TV History - Questions

[jason120au]

So it would have been far cheaper power consumption wise to keep broadcasting on VHF if you could.

[Radiohead]

Even then VHF reception was still clearer than UHF despite the much lower power.

[TelevisionAU]

@jason120au

I also had a feeling that VHF went further distances as well which could be why it stayed around longer. I remember in central western NSW where my family had a property had much better reception on CBN8 than the UHF channels ie WIN and CTC but it could have been the aerial as a new aerial had to be purchased or it modified to receive UHF or good reception of UHF

when we used to go up to the Goulburn Valley at Christmas, we were probably on the medium to outer range of coverage from Mt Major. but even with our little portable TV with rabbit ears we used to get clearer reception on the UHF channels (Southern Cross, Prime, ABC) than VHF (VIC TV/WIN).

[Radiohead]

Thats the opposite of my experiences, up near the Myall Lakes (near Tea Gardens) where the area was surrounded by trees, I remember staying there and discovering that NBN-3 and ABHN-5A were clearer than SBS, Prime and NRTV.

[jason120au]

VHF was affected far more to interference than UHF. Essentially UHF is the equivalent of FM radio in a lot of cases. Thats why if you were watching the ABC in many areas that more than likely be on VHF than UHF and you would see more issues with picture quality than you would with other stations. Also in many cases the ABC would also broadcast on lower power than the commercial stations but i could be wrong on that. I do remember that happening in a lot of different places in Australia

[TV.Cynic]

It is more the Band 1 (0, 1 ,2) VHF channels and to a lesser extent Band II (3, 4, 5) were impacted by interference such as from power line or engine noise; so as ABC stations were often on the lower number channels they were most affected. Otherwise they were on the same power as the commercials.

[TelevisionAU]

@jason120au

VHF was affected far more to interference than UHF. Essentially UHF is the equivalent of FM radio in a lot of cases. Thats why if you were watching the ABC in many areas that more than likely be on VHF than UHF and you would see more issues with picture quality than you would with other stations.

Band I channels (0-2) were particularly prone to interference. Hence why Channel 0 was so problematic in certain metro areas and ABC being on Channel 2 in the cities was also sometimes a problem. We never used to have a problem with Channel 2 but as the years went on the signal become more and more prone to electrical interference but then we’d upgraded to digital and problem solved.

[TV-Expert]

@TelevisionAU

Band I channels (0-2) were particularly prone to interference. Hence why Channel 0 was so problematic in certain metro areas and ABC being on Channel 2 in the cities was also sometimes a problem. We never used to have a problem with Channel 2 but as the years went on the signal become more and more prone to electrical interference but then we’d upgraded to digital and problem solved.

In quite a number of parts of Sydney, especially the western suburbs, one would get better reception of the ABC from the Illawarra on UHF-56 than from the local Gore Hill transmitter on VHF-2. This was one of the reasons why people had UHF antennas aimed south, along with getting cricket matches from the SCG on WIN, which was blacked out on TCN (unless sold out) until around the mid-2000s.

[AustralianAerial]

This has taken me back to the early noughties: a poor quality indoor antenna often meant sitting through a snowy, black and white picture on VHF-2 - and often very little signal at all on UHF-28!

[Mechsta]

Low band VHF was also particularly prone to aircraft interference. I used to live a few kms from the Richmond RAAF Base when I was a kid and ABN2 was always fading in and out when a plane flew nearby and we got a lot of them. Especially at night when they used to do touch and go landing exercises. High band VHF not so badly affected and UHF was steady with barely a ripple.

[Squee]

Analogue ABW2 was almost completely unwatchable due to severe interference across large tracts of Perth’s suburbs by the Mid-Late 2000s, I suspect it was similar in the other capitals.

[TVHead]

Low channel VHF has always been poor, hence why a lot of stations in the US moved up the dial

[Mechsta]

And even then in some areas, there’s some DTV stations on Band 1.

[Radiohead]

Where? In Australia, I don’t think any DTV receivers will go below VHF 6.

[TelevisionAU]

@Radiohead

Where? In Australia, I don’t think any DTV receivers will go below VHF 6.

In the US

[shauno100]

Does anyone know who the VO artist is in the below 2 clips? After abit of research i thought it may be Jaan (John) Torv but i wasn’t 100%.

Clip1

From 1:35 in below clip
Clip2

[mvpmadsen]

@shauno100

Clip2

Steve Britten - Well known nowadays for doing promos for Channel Nine.

[shauno100]

Thanks for your reply, Steve Britten does the intro in Clip2 from 0:00-1:00 yes, i’m referring to the VO artist who does the RCA/Columbia Pictures/Hoyts from 1:35 which isn’t Steve Britten and it’s the same VO artist to my ears as in Clip1. I think i have answered my own question though, it seems to be Mike Drayson after hearing his demos and not Jaan Torv.

[mvpmadsen]

My thoughts were Mike Drayson too when i heard the first clip. The last time i heard his voice on TV was for an ad for Demir Leather a few years ago.

[Tane04]

@mvpmadsen

Steve Britten - Well known nowadays for doing promos for Channel Nine.

Speaking of Steve Britten…
Tony Martin did a send-up of Steve’s piracy warning.

Tony Martin’s SIZZLETOWN - Piracy Warning

YouTube: Tony Martin’s SIZZLETOWN