Digital Television Revolution

[Ducatiboy stu]

Do they still have the round channel changing knob as well...

 

[newguy]

Do they still have the round channel changing knob as well...

Elitist. Are vice grips beneath you?

 

[mika]

Go full HD (1080i/p) if you can stretch the budget.....

Been looking into this recently as well and the reviews and such that I've read have claimed that 1080p isn't all it's cracked up to be at the moment with very few devices actually transmitting in 1080p res. And even then, the 1080p res difference only being noticeable on screens +50" or slignge.htly less if you're sitting within 2 metres ra

We kinda stuffed up as the DVD recorder we bought ~6months ago (cheapish) doesn't have a digital tuner, so even though I'm planning on upgrading to a 52" Plasma with in built tuner, I've still got to have a set top box to feed the DVD recorder if I want to be able to record the channels.

So at the moment (and this may not get better with the new Plasma, unless I get a co-ax split), to watch TV. Turn on TV, go to AV1 (Tuner in the TV's shot, so can't even watch analog TV on it), turn on DVD recorder, go to AV1, turn on Set top box and start flipping channels. Bit of head fug really, so instead I wander down to the shed and play with my other hobbies, or brew beer.... it's probably better this way.

As has already been commented, there's stuff all worth watching anyway.

 

[komodo]

If you're buying both now definitely get a TV with HDMI in and a lappy with HDMI out. I recently got both and it is pretty ace - I can download a movie in half an hour and be watching it within seconds on my 40 LCD. Love it.

HDMI is the same as DVI-D you can get cables that are DVI-D to HDMI. The only difference is that HDMI also carries the digital audio signal. This could be taken from the laptop using S/PDIF optical or coax (depending on your laptops I/O ports). You can also get a little box from jaycar which will combine the two if you really want. Doesnt make much difference. That said this is the way I've set my parents Foxtel HD up because foxtel in their wisdom didnt put the audio through over HDMI - nice one! Really helpful when we only pulled HDMI cables through the wall in their new place. (They have the plasma on one wall and the bluray and foxtel and wii on another wall connected via HDMI and an IR repeater mounted under the TV so you dont need to point the remote at the bluray and foxtel which is behind a couch

Been looking into this recently as well and the reviews and such that I've read have claimed that 1080p isn't all it's cracked up to be at the moment with very few devices actually transmitting in 1080p res. And even then, the 1080p res difference only being noticeable on screens +50" or slignge.htly less if you're sitting within 2 metres ra

We kinda stuffed up as the DVD recorder we bought ~6months ago (cheapish) doesn't have a digital tuner, so even though I'm planning on upgrading to a 52" Plasma with in built tuner, I've still got to have a set top box to feed the DVD recorder if I want to be able to record the channels.

So at the moment (and this may not get better with the new Plasma, unless I get a co-ax split), to watch TV. Turn on TV, go to AV1 (Tuner in the TV's shot, so can't even watch analog TV on it), turn on DVD recorder, go to AV1, turn on Set top box and start flipping channels. Bit of head fug really, so instead I wander down to the shed and play with my other hobbies, or brew beer.... it's probably better this way.

As has already been commented, there's stuff all worth watching anyway.

All I can suggest is get your self a programmable remote from the likes of Logitech. Hell even my parents can opperate their TV now! if they want to watch FTA they just hit "watch TV" if they want to watch payTV they hit "watch TV2" to watch a DVD they hit "watch DVD"

You program in (from your PC via USB) your system components and what order they have to be switched on and what setting (ie turn TV on switch to AV 1, turn recorder on to AV 1, turn digital tuner on)

Makes life a LOT simpler. But they do chew batteries - so either rechargables (2 sets) or get the more expensive rechargable version which has a charging base station.

As for 1080. I guess it depends on you. I can tell a difference even when not doing side by side comparisons. I have a 50" screen. But in saying that my parents have a 32" 1080p and a 42" 720p screen (as well as the 50" 1080p) and the 42" is no way near as clear as the 32" screen. Also the 32" screen actually "appears" bigger when your watching it and text is readable from further away because of the higher res. I would actually take a smaller screen with higher def over a larger screen with lower def.

 

[peas_and_corn]

Where can I get one of those remotes? I have a DVD remote that's shitting itself, it would be nice to replace it, and also perhaps roll together my other remotes (2 DVD players, XBox DVD remote and TV)

 

[Pollux]

I bought the G1214 learning touchscreen remote from a Dick Smiths store for around $40 late last year. Works brilliantly but I can't see it on their website anymore..It even has a macro function so you can set it to turn everything on or off.

Might be worthwhile dropping into your local store and asking, just tell them the product code is G1214. They had none on the shelf when I bought mine, but a search on their computer showed some in stock..

 

[komodo]

The logitech starts at about $79 and is available most computer / hifi / home theatre type stores.
Thats the basic on which mum and dad have (cant remember the model) but they have about 4 models with the flagship being a large table top remote with colour touch screen etc. But thats about $500 retail.

