Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) has grown to be the popular replacement for cable and satellite television over the last decade or so. Based on its viewers’ perspective, IPTV is far more agile, far more diverse, far cheaper, and generally just a much better means of bringing television to the screen for the viewer. Maybe that isn’t a big deal when you consider that IPTV essentially hands over viewers to the sorts of programming pipes available, for example, to a fairly average European cable subscriber. But while a gamble of audience to play favorites by offering something more European is perfectly acceptable in Quebec, what is this audience doing here, as explained in the article below? First, the audience is being Sherlocked and Watsoned—that is, it is being given a look at what exactly IPTV is and isn’t.
The demand for IPTV services is on the rise in Quebec, and this is due mainly to the province’s exceptional and rich cultural makeup, as well as its varied population. IPTV has a place in Western society, but it is very much a part of Quebec’s distinct cultural landscape. Researchers have found that Quebec is a binge-watching binge-watching stronghold. According to a study completed by MELT in 2021, the French language audience in Quebec spent 13.4 hours per person per week watching screens, while the English language audience spent a not-too-distant 12.5 hours. Given that our screen time is shared with work and school during the day and with sleep at night, these numbers suggest that a significant portion of the 8 million people who live in Quebec watch screens almost as much as they interact with the people around them.
Zazeen is another important player in the IPTV market of Quebec. This telecommunications company offers a very high-quality content experience with its IPTV service, offering more than 100 channels, including a rich collection of local Quebec programming. It is as if the company knew my complaints about E-box’s customer service, and it set out to counter them, as Zazeen is known for always being available (day or night) to serve its customers. One thing I can say for Zazeen is that its understandable English is a huge asset, considering the amount of content on the television is in French. And what of the cloud? Zazeen does cover that as well.
Another major contender in the IPTV arena is Rogers’ Ignite TV. Its offering is almost a cornucopia of television, featuring a huge number of channels (not only crazy amounts of domestic channels but many international ones as well, which we’ll discuss in a minute), a gigantic video-on-demand library, and several advanced features. You can search for content via voice. You can also navigate the service using what, in effect, is a kind of “smart TV.” Consumer Reports found Ignite TV to be easy to use, and so do we. Like Bell’s service, though, Rogers’ Ignite TV may not be the best financial choice for you. You may be able to save even more money if you had gone after IPTV from an independent service that specializes in international content. How much can you trust such services?
Judging which of these IPTV providers is available to clients in Quebec entails several really important divisions. The first is probably the most obvious, although perhaps not even close to the most politically correct: Are the channels I want available from this provider in the first place? Channel selection is really key, and providers in Quebec offer anything from a “basic IA-2017” selection of the major channels to an “almost exhaustive” roster of many, many specialty channels.
The second is price. How much will this service cost me? IPTV providers in Quebec vary widely on the affordability front. … The third is streaming quality. Will I be able to watch the channels I want to watch in an “enjoyable and functional” way? … And finally, we reach the all-important tipping point of customer support.