Shaw Direct

Type	Subsidiary of Star Choice Television Network Incorporated and Star Choice Satellite TV Inc.
Industry	Satellite television
Founded	1996
Headquarters	Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Area served	Canada
Key people	J.R. Shaw (Chairman) Peter J. Bissonnette (President) Jim Cummins (VP Operations)
Products	Direct broadcast satellite, Pay television, Pay-per-view
Owner(s)	Shaw Communications
Website	www.shawdirect.ca

Shaw Direct is a direct broadcast satellite television distributor in Canada which is majority-owned by cable TV operator Shaw Communications Inc. As of 2010, Shaw Direct had over 900,000 subscribers.^[1] It broadcasts on K_u band from two communications satellites, Anik F1R at 107.3°W and Anik F2 at 111.1°W; these satellites are owned by Telesat Canada and otherwise are used primarily to distribute programming to various Canadian cable TV companies. The company was formerly known as Star Choice until April 15, 2009.^[2]

A full list of channels carried by these two satellites is available from satellite-related sites such as Lyngsat: Anik F1 Anik F2. Anik F1 carries most mainstream English-language programming; Anik F2 programming includes French-language and HDTV broadcasts. A third planned satellite, Anik G1, is due to be launched in 2012.

Shaw Direct began in Lincoln, New Brunswick, but is now based in Calgary, Alberta. Its broadcast centre is in Mississauga, Ontario and has call centres in Montreal, Calgary and Mississauga.

History[link]

This section is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (August 2010)

