CANADA: Montreal, QC - HDTV

[Ken H]

From TV Hat - TV in Montreal and the Champlain Valley

Montreal DTV Stations
CBFT-DT 19 (SRC) Currently on-air, also on illico cable 602
CIVM-DT 27 (TQc) Coming soon
CBMT-DT 20 (CBC) Currently on-air, also on illico cable 606
CFJP-DT 42 (TQS) Target date: Late 2005

[zkzkz]

In theory you should also be able to get

* WCFE-DT 38 - Mountain Lake (PBS) Currently on-air testing

Though you'll need a clear line of sight south and a good directional antenna. I haven't actually tried myself but I've seen other reports of success.

c.f. the thread on Burlington (the system won't let me post the link, doh)

[RonXYZ]

Here is the list of DTV Stations I get from Montreal with a small antenna in the attic.
I hope to get the major networks from Mansfield this fall.

CBFT-DT 19 (SRC) 92%
CBMT-DT 20 (CBC) 91%
WCFE-DT 38 (PBS) 88%

[jamberi]

hey i'm in downtown montreal now, and i can only get CBC and Radio Canada channels using my indoor antenna. I'm assuming SRC is Radio Canada, so it looks like im only missing out on PBS. What direction do you have your antenna pointed at to receive pbs?

[RonXYZ]

To get PBS at full strength I need to set it South South-West at about 190 degrees. To get all three stations from one setting I have to set it South South-East at about 140 degrees then signal strength is lower for all three but still strong enough to get good reception. One way to find direction to PBS digital 38 is to try to get their analog transmission on channel 57 since they are transmitting both signals from the same antenna on Lyon Mountain NY.

[RonXYZ]

Today Sept. 28 one more station is available in Montreal on channel 32 here is my updated list

CBFT-DT 19 (SRC) 92%
CBMT-DT 20 (CBC) 91%
WETK-DT 32 (PBS) 45~75%
WCFE-DT 38 (PBS) 88%

[SmogTDI]

Today Sept. 28 one more station is available in Montreal on channel 32 here is my updated list

CBFT-DT 19 (SRC) 92%
CBMT-DT 20 (CBC) 91%
WETK-DT 32 (PBS) 45~75%
WCFE-DT 38 (PBS) 88%

in Prévost, north of Montreal I get all those near 100% except cbc src at 90%

the set-up:

pre-amp : radioshack productId=2103094
antenna : channelmaster 3221
tuner : fusionhdtv 5 RTLite

[RonXYZ]

SmogTDI

I'm glad for you, a lot of peoples in Montreal can not get any digital stations yet since CBC/SRC are transmitting at low power from their roof top. What about Ottawa and Quebec city witch are closer than 150 miles?

[SmogTDI]

SmogTDI

I'm glad for you, a lot of peoples in Montreal can not get any digital stations yet since CBC/SRC are transmitting at low power from their roof top. What about Ottawa and Quebec city witch are closer than 150 miles?

I only get analogs from Ottawa (using an omnidirectionnal ChannelMaster Smartenna) and Quebec city is a complete no-go for any address west of Trois-rivières.

is there anything digital in Ottawa?

[RonXYZ]

SmogTDI

Yes CBC / SRC have been on the air now for a few weeks CBC is on channel 25 and SRC is on 22. They are transmitting from Camp Fortune in Quebec. I have read that SRC in Quebec city is on channel 12 .

[SmogTDI]

SmogTDI

Yes CBC / SRC have been on the air now for a few weeks CBC is on channel 25 and SRC is on 22. They are transmitting from Camp Fortune in Quebec. I have read that SRC in Quebec city is on channel 12 .

what I need is CTVHD more than anything else....

at least with the Mt-Mansfield transmitters we will get all those good PBS HD feeds and most of the big US broadcasters.

I can live without digitaly broadcasted SRC-CBC, TQS, TVA or Tele-Quebec (Global is garbage to me) Analogs are fine to cover those.

Anyway, the Satellite computer card is doing the trick most of the time.

[RonXYZ]

SmogTDI

You have quite a setup.
I have an ATI HDTV tuner card, the hardware is ok but I hate the software that came with it so I use WatchHDTV, I also use other utilities. I'm thinking of getting a Channel Master 4228 where did you get yours from and also is your Satellite computer card a Dvico I might get one of those also? As far as CTVHD I thing you have better chance of getting it from Ottawa than Montreal. CFCF as not requested a license yet from the CRTC for digital broadcasting.

[john laborit]

You can get a cm 4228 at raybell 9712 notre-dame street east. It's a pretty heavy antenna but it's reception is worth the cost $100.
As for Dvico's cards they can be ordered thru ebay.
If you're thinking about getting a remote controlled rotor they seem to be back-ordered everywhere...good luck....but probably you won't need one with that 4228.



I'm thinking of getting a Channel Master 4228 where did you get yours from and also is your Satellite computer card a Dvico I might get one of those also? .

[SmogTDI]

SmogTDI

You have quite a setup.
I have an ATI HDTV tuner card, the hardware is ok but I hate the software that came with it so I use WatchHDTV, I also use other utilities. I'm thinking of getting a Channel Master 4228 where did you get yours from and also is your Satellite computer card a Dvico I might get one of those also? As far as CTVHD I thing you have better chance of getting it from Ottawa than Montreal. CFCF as not requested a license yet from the CRTC for digital broadcasting.

right now I have the Channel master 4221 but I may change it for a 4228


the satellite card is a 3 years old Twinhan 1020a

with the proper plugins it will pull Bell HD :D


the OTA setup is to cover the blackout on the satellite services.... and get a better HDTV signal than the cable and sat providers

[RonXYZ]

john laborit, SmogTDI

Great info.

Thank you.

[bobokiki]

So if I'm understanding this correctly, we can only get 4 OTA HDTV channels in Montreal?

Geez, is it even worth the hassle of the antenna positioning, running cabling, and tuner? I was looking at adding OTA HDTV to my setup, but not sure it's worth it anymore?

[poncho@home]

As of a few days now you can also get WCAX CBS HD out of the Plattsburgh/Burlignton market. Check out the thread on Burlington, Vt.

NBC, ABC and Fox are scheduled to go live soon, atleast that's what they say.

[netsigma]

Just heard on th enews CTV and TVA have requested from the CRTC to stop analog broadcasting and that it would cost them $200M to update their equipment for OTA HD broadcasting which they do not want to do.

[Ken H]

The CBC on Digital TV
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=763441

[ggtronic]

Boucherville , Montreal south shore

CBFT-DT 502,250 Mhz 78% ------ TV-ok USB tuner-ok
CBMT-DT 508,250 Mhz 69% ------ TV-ok USB tuner-ok
WPTZ-DT ------------------------TV-55%ok USB tuner-not yet ?


LCD TV 37" VIEWSONIC N3752 with ATSC tuner
USB tuner pinnacle stick pro HD with ATSC

B2000 integretaed active amplifier antenna rooftop

SMOGtdi, i will try to add more aluminium rods to
my actual antenna, your additional channels are interesting !

My PC capture device can tell me wich frequencys are associated with channels,
please post yours if available

thanks

[netsigma]

With bunny ears in Laval in my basement I get:

CBFT-DT (channel 19) 76%
CBMT-DT (channel 20) 74% <- been flaky since weekend, had to watch the hockey game on p2p.
WPTZ-DT (channel 14) haven't tried fiddling with the bunny ears but it did register the channel so I should be able to get the signal to about 65%..

[Brian_O]

I live near the Lakeshore in Pointe-Claire and with an old weather-beaten Archer (Radio Shack) UHF antenna I get the following digital stations:

WCAX-DT (53): CBS HD on 3.1; Weather on 3.2 (480i 16:9)

WPTZ-DT (14): NBC HD on 5.1; Weather on 5.2 (480i 4:3)

WETK-DT (32): PBS HD on 33.1; Simulcast of analogue programming on 33.2 (480i 4:3)

WFFF-DT (43): FOX HD on 44.1; Test pattern on 44.2 (480i 4:3)

WCFE-DT (38): PBS-HD on 57.1; Simulcast of analogue programming on 57.2 (480i 4:3)

I do not use a rotor because I have TV's in 4 rooms making it impractical. My UHF antenna is pointed at Lake Champlain but picks up all the Plattsburgh-Burlington UHF stations, both analogue and digital (even WWBI). The signal strength on the digital channels ranges from 85% (WFFF) to 98% (WPTZ)

I do not get WVNY-DT (13) because my deep fringe VHF antenna is currently inoperative. However, I have not heard from anyone in my area who can receive WVNY-DT because of its very weak signal. This is sad since channel 22 is by far the easiest analogue UHF station to pick up in this area.

I do not get CBC(20) or SRC(19) because Mount Royal blocks the signal to the West Island. I do get all the Mount Royal analogue channels on an all-band antenna pointed at the mountain.

I have a Sony KD34XS955 CRT HDTV in one room and a Samsung DTB-H260F tuner feeding a JVC analogue CRT set in another. While the Sony tuner has no problems with any of the digital channels, the Samsung tuner seems to be weak above channel 51 and I cannot get WCAX-DT on 53 all the time. Perhaps this weakness is by design. Even when the Samsung tuner does pull it in, it has by far the weakest signal strength while on my Sony tuner WCAX-DT is consistently stronger than WFFF-DT. It should be noted that although channels 52 to 69 are disappearing in 2009, the NTIA specs for the digital converter boxes that will become available next year state that to be certified the boxes must be able to receive channels all channels from 2-69. Perhaps Samsung "jumped the gun" in their design.

[Brian_O]

On Wednesday morning (April 18), WCFE's broadcast tower on Lyon Mountain collapsed knocking both their analogue and digital broadcasts off the air. The tower is a total loss, so they will need to erect a brand new one this summer.

In the meantime, they are planning to erect a temporary tower at a different location on the mountain so as to get back on the air as soon as possible (max. 3 weeks). Until the temporary tower is erected WCFE will only be available in the immediate vicinity of Plattsburgh on Charter Cable which has a direct feed. OTA, satellite and all cable companies except Charter will be unable to carry WCFE until the temporary facilities are up and running.

Details can be found on the WCFE web site at http://www.mountainlake.org

[Brian_O]

WCFE has been successful in piggybacking on to WCAX's digital stream, so their regular programming is now available as channel 57.1 (on physical channel 53). This should also allow some of the Cable companies to restore WCFE to their service.

WCFE's OTA analogue broadcasts and their feed of the PBS HD channel are still unavailable.

[netsigma]

Thanks for the news. Do you think I'll be able to get the same channels using a CM 4221 in my attic. The house is 6 yrs old. Looking forward to this mod this summer.

[st-henrite]

I live in St-Henri, just below "The Glen" tunnel from Westmount, in a third floor apartment with a balcony facing east, shaded a little bit to the south. To the left of the balcony is the Ville-Marie Expressway overpass, which looms over the neighborhood. Our balcony is right in front of our living room, where the TV and such are set up.

