I've heard a lot of TV stations have been bitching about the necessity and the cost of the switch to digital over the air reception.
I just realized however, aside from the CBC, all of these local over the air stations are owned by companies who also own the wireless infrastructure in Canada, and stand to ultimately gain more spectrum for their wireless devices.
So why do CTV (Bell), Global (Shaw), CITY (Rogers), et all want to push the idea that they're losing money on conventional television? If they are, it's their own fault for spending too much on American TV.
To be fair, Global never bitched before or after it was owned by Shaw, and it's already available in high-def in Winnipeg.
One more month and the digital switch will be complete. Have your digital box connected via HDMI or RCA, and plug in an antenna to get the locals in high def over the air.
Hope the CBC airs at least the first Jets game in high-def on HNIC.
2 comments:
Given that the U.S. was practically sounding the air raid sirens in 2009 that analog TV was about to go bye-bye, and still had problems, I can't wait to see how this unfolds in Canada with a fraction of the marketing effort. (The only ad I recall seeing is Shaw's "you have cable, so you don't have to do anything" ad.)
Citytv is going to have some real reception problems with their 8.3 kW digital signal (down from 325 kW analog), especially in the east end of the city. That kind of power isn't enough to punch its way through trees, apartment buildings and interference from lawnmowers and microwave ovens 40-55 kilometres from the transmitter site, and still be picked up reliably using rabbit-ears.
Well I can't receive City already. Frankly I think they should be denied sim-sub rights unless they boost their signal to a reasonable level. We'll see how things go, but if you turn out to be correct, someone should file an intervention with the CRTC. You shouldn't be allowed to get away with less than the bare minimum.
That said, I really do think 95% of people have cable TV. But Farmervision is due for a resurgence.
I personally blame everything on the corruption and incompetence of the CRTC.
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