This year, analogue TV will cease to exist in Canada. The broadcast industry is being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century. This means one simple thing for consumers. After August 31st, 2011, those rabbit ears won't work anymore. Two years ago, I told you how you could get HDTV for free. Today we'll be revisiting over-the-air digital TV, so you're not left with static on the first of September.

Digital TV is a way to bring over-the-air television into the high definition age. It works in the same way satellite television does. Instead of hundreds of stations, you'll still only get the local ones. However, you can now watch them with a crisp, flawless picture. Gone are the days of the snow and ghosting.

DTV in North America uses the ATSC standard. In order to receive this signal, your TV either has to have a compatible tuner built in, or a converter box. All high definition TVs sold in the past few years will have this feature built in. If you're using an older TV, like the old cathode-ray-tube models, you'll need to buy the converter.

To call Canada ill prepared for the switchover is an understatement. Finding DTV converters is difficult. The Source sells one model, which retails for $90. You may have better luck importing one from the United States. All converters accomplish the same function. They take the DTV signal and change it to something older TVs can understand. Most now offer an electronic programming guide, like satellite and digital cable have. More expensive units allow you to attach a USB hard drive to record your favourite shows.

Once you got the TV itself sorted, it's time to set things up to receive the signal. If you already have a UHF antenna, then you're done. There's nothing special about "HDTV compatible" antennas. It's just a marketing gimmick. Older ones will pick up the signal just fine. If you're looking to cut the cable, and get HDTV for free, there are plenty of options available.


The first step is to setting up your antenna is to find where the transmitter is. Most antennas are directional. You'll need to point it towards the tower to pick up the signal. You'll also need to know how far away the tower is. Larger antenna arrays can pick up signals up to 70 miles (112km) away. However, smaller ones are limited to as little as 15 miles.

Next you need to decide where to mount your antenna. If you live in an apartment or condo, make sure to check with your landlord or HOA first. Some places may not allow permanent mounts. You should try to place the antenna as high as possible. Preferable on the roof of your house, or on a tall mast. Antennas can be mounted in an attic, but it negatively affects their range. Indoor antennas also aren't as good as outdoor models. That's because the radio waves have trouble passing through walls.

A basic installation is pretty strait forward. A "J" mount, the same used to mount satellite dishes, is the easiest to use. It can be attached to a roof or chimney. The old style mast, a staple of homes in the 1950s, is still the best. You can get more height that way. If you're using a directional antenna, but want to receive signals from different towers, you'll also need a rotor. It's a small motor that rotates the antenna via a remote control. Roof and mast mounted antennas should also be grounded due to risk of lightning strikes. Mast installations are best left to the pros, but a roof or attic antenna is a good DIY job.

If the transmitter tower is really distant from your antenna, you may need an amplifier as well. These boost weak signals to make them viewable. However, an amp cannot clean up a bad signal caused by distortions through walls or buildings. Most urban and suburban setups won't need one. If you live in a rural area, they're a good idea. Amplifiers should also be used if the cable connecting the TV to the antenna is very long.

On the inside, the whole system is hooked together with standard coaxial cable. You can buy this at most television stores. It usually comes in long bundles. If you have more than one TV, you will need a splitter. Some signal is lost with a splitter so just keep that in mind. Especially on long runs or with more than a couple TVs. It's another good time to use an amp.

So what kind of stations can you get with your DTV antenna. In Toronto, you can expect to pull in all major Canadian networks and most US networks. Canadian stations all broadcast in 1080i HD resolution. American networks are usually 720p, to conserve bandwidth. Don't expect to get any "true HD" 1080p programming. Few networks use it due to the massive amount of bandwidth it requires. Generally speaking, 1080i signals still look very good. Often better than satellite, since the data doesn't need to be compressed as much.

Remote Central offers a complete list of all the over-the-air DTV stations available in the Greater Toronto Area. Some networks even offer sub stations that offer additional content. Most networks have their DTV channels on the same numbers as the analogue ones. Once you're set up, your TV or converter box will automatically scan all channels it can pick up. You can start watching from there.

One final note. You'll notice a lot of Canadian networks, such as Global and CTV, have weak transmission power. That means you may have difficulty receiving them with smaller or indoor antennas. American stations may actually be easier to get. Many Canadian cities still don't have full DTV distribution either. Major media centres like Toronto and Montreal have full DTV. Markets beyond those may not. Check Google or with your local TV stations to see what's available.

Dirt 2 is a fun rally racing game, when it works. It was also the first major DirectX 11 release. Unfortunately, a lot of PC gamers are having problems with it. Namely, the game will fail to launch. You'll get the Windows spinning ring, then nothing. The issue seems to be the most common if you purchased it through Steam, or are running Windows 7.

