26 replies to this topic

[eyesandears]

Hi all,

Living south of Nowra (NSW) means no FTA digital till end of 2005.
So I am putting off the upgrade of TV.

I want to buy a projector to watch sport and would, if I knew Austar would transmitt in digital widescreen. Now you'd think I'd be able to find out with a phone call wouldn't you. Well Austar tell me they are only a carrier and to ring the TV stations and look on the Fox web site. Nine was not able to tell me and Fox have nothing on it's site.

So I can wait and see but wanted to be set up for the footy.

Does anyone know?    


P.S ( I actually only got Austar on because I wrongly believed I'd would have received  AFL 2003 in wide screen. (as they supposely did in 2002)

[DannyR]

You shoudl be able to receive it in widecsreen already!

You have Austar via Staellite correct?

Just go into the setup menu of your decoder and select the output format from 4:3 to 4:3 letterbox or 16:9.

Can tell you exactly how to do this, as I don;t have Austar myself, but I know for sure that you can do it.

Danny.

[Wile E Coyote]

you can and its been available since Fox Footy's inception 2 years ago!!!

[eyesandears]

Wile E and Danny,

I apologize...my question should have been more specific. I know Austar do transmit  programes in wide screen... but I specifically wanted AFL in wide screen.  I, as Wile has suggested, thought that it was taken as read that I would see it (AFL) in wide screen. However it was not the case. apparently the  2002  telecasts (widescreen) had drawn flack for its letter boxing effect. As a result they chose to revert back to 4:3 format.  

Cheers

[laurie]

Quote

However it was not the case. apparently the 2002 telecasts (widescreen) had drawn flack for its letter boxing effect.

As Wile and Danny stated since day one    you are not referring to the logo/score being pushed towards the centre to suit 4:3 format displays
cheers laurie

[David Williams]

eyesandears, on Feb 8 2004, 09:38 PM, said:

Wile E and Danny,

I apologize...my question should have been more specific. I know Austar do transmit  programes in wide screen... but I specifically wanted AFL in wide screen.  I, as Wile has suggested, thought that it was taken as read that I would see it (AFL) in wide screen. However it was not the case. apparently the  2002  telecasts (widescreen) had drawn flack for its letter boxing effect. As a result they chose to revert back to 4:3 format.  

Cheers

AFL was in widescreen on Foxtel last year. You have to set your Foxtel/Austar box to output 16:9. If you don't do this, you will get the standard 4:3. If you don't/didn't see the AFL in widescreen, it was because you didn't set  your box up correctly as stated.

[pietro]

So what is the truth there?

Was Foxtel AFL in widescreen and Austar AFL in 4:3?

I'm thinking of getting Austar so I am very interested in getting AFL in 16:9.

While I'm at it can anyone tell me:

Austar re-transmits ABC and SBS, Is this digital?

How much 16:9 is there? eg UKTV???

Do they have cricket in WS??

When does their "new" digital with extra channels start?

Any other comments about Austar for widescreen TV owners.

[pietro]

And while I'm at it can someone please tell me the outputs of the Austar STB, both video and audio.

The Austar website is pathetic to say the least, a search for "widescreen" finds nothing.

[laurie]

Quote

And while I'm at it can someone please tell me the outputs of the Austar STB, both video and audio.

Well its not high resolution video just 576i at best S-Video and their new DIGITAL stb may have spdf output the existing has normal stereo outputs
cheers laurie

[waratahbay]

Pietro

I have an Austar STB connected to my WS SD Sony.  Set your Austar box to 16:9.  This is done through the "Menu" button on your remote.  Once you have done this you will have to watch Austar with your TV set to WS, otherwise everything will be squashed up.  (I presuming that you have a WS TV otherwise you are shot, because the Austar STB does not allow you to activate the "letterbox on 4:3 TV" option at the moment.)

You will find that AS OF NOW, anything which is on ABC in WS (Channel 2 on Austar) and SBS in WS (Channel 13 on Austar) will also be WS on your WS TV.  Quite of bit of programming on W and on Fox 8 is also WS.  Anything on the Fox Football Channel which was originally shot in WS is broadcast on WS via Austar.  If it was originally 4:3 then obviously it will be shown as 4:3.

