Comments on: Analog TV shutdown is a mistake http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/ Can you think of a better name? Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:12:10 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Dave http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-114458 Dave Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:20:56 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-114458 I'm surprised there's been no comments on CTV Montreal going "HD!!!". But only on CABLE......... I find it ironic that CTV Montreal chose one of the "evil cable companies" for their first digital venture, while flipping the bird to people who watch via antenna. You can probably attribute this decision to the "low-hanging-fruit" method, but IMHO, if you're a feudin' with someone, you don't smooch their butt. I'm surprised there's been no comments on CTV Montreal going "HD!!!".

But only on CABLE.........

I find it ironic that CTV Montreal chose one of the "evil cable companies"
for their first digital venture, while flipping the bird to people who watch
via antenna.

You can probably attribute this decision to the "low-hanging-fruit" method,
but IMHO, if you're a feudin' with someone, you don't smooch their butt.

]]> By: CBC fee-for-carriage solution isn’t really one – Fagstein http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-101223 CBC fee-for-carriage solution isn’t really one – Fagstein Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:42:54 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-101223 [...] already argued that this digital transition is completely unnecessary, and that goes double for remote areas with few television stations. But the CRTC is going ahead [...] [...] already argued that this digital transition is completely unnecessary, and that goes double for remote areas with few television stations. But the CRTC is going ahead [...]

]]> By: OScar http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-94544 OScar Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:21:00 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-94544 I live near downtown Toronto and most of the GTA digital signals are good, except that I do get bad reception occasionally in the Evening and weekends. I do not get CITS & CBLFT (no loss really). I live near downtown Toronto and most of the GTA digital signals are good, except that I do get bad reception occasionally in the Evening and weekends. I do not get CITS & CBLFT (no loss really).

]]> By: Dan http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-75891 Dan Thu, 07 May 2009 22:35:31 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-75891 Can we go back to black and white TV? Can we go back to black and white TV?

]]> By: Ron http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-62265 Ron Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:03:31 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-62265 I don't see what the number of stations has to with digital TV. We can still have less channels and use even less bandwidth if you reduced the number of channels to 40 using digital. Digital TV works and looks better on a digital TV, so maybe flat screen TV are also a mistake. On a 52" TV 480p looks 10 time better than the analog channel . I live in southern Ontario and could only get a couple of clear channels and a bunch of snowy ones. now I get them all crystal clear and couple more. One post above mentions the cliff effect. You get a perfect picture with a bad or great signal or not at all once the signal is to weak. That’s something to rave about not complain about. I don't see what the number of stations has to with digital TV. We can still have less channels and use even less bandwidth if you reduced the number of channels to 40 using digital. Digital TV works and looks better on a digital TV, so maybe flat screen TV are also a mistake. On a 52" TV 480p looks 10 time better than the analog channel .

I live in southern Ontario and could only get a couple of clear channels and a bunch of snowy ones. now I get them all crystal clear and couple more. One post above mentions the cliff effect. You get a perfect picture with a bad or great signal or not at all once the signal is to weak. That’s something to rave about not complain about.

]]> By: steve81 http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-58148 steve81 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:40:06 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-58148 Most stations in the Toronto area are available digitally over the air (OTA). Not so for Montreal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television_in_Canada#Deployment For people that have an HDTV with an ATSC tuner, digital OTA is great. No need to pay for cable if all you need is the basic channels. In Montreal, you can only get Radio-Canada, CBC and TQS... if you are lucky. Unless it changed recently, Radio-Canada/CBC digital are broadcast from the antenna on top of the CBC tower, so if you're on the other side of Mount Royal, you can't get it. TQS digital transmission in Montreal is also weak as well and they plan to change that with the 2011 switch. Some people in Montreal have hooked up big roof antennas in order to get digital TV from Burlington/Plattsburgh: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=95756 Works for some people. Most stations in the Toronto area are available digitally over the air (OTA).
Not so for Montreal:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television_in_Canada#Deployment

For people that have an HDTV with an ATSC tuner, digital OTA is great. No need to pay for cable if all you need is the basic channels. In Montreal, you can only get Radio-Canada, CBC and TQS... if you are lucky. Unless it changed recently, Radio-Canada/CBC digital are broadcast from the antenna on top of the CBC tower, so if you're on the other side of Mount Royal, you can't get it. TQS digital transmission in Montreal is also weak as well and they plan to change that with the 2011 switch.