I thought it would be impossible to pull in HD channels without some serious work (which our landlord would definitely not allow - satellites have been already banned, so putting an anttenna on our roof is out) after I tried scanning the channels with out HDTV out of the box. Miraculously, I managed to pull in the WPTZ NBC HD channel (5.1 and the weather channel 5.2) in with $10 RCA rabbit ears from FutureShop, and on one occasion the CBC HD channel (on 6.1), but this was only for a couple of minutes. The WPTZ NBC HD channel came in all the time, but I could only get it at night, though, usually after 10 o'clock (on really clear nights I have gotten it as early as 8 PM). In the last three or four days, I haven't been able to pull it in at all (for what I presume is bad weather-related reasons). I managed to pull in the channels by hanging my rabbit ears off of a curtain rod facing the window of the balcony door. For whatever reason, it managed to pull the strongest signals there (the signals at its peak usually ranged from the low 50s to high 60s at the best, mid/high 30s to 40s at its worst, non peak times).

What I'm wondering is, would it be worth the investment to buy one of those $40 or $50 electric-boosted indoor antennas to try and pull in more of the channels? I saw one posted on here several months ago that looked like a miniature version of the old ariel antenna my parents had on a tower next to our house when I was a kid. I think it was a U.S. radio shack type deal. When I do a TV scan, the ATSC channels that the TV recognizes are UHF 14 (which it pulls in well on 5.1 and 5.2), 19, 20, (occasionally) 24, 32, 53 and (occasionally) 58. The reception for all of those usually range from low single digits to high 20s, so they never come in. I've gotten one of the PBS ones to come in for like 5 seconds at a time when I'm practically hanging my antenna out the door, but that's about it. CBC has come in for a few minutes on one occasion as well. So I'm guessing the potential to pull all of them in is there, I just need the right antenna.

[mckayg]

I live in Pierrefonds on Gouin boulevard. I am on the third floor of a 4 floor apartment. My balcony faces pretty much north, maybe a little to the east. My apratment is also in the middle of the building (ie not a corner unit. I have a Hauppauge PVR-1600 with a 21 inch omnidirectional tv antenna from The Source Electronics (Radioshack). It is a nexxtech brand. Anyway, I have hooked things up with the amplifier (for the antenna) and am trying to get either analogue or ATSC. I can get analogues channels, but the quality is horrible. I mean they are better than without the antenna, but certainly not good...colour is off and fuzziness. Hooking this antenna up to the ATSC and auto searching for channels comes up with absolutely nothing... Anyone have any suggestions on how to improve signals or selelction. I really only want a few channels, but I want them to be decent quality. Both peices of equipement can be returned in 10 days (antenna) and tuner card (25 days left), so I want to make a decision soon. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

[bobz99by]

I live in downtown Montreal right next to McGill. I'm interested in the prospect of buying a Plextor PX-HDTV500U, which is a usb HD tuner.

I have a regular antenna for my TV and I get all the standard channels but I don't get any US channels, which is really what I want. I use to live higher up on the hill and got NBC and Fox sometimes. I suspect I'll probably get the Montreal HD channels but not the US Channels. I'd be less inclined to purchase the usb tuner if this were the case. Thanks.

[Albator]

HD pq in Montreal area.... Videotron or Bell?

I know both are suppose to have a 1080i signals but is there anyone who have already tried or compared both HD signals to see if one is much better than the other? Will HD this fall and havent decided yet where will i go, satellite or cable... thanks! :)

[bm555]

Albator,

I happen to have a close friend who lives a few blocks from here ( montreal -East) , and we both have the same TV model from Sony, rp LCD. He is with Videotron, in HD, I'm with ExpressVU HD, on a 9200 PVR receiver. For both of us, the difference was obvious, HD pic quality is superior on Bell's system, for now. Videotron compress their signals way too much. Until they free up a few more QAMs, it will pretty much remain that way.

I also made another interesting comparison. I installed a highly directional Yagi UHF antenna on the roof, which also feeds my 9200 receiver ( ATSC tuner built-in). It's actually aimed at Mt Mansfield, VT, so I can watch Vermont locals - OTA - instead of Boston locals that Bell feeds us with. CBC-HD and SRC-HD still come strong at about 96% signal, they would overload the tuner if the antenna was aimed at CBC building anyway. if I switch back and forth between CBC-HD OTA and CBC-HD from ExpressVu, neither my wife or myself can see any difference in picture quality between the two feeds, and that's on a 42 inches Sony rear projection Sony set. Which makes me conclude that ExpressVu doesn't degrade the signal in such a way that we would notice it compared to the original uncompressed OTA signal.

As much as I don't really like Bell Canada as a company, and particularly their false advertising about their high speed internet vs the competition, I must admit that for watching TV, it's either Bell or Off The Air, period.

You can find some interesting discussions on dslreports Videotron and Bell forums.

[Albator]

BM555, thanks for your insight. I'm surprise (and disapointed) to see Videotron has less better PQ than bell in HD. I was leaning on going with them because they are way faster than bell with internet speed and phone is cheaper. I would like to know if, in an early future, they plan to stop that compression to increase the HD signals.... :( I dont really want to go with Bell only for the TV and Videotron for the rest. We all know both offers nice discount on combos so the decision is either go with them in hoping they will catch up with Bell for HD quality (doubtful according to your post...) or forget the savings with phone line and internet speed and go with Bell for the best HD signals... :o :( :confused:

[ggtronic]

update

i have receive my new CM4228 in april, and i install it today
its excellent even without amplifier... ! ( instaled outside )

2-1 CBFT-DT 502,250 Mhz 78% ------ TV-ok USB tuner-ok

3-1 WCAX-HD CBS-------------------------TV ok

3-2 WCAX-Weather -----------------------TV ok

5-1 WPTZ-HD NBC ----------------------- TV ok

5-2 WPTZ-DT Weather -----------------TV ok

6-1 CBMT-DT 508,250 Mhz 69% ------ TV-ok USB tuner-ok

33-1 VPT-HD PBS -------------------------TV ok

33-2 VPT-2 --------------------------------TV ok

33-3 VPT-3 --------------------------------TV ok

44-1 WFFF-HD FOX-----------------------TV not good ,pixelated

44-2 WFFF-DT Test pattern on 44.2

57-1 WCFE-DT PBS -----------------------TV ok

[alcos]

update

i have receive my new CM4228 in april, and i install it today
its excellent even without amplifier... ! ( instaled outside )

2-1 CBFT-DT 502,250 Mhz 78% ------ TV-ok USB tuner-ok

3-1 WCAX-HD CBS-------------------------TV ok

3-2 WCAX-Weather -----------------------TV ok

5-1 WPTZ-HD NBC ----------------------- TV ok

5-2 WPTZ-DT Weather -----------------TV ok

6-1 CBMT-DT 508,250 Mhz 69% ------ TV-ok USB tuner-ok

33-1 VPT-HD PBS -------------------------TV ok

33-2 VPT-2 --------------------------------TV ok

33-3 VPT-3 --------------------------------TV ok

44-1 WFFF-HD FOX-----------------------TV not good ,pixelated

44-2 WFFF-DT Test pattern on 44.2

57-1 WCFE-DT PBS -----------------------TV ok

What are your physical channels? 57-1 is logical channel for DTV tuning you need Logical AND Physical channels?

[mckayg]

I thought I would update people on my story. I had the hvr-1600 with the omnidirectional nexxtech and was having little/no success. I returned both before the time expired on money back return and ordered instead TERK HDTVs and a HVR-950 usb. I connected it and right away got fabulous analogue reception for all the local stuff as you would expect. I have the antenna on my building (9820 Gouin in pierrefonds for those that need to know) pointing more or less at the south end of the mountain (CBC building HDTV tower general direction). I then tuned the digital stuff and got the following:
CBFT-DT 19
CBMT-DT 20
WCFE-DT 38
WPTZ-DT 14
WCAX-DT 53

They all tune fine and run fine on my vista computer, but they don't play so well on my MCE 2005 PC which is supposed to be more powerful (albiet less memory). Anyway the quality is stupendous and as it turns out, the hauppauge 1600 was actually the problem and wasn't working well, nothing to do with the antenna apparently. So although my apartment is supposed to be blocked from the CBC towers, I get reception nice and clear and am very happy with the way things look. Now I just need to get my PC running it properely rather than on my vista laptop. Hope this gives people some hope and maybe help makes some decisions.
Maddog

[sinistermidget]

I have an old arrow-style directional antenna up in the attic. It's a leftover from the time before cable was available in the neighborhood. The house is a 2-storey cottage.

Since the old antenna cable was just sitting there next to my Samsung LCD HDTV, I decided to hook it up to see what DTV signals I could pull in.

Initially I was able to receive WETK-DT and WPTZ-DT. WETK was watchable most days, but sometimes the signal was too weak and the audio was out of sync with the video. WPTZ was barely watchable.

Since reading this forum and seeing the potential of pulling in more DT stations in the area, I did the following:

1) Went up to the attic and re-pointed the antenna in the direction of Mt. Mansfield. I managed to get a more or less precise vector by using Google maps. I also tied the antenna to the topmost beams in the rafters to gain a few feet of height.

2) Went to DDO Electric and picked up a 30db booster for 25 bucks. I ran a 15-foot cable between the antenna and a shelf in the closet under the access door to the attic, then plugged in the cable and the other existing cable that was originally connected to the antenna into the amp . The booster is adjustable and has an FM trap. I found that cranking the amp up nearly to the top works well, but only if the FM trap is enabled.

The result is that I now can receive all of the DT channels mentioned on this forum at 80-90% signal strength, except of course for the local CBC channels which are blocked by the mountain. WFFF comes in at 60-70% and is perfectly watchable.

I even managed to get a rare glimpse of WVNY-DT, but it was a bit too weak to be watchable.

In all, I would rather watch OTA broadcasts vs the compressed crap that Videotron supplies via the HD Illico box. Once the local Montreal area channels start doing DT, I see very little reason to keep contributing to Quebecor's bottom line with my Videotron service.

[bobz99by]

thanks mckayg and sinistermidget

I live in downtown montreal and was on the edge about getting a usb hdtv tuner. Upon reading your responses and especially mckayg's in combination with the plextor usb tuner being on sale at tiger direct for 70 bucks, I think im gonna give it a shot.

My purpose is to get channels from vermont and thus my question is will the out of the box antenna be strong enough to pick up channels from VT. My guess is no. Are there ampflied indoor antennas strong enough to pick up channels from VT or is outdoor the only way?

Thanks again.

