Windows 7 for your Media Centre PC? You Bet!

The next big thing in Windows is set for a late 2009 launch.
Microsoft is pinning its hopes on this new version of Windows to regain market momentum in the wake of poor Vista sales.
A beta version of Windows 7 was made available to the public, last year.
Last month a release candidate version was made generally available for download, on a one year trial. ( http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/ )

Brisbane based digital TV and Media Centre PC specialists David Porter & Associates Pty Ltd (www.dpanda.com.au) have been trialling the software.
"We have been running the Windows 7 Media Centre application on one of our systems for the past three weeks and are extremely impressed" said a spokesman. "The whole media centre interface has been given a new look and much improved functionality. It comes with the 8 day broadcast EPG fully functional and doesn't suffer from some of the issues that dogged Vista."
"The stability has been excellent across the range of digital TV tuners that we use for our builds and barring performance tweaks, we don't believe there will be much more Microsoft can do to it before the official launch."
"In fact we are happy to install it on a second hard disk on behalf of any of our customers who have a valid release candidate trial key which they must have obtained from Microsoft
At the end of the trial they can buy the software or revert to the pre-installed version of Vista."

There is much speculation as to when Windows 7 will become commercially available but the northern hemisphere autumn looks most likely.

Australian Digital TV : What's in it for You?

Digital terrestrial television, also known as DVB-T, is a method of broadcasting that uses discrete (on-off) digital signals rather than the continuous signal of analog television. It will progressively replace analog TV broadcasts, beginning next year. Digital TV is already being broadcast in Australia and offers better image quality than traditional analog television.

Why is digital better than analog television?

Because digital signals take up less space on the transmission spectrum, digital television has a two-fold advantage over analog television. It means there’s more room for additional stations, and more room for additional data such as electronic program guide information and high-definition television signals to be broadcast. Digital television also has the advantage of being less susceptible to signal interference. It is free of the ghosting and signal noise that plague analog television.

The greatest advantage that digital television in Australia offers is an improvement in image quality. TV shows broadcast in both standard- and high-definition digital signals have clearer pictures and have more detail. The image quality of most high-definition broadcasts is better than DVDs.

Digital television has the added functionality of an electronic program guide. This guide, which is transmitted over the air along with the television signal, carries information about the shows that are currently being broadcast as well as future programs. While a few broadcasters only transmit information three days in advance, most digital television receivers have the ability to display upcoming shows up to seven days in advance.

When you're watching a high-definition digital channel, the digital television broadcast also includes a 5.1 surround-sound audio track. Many movies and other specialised broadcasts include the surround-sound audio, providing cinematic effects that you can enjoy on your home theatre system.

What do I need to watch digital television?

Both standard- and high-definition content is broadcast digitally. If you have an analog TV, you can buy a set-top box that will let you view digital TV stations. A set-top box that supports high-definition digital television will let you receive all available digital channels.

Set-top boxes usually connect to your television using a Composite audio/video connector — most televisions manufactured after 1990 have this connection. To check if your television has a Composite connector, look for three sockets on the rear of your television coloured yellow, white and red. Most of these set-top boxes have the ability to interpret the additional data of digital broadcasts, so they will allow you to view an electronic program guide.

If you have a flat-screen LCD or plasma television, it is likely to have an integrated digital television tuner and you will not need a additional set-top box, though some older televisions only have standard-definition tuners. The newest flat-screen televisions include high-definition digital tuners, which you will need to receive all digital channels.

When will analog television be switched off?

It has been announced that the analog television service will be switched off in regional areas of Victoria by the end of June 2010, with additional regional areas of Australia being switched off over a further one and a half years. Metropolitan areas will maintain their analog services the longest, but the current deadline for all of Australia to have analog television switched off is 31 December 2013. Visit http://www.dbcde.gov.au/media_broadcasting/television/digital_televison_switchover for more information.

What is Freeview?

Freeview is the latest digital television platform in Australia. It includes all the traditional television channels, and broadcasts using the same technology as standard digital television — think of it as an upgrade to the existing digital television network. It does not have any subscription fees, so all you have to do is purchase a set-top box or a television with an integrated digital tuner.

There is some confusion over Freeview branding and supported products. All current digital television tuners currently available will support the Freeview programming being broadcast. However, all Freeview-branded products must support an additional form of digital television decoding intended for future-proofing, but there are currently no plans to use this.

The Freeview platform boasts the ability to broadcast ‘up to 15’ channels. This gives each of the major broadcasters — ABC, SBS, Channel Seven, Channel Nine and Channel Ten — three separate digital channels. Channel Ten, for example, is using two of its channels to broadcast sports programming under the name “ONE” while the third channel maintains its original news and show programming. Additional new channels from other broadcasters will become available progressively from April this year.

