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Freeview Officially Launching In 2009. Yawn.
Posted by Nick Broughall at 1:45 PM on July 18, 2008
The free-to-air networks this week got together and officially announced that they are planning on bringing the Freeview brand to Australia. Awesome. My hands are fighting back the urge to start clapping as I type this.
For those not in the know, Freeview is a UK branding exercise that covers free-to-air digital television. It essentially offers all the FTA networks digital TV offerings under one easy to remember brand name, essentially so that it can compete better with pay TV.
Considering the success Foxtel is experiencing at the moment, this is actually a good move for the FTA networks. Freeview will act as a standard that various DVR manufacturers will be able to adopt to ensure that they can provide an accurate EPG for home entertainment recording. This will allow other PVRs to seriously compete with the likes of TiVo and Foxtel's iQ2 box.
Freeview will incorporate 15 channels from the FTA networks, including the high-def channels and the upcoming SD multi-channel offerings, and is tasked to drive up the digital offerings available on free-to-air TV.
For those not in the know, Freeview is a UK branding exercise that covers free-to-air digital television. It essentially offers all the FTA networks digital TV offerings under one easy to remember brand name, essentially so that it can compete better with pay TV.
Considering the success Foxtel is experiencing at the moment, this is actually a good move for the FTA networks. Freeview will act as a standard that various DVR manufacturers will be able to adopt to ensure that they can provide an accurate EPG for home entertainment recording. This will allow other PVRs to seriously compete with the likes of TiVo and Foxtel's iQ2 box.
Freeview will incorporate 15 channels from the FTA networks, including the high-def channels and the upcoming SD multi-channel offerings, and is tasked to drive up the digital offerings available on free-to-air TV.
The only problem with the Freeview concept is that it's only launching in 2009. It should have launched at least 4 years ago. It launched in the UK in 2002, and even New Zealand has used its masthead as a driver for FTA TV since last year. The reasons behind the delay are probably too numerous to mention, but the fact that Channel 7, 9 and 10 were so precious about their EPG information for so many years certainly wouldn't have helped.
So, get ready for an onslaught of phone calls next year from your less tech-savvy mates asking what the hell Freeview is. You're going to get a few calls.
[Via TV Tonight]
Comments
ed
Posted July 18, 2008 6:06 PM
This comes to FTA trying to monetise EPG. then people wouldn't pay for it so now they have no choice but to give it. TV in Australian is crap, they are stuck in the 80s, and I hope every executive involved in TV dies of arse cancer.
Steve
Posted July 18, 2008 6:32 PM
I think this is great - not everyone wants to fork out for Foxtel/IQ or a Tivo box regardless of their "competitive pricing". It's good that FTA TV isn't going to fall behind the times now that we are steaming ahead in all AV related technology..
Ken Westmoreland
Posted July 18, 2008 8:05 PM
Wadda ya mean 'even' New Zealand? NZ got colour TV before Australia, and pay-TV as well. On the other hand, it only got commercial-free TV channels in the past year.
fatfingers
Posted July 19, 2008 11:17 AM
I hope to the God of Tech this means that they will get their act together and actually start showing shows at their advertised time. I'm sick of missing the last three minutes of a show even when I record five minutes past the finishing time. I'm looking at YOU, Channel Nine.
And before you ask, no I can't record 20 minutes past the finishing time if I want to record something else after the over-runner on a different channel.
/rant
hugh
Posted July 20, 2008 12:07 PM
does this mean that channel 10 will actually be broadcasting there HD content on there HD channel in rural areas "seriously ten" i want to watch AFL in HD get with it
snakedoctor
Posted July 20, 2008 5:15 PM
I applaud the introduction of a Freeview service. Let us all not forget that ITV Digital (aka onDigital) pioneered this quite successfully until a brain explosion when they blew all their money on the "also rans" of the English Football Leagues. I digress. No doubt the local FTA stations will bastardise the concept for their own benefit, and we will end up with a second rate product, as we generally do in Australia.
nicola
Posted August 11, 2008 7:02 AM
with the freeview box that is coming out in 2009 will you be able to get uk living for eastenders
rywtuuyrw
Posted August 12, 2008 7:16 PM
Hey, thats Freeview NZs logo, what about Australia, shouldnt you guys have your own freeview logo, HUH!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????
Jabir
Posted August 29, 2008 8:25 PM
This is great news for Australia, i do however think that DVB Australia should research DVB-T2 as it is supposed to provide effeciency gains for Spectrum Use, also would be great if Pay TV and and other world wide satellite channels are integrated in Digital TV.