Bell TV turns 6141 HD STB into HD PVR with firmware update
by Darren Murph 
posted Jan 15th 2009 at 10:19PM
bell canada posts
OpenTV brings movie portal application to Canada's Bell TV
by Darren Murph posted Dec 25th 2008 at 7:21AM
For Bell TV subscribers looking for hints of anything new, we've finally something to share with you. OpenTV, an interactive TV middleware provider, has just launched a "movie portal application" that will deliver content from programming partner Super Channel. As expected, it provides viewers with a "themed search option, as well as a scheduling option that lets viewers set up recordings and reminders several weeks in advance of a movie's broadcast." Underneath, this seems to be just another attempt to highlight certain programs and get non-subscribers to subscribe, but when new material is this hard to come by, it's tough to complain.Bell TV launches HBO Canada (yes, in HD)
by Darren Murph posted Sep 27th 2008 at 12:38AM
Time to party down, Bell TV customers. Your television provider just announced that it will add HBO Canada in SD and HD to its lineup on October 30th. Also of note, the channel will be offered on secondary SD and HD slots which will deliver the same programming with a two-hour time difference (okay?). HBO Canada will be included with all Bell TV subscriptions to The Movie Network or Movie Central at no extra cost, and hey -- just in time for Halloween, too!TSN2 HD arrives on Canada's Bell TV
by Darren Murph posted Sep 17th 2008 at 1:37AM
Canadians clamoring for more sporting action in HD can finally find some on Bell TV, as TSN2 has just arrived in glorious high-definition. The 24-hour sports network can be found by anyone subscribed to TSN on slots 403 (SD) and (848) HD, and while we wish we had more good news where this came from, you'll have to be satisfied with an addition of one for the time being.TiVo having tough time in Canada, looking for options
by Darren Murph posted Sep 15th 2008 at 10:08PM
TiVo waltzed into Canada all Maverick like last November, with no carrier support, no partnerships and (for all intents and purposes) no hope of success. The Canadian television market is a bizarre one, and given that the Series2 that's available there now can't record HD, TiVo is (obviously) having a hard time gaining traction. Analysts in the country assert that it is "impossible for a third-party PVR maker to gain any traction in Canada without having a major television provider as a partner," and while that may not sound precisely "fair," it isn't far from the truth. Joshua Danovitz, general manager of international business for TiVo, has proclaimed that a deal with Canadian providers could be an option, and that it was also looking at "regulated access to high-definition signals." Even though Canada doesn't have a superabundance of high-def stations just yet, we'd say TiVo better find a way to record the ones already out there. And fast.APTN goes high-def on Bell Canada HD
by Darren Murph posted Apr 29th 2008 at 10:18PM
Those anxious for more HD through Bell Canada can add one more to their list of options, as Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) is finally delivering an HD version of the channel on the aforesaid carrier. Unfortunately, Bell Canada is currently the only way to receive the HD feed (it's on channel 808, by the way), and it's slated to carry 16.5-hours of distinctive HD programming per week. Notably, the HD version of the network will simply be a higher quality simulcast of the SD feed -- opting to differentiate programming between the two would have required APTN to apply for a totally separate license from the CRTC.Microsoft and friends team up to study potential connected home applications
by Darren Murph posted Apr 27th 2008 at 5:47PM
Those looking to better unify your lighting, security, HVAC and home theater are in luck, as a new team has just been formed to investigate what you want, what you need and how to deliver it. Whirlpool, Bell Canada, Cisco, Direct Energy, HP, Legrand, Leviton, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Zensys and the Z-Wave Alliance have all come together to "conduct an in-depth study about the state and future of the smart home." More specifically, the crew will be asking consumers what types of connected home applications could be created or improved upon, with a few examples consisting of TV-based Caller ID screens, remotely controlled temperature / lighting and the ability to crank your home stereo to 11 when a crook breaks in. Yeah, we're totally bluffing on that last one, but you never know.Bell ExpressVu considering FreeSat service for delivering OTA networks
by Darren Murph posted Apr 11th 2008 at 4:48PM
Canada's own Bell ExpressVu is currently mulling an interesting plan that could bring "free" OTA networks to folks faraway from towers and terrified of paying a cable provider for TV service. Dubbed FreeSat, the proposed service would give Canadians "free access to a limited number of high-definition channels," all of which would be local OTA (read: not pay-TV) networks. It wasn't revealed how much the receiver itself would cost, nor was it clear if broadcasters would be kosher with the idea. Bell Canada argues that the plan would give the aforementioned networks a way to get their content to more customers without "huge investments" in new transmission towers, but of course, there is always more than one side to the story. Needless to say, we can't imagine this being the last time we hear of this endeavor.NHL chooses Bell ExpressVu HD PVR for video replay during playoffs
by Darren Murph posted Apr 7th 2008 at 8:38PM
Bell Canada intros 6141 HD satellite receiver
by Darren Murph posted Jan 15th 2008 at 11:58PM
Hey, you Canucks up there. If you've been scouting a totally new HD satellite receiver, today's your lucky day. Bell Canada is loosing its "next-generation" 6141 HD receiver on the market, and while not too many specifics are mentioned, we do know that it'll boast an HDMI output, access to interactive television (iTV) / Caller ID, an Ethernet port and a USB 2.0 connector "for future applications and hardware" (external storage, perhaps?). If all that's good enough for you, you can reportedly acquire one now for $299 or rent one for $10 per month.
