Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

is it the 10/1 DSL package you have, what is the speed like where you live?

Vianet

Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

I don't know why you are saying that TekSavvy has caps. I just checked on their website. Looked at the DSL options, and stuck in a postal code for Vancouver, so it's worth double-checking availability with your actual postal code.

But when looking for Vancouver (postal code V5K 0A1), for High Speed DSL 15mbps down (plenty for streaming), you can get a cap of 300GB for $40/month, or an unlimited package for $48/month.

I also checked the same packages for Kamloops (postal code V1S 0A2), got exactly the same package prices.

Same package prices as well for Coquitlam (postal code V3B 1A3).

If you want 25mbps down (which is what we have and it's more than enough and often with two devices streaming Netflix with no issues at all) then the package prices are $45/month for the 300GB package, and $55/month for the unlimited package.

So it would seem you do have unlimited bandwidth options...

I don't know if TekSavvy has the same deal in BC as in Ontario, but for us, any usage that occurs between 2am and 8am is NOT counted towards our cap, so any additional content acquisition we do we have set to only download between 2am and 8am, leaving the full 300GB for monthly streaming. I think the most we've managed to hit is 150GB, but we don't watch all that much, MAYBE one hour a day, if even that.

Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

Their website say's 300gb.

I may have missed other options however, if they do have an unlimited that is good.

How does DSL work, do you need a phone line?

A bit too pricey to sign up with them at the moment.

1 High Speed DSL 15 Unlimited $47.99 $47.99
1 Dry Loop Band D $11.36 $11.36
1 Dry Loop Activation (Res) $39.99 $39.99
1 High Speed DSL - Start-Up Fee $75.00 $75.00
1 Activation Fee Discount -$20.00 -$20.00
1 ZyXel VSG 1432 VDSL2 - Rent To Own Down Payment $60.00 $60.00
1 Hardware Shipping $10.00 $10.00
1 Modem Rent to own - Monthly Payment $15.00 $15.00
Subtotal $239.34
GST $11.97
BC PST $16.75
Total: $268.06

Paying almost 300 just to get service, is a bit much.

Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

Obviously might be different in BC, but for us, we don't have a phone line, we pay an extra $5/month for a dry loop (basically just the connection without a functioning "phone"). DSL we like better as it's cheaper and it doesn't succumb to traffic congestion (so peak hours). We have the 25mbps down option, and we get that 25mbps down around the clock. Cable is meant to be able to handle faster speeds as it's a "bigger" connection, but it can slow down during peak times. Friends of ours, and my parents, have cable and they do get a bit of a slowdown often in the evening hours when more people are watching TV (7-10pmish). For my parents they can still stream Netflix with no issues, but other friends who live in a "younger" area do sometimes have some issues.

Screenshot of TekSavvy's website below, you can see at the top I have it as BC, this is the one for the 15mbps but you can change it on the left. At the bottom there's the two pricing options, the first for 300GB cap, and the second one for UNL (unlimited). :)

Hope that helps!

Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

Telus is better price wise then shaw around here.

Telus 25 is 250gb and costs 63 per month

Shaw version is 60 per month and 150gb

Shaw doesn't have a 250gb plan but they do have a 300gb for 70 per month, Telus is 78 but 400gb data.


Telus is just too picky on who they will provide service to, so they are not an option for us.

Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

The dry loop here is 13 dollars, I found the plan on their website and priced it out to see what the cost to obtain the service would be.

Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

OK so a bit more out there, but still seems competitively priced for an unlimited plan. :)

Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

The price is fine, it's the start up cost that is preventing the sign up. It will take a couple months to save the necessary funds.


I think Shaw has decided I have streamed enough, netflix will not work today, loads plays for 20 seconds, then needs to load again, and well its impossible to watch anything.

Our download speed is usually 15, doing the speed test its 11 right now, upload is even slower.

Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

Yeah that's the only downside with TekSavvy, the up-front cost is a bit higher, but it should be doable as it's not insane and then the monthly cost is definitely reasonable. Hopefully you are able to get it sorted!

Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

DSL dry loop as Schnooks has..

Speed isn't great, but I think we're too far away from the server probably. Advertised speed is 6mbps...but we achieve 2/3 Mbps mostly. It's fine though. Good enough to run Netflix and we download the HD BBC stuff rather than trying to stream them..

Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

Are you with TekSavvy as well? Have you tried talking to them about it? They're pretty good about this sort of thing I think... but as you say, 2/3mbps still is good enough to stream Netflix.

Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

It's not insane, we just don't have that sort of money laying around so takes a few months to save it.

Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

It's a principle I'm trying to teach my children... That we don't get items wanted straight away whatever they are, we save up for them.

Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

It's Vianet, and they can only work with existing framework. Long road, no cable etc. That said our speed had dropped off a few times and they couldn't work out why..

Re: Is streaming really a viable alternative to cable?
 

We have been throttled from what I can tell, our download speed is now 2.29...

Guess instead of charging extra they just slow you down to a point its useless.