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DTV Transition Arrives: How Do You Feel?

  • In Ecstasy!

    Votes: 48 25.9%
  • Mostly happy

    Votes: 76 41.1%
  • Somewhat happy

    Votes: 28 15.1%
  • Somewhat unhappy

    Votes: 15 8.1%
  • Mostly unhappy

    Votes: 12 6.5%
  • Freaking out in utter despair, you insensitive clod!!!!

    Votes: 2 1.1%
  • Huh? What's VDT?

    Votes: 4 2.2%
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DTV Transition Day, Aug. 31, 2011, Finally Arrives: How Do You Feel?

17K views 82 replies 71 participants last post by  writerpatrick 
#1 ·
Well, Canada's DTV Transition Day, Aug. 31, 2011, has finally arrived. How Do You Feel?
 
#5 · (Edited)
I have been awaiting this day this hour even for many years it seems for me I recall seeing the experiments back in the 80's about UHF being able to have many advantages they were using a foot ball game showing how many camera angles could be done at the same time and high quality, that was real early exposure for me then came along my ATI HD card and the Xmass Tree antenna in it and one night I got my first tropo skip station CBS Kiro it lasted 30 seconds and I was hooked having never seen OTA HD as I was unable to get local OTA HD ( untill tall towers were built in front of me ) anyways this is so cool to me... just imagine what they can do with this given the same time VHF had. Being born in the mid fifties I do have memories of antenna reception hell and the absolute high that came when the station came in so good for that one program you'd wait all week for ya it did go like that in those olden days - really :)
 
#6 ·
I am glad will free up more bandwidth. Maybe by 2020 Shaw will finally have enough hd channels *sigh*

I feel greatfull i currently can afford cable so i am not effected by it. I know a lot of the people in the states (and Canada) too had to cancel cable so they had more money for food. I feel bad for the poor people that will loose there free stations and might not be able to afford the convertor or might not be able to get the convertor to work with rabbit ears and not have the option of external antena if they live in apartment.
 
#8 ·
Disappointed. Not because of the arrival of DTV but rather the lack of DTV in so many markets because of the CRTC's decision to give the CBC another year in so many markets. (please discuss that topic in another thread!).

I'm disappointed because, for me, the most important part of the transition (freeing up of spectrum) will not happen today.
 
#9 ·
What's "VDT"? I hope it's not communicable. :eek: ;)

The transition is kind of anti-climactic for me since I've been watching digital OTA for almost four years. Having TVO hold out for so long was annoying but understandable considering the expense they had to bear.

With the analog flamethrowers being snuffed out over the next 24 hours hopefully that will stabilize digital reception a bit more.
 
#11 ·
I voted mostly unhappy.

So far, I have already lost 2 channels, CHCH and CTV due to the transition. No, I'm not using a NTSC tuner, but an ATSC tuner with a roof mounted 4221HD 2km away from the CN Tower. So far only 3 channels have transitioned, and I lost 2 of them (I gained TVO HD), who knows what other channels I'll lose tomorrow when the 6 other local channel I have completes the transition.
 
#13 ·
Happy to see some channels convert to digital @ 1080i HD.
Somewhat disappointed with CHCH 51.1 that it is broadcasting @ 480i SD (although in digital).
Disappointed with CIII Global 6.1 from Paris, ON. I can't pickup this channel.
Very disappointed with the CBC.
 
#16 ·
On the one hand, I am hopeful that I will be able to get a few more channels due to start of digital (TVO), higher power and/or lower physical channel.

On the other hand, I hate that CHCH and CTV are moving to VHF-HI (and I feel sorry for everyone who will lose them because they bought a UHF only antenna) and I'm furious that no-one learned from the US transition regarding VHF power requirements.

But for me the transition happened years ago when I bought my HDTV and put up my first Q&D G-H. I never watched analog OTA since I was a kid, so I can't say I'll miss it.
 
#17 ·
I'm pretty happy about the transition.

When the U.S. went digital I lost channel 12 for a few months, but then I got a new TV and presto it was back.
We seem to have been waiting forever for Canadian digital stations to get going, and it's disappointing that some waited until the last minute to transition.

