Shaw Cable's Netflix competitor bypasses bandwidth caps on its way to the TV
While US residents seethe over increases in Netflix's pricing, our neighbors in Canada are upset by the competing Movie Club package Shaw Cable is offering. The $12 per month service offers unlimited access to "hundreds of the best Hollywood movies" and plans to have high definition feeds later this summer for an additional $5 (cable companies in the US have a similar scheme under the name Vutopia.) Causing the issue are promises that "the only limit is the number of hours in your day" unlike bandwidth capped streaming from unnamed services like Netflix. While Movie Club viewing over the internet on a PC, tablet or other device is capped just like any other service, access via the cable box is not metered. That distinction doesn't sit well with subscribers and consumer groups arguing for net neutrality, particularly as the CRTC is in the midst of hearings over usage-based internet billing. While that case hasn't been decided, our own ruling is already in and is firmly against Shaw, or anyone else, advertising based on advantages that exist only due to policies it created in the first place.
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The Best Titles Available With the New Shaw Movie Club
CALGARY, ALBERTA, Jul 15, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The next step in delivering value and flexibility to customers is here with the Shaw Movie Club /quotes/zigman/18053 CA:SJR.B +0.69% /quotes/zigman/18033/quotes/nls/sjr SJR -0.29% . This new service gives Shaw customers access to hundreds of movie titles for only $12 per month and is part of Shaw's ongoing commitment to provide more content on demand.
The Shaw Movie Club features unlimited access to hundreds of titles like The Expendables, Burlesque and Red. Unlike similar programs, customers who subscribe to the Shaw Movie Club will have access to newer movie titles that are updated monthly to watch streaming online or directly on your TV.
Customers can also get their Movie Club content in High Definition later this summer. For an additional $5 per month, all titles will be available to customers with the stunning quality of Shaw HD, thanks to the Movie Club HD Pass.
"The Shaw Movie Club is the result of listening to our customers and delivering products that fit their needs and the way they use technology," said Peter Bissonnette, President, Shaw Communications Inc. "The Shaw Movie Club brings our customers more choice and value - they get the best titles available to enjoy whenever, wherever they want."
The Movie Club launches on the heels of Shaw's new Internet packages, which provide customers with dramatically increased data levels and speed. Customers can access the Shaw Movie Club through several platforms:
-- Through the Shaw Gateway - available to Calgary and Edmonton customers,
with Vancouver and national dates to follow through the summer
www.VOD.SHAW.CA log in with their customer care identification or Shaw email. They can
then search for titles available with the Movie Club subscription - a
select number of titles are available for streaming online, or to order
to their Digital Box
-- Searching for titles on the VOD App for iPhone and Android - search and
order titles to customers' Digital Box to enjoy in the comfort of their
own homes
Movie Club can be added to customers' entertainment packages through the Shaw Plan Personalizer, which enables all customers to customize their home entertainment services by choosing the features they love and want.
Customers can sign up for the Shaw Movie Club at www.VOD.SHAW.ca and take a guided tour of the Shaw Plan Personalizer.
For more information please visit www.shaw.ca .
About Shaw Communications Inc.
Shaw Communications Inc. is a diversified communications and media company, providing consumers with broadband cable television, High-Speed Internet, Home Phone, telecommunications services (through Shaw Business), satellite direct-to-home services (through Shaw Direct) and engaging programming content (through Shaw Media). Shaw serves 3.4 million customers, through a reliable and extensive fibre network. Shaw Media operates one of the largest conventional television networks in Canada, Global Television, and 18 specialty networks including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, History Television and Showcase. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index /quotes/zigman/18053 CA:SJR.B +0.69% /quotes/zigman/18033/quotes/nls/sjr SJR -0.29% . For more information about Shaw, please visit www.shaw.ca .
