Frequently asked questions
The following provides answers to frequently asked questions about CBC/Radio-Canada’s
plans for the transition to digital.
For answers to technical questions about whether or not your television
set is transition-ready and how to prepare for the switch, please
consult the Government of Canada’s
website.
I’m having trouble getting your digital signal. What can I do?
All of CBC and Radio-Canada’s transmitters are operating today at planned parameters. If your location falls within the limits of the signal range indicated in our coverage maps, you should be able to receive our signal. That being said, many factors can affect and/or compromise the reception of over-the-air signals in your home.Those include:
- Location of your home with respect to the transmitter (distance; local geography)
- Interference caused by trees, buildings, mountains, etc.
- Antenna type (VHF or UHF; set-top or roof-top)
- Antenna placement
- Quality of your converter box
- Weather
- Etc.
Unlike analogue signals, which could be recognized and watched despite low-quality reception (i.e. snowy channel), in the case of digital, you either see the picture perfectly, or you don’t see it at all. Remember, this is over-the-air technology. You’ll need to experiment with your set-up (move your antenna around, re-scan for channels) to improve reception and maximize the number of channels you’re able to receive.
Here are a few troubleshooting tips to help you if you’re having trouble finding CBC or Radio-Canada on your dial:
- Did you receive the analogue channel prior
to the switch to digital?
No? Then you won’t likely get the new DTV signal.
Yes? Then you should be able to get our new DTV signal (assuming your market has one).
- Have you checked your television set-up?
Make sure that your TV is digital ready (i.e. has a built-in digital tuner or is equiped with a digital converter box), that all cables are properly plugged in, and that your antenna is not damaged.For more information click here.
- Have you tried scanning for channels?
Follow the signal scanning instructions provided by the manufacturer of your set top converter or TV with built-in digital tuner. A scan should, in most cases, find the signal. Here are some further instructions on scanning: http://digitaltv.gc.ca/eng/1297951044164/1298998544533#a12
- Channel scan didn’t work?
Try entering the channel number manually.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. CBC and Radio-Canada’s channel numbers are all listed here: http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/dtv/transmitters.shtml
- Manual entry didn’t work? Check your antenna type.
There are various types of TV antennas as the TV band has different sets of frequencies. These are more commonly known as:- VHF band (Very High Frequency – channels 7-13)
- UHF band (Ultra High Frequency – channels 14-51)
Antennas for VHF (classic rabbit ears) differ from UHF antennas (circular antenna). Most antennas today are equipped to receive both UHF and VHF – but not all. It is important you are using the correct antenna to receive digital TV signals.
- Everything checks out and you still don’t get it?
Your failure to receive the signal could be an unfortunate particularity about your location.Multiple reflections unique to your area may be causing lower-quality reception in your home. Buildings, trees and mountains can indeed hamper an antenna’s signal reception, based on geographical location. Such technical issues are beyond our control.
What is Digital television?
Digital television (DTV) is an advanced broadcasting technology involving the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV. Digital signals provide better picture and sound and will enable a more efficient use of the scarce airwave resources.
Why is Canada transitioning to digital?
The freed up airwave space will be auctioned off to companies to provide more advanced wireless services (such as cellular phone service and wireless broadband), as well as used for public safety services, such as those used by police and fire departments.
What is CBC/Radio-Canada’s plan for the transition?
CBC/Radio-Canada has installed a digital transmitter for every one of its television stations, for a total of 27 transmitters (14 for CBC and 13 for Radio-Canada).
In addition to its new digital transmitters, the Corporation will continue to offer analogue service everywhere it is permitted to.
Who is affected by the transition?
Only those people who use an antenna to watch TV are affected by the transition. That represents 7% of Canadians. The other 93% - those who subscribe to cable or satellite - are not affected. Click here to learn more.
How did you decide what cities would be getting transmitters and which wouldn't?
Wherever we have a TV station, we have put up a digital transmitter.
Why can't you put up more digital transmitters?
