CRTC Hearings Start Today
The public hearings in regards to television in Canada have started today and will continue for six weeks.
Issues discussed will be basic cable rate maximums, channel packaging and the options to pick and pick individual channels, internet based television broadcasting, and whether off the air television should continue.
Unfortunately I had attempted to “cut the cord” and get my local channels off the air here in Ottawa and failed because of numerous issues caused by the broadcasters themselves, as explained in a previous blog post. But i’m hoping the CTRC will consider continuing off the air television broadcasts and attempt to fix the associated issues.
I’m hoping they will consider moving all digital broadcasts off the VHF band to the UHF band and allow the use of sub-channels, which would allow CTV 1 and CTV 2 to broadcast on one channel, for example. But I get this feeling that the broadcasters are going to try to end off the air television altogether, which would be rather annoying.
Yes, a reduction of basic cable to $20-$30 would be good. But I suspect this will result in some channels being removed from the basic cable line-up, especially now that some of the providers are pushing exclusivity.
What i’d personally like to see is must carry status for music networks that feature Canadian music videos and live performances by indie bands and lesser known acts. And yes, I know these stations have pretty much packed their schedules with “reality programs”. But is an hour or two per day too much to ask for ?
I’m going to keep an eye on this issue for the blog but if you want more details on what’s going on at the CRTC, click here or tune in on CPAC live weekdays at 9AM Eastern.
Free Television Online ? Tou.tv Update.
Francophone service Tou.tv has decided to offer extra content to their subscriber. But again it appears that some people will get this content free and some people will need to pay $6.99 per month for the service.
Now rebranded as ici.tou.tv, the Radio-Canada affiliate will offer their extra content free to Telus and Rogers subscribers but this commercial free content will only be available as a subscription to everyone else.
Personally I used the service to catch up on Radio-Canada Television programs La Facture, L’épicerie, Découverte and La Semaine Verte whenever I missed an episode of these series. But now I don’t know if the service will remain accessible on my Smart TV, as is, or if it will only be able to access a few episodes because I am not on Telus or Rogers.
The site is currently in beta so details are light. But it appears that users might already be limited to one or two seasons worth of episodes online.
I have checked the recordings for the aforementioned series and they appear to be limited to the most recent season, which is acceptable. But hopefully they are not considering further cuts to the free content.
I have noticed that they have added quite a few Pierre Richard films so I’m a bit tempted to take advantage of their $3.49 offer, which is valid for three months. And I’m sure if they were to offer more films from TV5, TFO and Telé Québec I would possibly consider subscribing. But I’m guessing they will take some time to get the site up and running at full speed.
Bell’s Fibe TV – Wait !
I’ve been on this service for two months now and when it comes to the television side of the service I’m quite happy.
It’s slightly cheaper than cable, the reception is pretty consistent and though time shifting is no included in the basic package, there is pretty much no need for it because of the video recorder.
Well, of course you’ve read the title of this article and know what word is coming up…. BUT !
BUT when it comes to internet I have been subjected to an issue that I think everyone should be made aware of.
During the month of August I had been noticing that my internet transfers would just stop.
I couldn’t load a page or random item so I assumed from what I had read online that my D-Link Powerline devices were failing. And I decided to go wireless until I got a wired network up to my second floor.
Then the wireless started failing.
The connection rate was high but the transfer rates started dropping erratically. And when I decided to stream an HD video from a USB stick I have connected to the back of the Bell branded Segamcom modem it worked fine.
I had never had this issue on the Fibe 12 service so I was perplexed. How could I be connecting to my local devices, including an NAS, and getting such miserable service from the internet ?
“Sync No Surf”
Apparently this issue has plagued some Segamcom modem users for years, on Bell, Teksavvy and other internet providers.
Also known as “ping no browse”, this issue causes users to be unable to surf even when they are able to use their connection to ping hosts to see if they’re active.
It can cause most users to be unable to surf for a minute to fifteen minutes and can cause modems to reboot themselves. But it also doesn’t happen to every user of a particular model of modem, which has puzzled technicians for years.
A firmware upgrade is scheduled from October to January at Bell so if you’re thinking about joining Bell Fibe ask if their modems have had their firmware upgraded before joining. And state that you are concerned about “sync no surf”.
I’ve had to inform myself of this issue independently from their tech service, who have had me reboot my modem repetitively and have had numerous technicians over to check my line, to no avail.
Save yourself the hassle and shop around.
Two Months To Go !
The digital television transition in Canada is two months away.
This means television stations airing in Canada’s major cities will no longer broadcast in analog over the air. But this signal will be replaced by a digital signal that most LCD, LED and plasma televisions are ready to receive via antenna. Most other televisions will require a digital to analog converter box
Of course those of you who subscribe to cable, satellite and IPTV services will not need to do a thing. But on September 1st, 2011 you may have this additional option, depending on where you live.
I’ve dropped my extra outlets and have hooked up several televisions to an antenna, saving $7 in fees per month. And from the information gathered from TV Fool, it appears that I should get all but one or two of my local channels after the transition, which will probably come in if I invest in the Terk antenna
Those who have or are able to erect an antenna outside will probably have the best luck getting the further transmissions. But i’m also considering an attic installation myself, to get all the local stations and possibly PBS from Norwood, NY.
I managed to get the latter with an indoor antenna last summer for a few days and i’m hoping to get it more regularly.
I will of course be doing quite a large amount of experimenting in the last few days of August. But of course it’ll be worth it, just to get off cable.