I get HDTV at 1080i, over the air, using two antennas mounted just above my roofline. One is pointed at Mt. Mansfield in Vermont, and picks up 3.1, 3.2, 5.1, 5.2, 33.1, 33.2, 33.3, 33.4, 44.1, and 44.2. The other is aimed at the CBC building, since they broadcast 2.1 and 6.1 from their rooftop. This one also gets 17.1 and 35.1, as well as the analog stations in Montreal.
No one broadcasts 1080p, as far as I know. However, 1080i has exactly the same resolution, just a slower frame rate because it's interlaced rather than progressive scan. In general, the picture quality is superior to cable or satellite, as both of these services compress the signal which results in a loss of detail. No special electronics necessary. Just a TV with an ATSC tuner, or you can use the plug-in USB tuners available for your computer; check that the software runs under linux, however! I believe mythTV supports some of the plug-in tuners, but my experience with it was not good. I use an Elgato eyeTV hybrid tuner with my mac. I can record HDTV programs and play them back without any loss of quality. Just make sure that your TV or monitor has at least 1920x1080 pixels resolution, otherwise your picture will be degraded. Depending on where you live, you could likely pick up HDTV signals with an old rabbit ears antenna, or a simple wire loop, since most of the HDTV signals are UHF. If you live fairly high up in an apartment building you might even get a good signal with just a piece of wire stuck into the cable connector on your TV. There is nothing special about an HDTV antenna, regardless of what the salespeople may tell you. Any UHF antenna can pick up UHF signals, digital or analog. Just make sure if you buy one that you can bring it back if it doesn't work for you. If you get into this a little deeper, Electronique Raybel, 9712 Notre Dame East, sells antennas, masts, splitters, cable, crimping tools, antenna amplifiers, etc. Good service, knowledgeable staff. Disclaimer: I'm a satisfied customer, nothing more. This website, http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/ , has discussion threads about over-the-air HDTV in Montreal. Henry On 2009-11-19, at 18:03 , [email protected] wrote: > Hello/Bonjour, > > Anyone using HDTV - is it a wireless service? I ask because 'The Source' > (a.k.a. Radio Shack) is selling an HDTV indoor antenna this week. > > Does this also mean that HDTV signals will be available to the public > for free? > > What type of electronics are necessary to receive the signal? If I have > an HDTV-ready computer screen, will it play HDTV? > > Thanks/Merci > Sustain > > > -- > http://www.fastmail.fm - A no graphics, no pop-ups email service > > _______________________________________________ > mlug mailing list > [email protected] > https://listes.koumbit.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-listserv.mlug.ca _______________________________________________ mlug mailing list [email protected] https://listes.koumbit.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-listserv.mlug.ca
