Yes, I seen it to just waiting to see what the story about.

Near HD for free.

Most likely they mean locate stations in GTA HD trying to save money on the cost of HD. I just saw the 4221 HD.:p

Looks like OTA is live and well in Quebec looks like there selling lots of 4228 HD:cool:

What does "Near HD" mean? Does it mean that it is not HD, but near HD-quality?

Here are few quick stap shots on CBC news.


http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=632

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=630

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=631

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=629

Here are some quick stap shots on the news item.

If you go to CBC ottawa website, you can see the broadcast of it. Starts around 33:56 and goes for about 2 minutes or so.

http://www.cbc.ca/video/popup.html?http://www.cbc.ca/ondemand/newsatsix/ottawa.asx

There was a 5 minutes piece on OTA in Montreal at 6PM tonite on Radio Canada. They compared OTA picture quality to Videotron, OTA was winning obviously. A guy was interviewed and showed his DIY SGBH on his balcony, he showed us the 16 channels he could receive , including all Mtl and US stations that they showed us one by one by name. Another guy from Raybel was also interviewed and said that sales of OTA antennas are up big time since the fall, they showed a DB4 and a DB8. As well they interviewed a saleman from Fillion that showed us a square antenna. They showed the Youtube video on how to create an antenna from coat hangers. They mentionned that 16 % of quebecers still receive their signal from off the air. So a very good overall review of the possibilities of OTA.

That price for the CM 4221HD of $74.95 is over priced. I got mine for 50. I expect the prices to steadily increase as the ota word gets out- see DIY antenna.

I made a 4-bay UHF TV Antenna by my own. it was easy, i just looked into youtube video and i have a string a Ugly Custom Made 4-Bay antenna and i still have lots of coat hangers to make more but i live in the middle of nowhere between river john, pictou, new glasgow, truro and amherst on hwy 256 in nova scotia. I only get 4 analog channel, Very Clear but no digital

08 CTV - PEI
09 CTV - NS/SIDNEY, NS
13 CBC - PEI
15 SRC - NS/MONCTON, NB
21 GLOBAL - NS/HALIFAX, NS
31 SRC - PEI/MONCTON, NB
42 GLOBAL - PEI/SAINT JOHN, NB

Those antenna are easy to make. still want to make those weird 4-bay antenna shown on the first and second picture.

You can see the whole reportage on SRC's website "Voir clair sur la haute définition (http://www.radio-canada.ca/emissions/telejournal_montreal/2008-2009/Reportage.asp?idDoc=75633)".

While maybe not totally a FUD article, it certainly would put a lot of folks off.

And, the second the last paragraph makes me wonder who funded this article....:

"Puopolo has already given up on over-the-air TV, expanded his satellite package for $10 a month to get high-definition programming for his widescreen. But, he said, digital TV can catch up, just like color TV did after some initial problems."

Read it all here:

http://money.canoe.ca/News/Sectors/Technology/2009/03/02/8589016-ap.html

Stu

"Puopolo has already given up on over-the-air TV, expanded his satellite package for $10 a month to get high-definition programming for his widescreen.

Heh what magical fantasy land does he/she live in that you can get a digital box for $10 a month? Hehe. ;)

The word "expanded" in the quote implies $10 a month extra, not in total. The writer should have used "by" instead of "for" $10...

Heh what magical fantasy land does he/she live in that you can get a digital box for $10 a month? Hehe.

The last time I checked BEV charged an extra $10 a month for HD channels (the 800 channel range). It's not so much the programming that get's you, it the cost of the box. Last time I checked it was $10 - 25 a month to rent, $300 - $600 to buy depending on if you went for the PVR or not. Uh, I'll build my own PRV and save myself $10 a month in the long run, thank you very much, and get much better quality HD.

My brother recently bought a new larger TV to replace his year-and-a-half old 37-inch LCD, which he took to our aunt's apartment to replace her early 1990s TV. She has Rogers analog cable, but her viewing consists almost entirely of the channels that are available OTA. The Buffalo PBS and most of the Toronto stations showed up with an indoor antenna, but unfortunately she's in a north-facing first floor apartment with subway trains (above the ground) about 150 feet away interrupting everything when they go by.

It's a six floor building with some subsidized units, some occupied by people living on ODSP (Ont Disability Support Program). He asked the super about putting an antenna on the roof, but the guy didn't understand or care, similar to someone else's story....Apartment buildings and condos could... have a decent shared antenna system...
If you live in this kind of housing, your options may be limited, particularly if you live on a lower floor, or northern facing unit.

Several years ago, (98/99) I used to live in an older 1960s era apartment building (25 floors)... and I still had to have rogers cable, or an indoor antenna in my Northern facing apartment - which wouldn't receive anything but CBC, and sometimes CTV. - I inquired... and nobody was interested in helping me. "Call Rogers" is all they said...
Why should anyone, but particularly people in subsidized housing living on ODSP, be told they have to pay Rogers' increasing rates to watch SD television when they could relatively easily have free HD OTA?

