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Popularizing OTA DTV In Canada

248K views 860 replies 222 participants last post by  rob50312 
#1 ·
Went to my local Future Shop store to ogle the big-screen TVs....(that LG 60 inch plasma looks pretty nice) and what did I see below the HD gear? This sign, which I consider misleading to say the least:

"Three things you need to receive HDTV:

1) HDTV ( I assume they mean the monitor)

2) HD Satellite or Cable box

3) HD Programming"




Not a word about the *FREE* OTA digital content available to anyone with an ATSC tuner and a decent antenna....(none of which they seem to carry, of course....)

;)

It makes me wonder how much of a kickback FS/BB is receiving from Shaw/Rogers/ExpressVu and Starchoice.....????

:mad:

Just my $0.02.....
 
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#128 ·
from insidetheCBC.com

This deals with an older news article, but it shows there is so much misinformation out there.

Please read the comments, after the blog entry. HD conversion too expensive for broadcasters: Rabinovitch

I got a little excited when one commenter's name showed up as Blake, and I thought it might be our own BlakeW, but I seriously doubt it based on the actual comment.
If I get time I'd like to post a rebuttal, unless some DHCer beats me to it ;) (please beat me to it, I have a huge project due here at work by Monday!)
 
#129 ·
El Gran Chico said:
I have my own theory on that one. For instance Bell has financial interests in CTV so they wouldn't want to advertise anything that would harm EspressVu.
Bell now has very little interest in CTV - I believe it is only 10%. Hence the renaming of the entity from "Bell Globemedia" to "CTV Globemedia". If you have driven past their complex at McCowan &401 since Jan. 1 you may have noticed this.
 
#130 ·
:D I hate to dissapoint, but it wasn't me. Although what that other Blake said are valid and likely reasons they're slow to the progression of HD programming on CBC (HNIC, RCAF, Rick Mercer, and Planet Earth aside). How long have we been begging for a HD truck out west?!?
 
#132 ·
I want to personally send a big thank you to 4DTV. I saw the article and concluded that either I've fallen behind in terrestrial broadcasting or Greg was misquoted and the article was flawed. I see now that I am behind the times. I just found the forum and plan to become an active member as I continue my convergence mission. I have the old yagi with rotor and tower already connected to my in house cctv network and analog tv tuner card. I am currently looking for my ATSC PCI card and will research the forum unless someone wants to give me advice now? I think I'm going to want an ATSC modulator soon too...
 
#134 ·
One of my elderly neighbours came up to me today, pointed at my CM4228 atop my house, and asked me for the umpteenth time in the last couple of years to explain all about digital OTA TV. He said he'd read the article in The Province and wanted to ditch Delta Cable. When I explained about the things he'd need to buy (antenna, gear, ATSC tuner or new HDTV) he thought about his pension and shrugged, deciding to stay with what he's got. I would have done the install for him for free (I've done dish installs for almost all my neighbours) but I understand that it was all too new for him and he wanted to keep his SeaTac channels from Cable TV. Anyways it was neat to consider how widespread that article was read throughout the Lower Mainland.
 
#135 ·
Have you seen the latest Frank and Gordon ads that appear immediately before the first commerical break of a HD program? Along the lines of "You could be watching this program in HD, on Bell ExpressVu".

This is precisly what I was asking CTV to do for OTA. But there's nothing in it for CTV/bellglobemedia by drawing potential satellite customers towards OTA. Even if there is just a 10% ownership in CTV.
 
#136 ·
But there's nothing in it for CTV/bellglobemedia by drawing potential satellite customers towards OTA.
The unfortunate reality is most broadcast stations don't think there is any financial benifit for having HD programming (or at least that is what they are saying to the CRTC). Unless they start to see a real loss of viewers to other stations that are providing HD programming, this probably won't change any time soon.
 
#137 ·
How's this for a reason...
Usually if I'm watching the 6:00 PM News it is my kitchen via BEV, and usually it's CBC or CTV. Tonight, I happened to be in the basement with the HDTV, and purposely chose CITY news because it was in HD. So tonight, at least, I was exposed to CITY TV's advertising. BTW I think the news is awesome in HD.
 
#138 ·
using any of your gear for anything other than actually windsurfing is considered an abomination by the wind gods. This is an offence punishable by a full season of sucker wind
lol


A little bit of info on what happened yesterday at The Source (Rad Shack). They had a plasma on display that had a built in HD tuner. I asked the sales guys there if they knew anythging about HD channels, and they all had the same answer... Rogers. I just looked at them and told them that was not 100% true. I asked them what they would say if I told them that they can recive HD channels for free over the air with a regular UHF/VHF antenna? At that point the store owner entered the discussion. He basically looked at me as if I was smoking something. He then went on to say something along the lines of "listen, we don't deal with illeagl decoder boxes". I just laughed and shook my head at him. He then wanted me to prove it. I asked him to get that antenna that everyone keeps mentioning about on here, and asked him to get the remote for the TV. I hooked up the antenna to the the back of the tv, and then he said, "you are going to get HD channels with that?". I said yep, but I told him that it might be hard beacuse of all the metal in the roof and walls. I then went into the TV's menu and proceeded to scan for channels. At first I got worried because it was scanning for analog ones, but then 1/2 way through it switched over to scanning for digital ones. Well it found only one HD/DT channel...

