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Final Days For Australia's Analog TV

jones_supa writes "The switch to digital TV broadcasts in Australia has entered its final few days, with Sydney's analog signals being fully switched off today, 3 December. That just leaves Melbourne plus remote central and eastern Australia — and those areas will be switched over on 10 December, completing the country's transition to digital TV. The government runs an information site to assist the remaining crusty luddites with the switch-over."

3 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. If you've got good signal, digital is better, but. by sconeu · · Score: 4, Informative

    Analog degrades better if you're on the fringe.

    Digital is pretty much "all or nothing", with freezes, posterizing, etc.. if you've got a bad signal.

    If you've got a bad analog signal, you'll get snow and static, but you'll still be able to see what's happening.

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  2. Re:If you've got good signal, digital is better, b by mjwx · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Analog degrades better if you're on the fringe.

    Digital is pretty much "all or nothing", with freezes, posterizing, etc.. if you've got a bad signal.

    If you've got a bad analog signal, you'll get snow and static, but you'll still be able to see what's happening.

    But digital goes further, so if you're on the fringe of an analogue signal, you'll get a decent digital signal (well, as long as they're being transmitted from the same approximate location).

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  3. OTA via Satellite in Australia by enter+to+exit · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In Australia we have an government initiative called VAST (Viewer Access Satellite Television). Essentially, If you live in a rural area and have trouble getting OTA signals, they'll subsidize the cost of a satellite dish+decoder.

    All the OTA channels are put up on the Optus C1 satellite and depending on your location they'll unlock the channels you're meant to get in your area.

    I see no reason why this can't be extended to non-rural areas on a house-by-house basis.