Digital TV Technical Discussion

Television General Television Topics
2345

I think the biggest confusion out of the Free TV message is it could be construed to read like (2/3/5/6/8) won’t actually have anything on them.

Then again, sorta need to consider the target of the messaging - those that don’t really understand digital TV enough to know that the HD channels even exist, and just hit the single digit number to “watch TV”.

To them, and if they have a new enough TV to have MPEG-4 - nothing changes except they’ll have HD now.

To those who are clued-up enough to use the double digit numbers, the same applies (presuming the x0 numbers will kick around) - the only change being the presumed 3/30 change for SBS One.

2 Likes
2346

Even though this messaging has been well thought out and relays the necessary information (even if it’s too much), I still think one of the networks should put up an info slide on LCN1 or something to drive the message home.

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2347

On 10?

2348

Well no one will see it then!

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2349

1 is 10 no?

2350

Oh, I think it’s LCN 5 in Tassie.

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2351

Use LCN 4 to avoid further confusion.

2352

No LCN 1 in Tasmania. I think they should run crawlers or pop ups on the SD channel - perhaps after every ad break , like for the analogue switch off.

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2353

There’s no LCN 4 either. No use putting messages on channels that aren’t tuned in. Viewers with outdated equipment won’t get the message.

4 Likes
2354

Most devices perform automatic rescans and LCN1 or 4 is amongst the single digit LCNs seeing these major changes so still makes sense to me.

All areas should have an LCN 4 Freeview info channel anyway. Would be useful for scenarios like this.

2 Likes
2355

Agree it would be useful and maybe is something that needs to be invested in for the eventual switchover on the mainland too. But the devices that need to know this info won’t have auto scan and the people who have these TVs won’t know how to do that.

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2356

Agree, local broadcasters should collaborate to develop one that can be on a 24 hour loop that is updated a few times a day with

  • Local Weather
  • Local News headlines (with text and pictures only) no audio
  • Community info
  • Technical info
  • Be in MPEG 4 HD to allow viewers to test their set.

There would be a loop for each submarket as defined by the ACMA for local content requirements

4 Likes
2357

Unless there was a separate transmitter set up which won’t happen, no broadcaster is going to give up part of their spectrum to broadcast such a channel. A network would have to shut down one of its multichannels to set up this up or reduce the quality of its existing broadcasts to fit this into their allocation.

2358

10 probably has the space for it… would only need 1 Mbps anyway.

But yes, unlikely to happen as there would be very little return on it.

1 Like
2359

If it is made to be static text that changes every so often the bitrate could be low as hell, as long as the text is readable that’s all that will matter… Take for example the VAST Channel 800, where it simply displays text via a few slides

3 Likes
2360

A new transmitter? A temporary static slideshow in MPEG-2 would cost very little in bandwidth. TDT would have plenty to spare.

That can’t be right. Lots of digital equipment have auto scan even the older stuff pre-2008.

I really don’t see an issue with this unless there’s some technical limitation where a network can’t use an LCN that’s outside their own allocation.

2 Likes
2361

While I appreciate that they exist for financial reasons - no one is going to miss one less shopping channel

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2362

The network accountants?

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2363

I was responding to the suggestion that a MPEG 4 community channel be set up Australia-wide.

Doesn’t make any sense to me, the viewers in Tasmania that need to see any message about MPEG 2 would not see it. And elsewhere no-one will want to give up any spectrum, no matter how small.

I suggested that the MPEG 2 channels that remain have a crawler on them before switching off; which is far more likely to be seen.

3 Likes
2364

Is there any reason why regional TV channel numbers can’t be the same as the caps: 9 on 9, 7 on 7 etc.

1 Like