TV Tonight readers are way ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to making the switch to Digital Television.
Yesterday Senator Conroy indicated 53% of Australian households had switched to Digital.
But in the Audience Inventory being conducted by readers of this site, that figure pales compared to a whopping 79%. So far in survey responses, owning a digital TV also significantly leads having a HD Set Top Box or Digital Set Top Box.
As the responses still trickle in, readers are venting their spleen on a number of broadcasting issues:
- “Free to air channels televising M rated promos during family shows is very upsetting.”
- “Hardly watch FTA TV except ABC and SBS, just got sick of the changing schedules and wrong start times, the commercial channels treat their viewers with contempt. Esp Nine.”
- “iView is fantastic, the other nets should offer similar platforms. Would love more multichannels, or even more, one or more new FTA nets or low end Foxtel channels like in the UK where Sky offers a few of their channels for free to entice customers.”
- “Changing classification slot for M-rated shows, so it starts 30 minutes earlier (at 8pm) would benefit both viewers and the networks.”
- “I would like more honesty from the networks and less cross promotion crap disguised into shows. Furthermore the ACMA has to do something bar slapping wrists (12 months later).”
- “I don’t mind what time shows start, just as long as the times match to the EPG, and preferably other guides too. It really annoys me not being able to watch credits of TV shows, I am often looking up credits on the internet and the last to leave a movie theatre. Providing online catch-ups is a good idea, and should be implemented for more shows.”
- “Think TEN should put HD programming back on for normal shows so we can see their cancelled shows etc. I got HD for a reason – and it wasn’t sport! Like GO! and I think Seven should do something similar. And if a show gets cancelled put it on at another time – I don’t care what time but I still want to see it! Also love my TiVo and my foxtel!”
The survey, with questions on programming, classification, digital television, Pay TV and more, closes on Monday.
If you haven’t completed one yet, you can check it out here.
I got quoted!
Though I’m kind of embarrassed to realise I used the word ‘more’ three times in the one sentence.
Tasmanian Devil – “people who haven’t switched”. The point is, new analogue TV sets are being sold in major appliance stores with no digital tuner. Why should people then have to buy a set top box and hook up something that should be built-in. Whi else but the government is to blame when people loose their signal altogether? Most people with a good analogue signal can’t tell the difference between digital and analogue pictures anyway. At least the picture doesn’t freeze and loose lip-sync like my set-top box.
@Trish. don’t know about ONE on SD on TEN but it’s not on a SD channel, only ONE HD in Southern Cross TEN markets (at least in south coast NSW).
@Andrew B. Agree completely. No incentive at all to buy a set-top box to watch a channel of rejects & endless repeats from Nine. Our goernment has in the past lost no time in tedious things like banning the import of incandescent light globes and rulers measuring inches in feet, but can’t mandate that all new TV’s must have a digital tuner.
It’ll be their loss when the people who haven’t switched lose their TV signal altogether. Don’t blame the government. @Andrew B, I think the main incentive is just that.
@Ryano – I did say when the contract comes up, TEN did have them for some 10 years before Seven got them back. But without a 2nd SD the coverage is suffering IMO.
What is important is we need to be able to chose Pay TV. I’m sick of crap Austar and would much prefer Foxtel and their better IQ’s.
Andrew B, I’d agree about the analogue tv thing – the US government made a good move requiring all TV’s to have a digital tuner, and I have always thought the local government should have done something similar here.
53% still very low though. Of course internet users, especially those who take part in polls on websites like this, are more likley to have digital TV.
But sadly, there really is not much incentive for people to go digital. A few extra channels that appeal to the minority so far. Sure set top boxes are cheap now, but how to get millions who aren’t fussed to convert when they are happy about their analogue service? Not to mention the fact that you need a set top box for each TV you have.
And the fact you can still buy analogue TVs suggests the change over to digital is not being taken seriously. A lot of people will have blank screens come the end of 2013 when analogue switches off.
@Craig..Given the V8′s are owned by the network that covers them, Seven, I doubt you will see the Supercars on anyother network for a long time into the future.
I started to fill out the survey, but it’s been a few years since I watched anything on Seven or Nine, so would have to say 10, ABC or SBS were the worst channels for all sorts of things .. when it’s more likely that it’s seven or nine.
Not sure how you can combat that though. I didn’t complete the survey as it wouldn’t be fair to the few channels I actually DO watch.
That said, my absolute biggest beef with any channel is when the show doesn’t start and and at the times listed on the EPG. It screws up the IQ recording and I watch almost Zero programs live.
@Kenny Isn’t One broadcast in SD as well (at least in metro areas)?
not surprising as most people on this site are tv enthusiasts. also the sample size of acma’s survey is likely to be larger and more comprehensive so therefore is likely to be more accurate.
53% surprises me as I thought it would be lower than that. 79% surprises me as I thought it would have been higher than that. Does not Seven have a “use by” date in their second channel licence conditions? Use it or loose it – to someone else?
Of the 53% does he say how many only have a $49 SD set-top-box which can’t receive HD channels such as ONE (contrary to what salesmen were telling people a year ago)?
We must be more advanced than the average viewer
I still don’t get why people put down ONE HD, sports is the driving reason people get PayTV so IMO TEN is on a winner, the AFL final coverage alone will make it worth it but then you have the F1 and 100′s of other sports. I’m hoping when the contract comes up TEN get the V8′s back as Seven’s coverage. Especially of the support events is triable, shown weeks after in some cases.