Australian Viewers not switched on to HDTV

FREE-to-air networks still had work to do in convincing consumers of the benefits of digital television, Ten Network television operations head Grant Blackley said yesterday.

Mr Blackley said about 30 per cent of Australian homes had free-to-view digital television, but "on encouraging further adoption, as an industry we still have a job to do", he said.

Ten said this week it would launch high-definition digital broadcasting on a new channel, Ten-HD, on December 16.

The channel will feature more than 50 hours weekly of programs that cannot be seen on the existing Ten channel, including some sport streamed from the US, and documentaries.

Mr Blackley predicted that up to 20 per cent of consumers would be able to access HD channels by Christmas.

"Estimates of the number of HD-enabled households range from 15 per cent to possibly 20 per cent by Christmas," he said.

Mr Blackley's figures include not only viewers with an HD television, but those with an HD set-top box that enables them to view channels such as Ten-HD on an older television.

He sees set-top boxes as a key to encouraging viewers to switch over to digital. "These receivers cost just a couple of hundred dollars and the price will continue to decline," he said.

The Australian Digital Industry Suppliers Forum predicts there will be at least one HD TV in a majority of Australian homes within five years.

Full Story by Nick Tabakoff Australian November 23, 2007

Seven Day EPG Launched on Channels Nine and Ten

From today Australian Digital TV Viewers can access a seven day Electronic Program guide on Channels Nine and Ten and some of their regional subsidiaries.

The Australian networks have been slow to adopt the broadcasting of their programming on EPG's, leading to the introduction of a 3rd party paid subscriber service in 2004.

EPG's are commonplace overseas and are the basis of the success of the hugely popular TIVO. Channel 7 will launch TIVO in Australia in January 2008. Ahead of this Channel 7 will broadcast an EPG in December.

Digital TV viewers who have set top boxes with hard drive recording (PVR's) will benefit the most from EPG's. Instead of setting timer recordings, the viewer need only browse the EPG listing to select a program they want to record and the PVR will work out the start and stop times and apply the name of the program to the recording.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation to Launch New Childrens Digital TV Channel

Federal Communications Minister Helen Coonan announced last Friday that the federal government would give $82 million to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to create a digital children's channel.

It would operate 15 hours a day and deliver programming for children up to 17 years of age.

Being commercial free, children would not be exposed to junk food advertising and other undesirable content.

The new service could be in operation by next year and would be expected to boost to the uptake of digital TV. It would also create opportunities for local producers of children’s TV.