Canada’s Transition to Digital Television (DTV):
A Seamless Transition with Cogeco Cable
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has designated August 31, 2011, as the deadline for most local television broadcasters to switch their existing analog signals to digital.
This transition will not only provide Canadians with access to the highest standard in television picture and sound quality, but it will free up frequency space in the broadcast spectrum for other services that have a high demand for more space.
The transition to digital will be seamless for any TV set with Cogeco Cable services. In fact, the vast majority of Canadians will not be affected by the transition as they receive television signals via their cable, satellite or Internet provider. In reality, the transition to digital will only affect televisions that receive signals over the airwaves, via an aerial “rabbit ears” or roof-top antenna. If you are using one of these two antennas, see how Cogeco can help you by clicking here.
Canadians will be hearing more about the transition as the deadline approaches but rest assured that Cogeco is ready to ensure a smooth transition for its cable customers.
To learn more about Cogeco services and the benefits of being a Cogeco Cable customer, please call 1-866-950-3712 or visit our FAQ below.
For more information regarding Canada’s transition to digital television, please visit the CRTC site at www.digitaltv.gc.ca
HD channel line-up changes
With the CRTC decision on the Canadian transition Digital TV, new HD Over the air channels are being launched impacting the distribution of some Canadian networks HD channels. Under the CRTC regulations, Cogeco is required to prioritize the local and regional HD feeds of these channels versus the more distant feeds.
Please see below the changes for your city:
Frequently asked questions
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How will this affect my service?
For TV sets connected to analog or digital cable with Cogeco, the transition will be seamless. Customers connected to Cogeco cable will continue to receive their cable services.
If your secondary TV receives signals using a rooftop antenna or rabbit-ears antenna, you may be affected by the Transition to Digital Television (DTV).
If your television is equipped with a digital tuner, you will be able to continue viewing local stations that have switched to digital. If your television does not have a built-in digital tuner or if any of your local stations will no longer be broadcasting in analog, you have options (see the “What if I have an old analog TV?” answers below).
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How do I determine if my TV has a built-in digital tuner?
Look for the term "digital tuner" or "ATSC tuner" or "integrated tuner" on your television or consult your owner’s manual. You can also contact your television manufacturer. Be sure to have your television model number close at hand.
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How do I prepare for the digital transition?
a) If you are a Cogeco subscriber with TV sets connected to analog or digital cable with Cogeco, there will be no impact.
You do not need to do anything or change your television equipment.
For homes with a Cogeco cable subscription that have secondary analog TV sets not connected to cable, these secondary TV sets will no longer receive TV signals. These secondary TV sets can, however, receive TV signals from Cogeco via the installation of one or more additional cable outlets. Contact us if you need to learn about our options for getting additional outlets.
b) If you do not currently have Cogeco cable service:
You can subscribe to one of Cogeco’s services. By doing so, you can continue using your existing television set, plus you will have the ability to purchase hundreds of specialty and pay television services, order video-on-demand and pay-per-view as well as have access to an electronic program guide. Learn more about Cogeco’s TV packages.
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What if I have an old analog TV?
Analog TV sets should continue to work with gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players and similar-type devices that you currently have connected.
Homes with analog TV sets (not equipped with digital tuners) will lose their over the air analog TV signals indefinitely (i.e. analog TV sets with rabbit-ear antennas will no longer receive TV signals).
If you are concerned about losing your favorite TV shows there are 3 options:
1. Receive TV signals from Cogeco via the installation of additional cable outlets;
2. Use an digital-to-analog converter box;
A digital-to-analog converter box is an electronic device that connects your analog television set to your antenna and converts the digital television signal into analog, making it viewable on your analog TV.
If you purchase a digital-to-analog converter box you will be able to receive over the air digital television signals on your analog TV.
It is important to note that analog television sets utilizing an digital-to-analog converter box will display standard digital broadcasts, but not necessarily high-definition signals. Also, if you do not subscribe to a broadcast distributor you will only be able to receive the over-the-air television signals available in your market. You will not be able to receive cable-delivered channels, such as pay or specialty channels, without subscribing to cable.
If you have more than one television, you will need a converter for each one.
3. You can purchase a new television set with a built-in digital tuner.
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Why is Canada transitioning to Digital Television (DTV)?
One of the main reasons for switching to digital television is the need to free up space in the broadcasting spectrum, commonly referred to as frequencies or airwaves. Spectrum is used for wireless telephone services, emergency communications and a variety of other purposes.
Digital signals use less airwave space than analog signals. This means that the freed-up space can be allocated to other services. Digital technology also provides better picture and sound.
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When will Canada’s Transition to Digital Television (DTV) take place?
One of the main reasons for switching to digital television is the need to free up space in the broadcasting spectrum, commonly referred to as frequencies or airwaves. Spectrum is used for wireless telephone services, emergency communications and a variety of other purposes.
Digital signals use less airwave space than analog signals. This means that the freed-up space can be allocated to other services. Digital technology also provides better picture and sound.
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Where will Canada’s Transition to Digital Television (DTV) take place?
In Cogeco’s serving territories within Ontario and Québec, analog television broadcasters are required to change to digital transmission by August 31, 2011, in the following markets:
- Ontario: Toronto (including Barrie and Hamilton), London, Windsor, Kitchener and Thunder Bay
- Québec: Montreal, Québec, Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke, Rivière-du-Loup, Saguenay and Rouyn-Noranda/Val d’Or
- National Capital Region (Ottawa-Gatineau)
As noted earlier, broadcasters outside these markets may also switch to digital transmission by or after August 31, 2011.
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What channels will stop broadcasting in analog?
Canadian local television stations in certain areas will stop broadcasting in analog and will start broadcasting in digital. Some may switch to digital before August 31, 2011. Television stations in other areas may also switch to digital even if they are not required to do so by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). Digital signals provide better picture and sound and take up less airwave space.
Some TV stations may simply move to another channel on your television while others may discontinue their local broadcasting.
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What are the differences between analog, digital and HDTV services?
The difference between Analog TV and Digital TV lies in the way the TV signal is transmitted or transferred from the source to the TV.
Analog television service is the traditional TV system and has been the standard broadcast technology since the popularization of television in the 1940s.
Analog TV signals have been transmitted in a manner similar to radio and are subject to interference, such as ghosting and snow, depending on the distance and geographical location of the TV receiving the signal.
Digital television represents a significant leap in broadcasting technology. It allows signals to be broadcast with higher resolution pictures and superior sound quality.
Digital TV is transmitted as numerical data, just as information is stored on a computer or music is written on a CD. With digital technology, the viewer either sees an image or nothing at all. There is no gradual signal loss as the distance from the transmitter increases. If the viewer is too far from the transmitter or in a location where the signal cannot reach, no image will be displayed.
There are two main types of digital signals: standard definition (SDTV) and high definition (HDTV). Standard-definition digital TV pictures are a significant improvement over those transmitted via analog signals but do not provide the full impact of HDTV.
HDTV provides high-resolution programming and uses a widescreen aspect ratio. "Aspect ratio" is a comparison of screen width to screen height. An analog television screen has an aspect ratio of 4 units in width by 3 units in height, while HDTV is similar in dimension to a movie theater screen, with a 16-by-9 aspect ratio.
A High-Definition Television has up to 1080 lines of resolution while a Standard-Digital Television has 480 lines of resolution.
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