Watch HD channels for free

I don't really like the cable service provided in Toronto, or at least in my neighborhood (North York). I can only choose between Rogers and Bell Canada. Although I enjoy watching TV while having a cup of tea, most of the programs on TV actually bore me. I am willing to spend my time on only two or three favorite channels, but that's the dilemma when choosing the cable plan. Usually, I have to pick the VIP/Plus plan to cover my channels, which also means that I have to pay 60+ or 70+ CAD for 50+ channels that I don't even give a glimpse. OK! How about forgetting those 2 or 3 my favorite channels and just keeping basic channels such as news, weather broadcast, and etc? Unfortunately, I still have to pay 30+ CAD even for these channels.....



Maybe some people would think 30 or 60 CAD per month is nothing, but I just don't think it is worth the money....Luckily, there is a way to watch free TV channels, even for HD! Many of the TV channel signals are actually transmitted through the air nowadays, not through landlines as some people may imagine. These signals are uncoded and meant to be free, so you can simply receive these signals using an antenna and enjoy these programs without paying anything. Although I am not an expert in this field, I try to explain a little bit how it works.

TV signals are used to be transmitted in two different forms: analog and digital. However, analog signal transmission is deemed to be completely replaced by digital signal transmission in the near future since digital signals can support more data formats and contain much more details than analog signal can. USA switched to high-power over-the-air broadcasts using solely digital format since June 11, 2009, and Canada is going to follow starting from August 31, 2011. Therefore, the example in this article refers to digital TV only (although it is still very similar to the analog case).

First of all, let's talk about what TV channels are available freely. In Canada, most of the TV channel signals are transmitted through CN Tower. Since the signal strength is in-proportional to the distance, signal strength should be very strong in all GTA owing to its proximity to CN Tower. People living in GTA can also receive several programs from Hamilton station. In additional to Canadian broadcast stations, Buffalo also broadcasts several programs which are also available to people living across the lake. Currently, there are nearly 20 free channels (including roughly 8+ HD channels) and the number is still growing. The list of the available channels is shown in this site: http://www.remotecentral.com/hdtv/index.html.


Second, we need to catch these over-air signals in order to watch these shows in our homes. The easiest way is to get a TV antenna, either outdoor or indoor antenna. The major purpose of using an antenna is that it can receive weak signals that TV can't pick up, amplify those signals, and then feed them to the TV. The difference between indoor and outdoor antennas simply lies in the location where the antenna is placed. For me, I would prefer to use an indoor antenna since it is not physically affected by the weather such as snow or rain, and the required cable length is shorter ( I can put it next to the TV).





Third, you need to have a TV which can receive digital signals. If you bought a LCD TV in the past 2-3 years, you should be fine. The TV should have a built-in digital signal receiver. You only need to hook the antenna to TV using a coaxial cable, and use the "automatically search available programs" function in your TV (you usually need to crawl the TV function menu a little bit to find this). After few minutes of program searching and mapping, you are ready to enjoy free shows. If you are still using a traditional CRT TV, you will likely need to get a signal converter. Traditional CRT TVs read analog signals only. Since the signals fed from the antenna are digital, you will need a digital-to-analog signal converter box to "translate" the incoming signals to a format that is readable for the TV. However, many newer CRT TVs may already equip with an internal signal converter. So, it's better to check your TV manual before buying a signal converter box.

So, the total cost comes from the antenna and the signal converter box (only if your TV doesn't read digital signals). The antenna I used cost me roughly 35 CAD, and I don't need a signal converter box. So...that's all! I only need pay 35 CAD as an "initial setup fee," and I don't need to pay anything thereafter. Although the signal converter box may cost, for example, 85 CAD from The Source, it is still considered saving as compared to cable subscription in the long run.

However, there are still some limitations and this method might not work for everyone. Since the signals are over the air, the strength of the signal is reduced when it has to go through a building or something before reaching your home. In GTA, the best scenario would be that the TV room has a big window facing south (to the CN Tower) and you have an unblocked line of sight of the CN Tower from that window (for the case when you use an indoor anntenna). If your TV room doesn't have a window or doesn't have a window facing south or in the basement, your indoor antenna might not be able to amplify the signals to a strength strong enough for TV to read. If you live in a valley or you are surrounded by tall buildings, you are likely to have the same problems. Once you have a south-facing window, the distance to the CN Tower is no problem. I can get roughly 17 channels in North York, and I heard someone in Newmarket having similar results. So, it is worth trying if you want to save your cable bills. After all, you can always return the antenna right away if the results don't satisfy you.

The reference site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television
http://freetoronto.tv/
http://www.remotecentral.com/hdtv/index.html