Very simple they wanted to get it on to the digital teir.As with the digital terminal there are two different stories making the rounds.

1)Free digital terminal this only applies to metv customers and there are some other requirments.

2)Buy the basic digital terminal and get so much in credit.Thanks. I must admit that I don't understand the whole digital/analog thing. I know what they are technically, but, for example, we already get TGC on 410 digital. Is it the same signal that is going to channel 53 on my digital box? Does this mean that the signal currently coming in to channel 410 digital is just analog? Or is it a different signal than people without digital boxes are getting?

Channel 410 is digital channel 53 is analog it does not even matter if you have a digital box channel 53 is still analog.

Channel 410 is digital channel 53 is analog it does not even matter if you have a digital box channel 53 is still analog.

Um... no, it's not... in most areas, if you have a digital box, the 2-74 stations are remapped to the digital version, and the analog signals are mapped to the 800's.

Um... no, it's not... in most areas, if you have a digital box, the 2-74 stations are remapped to the digital version, and the analog signals are mapped to the 800's.

Nope i have digital and 2-74 are analog.

I'm on Rogers Ottawa-west and my channels are 100% digital.

If that was the case why move certian channels to digital etc.

Moving niche channels to digital only will move more subscribers up to digital service.

http://www.shoprogers.com/store/cable/ptv/learn/compare.asp

Moving niche channels to digital only will move more subscribers up to digital service.

First if you claim all the channels are digital then why move them up.
Why are there doouble of all of the analog channels then you should really look into this.You may think you have all digital whil infact you don't.

I already explained why they'd move them up. They want more people to get digital boxes. Moving channels to digital-only is an incentive to do so.

There's duplication becuase they don't want to alter the orignial lineup that people are used to and channels have built their entire brand around.

2-74 are digital in Ottawa.

Hate to break it to you but 2-72 will be gone in the next couple of year.

Maybe, but it will likely take longer. They won't discontiune analog cable that soon, and the 2-74 duplication on digital serves as a good way to transition people to digital and doens't eat up any extra bandwidth.

The states will be analog free by 2009 many think canada will be right behind.

A few comments to clear up some of the recent posts' misconceptions:

1. Even though Rogers has all channels digital service, the analogue channels are also still there. All you need to test this is another TV with an NTSC tuner and you can still tune channels 2-74 or whatever.

2. In some areas the analogue channels are available on the digital STBs in the 800s.

3. This (duplication) DOES take up extra bandwidth, the 70 or so digital (duplicate) channels would take up about as much bandwidth as 7 analogue channels since Rogers maps 8-12 digital channels per QAM (analogue channel bandwidth). This is part of the reason that Rogers and other cable companies are moving analogue channels into the digital tier, slowly.

4. Just as an FYI, in Ontario Rogers puts 2 HD channels per QAM.

5. The US has mandated analogue OTA broadcasting will end in February 2009. This has NOTHING to do with analogue cable, however, the cable companies could use this timeframe to provide digital STBs to all their users and eliminate the analogue channels (or lessen their number). The cable companies could even start beforehand if they wanted - simply give everyone a STB (or two). The cost is relatively low now (perhaps around $50) and this would free up a tremendous amount of bandwidth.

I meant the digital duplication of digital channels at 2-74 takes up no extra bandwidth. Didn't know some areas still had 800s.

I'm pretty sure he was implying that 2-74 were analog even with a digital box, which they're not (in Ontario).

I meant the digital duplication of digital channels at 2-74 takes up no extra bandwidth.But the duplication DOES take up extra bandwidth as I mentioned earlier. It takes up roughly the equivalent of 7 analogue channels or roughly 42 MHz. These channels don't come out of nowhere... and the analogue channels are still coming to your home...if your digital STB is programmed to "see" them or not.

I'm hoping we're not talking at cross-purposes. I'm talking about the fact that these digital (duplicate) channels require more bandwidth than before they were present.

I'm hoping we're not talking at cross-purposes. I'm talking about the fact that these digital (duplicate) channels require more bandwidth than before they were present.

We are :). I'm just talking about duplication strictly within digital, ie: having 2-3 digital re-maps (and 1 analog) takes up no more bandwidth than 1 analog and 1 digital.

My point being that even if analog goes away, there's no need to remove 2-74 from the lineup.

Gotcha. Remapping takes up no extra bandwidth.

However, 1 analogue + 1 (identical channel) digital takes up more bandwidth than 1 analogue. ;) (about 10% more)

Well, it's July 6th, 7am EDT and the Golf Channel is still on channel 410 digital, but it's off 53 analog. Perhaps the rumours about it staying free on digital for one year are true.

ITS july 6, mtv has moved from analog 59 to 52.. will check the digital location to see if it moved or if it stayed where it is.