Can the OTA module receive Canadian Stations?

[CK SatGuy]

Since this thread got revived, might as well bring you up to date. At 1st, when CBET went digital, my antenna had a hard time picking up the signal but now that seems to be adjusted from their end and it's coming in now. The bad news is that the station seems to have taken 2 steps backwards when it comes to HD. When they launched the digital signal, everything they were broadcasting seemed to be in HD. Now it seems that they're not broadcasting anything in HD at all. Although according to their Wikipedia page, they're only showing kids shows in HD. Why the station made this stupid move, I don't know. But until, the station gets their act together on HD, I'm not going to worry about what I'm missing on that channel.

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[Mr Tony]

A few of the CBC affiliates are like that

Halifax and Winnipeg are also in 16:9 on the screen but BBH (black bar hell) 24/7 including during HNIC

 

[CK SatGuy]

A few of the CBC affiliates are like that

Halifax and Winnipeg are also in 16:9 on the screen but BBH (black bar hell) 24/7 including during HNIC

Hopefully Windsor gets their act together. My guess is that there isn't a whole of folks over there that have a HDTV, but considering that it's next to Detroit where more people have HD, I still think it was a bad move by the station. Another thing is that CBC is now using 720p now. Before the transition, they were using 1080i which I think is better than 720p. Again another step backwards. Is it possible that CBC lost some big revenue because of the transition and that they needed to cut down on the HD broadcasting altogether?

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[Mr Tony]

The fact its a border station I think folks on both sides have HD. How many folks in Windsor watched the Detroit stations OTA?

 

[slavamon]

Any clue why I can't access my previously recorded CBC(CBET) events using Dish Online? Is it because there is no EPG info associated with this channel? If so, that's weird because they do show up at home under My Recordings and are fully accessible there.

Also, there is a pretty good discussion regarding CBC(CBET) Windsor and the HD feed and EPG info on www.digitalhome.ca forum. Apparently they are currently working on the EPG info. If so, I wouldn't think it would take any effort or expense on the part of Dish to just pass through this info. It would benefit a decent number of customers when you think of all the people within 100 miles of the entire US/Canada border not just SE Michigan. This was a pretty important consideration when I switched from cable to Dish - being able to pick up CBC OTA since most cable companies in Michigan carry that channel.

 

[whatchel1]

Any clue why I can't access my previously recorded CBC(CBET) events using Dish Online? Is it because there is no EPG info associated with this channel? If so, that's weird because they do show up at home under My Recordings and are fully accessible there.

Also, there is a pretty good discussion regarding CBC(CBET) Windsor and the HD feed and EPG info on www.digitalhome.ca forum. Apparently they are currently working on the EPG info. If so, I wouldn't think it would take any effort or expense on the part of Dish to just pass through this info. It would benefit a decent number of customers when you think of all the people within 100 miles of the entire US/Canada border not just SE Michigan. This was a pretty important consideration when I switched from cable to Dish - being able to pick up CBC OTA since most cable companies in Michigan carry that channel.

I'm going to venture a guess here. There is no name for them to be seen. They all are listed only as digital service. Since it is name based and there is no name you can't see those.

 

[Tampa8]

What you are asking for is something Dish does not offer to anyone so I'm guessing they certainly won't for channels from another Country. Past discussions center around sub channels and the EPG. What you are asking is for EPG info not only for channels not in your DMA, but not even carried by Dish. I just don't see it happening.

As for Dishonline, I do not see any of the out of market networks I get OTA on Dishonline, I don't think I have recorded any then tried to watch via Online. I am surprised you can't see those recordings, but I would try renaming them and see what happens.

 

[CK SatGuy]

OK, I've been reading some posts on the AVS archives and it seems that CBET is having some problems with their new automation system, at least that's what a CBC engineer says:
"We are having some difficulties implementing a new automation system to support all the new HD streams.

When there's a problem, we have to revert to the old SD system which is up converted for the digital transmitters this can result in undesirable aspect ratios. This only affects stations that converted to digital this month. Stations that were already HD have a fallback to a version of the old system which can produce HD without up conversion.

The vendor of the new system has staff in Toronto and in the UK working on these issues. New versions of software are being developed and tested daily"
That was from Sept. 21, 2011.
From Sept 26, 2011:
'Most programming in Windsor is coming from our old automation system right now which means upconverted SD programming. The full HD automation system is used during children's programming.'
Detroit, MI - HDTV - Page 352 - AVS Forum

 

[whatchel1]

OK, I've been reading some posts on the AVS archives and it seems that CBET is having some problems with their new automation system, at least that's what a CBC engineer says:
"We are having some difficulties implementing a new automation system to support all the new HD streams.

When there's a problem, we have to revert to the old SD system which is up converted for the digital transmitters this can result in undesirable aspect ratios. This only affects stations that converted to digital this month. Stations that were already HD have a fallback to a version of the old system which can produce HD without up conversion.

The vendor of the new system has staff in Toronto and in the UK working on these issues. New versions of software are being developed and tested daily"
That was from Sept. 21, 2011.
From Sept 26, 2011:
'Most programming in Windsor is coming from our old automation system right now which means upconverted SD programming. The full HD automation system is used during children's programming.'
Detroit, MI - HDTV - Page 352 - AVS Forum

OMG that got that system. A station I worked for had it and it was a major POS. They eventually pulled it out and replaced it w/a Crispin automation system. They may have allot of problems then and you may be seeing them switching back & forth.

 

[CK SatGuy]

Found some good news on the situation from digitalhome.ca posted yesterday.
"There is some good news on the aspect ratio/automation front.
On Tuesday, October 18 (barring any major software setbacks between now and then) we will run all HD channels on the new automation system. That means Regina, Windsor ,Fredericton, Charlottetown, and Halifax will see full HD programming for the majority of the day."
CBC/SRC DTV Post-Transition Status - Page 13 - Digital Forum

 

[Mr Tony]

tonight Halifax and Winnipeg had HNIC in full HD 16:9 (yay!) but the commercials were black barred even though they were in HD on the other CBC stations
Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver havent had this issue.