HiVolt
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join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON
clubs:
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|  Over-the-Air HDTV
Does anyone know what Over-the-Air HDTV broadcasts are available for the Toronto area? I only managed to confirm that CityTV broadcasts HDTV on channel 53.
Are we able to receive HDTV programming from the US, like from Buffalo? If so, does anyone know what kind of antenna hardware is required? I'm mostly interested in getting FOX in HDTV.
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Buck Fush
Great Minds With Great Debts.
join:2001-02-24 | I doubt WUTV has HDTV over the air.
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Snickerdo
Premium
join:2001-02-28
Niagara Falls, ON
| reply to HiVolt
said by HiVolt  :
Does anyone know what Over-the-Air HDTV broadcasts are available for the Toronto area? I only managed to confirm that CityTV broadcasts HDTV on channel 53. Are we able to receive HDTV programming from the US, like from Buffalo? If so, does anyone know what kind of antenna hardware is required? I'm mostly interested in getting FOX in HDTV.
Yes, CITY-DT is now operating on Channel 53. Their output power is quite weak though so only areas in the core will be able to get it. TorontoOne (CKXT-DT) is also supposedly digital on Channel 66. You should have no problem getting HDTV out of Buffalo. WGRZ can be seen on Channel 33, WIVB and WNLO on Channel 39 (WNLO is a sub-channel) and WNED on Channel 43. WKBW should be airing HDTV on Channel 38 right now but I can't get any official confirmation. WUTV won't be going HDTV anytime soon. Sinclair (the owners of WUTV and WNYO) aren't exactly in a financial situation to be adding HDTV capabilities to their stations. Hell, Detroit's WB affiliate is owned by Sinclair and it is the ONLY station in the city that is not HDTV! Even PAX and TBN in Detroit are HD, but not the Sinclair-owned WB affil. You'd have a better chance of getting WJBK out of Detroit on Rogers HDTV then WUTV over-the-air.
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nitzguy
Premium
join:2002-07-11
Sudbury, ON
·TekSavvy Solutions..
 ·Rogers Hi-Speed
| said by Snickerdo :
said by HiVolt :
Does anyone know what Over-the-Air HDTV broadcasts are available for the Toronto area? I only managed to confirm that CityTV broadcasts HDTV on channel 53. Are we able to receive HDTV programming from the US, like from Buffalo? If so, does anyone know what kind of antenna hardware is required? I'm mostly interested in getting FOX in HDTV.
Yes, CITY-DT is now operating on Channel 53. Their output power is quite weak though so only areas in the core will be able to get it. TorontoOne (CKXT-DT) is also supposedly digital on Channel 66. You should have no problem getting HDTV out of Buffalo. WGRZ can be seen on Channel 33, WIVB and WNLO on Channel 39 (WNLO is a sub-channel) and WNED on Channel 43. WKBW should be airing HDTV on Channel 38 right now but I can't get any official confirmation. WUTV won't be going HDTV anytime soon. Sinclair (the owners of WUTV and WNYO) aren't exactly in a financial situation to be adding HDTV capabilities to their stations. Hell, Detroit's WB affiliate is owned by Sinclair and it is the ONLY station in the city that is not HDTV! Even PAX and TBN in Detroit are HD, but not the Sinclair-owned WB affil. You'd have a better chance of getting WJBK out of Detroit on Rogers HDTV then WUTV over-the-air.
I do see that at least WUTV does have an application in
on Channel 14 WUTV-DT with an ERP of (edit) 1000kW (maximum allowed apparently by US law since the station is 100km from the Canadian border??) at an Antenna Height of 280'...And since they say by end of 2006 that all stations have to be digital, I'd just be patient and they'll be here soon enough 
-- source www.wnymedia.com
[text was edited by author 2003-10-09 02:01:28] |
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Snickerdo
Premium
join:2001-02-28
Niagara Falls, ON
| reply to HiVolt
Yes, WUTV does have a DTV allocation, but I doubt we'll ever see it used unless the FCC actually forces them to do HD or loose their license. Sinclair has stalled for quite some time with HDTV rollout. They even tried lobbying the FCC to make a last-minute change to the DVB protocol used in Europe and Australia rather then the ATSC protocol used in North America. As I said, don't expect to see WUTV-DT anytime soon.
