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Analog TV – going! Aurora TV – going! What’s next? It’s VAST VAST! Back in April last year, the Australian Government announced a landmark agreement that will eventually provide high quality digital TV services to viewers who cannot receive terrestrial digital TV (ie, digital TV services from transmission towers in their area). by Garry Cratt* V iewers in most areas of Eastern Australia are now, or will soon be, able to receive the full range of digital TV programming from the new digital TV satellite service that their city cousins have come to expect. The new service is called VAST: Viewer Access Satellite Television and is operated by Southern Cross Media and Imparja. Funded by the Australian Government, it will ensure access to high quality (SD and HD) free-to-air TV delivered by satellite for viewers living in all areas not covered by a digital terrestrial TV tower. The VAST service will operate in northern and southern time zones, providing services for viewers in Queensland and the Northern Territory based on Brisbane time and services for viewers in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania based on Sydney time. Vast will deliver the following 17 digital channels:    High Definition: One HD Nine HD, Seven HD, SBS HD, ABC News24 HD Standard Definition: Regional Local News ABC1, Imparja, Nine, SBS One, Southern Cross Seven, Ten ABC2, ABC3, GO!, SBS TWO, 7TWO, ONE Table 1: VAST access availability by region Region Digital Switchover Date VAST Access Available From Mildura/Sunraysia.................................. 30 June 2010......................... June 2010* Regional SA & Broken Hill..................... 15 December 2010................. September 2010 Regional Victoria.................................... 5 May 2011............................ 15 December 2010* Regional Queensland............................. TBA; Second Half 2011.......... 6 Months before Switchover Date Regional Southern NSW........................ TBA; First Half 2012............... 6 Months before Switchover Date Regional Northern NSW......................... TBA; Second Half 2012.......... 6 Months before Switchover Date Tasmania................................................ TBA; First Half 2013............... 6 Months before Switchover Date Perth...................................................... TBA; First Half 2013............... 6 Months before Switchover Date Brisbane & Gold Coast........................... TBA; First Half 2013............... 6 Months before Switchover Date Melbourne............................................. TBA; Second Half 2013.......... 6 Months before Switchover Date Adelaide................................................. TBA; Second Half 2013.......... 6 Months before Switchover Date Sydney................................................... TBA; Second Half 2013.......... 6 Months before Switchover Date Darwin................................................... TBA; Second Half 2013.......... 6 Months before Switchover Date Remote Central & Eastern Australia....... TBA; Second Half 2013.......... 15 December 2010* Remote Western Australia..................... TBA; Second Half 2013.......... TBA * Not all channels available at this time 12  Silicon Chip A “slimmed-down” channel lineup consisting of ABC and SBS services has been available to customers living in the TV1 licence area (Remote Central and Eastern Australia – see map overleaf) since December 15th, 2010. The satellite service for viewers in Western Australia is currently under negotiation with Prime and WIN Television and details will be released soon. So it is obvious that remote Australia will not only get a more reliable service with VAST, their choice of programs will also be significantly expanded. Who is eligible? The service is primarily designed for viewers who live in geographic regions that won’t be covered by digital TV signals when the analog TV signals are turned off. It