[hurley_108]

I am sick and tired of how when a Canadian station and an American station are showing the same show at the same time, the Canadian station's broadcast gets pushed onto the American station's channel.

Right now, I'm wathing LOST. It's being broadcast locally here in Edmonton on Access. For those not from Edmonton, Access is a fucking joke of a station. They used to run homework help shows, make crappy educational videos for schools, etc. They call themselves "the education station." It's amateur hour.

The broadcast they're running now is off-centre, has barely visible but higly annoying horizontal lines running through it, and has all the definition and saturation of a VHS tape running at EP speed. Remember Stephane Dion's god-awful video back in December? Yea, like that.

Now, if I could, I'd switch over to the ABC broadcast, which I'm sure is being run by competent people, but I can't, because it's showing the same crappy broadcast.

Fuck that shit.

[commanderkai]

Satellite, it's fucking awesome. One of the things I missed about the US is the far superior television venues.

[Alta_redneck]

It's good down here Hurley, same channels that your watching it on.

[hurley_108]

My parents have digital cable, so they get around it that way, and also get it four hours earlier. We usually watch LOST with them, but tonight plans changed.

Most Canadian broadcasters are up to the same standard as American ones, it's just Access that sucks donkey balls.

CTV carried LOST last year, and they were fine, but this year they're not.

[DrCaleb]

Dude! The new episode isn't on for like, 1/2 hour!

But I agree, Access and the CRTC blows. Except they do show "Truth, Duty, Valour" every day!

[hurley_108]

DrCaleb wrote:

Dude! The new episode isn't on for like, 1/2 hour!

But I agree, Access and the CRTC blows. Except they do show "Truth, Duty, Valour" every day!

I'm watching the rebroadcast of last week's right now.

[herbie]

Last week on Lost the dialogue faded out several times, but the background music kept going, on ABC HiDef.

[westmanguy]

lol, what a very conservative point of view Hurley!! Gutting the CRTC and allowing American content to freely flow in Canada is something usually pushed by those on the right.

The laws are that if an American channel and a local channel are showing the same show at the same time the cable or satellite provider has to simulcast the Canadian feed over the American feed in your market.

This is to make you watch Canadian ads because the Canadian network purchased the Canadian rights to said show.

So if you're in Vancouver and:

9pm - Sunday
CTV Vancouver - Desperate Housewives
ABC Seattle - Desperate Housewives

The ABC feed is mandated by law to have the CTV feed simulcasted over it, if you live in the Vancouver market.

If you're in a rural area where you wouldn't be able to pick up CTV (still using the above example) over the air, the television provider isn't mandated to simulcast.

Problem is with some satellite services they simulcast on a national basis.

On my Bell ExpressVu, even though I'm in rural Manitoba and can only pick up the CBC over the air, I'm forced to have all my American programming simulcasted.

Its a joke. I hope that these ridiculous laws are struck down some day and American channels like Comedy Central, ESPN, Food Network America, etc. etc. etc. are allowed in here.

[hurley_108]

Alta_redneck wrote:

It's good down here Hurley, same channels that your watching it on.

Interesting. Maybe it's something with my TV or area, but the left side of the frame seems cut off for me (the little ticker's off-center, and it just seems like there's other stuff cut off on that side), and dark areas just have no detail to them.

[hurley_108]

westmanguy wrote:

lol, what a very conservative point of view Hurley!! Gutting the CRTC and allowing American content to freely flow in Canada is something usually pushed by those on the right.

I admit it's an uncharacteristic position for me to be taking, and I do agree with the underlying rationale, but there are some times where the practice causes the viewers to recieve an inferior product. Particularly when the ads are a part of the spectacle - like during the superbowl.

On the whole, I don't really know how I feel about it overall. All I know is that right now, I'm having an inferior product forced on me.

[Alta_redneck]

The little ticker's off-center, yep I got that. I don't watch the show so I thought that was the way it was. My ABC broadcast says it's from A Channel, does that sound right?

[Ripcat]

I'll be watching Lost on the Victoria A-channel feed in a few minutes on Bell ExpressVu. Watched the Leafs beat the Rangers when Lost was on earlier. It's almost midnight for me.

The best thing about satellite TV is is the time shifting. East and West coast feeds gives you the opportunity to watch at different times.

Some shows aren't suitable for younger viewers so if my son is still up we can watch a show later once he is asleep.

I believe CTV owns the A channel network now.

[ridenrain]

.. and you're taxpayers dollars are going to produce that wastefull, inferior product also.

[hurley_108]

Alta_redneck wrote:

The little ticker's off-center, yep I got that. I don't watch the show so I thought that was the way it was. My ABC broadcast says it's from A Channel, does that sound right?

No. A Channel and Access are different stations. Are you not in Edmonton?

[Axeman]

hurley_108 wrote:

On the whole, I don't really know how I feel about it overall. All I know is that right now, I'm having an inferior product forced on me.

Now you know how North American car buyers have felt for years...and how I feel when I want to buy my kids a toy made in China.