We’ve always said that the transition to digital was going to be a challenge for us. The evolution of our industry has moved us towards the difficult balancing act of allocating scarce resources across a wide range of platforms and priorities.Very few Canadians today use an antenna to watch TV. And as demand for over-the-air service continues to decline, the demand for service on new platforms – streaming online audio and video and mobile applications – increases. More people access our programming online today than they do over-the-air.
Our new five-year strategic plan places the regions as a top priority for CBC/Radio-Canada. We will be investing in the regions over the next five years. But instead of investing on transmitters that serve fewer and fewer people, our strategy consists of enhancing our local programming offer and finding ways of providing local programming on radio and on the web to the 7 million Canadians who don’t currently have local service.
Ultimately our industry should be aiming to have all Canadian homes connected to the digital economy through high-speed Internet, broadband satellite or cable, where the future of our industry clearly lies.
We’re conscious of the fact that subscribing to cable or satellite is expensive, indeed unaffordable for some Canadians. We believe that should change. The multi-channel universe should be accessible to all. That’s why the Corporation has proposed that the CRTC establish and affordable, small, basic package for cable and satellite companies so that for just a few dollars, all Canadians can get access to a minimum number of TV channels.
How much does it cost to replace a transmitter?
Digital transmitters are major pieces of infrastructure. The average order-of-magnitude cost of installing a new DTV transmitter is $1 million, although the cost can vary from site to site. As was the case with analogue transmitters, each DTV transmitter station requires a customized design, involving the balance of such factors as antenna design, height on the tower, transmitter power, etc.What will the transition to digital cost CBC/Radio-Canada?
The total capital cost for our digital transition plan is $60 million. That includes the cost of installing 27 digital transmitters, plus the building and installation of two HD satellite uplinks in Montreal and Toronto, as well as HD presentation outputs at these two locations.Is the fact that you’re not doing more just a matter of money?
Money is just one of several factors. Digital transmitters are very expensive to install. These are major pieces of infrastructure. We're investing around $60 million on the transition.It's also a matter of industry trends. OTA technology is marginal in Canada. Only 7 per cent of Canadians use it today, and that number continues to drop every year. Investing huge money in a technology that is clearly in decline is something that we're not prepared to do given our limited resources.
Again, our new five-year strategic plan places the regions as a top priority for CBC/Radio-Canada. We will be investing in the regions over the next five years. But instead of investing on transmitters that serve fewer and fewer people, our strategy consists of enhancing our local programming offer and finding ways of providing local programming on radio and on the web to the 7 million Canadians who don’t currently have local service.
What’s involved in replacing a transmitter?
Every installation is unique and depends on the location, the power requirements, etc. Replacing analogue TV service at a transmitter site with DTV service can be done in one of two ways: by installing an independent DTV transmitter adjacent (in the same transmitter room) to the existing analogue transmitter, or via a “hard cut”.In the former case, a new DTV transmitter, transmitting antenna and interconnected transmission line is installed and tested. In this instance, the DTV transmitter is ready to go on the air independently of the analogue system.
In the case of a “hard cut”, parts of the existing analogue system – i.e. the transmitting antenna, or antenna aperture on the tower – are reused. In such a case, the conversion from analogue to digital transmission occurs overnight and there is no longer analogue service available to the community the following morning after the switch has taken place.
Deciding which of the options applies is a function of the transmitting channels of the analogue and DTV services, the available tower aperture, available space in the transmitter building, etc.
How long do you plan to continue broadcasting in analogue?
We will continue to broadcast in analogue for as long as we can, but we cannot continue to do so forever. The useful life of CBC/Radio-Canada’s satellite distribution backbone for analogue transmission is approaching.Given that the U.S. and most of Europe have already made the transition to digital, the availability of analogue transmitter spare parts, modules and power tubes, is evaporating. It will soon be impossible for CBC/Radio-Canada to maintain its analogue transmission infrastructure even if it wanted to.
Updated: October 14, 2011