For cord cutter’s, this is particularly frustrating. Canadians are typically geo-blocked from accessing television content online through American broadcasters such as CBS and the CW, or through online streaming services such as Hulu. In practice, this means that Canadians are typically met with arrogant black screens, that often includes a message such as “The video you have requested is not available in your geographical region”. This diagram demonstrates our limitations.

Of course, we have a way around this. A tool called the Virtual Private Network (VPN).  Simply put, a VPN creates a tunnel between your computer and a server in another location (e.g: the US). Once logged on, you can surf the web as if your a computer based in the United States. I am currently working out of my computer here in Ottawa, but with my VPN the internet basically thinks that I am based out of Manhattan, New York, which is the location of my VPN server. This opens up a whole new world for cord cutters who stream content online, as the diagram below demonstrates.For anybody who has subscribed to Netflix Canada, its no secret that the selection of content for Canadian’s is disappointing, unless of course your a fan of indie films or B-horror. For those who have not given Netflix Canada a try, here is a short review. Have a short attention span? Here is a witty 25 sec video review. A VPN connection gives you access to the better stocked Netflix US.

It also gives you access to Hulu, which is basically a one-shop-stop for all your television viewing content. It doesn’t have the same movie selection as Netflix, but it has deals with nearly all the major US networks. It also carries exclusive content such as Misfits. For $7.99, you can upgrade to Hulu Plus, which gives you access to entire seasons and even entire series (such as the all 6 seasons of Lost) as well as HD content. Alternately, for fans of British drama such as the EastEnders, a VPN IP based in the UK will give you access to the BBC iPlayer.

Sports fans, you can use the VPN to get around local blackout restrictions on your online streaming subscription. Just make sure that the use of the VPN doesn’t violate the terms and conditions of your subscription and\or the league.

How-to-steps:

1) To get started with a VPN, first Find a VPN service provider that providers a US-based server. I currently use StrongVPN.com and pay approximately $55 annually. You can buy a three month package to try for approximately $7 per month. As stated in Part 1, I encourage you to shop around for other service providers. I’d stick with the most reputable providers to prevent blackouts. I’ve had my current service for 6 months and have had no problems. Another reputable company is Hide My Ass!

2) Once you’ve subscribed, your VPN service provider should provide you with three pieces of information

• Host Name – This could be an IP address such as 192.168.0.1 or a server name such as wnxx.reliablehosting.com
• Username – Typically the user name used to set up your account.
• Password – Typically the password used to set up your account.

3) Once you have all your information in order, setting it up is fairly simple. StrongVPN actually provides step-by-step instructions on how to set it up. It should be as easy as connecting your computer to a Wi-Fi network at a coffee shop.

Here are the screen-by-screen instructions by Operating System:

• Windows 7
• Windows Vista
• Windows XP
• Mac OSX
• iPhone
• Android (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Android (Gingerbread/Froyo)
• Ubuntu Linux

Digital Antenna

Most cable or satellite service providers typically sell far more channels than their customers would typically watch. In Canada, customers who want access to a small variety of channels are often forced to absorb the additional cost of channels that the customer may not watch. For example, if a package included 57 channels, with only 11 channels in which customers can select their specific programming, that’s 46 channels that customers have no control over what programming are included.

However, since the CRTC required major Canadian broadcasters to transition to a digital signal by August 31, 2011, Canadians living in urban centres now have an opportunity to access the most popular content through a digital antenna at no cost. Digital over-the-air (OTA) television channels are different from traditional bunny ears which often have mixed results with respect to quality of broadcast. Digital OTA typically broadcasts in the highest quality the TV can support. Broadcasters such as the CBC-Radio Canada, CTV or TVA broadcast on OTA in HD. Digital OTA does not have the “snow effect” typically found using bunny ears. Content on digital OTA either airs in perfect quality or it does not air at all.

Majority of Canadians now live within a short drive to a major urban centre, which means that most Canadians should have access to content through a digital antenna. Here in Ottawa, folks have reported receiving up to 8 or 9 channels, many in HD quality, including people with outdoor roof top antennas. Ottawa is some distance from the nearest US urban centre so unfortunately, we only have access to 8 digital channels from Ontario and Quebec.
I personally use the Terk HDTVa Indoor Amplified High-Definition Antenna, which is a digital antenna that has received positive reviews on web forums. Others have had success by building their own digital antennas using coat hangers and a piece of wood. If your like me, you probably aren’t very handy, the only retail store in Canada that carries the Terk HDTVa appears to be The Source, which sells the antenna for about $50. You can probably get better prices online such as on Amazon or eBay.

