Have an old VHF antenna that would have been used for Bunya Mountains reception mounted to the chimley (It has fallen apart and mostly resting on the roof) on the current place I rent which used the old 300ohm ribbon, even have the old termination point on the side of the house (been painted over)
Luckily I have a more modern UHF antenna for local reception.
I am sure there is still quite a few old antennas floating around on older houses
Over the last Free TV has been upgrading your free to air TV services in Tasmania to improve picture quality and deliver more High-Definition channels.
From 5 October 2023, the channel numbers of some of your favourite TV services are changing.
The change affects all five primary TV channels in Tasmania.Most people wonât even notice the difference, although their picture might suddenly look better. But a minority of viewers, with very old TV sets (All TVs sold since 2012, and many sold since 2008, should be MPEG-4 compatible), will find the channels no longer display.
If this affects you, you will need to use your TV remote either to enter a new, two-digit channel number to view the channels in future, or scroll up and down till you find the channels again.
This is confusing. Are these new channel numbers just for SD versions of the main channel?
ie: Are the HD channels taking the primary slots on 2, 3, 5, 6, 8?
Yep, these ânewâ channel numbers are the MPEG-2 SD versions of the channels. There will no longer be any other channels like this. The rest will be HD.
What confuses me though is that WIN SD is apparently MPEG4? So whatâs the point?
Or is that changeover happening later in the year? (An SD MPEG4 stream would be stupid)
Yeah but older TVs canât see MPEG4.
Theyâll probably keep this thing going for a year.
If WIN SD is MPEG4 and older TVs cant see MPEG4, then what is the point of advertising WIN SD on 88?
Every TV should be capable of receiving WIN HD on 8 in this case.
Just get rid of the SD simulcast altogether.
These channels will be the older version no? This is for the old people who cannot upgrade for whatever reason.
I agree they should drop all SD channels everywhere.
This is what I am getting at. Apparently WIN SD is already MPEG4 and any TV which receives MPEG4 can get HD (Iâve never seen an SD-only MPEG4 TV).
So what is the point of this for WIN?
Older TVs are not MPEG4 compatible, thus until now couldnât get WIN SD yes. This change is seemingly changing these 5 channels to MPEG2 SD to allow them to receive it after October.
Customised version airing on WIN:
I think we need a Tasmanian to provide some clarification. No way that WIN would be reverting the service backward.
I could be wrong altogether and WIN SD could still be MPEG2.
I remember someone mentioning not long ago about all MPEG2 services being dropped completely from WIN in Tasmania.
Either way, it seems like the next step to culling MPEG2 completely in the state which is undoubtedly a great move.
Thank you! Seems like it is planned for retirement later in the year then (if it is indeed going to be removed altogether).
WIN excluded the SD channel from the changes immediately but later in the calendar year.
WIN Network Technology Improvement | WIN Television.
In Tasmania, all commercial broadcasters have transitioned to mpeg 4 formats apart from channels 8, 6, and 5. These will also transition to mpeg4 within the calendar year.
Which presumably means they will be switched off.
Am I right to say that these SD channels in Tasmania will eventually be switched off, to allow more multichannels to be imported from the mainland?
Yes they will, probably after a year of transition/trial time.
The press release implies ABC and SBS are also participating. Is SBS really going to swap 3 and 30 over? That would be pretty shitty for the vast majority of SBS viewers who are MPEG-4 ready.
Received today
From Thursday, 5 October, Tasmanian viewers will more easily be able to watch their local news, entertainment and drama programming and live and free sport all in high-definition as the local TV networks re-order their channel lineup.
Free TV CEO Bridget Fair said: âAs part of our ongoing efforts to meet the needs of our audience, we are making the highest-quality versions of our services easier for Tasmanians to find. From October, viewers will be taken directly to the high-definition, rather than the standard-definition, versions of the services.
âNo one should lose access to the TV services. In fact, the only change most people will notice is that their free local TV services now look and sound even better.
âThe changes are part of ongoing upgrades to local TV transmissions, which have already seen a range of secondary channels (such as 7mate, 9GEM, 10Bold and SBS WorldWatch) move to the more efficient, MPEG-4 digital technology,â Ms Fair said.
Most viewers will not notice any change, which will affect ABC, SBS, 7 Tas, WIN and 10 Tas main channel. However, a small number of viewers with old TVs might need to go to a different channel number to keep watching their free local TV services. This is because some older sets might not be able to properly display MPEG-4 high-definition channels.
Ms Fair continued: âThese upgrades are intended to improve picture quality and choice of TV services, including a wider range of channels offering the high-definition picture quality that more and more viewers expect.
âViewers whose old TV sets are not ready for MPEG-4 are already missing out on some channels and high-definition pictures, which are all available for free," said Ms Fair.
Ensuring Continued Access
Free-to-air TV provides an essential service to all Australians, so Tasmaniaâs TV networks are taking steps to help any viewers confused by the changes on 5 October or who need any help to regain access to network TV.
Beginning in September, community service announcements on all affected channels will publicise the change. Thereâs a website and an online video so viewers can check if they are affected and, if so, what they can do about it.
âFrom early September through to the end of October we have also set up call centre support with a free-call number, 1800 489 755, to troubleshoot any problems viewers might encounter," said Ms Fair.
Background to these changes
For most viewers, the change in channel number will not have any impact. However, viewers can check now to see if they will be impacted. If viewers can already receive the full range of multi-channel TV services available in Tasmania, such as 7mate, 9Gem, 10Bold and SBS WorldWatch. If your set is able to display any of these today, itâs unlikely youâll notice any change on 5 October.
If, however, viewers get a black screen for these services, or an error message, they will need to use the two-digit channel numbers to find the primary TV services after 5 October. The new channel numbers are:
Getting the best from free-to-air TV
Viewers who need to use the new channel numbers to continue watching the services in Standard Definition might like to know, that they are missing out on the highest quality pictures and the full range of additional channels.
For those who might already be considering updating their TV, investing in a new TV is the simplest way to access the full range of high-definition programming and multi-channels available in Tasmania.
For those who wish to retain their current TVs, set-top boxes offer a much cheaper solution. These devices, obtainable from electronics stores at an affordable price point, should ensure future access to the full free-to-air TV offering while using an old TV receiver.
For the time being, the Standard Definition versions of all five primary channels will continue to be available to all viewers, as the TV networks have no current plans to convert these services to MPEG-4.
It is hoped the Tasmanian channel changes will furnish valuable information to TV broadcasters about the extent of any continuing reliance on much older TV sets, as the industry looks for ways to improve the free-to-air TV offering in future.
For further information and updates, please visit freetv.com.au.
