Canadians survey finds most HDTV owners don't receive HD content

by Darren Murph posted Dec 12th 2008 at 10:50AM

We're chalking this one up to coincidental timing, but just hours after hearing about the HDTV / HD programming gap in the US comes a similar report from the Great North. According to research compiled by the Canadian chapter of the Cable Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), just 13% of Canadians have a set-top-box capable of receiving HD signals, yet some three in ten citizens confess to owning an HDTV. In other words, quite a few HDTV-owning Canucks are doing without high-def programming for one reason or another. CTAM asserts that confusion about the niceties of HD is high in Canada, and that most individuals "are generally unaware of the features and benefits associated with high-definition TV." Hmm, maybe if the CRTC would stop rejecting HD expansion, more locals would be able to see and hear the difference.

[Image courtesy of Lodging4Vacations]

Filed under: Industry, DVRs, Set-top boxes

Tags: canada, Canadian, confused, confusion, global, miffed

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Highly Ranked

Tom Foolery @ Dec 12th 2008 12:31PM

This is because of horrible companies like Rogers. they half ass everything and make it overly complicated. You should see just how bad the on demand service navigator is. it's impossible

Neutral

Greg @ Dec 12th 2008 12:36PM

I'm one of those who don't bother with HDTV service. The reason is price and programming. In order to get HD programming, you need to rent a box from the cable company...for about $25/month! The other option is to buy it for $500-$600.

HD programming is a joke in Canada, with only the major networks and a few specialty channels even offering HD shows. I have a good HD setup (46" TV with 7.1 surround), and I primarilly use it for watching Blu-Rays, Gaming (PS3 and 360) and downloaded HD content from the web (TV shows that air in HD in the States are a plus).

The programming is crap, the price is too high, and the equipment is meh. To be honest when they cut off the analogue signal, I'll probably cancel my cable TV service and download the shows I want to watch (I have issues requiring a cable box when my TV has ATSC/NTSC and QAM tuners built in).

Highly Ranked

Evan @ Dec 12th 2008 1:35PM

Another Canadian here... We have too few HD channels, and the few HD channels that are worth while are too expensive because of the way Rogers does their tiers, bundles, and hardware - like, why do I have to subscribe to LeafsTV and RaptorsTV in order to get DiscoveryHD, I don't even live in Toronto!

I read Americans complaining about their cable and satellite, but they don't appreciate how good they have it compared to Canadians.

Neutral

K. Restoule @ Dec 12th 2008 2:24PM

Basically the cable companies want you to pay around $100 for a crappy list of HD channels. Why bother really? I can see myself waiting till 2011 before getting any HD channels.

Neutral

sunnyday @ Dec 12th 2008 3:13PM

What exactly is the meaning of HTDV or HD?

Boy Wizard,
Techinical Analyst,
Toronto, Canada

Neutral

Evan @ Dec 12th 2008 3:15PM

Yes, $100 is about what I was paying.

When I had cable, I was watching about 8 hours of television a week. If you don't count re-runs, or when the TV is on for background noise, it's cheaper *dollar-per-hour-of-content* to rent Blu-Rays from Blockbuster, or buy television seasons on DVD, than it is to subscribe to cable tv from Rogers in Canada!

Neutral

Brian @ Dec 12th 2008 3:49PM

Does Canada not have OTA HD?

Neutral

Greg @ Dec 12th 2008 4:56PM

Only the local networks broadcast OTA. What this means is that, depending on your region, you might get 1-4 starions OTA. That's SD and HD combined.

Neutral

Mark M @ Dec 12th 2008 6:57PM

Quelle surprise! I wonder how many of the new HDTV owners have connected up their DVD players using the composite video connector?

Neutral

Karyudo @ Dec 12th 2008 7:48PM

I'm a Canadian with an HDTV but without HD service from a cable company. Or any cable TV service, actually. But I watch plenty of HD, because I have an HTPC and a pretty solid 10 Mb/sec cable Internet connection, and I download everything I want to watch.

I've also got a PS3, so I buy and rent Blu-Ray. Better than over-compressed, cropped HD stuff from cable.

My brother makes up for my lack of enthusiasm for cable HD service, though: he's got two HD-PVRs.

Neutral

CDN Crockett @ Dec 12th 2008 8:43PM

Canadian here.

I'm getting 'a' HD channel off my rabbit ears!!!

Neutral

Mike @ Dec 15th 2008 9:33PM

In Montreal, the cheapest HD plans start at $50, this include both SD and HD channels. for 50$ you get nothing interesting... to this price you need to pay a wopping $100 setup fee and $300 HD receiver.

renting 2 bluerays a week is cheaper.... and then just download your tv shows off the web...

Canada needs to start getting better TV Plans, Cellphones Plans and internet plans (we can get 50Mbps! but with 50GB limit

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