Long way before Aussie homes are ready for digital TV
The challenge faced in getting Australia’s analogue TV signal switched off has been underlined in figures that show that none of Australia’s capital cities are even half way there .
The numbers – the first released by OzTam – show that in the metro markets an average of 43.4% of households have a set that is capable of receiving a standard or high definition digital signal.
The switchover process has furthest to go in Sydney and is most advanced in Perth.
Digital penetration:
- Sydney – 40.0%
- Melbourne – 44.1%
- Brisbane – 45.4%
- Adelaide – 42.7%
- Perth – 47.2%
Currently two separate advertising campaigns are running. The government is behind the “Get ready” commercials which warn that the signal will be turned off.
And the national TV networks are behind the Freeview campaign aimed at persuading consunmers that there are new channels if they buy a box.
The figures refer to households where at least one box is digital-ready. So a far smaller proportion of TV sets in Australia are currently capable of picking up the digital signals than the 43.4% figure.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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One option that is rarely, if ever mentioned, are digital tuner cards which go into your computer, with one of these you can watch all free to air standard and HD channels, and record any of them direct to your hard drive for later viewing.
They cost around $200 but prices vary, depending on which brand you choose.
A standard tv antenna cable plugs into the back of it once it’s installed and you’re away.
You can also pick up USB versions, useful if you have two or more computers.
I’ve been using them for about three years and find they work very well indeed.
Wolfie!
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I’ve been trying to get a digital set-top box and they are like hens teeth. There are only a few retail stores that carry them and the choice is limited. Most of these digital set-top boxes are of low quality with buggy firmware.
I spoke to the sales manager of Dick Smith Electronics, Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne, and was advised there is a shortage nationally, and when they do arrive they are sold out within a day or two.
I managed to get one, but it failed after 6 hours. I believe takeup would be better if more shops actually carried digital set-top boxes and they were of decent quality as opposed to no-name chinese manufactured junk.
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Yes, digital TV cards in a Windows Vista-equipped PC deliver a great picture owing to the Media Centre software, but they come with their own software too. The main point to check with set-top boxes is whether they are SD or HD. The former are cheap, but it’s better to pay the premium for HD.
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