22 replies to this topic

[auto78900]

I was very dissapointed when I rang the governement to find out when we get the free settop boxes from Centrelink ? and they said not until 2013,
but thats stupid because channel 31 has already switched over. What do you think ?

[mtv]

What do I think?

People have had 12 years in Melbourne to go digital.

The 'free' STB's are junk.

C31 (and community channels in other states) cannot afford to run both analogue and digital transmitters and given the fact you can buy an HD STB now for $40 and less.... plus the amount of notice people have had to upgrade... I think it's a very fair call.

[pgdownload]

Its a pity ch31 have had to cease transmitting on the analogue bandwidth before the switch over has been fully completed. But that's because it can't afford to broadcast over two spectrum (there was considerable doubt for a while that c31 would ever make it into digital at all). But that's a commercial decision on their part, same as the big networks have played around with various shows they've decided to air digital only. You might as well say that centrelink should be providing free STB now because Neighbours is no longer on analogue TV etc.

FWIW Dick Smith are selling SD STBs for $19 so if you reckon Ch31 is worth $2 a month for a "subscription" then you'll be covered (and I think you might also be able to get Neighbours too )

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[pwd]

auto78900, on 17 May 2012 - 03:55 PM, said:

I was very dissapointed when I rang the governement to find out when we get the free settop boxes from Centrelink ? and they said not until 2013,
but thats stupid because channel 31 has already switched over. What do you think ?

What do you expect from the Government, always a catch 22 scenario....

I feel sorry for the pensioners & underprivileged who cannot afford the C/O then again people don't care because they are not in that position & do not understand or have any concept of hardship.

[GlennP]

You have to be on a full pension (not part payment pension), & not have access to any digital TV tuner in the house to be eligible. In other words, if you have a LCD, Plasma, or an STB anywhere in the house, you are not eligible for a Government issue STB.

There is no guarantee after analogue switch off & the digital Tv re-stack, that community TV (ch.31) will exist, all TV channels in the capital cities will be on VHF, 2 of those channels are allocated to DAB+ digital radio, the others are all taken up by the 7, 9 & 10, SBS & ABC, leaving 1 spare currently unassigned for possible future 4th commercial TV channel/network. So if that's what you're holding out for, don't.

[miata]

pwd, on 17 May 2012 - 05:38 PM, said:

What do you expect from the Government, always a catch 22 scenario.... I feel sorry for the pensioners & underprivileged who cannot afford the C/O then again people don't care because they are not in that position & do not understand or have any concept of hardship.

I'm a pensioner and have no other income, I've already thrown out five expired set top boxes over the last five years, honestly anyone who isn't digital ready is just plain not interested and really when they suddenly find themselves without a picture, has no-one to blame but themselves! They've had ten bloody years for heavens sake and it's not rocket science. With full digital TVs available from $250 (or less), there's no excuse.

[BamBBBam]

mtv, on 17 May 2012 - 04:06 PM, said:

People have had 12 years in Melbourne to go digital.

The 'free' STB's are junk.

Exactly. But no doubt what we could buy for $40, will somehow cost the government (i.e. the taxpayers) $400.00

[nbound]

Isnt it standard to not have these free set-top boxes available in your area until the switchover nears?

As has been stated above, you can get an STB for less than a tank of petrol/slab of beer. For the very few people who are so hardly done by that they cannot save the low amounts now needed (and fulfill all the requirements), Im sure they have bigger issues to worry about than not getting digital TV till 2013. (Note: Even spotted a 19" LCD HD Digital TV at the post office the other week for $79)

Edited by nbound, 17 May 2012 - 08:37 PM.

[alanh]

BamBBBam

Household assistance scheme
The reason why the installers are paid more than the price of an STB is because if the signal is inadequate they have to install an antenna. In some locations this can be upto 10 m above the ground or be part of an MATB system. The installer is paid the same for each installation. So the easy installs pay for the more difficult ones.

They also have to make the STB work on an existing TV and get the user to be able to use it. This is not always easy. Auditing is also occuring.

In addition all of the STBs are capable of HD reception and will decompress MPEG-4.

For more information
http://www.digitalre...nce-scheme.aspx

AlanH

[pwd]

Deleted

Edited by pwd, 06 June 2012 - 09:42 PM.

[clipper]

alanh, on 18 May 2012 - 01:56 AM, said:

The reason why the installers are paid more than the price of an STB is because if the signal is inadequate they have to install an antenna. In some locations this can be upto 10 m above the ground or be part of an MATB system. The installer is paid the same for each installation. So the easy installs pay for the more difficult ones.

AlanH

Sounds like a can of worms. Who's going to put up a 5m mast and stays? Most installers will just make some excuse and go to the next job on the list.

[alanh]

Clipper,
Its in the contract for a large number of installs with penalty clauses. There is also a complaints procedure back to the Department for those who do not get reliable digital reception.

