Canada’s IPTV services industry has seen a dramatic increase in user uptake in recent years. The concept of lowering your month-to-month cable subscription expenses while significantly increasing the amount of content that you can access with your media setup is too enticing an opportunity for many customers to refuse, and the new subscription numbers reflect that. Most of these people are here because of the fantastic community that does everything from reviewing services to answering questions about different forms of content, to helping people with troubleshooting their existing services and providing readers with info about the hottest next new thing in the industry. The IPTV community has a fandom aspect of its own, and the various actors find that their services add more and more to their roster as their time with the services progresses. But other readers are here to assess the new platforms under consideration and to see what people have to say about the legal and functional reliability of the services. Many of the platform’s other users have already been exactly where you are right now, and they have documented history to prove it. If you look hard enough, then you will find the answers to some questions that you have about IPTV solutions in Canada. These people are learning about alternatives like IPTV to change the math on the lost sale.
What is IPTV?
Internet Protocol Television, or IPTV, uses an internet connection instead of traditional cable or satellite systems to deliver television programming. It is part of a growing trend that pushes programs to your device so you can watch what you want, when you want. In short, it streams content to your device. That means you’re no longer tied to a specific configuration with a set-top box, and schedules with different programming (i.e., channels) like traditional TV. And depending on the technology, you can potentially watch some, if not all, of that content using the same device you’re currently using to read this. The advantages of IPTV are that it uses an internet connection instead of a coaxial cable connection and everything that implies (on-demand content, streaming content, internet and phone packages), and it can potentially be watched on various devices – a tablet, a computer, a phone or a smart TV. Like many new services, it is often less expensive. Many new cable subscribers will often find competitive prices, especially when bundled with telephone and internet service.
The Rise of IPTV in Canada
Canada’s Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service industry has noticeably grown over the last few years as residents have quickly begun to increase their demand for a more flexible and personalized television experience. Due to a nationwide decrease in the traditional subscription to cable, people have been quickly dropping their remotes and tuning in to IPTV. This situation has transpired due to the rise in live streaming and the rapid increase in high-speed internet around the country.
In Canada, there are now numerous IPTV Providers – all offering their own list of channels and unique features to capture sales from diverse audiences. While some users will simply sell ‘more’ channels or unpopular niche content, others will focus more on the interface of the channels and other features like enhanced recording. Price will also be a huge differentiating point, as some buyers and users of IPTV will simply want cheaper cable channels that still provide respectable quality.
This can be effective for selling to potential buyers and making certain users change their ways, but another big issue will be how certain countries handle movie piracy and the broadcasting of sports games. These concerns basically extend to how certain countries police and punish criminals for these crimes, and whether or not they have the technology or care to do so. Below, I will provide an example where I think two countries may have completely different outlooks on this problem.
Reddit as a Resource for IPTV Canada
Reddit has become the go-to source for Canadians to gather information about IPTV services. Subreddits like r/IPTV and r/CanadianTV give people the chance to read honest reviews and make an educated decision on the product.
Many threads on r/iptv and r/canadiantv range from people’s personal experiences, all the way to awesome recommendations. All of these people have tested the exact same product as you–businesses cannot mess with the power of the customer in a structured, review-based culture.
This also gives the tens of thousands of people the chance to read about their product, making them more likely to succeed based on the reviews. A lot of classic, corporate reviews (some) are sloppily done by a c- or d-tier writer from a 3rd world country for $10.00. That is not the case at Reddit, as it is a great platform to have meaningful interactions with your customer base.
Key Discussions on IPTV Canada Reddit
In Canada, the rise of IPTV services has created a rich, dynamic user community. All across comment sections, forums, threads, and other Internet hotspots, these users share their experiences and advice on what to look for with particular IPTV providers—whether it be from a sheer user satisfaction perspective (e.g. “I always get great service,” or “tons of channels!”) or in terms of the importance of proper community research (e.g. “they’re a rip-off”).