I personally receive about 8 channels including CBC-Radio Canada, CTV, CTV2, OMNI (Multicultural television), TVA (French), TVO (Ontario), and the Christian Television Network. Larger cities such such as Toronto and Montreal have reported receiving up to 40 digital channels, including both Canadian and American television channels using both an indoor and outdoor digital antennas. For most people, an antenna alone should be sufficient to start viewing digital OTA television for free, but if you have an older television, you may require an ATSC tuner. Most HD TVs should support digital antennas without a tuner. However, for those who require one, an ATSC tuner costs about $70 in Canada and can sometimes be found at The Source. I cant seem to find it anywhere else. ATSC tuners are widely available in electronic stores in the United States and have a tendency to be much cheaper, so if you happen to be doing some cross border shopping or are travelling in the United States, pick one up. The other option is to treat yourself to a brand new HDTV. With the savings you’ll achieve as a cord cutter, you’ll pay it off within a few months.

Wireless Internet Connection

In an era of the digital video recorder (DVR), the challenge with viewing television content exclusively over the-air is that you have no control over when to watch specific programming. However, more and more broadcasters in Canada, including Global, CTV, the CBC, City TV and others have begun streaming content online and on-demand. So if you missed your favorite television show OTA, you can catch up by simply viewing online. Over time, the quality of online streaming television has improved significantly.

Online streaming began as a grey market industry with overseas broadcasters illegally streaming popular American television content online free of charge. Broadcasters and major content providers fought hard to end illegal streaming, but eventually broadcasters started to negotiate with producers for the rights to stream online legally. The demand for online streaming grew when over-the-top broadcasters such as Netflix entered the market and began selling low-cost $8.99 monthly subscriptions for online access to HD quality blockbusters. These new over-the-top competitors fast tracked the major broadcasting industries delivery of streaming content supported by advertising.

Today, legal online streaming television is not limited to the major broadcasters. Specialty channels such as Food TV or HGTV also stream limited content online. For Mac users, iTunes has started selling content on an a la cart basis, again allowing consumers to save money since you only purchase specific content you want to watch. For Android users, the new Google Play (formerly known as the Android Market) now sells content a la cart to Android users. YouTube,  has also began renting on-line streaming blockbusters on an a la carte basis. Streaming websites such as Youtube and Vimeo has increasingly produced better quality content not found on traditional cable or satellite subscriptions.

For Sports fans, most North American leagues provide online subscription to games, including NHL, MLS, Major League Baseball or the NFL.  Often the cost of these subscriptions are significantly less than the total cost of a cable/satellite subscription because 1) your paying for what you want and 2) your only paying for the season, and not the off-season.

Mini-PC

When watching television, most people are more comfortable sitting on their couch relaxing after a long days work. Sitting in an office chair watching television on a 15 inch screen isn’t every bodies idea of home entertainment. However, if you have an HDTV, their are many options out there for folks that want to watch streaming television on their television, even without an expensive smart TV. This is where the mini-PC comes in. While optional, it is highly recommended if you want to replicate your cable television viewing habits as a cord-cutter.

Their are many options out there, streaming television on your HDTV can be as simple as plugging your laptop into the television through an HDMI cable, if your laptop supports HDMI. More permanent solutions are also available such as box-tops. The most popular box-top is the Apple TV. However, with an Apple TV you are limited in the type of content you can stream, since the box top revolves around content available on iTunes. Other alternatives to the Apple TV include the Roku or the Google TV, but again, these solutions are limited in the type of content you can stream.