is quite possible (indeed likely) that many viewers is deep fringe areas who are “only just” receiving an analog signal at the moment, will not receive any digital signal at all. Digital TV signals have a very distinct level threshold (known as the digital cliff), beyond which reception will not be possible. A satellite-based delivery solution was a considered a much more economical solution than upgrading or building new “black spot” TV transmitters in every region affected. In these regions viewers will have access to the new VAST satellite service six months before the analog TV signals are scheduled to be switched off (see siliconchip.com.au The VAST-ready UEC set-top box is currently the only approved model on the market, although that is expected to change as VAST becomes more widely available. It offers HDMI output, is Dolby Digital compatible and as can be seen from the rear panel photo below, is very comprehensive in its functions. Each STB has its own VAST smartcard – cards cannot be swapped between machines. table 1 for details) to give enough time to check reception and if required, have the VAST systems installed. If viewers live in an area that was previously service by an analog self-help transmitter then there will be the added bonus of the Australian Government offering to help with the financial cost of installing a new VAST service. For more details regarding the subsidy scheme see www.adreesgoeshere. com.au. From this, it is obvious that viewers living in areas that are deemed to receive acceptable signal levels from a digital TV transmitter will be unable to apply for the VAST service. Maps of each transmitters theoretical coverage area are available on the web. However, even those inside these theoretical signal coverage areas who can’t receive digital TV signals will be able to apply to receive the VAST siliconchip.com.au service via the ACMA or their local TV antenna technician. Existing Aurora viewers who either live inside ACMA classified TV1 license area or viewers who had previously applied for blackspot satellite TV reception via the ACMA were able to purchase a new VAST set top box and apply to receive the service from the 15th of December 2010. A detailed map of the TV1 license area in shown overleaf. (A much larger scale map is available on the website (www. acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD..PC/ pc=PC_90223 ). New viewers who live inside the TV1 licence area detailed above are also now able to purchase a VAST system or VAST setop box and apply to receive the significantly increased channel line up. You might be wondering why all of the regions listed in the table opposite do not have immediate access to VAST. In truth, they do – but only for ABC and SBS. The area-by-area release is designed to mimic the digital switchover (and end of analog services) which is progressively occurring throughout Australia. So as an area is readied for digital, it will (six months before) also have access to VAST. The point of the exercise is to gradually provide HD digital quality to all areas, so all those people who have gone out and bought new HD screens will finally have something to view on them which justifies their purchase! At the moment, if they’re re receiving Aurora, it’s only a standard definition, with a mono sound signal. Travellers? A traveller’s allowance such as the one which exists for Aurora customers has not yet been announced for VAST. However, it is anticipated that this will come in time, especially given the fact that Aurora is scheduled to run only until the end of 2013. At this point all analog terrestrial television will also have been turned off. Given the numbers of travellers with satellite dishes on their motor homes and caravans, there would be a huge outcry if the daily dose of news and (more importantly!) soap operas suddenly disappeared! January 2011  13 ( ! Yam Island ( Murray Island ! ( Thursday Island ! ( Minjilang ! ( Warruwi ! ( ! ! R Darwin Daly River ( ! ( Katherine ! ( Warmun ! ( ! ! ( ( ! ( ! ( ! ! R Darwin Daly River ( Jabiru ! ( Dagaragu ! ( ! ( Pine Creek ! ( ! ( ! ( Tennant Creek ! ( Halls Creek ! ( Balgo ! ( Warburton ! ( Camooweal ! Alpurrurulam ( ! ( Warrabri ! ( Ampilatwatja ! ! ( ( ! Mount Isa ( Gununa ! ( ! Burketown ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( Mimili ! ( Yalata ! ( ! ( Camooweal ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! CloncurryJulia Creek ! ( ( ! ( ! Mount Isa ( Yalata ! ! R ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ! ( Emerald P!