Shaw has just joined Rogers, Videotron and other cable providers in Canada by providing some of its content online through its Video on Demand service. It's an interesting offer in that if you already subscribe to movie channels like Movie Central, you can watch programming online for free; if not, you will have to pay individually for movies. Television content remains sparse while Shaw works out deals with creators, many of them south of the Canadian border. Movies cost between $6 to $8 each, and television shows can be viewed for $0.99. Interestingly, you have to be a Shaw subscriber just to get the content in the first place, much like Rogers on Demand Online and other services.

Telus is taking a completely different approach. The company recentlyrebranded Telus TV into Optik, when at first blush appears to be a set top box like any other. But the key difference is that since Telus uses ADSL technology, which creates a direct link between Telus and a home customer rather than a shared connection, it can send ALL of its video content to its customers via the internet. 

Right now, that internet video can only paradoxically be viewed via your television set, but given that Telus is using your internet connection to deliver content, it makes sense that they would be able to offer you what you want to watch when you want to watch it, through your browser and eventually through your mobile devices. In fact it's surprising that they haven't offered such a service yet.

But given the generally slow pace of change Canadian broadcasters and mobile providers enjoy compared to the rest of the world, this rush online is a welcome move. We aren't yet at the point where we can call up any content we want at any time...but we're getting closer!