[mckayg]

Hey bobz99by,
I just thought you should know that I have my antenna on the roof of my building with a more or less unobstructed view of the city (ie no big buildings anywhere). I have a terk amplified which I mentioned and like sinistermidget I went to DDO electronics and picked up a 30 dB distribution amplifier, without which I don't get enough signal. Anyway, I didn't get any signal of any kind when my antenna was inside...so read what you can from that. You might have better luck with the CBC stuff given you are downtown, but I don't think you will ahve much luck with vermont. DDO electric, as well as the source electronic (radio shack) sell some cheaper amplified internal antennas. Tigerdirect.ca sells some good quality stuff from antennas direct (terrestrial digital now I believe). Anyway look at the db2 or the lacrosse. Good antennas apparently, put em on a balcony maybe if you face south and who knows. If you get it working, it is a blast.... the digital is incredible. By the way, I found that my signal was best in the early morning and evening. During the day I think I was getting way too much interference from other stuff. Anyway good luck with stuff, hope it works.
mckayg

[oramsaran]

Hi all, being newbie in the field of OTA, I was wondering if someone may have clue about this. I installed a Delhi 4BT-1483 about 15 feet off the ground pointed south, on the side of my building in Lasalle. I believe I have a clear view and I can get the following HD channels:

Radio-Canada (SRC)
NBC
FOX
PBS (33.1, 33.2, 33.3)

But I can't get CBS at all. My signal is about 0 - 31%.

My antenna is mounted about 4 inches from the brick wall and is blocked to the east and south (Brick wall behind it). Should I try putting the antenna higher?

[cythraul]

Just a report on my progress; I bought a pcHDTV HD5500 for my Linux box (running MythTV) and tried with my rabbit ears. I was able to get SRC at around 55%. Nothing else showed up.

I’m located in Montreal but on the fringe. I’m at the intersection of the 15N and between Salaberry and Gouin: maps.google.ca/maps?&q=h4j1s6. I can actually see the highway exit signs from my kitchen window where I installed the antenna (it’s adjacent to my office where my Linux server is.)

Since I'm leasing the place, an outdoor antenna is a complicated matter so I got myself a Zenith Silver Sensor and I were able to gain ~20% on SRC and started receiving CBS at ~60%.

Fortunately, I’m French speaking and don’t have much use for CBS but I still tried listening to it to see if I got enough reception. I can report that it was watchable but a bit too much artifacts and sound spikes to be enjoyable.

Now I’m just waiting for TVA/TQS/TéléQuébec to start transmitting and I’ll lose the BEV subscription. ;)

I want to thank everyone for their posts, a lot of reading for newcomers but very helpful!

[mckayg]

Hi Oramsaran,
I am north of you from the CBS transmitter. I get the CBS, but low signal, still watchable. If I was you might might try a Channel Master 7777 preamp to help boost your signal if your cable from the antenna to the receiver is long. I have this one and found it makes a big difference, good quality wire is also important (check monoprice for good quality cheap wire) or you might try a distribution amp closer to the receiver (Access electronique sells these things and it helped for me in an old setup). I have my antenna on the roof of my building. I am not familiar with the delphi antenna, but most antenna's are good for one part of the UHF signal (CBS is low on the UHF spectrum so maybe your antenna is not good for picking it up).
HEY CYTHRAUL,
You might want to improve your antenna. Rabbit ears (are probably meant for VHF), so if you try something better designed for UHF pickup, ie radioshack sells some reasonably cheap omnidirectional stuff (don't know how good it is) or online from the states (good time with the dollar so high) you can get some good quality stuff (try tigerdirect for db2 or db4 antenna from antennasdirect/terrestrial digital). That should improve your pickup of your existing stations, preamps or distribution amps might help strengthen what signal you already have, so to lessen dropout. I get SRC from roughly the same area as you, but see above for my setup. You mention TVA/TQS/TeleQuebec, do you know when they are to go live and where will they be transmitted from? Any stuggestions would be appreciated.
THanks,
Mckayg

[cythraul]

You might want to improve your antenna. Rabbit ears (are probably meant for VHF), so if you try something better designed for UHF pickup

Already did, the Zenith. :) Works/looks nice too. The rabbit ears I used before are indeed for VHF but there was a round UHF antenna attached to it. Pretty standard stuff looks like that: \o/

Anyway, it's back on the kitchen TV so my wife can get her soaps while cooking. :)

or online from the states (good time with the dollar so high)

Nah, brokerage and duty fees are too damned high to be really interesting. Especially if they ship via UPS. Consequently, I was wondering if anyone knew a good US retailer that include those costs in their shipping charges.

you can get some good quality stuff (try tigerdirect for db2 or db4 antenna from antennasdirect/terrestrial digital).

Yeah, the DB2 is interesting for indoor usage (DB4 is too big for indoor) but I'll hold onto the Zenith until more interesting stuff is broadcast. At that time, depending on needs I'll probably install something like a 4228 on the roof if necessary (if the landlord does not object and if I can manage it myself -- pro installs are prohibitive at best; a quick inquiry to Moncalm Electonique rated such an install between 300 and 400$!

At at point, I'll need an STB for my living room tv so amps and distribution unit will certainly become necessary.

That should improve your pickup of your existing stations, preamps or distribution amps might help strengthen what signal you already have, so to lessen dropout. I get SRC from roughly the same area as you, but see above for my setup.

Like I said above, a more complex setup will wait. I'll continue to read these forums to gain knowledge in the mean time. :)

You mention TVA/TQS/TeleQuebec, do you know when they are to go live and where will they be transmitted from? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I've tried to find useful information on schedules and locations but nothing seems definite; especially about TQc ($$$.)

TVA seems to want to hold forever and do a flash cut and I found no pertinent information on TQS plans except an email correspondence between an hobbyist and their public representative stating that "they had no short term plans".

I can't seems to find it anymore but I stumbled upon a few URLs on CRTC web site concerning hearings for these local broadcasters but they really mean nothing as they can appeal to push back the schedule, etc.

As for locations, I did not read anything definite either but all this is fairly new to me, I may not have read all that I should have. :)

[mckayg]

Cythraul,
I debated doing all these setups until more digital OTA is live, but I don't watch much tv and no desire to get cable, so between VHF and digital I basically get all I need. As for american stores it is hit and miss. MOst places just charge shipping and I haven't had to pay any brokerage/duty except one place where I bought my antenna (Terk HDTVs) from affordablehdtv. Great service, but I paid a fortune for the brokerage/duty even though the price of the antenna was by far cheaper than anywhere else. As for monoprice and cables, ordered a bunch of times and never paid anything other than united states postal service rates. Also ordered my preamp from a place called summit or something like that...again USPS and no brokerage/duty. It seems that you are right and that if they send by UPS, you get hosed with the extra fees. Just make sure that if you order, they do it through USPS, because it seems by far cheaper. Tigerdirect of course is canadian, even though they ship UPS and most of their stuff comes from their american wharehouse, you have purchased it in Canada so PST/GST are included and thus no duties are charged. Anyway just my thoughts...personally I love digital, and I figure even though I have spent about $300 at the initial outlay, I can take it with me when I move pretty much anywhere and I don't have to pay those twits at videotron or bell. Personally one of the driving factors was the terrible service at videotron.

[RonXYZ]

You mention TVA/TQS/TeleQuebec, do you know when they are to go live and where will they be transmitted from? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

TVA has requested to broadcast from a tower on the roof of CFTM-TV’s studio. The licence expire March 15 2008. They will probably ask for an extension
TQS will be transmitting from the roof of 1025 Sherbrooke East. The last extension of their licence expire Dec. 19 2007.
TeleQuebec to broadcast from the existing CIVM-TV tower(Mont Royal) The original licence expire Aug 31 2007 I do not know if they have an extension.

Update: The CRTC has renews the broadcasting licences for CIVM-DT from September 1 2007 to August 31 2008.

[alcos]

Bonjour,

Avec ma dernière antenne que j'ai créé (Yagi). Je pogne:

* SRC (19 2.1)
* NBC (14 5.1)
* NBC2 (14 5.2)
* CBC (20 6.1)
* VPT-HD (32 33.1)
* VPT (32 33.2)
* Create (32 33.3)
* FOX (43 44.1)
* FOX2 (43 44.2) Test Signal


But I can't tune to:
Avec ma dernière antenne que j'ai créé (Yagi). Je pogne:

* CBS (53 3.1)
* CBS2 (53 3.2)
* PBS (53 57.1)
* Et surtout ABC (13 22.1) - Je sais que c'est sur VHF.


Même avec une yagi de 3 éléments tunée sur ABC directement, je ne pogne pas ABC. (10kW de puissance d'émission à 76miles)

Quelqu'un a une solution?

Je voudrais principalement pogner toute la bande UHF.

Même si il me faut une 2e antenne pour ABC, ça me dérange pas. Je voudrais juste le pogner!!!

Merci,

[mckayg]

Alcos,
Je vais repondre en anglais.
I was having troubles getting CBS (3.1, 3.2). I have the Terk HDTVs and could sometimes get it (early morning, late afternoon). I connected a Channel Master preamp 7777 and it did the trick, no problem getting the CBS now, steady, no dropouts (oh and I use the Samsung DTB-H260F) as my primary receiver. This machine is great at picking up and steadying weak signals. As for ABC, I doubt very much that you will get it. I don't even get a glimmer of signal. 10 kW coming from Vermont is just too weak. I get all the other stations you do, plus I also get the mountain lake pbs 57.1. SImilar programming to the 33.1 so it doesn't really add much. Anyway good luck.
mckayg

[alcos]

Alcos,
Je vais repondre en anglais.
I was having troubles getting CBS (3.1, 3.2). I have the Terk HDTVs and could sometimes get it (early morning, late afternoon). I connected a Channel Master preamp 7777 and it did the trick, no problem getting the CBS now, steady, no dropouts (oh and I use the Samsung DTB-H260F) as my primary receiver. This machine is great at picking up and steadying weak signals. As for ABC, I doubt very much that you will get it. I don't even get a glimmer of signal. 10 kW coming from Vermont is just too weak. I get all the other stations you do, plus I also get the mountain lake pbs 57.1. SImilar programming to the 33.1 so it doesn't really add much. Anyway good luck.
mckayg

Thanks for the answer.

But I think this is possible to received ABC @ 10kW because FOX as a 18kW power antenna and is on the same tower.

[alcos]

Alcos,
Je vais repondre en anglais.
I was having troubles getting CBS (3.1, 3.2). I have the Terk HDTVs and could sometimes get it (early morning, late afternoon). I connected a Channel Master preamp 7777 and it did the trick, no problem getting the CBS now, steady, no dropouts (oh and I use the Samsung DTB-H260F) as my primary receiver. This machine is great at picking up and steadying weak signals. As for ABC, I doubt very much that you will get it. I don't even get a glimmer of signal. 10 kW coming from Vermont is just too weak. I get all the other stations you do, plus I also get the mountain lake pbs 57.1. SImilar programming to the 33.1 so it doesn't really add much. Anyway good luck.
mckayg

Yes I remember!

