Mildura’s already done it. So has Rockhampton. Have you?
The analog TV signal switch off has crept it’s way around the country over the last two years. With just over 12 months to go, a fair chunk of the population is about to be affected…
NSW – North West Slopes and Plains (incl Tamworth and Inverell) – 27 November 2012
NSW – Richmond/Tweed Byron Bay (incl Tenterfield and Lismore) – 27 November 2012
NSW – Northern Rivers Coffs Harbour (incl Forster and Grafton) – 27 November 2012
NSW – Hunter (incl Newcastle and Port Stephens) – 27 November 2012
SA – Adelaide – 2 April 2013
TAS – Tasmania (incl Hobart, Launceston and King Island) – 9 April 2013
WA – Perth – 16 April 2013
Qld – Brisbane (incl Gold Coast and Noosa) – 28 May 2013
WA – Regional and Remote Western Australia (incl Kalgoorlie, Broome and Bunbury) – 25 June 2013
NSW – Sydney (incl Gosford) – 3 December 2013
NT/Qld/SA/NSW – Darwin, Alice Springs, Mt Isa, Bourke, Roma, Longreach (incl surrounds) – 10 December 2013
Vic – Melbourne – 10 December 2013
But what does it all mean? And why is there a double rainbow right behind you?
At its most basic – it means that the old analog transmission of free-to-air television ceases and you’ll only be able to access FTA TV if you have a digital receiver in your TV or a digital set top box. You may also need to upgrade your antenna also.
Beyond that? Well, it’s kind of up for grabs. The Federal Government will need to review the anti-siphoning list as well as the rules around local content and what counts towards each network’s quota.
Both of these systems were created before the switch-off (with at least the former somewhat digital aware) and with ALL the FTA channels existing on the same playing field from 10 December 2013 – where every Australian should have access to them all – the Government will have to offer some changes to the networks. The Networks will have to be allowed to include Australian content they play on what were the multi-channels in their Australian content quota, and they’ll also have to be allowed to move events on the anti-siphoning list onto whatever FTA channel they like – we’ll all have access to them so it will make no difference which channel what program/event is on.
We’ll also have our own expectations of the Networks as well though.
Major sporting events will not only need to remain live (e.g. Cricket, Bathurst 1000, NRL/AFL Grand Finals) but we should expect the Networks to deliver them to us in High Definition (HD). With the freeing up of the analog spectrum it’s reasonable to expect that we (again) will see a duplication of a Network’s ‘primary’ channel to include a Standard Definition (SD) and HD broadcast version. We’re also likely to see the Networks deliver us additional channels and I for one would welcome the inclusion of a plus 2/plus 4 style channel that rebroadcasts the primary channel 2 or 4 hours later (copyright broadcast agreements to be negotiated, naturally), similar to that already provided by subscription TV.
It’d also be recommended that the Networks KEEP TO THEIR PUBLISHED PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE instead of allowing pre-recorded programs to run well beyond their advertised finish time – all tricks aside this is the most infuriating practice and the frustration is shared across the TV viewing audience.
Don’t get me started on what the NBN will mean for all of us and how the Networks should have their IPTV plans well in place already (but that’s for another time).
Additional reading: Check out the official website for more details. Also check the DBCDE website for more information around the rules for TV Networks.
Actually the networks do not get the analogue spectrum back when analogue switches off. The extra spectrum was “on loan” to them during the transition allowing both analogue and digital to be transmitted at the same time.
The next step after analogue is gone is to “stack” TV channel frequencies together – this will free up vast tracts of UHF spectrum that will then be used for increasing mobile phone / mobile internet services. “Stacking” simply means that all the channel frequencies in one area are next to each other – eg all TV channels for one area are on ch 28, 29, 30, 31, 32… you can do this with digital, but not with analogue – where there had to be gaps between channels in any given area so they don’t interfere (and yes, there is a gap between VHF ch 9 and ch 10 – channel called 9a).
To cut a long story short, the networks will have the same bandwidth they have now post analogue switch off – which, in the short term, will not mean they will be able to add extra channels. Longer term – as digital compression standard increases, they may be able to offer their existing three channels in HD (plus the 4th or shopping channel in SD) – or – subject to legislation – may then be able to add extra SD channels rather than having 3 channels in HD – this will be a very disappointing outcome if it ends up this way.
I personally would like to see legislation put in place guarantee HD content in the future – not the 20 hours per week it is now – but something like all sport in HD, all prime time “primary” channel content in HD, etc… Apparently, the 20 hour per week HD requirement ends with analogue – so, if nothing new is put in place, then there is no guarantee of HD for anything!
Having said that though, Nine have already indicated that NRL games will be broadcast in HD in all markets from 2014. Hope this happens!
In 2014, we may also see a situation where the concept of primary channel slowly diminishes as all people have access to all the digital channels (well, other than a few stuck with old SD only digital boxes). It will be a very interesting year in TV.
Hi Andrew – thanks for commenting. I never said they get any of the analog spectrum back. I said they’ll have more bandwidth to play with in the digital spectrum and it’s likely some of the changes we’ll see. It’s all supposition. I agree the next move on the anti-siphoning list will be stipulating HD broadcasts, but the networks will need to maintain SD broadcasts for some time. I too look forward to seeing a network of channels rather than a primary and digital multi-channels.