FreeView?

[FlangMasterJ]

Anyone had this installed?

What are the costs involved and are you satisfied?

[Cajun]

i already had a sky dish, got a freeview box cheap.

My tv1/2 was crap when i cut the cable to hook bravo1 with tv up his room, 3,4,5 prime were fine.

This freeview box fixed this, so primo on all the channels now,

BUt honstly as a whole i don't think its worth it, unless you current tv recieption sucks, since the only thing any good on at moment is the sport extra, which shows naff all, currently showning u19 soccor champs, and shows the v8 live. everything else you can get free to air as it is.

[bungbung]

Like Cajun says, at the moment not worth the effort unless you have poo reception, or like the idea of having an electronic program guide.

Later on, there'll be a few extra channels added. Next year we're promised HD reception (but not using a dish, different method). So if you've bought a fancy flat telly and want to show it off...

[FlangMasterJ]

So if you've bought a fancy flat telly and want to show it off...

That's the thing my flatmates just bought a Sony Bravia HighDef LCD TV and the reception has turned to shit.

Do you guys know the approximate cost for FreeView?

[SimJen]

waste of time and destined to fail if you ask me.
I had to get sky digital cause of where I live (in the wops). Sky has decent buying power when it comes to sports etc, so I can't see freeview taking off as it has bugger all money behind it.

[scracha]

waste of time and destined to fail if you ask me.
I had to get sky digital cause of where I live (in the wops). Sky has decent buying power when it comes to sports etc, so I can't see freeview taking off as it has bugger all money behind it.

It'll not fail, the leftie government will bail them out (sigh). Waste of money. If you've got terrible reception then by all means get it. The funny thing is the peeps spending all the money on a dish to receive it won't get better definition. The higher resolution (NOTE..it won't be true HIGH DEFINITION) pictures will be available next year using umm...terrestrial aerials. You'll need a different type of top box from the satellite dish compatible ones too. Complete $#ck up.

Some bod also informed me that the Sky satellite doesn't have enough capacity for HDTV either.....anyone confirm this?

[Steam]

It'll not fail, the leftie government will bail them out (sigh).

Whaddya mean? It's a government funded initiative in the first place. How can the govt bail itself out?

The uptake won't be much until they start degrading and cutting off the analogue signal, THEN people will change.

They are already coming up with plans for who to sell the frequency rights to, so it's in the works and coming soon.

[bungbung]

I'm not sure about a lack of capacity, rather Sky unwilling to pay for the extra bandwidth required you can fit several regular channels into the space occupied by one HD stream.

If you look at the Optus sat we get sky and freeview from, you can see that the Aussies get free to air HD (720) of SBS and ABC.

http://www.lyngsat.com/optusd1.html

In NZ you will need DTT to receive the proposed HD transmissions (and therefore a different set top box).

Google HD Freeview and read about the poms trial of HD.

[NinjaNanna]

Freeview is a good thing,

Better reception for most, EPG and widescreen!

It is going to get better too, next year in major centres you will be able to get DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting - Terrestial) my advice is wait for this.

DVB-T will be based on newer technology MPEG4, which allows more information to be squeezed into less spectrum. In layman's terms this means better pictures. Also if you spend the extra money on a HD Decoder you will be able to access the HD Services, once the broadcasters start transmitting them.

I personally missed Free to Air Digital TV after moving from Australia, but I will wait for the Terrestrial Service before buying a set top box/decoder, after all I won't have to worry about rainfade then.

[Hitcher]

FreeView isn't "free". You have to buy the set-top box and a rooftop dish, if there isn't a redundant Sky dish on the roof already.

If you already have Sky, either via satellite or cable, you need a second set-top box. If you have Sky satellite, do you then need a second rooftop dish for FreeView -- does it come off the same satellite as Sky uses?

If you have two STBs, is some sort of router/switch required behind the TV so it knows where to get its signal from? Ditto for DVD recorders?

Why aren't these questions answered on the FreeView web site, together with a schedule of likely costs involved? That site would have to qualify for a prize as the most useless site of all time -- it tells its readers nothing.

When does the state broadcaster plan to discontinue its terrestrial VHF/UHF service?

If you are already a Sky digital subscriber, why on earth would you bother with FreeView, unless you're really into knitting? (from the new handcrafts channel)

[SimJen]

I would of thought the commerce commision would have been involved as "Freeview" is being falsely advertised!

[Hitcher]

It is going to get better too, next year in major centres you will be able to get DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting - Terrestial) my advice is wait for this.

If this is true (and I have no reason to doubt), than why haven't people been told this and why is the current satellite platform being rolled out if it is going to be superceded in reasonably short order?

[Tortron]

ive got a tv tuner and capture card in my computer, can i just run a dish through that, or will it not decode?

[NinjaNanna]

FreeView isn't "free". You have to buy the set-top box.