If a make an Yagi for CBS (Higher freq) and I change the reflector for NBC (lower freq on UHF) I can get even CBS & NBC & PBS 33. But I loose FOX.

Maybe if I build a longer Yagi (higher gain)?

[alcos]

I have an old arrow-style directional antenna up in the attic. It's a leftover from the time before cable was available in the neighborhood. The house is a 2-storey cottage.

Since the old antenna cable was just sitting there next to my Samsung LCD HDTV, I decided to hook it up to see what DTV signals I could pull in.

Initially I was able to receive WETK-DT and WPTZ-DT. WETK was watchable most days, but sometimes the signal was too weak and the audio was out of sync with the video. WPTZ was barely watchable.

Since reading this forum and seeing the potential of pulling in more DT stations in the area, I did the following:

1) Went up to the attic and re-pointed the antenna in the direction of Mt. Mansfield. I managed to get a more or less precise vector by using Google maps. I also tied the antenna to the topmost beams in the rafters to gain a few feet of height.

2) Went to DDO Electric and picked up a 30db booster for 25 bucks. I ran a 15-foot cable between the antenna and a shelf in the closet under the access door to the attic, then plugged in the cable and the other existing cable that was originally connected to the antenna into the amp . The booster is adjustable and has an FM trap. I found that cranking the amp up nearly to the top works well, but only if the FM trap is enabled.

The result is that I now can receive all of the DT channels mentioned on this forum at 80-90% signal strength, except of course for the local CBC channels which are blocked by the mountain. WFFF comes in at 60-70% and is perfectly watchable.

I even managed to get a rare glimpse of WVNY-DT, but it was a bit too weak to be watchable.

In all, I would rather watch OTA broadcasts vs the compressed crap that Videotron supplies via the HD Illico box. Once the local Montreal area channels start doing DT, I see very little reason to keep contributing to Quebecor's bottom line with my Videotron service.

Hi,

I tried also to get WVNY but on channel 13, it's VHF 221Mhz. And it's also broadcasting only at 10kW. I think I will try to make a 4 feet long Yagi only for this channel. (4 feet long on my balcony!!! I live in appartment)

If you have any other Idea, let me know!

[mckayg]

Would multipath interference be a problem? I don't know a lot about this stuff, but the antenna I use is "specifically" designed for urban dwellers where multipath is a problem. From my reading does a yagi suffer from multipath problems? And you are right I get fox steady as a rock, so if they are only different by that little I guess that likely isn't the problem...although strangely I get CBFT much better than CBMT in montreal and they are broadcast from the same antenna but apparently at different powers (CBFT is higher power).

[mckayg]

Hi Alcos,
Just did some reading, and fox is broadcasting at 47 kW and ABC at 10 kW... so that is starting to be a significant difference.

[alcos]

Hi Alcos,
Just did some reading, and fox is broadcasting at 47 kW and ABC at 10 kW... so that is starting to be a significant difference.

What is the minimum gain my antenna must have? I live 78 miles from ABC broadcasting tower.

Where can I find the relation with gain required / transceiver emmiting power and distance between me and the tower?

[mckayg]

Alcos,
Looking at antennaweb.com you can put in your location and it will tell you that a long range directional antenna with preamplifier is necessary to receive the abc station, whereas most of the other stations you are interested in just need a medium range directional with no amplifier. While that doesn't answer your question directly, you can probably find the colour code for one of these suggested antennas (violet colour code) and it should tell you what gain that particular antenna has and therefore give you an idea what kind of gain you would need to pull in abc.
mckayg

[mckayg]

http://www.hdtvantennalabs.com/hdtv-antenna-violet.php

Take a look at this web link. It gives you the idea of what antennas cover that range. Good luck.

[mckayg]

Did anyone lose WCFE on August 10th/07. I seem to be getting good signal...but no reception. Everything else is working just fine.
mckayg

[Brian_O]

Did anyone lose WCFE on August 10th/07. I seem to be getting good signal...but no reception. Everything else is working just fine.
mckayg

Eveyone using an antenna seems to have lost WCFE. Is anyone getting WCFE on videotron, or did they lose it too on August 10?

You appear to be getting a good signal on 57.1 because you are actually measuring the signal strength of channel 53 (WCAX). However, WCAX which had been broadcasting WCFE's programming on channel 53 since April 23, stopped carrying WCFE's signal on August 10. I doubt that you will even be able to detect any digital signal on channel 38.x though, unless you live in the Plattsburgh area. WCFE has been broadcasting a weak digital signal on channel 38 from a temporary 110 ft tower in their back yard since the end of May, but I cannot detect it on the West Island.. For all I know, it too might be down.

WCFE was hoping to have their new tower on Lyon Mountain up and running by October 7, but they haven't posted any updates on their web site. If they do manage to get the new tower finished by then, they plan to restore the full service that they were providing before their old tower collapsed on April 18. Full service means analogue on channel 57 and digital on channel 38 (virtual channels 57.1 anf 57.2). However, if winter sets in atop Lyon Mountain before they finish the work, they will have to wait until the spring because their is no access road to the tower site. In that cae they will probably not restore the analogue service at all; they will simply inform the FCC that they are shutting down their analogue service early and releasing channel 57. The FCC will simply say thank you for freeing up the out of core channel.

[alcos]

Eveyone using an antenna seems to have lost WCFE. Is anyone getting WCFE on videotron, or did they lose it too on August 10?

You appear to be getting a good signal on 57.1 because you are actually measuring the signal strength of channel 53 (WCAX). However, WCAX which had been broadcasting WCFE's programming on channel 53 since April 23, stopped carrying WCFE's signal on August 10. I doubt that you will even be able to detect any digital signal on channel 38.x though, unless you live in the Plattsburgh area. WCFE has been broadcasting a weak digital signal on channel 38 from a temporary 110 ft tower in their back yard since the end of May, but I cannot detect it on the West Island.. For all I know, it too might be down.

WCFE was hoping to have their new tower on Lyon Mountain up and running by October 7, but they haven't posted any updates on their web site. If they do manage to get the new tower finished by then, they plan to restore the full service that they were providing before their old tower collapsed on April 18. Full service means analogue on channel 57 and digital on channel 38 (virtual channels 57.1 anf 57.2). However, if winter sets in atop Lyon Mountain before they finish the work, they will have to wait until the spring because their is no access road to the tower site. In that cae they will probably not restore the analogue service at all; they will simply inform the FCC that they are shutting down their analogue service early and releasing channel 57. The FCC will simply say thank you for freeing up the out of core channel.

This morning I saw a fix image on WCFE with Videotron Analog. (South Shore)

[Brian_O]

This morning I saw a fix image on WCFE with Videotron Analog. (South Shore)

But have you seen any WCFE programs on Videotron since August 10?

Since the last week of April Videotron has been showing WCAX's feed of WCFE and now WCAX's feed has stopped, so if Videotron is actually showing WCFE programs, how are they getting the feed.

The way WCFE was getting on Videotron since WCFE's tower on Lyon Mountain collapsed in April has been as follows:

WCFE has been feeding their regular analogue signal via fibre optics cable to WCAX's News Bureau office in Plattsburgh. From there, WCAX has been sending the signal via microwave to their facilites on Mount Mansfield. From Mount Mansfield the signal has been sent via microwave to WCAX's Broadcast Center in South Burlington. There the analogue signal has been digitized and added to WCAX's digital* stream which is then sent up to Mount Mansfield for transmission OTA. Videotron has been picking up the WCAX's OTA digital feed at their head end and converting the WCFE content back to analogue for distribution over its network. They have also been distributing the digital version to their digital customers. Remove WCAX from the equation and I can't see how Videotron is getting a feed of WCFE.


* From April 23 to August 9, WCAX was transmitting 3 digital sub-channels on channel 53: channels 3.1 (WCAX- HD), 3.2 (WCAX weather channel) and 57.1 (WCFE).

[mckayg]

So clearly WCFE on 57.1 was piggy backing on WCAX until august 9th. Their new tower won't be up until October at the earliest...so does that mean no digital from these guys until sometime in October or later?
Thanks,
mckayg

[alcos]

So clearly WCFE on 57.1 was piggy backing on WCAX until august 9th. Their new tower won't be up until October at the earliest...so does that mean no digital from these guys until sometime in October or later?
Thanks,
mckayg

Whan I came back from work, WCFE was working on Videotron Analog

[Gellidius]

I'll be getting a new HDTV soon and would like to know if anyone has been able to make HD PQ comparisons between Star Choice and Cogeco on channels like DiscoveryHD.

[Gellidius]

I'll be getting a new HDTV soon and would like to know if anyone has been able to make HD PQ comparisons between Star Choice and Cogeco on channels like DiscoveryHD.

Français:
J'aimerais savoir si quelqu'un a pu faire une comparaison de qualité d'image entre Star Choice et Cogeco, en HD, sur des canaux comme Discovery HD ou SRC

[psgcdn]

I'll be getting a new HDTV soon and would like to know if anyone has been able to make HD PQ comparisons between Star Choice and Cogeco on channels like DiscoveryHD.

Decided that Bell is a non-starter?

There was a post eariler in this thread that said that Bell was much better than Videotron in Montreal, but no news about Cogeco. I wonder the same thing concerning Cogeco (Rimouski), StarChoice and Bell; I am currently on Bell but could switch before buying even more hardware (although Bell seems to make it easier to rent than to buy these days).

[Gellidius]

Right, a no starter for me, and not for picture quality, which might be as good as the others, but for other reasons.

If i could find specs somewhere that show b/w (bandwidth) and/or compression for each provider, that would be a start, but i don't think they publish that.
Anyone ?

[MangaSpawn64]

Sorry, there is no Quebec entry for this section so I'm asking anyway :)

Anyone able to receive OTA CBC HD in Quebec ?

I can receive Radio-Canada (French equivalent of CBC) just fine (I get the channel in regular definition and the second channel is HD) but I've never been able to get the HD channel for CBC (and they broadcast hockey games in HD I wanna catch that !)

I don't have HD cable, I'm talking Over The Air with bunny ears btw.

Anybody ???

[RonXYZ]

MangaSpawn64

CBC in Quebec city is analog only for now. So no hockey ota broadcast in HD until CBVE becomes CBVE-DT. I have not seen any date as when it will append.

Transition cut-off date to digital in Canada is 2011.

[habsfann]

I am new to this whole HDTV thing. I just bought my first HDTV a few weeks ago. I was wondering if somebody could help me get some of these channels.

I live in Ville St. Laurnet and my T.V has ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuners. I have bell expressvu. Is there anyway yo pick up HD channels over their satellite?? Is there anything I have to Buy??? I dont know anything about this topic.

