|
|
Latest News
Digital Television Switchover
The Australian Government has announced that all free-to-air television broadcasters in Australia will complete the switch from analog transmission to digital-only transmission by the end of 2013. The timetable for the digital switchover was announced on 19 October 2008 by Senator Stephen Conroy and shows when the switchover will occur region by region across the country.
http://www.dbcde.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/88108/Digital_TV_Timetable_by_Region.pdf
Digital television will provide the benefits of improved picture and sound quality and greater program choice.
For viewers, this will require a number of changes to the way in which television broadcasts are received, including obtaining new equipment to receive the digital signals.
For retailers, this will require understanding the changes to the technology to better advise customers on the available options.
The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy is working closely with the broadcasting industry, the retail sector and other parties to ensure the smooth transition to digital-only televisions broadcasts and that viewers enjoy the associated benefits.
http://www.dbcde.gov.au/television/digital_televison_switchover
Get Ready for Digital TV
Visit the Get Ready for Digital TV website for the latest information about the digital switchover and when your region is scheduled to begin the switchover process.
http://www.digitalready.gov.au/
3D Free to Air Transmission in Australia
First in the World
19 May 2010: Transmission service providers TX Australia Pty Limited (TXA) and Broadcast Australia (BA) launched "free to air" DTV 3D transmission from 00:00hrs today in Brisbane on UHF Channel 50 from TXA's Mt Coot-tha site and in Sydney on UHF Channel 35 from BA's Gore Hill site in a world first terrestrial broadcast over the air, on DTV logical channel number 40.
Nine Network Australia and SBS have been given scientific test transmission licences from the 19 May 2010 until the 19 July 2010 to enable consumers, retailers and manufacturers to experience live sporting events and other material.
The trial broadcast will demonstrate the potential of 3D television and the enhancements enabled by digital technology. The NRL State of Origin series and a number of FIFA World Cup games from South Africa will be shown in 3D during this period.
The trial 3D transmission is progressively been rolled out on UHF Channels in Melbourne (Ch35), Adelaide (Ch29), Perth (Ch35), Newcastle (Ch35) and Wollongong (Ch50) and all will be on DTV logical channel number 40.
Transmission service providers TXA and BA are working collaboratively in bringing this trial transmission of Nine and SBS 3D services and would like to thank industry partners BroadcastONE (Harris agent) and Radio Frequency Systems (RFS) who have contributed loan equipment to this historic broadcast transmission event.
Free to Air 3D Television Trials
April 2010: The Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued scientific test transmission licences to Nine Network and SBS to trial 3D television in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle and Wollongong.
ACMA is able to temporarily allocate available unassigned broadcast service band (BSB) spectrum under section 34 of the Broadcast Services Act 1992. One of the purposes for which such spectrum can be allocated is conducting trials of new radiocommunication technologies.
The licences allow Nine and SBS to broadcast 3D high definition television between 19 May 2010 and 19 July 2010 to viewers with access to 3D-enabled digital television receivers.
The trial will include live telecasts of the three NRL State of Origin rugby league match and a number of FIFA World Cup games being played in South Africa.
The 3D service of Nine and SBS will be broadcast on UHF channels in Sydney (Ch35), Melbourne (Ch35), Brisbane (Ch50), Adelaide (Ch29), Perth (Ch35), Newcastle (Ch35) and Wollongong (Ch50), and will be on DTV logical channel number 40.
C31 Melbourne Teams Up with TX Australia
22 February 2010: The community television broadcaster for the Melbourne and Geelong licence area, Melbourne Community Television Consortium Limited (31) has teamed up with leading broadcast transmission facilities services provider TX Australia Pty Limited (TXA) for its digital transmission service.
C31 has entered into a licence agreement with TXA for the provision of a fully managed transmission service. See: www.c31.org.au
TXA is responsible for the encoding, multiplexing and transmitting of C31's program content, with a Freeview compliant electronic program guide (EPG), from TXA's Mount Dandenong facility in Melbourne.
Test transmission will commence on 28 May 2010, with the official on air launch scheduled for June 2010, and can be found on DTV logical channel number 44 (UHF Channel 32).
TXA is honoured to have been chosen to provide a fully managed digital transmission service for the community television broadcaster in Melbourne, and wishes them every success in this new digital era.
Perth Community Television Broadcaster Selects TX Australia
22 February 2010: West Television (WTV) has selected TX Australia Pty Limited (TXA) as their preferred digital transmission service provider.
West TV Ltd (WTV) is Western Australia's first and only free-to-air digital community television station. See: www.wtvperth.com.au
TXA is providing a fully managed transmission service consisting of encoding, multiplexing and transmitting of WTV program content with a Freeview compliant electronic program guide (EPG) from TXA's Carmel facility in Perth.
WTV test transmission is scheduled to commence in late March 2010. The service will officially launch on the 10 April 2010 and can be found on DTV logical channel number 44. (UHF Channel 32).
TXA is honoured to have been chosen to provide a fully managed digital transmission service for community television broadcasters in Perth, and wishes them every success in this new digital era.
TXA will be launching C31 Melbourne's community television digital service in late May 2010.
Community Television Metropolitan Broadcasters to go Digital
4 November 2009: Senator Conroy, the Minister for Broadband, Communication and the Digital Economy, has announced that as part of a pathway to digitisation, unassigned spectrum previously known as Channel A would be allocated to community television in each metropolitan market until analogue switch off in 2013.
This will allow Community TV stations C31 in Melbourne, TVS in Sydney, QCTV in Brisbane and Channel 31 in Adelaide to simulcast their service until the switch to digital only broadcasts in early 2013. A new community licensee in Perth will commence digital only broadcasts in early 2010.
The government has allocated funding support, totalling $2.6 million, to enable the community sector to meet the costs of commencing digital simulcasts.
For further information: http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2009/100
Digital Television Switchover Timetable
19 October 2008: The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today released the timetable for the switchover to digital television.
Analogue broadcasting will cease in the Mildura/Sunraysia district by the 30 June 2010.
Broken Hill in NSW and Mt Gambier, Riverland and Spencer Gulf in South Australia will turn off analogue broadcasts in the second half of 2010, and the rest of regional Victoria in the first half of 2011.
Regional Queensland, excluding remote western and northern areas, will switch-off analogue broadcasts in the second half of 2011. The major regional centres of NSW will switch-off analogue in 2012.
Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast, Perth and Tasmania will switch-off analogue in the first half of 2013, and Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, remote western, central and eastern Australia will be digital-only by the end of 2013.
For further information please see: http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2008/077
Australia Launches Digital Audio Broadcasting
The Commercial (and in 2010 Community) broadcasters' joint venture companies have selected TX Australia Pty Limited (TXA) as their preferred national mainland metropolitan transmission facilities partner for DAB+ services.
The National broadcasters' DAB+ also originates from TXA facilities in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
DAB+ radio services launched officially in Australia on Thursday 6 August 2009.
These services commenced from TXA sites as follows;
- TXA Artarmon Site NSW - commenced Thursday 16 July 2009
- Ornata Rd Site VIC - commenced Monday 11 May 2009
- T-Site QLD - commenced Monday 25 May 2009
- Crafers Site SA - commenced Monday 18 May 2009
- Carmel Site WA - Commenced Monday 4 May 2009
These high power digital radio services are transmitted on vertical polarisation with directional antenna patterns on VHF channel 9A.
For further information on digital radio, refer to Digital Radio Plus
|
|
|