# Bell ExpressVu viability



## Bob Trapp (Feb 18, 2003)

Can anyone tell me the viability of using Bell ExpressVu here in the states? Is there any movement in the congress to restrict what BEV can transmit to the US?

How is their equipment, primarily receivers? I have a E* 6000 receiver and it is not very impressive. Is the BEV 6000 HDTV receiver better?

Any information would be appreciated. I am in SW Oregon and would also like to hear about reception.

Thanks much


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## RJS1111111 (Mar 23, 2002)

So far, reverse grey market subscription has not received much attention from our congress. Let's hope it stays that way.

ExpressVu would be in violation of its operating license if it were to knowingly provide a subscription to someone who does not reside in Canada. This is why you should never connect a phone line to a Canadian subscription receiver, if it is not in Canada.

You generally subscribe through a broker using a specific Canadian residence address, which is not actually yours, and may not actually exist. You thereby get to watch content that the providers intended for distribution to Canadians, and at pricing intended for Canadians (plus the broker fee of course).

Echostar makes the receivers used by ExpressVu. The downloaded software is similar, but not identical. I would not expect a BEV 6000 HDTV receiver to be significantly superior. In fact, it is currently inferior to the DISH equivalent, since the optional OTA receiver module is not sold with the BEV receiver or supported by the BEV software. So, if you want to receive (for example) Portland HD channels OTA, you can't (conveniently) use the BEV receiver for that.

Reception of ExpressVu DBS signals from 82 and 91 degrees west longitude is very good, all over the lower 48 states. You can point a DISH 500 to receive signals from both of these slots. If you want to reduce occasional "rain fade" (actually mainly storm cloud blockage in my experience), you can instead use a pair of 24" dishes, or perhaps a 90 cm or larger dish with multiple feeds.


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## n0qcu (Mar 23, 2002)

RJS1111111 said:


> Echostar makes the receivers used by ExpressVu. The downloaded software is similar, but not identical. I would not expect a BEV 6000 HDTV receiver to be significantly superior. In fact, it is currently inferior to the DISH equivalent, since the optional OTA receiver module is not sold with the BEV receiver or supported by the BEV software. So, if you want to receive (for example) Portland HD channels OTA, you can't (conveniently) use the BEV receiver for that.


Correction: The OTA module *is* supported by expressview.


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## RJS1111111 (Mar 23, 2002)

n0qcu said:


> Correction: The OTA module *is* supported by expressview.


Then I stand corrected. Originally, it wasn't.


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## RJS1111111 (Mar 23, 2002)

ExpressVu now wants to show the Canadian government that it is doing all it can to comply with the terms of its license. ExpressVu has begun enforcing land-line telephone connections to its subscribed receivers. This makes brokered subscriptions difficult or impossible.

StarChoice so far is apparently not going to great lengths to enforce the same requirement, making it the only remaining viable choice for a brokered subscription to a Canadian service.


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## FarNorth (Nov 27, 2003)

Is there any way to set up a DVR with StarChoice, either built-in or external?


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## Kryspy (Jan 11, 2003)

Hi,

Yes, TIVO works fine with StarChoice or any other external DVR for that matter. HTPC as well.

Kryspy


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## SamC (Jan 20, 2003)

Bob Trapp said:


> Can anyone tell me the viability of using Bell ExpressVu here in the states? Is there any movement in the congress to restrict what BEV can transmit to the US?


More than a movement. It is already the law, and always has been. BEV cannot sell you anything if you live outside of Canada. To subscribe you must go through a "grey market" service.

If you mean, will the US or the Canadian government try to do something to sap the grey market, I doubt it. Its a few thousand people. The enforcement costs would be huge on the US side, and there really is nothing in it for the Canadian government.


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## FarNorth (Nov 27, 2003)

Kryspy said:


> Hi,
> 
> Yes, TIVO works fine with StarChoice or any other external DVR for that matter. HTPC as well.
> 
> Kryspy


How about recording HD?


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