One more problem with the SD channels, PVR-wise. When I attempted a long timeshift recording on let’s say 9Life Channel 94 on my small TV (the MPEG-2 SD channel i.e) with one of my USBs one night, after a few hours that USB became unresponsive as a result and could not get my Windows PC to recognise it. However on another USB (a fresh, empty one) when recording on another day with the HD channels there’s no bricking present.
Good riddance to 7twoSD. Hopefully channels 70 and 71 are deleted and Channel 7 (the main channel) is upgraded to MPEG-4 HD quietly. And that’s given they’re not making a mention about Seven’s main channel going Full HD, so I’d assume either everything aside from 7two stays as is or quietly makes the jump to MPEG-4 HD overnight (on December 10 as advertised) whilst Melbourne sleeps.
My equipment is not shoddy at all. The SD channels record just fine, but long timeshifts aren’t ideal for those. This is why I rely on the HD channels, not only am I getting the best picture quality, but also because my PVR splits the recording process into several files ranging 3.93 GB each I would prefer to use the HD channels for long timeshifts, such HD channels are stable and the recordings continue on until either the USB gets full or I choose to stop recording.
The same promo is also being screened in Tasmania. Just to prove I’m not lying or anything, here’s a recording of the promo extracted from a full-length TNT Hobart capture. Screened 19th November 2025.[1]
Unless Seven are also intending to quietly upgrade 7two to MPEG-4 HD in Tasmania as well without any prior warning whatsoever, or unless this is disguised as Melbourne/Tasmania getting said upgrade, how an MPEG-4 HD upgrade promo for 7two managed to slip through the TNT playout timings is beyond me.
And yes, I know they’re taking that dirty (pesky) HSV-7 Melbourne feed because there’s a fade in at the start of the promo. A complete giveaway there. The inserted promos or localised sponsor billboards for the regional areas (or even local business ads) on ex-SCA 7 stations at the end of ad breaks (at the moment) do not have a fade out at the end.
So usually Seven are slow with these site updates, but less than 2 weeks out from it happening there’s still nothing on their website about changes in Melbourne.
Customers of a private fibre-optic network provider say in addition to experiencing regular internet outages, some are also losing access to free-to-air television using their existing technology.
The changes to free-to-air television will impact about 50,000 Opticomm customers across the country, while internet issues are being felt more widely.
Opticomm says the decommissioning of free-to-air television for some customers is due to the technology “reaching end-of-life” and that it is investing in infrastructure to improve internet reliability.
Where is Free TV Australia’s DVB-IP solution? They’re meant to be developing an app and a cheap IPTV box like Hubbl and Fetch to retain viewers who are losing access like this. It frustrates me how the networks work together for Hubbl and Fetch customers but strictly maintain their own walled garden approach for the majority of viewers who use smart TV’s and boxes. Time’s ticking.
There is no solution of their own making…aside from whinging to Parliament to make device manufacturers put their apps front and centre on their devices.
Must say, extremely lousy from Seven to have still not updated the transmission site with details of the Melbourne changeover…
It’s been almost 3 weeks since these notices have been airing.
And wouldn’t it have to be Tasmania too lol? Since those 7two MPEG-4 HD upgrade PSAs have been slipping through the HSV Melbourne dirty feeds into Tassie before the custom advertising feeds kick in.
Extremely disappointing. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll do something with the main channel after the cricket. It would be interesting to know why they’re doing this. Maybe pressure from Cricket Australia or the AFL?