I have shaw's HD PVR. Like everything TV or Mobile related in Canada - it's really a big bag of crap compared to what you get in the UK. Sky+ with HD is light years ahead in terms of usability.

Bell HDPVR is pretty close to Sky Plus. The content of the channels is pretty similar crap.

Yeah - was kind of ignoring the content side.

I'd gladly pay BBC the equivalent of the TV license for access to iplayer (might have to look into one of those uk proxy companies).

For those desperate to watch the UK footy, TSN and Rogers SportsNet do show some English football live on Saturdays and Sundays.

However, my experience is that once you start watching NHL ice hockey, and supporting a team, it can easily fill that footy craving. It's fast, physical, skilful, non-stop action plus there are almost always great fights. It's a real game of passion, guts and gore which puts the average poncy Premiership player to shame (e.g. Christiano Ronaldo: "ooooh, someone kicked me and my leg hurts! I'm mortally wounded! Boo hoo!) It's also supremely fair: money does not decide which are the best teams because there are salary caps, and each year the worst performers get to pick the best youngsters from the NHL draft. Plus there's always loads of games on (a team will play 80+ games a season even if they don't make the playoffs, and usually play 2 or 3 times a week). There's never a draw (overtime and shoot-outs always decide when the score is tied), and there's never a dull moment. Even the goalkeepers leave the rink when time is running out and their team needs an extra attacker on the ice. It has to be a contender for the world's most exciting sport.

Embrace the hockey, it is the heart and soul of Canada.

Oh please - Ice hockey is the worlds second most boring sport - only just beaten by curling.

perhaps i might like hockey but that is for me to find out. for now my questions would be what channel features England international games including the World Cup games? would that be TSN? GolTV? Fox Soccer Channel?

and iwould you say Shaw better than BellTV in terms of number of channels, monthly rate, usablity, features, etc.? any other recommendations?

England internationals tend to be PPV only. This includes qualifiers. It's about $25 per game on TV or $10 on Broadband. Streams are ten a penny but not reliable.

The finals themselves (the actual tournament) are shared between Rogers and TSN.

Thanks to Clynnog who posted this link which includes BBC1 & 2 I was able to watch the rugby on-line today - good pic and free. It works without the need for a proxy.

So any England games on BBC ought to be available.

BristolUK is correct (I gather you didn't get any warnings about those feeds)...

The live internationals (qualifiers and friendlies are on PPV) but usually about 2 or 3 days later the game is on in full on Setanta Sports Canada.

Fox Sports World Canada isn't very useful for the premier league watcher. They carry 2 or 3 Serie A games per week, 1 game from Argentina, 1 game from Mexico and when they are really stuck they carry US college games and minor league US games. They also run a highlights show sometimes for up to 12 hours/day (it is really amateurish in the delivery but the highlights are fine).

Gol TV Canada carries 3 or 4 spanish games, 2 or 3 german, german and italian national team qualifiers, and some south american leagues.

Setanta Sports Canada carries usually 8 premier league games per week, 2 scottish, 2 french, coca cola league, fa cup, and then rugby, aussie rules football, and some soccer magazine shows

Sportsnet carries 1 live premier league game/week

The Score also carries 1 live premier league game week

The Champions League is split between Setanta and TSN and they usually carry all games from the QF on and about 1/2 to 2/3 of all games in rounds before that.

Setanta carries the UEFA cup.

I think that is it.

No...when I first looked there was something about being unable to show a program on one, while the other was okay. I keep meaning to take a look at again. Now I'm wondering how much I either missed or had to take rubbishy streams when this was available.

But better late than never. The cheque is in the post, by the way.

Any eastenders fans out there? do you get to watch it in canada?

Not a fan.

Yes it's on BBC Canada daily.

I have no idea how far behind the UK it is.

I think I read on here that it's circa 18 months behind the UK - I don't know as we don't have BBC Canada.

They are showing July 2006 episodes now...I'm ashamed to know this.

You can also stream it via bit torrent

What bit of credibility you ever had has just gone out the window

not sure about streaming but you can definitely download it via bit torrent