Some people in Montreal have hooked up big roof antennas in order to get digital TV from Burlington/Plattsburgh:
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=95756
Works for some people.

]]> By: Fagstein http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-58006 Fagstein Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:14:31 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-58006 Cable isn't affected by any of this. Nothing will change there. Cable isn't affected by any of this. Nothing will change there.

]]> By: mart http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-57998 mart Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:30:53 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-57998 We have basic free cable package that Vide@tron forgot to cut when previous tenants moved out 5 years ago. Is our adapter going to obsolete in 2011? We have basic free cable package that Vide@tron forgot to cut when previous tenants moved out 5 years ago. Is our adapter going to obsolete in 2011?

]]> By: The End of Analog TV — Super Bon! http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-57986 The End of Analog TV — Super Bon! Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:42:17 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-57986 [...] Fagstein has an excellent post on the end of analog TV signals in the US, and the same fate that will fall upon Canadians in 2011. [...] [...] Fagstein has an excellent post on the end of analog TV signals in the US, and the same fate that will fall upon Canadians in 2011. [...]

]]> By: Bill_the_Bear http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-57984 Bill_the_Bear Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:38:15 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-57984 I used to have one of those wall charts, but I can't remember where I bought it. I'd suggest asking at a bookstore which sells federal government publications/maps, such as the one on the east side of University just above René-Lévesque, across from PVM. You could also drop a line to Industry Canada; maybe they sell them by mail. I used to have one of those wall charts, but I can't remember where I bought it. I'd suggest asking at a bookstore which sells federal government publications/maps, such as the one on the east side of University just above René-Lévesque, across from PVM. You could also drop a line to Industry Canada; maybe they sell them by mail.

]]> By: Fagstein http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-57947 Fagstein Sat, 10 Jan 2009 03:31:58 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-57947 I've seen them, though I don't own one right now. I'm not sure where you can get one, though you might be able to get some large poster printer to make one from the PDF. I've seen them, though I don't own one right now. I'm not sure where you can get one, though you might be able to get some large poster printer to make one from the PDF.

]]> By: Chris http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-57920 Chris Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:38:50 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-57920 Do you actually have a physical wall chart of the spectrum allocation table? Where did you get it?? Do you actually have a physical wall chart of the spectrum allocation table? Where did you get it??

]]> By: Fagstein http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-57915 Fagstein Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:42:15 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-57915 Digital television's error-correction will resist minor signal degradation better than analog television, and the government would have you believe that whatever you can receive now will still be viewable under digital TV. The big problem though is the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_effect" rel="nofollow">cliff effect</a>", where the signal degrades enough that the digital receiver can't make heads or tails out of it anymore. Stations that you receive snowy might not pass this threshold and would be lost. Digital television's error-correction will resist minor signal degradation better than analog television, and the government would have you believe that whatever you can receive now will still be viewable under digital TV.

The big problem though is the "cliff effect", where the signal degrades enough that the digital receiver can't make heads or tails out of it anymore. Stations that you receive snowy might not pass this threshold and would be lost.

]]> By: Jonathan http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-57905 Jonathan Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:33:48 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-57905 Great post but one small point: digital signals will still be terrestrial broadcast, so it's not the END of broadcast TV, just analog TV. Extra special thanks for the Canadian spectrum map. I'd been wanting one. Great post but one small point: digital signals will still be terrestrial broadcast, so it's not the END of broadcast TV, just analog TV. Extra special thanks for the Canadian spectrum map. I'd been wanting one.

]]> By: ladyjaye75 http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/09/analog-tv-shutdown-is-a-mistake/comment-page-1/#comment-57901 ladyjaye75 Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:39:28 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3614#comment-57901 I don't have cable (use good ole rabbit ears instead) and because I'm near the port, I can't get any of the US channels and Rad-Can and TVA come in snowy (TQS and Télé-Qc, on the other hand, come in perfectly). I wonder one thing: can HD over-the-air signal resist interference better? i.e. If I bought a flat-screen TV tomorrow with an HD tuner, would the HD reception be easier to get? I don't have cable (use good ole rabbit ears instead) and because I'm near the port, I can't get any of the US channels and Rad-Can and TVA come in snowy (TQS and Télé-Qc, on the other hand, come in perfectly). I wonder one thing: can HD over-the-air signal resist interference better? i.e. If I bought a flat-screen TV tomorrow with an HD tuner, would the HD reception be easier to get?

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