Hi Marc,

Do you know if the CBC montreal OTA broadcast does anything outside the ATSC spec? Is it 8VSB? Do they strip the PSIP?

Thanks for any input you can offer!
John

Background: Using a home-built PVR (mythTV on Knoppmyth) with PCHDTV 5500 DVB capture cards. US OTA channels (NBC, CBS, PBS, FOX) come in great, CBC, SRC will lock but will not provide any table info.

It has to be 8VBS with PSIP. It won't work otherwise. We've had problems with the program guide data, but the basic tables are always there. Are you saying you don't get pictures and sound, or you're just not seeing some data you get on the other stations?

Thanks for the quick reply ... No pictures or sound. In mythtv there are tools to scan for OTA channels. You list a bunch of frequencies in a file and tell it to scan those frequencies. For example, the following 3 frequencies:

A 473028615 8VSB (NBC from Vermont)
A 575028615 8VSB (non-existant)
A 503028615 8VSB (SRC)

When I tell scan for these, it locks and finds NBC, fails to tune the second non-existant one, and for SRC, it locks but times-out trying to get table data:

>>> tune to: 473028615:8VSB (NBC from Vermont)
>>> tuning status == 0x1f
PAT
ATSC VCT
service is running. Channel number: 5:1. Name: 'WPTZ-HD'
service is running. Channel number: 5:2. Name: 'WPTZ-WX'
PMT 0x0032 for service 0x0004
PMT 0x0041 for service 0x0007
>>> tune to: 575028615:8VSB (Non Existent)
>>> tuning status == 0x01
>>> tuning status == 0x01
>>> tuning status == 0x00
>>> tuning status == 0x01
>>> tuning status == 0x00
>>> tuning status == 0x01
>>> tuning status == 0x01
>>> tuning status == 0x00
>>> tuning status == 0x00
>>> tuning status == 0x00
WARNING: >>> tuning failed!!!
>>> tune to: 503028615:8VSB (SRC)
>>> tuning status == 0x17
WARNING: filter timeout pid 0x0000
WARNING: filter timeout pid 0x1ffb
dumping lists (2 services)
WPTZ-HD:473028615:8VSB:51:53:4
WPTZ-WX:473028615:8VSB:66:70:7
Done.

Similarily with another scan tool called dtvscan:

channel = 19 VSB_8
Signal: 7103
look for sync
Unable to recieve valid packets
no pid or atsc tables found

Since I have no problems with any of the (much more distant) US channels, I was just wondering if CBC was doing something non-standard?

Thanks!

PS: What are the exact frequencies and sub-channel numbers for SRC / CBC? I have read different numbers on different sites during my troubleshooting. tks!

I'm at home right now, so I don't have the over air frequencies on hand. It's the standard UHF frequencies. I'm sure a quick Google will turn them up.

CBC/SRC do not multicast, so there are no subchannels. Subchannels, if they existed, would have the same frequency as the main channel. Additional services are defined in MPEG tables not by RF frequencies.

Bruno, I've asked Maintenance for an update. I'll let you know what they say.

I cannot find this posted anywhere else, so ...

According to CBC's HD listings, this week's World Figure Skating Championships from Tokyo, Japan will be broadcast in HDTV. They must be picking up the signal from NHK.

Telecasts will be ...

Tuesday - Friday at 5-7pm PDT
Saturday at 3-6pm PDT
Sunday at 5-7pm PDT

http://www.cbc.ca/hdtv/schedule/CBC_HD_currentweek.pdf

I think this will be a first for CBC HD ... broadcasting a sports event originating outside of Canada (other than the Olympics) in HDTV .

Very nice HD. Glad to see it.

Excellent PQ from NHK! Superb colors ... skin tones were perfect!

The DD5.1 sound got screwed up at times though!

And some of CBC commentator reports were obviously upconverted widescreen.

But overall good job CBC!

World Figure Skating Championships
The Sunday evening broadcast is scheduled for repeat from 12:30am-3:30am.(Monday)
This is great for folks like me who will be working Sunday until late.

Keep up the good work CBC and keep that HD coming!

Hey all,

Not sure if Marc got word yet from his side, but I just received my crew list for Saturday's game Toronto vs. Buffalo and beside mobile, it says Encore. Now, knowing CBC, they could pull a Houdini and slide Dome's Trillium in there at the last moment, but as of right now, Encore is a go for Saturday's game.

