I thought all the HD channels were still on 5.1 audio.
I think 9 metro had 5.1 up until recently. They even had a good high AC3 bit rate of 448kbps at one stage too.
Interesting that 10 Bold is in SD in Ballarat, whereas itās in HD in Melbourne.
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10Bold still SD on WIN10 Northern NSW too I think.
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Itās SD on SCA Illawarra, and probably all SCA.
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Is network wide for SCA that 10Bold is SD.
This wonāt change until the SCA10 stations are sold to someone else.
I do not include 10 Central on VAST where 10Bold is HD as that is a JV with Imparja.
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Figure I should post the Melbourne ones to get a baseline - turns out itās just Seven which has no 5.1 audio out of the commercial networks.
| Nine Network Australia | Video | Format | Audio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/91 | Channel 9 Melbourne | 1.56Mbps | MPEG-2 SD | 256k MP2 |
| 90 | 9HD Melbourne | 2.93Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 (5.1) |
| 92 | 9Gem Melbourne | 1.79Mbps | MPEG-2 SD | 192k MP2 |
| 93 | 9Go! Melbourne | 1.47Mbps | MPEG-2 SD | 192k MP2 |
| 94 | 9Life Melbourne | 1.85Mbps | MPEG-2 SD | 256k MP2 |
| 95 | 9GemHD Melbourne | 4.41Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 (5.1) |
| 96 | 9Rush Melbourne | 1.52Mbps | MPEG-2 SD | 192k MP2 |
| 97 | Extra | 1.19Mbps | MPEG-2 SD | 192k MP2 |
| 99 | 9Go!HD Melbourne | 2.03Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 (5.1) |
| Nulls | 0.19Mbps |
Obviously absolutely awful bitrates across the board - but moderately okay sound. Antiques Roadshow on GEM got the higher bitrate HD during this sample. The extremely low nulls show they are squeezing every last drop out of the multiplex, but waste so much on simulcastsā¦
| Seven Network | Video | Format | Audio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/71 | 7 Melbourne | 2.08Mbps | MPEG-2 SD | 256k MP2 |
| 70 | 7HD Melbourne | 4.44Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 |
| 72 | 7TWO Melbourne | 2.27Mbps | MPEG-2 SD | 192k MP2 |
| 74 | 7mateHD Melbourne | 3.91Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 |
| 75 | 7Bravo Melbourne | 3.13Mbps | H.264 HD | 48k HE-AAC v2 |
| 76 | 7flix Melbourne | 1.53Mbps | H.264 SD | 128k MP2 |
| 77 | TVSN | 1.19Mbps | H.264 SD | 48k HE-AAC v2 |
| 78 | RACING.COM |
1.68Mbps | H.264 SD | 64k HE-AAC v2 |
| Nulls | 0.40Mbps |
Seven obviously just hate people with ears. Iāve never really watched the channel - but that audio on 7Bravo must suck - thatās bad DAB territory. Weird to have the station in HD but then do that for audio. The 128k MP2 on 7flix would in theory be fairly comparable, but thatās at least a true stereo service.
| Network TEN | Video | Format | Audio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 /15 | 10 HD | 4.12Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 (5.1) |
| 10 | 10 | 2.69Mbps | MPEG-2 SD | 256k MP2 |
| 11 | 10 Peach Comedy | 2.90Mbps | MPEG-2 SD | 192k MP2 (Joint) |
| 12 | 10 BOLD Drama | 3.70Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 (5.1) |
| 13 | Nickelodeon | 2.27Mbps | H.264 SD | 192k MP2 (Joint) |
| 16 | you.tv |
1.79Mbps | H.264 SD | 192k MP2 (Joint) |
| 17 | gecko | 1.69Mbps | H.264 SD | 192k MP2 (Joint) |
| Nulls | 0.72Mbps |
Ten going both ends of audio - with joint stereo on some of the SD services, with 5.1 on the HD. Too much allocated to the shopping channels I think, though maybe the content works well enough that it doesnāt matter.
Amusingly, the internal provider id for you.tv still references TVSN,
| C31 | Video | Format | Audio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | C31 | 6.66Mbps | MPEG-2 SD | 256k MP2 |
And for good measure, C31.