[anthon.a]

I Am able to catch most HD channels from the US

NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS33 and Sometimes PBS57 (After reading up on this thread looks like they are having some transmission problems)

but i cant Get ABC, (i can see i'm not the only one with this issue)

Should i get a Larger antenna? (currently aprox 6feet VHF/UHF roof top)
or is their some kind of Channel 13 combiner antenna available?

The signal is going into my Media Center PC and it records great HDTV :)

[anthon.a]

"I live in Ville St. Laurnet and my T.V has ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuners. I have bell expressvu. Is there anyway yo pick up HD channels over their satellite?? Is there anything I have to Buy??? I dont know anything about this topic."

The best is to use a semi directional antenna outside, (or in your addic)
the picture will be clearer than Bell Express Vue HD and cheaper too :) you can get these channels:

SRC (2)
CBC (6)
CBS (3)
NBC (5)
ABC (22)
FOX (44 i think)
PBS (33)
PBS (57) (doesnt seem to be always up)

I heard on this thread that TQS(35) is going up in december. still no luck on Global CTV :(

I get all these channels (except 22) with a 50$ antenna I installed 8 years Ago on my house :)
Works Flawless for the moment, I had to buy a Phillips Booster at wallmart (24$) and remove all my spliters.

If you want to get Discovery/Movies channels and more then you need to purchase the Bell Express VUE HD receiver and upgrade your Dish outside.
Good Luck.

[habsfann]

thanks for the info but the channels i really want are TSNHD and RDSHD so id probably need to buy the expressvu reciever for that???

[Brian_O]

thanks for the info but the channels i really want are TSNHD and RDSHD so id probably need to buy the expressvu reciever for that???

Yes you need an ExpressVu receiver for those. If you want them in HD via ExpressVu you will need an ExpressVu HD receiver. There are no TVs with built-in tuners that have satellite capability. ATSC tuners are for digital OTA only. QAM tuners are for "unscrambled" digital cable only.

[Brian_O]

I Am able to catch most HD channels from the US

NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS33 and Sometimes PBS57 (After reading up on this thread looks like they are having some transmission problems)

but i cant Get ABC, (i can see i'm not the only one with this issue)

Should i get a Larger antenna? (currently aprox 6feet VHF/UHF roof top)
or is their some kind of Channel 13 combiner antenna available?

The signal is going into my Media Center PC and it records great HDTV :)

PBS57 is hoping to be back up with full service in the next week or so. Their 400 ft tower on Lyon Mountain collapsed on April 18 due to the heavy acculmulation of ice picked up during April's "Nor'easter". Their new 400 ft transmission tower on Lyon Mountain is nearing completion.

BTW, PBS57 was the first station in the Montreal-Plattsburgh-Burlington area to broadcast digital/HD TV. They went on the air in 2004 and had a great signal until the tower collapse. The other Plattsburgh-Burlington stations did not start their digital/HD brodcast until the autumn of 2006. CBC/RC have been broadcasting from a "temporary" 100 ft tower atop the Radio Canada building on Rene Levesque Blvd since March 2005. Their signals cannot be received on Montreal's West Island because Mount Royal blocks the signal. When they will be allowed to use the Mount Royal tower is still unknown but will probably not be before mid 2008. TQS had planned to be broadcasting HD in late 2004 but the same Mount Royal tower problem that has plagued CBC/RC has prevented TQS from going on the air.

[habsfann]

"I live in Ville St. Laurnet and my T.V has ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuners. I have bell expressvu. Is there anyway yo pick up HD channels over their satellite?? Is there anything I have to Buy??? I dont know anything about this topic."

The best is to use a semi directional antenna outside, (or in your addic)
the picture will be clearer than Bell Express Vue HD and cheaper too :) you can get these channels:

SRC (2)
CBC (6)
CBS (3)
NBC (5)
ABC (22)
FOX (44 i think)
PBS (33)
PBS (57) (doesnt seem to be always up)

I heard on this thread that TQS(35) is going up in december. still no luck on Global CTV :(

I get all these channels (except 22) with a 50$ antenna I installed 8 years Ago on my house :)
Works Flawless for the moment, I had to buy a Phillips Booster at wallmart (24$) and remove all my spliters.

If you want to get Discovery/Movies channels and more then you need to purchase the Bell Express VUE HD receiver and upgrade your Dish outside.
Good Luck.

I apolagize for my ignorance but what exactly is a semi directional antenna, where could i get one and what do i need to do to install it??

[gmd1]

I could see "MLPBS 57" on SMPTE bars last night. Nothing on channel 38.

-gmd
Gloucester, Ontario.

[Kro]

My Setup:

UHF=CM-4221
VHF=10Y13S (VHF 13 antenna)
Pre-Amp=CM-7778
Tunable Notch=UT-2700 (-8 db on 35 TQS and Tele Quebec 17)
Tuner=LG 5th generation

13 - ABC - WVNY 22.1 80%-90%
14 - NBC - WPTZ 5.1 100%
19 - SRC - CBFT 2.1 100%
20 - CBC - CBMT 6.1 95%
23 - PBS - WNPI 18.1 0-75% (Lock most of the time at night)
32 - PBS - WETK 33.1 100%
43 - FOX - WFFF 44.1 100%
53 - CBS - WCAX 3.1 100%


And for TQS it will be before the end of December (Confirm by TQS).

I think next spring we will have Tele Quebec and maybe TVA.

[Brian_O]

I could see "MLPBS 57" on SMPTE bars last night. Nothing on channel 38.

-gmd
Gloucester, Ontario.

WCFE's analogue broadcasts on channnel 57 are now back on the air from their new 400 foot tower on Lyon Mountain. Fulltime service was restored at 3 pm Thursday (Oct 4). Prior to that, they had been broadcasting a test pattern, off and on, since Oct 1.

At the moment, their digital service on channel 38 is still only being broadcast from their temporary 100 foot tower in their backyard in Plattsburgh. The digital service on channel 38 from Lyon Mountain is expected to be restored sometime within the next week with virtual sub-chanels: 57.1 (PBS HD), 57.2 (digital SD simulcast of MLPBS's analogue programs) and 57.3 (Create TV).

[habsfann]

I was wondering if somebody could explain in detail what i would need, where to get it and how to install. Could I just go to the source and ask them what to use. I would rather understand what im getting so they dont rip me off. I dont know very much about this stuff.

[Kro]

I was wondering if somebody could explain in detail what i would need, where to get it and how to install. Could I just go to the source and ask them what to use. I would rather understand what im getting so they dont rip me off. I dont know very much about this stuff.

Hum...No you cannot go to the source.

You Need:

An ATSC tuner (Most HDTV have one) or you can buy a STB tuner (Check on e-bay) and connect it to an analog TV (Won't be HD but it will be Digital).

Antenna's: A CM-4221 or a CM-4228 for UHF an a Channel 13 VHF antenna (Delhi 5Y13S or the 10y13S for ABC HD)

A Pre-Amp: A CM-7778 or an AP8700.


Where to get that?

In montreal there's Raybel and Montcalme for the attenna's.

On the Canadian Web there the senzus.com for the the CM-Antenna and pre-amp. TigerDirect for a dvd recorder.

But check the Web like Ebay, Solid signal etc. and have them ship your thing with USPS.

That's it.

[TheIceMaster]

But check the Web like Ebay, Solid signal etc. and have them ship your thing with USPS.

Sadly, SolidSignal (http://www.solidsignal.com/shipping_info.asp) no longer ships to Canada:

Service for Customers in Canada and Mexico
We no longer provide this service.

I learned that the hard way trying to checkout the other day...

[Spriter]

Before investing in a new QAM compatible tuner I would like to know if I can access programming through QAM for SD TV or HD TV.

I currently have an Illico HD terminal but I am looking to record programming at better quality than Analog.

Thanks

[Kro]

Videotron QAM scrambled or not?
It's all scramble for now...

[habsfann]

Hum...No you cannot go to the source.

You Need:

An ATSC tuner (Most HDTV have one) or you can buy a STB tuner (Check on e-bay) and connect it to an analog TV (Won't be HD but it will be Digital).

Antenna's: A CM-4221 or a CM-4228 for UHF an a Channel 13 VHF antenna (Delhi 5Y13S or the 10y13S for ABC HD)

A Pre-Amp: A CM-7778 or an AP8700.


Where to get that?

In montreal there's Raybel and Montcalme for the attenna's.

On the Canadian Web there the senzus.com for the the CM-Antenna and pre-amp. TigerDirect for a dvd recorder.

But check the Web like Ebay, Solid signal etc. and have them ship your thing with USPS.

That's it.

Hey thanks for the info. I took a chance the other day before I read your response and I bought an RCA indoor antenna from FutureShop and the results were horrible. I could barely pick up CBC and CTV and absolutely no HD channels. I returned it the next day.

Wow, I didn't know I would need to buy all that equipment. I live in the upper part of a Duplex and I dont know if the Land Lord would be to pleased if I put an antenna outside. How big are the antennas and would i need to put it on the roof or on the side of the building? How much did your set up cost you? My TV already has an ATSC tuner so I wont need that. Thanks!!!!

[Kro]

Wow, I didn't know I would need to buy all that equipment. I live in the upper part of a Duplex and I dont know if the Land Lord would be to pleased if I put an antenna outside. How big are the antennas and would i need to put it on the roof or on the side of the building? How much did your set up cost you? My TV already has an ATSC tuner so I wont need that. Thanks!!!!
You can start with just a UHF antenna:

If size is important go for a CM-4221 (4" x 20" x 35")
The CM-4221 will cost you about 75$ shipping and taxe include.

Then if you want ABC:

With that you should get all US station except ABC. For ABC you need a VHF channel 13 attenna. Again if size is important go for a delhi 5y13s (2'6 feets long) with it you should be able to lock but you might experience sound drop out and pixilisation (Nothing major). (~60$)

And then to give everything a Boost:
a CM-7778 pre-amp (75$)

For the pre-amp I suggest the CM-7778 because it has two input (One VHF and One UHF) wich simplify a lot joining the VHF and UHF anttenna. And because it does not have to much gain (Amplification).

Don't buy a pre-amp right away, it's better to try without it. In my case the pre-amp is a must because of the length of the cable and I split it 3 times, but it your case I don't think you need it.


would i need to put it on the roof
On the roof is better, but if you have a balcony facing south then that could be just fine. (You have to try).

[Brian_O]

WCFE's is now back to full service from their new tower on Lyon Mountain.

They restored their analogue transmissions on Channel 57 on October 4. This afternoon (October 23) they restored their digital services on channel 38.

Before the old tower collapsed in April they offered two digital channels. Now they have three. 57.1 is PBS-HD and 57.2 is an SD simulcast of their analogue broadcasts, as before. 57.3 is a new SD channel.