Check the logitech site and google / ebay for them - they can be had at far lower street prices than retail pricing would indicate!

 

[Henno]

Orright city slickers. Here's the rub. I install pay tv for a certain company that uses satellite dishes. They have just reinvented a set top that was initially introduced into Aus by a pay tv company that uses under ground cable, mostly. This 'new' set top requires your tv antenna cable to be plugged into it and you 'might' get digital tv as part of your pay tv channels. I work in a large part of a rural area and take a guess at how many houses I have seen this system work in?

Far as I can see if they were to turn off analogue tv at the moment it wouldn't just be farmers out there losing every telly channel they have it would be whole towns. I could name them. Virtually every Queensland mining town would lose their telly. Not happy boys and girls out there earning big bux watching nothing. Something big has to be done before analogue can be turned on. By this I mean money spent on towers, lots and lots of bloody towers.

I like Bribies tongue in cheek view of it and QB's freeview spoof is spot on. We will just have more crap to choose from and as Australians never complain enough or vote with their wallet enough we will put up with the garbage hardware thrust upon us.

Sorry, rant over. Rotten industry to be working in out in the sticks at the moment.

Weather is here, wish you were beautiful.

 

[Henno]

He he, by the way, this thread turned up in a search I just did looking for a new mounting box for my mashmate temp controller. Talking about getting side tracked!

 

[komodo]

Henno - Optus Aurora digital via satelite DVB-S isnt an option?
Could use dreamboxes with card sharing and enable entire houses with one card...
Surely with the NBN we will see better services and I'm betting that as soon as analogue is turned off we will see black spot areas get fixed and access to aurora cards become a lot easier. I'm actually about to try getting an aurora card for my parents both at their holiday house and their primary residence because to get DVB-T they need an antenna support about 15 feet above their roof line. At their primary residence there is asthetics concerns and at their holiday house they have this set up and have to have the local antenna bloke come and adjust it about twice a year due to the winds / birds adjusting the positioning of it.


Edit : Hold on if your installing satellite pay TV surely your aiming at optus D2 satellite (AFAIK thats the only one local paytv providers use in AU) why arent they picking up the commercial station from that like Foxtel? Heck even Austar pick up ABC and SBS this way to my knowledge?

 

[Henno]

Henno - Optus Aurora digital via satelite DVB-S isnt an option?
Could use dreamboxes with card sharing and enable entire houses with one card...
Surely with the NBN we will see better services and I'm betting that as soon as analogue is turned off we will see black spot areas get fixed and access to aurora cards become a lot easier. I'm actually about to try getting an aurora card for my parents both at their holiday house and their primary residence because to get DVB-T they need an antenna support about 15 feet above their roof line. At their primary residence there is asthetics concerns and at their holiday house they have this set up and have to have the local antenna bloke come and adjust it about twice a year due to the winds / birds adjusting the positioning of it.


Edit : Hold on if your installing satellite pay TV surely your aiming at optus D2 satellite (AFAIK thats the only one local paytv providers use in AU) why arent they picking up the commercial station from that like Foxtel? Heck even Austar pick up ABC and SBS this way to my knowledge?

Every Aurora box I see does not support local 7,9,10. You get imparja which I can't really remember but it had a combination of 9 and 10 commercial programs from my Ayers Rock memories. If they beamed down even Sydney 7,9 and 10 I'd have one in my house by now. Aurora give you good def but rotten programming from what I hear. One customer told me they recently cut off the central 7 so it's only advantage was the imparja and sbs/abc, the latter 2 you get through pay tv anyway. It's the only reason I don't install aurora and their ilk as I often see disappointed people several weeks after they have it. My plumber mate that helped me with my herms for example.

I've given up holding my breath for the NBN as well. I'd love the bloody work though!

 

[komodo]

Fair enough. I was under the impression that depending on where you were located the Aurora card was set to allow you to access local content only. Obviously not if its only transmitting imparja (which as a traveller of this great land I concur is average at best!) Why is it then that we can get local content over the big T's pay TV service?
Surely the content is set by the card provider not the box? you tried the cards in other STB's? can you get the other FTA DVB-S stations on D2 with an aurora setup? is is it just the IMPARJA "commercial" stations?
Surely if K-Mart and Supercheap can transmit instore "radio" via satelite the commercial stations should be able to do it with localised content - wouldnt is open it up for more community TV projects also? Heck if we changed to a DVB-S system nationally and all new TVs came with a DVB-S tuner instead of DVB-T we would be a lot better off! no more monstorous coat hangers on every ones roof just a simple 60cm dish
So many questions...

Maybe learning a second language and a motorised dish is in order

Yeah you're not the only one. National Broadband Network and the Building Education Revolution government packages at this stage ar full of fail.

 

[peas_and_corn]

Woo, now I can watch antiques roadshow in HD

 

[Henno]

Hmm, good question about the bigT's sat service there.

