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Free Satellite to Canadians Losing OTA (LTSS) - See Links In Post 1

159K views 267 replies 80 participants last post by  SCBob 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
EDIT

August 31st, 2014
The offer period for new LTSS households will end on August 31st, 2014. This is because the threshold of 31,500 households has been reached.

September 30th, 2014
Installations of LTSS subscriptions occurring up to August 31, 2014 must be completed no later than September 30, 2014. This is to ensure an orderly end to the program.

August 31st, 2019
Shaw Direct will continue to operate the LTSS service for installed households at no charge, until at least August 31, 2019, which coincides with Shaw Direct’s current Licence period.

See this post for full details:

Free Satellite to Canadians Losing OTA (LTSS) - no new applications - Page 15 - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums


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Something interesting that the V.P said about Global switch to digital (go at 3:05 if you're impatient) is that they are going to offer free satellite, receiver and installation to clients in remote area with the base channels for free. This might mean that they are planning on distributing via FTA (hopefully they will not encrypt those base stations) the available local channels.

So for those of you loosing completely the signal, there still hope...
 
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#82 ·
BeerHunter, to get full PVR functionality, you would need one with an IR Blaster to change the channel on the HDDSR 600. AFAIK the only options for this are TIVO and a HTPC. The HTPC will give you more flexibility to also connect an antenna to receive any local broadcasts you can't get with LTSS (not sure if TIVO will switch between Sat and OTA).
 
#84 ·
#85 ·
classicsat, I agree, the connection is the same as if you were a full Shaw Direct subscriber (you are only limited by the channels you are authorized to receive). My question is can you connect both a sat box and an antenna to your TiVo at the same time?
 
#88 · (Edited)
My father was issued a HDDSR600, 120 kms NE of Winnipeg, He only gets Channels
32 CBC Wpg,
33 CTV Wpg,
34 Global Wpg,
74 CityTV Wpg,
788 SRC Wpg and
23 CTV2 Alberta as there is no CTV2 in Wpg.
as well as the usual... 2 Shaw Direct, 9 Knowledge, 105 Shaw Direct Weather (interactive), 288 AMI Audio, 290 BC Leg, 299 Shaw Direct (copy of Ch #2), 492 CKUA Radio (Does Not Show in Guide), 739 Shaw Direct Weather (same as 105)


All the stations are in SD even though the originating feeds in Winnipeg are available in HD.

One other note, the NFL game on City TV Sunday was Blacked out, even though it was available OTA in Winnipeg (I wonder if City TV is aware of this?), apparently because SportNet had the rights to it. :( I hope that isn't the case for any other program that is covered by another provider it will be very frustrating for him! Otherwise he is very happy with his new "FVVSS"
"Farmer Vision Via Satellite Service", or LTSS - Local Television Satellite Solution as Shaw Direct calls it! ;)
 
#89 ·
That points out some major deficiencies in Shaw Direct's service. For one, people are losing local HDTV signals but they are only being supplied SDTV receivers and signals. The local signals are also not being supplied unmodified, as they should be. If you want to get really picky, the signals being lost are unencrypted and unprotected and easily recorded in HD with an HD OTA DVR (Tivo, HTPC, etc.) Therefore, Canadians losing HDTV service should be supplied with a receiver that delivers an unmodified, unencrypted HDTV HD output free of copy protection. What do they get?
 
#90 ·
That points out some major deficiencies in Shaw Direct's service. For one, people are losing local HDTV signals but they are only being supplied SDTV receivers and signals.
They are getting this for FREE. Guess who's subsidizing this?

They didn't have HD signals from these channels before the analog/digital change over.

They have lost nothing and paid nothing. Want to complain - phone Bell - ask for a free system.
 
#92 ·
A Series 2 TiVo that is antenna capable (some models aren't, specifically the dual tuner model) will work with satellite and analog antenna, or digital antenna with a converter box (most of the coupon eligible ones.) Series 3/HD models do not work with box based services at all.

That is all I will say about that, as TiVo discussion should be discussed elsewhere.
 
#93 ·
I didn't mean to put the blame on Shaw. They are doing a decent job, even if they forced to by the CRTC. I'm just saying that people who are losing HD OTA service due to station shut downs should be provided with the HD service they would have received otherwise. If broadcasters (mostly large networks that also own BDUs) were told to provide a suitable alternative, such as free HD on their BDU service, as a condition for network license renewal, the outcome may be different.
 
#95 ·
Maybe that was worded badly but the fact is that viewers are being denied OTA HD when networks (such as CBC) shut down analog stations instead of converting them to ATSC. It's kind of like being promised a new car with a trade-in but, instead, just having your old one taken away because the car company, while making record profits in their SVU division, says it can't afford to deliver the new car. They seem to think it's OK because you just made a small down payment to cover the sales tax. How would you feel? I can see how it doesn't seem like a big issue to people who live in the GTA and other well served areas but they aren't being ripped off by BDUs whose co-owned networks are not shutting down stations in their area.
 
#97 ·
Maybe that was worded badly but the fact is that viewers are being denied OTA HD when networks (such as CBC) shut down analog stations instead of converting them to ATSC.
Agreed. The CBC and TVO need to find a better way of distributing their programming to those in markets they shut down their analog transmitter. They also need to re-consider some of the markets that they have shut down transmitters in (such as London for CBC and Kingston for TVO, and there are others I am sure).
 