Cheers

Hey all,

Not sure if Marc got word yet from his side, but I just received my crew list for Saturday's game Toronto vs. Buffalo and beside mobile, it says Encore. Now, knowing CBC, they could pull a Houdini and slide Dome's Trillium in there at the last moment, but as of right now, Encore is a go for Saturday's game.

Cheers

Hiya Stoakley,

Any chance the regular truck will be covering another hockey game?

Hiya Stoakley,

Any chance the regular truck will be covering another hockey game?
Hi Notsure,

I don't think so... if the regular truck, which one are you referring to? I'm in New York next week working an Senators / Islanders game that will use the old D80 mobile which is based in Montreal now. Premiere has headed out west - so I'm not sure which truck you're talking about.

Cheers

Just checked the schedule. Nope, only 2 games are scheduled for this weekend.

Sorry Stoakley, I was referring to the other HD truck that usually covers the Toronto HNIC games.

Ok so the Encore Truck is ready to be used??

If so, then can we have the Encore HD Truck covering the 7:00 Eastern game, and then the Premiere HD Truck out west to cover the 10:00 West game? I thought this would have been the intention all along

Sorry Stoakley, I was referring to the other HD truck that usually covers the Toronto HNIC games.
Hey Notsure,

Nope, looks like the Toronto game is the only one scheduled for HD. I think someone mentioned in this thread earlier that Premiere was in Quebec working on something. Don't know... I rarely do news events when hockey and basketball are going on.

Cheers!

Ok so the Encore Truck is ready to be used??

If so, then can we have the Encore HD Truck covering the 7:00 Eastern game, and then the Premiere HD Truck out west to cover the 10:00 West game? I thought this would have been the intention all along
Hey 02...

I've been told via email Encore is a go... but I know Trillium from Dome is in standbye mode in case somebody changes their mind, which can happen, so I will find out 100% when I arrive at the ACC at 8am on Saturday morning.

I hope it's the new truck, it's a beauty :) It has that new car smell!

Cheers

Stoakley Audio, Thanks for the info. It is great having you here for your insight. Can I assume from your name that you are involved in audio end of things?

To make things clearer for you I would suggest that everyone use the proper names for the trucks and refrain from using terms like "the old truck." A complete list of trucks can be found at CBC Mobile Website (http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/mobile/nosmobiles.html) (though Encore doesn't seem to be listed yet), but a summery of some of the common ones are:

Premiere: CBC's first HD Truck

Encore: CBC's second HD Truck

D86: WS truck based in Edmonton. Temporarily upgraded to WS for the playoffs last year using borrowed equipment, but that seems to have become permanent.

D80: WS truck based in Montreal. Upgraded for the beginning of the hockey season this year.

Moncton: Small truck that has apparently been upgraded for WS. Probably too small to do a large sports event (it has 6 cameras), but can do smaller events.

Could you fix any mistakes I have and give us any further insight on these? Thanks.

Hi Roger,

Yes, I am a freelance audio guy who's worked in the Canadian tv industry for 14 years. I got my training out of school at the CBC and was there as a full time casual for seven years. For the past 7 years I was the head mixer at Report on Business Television (BNN). I left the CBC to help launch the station. As of January 1st of this year I have returned full time to the freelance world as both an A2 and studio A1. This is my 12th season working on HNIC and it's a real pleasure and privelage for me to work on the show.

Looks like everything you have on the mobiles is correct, excep I would note that D80 isn't what it used to be. It was the flagship mobile for CBC when it launched just a couple of years ago, but since then it's fallen into dissaray - at least from my perspecitve. I worked in it a couple of weeks back for a Buffalo / Sens game in Buffalo and it was 18 hours of pain!! :) We'll see how she is on Long Island next weekend.

As I stated in my post above, Encore is scheduled to go as of my paperwork I got this morning.... but that doesn't mean it's official. The mobile division guys could pull the plug and stay with Dome's Trillium (which is a great truck to work in too!)... I won't know till I show up Saturday morning.

Cheers!

Only one hockey game will be HD this weekend. Barring any surprises, both Premiere and Encore will be on the road for the playoffs.

Only one hockey game will be HD this weekend. Barring any surprises, both Premiere and Encore will be on the road for the playoffs.
Notice how Marc says "barring any surprises" everyone... it's like them man has worked at the CBC for a while ;)

Let's hope all goes well this weekend... I'll give a full report on Sunday sometime, weather permitting :)

Cheers!