Gossip on this forum and on the AusPayTV forum says that Austar will follow Foxtel and open up many of its channels to WS, including the main (non pay per view) movie channels, from the start of March.  I hope so.  It has already been reported in this forum that UKTV is now WS on Foxtel; sadly, not yet on Austar.  We live in hope in all these things.

Peter

[pietro]

Thanks Waratahbay. You are saying that AFL on Austar is in WS whereas someone else in this thread says it was changed back to 4:3???

If AFL wasn't WS I wouldn't get Austar.

I intend to ring Austar but don't hold out a lot of hope of getting accurate info. Maybe I'm wrong.

[pietro]

Also you didn't mention whether you have the latest Austar STB> If so, how do you have it connected? I have the 57" Toshiba WS SDTV with scart/rgb/s-vid/component inputs.

Are the ABC and SBS signals digital via Austar?

[Wile E Coyote]

Quote

Gossip on this forum and on the AusPayTV forum says that Austar will follow Foxtel and open up many of its channels to WS, including the main (non pay per view) movie channels, from the start of March. I hope so. It has already been reported in this forum that UKTV is now WS on Foxtel; sadly, not yet on Austar. We live in hope in all these things.

Gossip? Kim Williams, CEO of Foxtel, and John Porter, CEO of Austar said it themselves - 45 widescreen channels from March 1. Simple as that. No gossip involved

[waratahbay]

Wile E Coyote, on Feb 10 2004, 09:09 AM, said:

Quote

Gossip on this forum and on the AusPayTV forum says that Austar will follow Foxtel and open up many of its channels to WS, including the main (non pay per view) movie channels, from the start of March. I hope so. It has already been reported in this forum that UKTV is now WS on Foxtel; sadly, not yet on Austar. We live in hope in all these things.

Gossip? Kim Williams, CEO of Foxtel, and John Porter, CEO of Austar said it themselves - 45 widescreen channels from March 1. Simple as that. No gossip involved

WEC: excellent - thanks for the reminder.

Pietro: I've connected my Austar STB via S-video. PQ is excellent on Sony SD TV.  Austar is via satellite, and is therefore digital. The rebroadcast is of the ABC and SBS SD channels.   BTW, sometimes the Austar AFL is in widescreen (like last night) and sometimes not (like last night).  The 2003 season is 16:9 for example but the studio work (panelists, etc) is 4:3 at the moment.  Go ahead and sign up!

(PS I have no shares or interest in Austar - other than wanting a good service from them!)

[pietro]

I had Austar some years ago and gave it up as the choices of plan didn't suit me. It was satellite then and I still have the dish on my roof.

But satellite doesn't automatically mean digital does it? This means Austar has been digital for years. Is this the case?  

It's interesting you say 2003 AFL was WS when someone else here says Austar changed back to 4:3 due to non-WS people complaining about letterbox AFL.

If I do re-sign I'll wait till after March 1st as I expect the plans will all change. I can't see the point of having movie channels when I can watch them on DVD at a time that suits or have them in my collection.

[Wile E Coyote]

Quote

But satellite doesn't automatically mean digital does it? This means Austar has been digital for years. Is this the case?

YES! The satellite signal has been "digital" now for a good while. It's just people 1/ dont believe it and 2/ don't know much about it being so.

Austar has been digital for 18 months or so, along with interactive, with local weather, interactive stuff on Nickelodeon, V, Lifestyle, Games... now for ages and ages

Cheers

[Wile E Coyote]

Quote

It's interesting you say 2003 AFL was WS when someone else here says Austar changed back to 4:3 due to non-WS people complaining about letterbox AFL.

If I do re-sign I'll wait till after March 1st as I expect the plans will all change. I can't see the point of having movie channels when I can watch them on DVD at a time that suits or have them in my collection.

I have Austar and it was most certainly WS for me.

Good idea to wait, keep an eye out on the Auspaytv forums which I help moderate, as Foxtel/Austar will be releasing pricing plus a couple of surprises (sorry can't say what, been sworn to secrecy) sometime around the 20th Feb.

