TV Antennas making a comeback in Canada

[AGTO]

That convertor box only has composite out, no HD.
The antenna is crappy but is also available from active surplus for about $15.00

 

[gei]

In other news, you can also now buy things over the internet!

I suppose it's good the masses are finally figuring this stuff out... perhaps it will put pressure on Bell/Robbers to lower prices.

 

[AGTO]

perhaps it will put pressure on Bell/Robbers to lower prices.

...while broadcasters demand payment for their currently free signals.

 

[nfitz]

That convertor box only has composite out, no HD.

That convertor box is for people who have older non-HD televisions, but want to still keep watching them, now that the analogue channels are being turned off (remember that they have already started turning the US ones off, and all the US canalogue channels will be off in a few weeks).

The newer HD sets have a built-in digital tuner (just like how the old analogue sets had built-in analogue tuners). But if you have an older HD set (like me - I love those older CRT HD TVs), then you will probably need a HD convertor box - which is harder to find.

I picked up one of these - Samsung Digital Terrestrial Receiver for a couple of hundred at Christmas - though they were hard to find; only catch was I was in New York City ... they seemed almost impossible to find here.

 

[AGTO]

The newer HD sets have a built-in digital tuner (just like how the old analogue sets had built-in analogue tuners).

Thanks...I've been a broadcast engineer for 25 years, specifically television transmitters, both klystron and solid state

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Thanks for this info..

I might try it out.

FYI, Found this map and list of channels..

Here are the channels.
http://www.remotecentral.com/hdtv/

Here is a handy map where the broadcast towers are..
http://www.remotecentral.com/hdtv/bigmap.htm


Indoor UHF Antenna $39
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4361733&CatId=2767

A friend just gave me one of these a couple of weeks ago to test which sits inside my living room window. Not pictured above are two antennas that also extend up. I can pick up all Toronto broadcast channels plus ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC all in glorious HD. No pixelating or dropouts like Rogers plus it looks better, the only disadvantage is no PVR which I live by. Once I investigate the PVR/DVR option Rogers is out until late next fall, I don't watch much TV in the summer. I'd cancel now, but I have to move my home theatre system (a major job) to run an optical cable from my plasma panel (which has a built in ATSC tuner) to my receiver so I don't have sound yet.

 

[AGTO]

Once I investigate the PVR/DVR option

Check out MythTV or SAGETV for PC based PVR's.

 

[JasonParis]

Great conversation. I have a real affininity for OTA broadcasters myself and I'm pleased to see people starting to re-understand the difference between terrestrial broadcasting and cablecasting.

Personally, I'm with Bell-TV and pay way too much. Moreover, I'm forced to pay for a bunch of channels I don't really want just so I can get the few I do. The PVR is sweat though.

 

[Long Island Mike]

TV Antennas making comeback for Digital TV...

Everyone: I have one question-When the USA TV stations go digital on June 13 will Canada be doing the same?

MetroMan: Good pics of your setup with your homemade antenna-living high up and being able to face the CN Tower must help.

I recall that Toronto TV and Radio stations using the CN Tower as their transmitter can crank out powerful signals stronger then many US stations.
How many watts can be used today? LI MIKE

 

[MetroMan]

^ 2011 is our switchover to fully digital. June 12th is for the US only.

I do live high up, and the CN Tower is about 30º to the left of my Window, yet curiously, I have trouble with CityTV and Global sometimes while the US channels that are broadcast barely over the horizon are captured just fine.

I'm still convinced reception will be improved once stations turn off their analogue signals. Right now, they're using the best of their equipment to provide the traditional analogue while they move to digital. Once analogue is turned off, they'll use their more powerful antennae to broadcast in digital.

Fox was the only US channel I had trouble getting consistent reception. Since their move to fully digital in February, there have been no more issues and the reception has gone up from 40% to 70%.

Floors below mine don't pick up NBC. I get it just fine (except in stormy conditions). I'll see what happens on June 12th. If reception to my neighbors below comes online, we'll know that turning off the analogue signals helped.

 

[AGTO]

I'm still convinced reception will be improved once stations turn off their analogue signals.

You also have a metal magazine rack mounted in front of an antenna....I'm thinking you're not an RF engineer

 

[MetroMan]

That's not the front of the antenna. The front of the antenna is facing the wall (South). There's a layer of shielding (aluminum foil) between the magazine rack and the antenna. The reflective side faces south and bounces signal coming from the south back on to the antenna.

In analogue that could result in ghosting. In digital, it results in a strong signal.

In short: The magazine rack has no affect whatsoever on the antenna.

I have no formal education in RF engineering but I still managed to build an antenna from scraps that complies with the basic theory of capturing UHF signals and is capable of picking up all the Canadian and US channels with pretty good signal from as far as over lake Ontario

 

[AGTO]

There's a layer of shielding (aluminum foil)

It's called a reflector, it doesn't shield anything.

In analogue that could result in ghosting. In digital, it results in a strong signal.

The term is multipath, it occurs with all RF carriers, weather it's been modulated by an analog signal or a digital signal.

In short: The magazine rack has no affect whatsoever on the antenna.

Are you a human spectrum analyzer?

I have no formal education in RF engineering

Yes, that's very clear.

The antenna you built was designed many years ago and the plans are available on the internet.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

The antenna you built was designed many years ago and the plans are available on the internet.

I came across those plans on the AVS forum but it seemed like too much measuring, cutting, bending and such for me. The one I have serves me pretty good, that is once I get sound!

 

[W. K. Lis]

CRTC predicts 857 000 households will not be ready for digital switchover

From openmedia.ca:

In anticipation of the digital switch over, the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission is predicting that 857 000 households will not be ready by the August 31, 2011 deadline.

The 857 000 households mentioned are those that currently rely on ‘rabbit-ear’ antennae to receive over-the-air transmissions. To maintain their signals, $75 set-top boxes will need to be purchased for each TV. Households that already subscribe to cable or satellite will not be affected by, let alone notice, the analog to digital switch over.

The CRTC also estimates that there could be as many as 31 500 homes in smaller markets farther away from signals that may be required to purchase sets of satellite receiver and dish that could add up to over $300.

Consumers need to be made aware of the transition and to be educated by broadcasters. The CRTC stresses that broadcasters should implement education programs no later than March 2011 and states that digital trials will begin in certain markets before August of next year.

You have 1 more year!

Unless you have satellite or cable. Or you have a HDTV already, like my 91 year old father has (which I bought for him) with just an rotary antenna (which he already had) on his roof. He discovered that he can now get the American channels again, who already switched from analog to digital.

How many others have the old analog televisions and getting off-the-air channels, for free? Looks like they will have pay to a converter box or a new digital television soon.