Comments on: Community TV wins digital breakthrough

By: David Knox

David Knox — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:19:46 +0000

I am hearing March 1.

By: steven g

steven g — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:56:36 +0000

Anymore detail on when TVS is going to change over ?

By: ckent

ckent — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:50:08 +0000

Thanks to A-PAC, I’ve discovered that the real action is not in the senate or house of reps. It’s the Committees where all the good stuff happens. Banish the monologue speeches to audio-only or not at all. A-PAC + ABC4 would be far preferable to two wasted streams of part-time houses of parliament.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:19:52 +0000

Maybe they should just turn the two Parliamentary channels into Audio Only, and for those who really want something to look at, provide a website with a picture of Tin Tin that can be printed out.

By: 'ct'

'ct' — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:01:18 +0000

Matt – I don’t see why the current datacast trial can continue as it is on Ch34 Datacast CHB. The CHA datacast Channel that is going to be used temporilary is on Ch29 in Sydney, which is currently un-used. I stand to be corrected.

Kurt – Maybe four separate channels for Ch31, NITV, House of Reps, Senate, and at lower bit-rates, 3 house sub-comittee channels onthe one mux. There is no further room for ABC4 or APAC on this mux. Keep APAC, whch is a really poor attempt as an ABC4 on pay tv where it belongs. APAC is a single channel only, and as such can not carry both the House of Reps and Senate at the same time. Would be better to relay the same full separate services as provided by the Sound & Vision Office ex Parliament House as seen by the pollies.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:39:27 +0000

Good news – So is this going to move into the datacasting channel? Will the existing Datacasts be retained?

I was pleasantly suprised when NITV appeared when I tuned in my digital receiver. Some of the documentaries have been eye opening, and I think its an important channel to keep in the major urban centres to keep awareness of how different life in once you get more than few hours from the east coast.

How many SD channels can we pump through a single Datacast band?

Maybe they can axe “Expo TV”? Does anybody actually watch that?

(I currently have “Cristian TV ” or “Teacher TV” on skip, but as I can’t argue that they don’t have legitimate community audiences)

Matt

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:14:04 +0000

Tvs
thank you for the information

By: TVS

TVS — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:02:03 +0000

Some answers for those whoasked.
1. Most CTV stations are already receiving a good deal of programming in 16:9 and it is certainly TVS’s intention to encourage all producers to go widescreen well before we start simulcasting. Most digital cameras being used these days have that capability.
2. We will start simulcasting as soon as we can acquire and install the new transmitter. Early to mid next year would be as specific as we could be at this stage
3. Yes CTV is surveyed by OzTAM (the official audience ratings company). TVS averages a cumulative monthly audience in excess of 1 million, which is not bad after just over three years on air and with 50% of the population already converted to digital. Individual programs range up to around 50,000. The majority of prime time programs are around the 20/30,000 mark.
4. Yes, TVS is essentailly ‘digital ready’ at the operations centre. Some tweaking is all that is needed. The issue is getting a digital transmitter.

By: Kirk Goodsell

Kirk Goodsell — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:05:05 +0000

Fabulous!
Congrats to the hard-working team at Channel 31.
Well-deserved.

By: Karl

Karl — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:13:47 +0000

Only 33% of the Mux for the C31? If ABC has 3 SD and 1 HD on their Mux, surely this ‘Channel A’ can hold C31, NITV, Sky News, A-PAC (which was promised for free-to-air) and ABC4? 5 channels minimum in the capitals before national rollout.

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:48:51 +0000

Great news .. we need to remember the great training ground community TV is for developing skills in broadcasting .. and the potential disaster the continued death trap analogue TV was becoming for Community TV.

By: ct

ct — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:03:39 +0000

Community TV does not qualify for a full 23 mbit mux. Surely the Feds will use this $2.3 million for the transmitters ony, and allocate say 33% of each Mux to Community TV, 33% to NITV, and the remaining 33% to the transmission of Federal Parliament – screening both houses and all subcommitties simultaneously which APAC does not do. Then over time, regional areas could be included, with the captial city Community Service potentially going statewide as a default service in the absence of a local service outside of the metro area. If a local comunity service were to start up, then it would take the place of the metro community service in that local regional area. Too sensible an idea, maybe?

By: Neon Kitten

Neon Kitten — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:31:17 +0000

Awesomely good news, and amazing to see the useless piece of political poo that is Conroy actually doing something good for the community he allegedly represents.

Finally I might be able to receive Channel 31 in my Melbourne CBD flat. Assuming I can talk the body corporate into getting another channel amp installed in the building for the new frequency, that is

Anyone know what frequency/channel this “channel A” is?

@Josh H: I doubt community stations will be doing HD. 16:9 SD, sure, but HD? The production costs would be prohibitive. And will they even get the bandwidth for an HD channel?

By: timmy

timmy — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:51:03 +0000

@Craig – it’s $2.6 Million more than the previous government spent! Who’s pathetic?

By: Josh H

Josh H — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:55:02 +0000

@Paull – digital broadcasting for community TV means that producers will now be able to shoot in high definition, and wont be limited to 4:3, which is the current requirement under the analogue transmission agreement.

By: Craig

Craig — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:41:14 +0000

I find it pathetic Rudd has spent billions to keep the country out of recession and only now has found the 2.6 Million for this, about time.