[SmogTDI]

Here is what I get with that ****** Divco FusionHDTV 5

(using a channel master 4 bay cm4221 no preamp)

Digital (ATSC)

2 SRC HD
3 CBS HD
5 NBC HD
6 CBC HD
22 ABC HD
33 PBS-HD Vermont
44 FOX-HD
57 PBS-HD NY

Analog (NTSC) using a channel master CM3000A

2 SRC
3 CBS
5 NBC
6 CBC
7 TVA Sherbrooke
9 SRC Sherbrooke
10 TVA
11 Global
12 CTV
17 Tele-Quebec
22 ABC
24
30
33 PBS
35 TQS
46 Global

[SmogTDI]

AND Here is what I get USING THE UHF ONLY cm4221 (no preamp)

(remember I'm 110 miles away (175 km) from Mt Mansfield where most of the hdtv antennas are located)

Digital (ATSC)

2 SRC HD
3 CBS HD
5 NBC HD
6 CBC HD
22 ABC HD (not easy to pick...)
33 PBS-HD Vermont
44 FOX-HD
57 PBS-HD NY

Analog (NTSC)

2 SRC
6 CBC
7 TVA Sherbrooke
9 SRC Sherbrooke
10 TVA
12 CTV
17 Tele-Quebec
22 ABC
24
30
33 PBS
35 TQS
46 Global

So YES, the Channel master bbq grill type UHF antenna will pick the vhf stuff almost as clean as our CM smartenna.

http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/4221.jpg
http://pimages.solidsignal.com/ANC3000_zoom.gif

[daMaster]

Has anyone used the DB4 antenna? It can be picked up in Ile Perrot from this retailer: http://coolsatcanadasales.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=165&osCsid=c2743ae3ef4c6a9f388c936c46084002

[Kro]

Has anyone used the DB4 antenna? It can be picked up in Ile Perrot from this retailer: http://coolsatcanadasales.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=165&osCsid=c2743ae3ef4c6a9f388c936c46084002

It's performance are very similar to the CM4221.

[daMaster]

k, I just won a Channel Master 4221 on ebay for pretty cheap. I'll post my results when I get it and install it (2 weeks or more from now)...

[SmogTDI]

Has anyone used the DB4 antenna? It can be picked up in Ile Perrot from this retailer: http://coolsatcanadasales.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=165&osCsid=c2743ae3ef4c6a9f388c936c46084002

I would save myself some time and step straight to the CM 4228 but as my own results shown, the cm4221 (similar to the db4) give good results.


but... better be safe than sorry; I would go for the cm 4228 at Montcalm electronique in Laval.

j'ai aussi lu quelque part que la CM4221 est meilleure pour attraper le VHF que la DB4; quelque chose en rapport avec le réflecteur arrière en grillage !

[tvlurker]

Ce n'est pas le 4221 (4-baies) qui fonctione pas mal au VHF mais le 4228 (8-baies).

[daMaster]

Ce n'est pas le 4221 (4-baies) qui fonctione pas mal au VHF mais le 4228 (8-baies).
Do you mean the 4228 is better than the 4221 for VHF? Sorry, my French is so-so, and I may have misunderstood your message.

Thanks

[gadzooks]

Hello, I live in the Eastern Townships...approximately 20 minutes drive north of the Enosburg, Vermont border. I've had a roof top UHF/VHF antenna for nearly 40 years and these are the channels I get through the regular analog signal.

Analog Signal

SRC - Channel 2
WCAX - Channel 3 (lots of interference on stormy days)
WPTZ - Channel 5
CBC - Channel 6
TVA - Channel 7 (Sherbrooke)
CBC - Channel 9
TVA - Channel 10 (Montreal)
CTV - Channel 12
Tele Quebec - Channel 17
TQS - Channel 35
WFFF - Channel 44
Global - Channel 46
WCFE - Channel 57
E - Channel 62

I don't get ABC.....which is very frustrating

Anyways, I've read on many message boards that by buying a digital converter box I could receive free digital channels off air for free. So I bought a Hisense HDTV receiver and hooked it up to my antenna. However, all I get are

SRC
CBC
WCFE (3 channels)

They come in crystal clear, but why can't I receive any of the US channels? I need to know what parts I need to buy to make this work. I figure if I'm receiving all the US channels on my analog signal I should be getting them digitally too. Help please!!!

[SmogTDI]

Ce n'est pas le 4221 (4-baies) qui fonctione pas mal au VHF mais le 4228 (8-baies).

en tout cas je peux t'assurer que ma 4221 fait des miracles

so far the 4221 I have on the tower is doing miracles on VHF

[tvlurker]

It's only the 4228 that has some use for VHF-Hi, particularly ch 10 and above. See http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html , and scroll to the bottom of the page for some info on using the 4228 for VHF Hi. Note that it's probably not good enough to use for WVNY-DT on ch 13 in Montreal.

However, with a short leadin cable, the 4228 is better than rabbit ears for all VHF-Hi channels but ch 8. The 4221 is better than rabbit ears for channels 12 and 13.

Of course, these plots are based on simulations. If someone in your neighbourhood has good luck with a 4221, then go for it.

TVl

[tvlurker]

Gadzooks,

The only analog signal you receive now from Mount Mansfield is channel 3.
Fox 44 analog broadcasts from Terry Mountain in Peru NY, alongside ch 5.
However, all the digital signals except WCFE now broadcast from Mount Mansfield. If you can't get 22 or 33 analog, you won't get 13 (WVNY-DT), 14 (WPTZ-DT), 32 (WETK-DT), 43 (WFFF-DT), or 53 (WCAX-DT) digital.

Which way is your antenna pointed? If you can get low power Global on 46, it must be pointed towards Montreal. Do you have a rotor? If so, try pointing the antenna south towards Mount Mansfield. If you lose Global on 46, you could probably pick it up better on ch 11 from Mont Orford (same as 7 TVA and 9 SRC)

[gadzooks]

tvlurker....I am puzzled. I keep seeing ads telling us that we need to buy a digital converter in order to continue receiving the same channels we get with the analog signal. Yet, you're telling me that because they are transmitting everything from Mt. Mansfield that we will lose all reception. This is crazy!!! Are they on low power now and then going to switch to full power for all of us to get the signal? My antenna is currently reaching above my chimney. Does that mean I need a higher tower or a stronger antenna? This is going to be a huge problem because I live in a very rural area where I don't get cable and satellite doesn't work because there are too many trees. Ugh!!! What do you suggest I do? Thanks for the info.

[tvlurker]

tvlurker....I am puzzled. I keep seeing ads telling us that we need to buy a digital converter in order to continue receiving the same channels we get with the analog signal. Yet, you're telling me that because they are transmitting everything from Mt. Mansfield that we will lose all reception.

No, what I was saying is that with your current setup, you do not receive analog channels 22 or 33 from Mount Mansfield. These analog channels can be easily received in Montreal, sometimes even with just an indoor UHF antenna. If you do not currently receive them, it could be due to several reasons:
1. There is a building or mountain along the path between you and Mount Mansfield that i blocking your reception of UHF channels. (VHF channels are often more easily receivable in the shadow of mountains, for example and that could be why you're receivng channel 3)

2. Your Antenna is pointed westward or southwestward. Perhaps that's why you receive Montreal and Plattsburg channels well, but not Burlington UHF.

3. UHF signals suffer from propagation and transmission loss much more than VHF channels. The difference in propagation loss is covered by the fact that UHF stations transmit at a much higher power than VHF stations. However, if you have an old 300 ohm twin lead downlead, or even an older RG59 cable, this my account for not getting UHF from Mount Mansfield.

4. A 40 year old antenna may have corroded terminals, missing elements, and other failures tht my make reception difficult.

Since you claim to get channel 46 from Montreal, I'm leaning towards cause number 2 above, since you're not that likely to get it if your antenna is pointing away from Montreal, or if your downlead is lossy or otherwise bad. That's why I asked in which direction your antenna is pointing.

I'm curious -- forty years ago, the only UHF station in the area was channel 33 from Burlington. The second station, channel 22, started broadcasting 39 years ago in the summer of 1968. If you had installed a UHF antenna back in the sixties, surely it must have been in order to receive those two channels? When did you stop receiving them? (Channel 17 didn't start until the mid seventies.)

TVl
an ex-Montrealer now living in Ottawa

[gadzooks]

tvlurker....thanks for the advice. I just hope I can find a good antenna installer that can fix my problem. I'm thinking that it might be corrosion causing some of my reception problems. Maybe I need to get a stronger antenna. My parents had the original antenna installed, then we had a huge storm in 1993 and it came off the roof. We purchased a similar antenna and then had some height added to the tower so that we could received WCAX. It used to come in crystal clear, but over the years it has become more snowy and we get a lot of interference when it's humid. We live on a foothill of a mountain and the trees get taller every year. I hate that they have to transmit everything from Mt. Mansfield. That really sucks!

[tvlurker]

So, did you ever receive 22 or 33 with your antenna? It sounds like you may have once upon a time, and the trees are preventing reception now.

Which way does the antenna point (or do you have a rotor?)

[gadzooks]

Yes, we used to receive 22 & 33....never crystal clear, but depending on the weather they were still watchable. We have a rotor....but it's quite old. Could that be part of the problem?

[yipikyer]

For those interested, TQS HD should be on the air the 19th of december, if no more delays occur.

We'll see...

[SmogTDI]

For those interested, TQS HD should be on the air the 19th of december, if no more delays occur.

We'll see...

I just wish CTV to go digital OTA ; but last month I emailed them and got an answer saying they are still investigating cost to go digital.

[yipikyer]

I spoke to a tech on mt-royal and he told me that thet should be on air for the olympics!!! Whenever that is...

[tvlurker]

Yes, we used to receive 22 & 33....never crystal clear, but depending on the weather they were still watchable. We have a rotor....but it's quite old. Could that be part of the problem?

Yup. You'd definitely need to point the antena towards the south to get Mount MAnsfield, especilly if you have hills in the way. However, the rotor may have seized up, and may no longer operate well or reliably.

Would you be able to post a digital picture of your antenna, along with a descriptions of which fdirection it is pointing in?

TVl

[SmogTDI]

I spoke to a tech on mt-royal and he told me that thet should be on air for the olympics!!! Whenever that is...

olympics of 2012 ?

[gadzooks]

I will take some photos tomorrow and will post them soon after. Thanks!

[gadzooks]

Hi TVlurker....we just had a huge snowstorm here and it's tough for me to get a good photo of the antenna. This is the best I could do right now. Here it is positioned to get WPTZ. I would have to move it a little left to get WCAX.

[tvlurker]

Thanks for the picture. It looks like you may have issues with trees affecting UHF, especially in the summer when the leaves are on.

I see a box above the rotor -- is it a 75-300 Ohm balun or a preamp?

Given that you're getting low power 46 and 62 from Montreal and 44 from Terry Mountain OK with your setup, you may be out of luck for Mount Mansfield UHF.

[RonXYZ]

Here would be an update for post 1 of this thread.

