I haven't heard anything about channels 52 to 69 being removed from the available spectrum in Canada. Given the general lack of channels, doesn't seem to be a great idea.

Adjacent DT channel do not affect each other.

This is a common misconception. Although digital broadcasts are less susceptible to adjacent channel interference, they aren't completely immune from it. A good example is if you look at the HDTV Network's application at the Estimated Contours in Ottawa, there is an "area of possible first adjacent channel interference from future allotment CFGS-DT, Hull, QC, CH. 49C." This is a DTV station providing adjacent DT channel interference with another DTV station.

I think we can all agree from the fact that there are so many adjacent DTV stations in the U.S. that the issue is not a show-stopper when properly handled.

I haven't heard anything about channels 52 to 69 being removed from the available spectrum in Canada.

Doing a quick search, the only official reference I could find was in paragraph 15 of Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2007-352 (http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2007/db2007-352.htm) it says:

15. In regard to the use of channel 54C and 62C for the transmission of analog and digital signals, respectively, in Ottawa, the Commission notes that neither channel exists in the post-transition plan (only channels 2 through 51 will be assigned to television) and that the digital television signal would eventually have to be moved. The Commission also notes, however, that the Department of Industry (the Department) would work with the applicant in order to find a suitable digital television channel in the post-transition plan.

Roger1818 the use of channel 26 will not work even after analog shut down

I was just quoting HDTV Networks. I susspect they will apply for a different channel once one becomes available.

not sure if you have seen this... It talks about certain channels up to 69 being reserved for emergency, much like channel 1 in VHF i guess.

http://www.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/smt-gst.nsf/en/sf02126e.html

Yep, but that's an old document that no longer describes future policy.

The discussions of what to do with VHF Lo (2-6) and the high end of UHF (52-69) continue to go forward, so there is no clear decision or roadmap yet.

Question, how come Canadian broadcasters use a much lower power?

Question, how come Canadian broadcasters use a much lower power?
A few reasons...

The American broadcasters started out lower-power at first, and eventually ramped up to higher power. We started later in Canada, so we're still at the early stages.
Because the Americans came first, they claimed the remaining clear channels that you could broadcast full-power on, without interfering with another channel. With most broacasters using 2 channels now (old analogue and new digital) there simply aren't any more clear channels in the GTA or most of southern Ontario. Hopefully, things will improve when US analog atations shut down Feb 17, 2009

So eventually the Canadian stations will broadcast at full power too?

So eventually the Canadian stations will broadcast at full power too?
Yes, but "full power" has to be taken in context. Most of the Buffalo stations transmit from the Grand Island "antenna farm" out in the boonies where nobody lives. You do NOT want, or need, to crank out a megawatt from a downtown site like the CN tower, let alone having several channels at a megawatt each. It would probably fry the ATSC tuners of any TV sets south of the 401, and freak out cellphones, too. Actually, CITY TV, at 1200 watts (no, I did NOT drop any zeros) comes bombing in OK here at Dufferin+Steeles, for those of you familiar with Toronto.

Also, in many cases, it's the terrain, not the transmitter power, that determines effective range. UHF TV is sorta line-of-sight, with a bit of fudge factor.

If you put up a 1000-foot tower atop the old city dump in Winnipeg (assuming that it wouldn't interfere with the airport flight paths), you could cover a significant chunk of southern Manitoba with one station.

In the case of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), there's a ridgeline running approximately east/west meandering between Highway 7 and Major Mackenzie Drive. Regardless of whether CITY transmits from the CN tower at 1.2 kilowatts, or 1.2 megawatts, they're not going to be received north of the ridgeline, Period, End of story.

When you get into hilly areas like Greater Vancouver (think Burnaby), the terrain is even more of a factor. A megawatt is not going to bore its way through a hillside.

In the case of Toronto, especially from the top of the CN tower, anything more than 15 kilowatts is overkill. Besides which, with the exception of CBC, most of the programming on Toronto's English language stations is American programming with Canadian commercials. Not like there's any potential audience for that in Buffalo.

Ah ok, thanks!! Happy New Year!!

Roger1818 the use of channel 26 will not work even after analog shut down because the WNYB has selected to return their digital signal to 26 after analog shutdown.I suspect this is to reuse their antenna at the top of their tower.They should select another freq. like 17 after U.S. shutdown.160 watts is just a token to get priority on cable.
Howsabout the CRTC kills 2 birds with 1 stone? Give them channel 65 in Toronto at 3 kwatts as their transitional channel. Global doesn't seem to want a digital channel, and HDTV Networks does. I wonder what Global's reaction would be if that proposal comes up at the hearings :p

Reply of HDTV to some of the comment:
http://support.crtc.gc.ca/applicant/docs.aspx?pn_ph_no=2007-17&call_id=62621&lang=E&defaultName=LaRochelle_Michael&replyonly=&addtInfo=&addtCmmt=&fnlSub=


49. We would note that HDTV Networks does not plan on launching its service until after the 17 February 2009 shutdown date for analog transmitters in the U.S.A. Therefore we assume that most Canadian BDUs will have ample distribution capacity following that date, as they will no longer be distributing analog conventional television signals from the U.S.A. That should allow them to accommodate the dual distribution of signals of HDTV Networks for the interim period, until digital conversion takes place in Canada in August 2011. Further, the BDUs find themselves quite consistently applying to the Commission for carriage of various US cable networks (such as USA Network) and thus would seem to have ample capacity for extra services.


And by the the hearing is tomorrow...OTTAWA-GATINEAU — On 12 February, 2008, the Commission will hold a public
hearing in Gatineau, Quebec, to consider two applications for a licence to
operate a high definition (HD) over-the-air (OTA) television service.

For more information or to listen to the hearing through live audio feed,
please visit our website at the following address,
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/broadcast.htm#NPH200717

Wait a second!

Maybe I am interpreting this wrong but from the above quote the CRTC seems to be assuming that starting in Feb. 2009 that US broadcast networks such as ABC,CBS, NBC, Fox and PBS will no longer be carried on Canadian analog cable tiers.

I don't understand the relationship between shutting down analog OTA and distributing US OTA networks on analog cable - after all they will still be available on analog cable in the US for years to come.

Or am I interpreting this all wrong?

Wayne, it is HDTV Networks claiming that there will not be analog U.S. nets on cable after 2009 (not the CRTC). The reason they are saying this is to bolster their argument that there will be room for HDTV Networks in SD format. In the few CRTC submissions I have read, the presenters will use the most twisted logic to support their positions and ignore the facts that don't.

The possible upside is that the BDUs may respond that they will carry analog cable and digital SD TV after the official conversion dates. So far this seems to be a grey area in Canada. In the U.S. the FCC has mandated that cable must carry the local networks in analog until at least 2012.

Bitove maps out plan for Canada-wide HDTV

In just over a year, Canada could have the first TV network that broadcasts over the air exclusively in high definition and free of charge to viewers, Toronto businessman Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission hearing on the application by his HDTV Network Inc. yesterday. Bitove said in an interview the network would cost about $800 million to run over the seven-year life of a first license. The Canadian Association of Broadcasters that represents private broadcasters opposed the application.
THE CANADIAN PRESS

So when do we find out if this is approved or not?

Decisions for Cat. 2 licenses are released two to three months following their public hearings. But considering this is an application for a national broadcast network, who knows?

And then who knows when it goes live and if it has any decent content. There was lots of excitement when HD-Net came to Canada but I must say that I almost never watch it as the content is very weak. I am worried that this channel will be the same.