The best solution is the solution I use, and that’s the use of a Mini-PC. As you see in the photo, the Mini-PC is essentially a PC except its small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Here is the equipment I used to access streaming television on my HDTV:

1. HDMI Cables, which allows me to plug my Android Tablet, laptop and mini-PC into my HD television. ($30)
2. A Mini-PC. (Approximately $450)
3. A wireless USB keyboard/mouse which I use lieu of a remote control. ($79)

The Mini-PC device uses the same eco-friendly components found in laptops in order to keep the device small. Mini-PC’s also use far less energy, which negates the need for a fan that takes up space. When looking for a Mini-PC, be sure that it has the following components:

1. Support for HDMI cable to plug into your TV
2. Supports a Wi-Fi
3. Support for USB in order for your wireless keyboard and mouse to plug in
4. Windows 7, you may need to purchase this separately. You should be able to install windows using a USB stick. Alternatively if your comfortable with Linux, Ubuntu is a great operating system that supports HD streaming. Best of all, its free.

As I stated in Part 1, I encourage my readers to shop around, but for me, I felt the Zotac Zbox was the best solution. Other manufacturers such as Asus also produce a Mini-PC. At $450, the Mini-PC is about the price of a Digital Video Recorder, something you’d rent or purchase anyways, if you had cable or satellite. The Mini-PC works like any computer, and so whatever you typically stream on your home computer, such as Netflix, YouTube, Vimeo or your favorite television shows, you’ll be able to stream it directly onto your TV.

Let me explain why I cancelled my cable subscription with Rogers (The largest cable provider in Canada). In order to access all of the content that my girlfriend and I enjoy, we had to get the Rogers VIP package, at a cost of over $70. On top of this, we needed a Personal Video Recorder (PVR), which costed us $24.99 per month to rent. This gave us access to the basic cable package, in addition to other channels we frequently watch, including the Food Network, HGTV, Discovery and a suite of sports related programming. The package also provided us with hundreds of television channels, vast majority of which we do not watch, but are forced to purchase due to bundling (More on bundling in Part 2). Once you include Ontario’s 13% harmonized sales tax, our total monthly bill was approximately $110. In other words, we were paying $1320 per year on television. That’s a lot of two-fours!

In a four-part series, I will describe my ongoing experience as a cord cutter. I will describe a number of products in this series, however, this is in no way my endorsement of these specific products. I always encourage my readers to do further research in order to find the best value-for-money. Here is a synopsis of the series:

• Part 1: I am a Cord Cutter – Introduction to Cutting Cable TV
• Part 2: Accessing Content – Digital Antenna and the Internet
• Part 3: More Content – VPN and the Legality of accessing American Content!
• Part 4: Why increase bandwidth! (Coming soon…)

One thing that cord cutters need to consider include access to content. Take the time to sit down, and seriously look at the type of content you tend to access day-by-day. Try to look at it from the perspective of an entire calendar year. Some of the items you should consider are the channels in which you would typically access your favorite content.

Here is a sample of how I organize my television viewing habits:

• Modern Family on CityTV (ABC in the US)
• MLS Soccer on TSN (NBC Sport in the US)
• NHL Hockey on CBC/TSN (Versus in the US)

Once you have an inventory of the type of programming you want to watch, next you will want to consider how to access these programs through alternative methods. Part 2 of this series will describe the steps I took to gain access all my favorite content. For content on the CBC/Radio-Canada, CTV, Global or TVA, you can access these channels through a digital antenna. Part 2 will also describe how to access your favourite content online.

In Canada, the ability to access some content online can be restrictive. Outside a handful of Canadian produced content, the vast majority of content that Canadians like to view are produced in the United States, not all of which are available to Canadians online. For American content that are not easily accessible to Canadians online (both television and film), a virtual private network (VPN) would be a useful tool. Part 3 will describe how non-US residents can legally access “geo-blocked” US programming through over-the-top service such as Hulu or US Netflix and content directly from American broadcasters (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox or CW).

Finally, with all this content coming through the internet, you’ll find that you’ll be using a lot more bandwidth than ever before. My current internet package provided by my internet service provider (Rogers Communication) currently has a bandwidth limit of only 60GB per month. Prior to cord cutting, I rarely used more than 30GB. However, since cord cutting, my internet use has nearly doubled. Part 4 will explore some of the research I did in search of a better deal. You will come to find that the restrictive data-caps from Canada’s big-telcos is not the end of the road and that we indeed have better options.

By the end of the series, you should be able to break the shackles of the cord, and join the 1.7% of Canadian cable subscribers that will become Cord Cutters by the end of 2012.

