The digital age: four steps forward and eight steps back.
Before the digital world entered our television signals, our TV antenna provided us with three channels clearly (CBC, Global, City TV), and two channels intermittently depending on the cloud cover (Channel M, CTV).
When digital technology was imminent, we were told by the powers that be that our antenna would be able to pick up the digital signals for our digital TV. We waited.
When the big event came, we could only get one channel, Global, but it was not as clear in the digital version as it had been in the analogue version. So we asked more questions.
Finally, it was suggested that the array for digital reception on our antenna was not big enough, and a new antenna would be in order. Or, we could buy into a cable provider.
But this option was not something we wanted to get sucked into. So, we looked for another antenna.
Not available in Canada we were told by so many who should know. We ended up buying one in the U.S.
We installed the new antenna and now we get Global, only not as clearly as we had with our old antenna. It seems that we are outside the umbrella of the digital signal, a circle extending approximately 70 km from the broadcast tower.
Analogue signals of yesteryear were a sine wave and could snake their way for much longer distances.
Worse yet, most of the digital communications towers are tightly arrayed within 50 km of the Canada-U.S. border.
Well, last time I looked at a map, many Canadians live beyond the reach of these new signals. They can no longer receive the signal of Canada’s own CBC, nor, for that matter, of any other source.
It seems that Global is the only TV station with a large umbrella. CTV informed us that they have tried to get a stronger signal but can only get temporary permits that take a few weeks to apply for and last for only a few weeks of air time.
So we say, “Thanks, Canada.”
This trip into the future has left our boat tottering on the edge of a flat world.
Linda Smith
Qualicum Beach