Programs on Family.ca Without Cable or Satellite

[JodithPWorld]

Hi Folks:

My girlfriend would like to cancel cable, but it appears that for her daughters to watch The Next Step, the only way we are able to do that is by getting Family.ca over cable or satellite.

Is there a way to watch this program with an over-the-top device like Apple TV

[TVViewer]

Hi Folks:

My girlfriend would like to cancel cable, but it appears that for her daughters to watch The Next Step, the only way we are able to do that is by getting Family.ca over cable or satellite.

Is there a way to watch this program with an over-the-top device like Apple TV

Each season of The Next Step is $25 dollars on Apple's iTunes. However, that's just one season of one show. I'm going to assume they watch more shows on Family and/or other channels than that.


Access to kids channels like Family, YTV, Disney, Nickelodeon, etc.. is one of the reasons I would never cancel my Shaw Direct subscription. While services like Netflix and shomi offer many kids programs, theses are past seasons, not new episodes. and they don't include every kids show. I think it's very selfish for people who cancel cable to just assume that their child will be okay missing the shows they currently watch in favor of entirely different shows, so I give you both credit for trying to find out if their favorite shows will still be available to them before you decide whether or not to cancel cable and deny them access to Family.

[InMontreal]

Access to kids channels like Family, YTV, Disney, Nickelodeon, etc.. is one of the reasons I would never cancel my Shaw Direct subscription.

Ignore this Shaw Media employee who tries his best to promote his beloved company, disguised as legitimate forum comments... Shameless plugs. Pfffft.

Feel free to check the catalogs of Netflix, CraveTV and Shomi to find out what they're offering.
The Next Step is produced by Temple Street Productions : http://www.templestreetproductions.c.../the_next_step
They signed a deal with Netflix for distribution in the UK : http://www.facebook.com/NewOnNetflix...66544260136398
This probably mean when the contract of past seasons with Family expires, Netflix Canada should pick it up.

[TVViewer]

JodithPWorld, I have placed the user "InMontreal" on ignore and I suggest you do as well. Since you are a new member, you may not realize that nothing he posts is accurate. He doesn't use facts for his posts, he uses baseless assumptions. He also claims to know my employment, I have never stated to him or anyone what my employment is. Every single view I post is my own and no company is telling me what views to express. InMontreal however has an obsessive hatred for media companies (especially Bell and Shaw Media) and obsessively rants about things he wants for employees of these companies to lose their jobs, since he has convinced himself that i'm an employee of one of these companies he hates, he extends his disturbing miserable attitude towards me. Just ignore him.

How to put InMontreal on ignore:

Click on his profile, then on the left hand side click "Add user to ignore list". You will still see when he replied, but all you will see is "This message is hidden because InMontreal is on your ignore list."

Again, I give props to you for making sure you know how to get new episodes of The Next Step BEFORE making the decision to get rid of cable, had The Next Step not been available for purchase on iTunes i'm sure your kids would have been disappointed.

[PokerFace]

Don't put anybody on ignore unless they personally attack or upset you with the comments they make. I have yet to find anybody worthy of ignoring here, or anywhere else. Generally, only moderators get in my way, or do things that get under my skin. This site happens to have a wonderful moderator, although that's because he happens to let us do our own moderating for the most part.

[PokerFace]

Temple Street Productions is responsible for a lot of quality productions ... but that doesn't mean you can't watch the content they offer from other sources.

When parents cut the cord, children often complain about what they are missing. That's when the parents look around and try to find what their kids are asking for, or they simply try to substitute other content that their kids might like just as much, or perhaps even more.

[PokerFace]

With The Next Step, there are several options you can take advantage of, if you decide to cut the cord. Oddly enough, it's actually easier to use soft piracy methods (VPN/DNS or filmon.com, etc.) to watch current or past episodes, than it is to look for the episodes on pirate websites (streaming or downloading -- other than torrents).

Note: I'm breaking my responses up into several posts, so that if something needs to be deleted, it's easier to remove the offending content, while still leaving my other "safer" comments.

[PokerFace]

Most parents don't want to introduce piracy to their children. However, some parents don't consider streaming American Netflix or Hulu content from Canada as piracy. It's a slippery slope, but if it's not illegal to stream copyrighted content from the Internet, that's often seen as a green light for greater acceptance of said action.

The entertainment industry generally considers any form of copyright infringement as piracy, so what I'm about to mention is obviously not going to be something that is enjoyable for them to read.

[PokerFace]

As with most things (even with free Over the Air content that can be viewed or recorded using an antenna), one can pay for content using iTunes, VUDU, or other services. But what if you could find the content for free online? Then what?

[PokerFace]

Let's start with Hulu. The first two seasons of The Next Step can be found on Hulu, but only a few episodes are free (just like on the Family Channel website, I assume), whereas a subscription will get you the rest of the first two seasons (at least I assume all the episodes are there).

You have to jump through a lot of Hula hoops to subscribe to Hulu from Canada, but it can be done. Some consider that piracy, regardless of how you do it.

[PokerFace]

Perhaps the easiest way to watch the current season three of The Next Step is to watch online using the filmon.com website. As a Canadian, you get free access to clear enough live streams (at least most of the channel streams are live) from various parts of the world, including the United Kingdom where the BBC Children's channels carries The Next Step. The schedule is listed on the site, but if you don't want to be limited to live streams airing on the weekends, without a video-on-demand opportunity, that's when the best option of streaming directly from the BBC Children's website is your best option.

[PokerFace]

The problem with filmon.com is that some of the channels are not live, or they show other content while various channels are off the air for a few hours a day. So, that makes it difficult to know if the BBC Children's channel is currently airing BBC 3 content because the children's channel is currently off the air, or is it a filmon error ... and thus no children's channel content is ever shown. I don't know because I never watch that channel.

