Jason Yong

  • OTA Channels

    After setting up the antenna upstairs on top of a computer table and some boxes (not ideal but it works!), I can now get the channels listed below. I’ve also attached my TV Fool report to the right. The antenna is connected to the downstairs TV via a 50′ coaxial cable purchased from Infinite Cables (Warden/Alden).

    At the moment, I don’t reliably get NBC or WNYB. As far as I know, WNYB is a religious station or runs religious programming 24/7 so I honestly couldn’t care less about it since I wouldn’t be watching those channels anyways. For NBC, I think it’s just a matter of turning the antenna a specific way. Their tower, apparently, is one of the more difficult stations to get from Southern Buffalo so I’m not too worried about it. If I really needed to watch NBC, I could just go upstairs and rotate the antenna.

    2.1 WGRZ (NBC), also 2.2
    4.1 WIVB (CBS)
    5.1 CBLT (CBC)
    7.1 WKBW (ABC)
    9.1 CFTO (CTV)
    17.1 WNED (PBS), also 17.2, 17.3
    19.1 TVO (TVO)
    23.1 WNLO (CW)
    25.1 CBLFT (CBC French)
    26.1 WNYB (TBN), also 26.2, 26.3, 26.4
    29.1 WUTV (Fox)
    29.2 TCN
    41.1 CIII (Global), also 41.2
    47.1 CFMT (Omni 1)
    49.1 WNYO (MyTV), also 49.2
    57.1 CITYTV (City)
    69.1 CJMT (Omni 2)

    For more information on over-the-air channels/antennas, click here.

  • A man who loses everything is capable of anything

    TF2 trailer for Law Abiding Citizen.

  • Let Us All Unite!

    A TF2 rendition of Charlie Chaplin’s speech in The Great Dictator. Full speech available here.

  • These photos look like something from Harry Potter

    These photos look like something from Harry Potter

    by Lucas Oleniuk (Toronto Star Photographer)

    Click here to see more photos from the Jays game by Lucas Oleniuk (@LucasOleniuk).
    See more photos after the break.

  • Oh telemarketers! – Round 2

    Those wonderful telemarketers from Air Duct Cleaning called again. His name was Sam Paul this time.

    Transcript:

    Sam Paul: Hi. This is Sam Paul from Air Duct Solutions. How are you today?
    Me: Hi. Good.
    …
    Me: I’m kind of busy at the moment, could I get your phone number to call you back?
    Sam: Sure, it’s *insert fake number here*
    Me: So it’s *insert fake number here*, right? (It can’t be this easy.)
    Sam: Yes. That’s correct.
    Me: Alright, thanks. Could I also get your company’s address?
    Sam: *chuckle* Sir, why do you want my address?
    (At this point, I’m just trying to see what kind of fake address he’s going to give me. He tries to say some random roads plus a number at the end. Sounds real to me!)
    Me: Not your address, your company’s address.
    Sam: It’s in Scarborough.
    Me: Where in Scarborough?
    Sam: Sir, why do you want the address?
    …
    Sam: Sir, I know you weren’t interested so I gave you a fake number and address.
    Me:     So why do you do this then?
    Sam: Sir, my company pays $5000 for the Do Not Call list.  

    At least he was honest about giving me a fake number and address. I don’t know if his other statement is true or not though. =\

    If telemarketers aren’t afraid of the penalties enforced by the CRTC, what purpose does the DNCL serve? If people can then pay X dollars to get a copy of the DNCL, it basically means I’ve signed up to a list of phone numbers that will be called, thereby making the DNCL utterly useless. Oh, how I wish the CRTC was actually useful.

    Round 1 can be viewed here.

  • Setting up an OTA Antenna

    Setting up an OTA Antenna

    I ordered the Antennas Direct DB4e (right) from Hookbag.ca for $43.12 + free shipping on Saturday and it arrived on Tuesday.

    After taking a minute or two to assemble the antenna (it just involved screwing a few things together) , I hooked it up to our main TV downstairs and it was only able to get about 6-8 channels. I then tried hooking it up to our upstairs TV and it was able to get around 20+ channels (ex: FOX, CBS, PBS, CW, CBC, TVO, ABC). We haven’t installed it on the roof yet but I imagine that when we install it to the proper height/direction, we’d be able to get a few more channels.

    In Toronto, most of the stations are broadcasting from the CN Tower so, as long as it’s pointed in the general direction of the CN Tower, you should be able to pick up something. Generally speaking, the higher the antenna is, the better.

    One of the features of over-the-air (OTA) television is that the signal either comes in perfectly clear or it doesn’t at all. You’ll either see something that looks amazing or you’ll see a blue/staticy screen, indicating that your antenna couldn’t get a good enough signal. Watching last night’s Red Wings vs. Predators game on CBC was awesome. In addition to watching it in 720p, you also receive 5.1 sound and that definitely adds to the experience (it’s a shame that TSN/Sportsnet doesn’t broadcast OTA). On top of all of that, you also get information about the current show that you’re watching so there’s no need to check the TV guide or anything.

    More information on OTA can be found after the break.

  • Looking back at old photos – Part II

    2009

    [nggtags gallery=2009 template=compact]

    1. Snow on roof
    2. Sunset
    3. Ice (Guess where it’s from?)

    (more…)