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Yep same in Canberra
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So next up on my trip was me finding out for sure that WIN indeed shifted the 10 and 7 channels to share a multiplex in Mt Gambier. This was discussed previously but there were some comments suggesting it was a temporary measure.
| WIN MGB | Video | Format | Audio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Ch 9 Mt Gambier | 1.78Mbps | MPEG-2 SD | 128k MP2 |
| 80 | 9HD Mt Gambier | 4.29Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 |
| 81 | 9Gem | 5.78Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 |
| 82 | 9Go! | 5.11Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 |
| 83 | 9Life | 1.33Mbps | H.264 SD | 128k MP2 |
| 84 | New Channel Coming Soon | 0.46Mbps | H.264 SD | 128k MP2 |
| 85 | GOLD | 0.83Mbps | H.264 SD | 128k MP2 |
| Nulls | 1.08Mbps |
Very similar to the setup in Ballarat, with the differences in bits Iām sure just being down to what content was airing.
| Mt Gambier 7+10 | Video | Format | Audio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/51 | 10HD Mt Gambier | 6.09Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 |
| 51 | 10Bold | 1.86Mbps | H.264 SD | 128k MP2 |
| 52 | 10Peach | 1.68Mbps | H.264 SD | 128k MP2 |
| 6/60 | 7HD Mt Gambier | 7.14Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 |
| 63 | 7Mate | 1.77Mbps | H.264 SD | 128k MP2 |
| 62 | 7Two | 1.55Mbps | H.264 SD | 128k MP2 |
| Nulls | 1.01Mbps |
And finally the 7/10 Multiplex, that āMt Gambier 7+10ā is the network name for the service. Extremely good bitrate for the main channels - but the multichannels suffer - during this sample 10Bold had sports coverage (complete with false āLIVE HDā watermark), which looked terrible at the low bitrate - seems like itās clamped regardless of content.
As far as I can tell from a quick scan of the content of ads, 10 is a shared Mt Gambier/Renmark feed - with a fairly equal share of local ads from both markets, combined with an awful lot of advertorials filling breaks.
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This is exactly why national TV1 licneces are required so as to get the loss making independent regional TV operators out of the way. Then this restriction of what viewers access in Mt Gambier is removed, even though they still only just have access to Network 10. How long will that stay switched with local ad breaks on the Network 10 service unlike the Seven service which I now believe is a 100% relay of SAS complete with SAS ad breaks?
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Awesome field work, Moe!
Eww, is that really how theyāve named these channels? They just canāt shake the Nine naming scheme.
I recall someone on here saying MHA couldnāt see locations on their internal monitors due to the channel names being so long and getting cut off. So they shortened them to Ch9 to fix the issue and keep the locations visible. Not sure if this is valid though. A state of the art facility canāt have two names - one long and one short - for a single service? Hmmā¦
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A few years back WIN probably would have denied the assistance of the parent network - so a mux thatās just SEVEN, MATE, TWO, TEN, BOLD, PEACHā¦
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Indeed. Lucky to get the parent brand in the name at all!
What frequency is the combined MUX for 7 and 10 on? And what frequency are the 9 channels on there? There had been some confusion as to which callsigns were transmitting what at one stage.
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Nine was on 557.5 / SES32, 7+10 is on 536.5 / SDS29.
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So finally went through the last of the TS recordings I had - and this is by far the most interesting. The latest ACMA transmitter list was posted recently - and I noticed this oddity - the only terrestrial retransmission of the VAST stations within Victoria. Iād assumed they were more common, but assuming the list is right, everything else is an off-air translator.
| Halls Gap (Lakeside TP) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 529.5 | ABC28 | Retransmission |
| 536.5 | SBS29 | Retransmission |
| 543.5 | QQQ30 | s212 Retransmission |
| 550.5 | IMP31 | s212 Retransmission |
| 557.5 | CDT32 | s212 Retransmission |
So I travelled to the area and just barely managed to find a spot that I could receive the 0.1W transmissions from, while I think not being on private property.
