In recent years, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) has grown into a favored substitute for old-fashioned cable and satellite television. From what its audience can tell, IPTV is way more flexible, way more varied, way more cost-effective, and just generally way better at delivering TV to its viewers than the alternatives. Perhaps that is not surprising when you consider that IPTV essentially serves up viewers to the kinds of programming pipes that, say, a typical European cable subscriber could access. But while an audience gamble to favor something more European is understandable in Quebec, what is the audience doing here, in the piece that follows? 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 provides a top-notch content experience through its IPTV service, with an assortment of more than 100 channels, including a rich selection 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 navigate the service using what, in essence, is a kind of “smart TV.” Consumer Reports found Ignite TV to be easy to use, and so do we. However, like Bell’s service, Rogers’ Ignite TV might not be the best financial decision for you. You could achieve better savings if you pursued IPTV from an independent service that specializes in international content. But how much can you trust such services?
When judging the IPTV providers that are available to clients in Quebec, one must consider several really important dividing lines. The first is the most straightforward, though maybe not 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.