If you already have Sky, either via satellite or cable, you need a second set-top box. If you have Sky satellite, do you then need a second rooftop dish for FreeView -- does it come off the same satellite as Sky uses?

If you have two STBs, is some sort of router/switch required behind the TV so it knows where to get its signal from? Ditto for DVD recorders?

What aren't these questions answered on the FreeView web site, together with a schedule of likely costs involved? That site would have to qualify for a prize as the most useless site of all time -- it tells its readers nothing.

When does the state broadcaster plan to discontinue its terrestrial VHF/UHF service?

If you are already a Sky digital subscriber, why on earth would you bother with FreeView, unless you're really into knitting? (from the new handcrafts channel)

Freeview is on the same Satellite as SKY, so no you don't need a second Dish, you do need an RF Splitter though that is suitable for sattelite use.

Yes if you have two Boxes you need a seperate switch or a dedicated input into your home entertainment system / DVD recorders

It isn't on the website because it is the same as adding a gaming console/ vhs player/ dvd player/ dvd recorder to the your system.

Likely costs range drastically, but I agree could be summaried but I'm sure they would confuse lots of people

Dish, LNB and Cabling (installed) $200 +gst
Freeview Endsorsed Satellite Reciever $400
Generic Satellite Rx $300
RF splitter $50 (only require if more than 1 sattelite rx)

Audio Video Switch (if insuficient inputs on Entertainment System) $30-$200

Indicative prices only.

By the way Freeview is only meant to imply that there is no subscription fee, unlike Sky. Obviously it isn't totally free, after all you do need a TV to watch it.

[NinjaNanna]

If this is true (and I have no reason to doubt), than why haven't people been told this and why is the current satellite platform being rolled out if it is going to be superceded in reasonably short order?


Because the Satellite service is available to everybody in NZ, terrestial will be a staged roll out over a couple of years and it is likely that it will only reach about 90% of NZ'rs at the end of this.

As to your technology question, I think it was a political decision from the government that they wanted DTV NOW, and the MPEG4 technology for sattelite is more expensive from the Broadcasters and Consumers point of view.

Personally I think it was a dumb decision, Sattelite bandwidth is expensive, so you'd think that making the most is it would be of the utmost importance - but no - the Government annoucing "Digital TV is here now and it will cost you $400" is better than say "DTV is here now and will cost you $600"

[NinjaNanna]

ive got a tv tuner and capture card in my computer, can i just run a dish through that, or will it not decode?

No totally different technology, though you can buy appropriate Sattelite Capture Cards for your PC if that's your thing

[MacD]

If this is true (and I have no reason to doubt), than why haven't people been told this and why is the current satellite platform being rolled out if it is going to be superceded in reasonably short order?

The people have been told this, right from the initial launch. The Freeview website (http://freeviewnz.tv/index.php?section_id=1) also has information about the coverage of the terrestrial service which is meant to be available from early 2008.

The satellite service covers the whole country, while the terrestrial service will only cover major centres and surrounding areas, as is true in many places for the current analogue signal. The terrestrial signal will offer HD-quality signals also.

Freeview is not a subscription service, so the signal is "free", but there are set-up costs in terms of the receiver equipment, just the same as with analogue TV (ie: you have to buy a digital receiver at present - future TVs will have digital tuners built-in) and either a satellite dish or appropriate aerial for the terrestrial service (remember all the moaning when people had to buy UHF aerials when that was introduced).

All analogue signals will be phased out over the next decade (not just state TV, free-market TV will also switch at the same time). Australia will also phase out analogue broadcasting around 2010-12.

Unless you have reception issues, or live outside a major centre, it's probably not worth going with the satellite service at present. Wait for the terrestrial digital service next year.

SKY will also be offering HDTV at some stage in the next year or two, but current subscribers will have to upgrade their receivers (and possibly satellite dishes) including the SKY PVRs that people have paid $500 for the privilege of renting.

[Cynic]

Dish, LNB and Cabling (installed) $200 +gst
Freeview Endsorsed Satellite Reciever $400
Generic Satellite Rx $300
RF splitter $50 (only require if more than 1 sattelite rx)

Audio Video Switch (if insuficient inputs on Entertainment System) $30-$200
.

Wow, for that sort of cash a guy could just get out more.....:laugh:

[Hitcher]

SKY will also be offering HDTV at some stage in the next year or two, but current subscribers will have to upgrade their receivers (and possibly satellite dishes) including the SKY PVRs that people have paid $500 for the privilege of renting.

What is a PVR?

[FlangMasterJ]

Just an update. Me and my flatmate had a call from SKY yesterday with a deal we couldn't turn down. $49 setup with the next two months free.:2thumbsup

[NinjaNanna]

What is a PVR?

Personal Video Recorder - basically a VHS on steriods but instead of using tapes it has a hard drive built in.

Coolest thing about them is they let you continuously record, which means you can pause Live TV, go to the loo, come back and start watching again, also means you can fastforward through commercial breaks.