What happened to Telus' 4K basic offerings?

[Jymn]

On Feb 12, I cancelled Telus to go to Shaw for the updated modem and 4K TV boxes (my Telus equipment was almost six years old). After signing on to Shaw, I was surprised that Shaw offered only a couple of 4K channels (TSN & Sportsnet). I switched back to Telus, mostly for the half dozen 4K channels I've enjoyed for the past few years.

However, when I installed the new Optic 4K box yesterday, I found there are only two 4K channels I could find (just like Shaw).

Only 2-3 weeks ago, my Telus plan had these 4K channels as part of basic programming that are now gone: Travel TV (ch 716), NASA UHD (719), scenery 4K channel (26), and a handful of 4K Stingray video channels. None of these exist now (NASA 4K is now part of Knowledge Theme Pack).

Additionally, when I used to change the channel with my six-year old Optic box, the channels changed without any latency. Now when I change channels, the screen goes black, displays the new channel information before going to the channel itself. There's now a 2-3 second delay. Plus, when I navigate the guide to record future programs, the guide is so slow I have to keep waiting for it to catch up and I eventually give up.

Instead of going to the future of 4K, I feel like I'm back in the 20th century when HD first came out. Instead of a faster, more comprehensive offering for television, Telus has gone backward in time. The paucity of 4K is puzzling. The sluggish interface is horribly slow and not all intuitive. Your site brags about 4K boxes but there's so little to 4K view in your channel selection. It's 2023 not 1998. And Telus (and Shaw) are still in the age of HD.

Also, my contract shows I have Stingray but the channels are all subscriber only and won't allow me to view.

I just spent almost two hours on the phone to try to resolve this. There was no resolution.

What's going on at Telus???

[buckycat]

Do you have one of the new Cloud PVR boxes?

Did you change packages when you switched?

[KHR]

The limited availability of 4K channels available across all of TELUS's TV products is simply a result of what is available from content providers which is mostly outside of TELUS's control - other than the mainstream sports channels, the selection is incredibly limited and the content quite niche.

It sounds like your subscription may have changed when you signed back up. Currently there are only 3 4K channels available on the next generation of Optik TV; TSN 4K (channel 905), Sportsnet 4K (920) and Sportsnet One 4K (921). We are looking to add the other 4K channels (Travel XP, Nasa, Love Nature, Inultra and RevelTV) in the near future. For now, the HD feeds of Nasa and Love Nature are available.   

The implementation of Stingray Music on the new Optik TV platform is app-based rather than channel-based. You can download the Stingray Music Android TV app from the Google Play Store and it provides you access on your set-top box included with your Optik TV subscription. You can also download the Stingray Music app to mobile devices and log in with your My TELUS username and password.

If the responsiveness isn't what you feel it should be, you might consider checking your internet connection or Wi-Fi strength.   

[buckycat]

@KHR 
Are those channels you listed the only ones not available with the new equipment?

[Jymn]

The only ones I know of. I used to spin the dial for those shows because I love the clarity and colours of 4K UHD.

And yes, it is the result of new equipment, new software. The new system reminds me of Windows in the 90's, when we used to have the hourglass until the buffering made us lose patience. I understand that cable viewers are indeed a small number but removing simple things like the ability to get info on a program is head-scratchingly un-intuitive. I am so puzzled why the previous system had no latency and you could program out to two weeks. It was powerful, fast and flexible.

Shaw is almost as bad with the same latency between channels but it does offer more functionality, as is evidenced by the "Info" button. (You can't obtain more info on a show with Telus.) A service tech for Shaw came out to check out the latency and said that's the way it's supposed to work.

It's not the modem (the speed test confirms its d/l speed is about 160); it's poor implementation of software, bad design (probably a farmed-out system used by other cable co's). My feeling is that Telus (and Shaw) have sacrificed user speed and convenience for a more full offering (Netflix etc), with little thought to the actual TV viewer. 

[Jymn]

Chat agent confirmed that software is not yet completed and that there are no instructions for using the new system. The website still has the instructions for the old system as does the agent.