I found interesting news about our Canadian off air broadcast on simcoe reform site, written by Ashley H.
She’s saying that Norfolk residents using antennas to pick up TV signals will soon be enjoying the same picture quality as satellite and cable subscribers.
Industry Canada has announced that all Canadian broadcasts will switch from analog to digital format by August 2011.
That will give better quality TV for antenna users. This will be great improvement in the way people watch TV.
The change will require antenna users to either buy a digital converter box to make their older analog television compatible, or buy a new TV with a digital tuner. All new televisions have digital tuners. Older, analog televisions do not.
A digital converter box retails between $300 and $500 in Canada, but users and owners of analog televisions should hold off making such a purchase, as the time to switch comes closer, the price of these boxes may go down.
Depending on the price of digital converters and the condition of your existing analog television, it might be smarter to buy a new TV instead of a converter.
They suggest that if you’re going to replace your TV soon, you might as well hold off on buying a converter that will be unneeded down the road with a new TV.
They expect many people will return to the antenna, once the switch to digital is made.
Already installations of the new digital TV Antennas are on the rise.
Going digital will benefit urban and rural residents. You will be able to pick up 25 to 30 digital and many HDTV channel with your digital tuners. PPV, movie channels as well as IPG program guide is a possibility here.
Time of the snowy double and poor quality picture will be gone for ever. It will be replaced with crisp and clear picture, or no picture at all with bad signal in poor weather conditions.
The USA shows converter boxes from 50$
They are also giving free $ 40.00 coupons, 2 to a household, to purchase one or 2 converters.
Will Canada do that?
I too would like to know the answer to ron’s question. Also would one bought in states work here in Ontario?
re: “A digital converter box retails between $300 and $500″
I think the writer is refering to high end digital “cable” box converters.
I would like to inquire as to where I can purchase a Digital Converter Box in Windsor, ON Canada. I am on the Border to United States and I watch mostly American Television.
I have made many requests to retailers in Windsor and they all seem to think I have lost it.
Please Advise
Joan Bover
For joan Looking to purchase a Converter …The Source Circuit City can get them …..The # is TIVAX STB-T8 Digital to Analog Converter $89.00….Also I know the Walmart are selling them In the States $49.87 ,,But should be able to have one shipped to Cananda…..Hope this helps ya ….
New dedline for DTV in US is June 12, 2009, however US TV stations are switched and may all switch earlier. Prices on converters dropped dramaticly from the time the original article was published and there is lots of different manufacturers.
Many new television sets will need no converter at all as they are equipped with digital tuners already. And, yes the digital converters from US will work fine in Canada as well. If you have any more questions you can post here or call us at 403-287-7344
Hope we can help.
u can buy the dtv converters for 50 bux and up whoever says 300 must be on drugs or u r just out of touch with reality and just may need some to get u focused on the true prices here.
Yes, we all are on drugs here all the time and we like it that way. Look…. like the time go by… It is 2009 already and you are steaming all over a post that was published in 2007.
Yes, you are absolutely right. Today, you can get digital converters for even less then $50.00
Well … internet is fascinating digital garbage dump and you can read today, the latest news and last minute releases from 1999, so be carefull and pay special attention to stock tips and market information or you may want to invest in Enron
I would like to keep my old TV, it is functioning as brand new. Could you, Admin, advise as to whether I could get a much clearer reception now with a converter box of about $ 50 purchased from the US to watch Canadian channels, suchas CBC, Global and CTV before waiting for the switch in 2011?
Joanne
Joanne,
Converter will help only when receiving digital channels. If channels you want to receive are still broadcasted in analog mode, you will see no improvement in reception at all.
Some areas of Canada may or may not receive digital broadcast. I live in Sudbury, will I be receiving a digital broadcast
You will receive digital broadcast and as a matter of fact, you probably already are. If you currently have a converter or TV with digital tuner then by repeating the TV initial setup and rescanning your channels, you may find new digital channels even from US.
Let me know how it went????
I found the digital boardcast signal for most of the station are weak, only CTV is the best in Richmond Hill, ontario area, would crtc request all this company to increase their output power.
I live near Bathurst and 401. Until the last week of August, we got six stations on our flatscreen TV, with an “HD” antenna on the back deck.
I usually programmed the TV for “TV”, rather than for “Cable”, and it would pick most of the same stations on both. On TV, I got CBC, CTV, Global, TVO, SunTV, City and 69 (Omni?)
Suddenly reception went to one station (Global) and then to zero. No stations whatsoever. WTF?
Oops. Seven stations.