* ????-DT 15 (HDTV) Applied for licence, hearing will be on February 11, 2008
* CBFT-DT 19 (SRC) on-air
* CBMT-DT 20 (CBC) on-air
* CFCF-DT 21 (CTV) Did not applied yet for license, No news
* CIVM-DT 27 (TQC) Got license, Early 2008
* CFJP-DT 42 (TQS) on-air Testing
* CKMI-DT 51 (Global) Did not applied yet for license, No news
* CFTU-DT 54 (Canal Savoir) Did not applied yet for license, No news
* CFTM-DT 59 (TVA) Got license, no more news
* CJNT-DT 69 (CH)Did not applied yet for license, No news


Credit: Informations taken from Post #1 of the Burlington, VT - HDTV thread.

[gadzooks]

Wow, you mean there isn't a stronger antenna or some other set-up that I can come up with to make this work? I believe that little box is a pre-amp. The guy that installed it in 1993 never bothered to tell me what he put up there. If I add more height to my tower what do you think my chances are?

[tvlurker]

Wow, you mean there isn't a stronger antenna or some other set-up that I can come up with to make this work? I believe that little box is a pre-amp. The guy that installed it in 1993 never bothered to tell me what he put up there. If I add more height to my tower what do you think my chances are?

Hmm -- if it is a pre-amp, there should be a power injector for it somewhere inside the house. Make sure it's plugged in.

Adding height may help. It looks like you're just clearing the roof or your house. The antenna appears to have survived the ice storm of '98 pretty well, with only a couple of bent elements on the VHF-low part of your log-periodic antenna.

As far as a stronger antenna, a CM4228 would definetely help for UHF. You may still want to keep the current antenna for WVNY-DT on 13.

TVl

[gadzooks]

Ugh...I'm so confused. I've been reading up about antennas and I'm trying to figure out what is best. Everyone seems to say that the channel master4228 is good. But what is an 8 bay yagi antenna? Is that even better? My biggest concern right now is to find a antenna installer where I live in Dunham, Quebec. I am getting the feeling that I won't find anyone that understands my problem. I mean do they even know that we will be losing all analog signals from the States next year? You can't find a digital converter box anywhere? I had to order mine off EBay.

In the past few weeks I've been noticing that my picture quality from WCAX and WPTZ via the analog signal is getting worse. The reception is there, but I notice all kinds of little dots and diagonal lines that weren't there before. My brother tried to adjust the gain on the amp attached to the back of the tv, but it only gets snowy when he does that. Do you think there is something wrong with the antenna or with the signal itself? I feel like I'm the only woman that is trying to figure all this out and it's driving me nuts. TVlurker....how do you know so much about this? I wish I had your knowledge.

[tvlurker]

Ugh...I'm so confused. I've been reading up about antennas and I'm trying to figure out what is best. Everyone seems to say that the channel master4228 is good. But what is an 8 bay yagi antenna? Is that even better? My biggest concern right now is to find a antenna installer where I live in Dunham, Quebec. I am getting the feeling that I won't find anyone that understands my problem. I mean do they even know that we will be losing all analog signals from the States next year? You can't find a digital converter box anywhere? I had to order mine off EBay.

In the past few weeks I've been noticing that my picture quality from WCAX and WPTZ via the analog signal is getting worse. The reception is there, but I notice all kinds of little dots and diagonal lines that weren't there before. My brother tried to adjust the gain on the amp attached to the back of the tv, but it only gets snowy when he does that. Do you think there is something wrong with the antenna or with the signal itself? I feel like I'm the only woman that is trying to figure all this out and it's driving me nuts. TVlurker....how do you know so much about this? I wish I had your knowledge.

Well, it doesn't hurt that I'm also an electrical engineer, and I work in the telecom industry in radio communcaitons (albeit on the software side).

I have friends between Frelighsburg and Sutton, and I used to play with thir antenna a bit, so I know what's possible to receive on the analog side in that region.

Dunham is due north of Mount Mansfield, and there don't appear to be any major obstacles in the way, other than perhaps the hill you say is nearby. There may be something wrong with your setup -- bad downlead or bad connection somewhere.

If you want to understand how antennas work, you could try reading through the antenna pages at www.hdtvprimer.com. I have an engineering background, so I can understand it pretty well, but the pages are written with the non-technical person in mind, so give it a try.

I'm not sure who mentioned an 8-bay yagi -- I've never hear of it. There are 8-bay bowties, and there are corner reflector yagis. Again, read up at hdtvprimer.com for a good understanding of antennas.

If I recall correctly, your antenna is a log periodic wideband antenna.

How long is the leadin from your antenna to the TV? Is it coaxial cable or 300 ohm flat twin lead? If it's coax, can you read off the type it is (it might have either RG-6 or RG-59 printed on the cable).


TVl

[SmogTDI]

Everyone seems to say that the channel master4228 is good.

I have an old CM4221 http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/cm4221.html (4 bays while the 4228 is 8 bays)

http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/cm4228.html

It's good but I'm stretching it's range at 120 miles. ( I live near St-Sauveur)

So I ordered a XG91 ( 91 elements Yagi ) http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/XG91.html

as it can be tilted to fine tune the gain versus your location ( like to clear that hill in front of your house)

http://search.ebay.ca/search/search.dll?from=R40&satitle=91xg

as you live near the border, You may find a Mail Forwarding service near you and just go pick the antenna avoiding the brokerage fees. People in Montreal use Freeport Forwarding in Champlain. they ask 2$ to receive your boxes in your name. PERFECT to take advantage of all the "free shipping" offers in the US.


http://www.antennasdirect.com/images/91XG-large2.jpg


http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html

P.S. there's no such thing as the perfect antenna. It's specific to your location and surrounding. Using a supposely UHF only antenna (CM4221), I get all the channels from Sherbrooke. One major advantage from the channel master 4 and 8 bays antennas is that they can be relatively good for the channels from 7 to 12 on the vhf-h Band. I live 45 miles from Montreal and I pick all tv stations including src 2 and cbc 6

[SmogTDI]

Hi TVlurker....we just had a huge snowstorm here and it's tough for me to get a good photo of the antenna. This is the best I could do right now. Here it is positioned to get WPTZ. I would have to move it a little left to get WCAX.

your antenna look OK for where you are. I would put money on the connections and cables. may be a little cleaning on the antenna connections and electrical contacts.

being cheap I would try this low cost solution before spending 100$ on another antenna then finding the cable was the problem.

[TheIceMaster]

So I ordered a XG91 ( 91 elements Yagi ) as it can be tilted to fine tune the gain versus your location ( like to clear that hill in front of your house).

as you live near the border, You may find a Mail Forwarding service near you and just go pick the antenna avoiding the brokerage fees. People in Montreal use Freeport Forwarding in Champlain. they ask 2$ to receive your boxes in your name. PERFECT to take advantage of all the "free shipping" offers in the US.

Or you can simply order it from a Longueuil store and be sure you wont be charged any extra taxes/brokerage fees and no need to drive across the border:
http://www.microinformatique.ca/Page/prix2/prixdetailplus.asp?SKU=23105

If you have received it, how does it compare to the CM4221? Although you do have more distance, you may have the height advantage to catch the signals.

[SmogTDI]

If you have received it, how does it compare to the CM4221? Although you do have more distance, you may have the height advantage to catch the signals.

I expect the 91XG late next week. As for my location, I'm located high enough to see over the whole St-Laurence valley and get a direct hit to the Mt Mansfield's antennas.

One thing I may miss is the VHF ability of the CM4221

I should get the 91XG at the same time as the ATSC ready 32" HDTV I ordered for 499$can at www.hbc.com (free delivery to any zellers store in Canada).

[anthony689]

Has anyone used the DB4 antenna?

I tested the DB8 Antenna i found it at a local place in laval for under hundred.

I Live in Laval (St-Dorothee) and get all channels in with 80%+ signal except for ABC(13). On the Analog side I even get channels from Sherbrooke they are a bit fuzzy but not bad.

[anthony689]

SmogTDI,

You are Getting ABC HD from ST-Sauveur?? what antenna are you using?

[SmogTDI]

SmogTDI,

You are Getting ABC HD from ST-Sauveur?? what antenna are you using?

Does anyone know is TQS started Broadcasting?

I can't get ABC easily. it was easier last summer then now it's a no show most of the time.

It pi ss me off a bit to see some stations still using vhf for digital.

by the way, keep in mind that my house is located way higher than anything between St-Jérôme and the US border. even a Smartenna omnidirectionnal amplified UFO type antenna is good.

[TheIceMaster]

One thing I may miss is the VHF ability of the CM4221

If you are getting reliable signal with the CM4221, may I ask why changing to the 91XG?

I picked up the 91XG from the Longueuil store today. I had ordered it during their boxing day week. Total cost was less than 70$CAD including taxes so I felt it was something to try before spending a little more on the CM4228.

Without any amp/preamp and pointed at Mt. Mansfield to tuner, I am able to get all the signals from Mt.Mansfield & Mt. Lyons at 85+%. A pleasant surprise was the ability to receive SRC/CBC OTA ATSC in the 75-85% range even though they are ~165 degrees away from where I am aiming. I always had issues receiving TQS so its no better at this time but this is probably due to the current height of my antenna (15ft above ground) which doesnt even clear the roof toward Montreal. Analog stations ch.6 and up are also fine and watchable but, sadly, not even a glimpse of channel 13 ATSC -> ABC HD.

Since there is no tropo tonight, those results should be stable but time will tell on that part. My only concern is how sturdy the antenna will be in Winter with the snow and ice.

Next on my list: get a pre-amp or amp'ed distribution splitter.

[SmogTDI]

If you are getting reliable signal with the CM4221, may I ask why changing to the 91XG?

I was already minded for a CM 4228 but I wanna have the tweakability of the 91xg. The cm4221 I have on the roof is something like 30 years old with lot of corrosion.

Luck is on my side, every tower in Montreal, Mt Mansfield and sherbrooke are within 15 degrees while Ottawa is something like 170 degrees.

[SmogTDI]

If you are getting reliable signal with the CM4221, may I ask why changing to the 91XG?

well, I may not change the CM4221 for anything else because I'm 120 miles away and my new TV pick a reliable signal on ABC -HD VHF-13

[TheIceMaster]

I saw your post on DigitalHome that you received your new TV. Like it?

What were you using before to get your ATSC signal? Your new TV seem more sensitive (ie, better) to receive by the looks of it.

[SmogTDI]

I saw your post on DigitalHome that you received your new TV. Like it?

What were you using before to get your ATSC signal? Your new TV seem more sensitive (ie, better) to receive by the looks of it.

yup, that 499$ Olevia 32" LCD is a very good deal and get good reviews all over the internet.

I also have a 100$ FusionHDTV pci card in my main computer and that's what I was using previously.


both have the 5th generation ATSC tuner but the LCD tv kick the PCI's a$$ for sensivity.

