2015-01-08

My Thoughts On Bell Fibe

I'll keep this quick and short.

If you're thinking of getting Bell Fibe TV (stated otherwise: witching from Videotron to Bell) here's what I've learned (which isn't much).

Before I begin I originally was with Bell back in the late 90s and early 2000s and switched to Videotron where I had been for about 15 years. I think most people have gone back and forth over the years but at some point you sit and just keep what you got recognizing the grass ain't necessarily greener on the other side. But as luck would have it, I had a family member starting out as a Bell Fibe sales rep and found myself in the difficult position of either turning a relative down or taking a plunge into a new service.

Bell Fibe is fiber optic technology. Something Videotron doesn't have and may never have. With Fiber optics, customers will always benefit with moving and up to date technologies. Less so with companies like Videotron. In fact, I wonder if in the the long-run it'll hurt Videotron and its copper-wiring. But I'm not an expert and won't go further on the matter. I do enough talking out of my ass on this blog. /waves fist at left-wingers.

Anyway. We decided to help a relative out and try Fibe.

I'll do it in point form:

-Fibe definitely provides better picture quality.  If you have Hi-def (1080i) it will be clear and if you have ultra Hi-def (over 4000 pixels) it will be like viewing stuff in 3-D or live it's that incredible.

-If you take the jump with Bell, just be ready to accept horrible service. Videotron, in my view, has the edge there. But this is what it is in a tightly regulated, monopolistic environment. Garbage service. The industry is in dire need of deregulation. We need more competition in order to lower prices and getting better service options. But this idea is alien to Canadians I fear because capitalism or something. Again, I'll stop here.

-The prices are pretty much the same. They'll entice you with this and that for six months and then reality sets in. Which is fine, given you do get six months and in the end get the better product. Again, prices only improve when there's competition and with only two players, you ain't gonna get that. The way they set up TV packages are full of shit anyway be it Bell or Videotron. Again, it's Canada.

-If you have the patience for the disruption it causes. It takes a good solid 5 to 7 hours for them to set the lines into your house. 

-Alas, this is Quebec where politics unfortunately lurks behind almost all areas of our lives. You can't take a piss here without something getting political. Videotron was owned by a Pequiste (separatist) family. The basic line of allegiance is: Videotron subscribers pro-Quebec and Bell (not pro-separatist). That's a generalization but some (irrationally) view things like this.

My friend, for example, will never forgive Videotron when they ruled Quebec never offering English-language channels. Back in the day, we couldn't get MuchMusic because fuck you but they forced MusiquePlus on us. MTV? Forget about it. Hence, he's cemented with Bell knowing full well they're a bunch of arrogant hacks. He has a point.

There you go. In summary, good product; bad service; same prices.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Mysterious and anonymous comments as well as those laced with cyanide and ad hominen attacks will be deleted. Thank you for your attention, chumps.