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InvalidError
join:2008-02-03

InvalidError to nitzguy

Member

to nitzguy

Re: [DSL] NEW RATES - Bell Ontario & Promo

said by nitzguy:

50-150 cuts through an interesting set of the spectrum...and CRTC will have to mandate the actual shutdown of analogue (and by that I mean the basic/basic service that still runs out there today)....

AFAIK, the analog shutdown is already over and cablecos have no obligation to provide analog.

The requirement to provide "basic" service including local programming available OTA can be met by putting those channels on digital-SD/HD (if they weren't already) and telling remaining analog subscribers to get a digital STB.

The main reason most cablecos still have analog is as a courtesy for people who are sticking with cable to avoid needing an STB. If Videotron killed analog, I will most likely go OTA.
Eug
join:2007-04-14
Canada

Eug

Member

I'm on Rogers, and they are providing digital boxes for free that give us the original analogue channels, via a coax output. I have one in the guest room. (I had analogue in the guest room before.)

They're really small and unobtrusive boxes.

The downside is the quality out of these digital boxes sucks, no better than the original noisy analogue SD cable. In fact, I still get the interference I got before, which surprises me.

What I'd really like to see though is a small box that supports component out and HDMI out, and has remote compatibility, without being the size of a Scientific Atlanta 4642. HD would be nice, but even 480p would be welcome, as long as it were better quality than what you get out of real world coax TV connections.

BliZZardX
Premium Member
join:2002-08-18
Toronto, ON

BliZZardX

Premium Member

Rogers tried sending us a digital adapter for an analog account but we promptly returned it because while the box is "free" it adds an extra $2.99 Digital Services Fee to the bill
Eug
join:2007-04-14
Canada

1 edit

Eug

Member

said by BliZZardX:

Rogers tried sending us a digital adapter for an analog account but we promptly returned it because while the box is "free" it adds an extra $2.99 Digital Services Fee to the bill

I wonder if that was a mistake. Rogers' CSRs are still very confused about these digital adapters. I wouldn't know though since I already have digital cable.

Guspaz
Guspaz
MVM
join:2001-11-05
Montreal, QC

Guspaz to Eug

MVM

to Eug
said by Eug:

What I'd really like to see though is a small box that supports component out and HDMI out, and has remote compatibility, without being the size of a Scientific Atlanta 4642. HD would be nice, but even 480p would be welcome, as long as it were better quality than what you get out of real world coax TV connections.

Videotron's non-PVR SD digital cable boxes are pretty small. Here are the relative sizes in inches:

HD PVR: 15.8" x 10.6" x 3.1"
HD: 11.8" x 8.7" x 2.8"
SD: 7.9" x 5.9" x 2.8"

For comparison:

SB6120 cable modem: 5.7" x 5.7" x 1.5"

nitzguy
Premium Member
join:2002-07-11
Sudbury, ON

nitzguy to InvalidError

Premium Member

to InvalidError
said by InvalidError:

said by nitzguy:

50-150 cuts through an interesting set of the spectrum...and CRTC will have to mandate the actual shutdown of analogue (and by that I mean the basic/basic service that still runs out there today)....

AFAIK, the analog shutdown is already over and cablecos have no obligation to provide analog.

The requirement to provide "basic" service including local programming available OTA can be met by putting those channels on digital-SD/HD (if they weren't already) and telling remaining analog subscribers to get a digital STB.

The main reason most cablecos still have analog is as a courtesy for people who are sticking with cable to avoid needing an STB. If Videotron killed analog, I will most likely go OTA.

That analogue shutdown was in regards to OTA transmitters, not cable companies. They've moved their "Value pack tiers" (that used to be trapped by filters) into digital only services, but I"m pretty sure if you unhook your digital box and plunk the cable into your TV you'll still get a range in the 2-13 range at the minimum I'm sure.

Again its a spectrum that wants to be avoided as Channel 2 analogue starts at 54mhz....there's a reason why when "digital" transmitters OTA avoid this spectrum in the Channel 2-6 range because of the issues it causes...I don't know if it'd be ideal for upstream capacity because of all of the general noise in this band...

But I'm sure the science types will have it all figured out soon.

The reason why the digital adapters came about because channels like TSN and Sportsnet went to "digital" only, but local channels like your local CBC/CTV/Weather channel/et al are still available on regular cable...although again this may change based on the actual cable provider itself, ie. Shaw might have different channels vs Rogers vs Cogeco vs Eastlink...heck its funny my gf lives in an area that is analogue only....in kinda the middle of nowhere...but she gets channels 2-29, just straight into the tv, no digital box, no nothing...its fun to watch TSN on Channel 6.
InvalidError
join:2008-02-03

InvalidError

Member

said by nitzguy:

That analogue shutdown was in regards to OTA transmitters, not cable companies.

I know the shutdown was for OTA. My point was that there are no regulatory obligations for analogue on cable, cablecos can turn off analog whenever they want, all they need to do is move whatever remaining analog subscribers and analog-only channels they have to digital first.
said by nitzguy:

Again its a spectrum that wants to be avoided as Channel 2 analogue starts at 54mhz....there's a reason why when "digital" transmitters OTA avoid this spectrum in the Channel 2-6 range because of the issues it causes...I don't know if it'd be ideal for upstream capacity because of all of the general noise in this band...

The noise over the 54-90MHz range is unlikely to be any worse than the 1-45MHz one and with cable nodes becoming increasingly small due to splits, ingress noise from the environment is also getting that much weaker. We aren't in the early days of cable where coax runs could extend for several kilometers and were poorly shielded enough that OTA channels could bleed badly enough into cable to the point of almost overpowering the cable signal for subscribers far down the line.

Today's runs are only a few hundred meters and the cables have much better shielding with improved connectors, taps, splitters, etc. so ingress noise is nowhere near as big a problem as it used to be 25-30 years ago.
GuardianU
join:2009-09-30

GuardianU to Eug

Member

to Eug
You might want to have Rogers come out and check your line. I just setup one of those boxes and the quality is perfect. (On an old Tube TV) I had Rogers come in and put down new cable after the tech came and found that there was a problem with the line. You may not have enough signal strength or there could be an incorrect splitter or too many of them that degrade the signal.

(I also believe the $2.99 fee someone else was talking about is because that person is on an old analog account. I have no monthly fee for having the free box. It probably has to do with your package.)

Back to the DSL, I'm eagerly awaiting news as to when I can switch and what the VDSL modem will cost to buy.