Before I ramble on is it possible to go off topic in a thread that is in the Off Topic section? :huh:

I have no bloody idea why or how Fuxsmell transmit local content and my mob don't/can't. I have been telling my poor old customer's up here they don't get local content through the sat service as they could only transmit one channel australia wide and country advertisers would drop like flies if they transmitted say Sydney local content all over the country. Found out recently that Mr Fuxtel has gotten round it via satellite so I have been a big fat liar.

Kmart, supercheap and Nab et all have in house propaganda (I love the service calls I get after melbourne cup day when the employees have tried to tune their tellies into the local channel to watch the race). I would imagine that costs them little to do annually compared to sending out the latest dvds to put in a thousand dvd players all over the country, which would get lost or pinched. The NAB also use it for training and motivation crap every Wednesday.

Commercial stations don't why to buy bandwidth on a satellite as they are already maintaining terrestial towers. They are also being forced by the government to go digital and provide X amount of local content which is shitting them no end as well.

Very jealous of not being able to watch antiques roadshow in HD p&c. I'm missing all the details in the amazing porcelain work! :icon_vomit:

 

[redbeard]

A point that really annoys me - digital tv planning started back in 1993 and started transmission in 2001. The current commercial tv stations were given 8 years of free digital license from 2001. There were NO licenses given to any new entrants. The legislation has been watered down to delay the analog shutdown to 2010 in some areas & 2013 in others. Again no new competitors. A tv license is worth millions of $$ every year. The incumbent commercial tv stations have had easy times for a decade plus & still treat viewers like sh*t. I have a mythtv box that allows skipping ads & viewing avi's from the intarwebs on my bigscreen lcd.

cheers

 

[bum]

The incumbent commercial tv stations have had easy times for a decade plus & still treat viewers like sh*t.

That's because the government treats any other group applying for a licence with disdain. Just look at CH31's watermark right now to see what I'm getting at.

Same goes for digital radio. Even Triple R (the model for community radio around the world) is having trouble on this front (even with something like 11,000 people in Melbourne paying to listen to it every year (imagine how many times more don't pay)).

*invokes +12 willpower to prevent rant*

 

[Renegade]

*invokes +12 willpower to prevent rant*

Oh go on.

 

[bum]

I will, only briefly, because Ch31 is not national (same deal with 3RRR (which way is better than CH31, anyway)). The watermark is now, instead of a 31 (or some shit), "Fair Go, Kev".

Obviously, this is a plea to the Federal Government to not be held accountable to the same financial constraints as the commercials.

[EDIT: more words = more sense]

[EDIT 2: spelling helps too]

 

[komodo]

One acronym - ACMA.
Same pricks who don't let us legally run our own telephone and network cables in our houses.
I have no time what so ever for these guys they couldnt organise a shag in a brothel.

Seriously if they came out and said you can recieve commercial TV in DVB-S for say $10 - $20 rather than DVB-T I would pay that $20 per month. Id obviously expect the subscription to come with a STB like FoxTel IQ2 and for the service to come free or at minimum charge with a foxtel/Austar/Select/Optus subscription.

I live in the suburbs but I cant get decent FTA reception due to living in a slight bit of a valley which is heavily tree'd and believe me I've spent big $ trying. Quad sheild RG6, high gain antennas, low gain antennas, signal amplifiers, filters, F type connectors replacing all push on (not sure what they are actually called) antenna connectors. Multiple mast positions. In the end thats what originally got me onto foxtel was just getting a clear picture. Digital is worse than analogue - at least with analogue I could watch all stations - albit fuzzy and sometimes I could only hear what was going on - but digital GRRR. But I dont live in an area where I am eligable for an Aurora card (though above comments make me think I wouldnt want one any way).

I installed a 60CM dish at my parents holiday house - pointed it in the general direction with thanks to dishpointer website and at christmas mum and dad take one of their payTV boxes down there and make use of their other wise unused subscription at there holiday house over the chrismas break (they spend over a month down there). Now this is technically in breach of their agreement with their provider but other wise they are paying $180 a month for january and february for paytv that they cant even watch. (they have a top level package plus 3 "PVR2" boxes at home).
If ther provider turned around and said hey if you buy the STB out right for say $500 we will supply you an extra card for $50 per year but if this card is on it cancels the subscription at your residence mum and dad would go for it straight away. But no the providers are ass hats they jump up and down about piracy and wonder why people card share with dreamboxes and a broadband connection rather than paying for a subscription. I believe even the grey nomads who often take satellite dishes with them in there campers are in breach of their user agreements when they plug in a PayTV box on the road with certain subscription service providers.

Its no harder to install a small dish realistically than to install an antenna. Its sleeker and you dont need a 45foot mast with guyropes etc and birds dont move it out of possition.

 

[Henno]

Its no harder to install a small dish realistically than to install an antenna. Its sleeker and you dont need a 45foot mast with guyropes etc and birds dont move it out of possition.

NO NO NO, it is incredibly hard to do what I do for a living. Don't you dare try it at home or I will have a big rant and rave about your bend radiuses/chafing/cable support and how you don't know what you are doing and may kill yourself or somebody else in a cyclone etc etc etc. FOR GOD'S SAKE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!

Sound like anybody we know?