There's an easy, partial fix you can do to get Dirt 2 running again. First of all, make sure you have the latest video drivers installed, which you can get from AMD and nVidia. Next open up your Steam folder. Open up Steamapps, then open Common, and open Dirt 2. Right click dirt2.exe and select "Run as Administrator".

The game should now load up. Unfortunately, it will be stuck in windowed mode. I can't find a way to correct that. At least it makes the game playable. If you get any weird graphics issues, just restart the game. You'll have to do this process each time. I recommend creating a desktop shortcut so it's easy to find.

I'm not exactly sure what causes the problem. It's unfortunate that Codemasters hasn't found a way to correct the issue. Hopefully they will soon.

Sony dropped a bomb on the gaming world yesterday. After months of speculation, we finally have a true successor to the PSP. It's not a phone either. It's an NGP, or "Next Generation Portable." That's what Sony is calling it. The device is a beautiful meld of the PSP and iPod Touch, mixed in with some pretty impressive hardware. OLED screen, dual touch surfaces, and two mighty quad core chips powering it.

Sony has gambled on high tech over the last six years. The original PSP was impressive for its day, and the PS3 was essentially a mini super computer. Sony's hardware is outstanding on all fronts, but that's only half the equation.

The PSP sold poorly in North America, relatively speaking. The Nintendo DS has outsold the PSP two to one since both launched in 2004. Sony has revised the hardware three times since then. Then again, so has Nintendo.

Sony's real problem with the PSP was lack of proper software support. Developers and publishers both bailed on the device. Although piracy was blamed, it's only a small part of the story.


The PSP never really had any standout titles beyond God of War and Monster Hunter. Most of the games were pretty humdrum. Sony wanted to bring the console experience to mobile. That's commendable, but they did a lackluster job. Many of the games were ports of older PS2 titles, featuring watered down graphics. Few original franchises made their way on the system. Games were also consistently low rated. Not bad, but not good either.

So far the NGP seems to be going down the same road. They've already showed off an Uncharted: Drake's Fortune port for it. Rumour has it there might be Metal Gear Solid ports as well.

If Sony wants the NGP to be a hit, they're going to have to take a page from their competitors. The system needs its own Pokemon and its own Angry Birds. Original, innovative titles that allow games to be played in bite sized portions. That's what portable gaming is all about. Nobody wants to sit through a twenty minute cutscene while riding the bus.

Image courtesy of HyperBeast

More people than ever are looking to cut the cord. With the rise of services like Skype and Netflix, people are beginning to wonder why they need separate services at all. Just pay a small fee to each company and get everything online at a bargain. That's the beauty of net neutrality, and that's why big telecom companies want to quash it.

The CRTC, Canada's telecom regulation body, ruled this week on internet metering. Companies such has Bell Canada Enterprises have been fighting for this for some time. What metering does is allow these businesses to charge consumers per byte rather than in lumps of data. Every consumer would get up to 25gb of data per month, then pay through the nose after that's gone.

The idea is to put the breaks on heavy downloaders. You know, all those nasty pirates out there stealing software. It's unfair to other people, they say, because it snarls online traffic. That may have been the case five years ago when YouTube, iTunes, Pandora, Netflix and Skype didn't exist or weren't popular. Today, everybody is a heavy downloader. They want their content available exclusively online. Nobody can justify paying $120 a month for TV, and $60 for telephone on top of everything else. That's what has the likes of Bell and Rogers scared.

What the ruling does is threaten to send us back to the digital dark ages. The CRTC has long ensured that Canada's big telecoms are given monopolies. They do this by giving beneficial rulings to them which restrict consumer choice and keep foreign competition out. Netflix, for example, is already expressing concerns that this ruling could threaten their Canadian operations.

However, if you think this is only limited to Canada, think again. Big telecom companies around the globe have been trying to cut service through stricter caps, metering, and a la cart internet premium packages.

Canada already has the most expensive monthly rates for internet in the developed word. Internet speeds and service quality aren't keeping up with everyone else either. This is yet another big blow to cash strapped consumers. Paying more money to use an aging network is little more than a cash grab.

If you would like to voice your concern on the CRTC's metered internet ruling, send an email or letter to Minister of Industry Tony Clement. His contact information can be found here. For more information on internet metering in Canada, visit OpenMedia.ca and sign their petition.

Get ready for yet another three-dimensional revolution. Nintendo is telling everyone to circle March 27th on the calender. That's the date their much anticipated 3DS hand-held will launch in North America. The system is the first of its kind to deliver 3D visuals without needing special glasses. Those eye-popping graphics will command an equally eye-popping price. The device will retail for $249.99 for the system alone. No pack in games have been announced.

