# Alternatives to Cable & Satellite for TV?



## tilt (Mar 3, 2005)

My condo-townhouse complex does not permit satellite dishes, and I am sick of Cogeco (I live in Burlington ON).

Is there any other way (other than OTA) to get digital TV service? Alternately, does anyone know of any company other than Cogeco that provides cable TV service in Burlington?

While on the topic, a related question: Does anyone know any company (other than Bell and Cogeco) that provides high-speed internet in Burlington?

Thanks and cheers


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## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

There is a thing called OTA-HD or *O*ver *T*he *A*ir which is exactly what it says, namely, HD channels air broadcast. I have read some about this as my rural spot 40 miles out of Ottawa isn't much of a hotspot as far as I can tell. Where you are apparently there is lots "in the air". Basically all you need is an HD decoder and some sort of antenna. Somewhere I have a few Canadian oriented links that I'll post if I can find them. Suffice it to say that the greater TO area, Buffalo, etc. apparently provide a plethora of choices.


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## madgunde (Mar 10, 2006)

I'm assuming the ban on satellite dishes also applies to exterior TV antennas, so the over the air option isn't a good one, unless you're happy with a very small handful of channels.

I have an interior HD OTA antenna and I only get about 6 channels, and only a couple come in really clear: Global and some french station. The rest are usually at least a bit fuzzy and often unwatchable. I think you need an exterior antenna to get any decent reception, unless you're close to the source without too many obstructions between you and the broadcast tower (probably the CN Tower). If you're close to the lake, you might have better luck than me, I'm in Brampton.

I cancelled cable TV a long time ago and just get the shows I want off the internet via bittorrent. An alternative is to rent DVDs of the shows/movies you want to watch or buy them off iTunes. Don't miss cable TV at all and neither does my wife. Although not being bombarded with TV commercials daily, I'm often a little out of touch with the latest movies.


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## K_OS (Dec 13, 2002)

tilt said:


> My condo-townhouse complex does not permit satellite dishes, and I am sick of Cogeco (I live in Burlington ON).
> 
> Thanks and cheers


is it an outright ban on dishes or is it just that they won't allow dishes to be bolted to there wall? if they won't allow them on the wall and you have a balcony give me a PM because I have a solution for you, also I have done a couple of satellite installations that have been done from behind a window as long as one of your window's points SW and its not too thick then you will be fine.

Laterz


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## Queue (May 12, 2005)

If you can get your condo to reverse it's position on antennas, there's always LOOK for both TV and Internet access.

Welcome to LOOK Communications.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

madgunde said:


> I cancelled cable TV a long time ago and just get the shows I want off the internet via bittorrent. An alternative is to rent DVDs of the shows/movies you want to watch or buy them off iTunes.


The only problem with this approach* is that you have a much harder time deciding what you want, IOW you get a lot less info about what's on/new/good, so apart from things you already know about, you have a harder time finding new material.

*by circumventing the commercials you're subverting the system that makes these shows possible, so if everyone did this there wouldn't BE any shows to watch, but there's a whole 'nother thread on this topic.


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## madgunde (Mar 10, 2006)

chas_m said:


> The only problem with this approach* is that you have a much harder time deciding what you want, IOW you get a lot less info about what's on/new/good, so apart from things you already know about, you have a harder time finding new material.


I don't have a problem. I can find out plenty on the internet, and friends and family recommend shows all the time. One benefit is I discover lots of shows that I'd never have seen if I left it up to the cable company and TV stations to filter what I'm going to watch. I can watch programs that aren't aired anymore or are mid-season (or several seasons into the story).



chas_m said:


> *by circumventing the commercials you're subverting the system that makes these shows possible, so if everyone did this there wouldn't BE any shows to watch, but there's a whole 'nother thread on this topic.


Not the case if you rent DVDs or buy off iTunes, which is why I offered them as alternatives. If you go with an online DVD rental service like Netflix, you get to keep the DVDs for as long as you want, which is perfect for TV shows where you might need some time to get through all the episodes.


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## gwillikers (Jun 19, 2003)

Out West here Telus offers TV packages over the telephone lines. They don't offer HD content yet, but they have 200 digital channels. Their pricing (Internet as well) is quite competitive. I don't use them, but I'm glad there's some competition to Shaw cable.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

madgunde said:


> I don't have a problem. I can find out plenty on the internet, and friends and family recommend shows all the time. One benefit is I discover lots of shows that I'd never have seen if I left it up to the cable company and TV stations to filter what I'm going to watch. I can watch programs that aren't aired anymore or are mid-season (or several seasons into the story).


All true. My comments weren't intended as criticism, and I'm glad you understood that. Frankly your overall approach (a la carte from mixed digital sources, bypassing the middlemen) is the wave of the future as far as I'm concerned.



> Not the case if you rent DVDs or buy off iTunes, which is why I offered them as alternatives.


Good ones now, and with the coming expansion of service to Canada, better options later.


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## JumboJones (Feb 21, 2001)

Bunny ears.


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## madgunde (Mar 10, 2006)

JumboJones said:


> Bunny ears.


I think you posted in the wrong thread...


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## JumboJones (Feb 21, 2001)

Sorry, how about this...

http://www.engadgethd.com/media/2006/01/foil_antenna.jpg


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## Digital_Gary (Sep 18, 2003)

If you have an HDTV with an ATSC tuner built in, I had pretty good success using this indoor antenna...

The Source By Circuit City : Indoor Antennas - TV/HDTV/FM INDOOR ANTENNA










I live in south Etobicoke in a small house. I was picking up 9 OTA HD channels. I read that if you put the antenna in a window facing South East you can pick up more. Due to where my TV is, this wasn't an option for me without running cables under my house. I was far to lazy for that 

Here are a list of the available HD stations. Depending on where you are and how tall your building is, you might get better result than I did. 

Toronto, Ontario & Buffalo, New York HDTV Channel Map

I wasn't too concerned about SD channels but I got lost of those as well.


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## anal-log (Feb 22, 2003)

Digital_Gary said:


> If you have an HDTV with an ATSC tuner built in, I had pretty good success using this indoor antenna...


As Digital_Gary says if you have a built in ATSC you may be able to pick up OTA HD signals. I built this antenna OTA which cost me about 2 bucks, Looks ugly but it worked much better than the one from The Source.


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## tilt (Mar 3, 2005)

A big thank you to everyone here.

K-OS and Queue, unfortunately the rule cannot be reversed. No dishes or any other type of external antennae 

I shall look into the OTA antennae as suggested by Digital_Gary and anal_log.

GWillikers, in Ontario Bell offers something similar - TV over phone lines, but that requires the condo complex as a whole to subscribe to the service and install some equipment so that the individual units can get the signal via the phone line. Unfortunately this is not possible because (a) the board will never agree to this and (b) this is not a condo-apartment complex but a condo-townhouse complex, so there is no common roof area to stick the equipment on.

Alternately I could look for some small service provider who is like a consolidator who provides broadband and TV. At least the customer service would be better than Cogeco.

Cheers


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## nowlive (Jan 11, 2008)

JumboJones said:


> Bunny ears.


:lmao: I was about to suggest a similar alternative :clap: High five!


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