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

Freeview Formed to Drive Digital TV Take-up in Australia

Australia’s free-to-air commercial television networks together with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation recently announced the establishment of the "Freeview" consortium.

It has been formed to kick-start the sluggish take-up of free-to-air digital television in Australia.

The consortium includes the ABC, SBS, the Seven Network, the Nine Network, Network Ten, Prime, WIN and Southern Cross. The ABC’s Director of Television, Kim Dalton, will Chair the non profit organisation.

Dalton says Freeview will work towards making sure that all Australians continue to enjoy the range of programming offered by free-to-air broadcasters as Australia moves from analogue to the digital platform.

“This is an extraordinary step forward for the free-to-air broadcasters. Together we have pioneered digital television in Australia, investing millions in infrastructure and converting our equipment and studios accordingly. Now it’s time for Australians to reap the rewards; Freeview will offer viewers more channels, great content and the very best quality picture and sound,” said Dalton.

From 2009, legislation will allow the commercial free-to-air networks each to broadcast an additional standard definition (SD) channel, as well as their existing SD channels, and their new high definition (HD) channels. The three new channels, plus the two ABC and two SBS channels and their respective HD channels, will bring the number of channels to be promoted by Freeview to fifteen.

Viewers will need a High Definition digital-set-top box, digital video recorder or an integrated digital television to watch Freeview

The consortium will be launching an education campaign to ensure viewers are ready for when the new channels become available .

Prior to the launch, Freeview will work with manufacturers to ensure appropriate technical standards are met on all television equipment that will carry the Freeview logo.

Digital TV in Australia : The State of Play

The formats are confusing and the standards don't seem to be standard. This simple guide unravels the mysteries of Australian digital TV.

Australia's first "free to view" digital television broadcasts began in January 2001. The roll-out has been gradual, but now all five free-to-air broadcasters (ABC, SBS, Ten, Seven and Nine) are transmitting their digital television services in all capital cities — Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Canberra and Darwin — 24 hours a day/7 days a week. The emphasis now is on expanding the coverage and content across the country, with over 20 major regional markets receiving at least some digital programming.

According to the original law, they must simulcast (ie, broadcast both analog and digital signals) for at least eight years in an area, so if you lived in any of the cities named above, you would be able to use your current analog television set to receive free to air broadcasts until the end of 2013. The deadline for the analog switch off was originally set for the end of 2008.

According to the industry body Free TV, over 90 per cent of Australians have access to digital television. However, it estimates that only 40 per cent of people currently watch it. To access these services, you will need to buy either a digital set-top box for your analog TV or invest in one of the growing number of integrated digital television sets on the market. Most TVs on the market today feature an on-board digital TV tuner, with high-definition tuners becoming increasingly common.

When the transition to digital is complete, our analog PAL system will be replaced by the DVB-T digital television standard, which was first developed in Europe. Note that again, our system will differ from the US, which is using the American-developed ATSC standard.

"Flavours" of digital broadcasts
The first thing to get your head around is that there are two types of digital TV transmissions, Standard Definition (SD) and High Definition (HD). We'll fill you in on the basics.

Standard Definition
SD broadcasts provide widescreen picture with DVD equivalent picture quality. The resolution is 576i (576 horizontal lines interlaced). It is broadcast with MPEG digital stereo sound (similar to CD quality) although some programs may be enhanced with Dolby Pro Logic or Dolby Digital surround sound. This is the standard that is now available 24 hours a day and it's a marked improvement from the analog signal. Most analog sets are capable of displaying 576i when connected to a digital set-top box.

High Definition
HD broadcasts also provide widescreen pictures, but they have an even sharper image with up to twice the horizontal and almost three times the vertical resolution of SD. Due to bandwidth restrictions, there has been some debate by the public broadcasters over what constitutes "high definition". Australia is one of the only countries in the world to consider a 576p image to be the minimum for HD. This means it is a "progressively scanned" version of the standard definition signal. SBS HD is broadcast in 576p, as is most of ABC HD — although Aunty now broadcasts some content in 720p.

