It’s to my understanding that Seven is doing this with their MPEG4 HD channel on LCN-70 (at least for now), so everyone can watch AFL coverage in HD.
Melbourne & Adelaide: Simulcast of Seven
Sydney, Brisbane and Perth: Simulcast of 7mate.
In all markets, there’s now an SD version of 7mate on 73 and the main SD channel is on 7 where it’s always been.
Makes no sense to me to covert a HD channel (7Mate) to SD and them simulcast the SD channel in HD on 7HD? What was the point?
What Seven are doing is the right approach to make sure that people in every state can watch AFL in HD whether it’s on the main channel or 7mate. However the implementation (from what it seems like) in NSW, QLD & WA should be as what SydneyCityTV outlined a few posts above to avoid the ‘two-tier’ system that has been created.
You’re scaring me with that first option.
It better be the second option (similar to when SBS HD simulcast SBS2 on Friday Nights only for A-League but at other times it was the usual SBS ONE simulcast).
Unfortunately, the first option is true.
If there some members on Media Spy are confused with this whole Seven/7mate HD thing, one can only imagine how confused regular viewers who aren’t so media savy would be after retuning their TV and seeing a channel called “7HD” actually broadcasting 7mate (or a black screen in the case of MPEG4 viewers but that’s another matter altogether)!
yes, but there is a transmitter here that many homes now point to that exclude C31, for those with issues receiving Mt Dandenong.
Wait, so they’re not just switching to a HD simulcast of mate when the AFL is on in the northern states?
This is one of the stupidest decisions ever. Just, mind boggling.
No one in Sydney or Brisbane has asked for this.
How bullshit. Even for Melbourne and Adelaide viewers, where the network will put jack into any non-AFL HD broadcasts
Nothing has changed here in Townsville yet.
70 is still “7 Digital” in SD and 73 is still “7mate” in HD.
Viewers here will NOT be happy at all to miss out on receiving the main channel in HD, just so the AFL can be shown in HD.
Absolutely stupid idea!
Posted 5 minutes ago
This article makes it sound (to me) like it will only be the AFL that is simulcast in HD, not the whole 7mate channel.
Yep, apparently the HD channel is now Seven in Melbourne and Adelaide and 7mate in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
I never thought that I’d say this, but the launch of Ten HD seems to be a success in comparison to this. At least that launched in every capital city (albeit with very limited native HD programing to start off with) on the same day unlike this effort from Seven which appears to be great for AFL fans but not too many others if you live in Sydney, Brisbane or Perth.
Surely Nine isn’t the only commercial FTA network in this country that can do a vaguely half-decent job with their HD channels? 
I agree. Sooner or later, people will most likely complain. Surely this strategy for HD broadcasting by Seven won’t last long?
Generally, why should viewers in Melbourne and Adelaide be treated differently to Sydney, Brisbane and Perth? Either pick Seven or 7mate to be the HD channel broadcasting the AFL in every market (even if you have to breakaway from the main feed so Sydney/Brisbane/Perth can see AFL matches in HD) and just leave it at that. Please!
Also, what will Seven do for HD coverage of the AFL Grand Final in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth this year? - This is a major sporting event that the last I checked, legally has to be shown on the main channel in aforementioned three markets (indeed, nationally) regardless of what they do for the rest of the season!
Alright, because I’m confused as all hell; two possible scenarios here:
Channel 70 will simulcast Channel 7 (i.e.: the primary channel) across all owned-and-operated (O&O) markets.
However, in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth (and probably regional Queensland, eventually), the channel will break away from the simulcast to take AFL matches currently seen in HD on 7mate.
Those games will still be seen in SD on 7mate. Channel 70 will broadcast in HD using MPEG-4 encoding
Channel 70 will simulcast Channel 7 in Melbourne and Adelaide, and 7mate in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
Remember, this changed today with no formal announcement, aside from an AFL.com.au article and the mUmBRELLA article linked by @NQCQTV2. Don’t expect the current scenario to be permanent; on the contrary, don’t be surprised to see no change.
^ I hope it’s the first scenario.
I think this will be an interim arrangement until after the Olympics when a different arrangement may apply to sort out the channels.
This seems to be the only plausible explanation for what Seven announced today - doing the split as an ‘interm’ measure so that viewers in all states can watch the AFL in HD before the ‘proper service’ (in whatever form it’s in) launches probably just before the Olympics if not earlier
This solution (if what we’re assuming is correct) isn’t viable long-term not just because of the Olympics but the fact that it would be ‘pointless’ during the AFL off-season for the HD channel still to be a simulcast of 7mate instead of the main channel in most states
Wouldn’t the anti-siphoning requirements be met by Seven broadcasting it on the SD version of the main channel? If that wasn’t the case, all networks apart from SBS would have breached the list requirements time and time again for many years straight before the HD simulcasts were re-introduced