My work (which I just started at) has an old Foxtel standard box (with the curved sides) and looks like it’s sent out via analog.
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That sounds like one of the early generation of digital receivers (a Pace model I think). I had one of those when I first got FOXTEL in 2008.
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Correct me if I’m wrong on this, but weren’t Foxtel using Pace set top boxes even back in the analogue days?
Either way, here’s a picture of the one Petarkco is probably referring to - there were a couple of different versions with the logo though:
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I remember doing a job at a motel and seeing about 10 of them all rigged up to a MATV. Probably never been turned off since 2004. They’re hardy boxes. My dad has still got one. He’s someone who doesn’t notice the difference between HD and SD so has never bothered upgrading.
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Funny that.
My elderly mother doesn’t know that there IS a difference. Her telly can only receive MPEG2 channels and is an older 720p model. I know she’s not the only one like this.
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Yeah that’s it. The only one with curved sides (I checked the Foxtel site before posting to make sure).
Seems a bit of a waste considering it’s tuned to Channel Nine.
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Am staying at the Sydney Hilton.
Despite outdated logos and channel names for the 10 Network, their MATV system for free to air is pretty good if only for the integration of the EPG for free to air into it’s system (as below). Picture quality is also pretty good.
FOXTEL isn’t as good, some channels are slow to load (or not at all) and no EPG info, but very few hotels do this. Lots of Chinese CCTV channels here with logos galore though.
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helped a mate move out of student accommodation in brisbane a few weeks ago and had a look at the in room TV system.
had almost all the FTA channels (missing the home shopping ones for the most part) but the range of foreign language channels was extraordinary - i’d have to guess at least 60 channels. everyhting from CCTV to Vietface Australia, Thai channels and quite a few indian ones (including star sports somehow)
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I’m staying at the Pagoda Resort in Como for a week. Their MATV offer is impressive!
No missing FTA’s and they’re all in the correct logical order.
Pretty good range of Foxtel channels too. Mostly HD! LCNs start from 500 but the quality is superb with nothing noticably analogue.
1-100. Perth FTA channels
400. HOTEL INFO
401. GREEN TV
500. FoxSportsNewsHD
501. FoxCricketHD
502. FoxLeagueHD
503. FoxSports503HD
504. FoxFootyHD
505. FoxSports505HD
506. FoxSports506HD
507. ESPN HD
508. Sky News HD
509. BBC World HD
510. CNN
511. Premiere HD
512. Comedy HD
513. Romance HD
514. Action HD
515. Family HD
516. Disney Mov HD
517. Nat Geo HD
518. Discovery HD
519. History HD
601-615. CCTV 1-15
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That’s what EVERY hotel SHOULD do.
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The MATV system at Crown Promenade is similar to the one at Pagoda Resort but with more foreign language channels.
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In a hotel in Melbourne:
1- 10 Bold
2- ABC
3- SBS One
7- Seven
9- Nine
10- 10
11- 10 Peach
12- 10 Bold
13- 10 HD
14- TVSN
15- SpreeTV
20- ABC HD
21- ABC
22- ABC Comedy/Kids
23- ABC ME
24- ABC News
30- SBS One HD
31- SBS Viceland HD
32- SBS Viceland
33- SBS Food
34- NITV
70- 7HD
71- Seven
72- 7Two
73- 7mate
74- 7food network
76- 7flix
78- Racing.com
90- 9HD
91- Nine
92- 9Gem
93- 9Go!
94- 9Life
95- Your Money
99- 9Go!
Now the fun stuff:
501- Fox Sports 507
502- Fox League
503- Fox Sports 503
504- Showtime
505- Movies Romance
506- BBC World News
507- Nat Geo
508- Sky News Live
509- History Channel
510- TVH!TS
511- FOX Classics
512- FOX Showcase
513- FOX8
514- BBC First
515- Movies Comedy
516- More Movies (Labeled as World Movies)
I have to say that the Foxtel channels are of poor quality and the result of trying to cram as many channels onto multiplexes as they can without making it unwatchable.
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FOX League but no FOX Footy, in Melbourne?!
And 507 isn’t even a full time station either!
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The MATV system in my gym is buggered up. It hasn’t been refreshed in ages! Has SBS Food still as Food Network, doesn’t have 7Food Network, nor do the numbers match up!
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I am staying in Holiday Inn Darling Harbour in Sydney over Easter. The TV system only has SD channels and some FTA channels are missing (Viceland, NITV, 7food, racing.com, SBS Food, Your Money).
The pay TV channels are:
Sky News
Fox8
Fox Sports 1 (actually Fox Sports 507)
Fox Sports 2 (aka Fox League)
Fox Sports 3
Nickelodeon
Music Max
Fox Showcase
TLC
Hunan TV
CCTV4
It also has Tourist TV and movie previews channels.
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Stayed at a motel in Orange for two nights at the end of last week. Not a great selection of Foxtel channels to choose from (they were just the ones shown in the picture), but at least all of the channel numbers/allocations were correct. All of the free-to-air HD channels were available too.
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I have found that Foxtel is pretty rare in motels now. Most provide free Wi-Fi in its stead. Foxtel was pretty much mandatory 15-20 years ago, before the advent of streaming services.
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I didn’t, but really should’ve taken some pictures of the MATV system where I was staying in Shoal Bay last week - half the Foxtel channels were blank and the others seemed to still be in analogue.
Also due to the remote being one of those hotel ones where the settings couldn’t be changed, there were a lot of defunct/useless channels stored on the TV - most notably the legacy of SCA Ten (prior to the arrival of WIN Northern NSW which saw everyone have to rescan due to the different settings/playout facilities, etc.) and a 2017 or earlier tropo event which somehow brought in the Prime7 Wollongong channels! 
On a positive note, at least the TV up there did have all the FTA channels currently on-air (even if the WIN channels were all the way down in the 300s or something like that) including the MPEG4/HD services…although I’m sure the LCNs will become even more of a mess come the launch of SBS World Movies and the end of SBS VICELAND SD on July 1! 
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Yep, that’s true. Most of the motels I have personally stayed at in recent years have only provided a free WiFi network. Interestingly enough though, the motor lodge (I referred to it as a “motel” in my previous post, but it’s much of a muchness) I stayed at in Orange actually provided a free WiFi network in addition to the Foxtel channels, so that was a nice bonus.
I’ve noticed some registered clubs and hotels are dispensing with Foxtel. I’m aware of a large hospitality group, that has a major leagues club as part of its portfolio, that refused to sign a new contract with Foxtel and can no longer offer Foxtel exclusive games for viewing in their venues. That would’ve been unheard of just a few years ago. There will come a time when the NRL and AFL will be offering streaming rights to games direct to venues/customers and Foxtel will no longer have the ability to hold those extortionate contracts over their heads.
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