As such, 720p is the universally accepted standard for a minimum HD picture resolution, and consists of a 1280x720 pixels at 50Hz progressive. The maximum resolution that the broadcasters transmit in is 1080i (1080 horizontal lines interlaced). Of course, this differs from the other HD standard 1080p. As flatscreens like LCDs are naturally progressive they won't display an "i" image anyway, but will instead convert it automatically to "p". The benefits of HD pictures are particularly noticeable on larger screen sets and when using projection equipment.

The catch, of course, is that HD broadcasts are available on far fewer programs. The Government has imposed HD programming quotas on each broadcaster of at least 1,040 hours annually (but only for mainland metropolitan areas). The current rules will stay in place until the switch-off of analog in 2013. High definition is also currently available in Darwin and regional areas of Tasmania, Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales.

The good news is that imposed quotas are being exceeded — and in most cases doubled — so there is a wealth of HD content on offer in any given week. Some of the programs are "native" HD (produced in the format), while others have been "up-converted" from SD format. If this top-of-the-line picture quality is what you want, make sure before you buy a new big flat screen TV that both the set-top box and screen you buy are HD capable — look for the HD tick, or you will not be able to fully take advantage of the superior HD image. Expect too, that you will be paying a premium for full-HD equipment.

Standard definition-only equipment is becoming less popular, but there's no need to despair if you decide to invest in SD gear. The Federal Government requires broadcasters to provide a digital SD signal at all times, even when HD programs are being broadcast, so you'll always be able to receive a digital television service, even when the higher quality HD signal is being transmitted.

Multi-channeling and other benefits
In addition to the widescreen view and better pictures and sound, with digital TV you also have access to extra channels. In 2007, most broadcasters officially launched their HD channels, which are able to provide programming that differs from their "core service". Any broadcaster in a non-remote area is able to provide one HDTV multi-channel under rules set down by the Government.

SBS is broadcasting the World News Channel for 20 hours a day in a variety of languages, selected radio channels are available, and most broadcasters are providing program guide channels. The ABC also offers a digital-only channel, ABC2, which features programs not seen on the main channel.

More intriguing is what may evolve from Sydney's market trial of digital data-casting. In addition to extra news, weather, sport and shopping channels, useful community services are being broadcast. You can check out still shots of notorious traffic areas such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and surf-cam shots of the major beaches lets you see what surf conditions are like. There is also an audio feed from Parliament House in Canberra if you want to catch every minute of Question Time.

Austar, Foxtel Digital and Foxtel HD+
The three main Pay TV providers in Australia are Foxtel, Austar and Optus. However, through numerous content-sharing deals made over the years it is Foxtel which provides a lot of content to all three.

Foxtel Digital, the pay cable and satellite digital video broadcasting service, launched in 2004. This was followed by the introduction of the company's first DVR, the Foxtel iQ, in 2005. It's a digital recorder capable of recording two shows at once. Foxtel has retransmission agreements for cable and satellite with SBS (Australia-wide) and Nine (Eastern states only); for cable (not satellite) with the ABC; and Seven and Ten available on cable.

Earlier this year, Foxtel launched its HD+ service with the announcement of a new recorder, the Foxtel iQ2 and five new channels of HD content. In addition to all of the digital commercial channels subscribers in the eastern states also receive all of the terrestrial HD channels as well.

Although AUSTAR runs a cable network in Darwin, it is predominantly a satellite digital TV provider. It has a coverage area of approximately 2.4 million homes — or one-third of the total homes — in regional and rural Australia.

In February 2008, AUSTAR launched MyStar, its personal digital recorder. While it is SD-only it also includes two digital tuners enabling it to receive free-to-air programming as well.

Original Story : CNET Australia by Pam Carroll and Ty Pendlebury 25 July 2008

Media centres: what you need to know

You have a gleaming new flat screen and a sound system to die for - the only problem is that all your music, photos and home videos are being held captive in the computer on the other side of the house. Could a media centre help to bridge your technological divide?

1. What is a media centre PC?

A media centre is a computer-like device that will let you record and replay television programs, surf the internet, and play digital music, games, video and slide shows - all using your television set as the display. The devices are designed to connect to other lounge room media devices and are operated by wireless keyboard or remote control. They are also sometimes called home theatre PCs.