[TheIceMaster]

Good to know and interesting as I am having similar results with the DViCO card (~2-3 years old).

When I condition my signal to become marginal (more attenuators), my HVR-950 or HVR-1800 has a much more stable signal without pixelisation than my FusionHDTV5 RT Gold.

[ggtronic]

any idea for channel that will broadcast the original US super bowl
via OTA around Montreal ?

i actually get these with my 4228

2-1 CBFT-DT 502,250 Mhz
3-1 WCAX-HD CBS
3-2 WCAX-Weather
5-1 WPTZ-HD NBC
5-2 WPTZ-DT Weather
6-1 CBMT-DT 508,250 Mhz
33-1 VPT-HD PBS
33-2 VPT-2
33-3 VPT-3
44-1 WFFF-HD FOX-- http://www.fox.com/schedule/ super bowl
44-2 WFFF-DT
57-1 WCFE-DT PBS

[TheIceMaster]

If you want the Superbowl with the American pubs:

44-1 WFFF-HD FOX

[yuprules]

Does anyone have a more recent power listing for the channels near Montreal?

This list is almost a year out of date:
http://www.remotecentral.com/hdtv/ottawa_hdtv.htm

[stampeder]

This is from Industry Canada's database:

http://www.user.dccnet.com/jonleblanc/Canada_TV_Stations/index.html

[gadzooks]

OK...so it has been a few months since I last came in here. Two weeks ago, after the ice/snow storm, I lost all reception on my analog signal. Today I had a technician come over and he discovered that the wiring had snapped off my rooftop antenna. I was prepared to replace the whole thing, but the guy told me that my antenna was still in good shape and the wiring was fine. I had the rotor changed and some new connector cable installed behind the tv. All my analog channels are coming in very well (except for ABC) which I never got anyway. When I switched on my digital converter and did a scan I got the usual channel 57 (3 channels), SRC 2, CBC 6, TQS 35.....and a new one WETK VT 33 (4 channels).....however, still no WPTZ, WCAX or WFFF. I was thrilled to see WETK, but shouldn't I be getting the other stations too? I really don't know what to do next. I did a scan on channel 14 by rotating the antenna, it stayed at 0 the whole time. Is WETK transmitting their digital signal from Mt. Mansfield? Also, WCAX is coming in clear on my analog...this is why I'm so confused. Help!!!!!

[jerry66]

in Prévost, north of Montreal I get all those near 100% except cbc src at 90%

the set-up:

pre-amp : radioshack productId=2103094
antenna : channelmaster 3221
tuner : fusionhdtv 5 RTLite
i'm right next door in st annes des lacs, do i need a uhf/vhf antenna ? i have just vhf antenna . all my tuners get no hd channels , i gethe country region you are in have no frequency tables ? i' trying with an avermedia hc-80 ans a pinnacle usb deluxe 80 ultra . both pick up anolog chennels but no digital , pinnacle just says error when i scan for digital channels . is there a secret code i must enter ?

[RonXYZ]

jerry66

You definitely need a uhf antenna in the Montreal area for now since all but one station broadcast on that band. The only station using vhf is WVNY on channel 13 and not many peoples in our region are able to get their 10 Kw. Signal.

[jerry66]

Thanks Ron , I,ll get a new antenna and see how things improve .

[tvlurker]

I was thrilled to see WETK, but shouldn't I be getting the other stations too? I really don't know what to do next. I did a scan on channel 14 by rotating the antenna, it stayed at 0 the whole time. Is WETK transmitting their digital signal from Mt. Mansfield?

I'm wondering if you're picking up WETK from Mt Mansfield, or WVTB on digital 18 (shows up as 20.1) from St. Johnsbury. When I ran a TVFool signal locator for Dunham, I WVTB showed up, but none of the Mt Mansfield UHF stations showed up. If you can't get 22 analog, I suspect you won't get any of the digital stations. (and WVNY-DT on ch.13 may not come in, since it's not transmitting much power in your direction, either. It has to protect the signal contour of CKTM SRC Trois Rivieres on ch 13.)

TVl

[Spriter]

... Videotron and the like. And I am prepared to install a Channel Master antenna however...

- I don't want it to be on my roughtop. Side of the house could do.
- This is mainly, if not only for TVA, CBC-F and maybe TQS.
- Located in Blainville

I would opt for the 4220 Antenna and hook it to the side of the house at about 20 feet high.

Recommendation, opinion, etc...

BTW do you know a tech local that could to the install? where to buy?

Thanks for your contribution.

[RonXYZ]

Spriter

Have a look at post #84 of this thread it could be a good reference for you.

Montcalm Électronique inc. in Laval do sell and install antennas.

[SmogTDI]

A channel master smarttenna will do the trick; it's small and will cover all channels from Montreal. You can also get an electronic antenna from Madd tronics in Ste-Therese (117 close to Cora Déjeuners)

If I was in your situation, I would get a Channel Master 4221 and put it on roof top or on a tower to pick all the nice FREE HD and digital channels from Montreal and Vermont.

[yuprules]

Located in Blainville

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you've got a MAJOR problem with your location, check this map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=blainville,+qc&ie=UTF8&ll=45.530884,-73.769073&spn=0.348253,0.917358&t=h&z=11&iwloc=addr

Mont-Royal is blocking ALL those French stations you just mentioned. They are ALL broadcasting from temporary towers in downtown Montreal. (including CBC English)...Mont Royal is blocking all signals NORTH (toward Laval, toward Blainville). Sorry dude!

You might be ok for U.S. channels, but a Channel Master STEALTHantenna might not be strong enough as you are QUITE far north, you would need the 8 bay Channel Master 4228 at a MINIMUM to get the U.S. channels. Maybe hire someone from MontCalm or Raybel and ask them how much it will cost to send someone up there with a signal meter for testing so you don't buy a $100 Channelmaster for nothing (this is what I"m using now). If you have many trees or buildings near by, a side mounted antenna may not work (if you live in a short house).

[RonXYZ]

Spriter.

From Blainville your line of sight to the CBC building goes along Papineau street east of the Mount Royal so you might be ok.

If you have Google Earth click on the following
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/download.php?Number=1171376

[yuprules]

RonXYZ

Tough one to call eh? Without an address (er, don't post your address), he could be west or east of that line...I hope Spriter isn't west :)

On a seperate note:
I actually just setup my channel master 4228 that I bought a few days ago, I'm moving soon so I just temporary put it in the back room (which faces south)...after about an hour of fiddling with the angle and height I am pleased to say I got in HD:

CBS 60%
NBC 90-100% Had to turn off the LNA on my TV (built in amp) for fear of overloading the tuner
FOX: 40%-50%
PBS: 50-60%

Woo hoo, best $100 CAD I ever spent :)

[ramkre]

Hi Guys,

I'm new here. I bought a 19" LCD Sharp with a built-in ATSC tuner. I have an RCA CANT711 AMPLIFIED INDOOR AND OUTDOOR TV ANTENNA (sorry can't post URLs yet)

I had it on my balcony on the 2nd floor and it picked up 2.1, 6.1, 57.1, 57.2, 57.3. Now, it's summer and the huge tree in front of us has leaves, so I lost all the 57s.

Our building is 7 floors. So, I said I'll buy RG6 cable and put the antenna on the roof. The problem here is that on position won't get all channels. So, I'm thinking about buying a rotor. I found 2 antennas with rotors built-in:

External antenna with rotor: (can't post URLs, look for this antenna on eBay)
NEW AMPLIFIED VHF UHF OUTDOOR HDTV HD ROTOR TV ANTENNA

BTW, the antenna with a built-in rotor would need a separate cable to control the rotor, right?

Also, how do you guys get the signal percentage? My TV does not show this feature.

Please tell me which one is the best all-in-one solution. I live in Montreal, St-Laurent.

Thanks

[Helgrom]

Hey everyone,

I bought a house in Saint-Lazare (a few minutes from Hudson) and I want to install an antenna and see if I can get some HD channels. Anyone know if my location is good for reception or not?

I am not too familiar with OTA but I'm guessing I could just call Montcalm electro and have them install one?

I recently moved from Australia so I am still trying to figure things out. I bought a Samsung 40a550 and plugged my PS3 to it. I am completely blown away by this TV set and it would nice to get OTA channels. I don't want to sell my soul to the cable provider.

Thanks mates!

[upchuck247]

Hello everyone, I live in the west island and just got a 91XG with a CM7777 to replace my active antenna. I can only watch analog now because lack of a tuner... will post results later. I would like to know if there is a tuner that works 480i and 1080i, so when I upgrade my XBR to a projector, I will not have to buy another tuner.

Thanks

[Paul_M]

Hi all,

I'm new but been reading up on OTA.
Just for sh!ts and giggles i was curious enough to make a diy bowtie antenna, took about 5 minutes (it ain't pretty)...

I was quite amazed with the results i got just by putting it in one of my windows facing south-east, i was able to get;

3.1 WCAX-HD
3.2 WCAXtra
5.1 WPTZ-HD
5.2 WPTZ-WX
57.1 WCFE-HD
57.2 WCFE-D1
57.2 WCFE-D2

Seeing i can get those channels with my sad diy antenna thats in a window, i assume i'd do better with a 4221 or 4228 up on the roof. What do you guys think?

btw, i'm in vaudreuil-dorion...

[gadzooks]

I'm feeling stressed about the impending digital switch. I'm in Dunham, Quebec, living on a hill, I have a standard vhs/uhf antenna on a 25 foot tower. I get all the channels via analog except for ABC. Last winter I purchased a digital converter box off of Ebay, it cost me $28. When I installed it all I was receiving was Radio Canada, CBC, WCFE and TQS....then around March I was getting all the channels for WCFE...since then I can't get the signal. Could it be that my digital converter box is not using the proper chip technology and that's why I can't get the other US stations. I'm so confused. Do I need to add height to my tower, should I switch to a channel master 4228 8 bay, do I purchase a new converter box and which one is best? The problem is that in my little town no one seems to know about the impending changes. It's very frustrating to get any help. Come February I feel like I will be stuck. Any suggestions out there?

[kk77xm]

Is anyone in Montreal catching the ABC DTV channel?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi,guys! I am new here. It's a good and nice place to share the OTA infor. I am in Downtown Montreal,and in Penthouse which is at the top of 9-story building. As the reason, i am picking up 2.1 Radio Canada/ CBS 3.1 3.2/NBC 5.1 5.2/CBC Montreal 6.1/PBS 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4/TVA 35.1/FOX44 44.1 44.2/PBS 57.1 57.2 57.3.

Recently, I got 38.6&38.7 but not any content. Is anyone here know, what are they?

And, it's a pity that i can not catch ABC digital signal here. It's one of my favors.Is anyone catch it in Montreal? Thank you!

[Trip in VA]

Recently, I got 38.6&38.7 but not any content. Is anyone here know, what are they?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UpdateTV

- Trip