Riders and taxpayers are basically being asked to pay more for less. In the long-term, these service cuts will hurt the cities transit ambitions. City Councillor Alex Cullen, the Chair of the cities Transit Committee has estimated that these cuts can potentially cost OC Transpo 597 000 riders. Nearly all proposed service cuts will significantly impact the rush-hour commuter crowd. For example, the express route 69 is used extensively during the morning commute and the proposed cut of the 66 will completely remove service on Moodie Drive between Bells Corners and the Nortel campus.

As residents continue to debate the $2.1 billion Light Rail Transit (LRT) plan, the City ought to consider the impact of potentially losing half-a-million riders, riders that could feed the proposed LRT system. By cutting these routes, riders impacted would be forced to find alternative solutions (ie: purchase a vehicle). Transit riders tend to be creatures of habit. Once these riders get out of the habit of using transit, they will not likely return, regardless of whether the LRT is built or not.

For a complete list of the proposed service cuts: http://www.alexcullen.ca/PDF/Proposed_OC_Transpo_Service_Cuts-revised.pdf

That would be $300 million short of the proposed budget. While the city can scale back the project or come up with the money through tax revenues, a third option exist. A consortium of local entrepreneurs can be the fourth financing partner. Of course, private sector financing can come in various forms, and with shared risk comes shared reward. Public Private Partnerships  come in various forms, for Ottawa’s needs, the following proposals maybe feasible

NCC Real Estate & Rail - Some of the land that the LRT is expected to cross are National Capital Commission (NCC) owned. Assuming that the city can work with the NCC (which may prove to be difficult), private financing can include an agreement whereby unused NCC land can be leased to the consortium partners. In return for financing the LRT project, the NCC\City can sign a rent-free lease agreement with consortium partners on NCC land for a set period of time, with an option to extend the lease agreement at market rate.

The benefit of the land agreement for the private consortium, would be the value of the land. Based on lessons learned from other major cities in Canada, the LRT would help raise the profile of land along its corridor, particularly near LRT stations. The value of commercial real estate near the LRT line would increase which allows the private consortium to profit off of favorable sub-lease agreements.

Sell Ad Space -  The primary challenge of the lease agreement is the involvement of the NCC. As is the case with planning the LRT and the Lansdown projects, the City and NCC do not always work well with each other. Yet, the ad space on trains and LRT stations are property controled by the City. In an effort to raise the additional funds needed for the LRT project, the City can sell permanant ad space to a private consortium. The City can set aside 50% of the ads on trains and LRT stations for the purpose of selling to the private consortium on a permanant basis. This would be the primary benefit to the private consortium , in that, they would be able to use the ad space to rent them out to generate a profit. The City would continue to own the other 50% of ad space.

Reference

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Province+kicks+600M+Ottawa+light+rail+project/2356367/story.html

On March 17th, the City formally requested funding from both levels of government. The Federal Government has already committed $200 million towards the LRT Plan, however, this remains short of the 1/3rd requested by the City.  Ontario’s Municipal Affaires Minister Jim Watson raised key concerns about the cost-effectiveness of the plan and the LRT’s ability to attract an appropriate level of ridership. Until these issues are addressed, the Minister has refused to commit funding towards the plan.

A third option not considered by the City of Ottawa is the involvement of the Private sector in financing the plan. In the event that Federal and Provincial funding is not secured, the city ought to explore an innovative third option that involves the private real estate developers similar to a plan proposed by Vancouver’s Translink.

Background

The City of Ottawa announced a rough plan of the proposed LRT, despite the lack of commitment from senior levels of Government (Federal and Provincial). The proposed tunnel portion of the route is expected to run from Lebreton Flats (West) on the existing transitway and onto Albert, cutting through the downtown core and angeling slightly north at Kent until it reaches Sussex and Rideau. The LRT is then expected to head south along what is now the Transitway towards Campus Station on Nicholas.

Lebreton Station is above ground. The following stations are expected to be underground:

• Downtown West (Bay\Lyon & Albert)
• Downtown East (O’Conner\Metcalf & Queen)
• Sussex (Rideau & Sussex)
• Campus (Same as Transitway)

South East of Campus Station, the LRT will continue to run underground along the Transitway until it reaches Lees Station, where it is expected to reappear above ground and continue South along the transitway before turning east and ending at Blair Road. To the West, the LRT is expected to run above ground from Lebreton Station along the transitway to Tunney’s Pasture (Just past Parkdale).