2. What will my media centre do for me?

The most popular uses of a media centre are to aggregate and play digital files such as music, video and photos from a central location, and to access internet and email services in the lounge room.

Other popular features include the ability to watch and record digital TV programs and to pause and rewind current live television broadcasts. Advanced features in some units might also allow you to scale up your existing DVDs to a higher resolution (obviously dependent on the high-definition display capabilities of your TV set).

3. Are they available off the shelf?

Although you can build your own media centre, unless you are a real technology buff, you are best advised to buy an out-of-the-box system or get an expert to pull the bits and pieces together for you.

Some computers are billed as media centre compatible, but a true out-of-the-box solution should include a TV tuner, a preinstalled media centre operating system and a subscription to an electronic program guide such as IceTV.

4. Is it easy to set up?

Assuming you are buying an off-the-shelf solution, set-up time will depend largely on the loftiness of your ambitions, the user friendliness of your hardware and the quality of the user manual. If your new home theatre already incorporates all of the necessary preconfigured components to get things started, the first task is to set up the TV tuner, which could take anything from 20 minutes. After that, the set-up time depends on how much media content you wish to transfer onto the unit, or whether you opt to set up a network that can directly access content stored on your computer. Alternatively your retailer might be able to advise you on specialists who can mesh all the bits and pieces together for you.

5. Will it be easy to use?

Screen menus have been designed for easy navigation using a remote control for most commands and a wireless keyboard for more complex tasks such as internet or email. But be warned that the same sort of things that can play havoc with your computer (such as crashes and malware attacks) can also afflict your media centre.

If you found recording on a VHS machine infuriatingly cumbersome then you will be pleased to know that electronic program guides have turned this chore into a routine flick of the remote. Many devices can also provide similar functionality to a personal video recorder, giving you the choice of recording two things at one time and letting you pause and rewind a TV program showing in real time to fit with your schedule.

6. What other equipment do I need to make it work?

Some entry level media centre systems might not include a TV tuner or EPG subscription, but higher-end off-the-shelf systems should do so.

Display and audio equipment are not generally part of the package so if you want to link up with an existing TV or sound system you must check for the appropriate video and audio inputs.

To extend your media centre functionality to other areas in the house, a media centre extender will let you stream content wirelessly to a number of other display or storage devices (which can run simultaneously and independently). It will also allow you to pipe content stored in your PC directly to your lounge room.

7. Will it look odd in my lounge room?

Media centres might share much of their internal architecture with the classic PC, but most manufacturers have gone to great pains to package them up in a box that would not look out place in your entertainment centre. Many are not much larger than a DVD player and have an external LED display to give you an alternative to navigating via remote control.

Excessive noise can be an issue with some units, however, so check how quietly the machine runs in the showroom to ensure it won't disrupt your viewing experience.

Likewise take measurements of the space it is intended to fill to ensure your new unit has adequate space and ventilation.

8. What extras should I consider?

- If not already included, subscription to an electronic program guide will make it easier to manage television viewing.

- A removable hard disk drive could prove handy for moving media around.

- An ergonomic wireless keyboard will ease hand strain when accessing the internet.

- A universal remote control that works across the media centre and the TV set will help keep clutter from your coffee table.

- A dual high-definition tuner will enable you to record two shows at the same time.

9. How much will it cost?

An out-of-the-box media centre can cost from about $2500 to $6000, depending on the power, ease of use, features, design and brand name. There are more cost-effective solutions available but these involve more customisation and integration, which might require some technological expertise or the help of a specialist.

10. What are those cheaper alternatives?

A media centre needs a lot of hard disk space, processing power and memory. If you have a PC that satisfies those criteria and enjoy tinkering with technology, then you can feasibly create your own home theatre PC for much less than $2500 with the addition of appropriate media centre software, a TV tuner card, and a media extender or game console such as Xbox 360 or Sony's PS3. There are numerous websites that provide instructions on how to connect all of these bits of technology together but such a project is not recommended for the tech-shy.

