Free cable channels in Calgary?

[McFlyDMC12]

Hi guys,

I hope this is the right forum to post this question in. ;)

I have recently discontinued my Shaw cable here in Calgary because of wanting to save some money. But a friend has told me that I should still be able to receive a number of free cable channels simply by connecting my TV directly to the wall outlet (she rents a room in somebody's house and she simply hooks her TV up to the wall outlet to receive a number of basic cable channels). Is this true? Or would I still somehow still have to use the Shaw PVR that I initially purchased when signing up with Shaw? Or is my only hope getting an antenna for OTA reception?

My TV is a Sony Bravia 40" LCD.

Thanks!

[PrettyMao]

I cancelled my Shaw cable account back in 2006 but can still get a few cable channels by simply plugging my TV into the coax outlet. I am able to receive several channels such as BNN, Much More Music, Much Music, MTV, APTN, HGTV (although I think that one is gone now). All these channels with the exception of BNN (ch. 70) are listed at channel 101 and up.

That being said, I have had several friends try to get those channels by plugging their TV into the coax outlet and they got nothing.

As for the channels, over the last 2 or 3 months the quality of those channels have become similar to what you would get with your normal over-the-air channels (ex, CBC, CTV, Global, etc) in that they are a bit blurry or downright snowy. Before they came in crystal clear, so I am not sure what happened and fiddling with the connections does nothing. But I'm not paying for those channels, so I can't complain, plus I don't watch too much TV in the first place. The only thing I miss about having cable is live sports.