★★★★★ 0/5

Digital switch timetable expected soon

Mildura viewers could be the first to switch from analog to digital television as part of a region by region switch.

10
Leave a comment

The Government’s Digital Switchover Taskforce has presented its report to Communications Minister Stephen Conroy which could lead to a timetable for a region-by-region switch-off of analog television signals being announced next week, says The Australian.

The first region to switch from analog to digital transmissions is expected to be in northwestern Victoria, centred on Mildura. This region already has a relatively high take-up of digital-enabled television sets because the Channel 10 signal has been broadcast locally on a digital channel since 2006.

Mildura also fits a need to test the digital switch-over procedures in a small market so consumer responses can be easily monitored and any problems revealed can be dealt with before the changes are rolled out in major markets.

It is understood the task force recommends that the switch-over process be started in the second half of 2010 with a date for completion date of December 31, 2013.

Legislation is expected to he passed during this week’s sitting of federal parliament.

Source: The Australian

10 Responses

  1. Perth won’t wait that long as it has one of the highest take up rates of digital recievers in capital cities IIRC from a report from last year.

    Practically everyone I know (myself included) has at least 1 digital tuner.

    If anything, this is taking too long. Next year the US switches off and the last of many dates for metro areas here was the end of next year. I think Britain will be all done by 2013 as well.

  2. “Earthquake” you are mistaken what “Scott” needs is an HD Set top box and not a SD ST box.
    An HD ST box will allow you to watch the HD channels on you normal TV’s too.
    An SD ST box will just give you better pictures and sound of only the SD channel.

    You can purchase an HD set top box from $99 at most major retailers.

    Buying an SD set top box is pointless now.

  3. My predictions for the scheduling.
    Mildura-mid 2010
    Tasmania/Darwin-Spring 2010
    Griffith/SA regional/Broken Hill-late 2010
    Brisbane/Gold Coast/Sunshine Coast/Toowoomba-January 2011
    Sydney/Melbourne-March 2011
    Adelaide/NSW regional/Rest of Victoria/Canberra-May 2011
    WA(+ third regional broadcaster)/Perth-September 2011
    Far North Queensland/Mt Isa-May 2012
    Rest of Queensland-January 2013
    Free to Air Satellite operators(Imparja,Win WA,GWN,Seven Central)-December 2013

  5. Digital sucks for those of us in more remote areas. ATM we have a choice between rather fuzzy (but quite watchable) analogue or impossible to watch digital. Looks like its back to the radio for me !

  6. Any TV with an Aerial/Antenna/RF input can be upgraded to digital with *some* Digital Set Top Boxes (the ones with a RF modulator, probably all UHF though, OR use the VCR as RF modulator). So that only leaves the ones without any input at all.

    But yes a lot of people are going to be complaining (with good reasons) about the switchover no matter how it is done.

    I can hear talkback radio now:-

    1. Why should I have to buy anything.
    2. Just programming my VCR doesn’t change the channel any more.
    3. Every time I switch the light/etc on my reception goes.
    4. The neighbour next door turns on his tools and I lose my reception.
    5. Every time a tram goes by my TV freezes.
    6. I have STB, but can’t record something on my VCR and watch something else.
    etc
    etc

  7. Scott, you don’t need a special tv to be able to plug in a digital box. You just need one that allows the red/white/yellow plugs at the back. This technology has been around for some decades now.

    I’m sure people didn’t get all angry when colour tv started broadcasting and saying the government should buy everyone colour tvs.

    It is possible (if you were wanting to be really frugle) to probably pay under $300 total to get some SD digital boxes and second hand tvs that have the red/white/yellow plugs at the back.

    I’m sure colour tvs would have cost more back when the switchover happened.

  9. Mildura and surrounds are in NORTH-WEST Victoria and not NORTH-EAST.

    On the wider digital issue, I think the goverbnnebt is overstimating the take up speed. I do not know a single person with a set top box or digital capable television and none have expressed the intent of purchasing one.

    As none ofthe three televisions in my house are digital compatoible or can take set top boxes, the changeover means that I hve to spend a fortune purchasing three new sets. I cannot say that I am happy about it.

  10. then it becomes all about HD or SD, coz with SD you will still be able to watch tv when they switch off the analogue signal but if you want exclusive programs you need HD, although next year there will be SD extra stations too. in my opinion you should go HD coz with HD you get both SD and HD but SD is limited to that only, making buying SD products pretty much a waste of time in my opinion.

    there are still so many people who are angry about being forced to buy this technology by the government, they are gonna get a rude shock when one day their tv doesn’t work, hopefully there will be sufficient advertising and notification to people in each area as it gradually takes over, coz without a national set date it is going to be difficult for people to know when their individual deadline is. hopefully they set up a website where you can find the date for specific areas.

    on another note, they are also planning to switch radio over to digital, a move that is far less well known and probably more annoying as everybodies car radios and alarm clocks are going to stop working, and with radio being such an out-dated medium:- will people actually bother paying to upgrade or will they just go without radio and maybe buy CD players or ipod accessories instead?

Leave a Reply