Original Story by Louisa Hearn, The Age, June 3, 2008

Ratings move to boost HDTV

Free-to-air television stations will finally have some incentive to invest in their high-definition digital channels after a move to include them in official ratings.

Seven, Nine and Ten all offer some unique content on their HD channels - programs that differ from what's being shown on their main analog and standard-defintion channels - but there has been no way of measuring how many people are watching the new channels. That made it very difficult to convince companies to advertise on the channels.

TV ratings company OzTAM today announced that, from November, it would measure ratings for the HD channels whenever they broadcast programs not shown on the main channels.

OzTAM will also begin to measure ratings for ABC2, the ABC's second television channel which is only available to viewers with digital television sets or set-top boxes.

Original story by Jesse Hogan, The Age, May 7, 2008

Channel surfing in a digital-content graveyard

Australian television, running several years behind the rest of the developed world, stands on the precipice of a multichannel frontier.

But should we embark on launching free-to-air channels when the art of programming the ones we already have eludes us still? Free-to-air digital TV is almost a decade old and to describe it as steaming pile of nothing is an understatement.

The only success story is the ABC's stepchild, ABC2. Its commercial counterparts, hamstrung by years of self-inflicted legislative paralysis, are a waste of spectrum.

The hyped high-definition (HD) channels are bare bones and after eight years that's not good enough.

For those few who have installed consumer-unfriendly HD equipment and then bought the antenna they didn't realise they needed, these channels provide a service that amounts to a graveyard for repeats.

Even in the realm of pay TV, where a channel is often not much more than six or eight hours of programming, turned over three or four times in a day, there's enough fresh programming to please most.

The effort is worthy of applause, even if some programs aren't.

The commercial networks pack their schedules with infomercials and too often pepper their prime-time programming with repeats.

In the case of CSI, it is not uncommon for Channel Nine to omit the "R" tag denoting the show is a repeat.

At the ABC, its package of late-night movies has been replayed so often the tapes must be almost worn out.

The mediocre service provided by the networks does not inspire consumers with the kind of confidence free-to-air digital television needs to flourish.

Perhaps the market needs smarter, better operators? Better yet, a reader suggests networks should be obliged to identify the number of times they repeat a program. "R" might be annoying but "R23" is much more honest.

Original story by Michael Idato, The Age, May 8, 2008

High-rise digital set for snowy reception

BRENDAN Foley should be gleefully looking towards the December 2013 end for analog television broadcasting. As the head of contracting services for BSA, owner of Mr Antenna, his division should benefit from the rush of people looking to upgrade to digital.

His dreading the deadline is telling. Foley warns that television viewers must be prodded to make the switch faster because, if they do not, installers will be unable to cope.

"If you're talking to somebody about their TV upgrade in 2008 and they know that the broadcast close date is 2013, (there isn't) a sense of urgency," he said. "You talk to those in the industry and they will tell you, they firmly believe there will be a lot of consumers caught short and lose their TV pictures in 2013."

Since digital television broadcasts began in 2001, one of its biggest selling points has been the ability to get better pictures and sound by connecting a set-top box to the TV. An added lure is being able to watch ABC2 and three additional high-definition channels, with Seven, Nine and Ten to each launch another standard-definition channel in the new year.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority's latest annual report on digital TV found that at the end of last year 41.2% of premises received digital TV broadcasts. When additional TVs were counted, such as in bedrooms, digital's reach was only 25.7% of receivers.

Communications Minister Senator Stephen Conroy has acknowledged that the switchover "could well be the largest change on a national scale since the introduction of decimal currency in 1966". But while most viewers will be able to upgrade by buying a new TV or a set-top box, those living in apartment buildings could face hefty costs.

"The multi-unit dwelling is actually the toughest of all the issues," Conroy said this week. What makes it difficult is that in most apartments, the TV signal travels from two antennas atop the building to a device that splits the signals into individual channels. Each channel is then fed into an amplifier that boosts the signal so all residents can receive it. That is fine for analog but not for digital.

