Using tunnel bear

I'm trying to use tunnelbear to live chat with Shaw. I click on tunnelbear and after a bit it says I have a Canadian location. Then I go to Shaw and click live chat and all I get is a about blank (screen). What am I doing wrong?

Maybe try a different browser?

If operators at Shaw Communications choose to block access from IP addresses located outside of Canada they can take steps to block access from IP addresses linked to VPN Virtual Private Network providers as well.

I live chatted with Shaw a week ago. I don't have an IP masker.

I used a VPN to live chat with them this week and they would not activate my new receiver. What do I do next?

You can activate a new receiver yourself if you sign up and log into Shaw Direct. You do need your own account to do this. Why would they not do it for you?

Actually after further review I see you still have to talk with them as a final step.

CanuckBob wrote:You can activate a new receiver yourself if you sign up and log into Shaw Direct. You do need your own account to do this. Why would they not do it for you?

You can't activate it your self anymore. I can't even sign in to Shaw today.

I signed into Shaw today without any problem. You said the livechat wouldn't do it for you. Why not?

On the other board, some folks are posting that one can not get Shaw Direct in Mexico anymore. Being up north and coming back next week I hope that they are wrong and perhaps just have older receivers.

Is Shaw Direct still working down there using a newer receiver?

Total BS Pete. My Shaw is working with no problems. Both SD and HD. I have even picked up a few more HD channels in the past few weeks. I have a 630PVR with the new style LNB.

Thank God, Bob. I have had Shaw Direct (then Star Choice) since 2000 and when they activated the then Anik F1 on February 21, 2001 I had brought a receiver down with me, and have had it ever since.

We didn't know any better in those days, so the satellite installers used a 2.4 meter in diameter satellite dish to pick up the signal.

Up north I am getting fewer channel in both SD & HD and now they are only in HD, which makes sense, as SD is slowly going away.

Mine's working OK. Also, I'm registered as an RV customer, so where I am is not an issue. Though I always say Saskatchewan.

Pete, I have not lost any channels. Most people experiencing problems probably have the older LNB which Shaw has been warning about.

Mike, RV customer or not, they no longer offer or allow service outside of Canada so best to never mention that you are.

The channels I have lost up north are the SD versions of the Seattle channels. I still receive then in HD though. So it would appear that they are simply upgrading to only HD when it is available.

Are you still getting them both in SD and HD?

Maybe that's why it appears I have more HD channels now. I have the full package with what seems like hundreds of channel's so hard to keep up.....jaja.

What channels are you refering to? I'll check.

I do not remember what the channel numbers are for the SD signals that I no longer get up north. But using the old or Classical Star choice scheduling, I get the Seattle HD channels 63, 64, 65, 66 & 67. I just checked and the schedule shows that I should still get those channels in SD at 379, 380, 381, 382, & 383. But I don't.

The Seattle HD channels that I get, are, NBC at 63, ABC at 64, CBS, at 65 FOX at 66, and PBS at 67

CanuckBob wrote:Total BS Pete. My Shaw is working with no problems. Both SD and HD. I have even picked up a few more HD channels in the past few weeks. I have a 630PVR with the new style LNB.

Ditto.....same here.

I sure hope you folks are right. But I can not receive the SD feeds from Seattle any more, Just the HD feeds, which is all I want anyway.

Are you saying that you are getting both the SD and HD feeds for Seattle on different channels? It was my understanding that they were slowly giving up having two feeds of the same channel, one in HD and the other in SD.

Yes I am getting more HD channels too, but I am not picking up as many in of those channels repeated in SD anymore to include the duplicate Seattle channels.

Pete, I still get all those channeis in SD but on my system they are not the networks. I don't even see any Seattle channels. I do get ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS from both Spokane and Detroit in both SD and HD.

CanuckBob wrote:I signed into Shaw today without any problem. You said the livechat wouldn't do it for you. Why not?

He had various excuses. He wrote that too many people were taking advantage of Shaw (I pay $131 per month and have one TV and one receiver). I was trying to activate a new receiver in the casista but was using the computer in the house. He said the receiver had to be in front of me while I was on the computer. And other excuses.

Here is a link to a series of Shaw Direct articles explaining what is happening and why some channels are disappearing:

https://www.shawdirect.ca/english/support/search?p=HD%20Network%20Upgrade&at=Setup%20and%20How-to

Here is a summary of the articles for those who don't like hyperlinks:

Shaw has been converting their all their channels from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 since 2017.  They completed the conversion of all their HD channels in October 2018 and are continuing with the conversion of their SD channels.  2019 will see most/all remaining SD channels converted to the new format.  Those of us with older receivers will be getting few, if any, channels by the end of 2019.  The "missing" SD channels are still there... but in MPEG-4 format which the older receivers can't decode. Those of you with a newer MPEG-4 capable receiver have probably seen little or no change in your channel line up... yet.  That may come if Shaw migrates more channels to the new satellite.  Shaw continues to encourage all customers to do the required upgrades so they can continue to receive channels from all three satellites so I am hoping this means there are no immediate plans to go to a single satellite.  A list of receivers which support MPEG-4 is included in one of the articles as is the 2019 conversion schedule of the remaining SD channels.
I don't believe there is any need for those of us in Mexico to upgrade to the new LNB as the upgrade is only required to receive channels from the new satellite who's footprint does not extend this far south.

I suggest anyone concerned about what is happening with Shaw Direct read all the articles because they explain the situation better than I can.

Really liked the RCAF Ret response. It made sense

I wonder what the difference is between refresh and activate. I haven't been able to activate mine but I get channel 531 (CTV2) and it says I need a refresh (I suspect they mean activation).

Yes, it needs to be activated if you have not done so and you do need to be sitting in front of it when you do so. They need all sorts of info from the status screen. I'm sure they suspected you were "stacking" a receiver for a friend when you told them you couldn't get in front of it. Call again while you are in front of it and I'm sure it won't be a problem. Make sure you have your Canadian address and phone number that the account is tied to.