[TVJunkie]

I am getting sick of handing Dollars to satelite and cable companies every month so I would like to understand what my options are for LEGAL OTA tv

I live in Brampton so this will give you some location information. I have heard talk of HDTV receviers and also free satelite channels.

1, Regular Channels
2, HDTV Channels
3, Satelite Channels

 

[peano]

The hardware to receive it isn't free, but there is alot out there you can access with the right equipment.

I would suggest a PC with an HD tuner card and a DVB card. You probably would need a motorized dish to get as many FTA channels as possible. And you need the OTA antenna(s). Just guessing, but the initial investment would be at least $900 if you already have a PC you can spare.

 

[latinos]

this locals you can watch for FREE

CBC /channel 5
CFTO /channel 9
CH Hamilton /Channel 11
PBS Buffalo /Channel 17
TVO /Channel 19
CBC french /Channel 25
FOX Buffalo /Channel 29
Global /Channel 41
Onmi 1 /Channel 47
WB Buffalo /Channel 49
City-TV /channel 57

Plus the channel you can get using you PC like peano told you.
NOT BAD, ALL FOR FREE. and LEGAL

 

[latinos]

by the way this channels and will not go away like the c-band channels

 

[TVJunkie]

I have a PVR I just finished building last week so I have the PC

I pay rogers $130 a month at the moment so if I take my costs over 2 years thats $3120 I am going to spend just to watch the box. If I say just include basic cable thats still $800 over 2 years. So depending on the the number of channels I can get this would be my budget. Logic being after that the rest is profit. I am pretty sure I can convince the neighbours we are all getting screwed as well and get them to chip in if we could build something decent. I have 4 neighbours whose houses all share a common fence so running some coax would not be a dificult task.

I have seen the Samsung decoder for OTA HDTV and the Hauppuage HD card is obvioulsly a good idea as well.

Thanks Latinos for the 5, 9, 11, 17, 19, 25, 29, 41, 47, 49, 57 Info this is great 11 channels for the cost of an antenna and if I could also find a list of the HD OTA channels and the free Satelite channels as well would be fantastic.

 

[hugh]

The Kusat forums have a Free to Air forum that might be of interest

 

[peano]

HD ota:

CityTVHD (53)
WGRZ (33)
WNED (43)
WIVB (39)

I might have missed some.

 

[peano]

..and here is a list showing FTA satellite channels available in North America:

http://eyeinthesky.net/Free-to-air/Free-to-Air_Programming.html

 

[TVJunkie]

WOW this is totally amazing with a C-Band and a KU satelite dish a TV arial and a receiver you can get close to 200 english speaking channels for free and there appears to be a lot of great channels on this list.

Totally Amaizing.

 

[thefatguy]

http://www.nab.org/newsroom/issues/digitaltv/dtvstations.asp

Here's the official DTV list for the USA

 

[wysiwyg]

There's a few more OTA channels you will likely be able to pick up with a decent outdoor antenna:

WGRZ 2 Buffalo (NBC)
CKVR 3 Barrie (New Net)
WIVB 4 Buffalo (CBS)
WKBW 7 Buffalo (ABC)
W??? 23 Buffalo (not sure which network, maybe UPC ?)
OMNI2 Toronto (Not sure of Number, I think it may be 44)
Toronto 1 (Again, not sure of channel number, maybe 53 ?)

So, we have a decent selection of OTA stations here in the GTA. You may even be able to pick up Kitchener (13-CTV) since you are in Brampton. Others like Rochester, or other lower power Buffalo stations may come in as well, if you have a powerful antenna.

Good luck.

 

[james99]

Channel 49 in Buffalo is a WB channel. Channels in Erie, PA are also a good posibility. I've picked them up years ago from Burlington with my old antenna.

 

[thenewdc]

By the end of 2004 you should be able to receive plenty of DTV signals, both local and from Buffalo. This is what I currently get in DTV/HDTV.

33 WGRZ-DT NBC
39 WIVB-DT CBS
43 WNED-DT PBS
14 WUTV-DT Fox
53 CITY-DT
66 CKXT-DT aka Toronto 1
38 WKBW-DT still testing but receivable
32 WNLO-DT UPN coming April 1/04
34 WNYO-DT WB likely April 1/04
27 WNYB-DT Trinity likely April1/04
20 CBLT-DT Sometime this year
24 CBLFT-DT Sometime this year
40 CFTO-DT Sometime this year
35 CITS-DT Sometime this year

 

[Wildfeed]

Arrounding to your channel listings...most are international channels.


Is this all one would expect from FTA ???


Cheers

 

[etlam34]

FTA

If the channels your looking for are more north american, a C-Band system would suit your needs more than a Ku band system.

 

[Felgar]

If NASA TV is FTA, then why the heck is shaw breaking any rules by broadcasting it? It's already being broadcast, the only thing that changes is the distribution network. That makes no sense to me.

 

[thefatguy]

If NASA TV is FTA, then why the heck is shaw breaking any rules by broadcasting it? It's already being broadcast, the only thing that changes is the distribution network. That makes no sense to me.

By that logic, all the FTA Fox Sports Net's (West, Midwest, Detriot, Arizona, Northwest, Pittsburgh), FX, or Fuel TV should be able to be picked up by cable companies. But they are not are they.

 

[Felgar]

No, they obviously are not. Are the FTA channels listed on that page considered to be encrypted? (Is setting up a big dish to get them currently illegal?)

 

[ryans]

If NASA TV is FTA, then why the heck is shaw breaking any rules by broadcasting it? It's already being broadcast, the only thing that changes is the distribution network. That makes no sense to me.

The same rules which indicate that you cannot put up a dish, point it to a bird that is owned by Echostar/DirecTV and recieve signals from those satellites. Even though from a technical standpoint there is nothing stopping anyone.

 

[Felgar]

But isn't the definition of "Free to Air" that the material is not encrypted which means it doesn't need decoding... Isn't that the same as people in Toronto pulling in Buffalo TV or is that illegal too?

And if converting an un-encrypted digital signal is illegal, then what's the difference between that and listenning to AM radio from accross the border...