These are an absolute mess, and Iām not 100% sure I captured all of them as I only got four of the five expected multiplexes, so donāt know if they only broadcast 4, or if I couldnāt scan in the final one. Most channels Iād expect are accounted for though.
I believe these are just direct retransmissions of the VAST stations, but I canāt verify that.
| 529.5 | Output 0 | Video | Format | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | ABCTV HD VIC | 2.02Mbps | H.264 HD | 256k AC3 |
| 22 | ABC Entertains SE | 1.17Mbps | H.264 SD | 160k AAC |
| 23 | ABC Kids/ABC Family SE | 1.22Mbps | H.264 SD | 160k AAC |
| 24 | ABC NEWS | 2.33Mbps | H.264 SD | 160k AAC |
| 73 | 7mate Central | 5.04Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 |
| Nulls | 12.91Mbps |
| 536.5 | Output 1 | Video | Format | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 10 Central - South | 2.09Mbps | H.264 SD | 64k AAC |
| 11 | 10 Peach Comedy - South | 1.86Mbps | H.264 SD | 64k AAC |
| 3 | 10 BOLD Drama | 6.15Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 (5.1) |
| Nulls | 15.65Mbps |
| 543.5 | Output 2 | Video | Format | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | SBS VICELAND SE | 2.94Mbps | H.264 HD | 128k AAC + 128k AAC - Audio Description |
| 34 | NITV HD | 2.96Mbps | H.264 HD | 128k AAC + 128k AAC - Audio Description |
| 7 | 7 Central - South | 1.95Mbps | H.264 SD | 64k AAC |
| 72 | 7TWO Central - South | 1.60Mbps | H.264 SD | 64k AAC |
| 92 | GEM | 7.31Mbps | H.264 HD | 384k AC3 |
| Nulls | 8.43Mbps |
| 550.5 | Output 3 | Video | Format | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | SBS HD SE | 3.02Mbps | H.264 HD | 128k AAC + 128k AAC - Audio Description |
| 9 | Imparja South | 3.28Mbps | H.264 SD | 256k AC3 |
| 93 | GO! South | 2.15Mbps | H.264 SD | 256k AC3 |
| Nulls | 17.01Mbps |
Thereās no mistakes as far as I can tell - so indeed 10 Bold Drama is on LCN 3, with SBS HD on 30. The Ten channels are the only ones all on the same multiplex, but itās not the one thatās nominally the CDT license.
Obviously this is not the most efficient way of handling things - but I suppose for the goal of letting caravan holidayers get TV, itās not so bad. Or as the Imparja produced Gem promo I captured says,
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The naming confirms ABC and SBS come from VAST.
It was standard practice to include their channels in MATV and self-help installations for a while after VAST launched.
I recall getting in contact with SBS over something (I think it was about SBS Tas disappearing?) and they told me they were in the process of trying to switch these installs over to the proper Optus D1 source. They couldnāt make changes to the lineup until then.
I wonder how much these guys could have saved without needing to buy as many CAMs to decrypt all five networks?
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Yes, Iāve noted that before too, I was at Halls Gap last year, and yes, itās very hilly in & around that area and can totally understand the need for a VAST retransmission, as FM reception of any station in that area indoors was difficult.
There are a few holiday parks on the Sunshine Coast that also run micro powered VHF retransmissions of the Sunshine Coast stations. I was there in 2022 and āDXedā the one at Maroochydore from an apartment block next door, this one even more peculiar because it was not in a blackspot area, as I had perfect reception from the Dulong site and that those frequencies were already used by Brisbane channels. Reception of the holiday park one from next door was only okay.
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yep on 7 in the Riverland is nothing but Adelaide ads now, zero local ads. Still have the local/Mount Gambier ads on the other channels though like 10 and 9
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I suspect that Bendigo channels were trying to make an appearance last night in Renmark on a couple frequencies (ABC on 536.500 and TEN on 564.500). Ruled out 44 Adelaide as the signal strength/quality wouldāve formed a picture but it didnāt (even in the manual tuning section). Wouldāve been a first if it was to decode
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