Tag Archives: PPV

Equipment, Technical Tips

The new HD Guide is here!

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Introducing: the new HD Guide!

The new guide interface is more intuitive, delivering an industry-leading customer experience. The HD Guide user interface offers many improvements when compared to the SD Guide, including: faster navigation, redesigned menus to ensure optimal usability and enhanced shortcuts/preference functionality. The HD Guide is available for 6XX series receivers only. Legacy receivers (including 5XX HD receivers) will not be updated.

HD Guide

With the launch of HD Guide, two features on the 6XX series receiver have been retired:

  • Interactive Weather Application.
  • Instant Pay-Per-View (IPPV) ordering: the IPPV order feature has been removed from the 6XX series. The phone line will remain for caller ID only. IPPV will continue to be available on all legacy receivers.

There are six new major features introduced with the HD Guide:

1.  Customizations

Three different font sizes are available, controlling the number of rows of data in the guide, plus two different program colouring options. These settings can be changed at any time by pressing the following: Options // Preferences // User Settings & Appearance.

2.  MiniTune & MiniPlay

  • MiniTune: You can press the ‘B’ button from the guide to immediately tune the video window to the selected channel, while maintaining your current position in the menu.
  • MiniPlay: For customers with an HDPVR 630, MiniPlay functions the same way as MiniTune, but within your list of recorded programs. You can press ‘B’ to begin playback of the selected program in the video window, while maintaining your current position in the PVR list.

3.  PPV Store

A new way of browsing available PPV movies! Selecting ‘PPV Search’ from the Pay-Per-View (PPV) menu bar allows you to:

  • Narrow results by genre.
  • Show clear ordering instructions and ID above the movie description.
  • Be notified that the purchase has been successful once it’s been ordered through the IVR.
  • Purchased program are identified by a checkmark in the guide, PPV Store, and ‘Upcoming Airings’ screens.

4.  Smart PVR Technology

Our HDPVR has an overlooked feature: the ability to look for the episode on multiple channels. This feature, in conjunction with the fact that Shaw Direct carries channels from every Canadian time zone, effectively eliminates recording conflicts.

  • The HDPVR allows you to record from ‘HD only’, ‘SD only’, or ‘All channels’, rather than a single channel.
  • Descriptive information written in user-friendly language.
  • You can also edit your recording preferences by pressing ‘Enter’ on the program and selecting the new menu option.
  • When customizing a particular recording event, you can now access a ‘More Channels’ selector to change the channel you want the recording to take place on.

5.  Multi-User and Single User Modes

Multi-User Mode: Up to eight users can have their own preferences applied at login, in addition to parentally-defined permissions, locks, and restrictions.

  • The current profile can be changed at any time by pressing the FAV button on the remote. Each profile can have a unique PIN.
  • Users can be copied to a USB key for transfer to another satellite receiver.

Parental restrictions that can be customized for each user include:

  • Ratings locks
  • Channel locks
  • Access to Adult content
  • Ability to order free VOD titles
  • Daily VOD purchase limit ($ value)
  • Auto-logout duration
  • PVR Permissions (ability to schedule new recordings, delete existing recordings, etc.)

Preferences that can be customized for each user include:

  • Onscreen and audio language
  • Closed Captions display and settings
  • Descriptive Video
  • Font size and program colouring style
  • Unsubscribed channels in Guide (show or hide)
  • Caller ID notifications (not available on the HDDSR 600)
  • Automatic prompt to delete recordings

Single User Mode: It uses the same approach as before, wherein a single set of restrictions is applied consistently and unlocked individually on an ad-hoc basis. While Multi-User mode generally does not present a PIN challenge upon encountering locked content, Single-User mode does.

  • When migrating from SD Guide with the Parental Controls enabled, you will be placed into this mode by default.
  • You can switch between Single and Multi-User modes whenever you want. If set, a PIN is required to make this change.

6.  Notification Bar

The Notification Bar replaces the ‘Alert’ (!) icon used in the SD Guide and will notify you of Caller ID, PPV purchases, reminders or auto-tunes, dual recordings, and more. It also displays the signal strength, Internet connectivity status (for VOD), HDD space (HDPVR only) and number of active reminders.

Press the ‘Down’ arrow while watching TV to show the notification bar.

Other enhancements:

  • The A, B and C buttons on the remote control serve as shortcuts in a number of different windows – try them out!
  • New ways to search for content: Keyword Search and Category Search. Press Menu // Search to see the different categories.
  • Redesigned Video on Demand store.

Now go on and play with your new HD guide!

HD Guide 2

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How-To

Ordering Shaw Direct Pay Per View

ppv_entertainmentPerhaps you’re a fan of sporting events like UFC. Maybe you can’t get enough of the latest Hollywood hits. Or, perhaps 3D movies are your thing. Whatever your preference, Shaw Direct’s 32 HD Pay Per View channels have got you covered! Pay Per View is available to all Shaw Direct customers, so even if you don’t have a high speed Internet connection capable of supporting Shaw Direct On Demand, you can still enjoy the latest movies.

Our Pay Per View channels run from 950 to 953 for standard definition, or 960 to 983 for high definition, plus 986 is devoted to nothing but 3D movies. If you can’t view all of the listed Pay Per View channels in your guide, you may need an upgrade to part of your system; if you would like more information on upgrading, check out our previous article on the topic.

If you’ve never ordered Pay Per View before on your Advanced 600-Series receiver, it’s easy. First, open up your interactive programming guide by pressing GUIDE on your remote, and then navigate to the Pay Per View channels you’d like to browse (depending on whether you’d like to view standard definition, high definition, or 3D).

You can scroll through the Pay Per View channels by using the up or down arrow keys on your remote, and you can view what’s on later by pressing the right arrow (jumps ahead by 30 minutes), the fast forward button (jumps ahead six hours), or the skip forward button (jumps ahead one full day).

orderid

When you’ve found what you’d like to order, highlight the listing and look at the description of the title in the top right-hand corner of your guide. Just underneath of the title of the program, you’ll see “Order ID” followed by a four-digit number. Note this, and then call 1.866.782.7778. Follow the prompts provided by the phone system, and when asked, enter the four-digit order ID.

Once this has been completed, you’ll just need to go to the channel that the order was made for at the time the program is scheduled to start, and you’re ready to go!

For those of you who use PVRs, you can record Pay Per View titles that you’ve ordered, and you will have 48 hours to watch the title from your PVR list. After the 48-hour period has passed, the title will expire.

Wondering what’s on this month? You can view a list of the newest releases here.

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