root9
join:2005-04-08
Kitchener, ON
| reply to swashbuckle
Re: Bell movie store coming.
I'd say it's time to protest in front of Bell stores about their illegal throttling and breaking privacy laws.
You can't make it to Ottawa on May 27th? Perfect chance to stick it to Bell!
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Please engage eyeballs and retain functional brain before operating fingers. |
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BellCanHater
@bell.ca | reply to swashbuckle
Wow, they are pushing their own Video Store !
What next ? Download movie from iTunes at 30kos and bell will be 'full speed' ? How this company can make a video store if their network are congested praticly all the time ? |
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wkendhippie
Is it Friday yet ?
Premium
join:2004-02-16
Clarksdale | reply to IRONIC
good job on the form letter |
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IRONIC
| reply to swashbuckle
Looks like it, missed that one letter. |
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anon St Kitts
@bell.ca | reply to IRONIC
One comment... Are you mixing up kbps with kBps in your letter? My throttling is at 30 kBps. |
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IRONIC
| reply to swashbuckle
OK guys - now we know why Bell is throttling - to favour themselves. Here's a complaint letter you can cut and paste to the Competition Bureau:
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BY FAX 819-997-0324
May 22, 2008
Complaints
Competition Bureau
50 Victoria Street
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 0C9
Dear Competition Bureau:
Re: COMPLAINT - Anti-Competitive Practices – Bell Sympatico (Bell Canada), throttling of Internet, www.bellvideostore.ca
I am submitting a complaint regarding Bell Canada’s operation of www.bellvideostore.ca and how, coupled with its throttling of internet speed of its own retail customers and third-party ISPs, results in anti-competitive action.
On May 21, 2008, the Globe and Mail (see Appendix “A”) reported that Bell Canada has now launched its very own online, on-demand, real-time video rental service. This means that at any time of any day, a person can download or watch a streaming video on Bell Canada’s broadband internet service. I also note that there is the option of downloading certain “free” movies, which clearly puts this service in competition with P2P services.
As you are fully aware, Bell Canada began the practice of “throttling” the internet connection of its own retail broadband internet customers last year and then throttling the internet connection of third-party ISPs this year. The main argument was that Bell Canada “did not have enough bandwidth” and that movie downloaders, music downloaders and online gamers were using up all of the bandwidth and Bell Canada had no choice but to reduce the speed of everyone.
Despite these arguments that downloading or real-time streaming of files has put a tremendous strain on their network, this week Bell Canada launched www.bellvideostore.ca. As you can imagine, you can download and stream unlimited videos at full speed without throttling at any time of day. According to the report in the Globe and Mail, a streaming movie will require a minimum of 800 kbps at any given time to run. Bell Canada’s throttling results in maximum transfer rates of 30 kbps at peak, throttled times.
This is curious to see Bell Canada introducing a service that favours their own content and completely contradicts their reasons for throttling.
In fact, I would argue that the launch of www.bellvideostore.ca is the actual reason Bell Canada began throttling in the first place.
As such, I am filing a complaint with you that Bell Canada, by throttling third-party ISPs and its own retail customers in relation to P2P services, streaming video, and other on-demand video, yet offering its very own non-throttled P2P services, streaming video and on-demand video, Bell Canada is conferring unto itself a competitive advantage that is clearly in violation of the Competition Act.
As such, I ask that you investigate.
Regards,
[YOUR NAME]
APPENDIX “A”
(emphasis added)
Bell launches video download store
JACK KAPICA
Globe and Mail Update
www.globeandmail.com
May 21, 2008 at 1:58 PM EDT
Long restricted in the range of TV shows or movies they can buy or rent online, Canadians now have a much broader selection with the opening of the Bell Video Store.
With more than 1,500 movies and TV titles available, the Bell Video Store is the country's first online service to offer download-to-own movies the same day they become available in retail stores. People in less of a hurry can download them to rent shortly after, when they are released for rent.
The site is a collaboration between Bell and its partners, which includes digital delivery services developed by ExtendMedia as well as content from Paramount Pictures, Corus Entertainment, Maple Pictures, Eros Entertainment and Image Entertainment.
In announcing the opening, Bell cited recent movies such as Cloverfield, Into the Wild, and There Will Be Blood as available. The store also offers access to classic TV shows, Bollywood movies and children's entertainment including Franklin, Rolie Polie Olie and Little Bear. It will also include music concerts from Cher, BB King and Neil Young.
To watch the shows, customers must install the Bell Video Store media player on a PC or laptop, and can start watching a few moments after purchasing a video without having to wait for the entire file to download. Owners of a Media Centre PC will be able to use their remote to control their viewing.
The content is protected by desktop applications that support Windows Media digital rights management, which does not exist for computers running Macintosh OS or Linux operating systems. Only those devices that support the Microsoft PlaysForSure format can be used for portable players. The system cannot be transferred to popular devices such as the Apple iPod.
The content is also compatible with ARCHOS portable media players and accessible via the ARCHOS content portal.
Aside from the Bell Video Player, content can also be viewed using Windows Media Player, a Media Centre compatible computer and a PlaysForSure portable device to be released some time this month. Content can be streamed from a Media Centre computer to a television using a Windows Media Centre Extender such as an Xbox 360 console or from a machine running Windows Vista (Home Premium or Ultimate). Downloaded videos may be burned to a DVD disc for storage purposes, but the resulting DVD will not play on a DVD player.
Bell says the content is “DVD and above quality,” delivered at bit rates from 1.5 to 2.5, resulting in file sizes of about one gigabyte for one hour of content. As a result, the service requires a broadband Internet connection capable of sustaining transfer speeds of 800 kilobits per second or more.