Also, 1MW is the maximum ATSC power output in the USA, period. There is nothing above 1MW, just like there are no NTSC UHF stations above 5MW. Canada has (slightly) different rules. While the largest UHF transmitter in Canada is only in the 3MW range, there are MASSIVE (and I mean HUGE) VHF transmitters all through this country. CFRN in Edmonton is close to 700kw on Channel 3. The maximum legally allowed on Channel 3 in the USA is 100kW. Similar situation with CIII-TV in Paris, ON. It's on Channel 6 and around 600kW. Again, maximum in the USA is 100kW on Channel 6. I'm not quite sure what the Canadian regulations on ATSC power output are, but I'm sure they're similar to NTSC - as much power as it takes to provide coverage to everyone possible, without interfering with near-by transmitters. I have no doubt in my mind we'll see some 1.5-3MW ATSC UHF transmitters taking the place of those huge NTSC VHF transmitters.
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[text was edited by author 2003-10-09 02:35:09] |
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mr weather
Premium
join:2002-02-27
Mississauga, ON
| reply to HiVolt
Yeah the industry in general seemed to be dragging their heels on the whole issue until the FCC mandated change by the end of the decade.
600 kW on channel 6 does seem like a lot but if the antenna is directional there shouldn't be much interference going into the US. When CBET in Windsor transmitted from their riverfront tower (500' AGL?) they used (I think) around 100 kW on channel 9. But if you were to look at the engineering documents the radiation pattern was almost exclusively on the Canadian side of the border.
I guess the nature of digital modulation is the signal is there or it isn't. Hence the need for lots of RF power! |
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HiVolt
30
Premium
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON
clubs:
·TekSavvy Solutions..
·Bell Sympatico
| Thanks for the responses guys... I think I'll just hold off on buying a HDTV for now, it seems like it would be a pain in the arse to put up a huge antenna tower. I refuse to pay for Rogers HDTV digital cable, and I dont feel like messing around with satellite, legal or not.
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nitzguy
Premium
join:2002-07-11
Sudbury, ON
·TekSavvy Solutions..
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| reply to Snickerdo
said by Snickerdo :
Yes, WUTV does have a DTV allocation, but I doubt we'll ever see it used unless the FCC actually forces them to do HD or loose their license. Sinclair has stalled for quite some time with HDTV rollout. They even tried lobbying the FCC to make a last-minute change to the DVB protocol used in Europe and Australia rather then the ATSC protocol used in North America. As I said, don't expect to see WUTV-DT anytime soon.
Also, 1MW is the maximum ATSC power output in the USA, period. There is nothing above 1MW, just like there are no NTSC UHF stations above 5MW. Canada has (slightly) different rules. While the largest UHF transmitter in Canada is only in the 3MW range, there are MASSIVE (and I mean HUGE) VHF transmitters all through this country. CFRN in Edmonton is close to 700kw on Channel 3. The maximum legally allowed on Channel 3 in the USA is 100kW. Similar situation with CIII-TV in Paris, ON. It's on Channel 6 and around 600kW. Again, maximum in the USA is 100kW on Channel 6. I'm not quite sure what the Canadian regulations on ATSC power output are, but I'm sure they're similar to NTSC - as much power as it takes to provide coverage to everyone possible, without interfering with near-by transmitters. I have no doubt in my mind we'll see some 1.5-3MW ATSC UHF transmitters taking the place of those huge NTSC VHF transmitters.
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Snickerdo - Anarchy and Chaos in the Niagara Peninsula since 1983!
MACINTOSH: Most Applications Crash, If Not, The Operating System Hangs
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[text was edited by author 2003-10-09 02:35:09]
I did not know that...I'm guessing our transmitters are more powerful for...more obvious reasons Being the large distances (relative to US) between cities and the need to cover those large distances with 1 transmitter just makes a lot more sense it would seem, probably why we have such larger transmitters...
I guess that means we'll need to pull our DT signals from somewhere else...or I guess that means that there will be no OTA HD signals ..at least not for the GTA....
IMO HDTV does need to mature, but there are always those on the "bleeding" edge of technology who want it now....and lucky for us that those people are there to adopt it because then eventually prices drop for the rest of us...
But I think for Sports/Movies...at this point if your big on that then its good to get in because I've seen it in action and....If you have the money...then its definitely
worth it. |
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