Main Page/Commentary/Draft:Dear Australia Digital TV "You suck"

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Introduction

Digital TV in Australia at current state is quite stale. However local free to air networks have just remembered that they can do multiple channels and offer you more programming choices. Which you will just totally forget anyway when all the shows are bit torrent everything or stored on your PVR/HTPC

The uptake of Digital Television has been quite slow and every for years Olympic phenomenon causes the percentage rate to ever slightly increase from people upgrading or just buying into digital just for limited sport multi-channel. While most analog users are happy with there current service or wont upgrade until they have too.

Problems & Issues

Secondly HD content in Australia is quite different in comparsion to HD channel from other parts of the world. In a recent ABC submission found most Digital receivers or set-top boxes in Australia home are only SD, meaning they can only likely receive 576p to 720p services and not any of the higher HD channels broadcasted in 1080i (1080p requires too much bandwidth for over air so is only used for Blu-ray videos). Which makes it a currently risky business launching shows strictly shown on the HD service and not everyone can watch the show.

It's practically this a good idea for FTA networks make people upgrade to digital. But your need show good content to screen on our tv. The audience in Australia doesn't want HD simulcasts or they don't want to watch late night “The Panel” style only on HD. Either that poor ratings or they have crappy host talent that make the show get eventually cancelled or “boned” off-air. Perhaps these shows targeting the wrong audience?

When a technology savvy or gaming related understand open technology providing you feed them with good content they're more likely buy digital decoder or dvb-t card/usb just to watch the show on digital tv channel. Good example would be Good Game, when the show first aired you could only watch it on ABC2 or Internet. The show was instant hit cause there was no local produced programming content cated for gamers audience. Suddenly people discovered digital tv and ABC2

Same thing happens every four years consumers and retailers get hyped up about the Olympic games and how digital is much better. The reality is dream for consumers and mr Harvey Norman sales man walk away with a nice cash bonus

When you consider buying a cheap/affordable tv from various no fills and no name brands that you see in retail store advertisement catalogue. It a good idea to read the fine print and do some research, Why? It's essentially important find out the specification before purchasing “cheap” LCD/plasma tv. When 1080i broadcaster channels become more available your “cheap tv” will need an additional HD decoder box.

Same goes for the cheap decoder boxes. Which purposely for the converting analogue tv that your parents, grandma or kids would

Region Vs City Channels

City

City Digital TV are the lucky ones. They receive all the major FTA stations and along with some extra channels. Either community tv, state government or religious channels

Since they don't have to deal with regional tv broadcasting partners limitation explained later

Regional

Regional affiliates or partners have a large responsibility and different regions to cover.

Regional affiliates have difficulty broadcasting HD or multi-channelling services that city digital tv cousins have currently. There are some technical and investment requirement as each regional area or market need its own HD channel feed mainly for inserting local advertisement and government regional content rules. A national feed would be a simple fix. But you loose the regional content and end up with non-relevant ads from the capital city

For example. Both Channel Ten regional affiliate is Southern Cross Ten and Nine being WIN TV. Ten/Nine don't have territorial broadcast right for regional areas. Which is consider frustrating for some regional digital viewers stuck with limited HD services and city folk get 24/7 service. Until some considerable planning and investment is completed by the regional affiliates. Regional digital TV is stuck with a second rate service.

Channel 7 is the only commercial TV station is owned both regional and national broadcasting rights. Digital TV services are produced by 7 digital playout centre located in Melbourne and sent around the country to each market or broadcasting area

Limitation possible reason why regional tv station don't have digital service on-par with city folk

• Bandwidth Limitation – Traditionally most regional affiliates rely on microwave relay links to send digital signal from the playout centre to the broadcast site.
• Fibre - Bandwidth is limited and leasing fibre for each market is expensive (much liken to regional internet backhaul). Fibre might not be able to the broadcast site
• Satellite are not possible – Currently not possible for regional affiliates to use satellite to relay the signal to broadcasting sites around the country
  1. It's expensive and less reliable. When rains there a chance you loose the downlink
  2. No Satellite is available that would have enough capacity for relay regional broadcast for each market
• Regional affiliates have non-intentionality forgotten about providing real tv digital service regional areas. Cause they dont have the large investment available to build a digital playout centre or some deal needs to be stuck with orignal broadcaster to help out