Dale Dietrich
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Global Begins HD Broadcasting in Canada

April 24, 2008 at 7:52 pm - by Dale Dietrich

Categories: broadcasting • canada
Tags: • • • • • •

Global HD

Canada’s national television network, Global, is now broadcasting in HD in the Metropolitan Toronto and Golden Horseshoe areas of Ontario on their Hamilton (CHCH) and Toronto (CIII) affiliates. Global is Canada’s last major nationwide network to start broadcasting in HD. It was facing a June 2008 hard deadline imposed by the CRTC to begin broadcasting. It had missed previous CRTC-imposed deadlines.

Global (CHCH on 11-1 and CIII on 41-1) follows CTV (CFTO on 9-1), CBC (CBLT on 5-1), CityTV (on 57-1), SunTV (on 66-1), Omni1 (CFMT), Omni2 (CJMT) and CRC (CBC French) all of which had been broadcasting in HD for some time. TV Ontario is not yet broadcasting in HD.

Depending on their southern exposure, Torontonians can also expect to receive ABC (WKBW on 7-1), CBS (WIVB on 4-1), NBC (WGRZ on 2-1), Fox (WUTV on 29-1), PBS (WNED on 43-1), Think Bright (on 43-3),  CW (WNLO on 23-1), RTN (retro TV on 7-2) and other U.S. networks broadcasting in HD from up-state New York.

All these channels are available free to anyone in Metro Toronto that has an inexpensive UHF antenna and an HDTV or other settop box with an ATSC tuner (a.k.a. HDTV tuner). Many HDTVs have ATSC tuners built in as do TiVo HD and TiVo Series 3 units.

TiVo HD and TiVo Series 3 owners in the Greater Toronto area can use their TiVo’s to tune and record from most, or all, of these HD stations so long as they enter zip-code 14174 (from Youngstown New York) when setting up their TiVos. This minor work-around is needed because TiVo’s guide data provider, Tribune, does not yet provide HD broadcast info using Canadian postal codes. There is also one outstanding problem using TiVos to record from CBC – which I document here). (For more info on using TiVo HD and Series 3 units in Canada, click here)

A complete list of Global programming can be viewed here.  A short list of Global programming includes: 24,  Big Brother, Bones, Family Guy, Heroes, House, King of the Hill, My Name is Earl, New Amsterdam, The Office, Saturday Night Live, Shark, The Simpsons, Survivor and Young and Restless.

These HD broadcasts were already available from the originating U.S. networks to the lucky Torontonians and the Golden Horseshoe with a clear southern exposure. Now that they are broadcast locally (off the CN Tower), these shows should be easily receivable by anyone with an HD tuner in Metro Toronto.

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  • Scott
    Is it me or is there a problem with the Global HD OTA 41-1? I was getting it very strong for a week or so but now my TV is still getting the signal but there is no picture or sound. Any insight?

    Scott
  • Seems to be a problem. CHCH is working for me on 11-1 but as I type (6:10 pm on May 27) I'm getting neither sound nor picture from CIII on 41-1. I wouldn't be too concerned. As I've watched the other digital stations over the last few years, they all go through growing pains where they are frequently off line as they get the wrinkles out.

    ...Dale
  • Paul
    Myself & a friend of mine have had the TiVo Series 2 units for many years now, connected to Rogers cable. I want to move up to the HD format soon, so my existing TiVo will not record HD. I want to purchase the new TiVo Series 3 HD, but am confused about the requirement to have "CableCards" inserted to allow the unit to record. A quick look at the Rogers.com website shows no "CableCard" information.

    Any comments?

    Thanks in advance,
    Paul
  • Paul:

    All the info you need is in my Using the Series 3 TiVo in Canada blog posted here (which is already also linked into the post above):

    http://daledietrich.com/imedia/using-tivo-serie...

    Short answer - you'll never be able to record HD off of cable in Canada unless and until Parliament/the CRTC mandates cablecard support by cablecos and satcos in Canada. Just like their bretheren to the south, big cable and big satellite in Canada will likely never voluntarily support the standard because it is against their vested interested in keeping technological choice away from Canadians. The only way the standard came about in the U.S. was when Congress and the FTC forced cable companies to support it. Write your MP in Canada if you'd like to see this changed.

    On the other hand, over the air HD recording with a TiVo S3 works wonderfully in the greater Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal - when close to U.S. major markets, where you can get Tribune/Zap2it guide information from a corresponding U.S. market. Again, see my other post referenced above.

    ...Dale
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