Gamers are already complaining about the high price. The 3DS is the most expensive successor yet to the venerable Gameboy. It costs 66% more than the original Nintendo DS, with half the battery life. The 3DS will feature a handful of games at launch. Major Nintendo franchises such as Mario, Zelda, and Metroid are curiously missing from this collection.

Source: Wikipedia

Video games did not cause the Arizona Massacre. Though some politicians are trying to tie them to the alleged shooting of US congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords by Jared Loughner. Republican representative Tim Murphy had this to say on the subject on CNN's State of the Union.

"This is something we have to pay attention to. Look, as we're trying to piece together what happened in Arizona, unfortunately, people are going at the low-hanging fruit and they're blaming political discourse, which may have some role in the underlying aspects here, but we also need to look at there will be other things that come out - the music, the video games, the social ways that people handle anger."

I don't usually post political comments on MMNTech, but this issue bothers me. Study after study shows there is no link between video games and violence. Loughner plays violent video games. So do a lot of other people. It's such a common activity, it's hard to find someone in that age group that hasn't.


Blaming video games or the media for violent attacks shows ignorance. People on both the left and right display a poor understanding of mental illness. That's what likely caused the shooting. It's shameful and detracts from the real issue. Nobody got this man the help he needed, despite the obvious signs. We desperately need to reassess the way we diagnose and treat mental illness in North America. Stop scapegoating society and culture for the government's failures.

Source: Kotaku

It's that time of year again. The snow starts to fall. The days get shorter, the weather gets cooler, and the malls go berserk. Yes, Christmastime is hectic. Don't go blowing your brains out from shopping overload. MMNTech is here to help you find the perfect gift for your techie loved ones, no matter what their geek genre of choice. Well, you've got one week left. What are you waiting for?!

For the Musician:

Whether they like to play or listen, there's tons of gifts out there for music fanboys. The iPod Classic is a good choice for your favourite casual audiophile. Its massive 120gb hard drive can hold a whopping 6,720min worth of raw, CD quality audio. Sells for $249.

For the musician, buying gifts can be difficult. Everyone has their own personal preferences when it comes to type and brand of instrument. Gift cards to Long & McQuade, Canada's largest musical instrument retailer, are a great idea. They come in denominations from $10 to $100.

For the Car Guy:

Even if they're just a casual car guy, you can't go wrong with an OBD-II scanner. It plugs into their car's computer to give information and diagnose problems. The Innova OBD-II Code Reader at Canadian Tire retails for $199.99.

For the Gadget Geek:

Gadgets are expensive, but Apple's iPod Touch 4th generation is reasonable at $229. It plays games, shows movies, takes photos, surfs the web, shoots HD video, and has built in webcam chat. It's Swiss Army knife of gadgets that will make any geek drool.

For the Movie Buff:

Does your movie buff love old movies? Why not take them way back to the beginning of the celluloid age. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's fantastic feature, Edison: The Invention of the Movies (1891 to 1918) will surely inspire every filmmaker on your list. The DVD set isn't cheap at $91.99 at Amazon, but it's well worth it.

For the Gamer:

Tons of ideas here. Why not start them off to a one year gold subscription to Xbox Live or Playstation Network Plus. If they're on a PC, Valve's Steam service allows you to gift games, allowing them to download them right to their computer.

If you're looking for something new, check out Microsoft Kinect ($149.99) and the Playstation Move ($99.99) for the Xbox 360 and PS3 respectively.

For the Computer Nerd:

PC builders are a fickle crowed. Like musicians, they have their own preferences. Gift cards to Canada Computers, NCIX, or Newegg are a great start. A Microsoft Technet subscription will please almost any programmer.

For the Videophile:

You obviously don't want to blow a grand on gifts, and the videophile is going to want the best of the best. For something a little more reasonable, consider the Slingbox. For $199.99, they can watch all their video content including live TV anywhere over the internet or local network.

If they're more into making their own videos, why not pick them up a good editing program. If they're on a Mac and still using iMovie, grab them a copy of Final Cut Express to give their videos that true professional edge. It's also $199. For PC filmmakers, Sony Vegas Platinum HD is a good alternative for just $95.

For the Photographer:

Like all picky hobbiests, Photographers are hard to buy for. They have their own preferences and won't want cheap gear. Gift cards to Vistek or Henry's Camera should start you off. More camera memory is also a good choice. Bags, coffee table photo books and photographer vests are more ideas to considered. Prices vary.