• August 1996: Awarded broadcasting licence.
• March 1997: Opened first customer care centre.
• March 1997: Activated their first customer, Archie Gray, who purchased a receiver for $999 with 100 digital channels when he purchased $400 worth of programming.
• September 1997: Added Pay Per View to their lineup.
• September 1999: Added 60 new channels to their lineup.
• January 2000: Launched HDTV programming with the broadcast of Super Bowl XXXIV, the first High Definition TV broadcast in Canada.
• August 2000: Privatized by Shaw Communications Inc. through its acquisition of Cancom.
• April 2001: Activated both Anik F1 and Anik E2 satellites, becoming the first Canadian provider to broadcast services from two satellites simultaneously.
• March 2002: Moved its head office from Lincoln, New Brunswick to Calgary, Alberta.
• May 2002: Sold its one millionth receiver.
• August 2003: Launched its first fully integrated High Definition receiver, the Motorola DSR500 HD.
• September 2003: WTSN dropped from lineup because of the channel's demise.
• February 2004: Added 18 additional channels including 2 high-definition ones.
• July 2004: Announced the expansion of new channels as a result of the launch of the Anik F2 satellite.
• May 2005: Launched the dual tuner High Definition Digital Video Recorder.
• Nov 2005: TCM (Turner Classic Movies) is introduced to the Canadian market for the first time.
• Sep 2006: AMC (American Movie Classics) is introduced to the Canadian market for the first time.
• Oct 2006: A&E HD, Discovery HD and SRC HD (Montréal) launch on October 12, 2006. Super Écran HD launches October 30, 2006.
• Dec 2006: Showcase HD and National Geographic HD launch on December 19, 2006 bringing the total amount of free HD channels to 17.
• Jan 2007: Launched the DSR317 receiver, featuring a faster processor than previous Standard Definition receivers, and picture-in-guide. Superstation WGN was swapped for the local Chicago feed on January 17, 2007.
• Feb 2007: Launched the DSR207 receiver, featuring a faster processor than previous Standard Definition receivers, and picture-in-guide.
• Mar 2007: Star Choice announces the addition of GOL-TV, World Fishing Network, WGN-HD and HDNet.
• Mar 2007: Star Choice celebrates its 10 Year Anniversary
• Jun 2007: Séries+ HD and Canal Vie HD launch on May 31, 2007. MuchMusic and TLN move to essentials and PunchMuch is removed. Casino and Gaming Television was added on June 5, 2007 to the essentials package.
• Jul/Aug 2007: A new interactive program guide was deployed to all DSR505's and DVR530's. The new interactive program guide introudced new features such as instant on capability (Guide will load within 3 minutes after power failure), support for Open TV and support for 8PSK modulation.
• Sep 2007: PPV HD, MMore HD, Movie Central HD2, Canal Z, ABC West HD were added to the line-up
• Oct 2007: Added NHL Centre Ice package to the line-up
• Dec 2007: Teletoon Retro was added to the line-up. Viewer's Choice and Canal Indigo PPV was dropped in favour of Shaw PPV
• Feb 2008: Speed Channel HD, NASCAR Hot Pass and Wild TV was added to the line-up
• May 2008: Sun TV Toronto, Citytv Winnipeg, Global Maritimes, and CBC Saskatchewan dropped from the lineup.
• Aug 2008: TFO was dropped from the line-up
• Sep 2008: TSN2 and TSN2 HD was added to the line-up
• Oct 2008: HBO Canada, HBO Canada HD and The FRAME HD was added to the line-up. Also, Xtreme Sports dropped from the lineup because of the demise of the channel.
• Dec 2008: Star Choice launched the DSR209 receiver. BigTen and BigTen HD was added to the line-up.
• Jan 2009: Star Choice celebrates the sale of its 2 millionth receiver. Also, The Accessible Channel launches.
• Feb 2009: Star Choice launched the DSR319 receiver.
• April 15, 2009: Star Choice officially becomes Shaw Direct.
• April 30, 2009: Shaw Direct drops Buffalo, New York TV stations WGRZ, WIVB-TV & WKBW-TV, and Detroit Fox station WJBK.
• July 2009: TV Land Canada, Court TV Canada & BBC Kids dropped from the lineup.
• October 2009 The Score HD launched, and DIY Network launched to replace Fine Living Canada.
• November 2009 Nickelodeon Canada launched to replace Discovery Kids.
• March 1, 2010: Sex TV and Drive-In Classics will be removed from the Shaw Direct lineup. They will be replaced by W Movies on channel 634/216 and Sundance on channel 635/217. This was decided by the broadcaster. OASIS HD launches and is included in the HD Extra Bundle. In addition, Yoopa launches, as Yoopa makes the first satellite TV debut solely on Shaw Direct since Big Ten in December 2008, and the first TV channel to debut under the Shaw Direct name but not on rival Bell TV.
• August 2010: Shaw Direct launched a more advanced dual tuner High Definition Digital Video Recorder (HDPVR630).
• October 2010: Sportsnet One added to the lineup.
• November 2010: Shaw Direct launched a new advanced High Definition receiver- HDDSR605
• November 4, 2010: Shaw Direct adds NBA League Pass, AUX, Bite & The Pet Network to the lineup.
• January 31, 2011: Global Maritimes is re-added to the lineup.
• July 4, 2011: Shaw Direct launched a new compact, essential High Definition receiver- HDDSR600
• September 2011: RDS2, Télétoon Rétro, Mlle & TVA Sports added to the lineup.
• October 6, 2011: A software error knocks out Anik F2, one of the two satellites serving Shaw Direct customers, for approximately one day.^[3][4][5]
• February 2012: Shaw Direct began implementing simultaneous substitution for the Global HD station (ch. 256) for all of its customers, a practice they had previously only applied to areas where they were legally required.
• March 2012: HDNet dropped in favour of Space HD and Dusk removed due to channel's demise.
• Late, 2012: Shaw Direct will broadcast from 3 satellites instead of 2. An important agreement was signed in early 2010 to acquire space on the 3rd satellite, which should be available by late 2012.

Technical information[link]

A Shaw Direct 45x60cm dish, with new triple satellite LNB compatible with Anik F1, Anik F2 and Anik G1

The system requires an elliptical antenna of at least 45x60cm in size with a special LNB pair built as one unit to accommodate the narrow 3.8° spacing between satellites; the receiver uses the Motorola-proprietary Digicipher II system which has so far been virtually free of the problems with pirate decryption that have plagued other providers such as rival Bell TV.^{[citation needed]} The standard 18" DBS antennas used by other providers are not compatible with this system as the signals differ in both frequency and polarization, because Shaw Direct is relayed via FSS satellites, Anik F1 and F2 in this case.

