SunTV article in today's Toronto Sun

http://www.torontosun.com/Entertainment/Television/2008/06/11/5837931-sun.html

Sun TV did its best to cover both the big picture and the small picture at its annual fall programming launch yesterday.

The big picture? Sun TV is getting bigger.

"Transmitters will be coming along in Ottawa and London in the fall, with digital capabilities for first-quality 5.0 sound as well as for the video side of things," said Jim Nelles, vice-president and general manager of Toronto-based Sun TV. "When that's done, in terms of population, we'll cover 83% of Ontario."

That's great news for Ottawa and London OTA fans!

Also when Jim Nelles said "5.0" audio I think he must have meant "5.1", right?

It makes the starchoice decision to drop them even more questionable.

Great! that ensures they will be able to simulcast to 83% of the population in SD and HD.

That's why we're underwriting the cost of those transmitters, so people can optimize those great new television sets they've purchased.It would be nice if they turned up the 'juice' a bit to be sure they can reach that 83%.

I guess we are SOL in Windsor! :mad:

It would be nice if they turned up the 'juice' a bit to be sure they can reach that 83%.

My thoughts exactly, I live in Burlington and they have a transmitter in Hamilton next door yet I cannot pick up this channel at all with rabbit ears- the SD version. CHCH AND CITS as well as Sun TV are all transmitted from the same site- I get the first two fine, very good picture quality but Sun TV is nowhere to be seen, what gives with the low ERP?? I think the only ones who can pick up the channel in this area are the people who live right beside the transmitter.

Time to kick it up a notch Sun TV- get your a$$ in gear!!

Anyone know what date in the fall the transmitter will be operational for Ottawa?

Man, if only CTV, Global, TVO, or CityTV would start broadcasting digitally -those as the stations with the shows my family watches the most.

Publish today on the CRTC site.

Sun TV Company:APPROVED – Change in the authorized contours of the new transitional digital rebroadcasting transmitter in London, Ontario, authorized in CKXT-TV Toronto and CKXT-DT Toronto – Licence amendments, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2007-352, 14 September 2007.

Great! that ensures they will be able to simulcast to 83% of the population in SD and HD.
That's the whole point isn't it?

However, who wouldn't be riveted by:

"Homegrown programming on Sun TV will continue to include Inside Jam!, the Casino Rama Grill Room and Canoe Live."

Never watch those shows at all, but glad to see they're becoming a "big player" and expanding.
Now if only A-channel (CKVR) would go digital and expand (perhaps some repeaters in the big cities?)
Then we'd have.. "basic cable", pretty much. .. just in HD and so much more.

Playitsimple: just a suggestion you might like to try:

maybe try a uhf antenna, as ckxt broadcast in the UHF band. Rabbits Ears are really for the VHF band, (2-13) so while they may work to varying degrees with stronger UHF signals, a UHF antenna will likely work better for those weaker UHF signals such as SUNs. For indoor antennas try a small bowtie or loop antenna from The Source or somewhere that has a good return policy if it doesnt work.

Transmitters will be coming along in Ottawa and London in the fall,

My question is what is their definition of Fall? December 20? ;)

My question is what is their definition of Fall? December 20?

good question. I don't know if Sun's application to the CRTC to move the digital channel from 62 to 20 has been dealt with yet, so I wouldn't be surprised if they start the Fall season with only analog on channel 54 -- this would be enough to get themselves on Rogers basic cable in time for the new season. At least they're planning on using an existing antenna, so there is not tower work to be done.

TVl

My question is what is their definition of Fall? December 20? ;)
The way the CRTC does things.. December 2020 is probably closer ;)

See this thread to discuss SunTV's Ottawa operations:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=69697

Playitsimple: just a suggestion you might like to try:

maybe try a uhf antenna, as ckxt broadcast in the UHF band. Rabbits Ears are really for the VHF band, (2-13) so while they may work to varying degrees with stronger UHF signals, a UHF antenna will likely work better for those weaker UHF signals such as SUNs. For indoor antennas try a small bowtie or loop antenna from The Source or somewhere that has a good return policy if it doesnt work.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Actually I am using one of those combo antennas (indoor) so it has both the rabbit ears for VHF and loop antenna for UHF. I know that the indoor antennas are crap but its my only option since I live in this townhouse complex that is run by a condo corp. and the crapholes don't allow outdoor antennas that are visible from the street. There is trees all around so I would have to put it on the roof and they probably wouldn't allow it. Regardless, I still get a few channels that have pretty good PQ like CHCH, CTS, CIII, WNED, WNLO, WUTV and TVO. However, this antenna is an amplified one and that is likely the reason I am getting these channels as when I turn the amplifier off the signal quality is poor.

Back to Sun TV, I was hoping that the resident OTA expert Stampeder would reply with some info on why the ERP is so low but I guess he doesn't no much more than anyone else here?! I tried emailing Sun TV several times to get some info but so far no response :( Oh well, I guess I will just go without this channel, I was only interested in the 'classic' shows that they air anyway.

Before expanding, maybe they should iron out some of the bugs with the Toronto transmission. I'm getting strong signal tonight with no picture or sound - pretty much the same as I saw on Omni the day they were suppose to be live.

This seems to happen fairly regularly on 66.1. :(