Auspaytv News

Auspaytv Forums

Feel free to sign up and contribute. Thanks DBA for not getting narky at me posting our URLs, we're all here to help one another with all the information we can find

[Beardy]

Quote

It has already been reported in this forum that UKTV is now WS on Foxtel; sadly, not yet on Austar.

This is not true, I have Austar, and UKTV went widescreen on Feb 1 on both Foxtel and Austar.

[calisota]

Quote

It can't be regional, can it? Are you on the satellite network or the cable network? How to explain the difference between what you get and what I get?

I'm here on the Gold Coast and getting Austar by satellite.  I must admit that I don't watch UKTV much but as I surf  past I have certainly noticed some shows in widescreen. There does seem to be more in 4:3 than 16:9, though maybe this has something to do with the age of the things they are showing.

Greg

[waratahbay]

Eureka.  I left the TV on UK-TV without a break and lo and behold ... WS!!!!!!!!!!!!  (albeit Coronation Street).

Beardy and others ...  I owe you a beer in the next life.

I saw so many letterboxed programs in 4:3 frames right up till today, and hadn't struck a WS program or promo since 1 Feb, that I presumed that they were still in 4:3.

Thanks for the wake up call.

[eyesandears]

Well just reading this forum you can see how much confusion there is about AFL widescreen. As I said earlier Austar told me that 2003 was not transmitted in widescreen as the result of complaints recieved in 2002.

Now here's the part that I lose it on.

True widescreen for AFL will be filmed in 16:9 (different type of camera) and transmitted as such, and this was not available in the 2003 season. Last year they filmed football in 4:3 and converted it for wide screen (where it was seen). This function  can be done by either the telecaster or the receipent.

I am lead to believe that until that happens the real impact of watching AFL in widescreen will not become apparent.

Correct me if I am wrong, and help me if I am right.

I do not want to buy a projector to watch a stretched AFL.

Regards All

eyesandears

[nickdan1]

Both the 2002 and 2003 seasons of the AFL were transmitted in widescreen on Austar. I can assue you as i watched many games. Austar basically get what Foxtel get in the way of widescreen because its a waste of bandwith transmitting a 4:3 version and a 16:9 version on the same satellite. If they filmed the football in 4:3 and converted it to 16:9 you would have one disgusting blury pixelated picture. If you did have an old PACE decoder during the last season you would have only seen it in 4:3 no matter what. But with the ADB, ATLAS and other newer decoders you just have to configure your TV installation settings on the decoder properly.

[pietro]

Interesting Nickdan.

Last night I rang Austar and asked for a tech person, foolishly thinking they would be like ISPs and have tech support.

They finally found someone who "knew" about technical matters, so I asked for details of the decoder's outputs, and would I know which decoder I would get.

Which decoder supplied depends on what is available. He said the decoder outputs were RF and AV. So I said I would want a minimum of s-video but ideally RGB or component. Silence. He had no idea what I was talking about.

This is a waste of time. The only way around this that I can think of is to say I want to go ahead and when the installer rings,  get details of the decoder. If he can't make me happy then I say cancel the whole deal.

Hardly satisfactory but does anyone have a better idea?

I agree with you eyesandears. I can watch stretched AFL on WIN and SC10 until they start digital in my area. You do get used to it but I would prefer the correct picture.

[eyesandears]

Nickdan,

I still need convincing, and an answer to my question, will Austar transmit AFL in digital widescreen this season?

Austar couldn't tell me the answer.

Someone  said on here that Austar has been transmitting Digital for 18 months..... It use to be MPEG 2 .....(I worked for austar at he time )

last year the clarity on Austar was the same as 10 and 9 AFL telecasts.

I received Ten's widescreen on FTA and it was letterboxed on my 4:3 TV.
However as I dont have access to FTA digital for 2 more years how can it be true widescreen?

Puzzled.

Eyes & Ears

[nickdan1]

I havent heard any "official" word of it being widescreen. But i can make a very strong assumption that it will be. Why would they revert back to 4:3 with Foxtel Digital starting up? And the so called "Austar Digital." Austar satellite had been digital since day 1. Could you imagine transmitting an analog signal over satellite? Im not even sure if its possible. The quality last year was excellent for every single game. 10 were showing the AFL in 14:9 on analog last year, so you werent seeing the full 16:9 picture.

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