This scheme has been running since the first switchover area in Mildura, Victoria prior to June 2010. Since that time contracts have been completed in regional SA/Broken Hill, regional Victoria, regional Queensland and regional Southern NSW. The current contracts are now running in regional Northern NSW. In the first half of next year is Perth, Brisbane, Tasmania. The last half of next year is Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, remote regions of eastern/central Australia and WA.


AlanH

[Alista]

I think this whole free thing is nonsense. I'm very sure most pensioners would be more than able to afford the $19 or similar to keep a picture on the tv. Quite a lot of pensioners I know have either gone through many set top boxes or have upgraded to flat panel tv's. Down here in Tasmania we have had digital for quite some time and channel 10 has been digital only from day 1 so there is really no excuse.

Also if some people are doing it that tough I have a feeling their current tv is probably almost cactus anyway because they wouldn't have upgrade it.
Each to their own I suppose.

[alanh]

Alista,
The free set top box also includes the installation of an out door antenna which can be upto 10 m above the ground. This is to ensure reliable reception.
Many pensioners have very old antennas which are too corroded to produce good digital signals. So the STB installer has to replace the antenna and probably some cabling.
What happens in MATV systems where there is an amplifer for each network. The tuning of these amplifiers have to be changed to the digital RF channels.
There are a number of substandard MATV systems which will require a rewire to reduce the error rates in the signals sufficiently

Alanh

[pgdownload]

Alista, on 07 June 2012 - 12:53 PM, said:

Also if some people are doing it that tough I have a feeling their current tv is probably almost cactus anyway because they wouldn't have upgrade it.

So the theory is those doing it tough should no longer have TV because their perfectly usable TV will eventually break down? Keep in mind that this assistance is being provided to less than 1% of Australian households. So yes most pensioners have/will upgrade there STBs themselves. Its just the poorest and least digitally capable bit of the population that is being assisted. Its quite likely that you don't even know someone in this category.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[bellotv]

GlennP, on 17 May 2012 - 06:12 PM, said:

You have to be on a full pension (not part payment pension), & not have access to any digital TV tuner in the house to be eligible. In other words, if you have a LCD, Plasma, or an STB anywhere in the house, you are not eligible for a Government issue STB.

Thats what I thought too but was informed by a pro-active pensioner that because her lounge LCD and her bedroom STB only had Standard definition tuners that she was assured by centerlink that she was elagable for a High definition STB

alanh, on 07 June 2012 - 02:52 PM, said:

What happens in MATV systems where there is an amplifer for each network. The tuning of these amplifiers have to be changed to the digital RF channels.
There are a number of substandard MATV systems which will require a rewire to reduce the error rates in the signals sufficiently

Alanh

Well theres a ****ing good reason right there  to have nothing to do with it at all if your an" indorsed installer" payed **** by the contractor in the first place to have to sort that out .

Tune a few amps   ,wip out a bit of that embedded old single shield airs spaced coax ,yeah easy money be home for dinner honey.

[pgdownload]

bellotv, on 07 June 2012 - 06:28 PM, said:

Thats what I thought too but was informed by a pro-active pensioner that because her lounge LCD and her bedroom STB only had Standard definition tuners that she was assured by centerlink that she was eligible for a High definition STB

Interesting. The FAQ is pretty plain that a 'digital' house is not eligible (at least in the spirit of the law).

If I’m in the eligible group, but I’ve already gone digital, can I get my money back from the government?
No.  The intention of the package is to help those who genuinely can’t go digital without support.

What if one of my TV sets is already digital, but another isn’t? Am I eligible?
No.  The assistance package is only available to households that do not already have at least one working digital television connection.

Its possible SD isn't considered 'digital' in the fine print of the scheme but seems unlikely (esp. as all the current analogue channels are broadcast in SD only). Be interested to hear if the helpdesk assurances translate into a handy man at the door.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

Edited by pgdownload, 07 June 2012 - 07:45 PM.

[DrP]

It would be unlikely for SD to not be considered digital.  The federal government's 'digital ready' labelling scheme considers it to be.

[alanh]

DrP,
All supposition, you have not asked the DBCDE for the policy.

The STBs supplied  since the start of the scheme in 2010 are HD and are all MPEG-4 capable. Source DBCDE.

AlanH

[DrP]

You can no doubt guess just how much I care about your idiocy alanh.  What was that?  Oh yes, "There are no cable pay TV and/or internet services in Perth".

Get a clue.

[alanh]

If your wrong hurl abuse.
Alanh

[DrP]

If you're wrong... never admit it.  At least that's the alanh way.  Perhaps the problem is not so much lacking of admission of error but simply lack of comprehension of the subject so completely that its not even realised that a mistake as been made.

Time for you to silently slink off, as per usual, me thinks.