#98 ·
CBC and TVO are subsidized by Canadian taxpayer, as such the government should make sure that the taxpayer is getting his moneys worth. Low income Canadians are forced to subscribe to satellite or cable providers to receive local programing from stations they are subsidizing. Public broadcasters CBC, SRC, TVO, Tele-Quebec etc. should be available to all Canadians through OTA antennas or FTA satellite ku band transmission. This should be mandated by the CRTC. But is CRTC truly protecting average Canadian taxpayer.
 
#99 ·
Public broadcasters CBC, SRC, TVO, Tele-Quebec etc. should be available to all Canadians through OTA antennas or FTA satellite ku band transmission. This should be mandated by the CRTC. But is CRTC truly protecting average Canadian taxpayer.
Unfortunately the CRTC doesn't have the authority to mandate this. The CBC must have one transmitter per station, but there is not legal requirement to have repeaters. An act of parliament would be required to change that.

As for TVO and T-Q they are licensed as an educational broadcaster (similar to Knowledge, CTV Two Alberta (formerly Access), Citytv Saskatchewan (formerly SCN) and TFO) and as such aren't required to have any transmitters. Having any transmitters at all is above the minimum requirement and they are both doing better than any other educational broadcaster. As for FTA availability, I believe both Shaw and Bell have Knowledge, Access and TVO unencrypted so they should be available.
 
#100 ·
TVO is closed on Shaw Direct. Knowledge is open. Before Bell changed Access to a CTV2 channel, it was also open. I think SCN, before it was sold, was also open.

I used the terms closed and open because DCII s inherently encrypted generally.
The "open" channels are receivable on an unsubscribed Shaw Direct receiver at least, and may be available to any DCII receiver.
 
#101 ·
Few weeks ago I have subscribed to Shaw's LTSS program. For those that want it, the LTSS program is only available till the end of November. The process was straight forward. Here in Montreal area I did not get all the missing channels, but I did get some. I also got the Knowledge channel, CTV 2 Alberta, Direct Channel, Shaw Weather Channel, The Shopping Channel, and two radio stations. In all 12 channels plus radio. This LTSS program has revived my old Panasonic Gaoo which did not get much use lately.
For those who say that Shaw should offer the LTSS channels in HD, I believe the program is directed towards retirees on fixed income who still own CRT TVs and after the transition have been left with no TV to watch. This program is good. It has been available for the past two years, but unfortunately it was very poorly publicized, and it does not offer all the local missing channels. Shame on Bell, because it's Bell that was hinting before the transition of creating such program.
 
#102 ·
It's kind of a hodgepodge out there. I was wondering why Anik F1R, on C Band, carries five open HD CBC feeds, for all to receive. At the same time, they encrypt about 20 of their feeds. Why not just un-encrypt all of the CBC feeds on Anik F1R? Is it that hard?

After taking a hard look at the situation, why doesn't Shaw Direct do the same thing, for all of their CBC feeds. Just think of the possible upside to Shaw. People can get a Shaw receiver, hook it up, for the free locals, but then say, "this other programming looks interesting, maybe I should pay for some of it". It's a good way to gain some customers. How much CBC can you stomach anyway?
 
#103 ·
Hello, I'm in the Barrie area and just received the LTSS Declaration form from Shaw Direct.

They are offering:
-CBC Toronto (CBLT)
-SRC Ottawa (CBOFT)
-Global Toronto (CIII)
-CTV Sudbury (CICI)
-CITY Toronto (CITY)
-TVO
-CHCH Hamilton (Channel Zero)
-CTV2 Toronto
-Global Kenora (CJBN)
-Global Thunder Bay (CHFD)
-CBC Thunder Bay (CKPR)
-OMNI 1 (CFMT)

That's 12 locals they are planning to provide as per the form. Should I expect anything more when it is installed? I know people have been saying they are also receiving barker channels and CTV2 Alberta/Knowledge BC, etc.

Also the form provides me the opportunity to write in the channel's I have lost access to, should I put in channels I could receive OTA, such as OMNI 2, CTS Burlington, CKCO, etc.?

If anyone has any experience with this, please share.
 
#106 ·
Thanks for the update frenchophile, and
kudos to Shaw for applying to extend the LTSS scheme.

This line in the CRTC letter made me smile:
"Shaw further indicated that its efforts to increase public awareness of the program have contributed to the 77% increase in subscriptions since July 2012. "

Yes, it was all due to Shaw's "efforts" to increase awareness of the program, and ... nothing at all to do with CBC and TVO switching off their analog signals on 31st July 2012 with virtually no public information announcements.

Of course, the LTSS scheme should be permanent. Access to information is essential to the functioning of a democracy, and the free flow of information needs to be available to everyone.
 
#108 ·
Has anyone in the Edmonton or Calgary area that is getting locals via OTA been successful getting setup on the LTSS program to gain free access to CBC French in Calgary and CTV2 in Edmonton and Calgary? Now that this has been extended, I was thinking of trying to see if I could get free CTV2 back again via free Sat. services. What are the channels for LTSS Alberta subscribers?

"Shaw further indicated that its efforts to increase public awareness of the program have contributed to the 77% increase in subscriptions since July 2012. "
Gee you would think with all the "increase in public awareness" they would actually update their website with more information on this program! :rolleyes:
 
#113 ·
Not sure how much time shifting you will be able to do. Officially you should only be getting stations from your time zone, but a few others may slip through, though most of those are probably unencrypted, so you could receive them without subscribing to LTSS.
 
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