The much better picture quality on digital makes the whole thing worthwhile. The very first hockey game I watched in HD digital, I yelled at my wife in the next room, hey hun come here, "you can count the chin hairs on the players".

I will not miss the snowy, grainy picture. If I have trouble picking up any stations I will just make some changes to my setup. No big deal, I have been making changes to my setup for many years, and one day I will receive everything thats technically possible from this location.
 
#18 ·
I'll let you know when then last switched is pulled (curious who will be last :eek:)

For me, the big upside was 2 weeks ago when the last analog-only (TVO - which was unwatchable due to my antenna aim) went digital. Still hoping my weak Buffalo channels improve after the Toronto analogs cease.
 
#19 ·
Very happy. CFTO is coming in perfectly. Will be rescanning again later as the others complete their conversion. Not picking up a few channels I usually get when I rescanned, but those ones are mainly American ones that are really out of range of my Terk, but which I get about 80% of the time. I'm sure I'll get them again later, as I don't think their loss is in any way related to our digital conversion. So far the Terk is picking up 20 channels in great quality, and I'll probably end up with another five I can get most of the time, and a few more that are occasional visitors
 
#20 ·
I am totally pee'd at CTV. They applied to increase /A\ to 45Kw ERP to serve the K-W market. The didn't do a thing with CKCO and left it at 12Kw ERP. That means lots of people, myself included lost CTV. Score. K-W 2 CTVs, London none.

Global gets the 2011 raspberry award for using channel 6 and ridiculously low ERPs in the London and Ottawa markets. Not only does it not reach many areas it once did, it forces OTA viewers to put up excessively large and expensive antennas just to get Global OTA.
 
#21 ·
Here in Calgary, I'm mostly happy about the transition. Global kicked it off by being the first to launch a full-power digital signal (in the midst of their bankruptcy proceedings no less!). Everyone else followed suit over the last couple of years, and now we have six very good digital signals broadcasting on UHF - this will make antenna shopping much easier for consumers. Hopefully the guide data will start appearing on the signals in the next few months.

I am disappointed with Bell Media and CBC for not transitioning Access/CTV2 Alberta and Radio-Canada Alberta respectively. The CTV 2 program schedule, Alberta Legislature sessions, and educational programs will no longer be accessible to antenna viewers, and the CBC is shortchanging its Francophone audience in Calgary IMO. Even if these two stations were subchannels, I would have found that acceptable. Oh well...
 
#22 ·
One more post...

Kudos to the engineers all across Canada, especially in Alberta, for all their hard work during the DTV transition. Also, a very big kudos to Larry Modney, the engineer at Global Lethbridge, for personally offering on TV to help those with the digital transition in the Lethbridge area.
 
#23 ·
Watched the last bit of analog 13 (CFCN-5) last night. After the switch I went to 13 to see if there was any digital signal. There wasn't... only for a moment and then it appeared. Did a full scan and was happy with the results.

I'm really surprised at how well DTV OTA is. Clear and crisp with no snow, ghosting, odd interference from old electrical wiring. Plus it comes through loud and clear in my concrete and steel apartment building.

I've shown others DTV and they are about as surprised as I am. Cable is good, but if you can't afford it, one payment of a new TV or converter box is all you need.
 
#24 ·
I'm wearing black today. Does that say anything?

In all seriousness though, while I'm saddened at the loss of an old friend (analogue), I'm fairly excited about what the future could hold in the digital world.

However, I do reserve the right to change my opinion once the transition is complete. Fortunately, it won't be a total loss as Oshawa still has an analogue channel and I'm close enough to the Peterborough market to sometimes get some stuff from there, but at the same close enough to the T-dot that I can get reliable and beautiful HD from there.

I am miffed enough though to have ordered Rogers and assuming I get a competent tech who can properly run a new line, I'll be a customer.

However, I do reserve the right to keep my antenna and use it for important events like HNIC, and like I said, I reserve the right to change my opinion about OTA or any BDU (currently not very fond of any of them but ordering nonetheless) at any time.
 
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