[PokerFace]

And finally, this is the best source, and it's free (unless you want to PAY for a VPN/DNS service for perhaps easier access for tablet, etc., use):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...he-war-is-over

This is why the Internet is so dangerous/wonderful in its current form. At some point, as more and more people use/abuse the loopholes, these obvious loopholes will need to be closed, or made more difficult to abuse (subscriber credentials, no VPN/DNS access,etc.).

[InMontreal]

OMG, busted ! If you have put me on ignore, the only way you been made aware of my message is if you're ignoring me by resisting the temptation of replying, because the forum ignoring function is much more effective.

It's hilarious.
Me : Santa doesn't exist.
TVViewer : Noooo! Don't listen to him ! NOBODY shoud listen to him ! Nothing he posts is accurate. Santa DOES exists and I have proof : Look at all the xmas-themed movies on our Shaw Media (plug) channels. You cannot and won't cut cable. Employees of media companies lost their jobs because he cut cable. If you do too, pick Shaw Direct, because they have BC1. Pretty please. But DO NOT listen to him. Cable TV is great !

TVViewer is probably convinced TV anchor Richard Dagenais lost his morning show host position at Global Montreal because I opted to watch BT Montreal on City instead...

Back to our regular programming.

[JodithPWorld]

Each season of The Next Step is $25 dollars on Apple's iTunes. However, that's just one season of one show. I'm going to assume they watch more shows on Family and/or other channels than that.


Access to kids channels like Family, YTV, Disney, Nickelodeon, etc.. is one of the reasons I would never cancel my Shaw Direct subscription. While services like Netflix and shomi offer many kids programs, theses are past seasons, not new episodes. and they don't include every kids show. I think it's very selfish for people who cancel cable to just assume that their child will be okay missing the shows they currently watch in favor of entirely different shows, so I give you both credit for trying to find out if their favorite shows will still be available to them before you decide whether or not to cancel cable and deny them access to Family.

Well first off, It really just is "The Next Step" that they seek out from Family. I have no problems if they had to see an episode a little later than initially broadcast from Family, because they watch it on demand anyway.

Next I don't look at it as I'm "denying" the kids anything. It is no more "selfish" of me to cancel cable to lower costs, than it is "calculated" of DHX Media to set up Family in such a way as to ensure the future of dated cable and satellite services. You'd think its mandate was to artificially create a "must have" reason to need cable/sat providers. If it were up to me, I'd cancel in a HEARTBEAT. They cost WAY TOO MUCH for the dwindling value they provide. My friend has even younger kids who used to watch Nickelodeon stuff. They have no problem being entertained by whatever is offered by Apple TV and Netflix.

So don't think of people who want kids to understand the need for parents to lower costs as "selfish". I somewhat resent that.

[JodithPWorld]

Ignore this Shaw Media employee who tries his best to promote his beloved company, disguised as legitimate forum comments... Shameless plugs. Pfffft.

Feel free to check the catalogs of Netflix, CraveTV and Shomi to find out what they're offering.
The Next Step is produced by Temple Street Productions : http://www.templestreetproductions.c.../the_next_step
They signed a deal with Netflix for distribution in the UK : http://www.facebook.com/NewOnNetflix...66544260136398
This probably mean when the contract of past seasons with Family expires, Netflix Canada should pick it up.

I'll likely go with Apple TV. The friend that I previously mentioned is helping me look in to this.
:)

[JodithPWorld]

JodithPWorld, I have placed the user "InMontreal" on ignore and I suggest you do as well. Since you are a new member, you may not realize that nothing he posts is accurate. He doesn't use facts for his posts, he uses baseless assumptions. He also claims to know my employment, I have never stated to him or anyone what my employment is. Every single view I post is my own and no company is telling me what views to express. InMontreal however has an obsessive hatred for media companies (especially Bell and Shaw Media) and obsessively rants about things he wants for employees of these companies to lose their jobs, since he has convinced himself that i'm an employee of one of these companies he hates, he extends his disturbing miserable attitude towards me. Just ignore him.

How to put InMontreal on ignore:

Click on his profile, then on the left hand side click "Add user to ignore list". You will still see when he replied, but all you will see is "This message is hidden because InMontreal is on your ignore list."

Again, I give props to you for making sure you know how to get new episodes of The Next Step BEFORE making the decision to get rid of cable, had The Next Step not been available for purchase on iTunes i'm sure your kids would have been disappointed.

I'm not blocking ANYONE. First off, I have no hatred for big media companies. I wouldn't want to see people lose their jobs. But these companies also make huge cuts in their radio divisions, cap bandwidth and jack up cable costs all of the time to make shareholder profits greater. So employees get hurt by these companies ALL THE TIME. And consumers lose value. So let's not sob too much here for the giants. To me, Family.ca is a cable/sat protectionist venture, plain and simple. No one should ever be held "captive" by such means.

And as for the kids being disappointed, well please. It's not as if we wouldn't discuss pros and cons with them, or allow them to provide us alternative ideas as a course of action. They have voices too. We know that. Besides, they will actually enjoy other activities besides JUST television, by having less of it.

[JodithPWorld]

Well in the end, we may consider just going with Skinny Basic, or cancelling TV cable altogether. We hooked up a WD media box, and the kids activate their Netflix account on it, so that's working. The girls also said they can easily forego the "Next Step".

The only issue is now how to lower the cost of phone and Internet even further. We could switch providers for Internet, but we need long distance for phoning my girlfriend's parents in Texas. We want to get our complete Rogers bill to less than $100.00 and have long distance and data caps covered.