What is the situation with the cable wiring and connections inside apartment buildings? Is it exclusively for the use of the cable company, or could it also be used to connect to a shared antenna for those who choose it instead of cable? Or would a separate antenna connection have to be wired into every apartment?

I agree with you ^, gov. assisted housing should be set up to save its residents from having to spend money wherever possible, and an antenna could save ppl from having to buy basic cable (which is only getting more and more expensive these days).

Just to play devil's advocate, how many in gov. assisted housing are going to have an HDTV capable of receiving digital OTA? Even if they kept their existing TV, we can all agree that access to DTV STBs in Canada is not easy nor inexpensive.

Actually, that is a good idea. Government housing projects should have OTA antennas installed. Each unit gets it's own antenna installed. No group antenna because that opens up CRTC stuff.

Each unit gets a OTA antenna on the roof of the building. I'm assuming most of these buildings don't have more than 10 unit apartments.

A simple converter box will have to be bought by the resident for old analogue TV's. If they want! This is cheaper than 3 months of cable. Or even the installation costs of cable. Of course, nobody would be forced to do this. If they want cable, they can pay for it. But, the RG6 line from the OTA antenna would be in the apartment to be used at anytime.

I figure that most people would take the OTA option and save the $30-$40 a month for more important things. Such as food. Clothes for kids. School supplies for kids. Prescription drug costs. etc.

There is no point in supplying public housing, to help those in need, and then have much needed money pulled out of their pockets simply to watch a few hours of TV per week.

I think the best way to deal with this is to contact your local areas public housing assistant programs to get a simple DB4, DB8 or one of the current Channel Master antennas installed. Some people would probably offer their time to help install these things as well. No need to wait for the bureaucratics to get going.

Volunteer to help somebody in need in one of these units. Just make sure you get a approval in writting that you can put a antenna on the building. It shouldn't be too hard. If Sat dishs are allowed, then what is the difference with a OTA antenna?

Is tv mandated as a need for housing?
Will the gov pay for safe and permitted antenna grounding.
Will the volunteers be liable for faulty installation.
I have seen places that house over a 100 inits.
will each unit recieve the same reception.

So many other issues that would come up.

I agree, that plenty of issues would come up. And perhaps it's not an issue that needs the government to mandate OTA TV for public housing.

Perhaps a simpler way would be that they allow a antenna to be installed. And that the person that volunteers to install it should have a backgroup in installing such things. I'm not suggesting anybody be allowed to volunteer to install this stuff.

Perhaps a list of professional installers that would like to give back to the community would volunteer to offer the installation for free. Perhaps they can supply their names to a housing group. Perhaps somebody else can give a 4 bay or 8 bay antenna towards a specific install. Give a few 100 ft of RG6 wire towards the install.

Most people don't even know that they can get free TV. Most people won't even install a interior antenna. Perhaps somebody can volunteer to connect a interior antenna, and show people that they can get free TV. Once they know that, it's up to them to take the steps to get free TV. I'm sure they would be interested in saving $30-$40 a month in cable costs.

And no, each unit would not get the same reception. The antenna is installed, and you get what you get. It's free over the air. If you don't get the channel(s) you want, then call the cable company. Public housing is not, and should not be responseable to provide free OTA TV. It's just that the resident might get a chance to save some money. That's all.

If you knew somebody that lived in one of these units, and they had a hard time making ends meet. Wouldn't you help, or even suggest a way to save some money.

Yes
I have done many hundreds of hours helping and the best course I found was working directly with the NPS non profit society that generally each unit has setup by the actual residents. They work well with the owners / goverment that run the place. I could see a work a round when the residents society is involved even funding, that model always got the best results and always helpped in easing some flexable rules.:)

You do realize that by getting one working model up and running it would lead to more awareness than has been done that I have seen so far the news coverage the media possitive hype and the wanting to use that model accross the many other sites and provinces.

I think you will find that many public housing projects have basic cable provided at no extra cost to the tenant. The local governments can get very good deals when all units receive basic service. Tenants can add tiers and boxes at their own expense.

The public housing authorities have enough issues to handle without worrying about TV. The simplest and probably the cheapest way is a bulk deal with cable. If a tenant calls with a TV problem they can just tell them to call the cable company. No worries about equipment repairs or system upgrades. No hassles from tenant organizations or advocacy groups about the public housing authority acting as a gatekeeper and denying access to ethnic channels or violating individual rights to see the House of Commons, provincial legislature or get voiceprint service.

I don't think anyone is concerned about people in subsidized housing not receiving HD - it is still considered to be a luxury item. After the analog shutdown in Canada the issue may change.