Bill-McMinn.com Don't Like The Cost Of HD Programming, Condider The Free Alterative

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Don't Like The Cost of HD Programming? Consider The Free Alterative

Millions of old fashioned tube TV's have been retired in the past few years, replaced by shiny new flat panel sets. Most of those LCD and Plasma TV's have been relegated to showing standard definition programming. In years past, people with HDTV's stuck to watching shows in standard definition because they simply didn't. know about the better picture and sound quality that was possible with high definition. Thses days it's not knowing about the world of high definition programming that's out there it's cost of HD programming that many owners of HDTV's watching their favorite shows in standard definition. The monthly rental fee for a HD cable box or satellite receiver, and programming fees for HD programming adds 30 dollars or more onto the monthly cable or satellite TV bill. Relief from the high cost of high definition is now coming from a technology once considered to be long since antiquated. When TV stations in Canada's largest cities converted their over the air broadcasting from analog to digital on August 31st 2011, most of those stations also, made the move to broadcasting in HD as well. For the majority of Canadians living in urban areas HD programming is available for free all that's needed is a TV antenna.

There may not be all the specialty channels that Cable or satellite TV brings but for viewers that are only interested in major network shows, Over the air signals can supplement any existing cable or satellite subscription bringing in the major network sitcoms, reality shows, dramas, local and national news. If your TV viewing consists of these network shows, skipping buying HD programming from your cable or satellite provider will help you save major money through not paying the rental fee for the HD cable box or satellite as well as not paying for the HD programming itself.

What Can I Watch In HD For Free?

	CTV	CTV 2	CBC	SRC	Global	CityTV	Omni	Other
St. John’s	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	NTV
Charlottetown	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	None
Fredericton	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	None
Moncton	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	None
Saint John	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	None
Halifax	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	None
Quebec City	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	TVA, V, Tele-Quebec
Montreal	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	TVA, V,Tele-Quebec,
Ottawa	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	TVO, CTS
Toronto	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	CTS, TVO, 6+1 US
Hamilton	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	CHCH, CTS
London	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	None
Windsor	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	6+1 US
Thunder Bay	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	None
Winnipeg	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	None
Regina	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	None
Saskatoon	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	None
Calgary	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	CTS
Edmonton	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	CTS
Lethbridge	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	None
Vancouver	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Victoria	Yes*	Yes	Yes*	Yes*	Yes*	Yes	Yes	CHEK

* CTV, CBC, SRC, and Global signals are available from the transmitters that serve Vancouver however signal strenght is reduced, requiring roof antennas.

The future of free HDTV in Canada looks bright if you watch Global, Shaw Media has applied to the CRTC to convert transmitters in Northeastern Ontario and Interior BC to digital to allow for broadcasting in HD. In order to get CRTC approval to buy Global and the rest of the Canwest properties Shaw promised to convert all of Global’s to digital by 2016. Within the years to come anybody able to get Global programming over the air will be able to do so in HD.

Bell Media the owner of CTV has not made any such commitment to converting transmitters other than the ones required to convert from analog to digital on August, 31, 2011. Converting to digital (therefore allowing HD broadcast) will be the only option when existing analog transmitters come to the end of their service life. If Bell Media sees financial viability in keeping over the air broadcasting in areas that only have analog service then transmitters are likely to be converted to digital. However it may be seen by Bell Media that transmitters that serve a mostly rural population could be seen as not financially viable to convert to digital and will be shut down when the analog transmitters in those rural areas reach the end of useful life.

Cities that have CBC HD available over the air will be the only communities that will be able to access CBC’s HD signal for free. The CBC shut down analog television transmission as a part of the most recent round of budget cuts, eliminating transmitters that could have been upgraded to digital operation.

Accessing high definition programming by picking up free over the air signals saves money by not having to rent extra boxes from cable and satellite companies and for some who choose to cut the cord altogether getting rid of cable and satellite fees.

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