Services and pricing[link]

A 2005-07 Ford Focus wagon from Star Choice

Shaw Direct currently features over 450 channels including all major Canadian & American networks, popular specialty services, PPV, sports packages and over 30 High Definition channels. Key services include:

• multiple feeds from various affiliate stations of U.S. networks, including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and PBS; these feeds come from Detroit (Fox excluded), Rochester (Rochester, New York) (Fox only), Seattle and Spokane.¹
• The Movie Network, Movie Central & Super Channel (English-language premium movie services)
• Super Écran (French-language premium movie service)
• Pay Per View movies and events in Standard and High Definition from Shaw PPV
• NBA League Pass
• NFL Sunday Ticket
• NHL Centre Ice
• Sportsnet World (Premium sports service airing Soccer & Rugby)
• Hustler TV, Penthouse TV, Playboy TV & Red Hot TV (Adult channels)
• 40 commercial-free digital music channels provided by Galaxie
• 49 Canadian commercial radio stations
• 7 local FM radio stations from Spokane

The monthly packages range from $27 for the basic service, up to $98.99 for specialty and movie channels. Individual premium and specialty channels can also be purchased. Ultimate All-In which includes unlimited PPV and some specialty choice channels (WildTV, etc.) and Ultimate All-In Adult (WildTV, etc.) which includes unlimited PPV and adult programming are $199 and $299 respectively. The receivers range from $99 for a basic system to $399 for a high-definition personal video recorder.

In addition, Shaw Direct provides specialty services

• Home Away From Home: Allows for programming at a secondary location
• Seasonal Break: Allows you to temporarily suspend programming anywhere from 14 days and up to 180 days, with an automatic reconnect date
• Refer-A-Friend: When referring new customers to the service, you are eligible to receive up to a month of free programming

See also[link]

• Shaw Broadcast Services (formerly CANCOM)
• List of Shaw Direct channels
• Pay television content descriptors

References[link]

External links[link]

• Shaw Direct

v t e Telecommunications (general) History Beacons Broadcasting Communications satellites Computer networks Drums Electrical telegraphs Fax Heliographs Hydraulic telegraphs Internet Mass media Mobile phones Optical telegraphy Photophones Radio Radiotelephones Telegraphy Telephones The Telephone Cases Television Undersea telegraph lines Videophones Pioneers Edwin Howard Armstrong John Logie Baird Alexander Graham Bell Tim Berners-Lee Jagadish Chandra Bose Vint Cerf Claude Chappe Lee De Forest Philo Farnsworth Reginald Fessenden Elisha Gray Guglielmo Marconi Alexander Stepanovich Popov Johann Philipp Reis Nikola Tesla Alfred Vail Charles Wheatstone Vladimir K. Zworykin Media Coaxial cable Free-space optical Optical fiber Radio waves Telephone lines Terrestrial microwave Networks ARPANET BITNET Ethernet FidoNet ISDN Internet Local area Mobile NGN Packet switched Public Switched Telephone Radio Television Telex Wide area World Wide Web Wireless Geographic v t e Telecommunications in Africa Sovereign states Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe States with limited recognition Azawad Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland Dependencies and other territories Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla / Plazas de soberanía (Spain) Madeira (Portugal) Mayotte / Réunion (France) Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Western Sahara v t e Telecommunications in Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Burma (Myanmar) Cambodia People's Republic of China Cyprus East Timor (Timor-Leste) Egypt Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen States with limited recognition Abkhazia Nagorno-Karabakh Northern Cyprus Palestine Republic of China (Taiwan) South Ossetia Dependencies and other territories British Indian Ocean Territory Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Hong Kong Macau v t e Telecommunications in Europe Sovereign states Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales States with limited recognition Abkhazia Kosovo Nagorno-Karabakh Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria Dependencies and other territories Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Jersey Isle of Man Svalbard Other entities European Union v t e Telecommunications in North America Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States Dependencies and other territories Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Curaçao Greenland Guadeloupe Martinique Montserrat Navassa Island Puerto Rico Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saba Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten Turks and Caicos Islands United States Virgin Islands v t e Telecommunications in Oceania Sovereign states Australia East Timor (Timor-Leste) Fiji Indonesia Kiribati Marshall Islands Federated States of Micronesia Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu Dependencies and other territories American Samoa Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands Easter Island French Polynesia Guam Hawaii New Caledonia Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Pitcairn Islands Tokelau Wallis and Futuna v t e Telecommunications in South America Sovereign states Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela Dependencies and other territories Aruba Bonaire Curaçao Falkland Islands French Guiana South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