The Video Store includes a social networking feature, using “widgets” from Broadband Mechanics to allow users to give five-star ratings to the content, write reviews and comments, add friends and send messages.
There are, however, some people who are not overly impressed by the announcement.
“Although the news of more online download services is welcome news for Canadians, the Bell service is limited in both who can use the service and how videos can be played,” wrote Hugh Thompson of Digital Home Canada in a post on the website's forum. “Movies only play on ARCHOS portable players — no iPod; it requires Bell proprietary software for download and playback; and the movies are very expensive,” he added.
The Bell Video Store was formerly called Videoplay.ca, which was launched in beta form on May 4, 2007, and has a French equivalent called Boutique video Bell.
Customers can purchase shows for prices starting at $4.99, and rent them for prices starting at $1.99. A rental allows a user to access a movie for 30 days after downloading it; once started, the movie will continue to be available for 24 hours. |
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Xempler
join:2007-12-13
North York, ON
 ·Bell Sympatico
| reply to swashbuckle
But...but...Bell's lines are already so congested with people using P2P applications for downloading all kinds of crap. Isn't that why they started throttling everyone?
So now they want you to pay to download THEIR movies....gimme a break. Something smells here...and it smells like bullshit. |
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ShadPTR
join:2008-01-23
Markham, ON | reply to swashbuckle
PLEASE ROCKY,
Please take this to the CAIP to discuss this nonsense. |
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Bellundo
@bell.ca
| reply to TheMG
Better add if the movies were in their original resolution. I read on the web page 1500 to 2200 kbps. Gee what happened to the other 6000 or so kbps? The dvd standard is 2000 and up so many of them wouldn't even play if they were burned directly to a dvd. |
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TheMG
join:2007-09-04
Edmonton, AB
·TELUS
| reply to swashbuckle
One word: FAIL
This service doesn't even compete with retail movie purchases, how is it ever going to compete against P2P (assuming that's what their goal is)?
It could be a success if:
-prices were competitive vs. retail
-downloads were DRM-free
-bandwidth didn't count for BS customers
At the moment, the service has NOTHING to offer that isn't already available elsewhere. |
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qweloo
join:2007-10-04
h3p 2c4
·Bell Sympatico
| reply to eueruasfasdfqa
said by eueruasfasdfqa :
3.
Can I make my download go faster?
The speed that which you download files can be affected by many factors. These factors include overall traffic on the network, your ISP and your computer settings.
If you are experiencing slow downloads, please ensure you have exited all other programs that may be downloading files or other bandwidth intensive programs such as P2P file sharing programs.
A technical question answered by the marketing department 
basically it says if you want speed with our service that you paid for, do not use our competitors applications ... actually exit/close everything and do not download anything else besides from us ... it summarizes in one sentence Bell wishful dream world lalaland network and service philosophy.
The Bell way of doing business ... dumbening it down to the lowest denominator and profit from customer's technical ignorance.
Somehow I dont see a bright future for a company with this kind of business philosophy.
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eueruasfasdfqa
@cogeco.net
| reply to swashbuckle
3.
Can I make my download go faster?
The speed that which you download files can be affected by many factors. These factors include overall traffic on the network, your ISP and your computer settings.
If you are experiencing slow downloads, please ensure you have exited all other programs that may be downloading files or other bandwidth intensive programs such as P2P file sharing programs. |
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eots
join:2003-02-04
·TekSavvy Solutions..
| reply to theninjasqua
It's impossible not to have the download count against bandwidth caps when downloads aren't limited to Sympatico customers only. They should make the download significantly cheaper than going to a retail store to purchase the same video, otherwise there's no incentive to download it. |
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theninjasqua
join:2007-09-26
Oakville, ON | reply to swashbuckle
Im surprised they don't make these more enticing by offering the downloads as free bandwidth that won't count against your monthly limit.
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-theninjasquad |
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eots
join:2003-02-04 | reply to dunno there
So Bell is charging people more to buy a download that you can't burn and watch anywhere you want. Makes no sense when you can buy the retail boxed version for less. |
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dunno there
@videotron.ca
| reply to eots
Re: Bell movie store coming.
said by eots  :For example, Bell is selling Beowulf for $19.99 and you have to download it and burn it to a DVD and the download counts against your bandwidth usage, while Future Shop is selling the HD version of the same movie for $14.99. Hmmm i don't know about the burning to dvd part you mentioned.
Per their web page:
Videos can be played on a PC/Laptop, on the TV via a compatible DMA (Digital Media Adapter), or through a direct connection from your PC to a TV.
Don't think you can burn these DRM infected movies to dvd and play them anywhere you want to like a store bought dvd.
»www.bellvideostore.ca/WaysToWatc···Own.aspx
either you buy some MS-DRM infected player for about 200$, stream from PC-TV, or watch it on your PC.
also "THESE VIDEOS WILL NOT PLAY ON MOST PORTABLE VIDEO PLAYERS"
seems like pure crap to me. |
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eots
join:2003-02-04
·TekSavvy Solutions..
| reply to anon485382
I honestly can't see this site being very successful when they're charging just as much (or more) to download the videos than you would pay to rent or buy them in a retail video store. For example, Bell is selling Beowulf for $19.99 and you have to download it and burn it to a DVD and the download counts against your bandwidth usage, while Future Shop is selling the HD version of the same movie for $14.99. |
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TI POIL
join:2006-03-05
Toronto, ON | reply to swashbuckle
Is it on a P2P protocol?? |
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anon485382
@teksavvy.com
| reply to url pls
said by url pls :
whats the URL to this site thats been up for a few months now?
lol 3 seconds and 1 google query.
»www.bellvideostore.ca/AboutPage.aspx |
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