Bell says the federal government is set to make transmitter updates, which will affect those using over-the-air and rooftop antennas for TV signals. The change is being made to free up spectrum for wireless usage.
The change will come after 12 midnight on April 28, 2019, says Bell, and will affect the following channels:
In order to keep watching your over-the-air television on these channels, you will need to re-scan your television or third-party app, which takes a few minutes to complete.
Bell explains, “Mandated by ISED (Innovation, Science, and Economic Development) in Canada and the Federal Communications Commission in the U.S. (FCC), this “TV channel repack” program requires broadcasters with over-the-air services to transition into a tighter spectrum to free up more spectrum for wireless carriers.”
For Canadians looking to get free over-the-air television signals, all you need is an HD antenna, available via Amazon.
Along with a SiliconDust HDHomeRun Connect unit, you’ll be able to stream live television over your Wi-Fi network to other devices, and when setup with a Plex Pass, you’ll have full PVR capabilities. You can also watch on Apple TV with the Plex or InstaTV tvOS apps.
We’ve tried this setup before and it works great for limited channels, such as CTV, CBC and Global in HD, for example.
