Ah...a topic close to my heart.

I have been doing this since September, since I moved above ground. Now there are a few HD stations in T.O., but reception can be a problem. I currently get:

5-1 (CBC)
9-1 (CTV)
25-1 (CBC-French)
57-1 (CityTV)
66-1 (Sun TV)

Now if you are using an indoor antenna, old school rabbit ears will work, but you want a special indoor antenna built for the inner city. I use the Zenith Silver Silver Sensor:



Got it off Ebay for about $40, as no stores in T.O. carry it.

If you are in a house you can use an external antenna; read up on it here.

If you are getting your signal in 1080i, I would suggest going to 720p; it may be a lower resolution, but it wont be a choppy.

SUNTV has the best technology so far, as they have the best signal, and the most programming in HD. Most other channels screw up their conversion, so stuff that should be in HD isnt always, especially on CityTV.

Global and OMNI-1/2 should start broadcasting in HD sometime this year, as they both ran tests earlier.

As for American stations, yes you can grab them with a large enough antenna and if you live right downtown. The further you move away from the lake, the harder it will be to pick up the signal as it deteriorates with distance and buildings.

quote:

Originally posted by Time2Burn I really don't think you can get HDTV via the UHF signal. The fact that its is a digital format that require a digital fiber optic network really nizes the idea of getting it over UHF. UHF is great though. You can get all major Canadian and US networks with a good antenna including networks like UPN (uhf 49) that you don't get with Cable.

lol...definitely possible.

quote:

Originally posted by exstasie Yeah, majority of HDTVs don't have the proper UHF to accept HD signals, but a lot of the higher end ones do. I have an HDTV doesn't does not have UHF antenna oh well, I got my Rogers HD Cable to help me out with that

ALL TVs can accept analog UHF singal...but to get HDTV they have to also have a ATSC tuner.

In the US if you broadcast an analog signal, you have to broadcast a digital signal, which is not the case here. So in Canada, most people didnt even know what an ATSC tuner was good for, and never bothered to make sure their HDTV had one.

Plus the quality of HD over the antenna, and what you get through a Rogers or Bell HD terminal, is far better. When you recieve the signal over antenna, its the original singal, and has never been modified, as is the case with the boxes from Rogers or Bell.

Last edited by Orko on Jul-18-2007 at 22:53

quote:

Originally posted by Orko Ah...a topic close to my heart. I have been doing this since September, since I moved above ground. Now there are a few HD stations in T.O., but reception can be a problem. I currently get: 5-1 (CBC) 9-1 (CTV) 25-1 (CBC-French) 57-1 (CityTV) 66-1 (Sun TV) Now if you are using an indoor antenna, old school rabbit ears will work, but you want a special indoor antenna built for the inner city. I use the Zenith Silver Silver Sensor: Got it off Ebay for about $40, as no stores in T.O. carry it. If you are in a house you can use an external antenna; read up on it here. If you are getting your signal in 1080i, I would suggest going to 720p; it may be a lower resolution, but it wont be a choppy. SUNTV has the best technology so far, as they have the best signal, and the most programming in HD. Most other channels screw up their conversion, so stuff that should be in HD isnt always, especially on CityTV. Global and OMNI-1/2 should start broadcasting in HD sometime this year, as they both ran tests earlier. As for American stations, yes you can grab them with a large enough antenna and if you live right downtown. The further you move away from the lake, the harder it will be to pick up the signal as it deteriorates with distance and buildings.

Yup those are the same channels that I am getting. I face SW and can only get the Canadian ones. I've noticed that to get the Buffalo channels I need to face SSE.

I can't put an outside antenna here in the apartment...its in the lease .

Last edited by Cro_Addict on Jul-19-2007 at 02:50

quote:

Originally posted by Cro_Addict Yup those are the same channels that I am getting. I face SW and can only get the Canadian ones. I've noticed that to get the Buffalo channels I need to face SSE. I can't put an outside antenna here in the apartment...its in the lease .

Yeah same, otherwise I would have invested in one already. The Zenith was a good buy, and lets me get the channels clearly, without it dropping. I just leave it on my window ledge pointing south.

I wish more Canadian channels would broadcast OTA, I love not having to pay and still getting an amazing quality signal. Rogers and Bell can go to hell.

How can I get the channels in 720p? I thought I can only get them the way they are broadcast which is 1080i. I noticed that some of the Buffalo channels are broadcast in 720p though.

I am guessing it would be a setting on your TV. My TV automatically displays them in 720p, and I do not have to change anything.

Not really sure though. How do you know when it is displaying in 720 or 1080?

quote:

Originally posted by Orko I am guessing it would be a setting on your TV. My TV automatically displays them in 720p, and I do not have to change anything. Not really sure though. How do you know when it is displaying in 720 or 1080?

On my tv when i tune to the channel, the little info box that tells you what channel number you are on and what program is on and all of that...also displays the resolution.

WOW, I learn something new every day!

___________________
"Can the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil stir up a tornado in Texas?"

quote:

Originally posted by Orko I love not having to pay and still getting an amazing quality signal. Rogers and Bell can go to hell.