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TV Everywhere isn’t just for the United States. Canadian cable operators are also threatened by cable cord-cutters, although their pervasive Internet Overcharging schemes have kept TV addicts from watching too much video online.
Both Shaw Cable (serving western Canada) and Vidéotron (best known in Quebec) have this week introduced their own online video portals providing “authenticated” cable subscribers with access to on-demand movies and television programming as an extension of their cable package. But neither company is willing to exempt its customers from Internet Overcharging schemes which apply data caps and overlimit fees to broadband accounts.
Of the two services, Shaw Cable’s is bare bones, offering a relative handful of TV shows and a movie library. No live video is provided, and many titles carry per-viewing fees, even for cable subscribers. Non-subscribers face even higher fees to view programming. Vidéotron takes a different approach, offering a video portal called Illico Web that offers on-demand and live streaming feeds of a wide range of cable networks, mostly in French for its Quebec subscriber base.
Shaw positioned its video-on-demand service as an extension of its cable service. It hopes its announced acquisition of Canwest Global, which runs the Global television network in Canada and 18 cable networks will vastly expand its offerings in the future.
Vidéotron warns its subscribers watching its service eats into monthly broadband usage allowances.
“Technology continues to evolve with the ability to watch content on multi-platforms,” said Peter Bissonnette, President, Shaw Communications. “That’s why Shaw is investing in bringing exceptional content delivered in various ways. Our new broadband VOD Player provides our customers the convenience of watching their favorite movies and television shows when and where they want to.”
Pierre Karl Péladeau, the president and chief executive officer of Vidéotron’s parent Quebecor was more abrupt when he said on Wednesday that its TV Everywhere service would offer “an alternative to piracy.”
But in Canada, there is a catch. Neither cable provider offers subscribers unlimited broadband service. Both employ Internet Overcharging schemes ranging from usage caps to consumption billing schemes with overlimit penalties. Vidéotron reminds its subscribers to “keep an eye on your Internet usage.” That’s because they don’t exempt their online viewing service from their usage limits. Vidéotron’s video portal does eat its way through subscriber allowances. The company provides these estimates to help guess by how much:
| Movie | 1h30 | 825 MB |
| TV show | 30 min | 275 MB |
| Video | 10 min | 90 MB |
Illico Web produced this video introduction to its TV Everywhere service. (French with English subtitles — 3 minutes)
Other stories of interest:
- Shaw Cable Technical Support Wants to Know If You’re Alone or Not
- Shaw Introduces 100 Mbps “Nitro” Broadband in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton for $149/Month (With 400GB Allowance)
- Shaw Invades Ontario With Approval of Mountain Cablevision Acquisition, Becomes Canada’s Largest Cable Operator
- HissyFitWatch: Shaw & Rogers Non-Compete Agreement Tossed, Allowing Shaw Acquisition of Mountain Cablevision
- Shaw Cable Launches Price War in Vancouver – $9.95/Month Sparks Complaint from Competitor Novus