As with any IPTV service, a lot can go wrong. Users are right to explore the areas of bad customer service, fee scamming, or catastrophic performance outages.
On the other hand, many general discussion topics in these communities cover the legal implications of where to find and download a good, reliable list. How deep of a dive should you take into the legality of it all? For some prospective users and/or ex-satellite subscribers, this issue may be the nature of your discussion for a few weeks.
That being said, it is a great achievement to put the resources of a community, users-on-users, channeling, and the simplistic bravado of the Internet (thanks, Reddit) together under a compatible discussion. It that doesn’t guarantee the satisfaction of your IPTV services in return—well, who knows what will?
How to Choose the Right IPTV Service in Canada
Channel selection is the most important consideration when looking at IPTV services. Do they have the channels that you watch? If you’re looking at local, national, and global channels, does your target service carry them? Some IPTV providers will carry literally thousands of channels, so it might be a good idea to check whether your favorites are on the list (by channel or category; think: sports, news, entertainment, etc. The more of your preferred channels that one service carries, the better bang for your cable-cutting buck you’re going to get!
Next up, look at the pricing for the IPTV service. Some IPTV services are really budget-friendly and others will run you in the hundreds of dollars each week. Like any consumer considering a product or service, think about your budget bottom line and how the pricing will impact that—not only today but in the midterm or long term. Do they have any hidden fees or non-cancelable contracts? Will your price suddenly triple after the first month?
Reliable customer service is a key consideration that you do not want to regret not being able to find help when you most need it! Does the IPTV provider have reliable customer service? How do you reach someone when problems occur? Are they available during downtime? How responsive and reliable are they? What formats (live chat, email icons, or info button telephone) of customer service do they offer? What are others saying (real views or testimonials) about their IPTV platform’s performance and their customer service? You could also ask for others’ opinions on Reddit, for instance, where others seem to have the best luck with delivery and responses at higher engagement times.
After you decide on the top three feature requirements — channel set, price, and customer service to narrow it down – the best way to find an IPTV service that fits your profile is to ask yourself a few key questions! Scan out known preferred interests or similar others’ choices fora list of competitive, tried-and-true providers that are still up and running and have yet to switch ownership, domains, or branding to purge customer support digital and live backup channels. Then go from there.
Legal Considerations for IPTV in Canada
For anyone in Canada considering using, operating or promoting an IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) Service, it is good to have an understanding of the law. IPTV services can carry many types of video content, from live television broadcasts to movies and series on demand. Some may allow users to access coveted copyrighted content for which no license has been obtained to allow for the making of copies. Therein lies the problem. Both providers and users could face fines and other penalties for making, distributing and displaying these unauthorized copies.
IPTV service users in Canada should try to choose a service that has been licensed to broadcast the wanted content. This can be difficult to sort out as not all rebroadcasting is unlawful. The CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) regulates broadcasting in Canada and has issued many licences allowing for the rebroadcasting of copyrighted signals. Copyright holders and the authorities are waging a constant battle against unauthorized rebroadcasting and the dissemination of contact. Most users should consider the potential legal consequences before attempting to access these unauthorized streams. Live and let live, as they say. Keep out of the drama.
Reddit is your friend when trying to find an IPTV provider in Canada. There are numerous subreddits that discuss and review the many options out there, giving you the low down on each service, which makes sure you’re well-informed into how they perform. Backup solutions provided by the community are also something that happens all the time, so it’s worth having a look there if you’re wanting to see what’s hot right now and what services are having issues.
People also often make Reddit posts about new features and things that they have recently discovered about a service. This gives Reddit a unique feel because it’s all real-time and you’re able to see all the quirks or features of an application or a service as they’re found.
The people are generally kind (they only get irritated if you ask questions that are asked frequently). Being there for a while because of this, you see the first-world “literally unplayable” mentality quite a lot, so definitely be sure to see the story for yourself first and then make a judgment. Because remember, these services aren’t inherently or typically known for providing amazing user experiences. Because of this, you get a lot of teething issues with pretty much every service.