I picked up an old/cheap digital TV antenna and plugged it into my TV and watching regular TV for the first time in 20+ years.
The automatic channel scan picks up 9 stations here in Toronto. I was hoping for PBS but no luck. I don’t think I even have english CBC. Where is it supposed to be?
There isn’t a TV guide station anymore.
So far the best thing I found is OMNI TV where I just watched the news in Tagalog (I think) and now it’s on again in Arabic. On a weekend where time is happening, the English that’s sprinkled in is enough to make it interesting to me.
WTF someone vandalized “fuck gaza” on a Muslim Association of Canada building in Montreal. News is perhaps suggesting people donate to https://handsforcharity.org/ 🍉
I wish this was subtitled in english to appease my anglo chauvinism.
Anyways in a general sense how do you find out what’s on TV
The change in OTA was going from analog (NTSC) to digital (ATSC) signals. They operate on a different frequency range and offer higher bandwidth.
So, rabbit ears still work on for digital OTA TV on a TV with a digital receiver (any TV made since 2010 basically).
There are more specialized designs for different use cases.
In a pinch, I have used a hobby pin. An actual bobby pin. And it could pick up digital signals.
An antenna is an antenna. Everything is just radiowaves until it is received. The processing is done on the TV. But, the shape, size and material do affect how much is received or reflected or missed.
It’s all ratios as far as frequency reception. The materials affect the electrical conductivity and signal strength. So, you can’t make a wooden antenna, but any conducting metal would work. Some better than others. But copper is still the best aside from gold.
This is a good not really beginner article
https://www.howradioswork.com/antenna-theory-for-beginners/
OK I think maybe it’s like how you can transmit digital information over a copper phone wire? But you need the modem then a computer to watch your realplayer video. ?
That’s pretty much it.
The thicker the wire the higher/the more strands, the more bandwidth/electrical signal/information can be passed through it.
The coax gets the electrical signals (radio waves) from the antenna to the receiver.