The best-case scenario is that buildings can be upgraded by installing master antennas designed for digital signals. The signal is fed into a digital distribution amplifier, with repeaters every four or five floors. Upgrading an apartment building of 12 to 20 units using that method, according to Foley, would cost about $300 to $400 a unit — as long as the cabling used could carry the signal.

"Television systems installed prior to 2000 … you're pretty much looking at replacing the lot," he said. That is, new cables throughout the building.

While it is in Foley's interests to talk up the switchover problems, his pricing estimates are backed by the Owners Corporation of Victoria, which represents bodies corporate.

Rob Beck, OCV's general manager, says the cost of $300 to $400 a unit is "realistic, and could be much higher … depending on the situation".

"The costs will be directly passed on to the owner-occupier because that's the (type of) levies they would be paying, but indirectly, certainly all these things have an effect on your rental rate," he said.

While all analog TV signals must cease by the end of 2013 — the Government reiterated the December 31 deadline in March — the switch-off date for metropolitan areas is, formally, December next year. But Conroy insisted that "no one should work on the basis that that will be the actual cut-off date … The next time I have to make the adjustment, towards the end of this year, we'll actually move it (the metropolitan deadline) out to the end of that timetable," he said.

Beck highlighted two factors that could slow the digital upgrade in apartments. Firstly, that many owners' corporations would "wait until the death knock before deciding to do anything", in the hope of getting upgrade subsidies from the Government, and, secondly, because of problems in getting all apartment owners to agree to pay for digital upgrades.

"The very nature of an owners' corporation is that there's a very lengthy approval process as well (from the individual owners)," Beck said.

"If people don't, on an orderly scale, start to convert (now), then the technicians aren't going to be able to cope at the point of time when it comes closer and people all of a sudden want to switch over … they're going to have difficulty coping with the demand."

Opposition communications spokesman Bruce Billson predicted that delays in making digital TV accessible in high-rise apartments would prompt some disgruntled residents to attempt their own, crude solutions.

"You can imagine in these higher-storey buildings and office complexes seeing people sticking aerials out their windows," Billson said. "That's hardly the aesthetics people would be looking for after putting such effort into areas around Southbank and the like, to start seeing all sorts of technology out the sides of buildings."

The Federal Government has allocated $1 million to finding ways to solve reception problems in apartment buildings, and the problems are the focus of one of four committees within the Government-appointed Digital TV Industry Advisory Group.

While digital signals do not suffer the same "ghosting" problems of weak analog signals, Billson said one of the few problems with the new technology was that "unlike analog television, where you might get varying degrees of picture quality, with digital you either get all or nothing".

Julie Flynn, chief executive of the Free TV group, which represents the commercial free-to-air networks, said it was important to note the sustained, intense criticism of Telstra by rural residents in the lead-up to the closure of the CDMA mobile phone network.

"If you think that was a problem, you try taking away their free-to-air television," Flynn told an ACMA summit on Wednesday.

"We all need to get our skates on to make sure we can deliver the same coverage to all Australians in that time frame."

In confirming the switch-off date last month, the Government committed $37.9 million to help its Digital Switchover Taskforce promote the change (albeit as part of a plan similar to the former government's Digital Australia scheme that Labor scrapped, and headed by the same person, Andy Townend).

This will include the development of a logo to be put on new televisions and recording equipment to indicate digital compatibility.

But this may be usurped by the free-to-air networks' recent collaboration to develop a digital set-top box under the Freeview brand to promote the switchover, mimicking the approach of British broadcasters.

Conroy was this week given a demonstration of Freeview by the networks and described it as "a pretty significant development".

"The free-to-airs have dragged their feet for most of the past 10 years — they're really behind it now," he said.

The day after the Government confirmed the deadline in March, Ten chief executive Grant Blackley insisted that it had caused "no trepidation from this camp".

"We see it as a target that the industry should aim towards, and I say 'the industry' on behalf of government, (television) manufacturers, broadcasters, the retail sector and other interested stakeholders as well," Blackley said.

But did he think the December 31 target for the end of analog television broadcasting would be achieved? "I think that's a very good question (to ask) in December 2013."

Original Story by Jesse Hogan, The Age, 3rd May 2008