v t e Telecommunications in Canada Terrestrial and Satellite Satellite Bell TV Shaw Direct Cable1 BC CityWest Novus Omineca Prairies Access Shaw Westman Ontario Cogeco Rogers Source Quebec Axion Cablevision Dery Vidéotron Atlantic EastLink See also Defunct cable and DBS companies of Canada IPTV Bell Aliant Bell Fibe TV MTS SaskTel Max Telus TBaytel MMDS Craig Wireless Americas Canada Europe Africa, Asia, and Oceania 1Providers sorted by primary service area; some providers may also serve significant portions of other regions.

v t e Shaw Communications Inc. Corporate directors Adrian Burns · Jim Dinning · George Galbraith · Ronald Joyce · Charles Keating · Don Mazankowski · Michael O'Brien · Harold Roozen · Jeffrey Royer · Bradley Shaw · Jim Shaw · J.R. Shaw · J.C. Sparkman · John S. Thomas · Bill Yuill Broadcast television (Global) CFRE Regina • CFSK Saskatoon • CHAN Vancouver • CHBC Kelowna • CICT Calgary • CIHF Halifax • CIII Toronto • CISA Lethbridge • CITV Edmonton • CJBN Kenora • CKMI Montreal • CKND Winnipeg Cable television/ specialty channels Action • BBC Canada • Cable 141 • CPAC • DejaView • DIY Network • Food Network • Global Reality Channel • HGTV • Historia • History Television • IFC • MovieTime • Mystery TV • National Geographic Channel • Nat Geo Wild • Séries+ • Shaw PPV • Shaw TV1 • Showcase • Showcase Diva • Slice • The Cave • TVtropolis • Twist TV Other assets Shaw Broadcast Services • Shaw Business Solutions • Shaw Direct • Shaw Media • Shaw Rocket Fund • Shaw Tracking Historical brands and predecessors Alliance Atlantis • Canwest • Mountain Cablevision • Videon Cablesystems • Western International Communications Related companies Corus Entertainment 1Community channels owned by Shaw Cablesystems. Many of the assets listed above are only partially owned by Shaw. Refer to full asset list for detailed information. Annual revenue: $2.46 billion CAN (11% FY 2006) · Employees: 8,200 (FY 2006) · Stock symbols: TSX: SJR.A NYSE: SJR · Website: www.shaw.ca

v t e Cable, satellite, and other specialty television providers in the United States Cable Adams Cable Advanced Cable Communications Astound Broadband Atlantic Broadband Armstrong Telephone Company Allegiance Communications Blue Ridge Communications Bright House Networks Broadstripe Buckeye CableSystem Cable One Cablevision Champion Broadband Charter Cobridge Communications Comcast Cox Communications Emery Telcom FairPoint Communications GCI Hargray Insight Knology MCV Broadband Mediacom Midcontinent Communications Northland Cable Television OneLink RCN Satview Broadband Service Electric SRT Suddenlink Time Warner Cable Truvista Communications US Cable Wave Broadband Western Broadband Windjammer Communications WOW! Xfinity (Comcast) Satellite Claro DirecTV (Channels) Dish Network (Channels) Glorystar GlobeCast HITS IPTV Claro Hawaiian Telcom NEP Datastream TV Sky Angel (Channels) SureWest U-verse (AT&T) Fiber FiOS (Verizon) (Channels) FiOptics (Cincinnati Bell) Defunct cable TV Adelphia Alameda Power and Telecom AT&T Broadband MediaOne/Continental Cablevision Tele-Communications Inc. Bresnan Communications Graceba Total Communications Jones Intercable King Videocable Marcus Cable NPG Cable Paragon Cable Precis Communications Rapid Communications UA-Columbia Cablevision Defunct satellite AlphaStar PrimeStar USSB Voom Defunct IPTV VDC Qwest Choice TV Defunct terrestrial USDTV Americas Canada Europe Africa, Asia, and Oceania United States