For the Book Worm:

Digital eBook readers like The Amazon Kindle, are very popular right now. Access to thousands of books, newspapers, and magazines for purchase. All available digitally and wirelessly without additional costs. The Kindle is also cheaper than ever too, starting at just $139 for the Wifi version.

For the News Junkie:

If they've got one of Apple's iOS devices, a subscription to PressDisplay combined with the PressReader app is a great choice. Unlimited access to thousands of newspapers around the globe for $30/month.

Apple loves to mess with their products after launch. Usually for the worse. Hey, it's not a bug, it's a feature! That's what makes the recent story about iPad USB woes so believable. 9 to 5 Mac is reporting that iOS 4.2 blocks certain USB devices from being used with the iPad's camera kit. They claim this includes everything from certain cameras, keyboards, and microphones. The story has started making the rounds, with even Engadget reporting it as true.

Here at MMNTech, we never take tech rumours at face value. I tried two things on the list. Both my wireless RF keyboard and headset worked as before. The beef of the story seems to be a drop in power output from the dock connector. 9 to 5 Mac claims it was reduced from 100mA to just 20mA. The RF receiver for my keyboard is rated at 55mA, so that dispels this myth. The claim seem to stem from people who are trying to use plugging ridiculously power hungry USB devices. I wouldn't expect my Blue Snowball microphone to work with my iPad, though apparently one commenter did.

The keyboard hack has always been a little temperamental. Still, the dock connector uses a basic USB standard packaged in a proprietary plug. If they killed third party keyboard support with the camera kit, it's unlikely their own keyboard would work. That along with a whole host of other official devices that use the dock connector. Basically, any device that worked before should work now as long as it's rated below 100mA.

Source: 9 to 5 Mac
Image courtesy of Gotronics

When Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, it ran on clockwork. I guess no Victorians thought to put a steam engine on it. There's probably a good reason for that, as this streampunk turntable demonstrates. Aside from the kettle whistle of its engine, it does play a delightfully out-of-pitch rendition of the Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen".





Despite being totally pointless and irreverent, it still looks cool. The turntable does have a battery operated electronic pickup inside. Now all it needs is a governor to get it to a stable and ear friendly 33 1/3.

Source: Asciimation via Gizmodo

It happens to everyone. You go to turn on your aging PS3, and nothing happens. So you can't get your game on. There's no need to be ashamed. Like the Xbox 360 and your neighbour's kids, the original PS3s start to misbehave after two years. Sony introduced the PS3 Slim to solve the problem. The system has certainly lost weight, but does it still have it where it where it counts?

The Slim is about half the size of the "fat" PS3s. Sony overhauled the interior to use smaller and more energy efficient parts. It runs a lot cooler and uses half the electricity of the launch models. It sips just 85W while gaming, which is the same as most high end laptops. This is thanks to Sony's use of smaller transistors for the Cell processor and RSX graphics chip.

It's significantly quieter too. The older consoles ran like a hair dryer. The Slim's new fan can barely be heard. The system runs cool to the touch. The silent operation will make film buffs happy. The rest of us will appreciate a longer lasting console. Heat is the number one enemy of electronics. The less the better. Overheating is what causes most PS3s to die an early death.

Feature wise, the Slim is identical to the old 40GB. Sony has moved away form the holistic media approach of the original PS3. Yes, PS2 support is still gone, along with SACD playback and the card reader. They have thrown us a bone. The Slim can bitstream high definition audio over HDMI. Perfect if you have a good AV receiver. Like all PS3s, the Slim also now supports Netflix streaming and 3DTV.


The Slim comes in several bundles. The base model sells for $299.99 and comes with a 160GB hard drive. It comes with just the system and a single controller. For $100 more, you get a 320GB hard drive and the Playstation Move.

The Move bundle comes with the motion controller, the Playstation Eye camera, and Sports Champions game, and a demo disc.

The Move uses both the controller wand and camera to track not only motion but depth. It's more accurate than the Wii and should appeal more t hardcore gamers than the Kinect does.

Right now, not too many games support it. Sports Champions is a Wii Sports knockoff but its a shallow experience. The eight events get boring quickly. Future games such as LittleBigPlanet 2 and Killzone 3 will broaden its appeal. The controller can be a bit too sensitive at times, and it takes some getting used to. Look for a full review on the Move soon.

Overall, the Slim and the Move bundle are a nice addition to the Playstation family. Hopefully gamers can finally say goodbye to the hardware failures that have plagued this generation.

Score: 9 out of 10

What Works:
-Smaller size
-Less energy consumption
-Cooler running = less likely to YLOD
-Bitstreaming for HD audio over HDMI
-Attractive price
-Available Move kit bundle

What doesn't work:
-Still a significant downgrade from the old 60gb