CBC 5.1

I was hoping for more, but I didn't expect it to find too many considering the roof and walls in the building (and the antenna was also facing north during the scan, opps... so I guess there might of been one or two more that could of been found if it was at least pointing south. ) :rolleyes:

He then got all interested in how I was able to get that channel without Rogers. After explaing to him the basics (and showing him and his sales guys this website), he said he was going to go get the big ole UHF mesh antenna they had gathering dust in the back warehouse. He said he was going to try and scan for some more channels after the store closed.

My job was done there. :cool: lol


The price of the plasma tv............................................................ $2400
The coax cable........................................................................... $5
The Rad Shack UHF/VHF antenna................................................... $50

The looks on everyone's faces when they saw that free HD channels pop up.... Priceless.


One more thing. I'm still surprised that CBC came in so easily even wit the antenna pointing in the wrong direction. The tuner in that plasma must also be pretty good. With only a 30% + signal, the channel came in without any drop outs. I can just imagine what I will be able to get with a real antenna up on the roof. (I can't wait for my 260 to arrive). :)
 
#140 ·
Thatta boy ASA! That's the kind of thing I live for! Those are priceless moments. To be more effective, I'm planning on scouting out a store where I know I could pull in a digital signal with my sharpshooter, and blow the socks off of the immenently converted. LOL
 
#142 · (Edited)
I'll probably drop by there tonight to see what they were able to catch. The sales guys were actually more eager than the manager. They both said they thought they had an HDTV tuner ready tv's at home. One problem though, I took their last 15-1880 (?). lol :p One of them said he was going to leave work early just so he could go by another RS to pick that antenna up.

Remember that shampoo commercial....

You telll two friends, and then they tell two freinds... and so on, and so on, and so on...
;)

(I just hope this board doesn't crash with all these new converts). lol

On another positive note.... I got my Sammy 260 yesterday. Plugged in the RS antenna and I eventually found 5 channels. Read up on it in the Brampton thread a bit later on. : )

(time to loook for an afordable 4228 now) ;)
 
#143 ·
ASA, which Source did you go to? Good job. Sometimes I go there and I think to myself, what the heck am I doing here? I ask them (Bovaird and Hwy. 10) one time if they can special order an OTA HD receiver from their US store and they pointed me to a Rogers and Bell. They didn't even know that there is such a thing.
 
#146 ·
I biked to Jerico Park for the Earth Day celebration, and I ended up talking to a staff member of Global. I asked him about when Global will broadcast in HD over-the-air. He seemed to think it wouldn't be long, but wasn't sure. He said their station has gone digital, but not yet HD. He went to ask his co-worker when they'd go live in HD over-the-air, and I kid you not, his partner first laughed, then said with contempt "sometime in 2009". This shocked the guy I was talking to, who thought Global was being proactive.

After CTV reporter Sindjin Alexander finished interviewing Green Party MP Adriane Carr, I spoke with Sindjin about CTV's studio going HD. He didn't know too much about the details, but the cameraman chimed in and said they're waiting for a new Sony HD camera to come out before going HD in studio. He also said that it'd require some 25-30 HD cameras (studio and field cameras). I digress, I told him how I get CTV HD over-the-air. He was impressed, and didn't know one could get HD over-the-air with an antenna. He told me he has a LG HDTV (bought this past december) and is going to try to see what he can get from his Collingwood home.

So folks, if we can make a convert out of an on-air personality, you never know, you might just find a piece on digital OTA on Olsen on your side ;)
 
#147 · (Edited)
I'm telling you guys, someone should go down to Speaker's Corner in Toronto and give the world some info. (CityTV would probbaly air it since they arealdy have OTA HD. It would be to thier benifit if they did)

Or... call the station and see if they would be willing to do a interview/spot about the growing HDTV market (and then slip in the fact that OTA HD exists). ;)
 
#148 ·
Sony Store

Since I have recently been in the market for an HDTV I found it interesting that the Sony Store openly advertised the use of the ATSC tuner built into their TVs.

The salesmen at the store emphasized how OTA HD signals are available in my area (Mississauga) and advised me not to purchase an HDTV without a built-in tuner.

Unfortunately for him I did end up buying my TV from Futureshop but the difference between the two stores (FS and Sony) is clearly the kickback from the cable providers.
 
#149 ·
I just updated the CBC HD section on Wikipedia to include information on how you can receive it OTA (it only mentioned satellite and cable before that). I am surprised how little information there is on OTA in Wikipedia (they seem to refer to it as Digital Terrestrial Television). I will try to do more updates and encourage others to do the same.
 
#151 ·
Hockey Season Brings More OTA Converts :)

Today I hooked up my neighbour's new HDTV to a set of rabbit ears to show him CBC HD. He was floored, like I've been telling him he would be for a few years now :rolleyes: and its all about the Canucks and the NHL season starting up soon. I'll be arranging a proper outdoor antenna for him soon.

It reminded me of NHL time last year and the rush of new OTA users here. If you know hockey fans who are still watching analogue stations or satellite HD and live in a Digital OTA area of Canada, pass on the info folks!
 
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