Rogers on Demand - Canadian Hulu?

Clearly not now. And unlikely in the future.



But anyway - one more source of online TV for [at least some] Canadians. Just launched this week (first week of December 2009) RogersOnDemand.com at the moment hosts few dozens of TV shows and movies.

There are couple of gotchas. First of all you have to be existing paying Rogers customer. To create an account you first should authenticate yourself either by using Rogers Cable Modem (I suppose they just detect your IP address or something), via SMS over Rogers cellphone or presenting your rogers account #. If you are not subscribed to any Rogers services - you are out of luck. No Rogers on demand for you.

Gotcha #2 - even if you are the Rogers customer, you can not access all the shows. For any shows that require subscription to "speciality channel" you'll be offered - yes, to subscribe to that channel. See that "lock" icon on the screenshot? Yes that's restricted channel.


Gotcha #3 - # of the programs available online. Not really a lot. Other non-restricted canadian hulu alternatives do provide more programming online than Rogers. Though - here I'll give Rogers benefit of the doubt - they just went to beta stage and promise to make more programming available soon. Will see...

As far as picture quality goes - good enough. Can't find any HD content there, but for SD - no complains.

HD-TV Antenna. Free HD-TV - $34.99

Tonight I walked down College street near Spadina and came across hardware store, advertising "Free HD-TV". Obviously selling TV antennas for $35. Store owner also made The Smart Thing indeed posted list of HDTV channels you can receive in Toronto on this antenna.

Not sure if his list is accurate, but here is what the guy advertised:

CityTV - channel 57

OMNI1 - channel 47

Global - channel 41

CBC - channel 5

SunTV - channel 52

CTV - channel 9

PBS - channel 17

Hmm... there is surely CBC in French there which is not listed here.

The last one (PBS) is US channel from Buffalo, NY. Not sure why only one US channel made this list. If you'll make an effort you probably can get 15-20 HDTV channels from US from Toronto. The challenge would be an antenna orientation since direction to CN Tower and to Buffalo antennas may not be the same if you live east or west of downtown Toronto.

Earlier this year blogger inne posted in LiveJournal Toronto community list of HDTV stations she can receive from Toronto:

4.1 WIVB HD (CBS)
5.1 CBLT HD (CBC)
7.1 WKBW HD (ABC)
7.2 WNGS SD (RTN 11)
7.3 WCSN SD (WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SPORTS NETWORK)
9.1 CFTO HD (CTV)
23.1 WNLO HD (CW 23 BUFFALO)
25.1 CBLFT HD (CBC FR)
29.1 WUTV HD (FOX)
29.2 WUTV SD (FOX)
36.1 CTS HD
43.1 WNED HD
43.2 WNED SD
43.3 WNED TH
43.4 WNED TH
49.1 WNYO HD ("MY TV" BUFFALO)(previously affiliated with WB)
49.2 WNYO SD ("MY TV" BUFFALO)
57.1 CITY TV HD
66.1 CKXT HD (SUN TV)

Anyway - you may spend $35 for "HD-TV Antenna" or make TV antenna from a beer can - the free signal is out there, go, grab it!