust the volume, or enter full screen mode. Games are available to view for 48 hours, after which point the video will be removed.

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Pressing the “widget” symbol in the top right-side of the screen will take you to the settings menu. Here you can choose whether or not the scores display in the schedule menu for past and live games, view the FAQ, terms of service and privacy policy, and sign in or out.

Content will be available and updated on a daily basis until the end of the 2012-2013 season.  This will include every regular season and all-star NBA game. Don’t miss out on all of the action!

*rg

Move Program

moveprogram_blogHave you recently moved or are in the works of moving in the near future? It’s already stressful enough with the packing, cleaning, and so many other responsibilities that are known with moving, why add getting your TV services set-up to that list of worries? Here at Shaw Direct, we make it easy for our customers to get settled in their new home and help create a warm welcome.

The whole process is just one easy step: Give us a call! Any one of our representatives (available 24/7) can help get you going; just let us know the address of your new location and we’ll set-up an installation with a local installer on an open date that suits you best. As an added bonus, our Move Program is little to no cost for our existing customers! Have you had the services for over 12 months? Then the Move Program will cover the cost of a new dish installation at the location, as well as the installation of one receiver completely free of charge! Any additional receiver installs will be done at a highly discounted price of half off regular receiver installations – $25.00. Have you not had our services for over 12 months yet? Still no need to worry! The new dish install and the first receiver install together cost $25.00, and any remaining receivers needing to be hooked up are likewise $25.00 per receiver.

Make sure to pack up your receivers and remotes with everything else, but when it comes to the dish just leave the current dish at your old location and rest assured we’ll hook you up with a brand new dish with the newest technology at your new home. We recommend calling as much in advance as possible so we can ensure having the best availability for installation dates at the new location. Lastly, for those customers moving to an apartment or a condo most installers will require written permission from the landlord to be presented at the time of install so they can move forward.

Now that you’ve got all the info on our quick and easy Move Program, be sure to kick up your feet and relax while enjoying Shaw Direct service from day one in your new home!

*ke