They could come up with a timeframe and say by Jan 1 2020 every channel will be broadcast in MPEG-4.
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Something like that would be good, but I donât see the networks turning off MPEG-2 in just over a year.
(Itâll probably take longer than that before Prime7 squeeze in Food Network.)
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I reckon 1/1/2021 (exactly 20 years since the first regular transmissions of digital television in Australia) would be the most ideal date to go all MPEG4.
But realistically, Iâd expect the status quo to remain until/unless we move over to DVB-T2 when all channels in HD and maybe 4K would be a major selling point.
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Very surprised to see no HD add-on beside the 7 logo on the Cricket coverage in NQ today, previously the HD logo was added to sport on 7mate, but this doesnât appear to be the case on 7HD
I have noticed the same thing here in Toowoomba⌠WIN HD looks far better then 7HD⌠This is via the Mount Mowbullan TX for refrence
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Why bother with the HD logo add-on as there is no SD simulcast. The less on-screen clutter the better.
The silliness of main channel SD/HD simulcast needs to end with the HD stream only broadcast.
Seven QLD is leading with this for the FTA networks, albeit still only Mpeg2 HD.
I donât think Seven QLD will bother with a return to a main channel SD simulcast once Channel 9 takes over their playout sometime next year, but change it to h.264 HD in anycase. Time will tell.
The main channel ABC HD service is available as the only channel on VAST with no SD simulcast, a very sensible decision by the ABC.
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SBS HD Tasmania also has no SD simulcast on VAST. They reused it for the national Food Network feed. Tassie must have the lowest number of viewers.
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The difference with VAST is that every VAST receiver is HD and MPEG-4 compatible so everyone on VAST can receive every channel regardless of what format it is broadcast in (in fact I believe all channels on VAST have always been MPEG-4), therefore there is no need to cater for anyone who may be using older equipment, as the OTA broadcasters are doing.
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Staying with my sisters for a few weeks and have noticed that they automatically select channels 2, 3, 7, 9, 10 rather than the HD channels. As the screen is small it doesnât much matter so I havenât said anything.
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Itâs very true itâs interesting a lot of the time Iâm the same! Iâll just go in and flick on the channel.
The bitrate needs to be a LOT higher for the FTA networks. Was watching a lot of the HD news bulletins in the past week and youâd be more like to find better quality videos off YouTube.
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The picture quality on ALL of the SD channels leaves a lot to be desired.
The HD channels are fine though, but could be better⌠Certainly not Blu Ray or even FOX Sports HD quality.
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It depends on the area youâre in.
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The reverting back to 7mate appeared to have been to appease the AFL about having that sport shown in HD nationally.
Not sure what transpired there, but now that there is a bit more AFL on 7HD in Sydney, that appears to have been a compromise to allow 7 to be full time HD.
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7mateHD can be on LCN 74 as a full time channel with 7TwoHD on LCN 71. 7Flix moves to LCN 75 with 7FlixHD on LCN 76. Not holding my breath though.
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Thereâs not enough bandwidth left for Seven to do anything like that.
Ten is the one with room to spare and could launch another HD channel. But give that theyâre not into spending money itâs unlikely. Also remember how long it took them to actually get native HD on their main channel.
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10âs failure to launch a native HD channel was at the expense of the position the network was in at the time with the uncertainty of the ownership.
Iâd argue that theyâre spending more money than ever, or at least in the last decade or so, even if theyâre a little slower than the other networks to innovate and progress into a new age media company.
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10HD was launched before 7HD, albeit with a lot of upscaled content. I think thereâs still some first run content on 10HD nowadays that is STILL not native HD.
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*Citation needed.
Please donât post your personal wishes/predictions/guesses as if theyâre fact.
âŚand theyâre still lagging behind the others when it comes to native HD content: Most of their news is still entirely upconverted SD (except for a bit of native HD on a Sydney/national basis) and program promos from Network Ten are still SD too, even though the other networks have been producing/airing promos in HD for ages now! I think most of the imported programs on Ten might still be in upconverted SD too.
As much as Iâd really like them to, I donât think weâll see a 2nd HD channel from Ten anytime soon. So sad from a network which around two decades ago, appeared to be ready for widescreen digital TV before the others were.
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Thanks for the info SydneyCityTV I donât watch much on Ten, but I suspected that about their local newses. Hopeless! And to still be making promos in SD is absurd. Wonder how many first run US shows are still being shown in upscaled SD as well?!
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I know that The Bold & The Beautiful is in HD, but that could be a notable exception to the rule.
From what Iâve seen, Ten only shows most of their other daytime shows (Dr Phil, Judge Judy, ET, etc.) in upconverted SD even though theyâve been produced in HD for years now. Iâd imagine that the situation when it comes to primetime US content would be the same/very similar.
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