High Definition Coverage

[Perth Tiger]

Neither. The new syphoning list can be brought in immediately as it's regulatory law administered by the Department of Communications. The list can be reviewed and updated as the Department sees fit. But the new rules allowing broadcast on digital multi-channels (illegal under the current act) and broadcast within four hours (no such rule in the current act) will require amending legislation to be passed by the Parliament. So until that is passed (foreshadowed for the first quarter of this year I think), you won't see any change as far as the NRL is concerned. But once passed the changes will become effective as soon as the Parliament and Queen Lizzy say so - regardless of any existing contracts between sports and their broadcasters. The law is the law.

Leigh.

Thanks.

So in other words I won't be holding my breath hoping to see any NRL on FTV before midnight

 

[Timmah]

Remember though that this isn't full HD we're talking about, it's a halfway house between SD which you see on 9 Digital and the crystal clear FullHD experience you get on FOX Sports 1HD/2HD/3HD. I'm not terribly worried about it, but it is pretty firkin ordinary of them to renege on it if they indeed have.

 

[Quidgybo]

That baffles me - why would the Government put restrictions on the number of HD channels per network?

If the technology allows them to squeeze 2 or 3 HD channels into their frequency - let them, I say!

The problem is that the technology chosen for the HD standard in Australia actually makes inefficient use of the frequency spectrum. In Oz we decided to use DVB-T for both SD and HD digital transmission which is a standard based on MPEG-2 encoding (same as DVDs).

In the UK they chose the same but only launched digital television with SD and no HD. When they finally came to launch HD in the UK they chose the newer DVB-T2 which is based on the much more efficient MPEG-4 encoding scheme (as used in Blu ray and iTunes). This allows them to fit a HD transmission in not much more space than an SD transmission under the older system.

End result, if Oz was now to try and move to the newer DVB-T2 standard so we could get more HD channels in the same spectrum then we'd have to go through all the pain of buying new TVs and set top boxes to replace the ones we just bought for the old standard. And you know how much the Grannies will complain about that. In short, the Government screwed it up by jumping the gun on HD and choosing an old inefficient standard.

Leigh.

 

[El Diablo]

i don't think any had full HD 1080P

 

[Quidgybo]

Thanks.

So in other words I won't be holding my breath hoping to see any NRL on FTV before midnight

If you're lucky it might be in place by the start of the season. But I wouldn't count on it. But equally I doubt you'll have to wait until 2013 to see the benefits.

Leigh

 

[Quidgybo]

i don't think any had full HD 1080P

I don't think any television standard, neither Satellite, Cable and certainly not over the air is broadcasting in 1080p. Just takes too much bandwidth. 1080i certainly but only 1080p content available today is what you get on a Blu ray disc.

Leigh.

 

[El Diablo]

it was just that Timmah said Full HD

afaik 1080p is Full HD. 1080i isn't

 

[flippikat]

The problem is that the technology chosen for the HD standard in Australia actually makes inefficient use of the frequency spectrum. In Oz we decided to use DVB-T for both SD and HD digital transmission which is a standard based on MPEG-2 encoding (same as DVDs).

In the UK they chose the same but only launched digital television with SD and no HD. When they finally came to launch HD in the UK they chose the newer DVB-T2 which is based on the much more efficient MPEG-4 encoding scheme (as used in Blu ray and iTunes). This allows them to fit a HD transmission in not much more space than an SD transmission under the older system.

End result, if Oz was now to try and move to the newer DVB-T2 standard so we could get more HD channels in the same spectrum then we'd have to go through all the pain of buying new TVs and set top boxes to replace the ones we just bought for the old standard. And you know how much the Grannies will complain about that. In short, the Government screwed it up by jumping the gun on HD and choosing an old inefficient standard.

Leigh.

Ah.. what a balls-up

So you have Australia where the networks have the money & sports content to run with multiple HD channels - but bad technical standards & government planning letting it down..

And New Zealand, where the networks have good technical standards, and "hands off" Government policy, but bugger all money to do multiple HD channels, and hardly any sports to show on it anyway.

What a mess!

 

[Perth Red]

I hope they do a better job with the Broadband!

 

[smithie]

I hope they do a better job with the Broadband!

Bring on the National Broadband Network and sell the rights to youtube, then we will have 1080p NRL.

 

[PaulyTom]

Nine to lose part of the tv contract from 2013.

 

[SEAT 1A]

There's a reason I bought an expensive full HD television....

Yes, everybody is entitled to recieve the best quality picture after forking out the big bucks on a high end TV.

 

[Timmah]

Regardless of my point El & Quidgy, the difference between what FTA channels (GEM & ONEHD mainly) call HD and what FOX broadcast in is completely different and quite noticeable. They are broadcasting "High Definition" at two totally different levels. I'm sure you understand what I mean.

 

[the1]

Broadcasting in Australia is an absolute joke. TV Networks all around the world know what they are doing, however we are stuck with jokes of an organisation.

 

[franklin2323]

Regardless of my point El & Quidgy, the difference between what FTA channels (GEM & ONEHD mainly) call HD and what FOX broadcast in is completely different and quite noticeable. They are broadcasting "High Definition" at two totally different levels. I'm sure you understand what I mean.

And to take it further even on OneHD there is a huge difference between local & US products. Watch NFL compared to local products on 1HD. Then watch the NFL on OneHD compared to ESPN HD. We are a mile behind. Things like this doesn't help bridge that gap

 

[parra-matters]

why would anybody think the government could get some thing like this right?
also forcing the networks to have 3 channels cost them more money as does HD content and i think the 9 are giving a big up yours to the government by not showing sport in HD.

 

[renouf]

HD channels on fox are mpeg4 and have a larger bandwidth (19mbit i think?), so the quality is better. FTA HD is mpeg2, around 10-11mbit, and they even reduced it from 14-15mbit about a year ago I think. So the HD quality isn't great on FTA, but it is still better then the PDTV crap.

It is moronic that we can watch 1960's movies over on GEM, and we have to watch live sporting events and many other modern programs in SD.

 

[the1]

Fox HD isn't always better. Sometime they are upscaling their HD stuff

 

[El Diablo]

true

they lied when they said every NRL game will be in HD

usually it's only 3 of the 5 that are in HD and sometimes only 2

 

[Timmah]

For most rugby league, cricket, AFL and A-League, it's in full HD.