Analysis

How does this plan measure up to the other options presented? 1. NIMBYists have long argued that prolonged construction in the tunnel portion of the LRT will disrupt traffic for a number of years and is not worth the short-term economic cost. However, doing nothing to alleviate traffic in this part of the city will not only create short-term congestion problems, it will cause further overcrowding in the already busy bus system in the long-term.

2. Another alternative suggested was the downtown bus tunnel. It was suggested that the bus tunnel will adapt well to the existing Transitway system, and will be cheaper to implement. It will also reduce traffic in the congested downtown core. However, the deisel powered buses would require ventilation, which would significantly increase the cost of the system, and the continued use of liquid fuel would create long term operation costs compared to electric rail. The downtown bus tunnel would not solve the long-term problem of growth in the Lebreton Flats and Blair Road areas.

The electric LRT option would reduce the long-term cost of fueling the vehicles, it has positive environmental benefits, and is considered high-order relative to the existing bus-rapid-transit (BRT) system. LRT has traditionally attracted greater local investment along the transit line than BRT, which can contribute to smart urbanization along the corridor.

The proposed LRT network will significantly reduce traffic congestion in the core caused partially by the number of transitway buses running along Albert and Slater. It will connect through a transfer point with the existing O-Train line at Bayview Station and take riders across town from Tunney’s Pasture to Gloucester.

Given the coverage of the proposed LRT line including the underground portion through the downtown core,  $1.4 billion is considered a steal in the context of Canadian urban transit. This is particularly the case since the downtown core is highly urbanized with significant underground infrastructure to build around.

If we compared the Ottawa LRT with Toronto’s proposed Eglinton LRT (that also includes an underground portion), the Eglinton LRT is expected to cost $2.2 billion and span 30 KM, compared to 16 KM in Ottawa. However, much of the Eglinton LRT tunnel will run in the northern inner-suburban communities with far less existing underground infrastructure to build around than the Ottawa downtown tunnel portion of the Ottawa LRT.

Window of Opportunity

While no funding commitments have been made from Senior Levels of Government, the Provincial Government’s announcement of the MoveOntario 2020 initiative in Toronto, and more recent economic stimulus infrastructure investments at both levels of government appears to have created a window of opportunity for the City of Ottawa. Mayor Larry O’Brien has stated that he expects Federal and Provincial funding announcements this summer.

This means that a LRT line would run from the East end of Toronto’s mid-town all the way to Pearson International Airport on the West end (32.5 KM). The central part of the line linking to the Yonge Subway and University Subway lines for 13 KM will be underground, while the rest will run on its own right-of-way.

Bombardier Flexity - LRT Vehicle-candidate for the Toronto LRT

The second major development in Toronto will be the selection of LRT vehicles to be used for the entire Transit City line including the Eglinton LRT. While Provincial funding for the Ottawa LRT has not been guarenteed, the City Council and the Mayor really needs to take a more active role lobbying Senior levels of Government for funding. In addition, Council needs to start selling the idea of the LRT to gain more broad public support. Toronto’s City Council launched the Transit City Plan as a marketing strategy to gain greater public enthusiasm. This strategy also worked in attracting attention to the project from Senior Levels of Government, which partially explains the Provincial funding announcement.

Reference

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/612954

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/620580

Otherwise, the so-called “give-aways” have officially ended for non-Express pass holders. The question is, has OC Transpo successfully brought ridership levels back to pre-strike levels? Statistics have not been released yet, but what are your thoughts?

• Regular December Pass Holders was supposed to receive service until end-of-March
  • This has been changed to end-of-Feb; March pass will now cost 40% of regular price
• Eco-Pass Holders was supposed to have a stoppage of pay-roll deductions until the end-of-April
  • Payroll deduction will now continue as planned
• Express December Pass holders was supposed to receive service until the end-of-April
  • This is unclear, but it looks like it will be rolled back to end-of-February or March; Discounts until the end of May (TBA)

While the public fall-out to this decision remains unclear, the city will continue to debate the matter. For downtown riders who plan on cycling or walking as temperatures begin to increase, my suggestion is to get a refund on the Regular December pass before Feb 15th.  With the uncertainty in City Council, theirs no point taking the chance of having a worthless December pass, given that March is no longer covered. In addition, weekends will continue to be free in February, while weekday fares are expected to be 50% off for the rest of the month.