Original Story : Campbell Simpson (Good Gear Guide) 06/04/2009

Conroy Tells Australians To Get Ready For Digital TV

Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Stephen Conroy, yesterday launched a new campaign, aimed towards getting Australia ready for digital television.

It will includes TV, radio and on-line ads as well as a system of equipment labelling and training for retail staff and will start this week. It is designed topromote the benefits of digital television over analog TV.

Conroy said, "Digital TV means new content, better sound and vision, and additional features for television viewers. From this week a campaign will begin to help Australia get ready for digital. There is no reason for people to wait to experience the benefits."

Education of consumers was the campaign’s main aim, he said: "For most people getting ready for digital will be a simple and inexpensive task but it is important that all Australians are well informed to make the switch. The digital television switchover is our biggest national format change since the swap to decimal currency and it is important that Australia get ready."

Australian Digital TV Heats Up, Or Just More Hot Air?

With the Australian Government wielding carrot and stick on the countdown to a 2013 analog shutdown, the main players in Australian Digital TV are currently meeting in Sydney.

It is reported that Carl Rose, the chief of Sony Australia, (the only TV manufacturer to attend) declared his company trailblaizers in Digital TV. This from a company who then goes on to admit that they have never made nor will they make, digital set top boxes.Very odd given that the majority of those watching Digital TV do so on set top boxes and PVRs' (set top boxes with hard disk recording capability). Of course set top boxes prolong the life of normal TV sets and are a hindrance to the public rushing out to buy new Sony TV's!

Then there was Robin Parkes of Freeview (the government backed organisation who recently confused the Australian public with a misleading and expensive advertising campaign) stating that within two years Freeview would offer its own internet-enabled set-top box which would move catch-up TV viewing from the computer screen to the lounge room. Hmm, two years away? No sense of urgency to drive the uptake of digital TV here!
Anyway, the ABC already have a great service with their iView on-line offering (www.abc.net.au/tv/iview)

Our advice? Mr Parkes just come up with a sensible ad campaign to highlight the real benefits of Digital TV and leave the networks to provide their own on-line, on-demand services.

ABC KIDS Digital TV Channel - Born Again!

It's was on air when Australian digital TV broadcasts were in their infancy, circa 2003.
When people asked what new stations they could get with a digital box the ABC proudly put their hand up and directed them to their digital only channel, ABC Kids. But a couple of years later it was canned, due to "lack of government funding".

With the 2013 analogue TV switch-off looming, government is again looking at ways to convince the Australian viewing public that they really need digital TV. How will they do that? By providing extra services that are only available on digital. What a stroke of genius! Some fresh ideas! (unfortunately the same fresh ideas that were around even before digital began broadcasting.)

And guess what? ABC Kids is back!

At the Australian Broadcasting Summit held in Sydney on Wednesday, Australian Broadcasting Corporation MD, Mark Scott was quoted as saying, "We believe - as the government faces the challenge of driving audiences to take up digital television, to upgrade their television set or to buy a set top box - the biggest driver of that will be content," he said.
"The single biggest driver of the take-up of digital television would be the creation of a stand-alone television service for children by the ABC.
"Our content would be largely Australian content, we'd be commissioning more content that would see us working with the independent productions sector, providing a stimulus there.
"It would be commercial free and available in every Australian home."

Hmmm.....so ABC Kids is here for good this time? We'll wait and see....

Digital TV Breathes New Life Into Older PC’s

Brisbane firm DPandA (David Porter & Associates Pty Ltd) has come up with a novel idea to extend the useful life of older desktop & laptop PC’s.

C.E.O. David Porter says, “People tend to be largely unaware that there is a lot more to the world of computers than Microsoft Windows. Every release of Windows requires more powerful PC’s and people get caught up in the cycle of upgrading to new PC’s and discarding the old ones.
“We specialise in two areas; Digital Television and Linux. Marry these together and voila! : you end up with a powerful, high definition digital TV receiver with a hard disk recorder (PVR/Media Centre) at a fraction of the price and with many more features than those you can buy “off-the-peg”

“We know about digital TV, because we were the very first Australian company to offer a digital TV receiver card for the PC. We partnered with a German company and launched the product under the DPandA brand in 2003.”

“Apart from Digital TV, older, sluggish PC’s can be given a whole new lease on life when converted to run free, Linux based, office productivity applications. Many of these applications are equal or better than their Windows based commercial counterparts, costing thousands of dollars. They can run on the same network as Windows PC’s, being able to work with the same files, printers and Internet connections. And the bonus is that Linux based systems are more secure and less vulnerable to viruses and malicious software. Not only is it good for the environment, it’s great for the hip pocket, as well.”

The company also offers set top boxes and non-pc based digital TV solutions through their website: www.dpanda.com.au