( Alpha ! Townsville Barcaldine ( Bowen ! ( Blackall ! ( ! Richmond ( Tambo ! Charters Towers ( Hughenden ! ! R Rockhampton ! R Gladstone ( Biloela ! ! Bundaberg R ! R Mackay ( Taroom ! ! ( Gayndah Kingaroy ( Moranbah ! ( Charleville ! ( Roma ! ! ( ! ( Sunshine ( ! Toowoomba ( ! ( Aramac ! Barcaldine ! Dalby Rockhampton R Brisbane ! R (! ! ! ( Emerald ( ! ( St George ! ( Cunnamulla Alpha ! ! R ( Warwick Gladstone (! ! Mungindi ( ! ( ( Boulia ! Longreach Thargomindah ( !! ( P ! P ! Blackall Lightning Ridge ( ! ( ! Coast Goondiwindi Biloela Tambo ! R Bundaberg ( ( Moree Inverell! ! ( ! ! ( Brewarrina Armidale ( Taroom ! ( Gayndah ! ! ( ( Kingaroy ! Bourke ! R Coffs Harbour ! ( ( Charleville! ! Narrabri Roma ( (! ( ! (! ! Cobar R Tamworth Sunshine Coast ( ! ( ! ( ! ( Nyngan Toowoomba ! ( ! ! R ( Leigh Creek ! P ! P Brisbane ! ( Quilpie ! ( Wilcannia ! Port Macquarie Thargomindah Dalby Broken Hill Dubbo Forster ( ! ( St ( Cunnamulla ! ! George ( Menindee ! Ivanhoe ( Mudgee ! Warwick Parkes ( ! ( ! Mungindi ( ! ! Hillston ( !( Orange Goondiwindi ( Peterborough ! Lightning Ridge ( ! Roxby Downs ! ( ! R!( ! R ! ( P Newcastle ! WhyallaRenmark ( ( Moree ! Griffith ! Inverell P ! Sydney ( ! ( Elliston ! Brewarrina ! ( Kadina ! ( ! ( ( ! ! R Mildura !( !( Wollongong Armidale P !( !R Coffs Harbour ( ! ! Hay Bourke Port Lincoln ! R !( ! ( Leigh ! ! ( !( P Creek !( Pinnaroo Wagga ! ( ! P!(Narrabri Canberra Cobar R Tamworth Wagga Roxby Downs ! ( ! ( ! ( Ceduna ! ( ! ( Wudinna ! Streaky Bay ( ! ! R Mackay ( Moranbah ! ( Winton!( Quilpie ! ( Elliston ! Port Lincoln ! ( ( Lord Howe Island ! ! R ! ( Adelaide ( ! ( ! ! (!( ( ! ( Ceduna ! ( ! ( Wudinna ! Streaky Bay ( Coober Pedy ! ! R ! R Cairns GeorgetownAramac ( ! Croydon ( Ingham ! Longreach ( Boulia ! (Tennant Alice Springs (! ! Creek Amata ( Ernabella ! ( Hughenden ! ( Bowen ! Charters Towers ( Normanton ! ( Winton ! ( Doomadgee ! ( ! ( ! Hermannsburg ( Titjikala Alpurrurulam ! ( ! Kaltukatjara ( ! ( ! ( Yulara!( Willowra Warrabri ! ( Ampilatwatja ! Amata ( ! ( Ernabella ! ( Yuendumu ! ( Mimili ! ( Nyrripi ! ( Papunya ! ( Kintore ! Alice Springs ( ! Hermannsburg ( Coober Pedy ! ( Titjikala ! Kaltukatjara ( ! ( Yulara ! ( Warburton ! Richmond ( ! ! ( ( ! P Townsville ! ( Cooktown ! ( ! ( Kowanyama ! CloncurryJulia Creek ( Borroloola ! ( Willowra ! ( Elliott ! ( Dagaragu ! ( Yuendumu ! ( Lajamanu ! ( Nyrripi ! ( Papunya ! ( Kintore ! R Cairns ( Weipa !( Lockhart River! ! ( Normanton ! ( ! ( Doomadgee ! ( ! ( Georgetown ! ( Coen ! Croydon ( Ingham ! ( Gununa ! Burketown ( Elliott ! ( Gulin Gulin ! ! ( Alyangula Kununurra ( Balgo ! ( ! How do you access VAST? ( Cooktown ! ( Kowanyama ! Galiwinku ( Borroloola ! ( Nhulunbuy ! Maningrida ( Ngukurr ! ( Mataranka ! ( ! ( Lockhart River ! ( Coen ! Yam Island ( Murray Island ! ( Thursday Island ! ( ! ( Timber Creek ! ( Warmun ! ( Weipa ! ( ! ( ! ( Halls Creek ! ( Port KeatsLajamanu ! ( Katherine ! ( Kalumburu ! ( ! ! ( Galiwinku ( Nhulunbuy ! ( Ngukurr ! ( Mataranka ! ( Minjilang ! ( Timber Creek ! ! ( Warruwi ( Kununurra ! ( ! ( ! Maningrida ( Gulin Gulin ! ! ( Alyangula ( Pine Creek ! ( Port Keats ! ( Kalumburu ! ( Jabiru ! Naracoorte ( Wilcannia ! ( ! Nyngan ! R!(Albury ! R Port Macquarie Batemans Bay ( ! Bendigo ! Hill R ! ( Broken Cooma ! R Dubbo ! ( Forster ! (!( Menindee! RIvanhoeShepparton (Mudgee (! ! Merimbula Parkes ( Lord Howe Island ! P Newcastle ! P Sydney ! P ! Wollongong Hay R ! ( !( CurrieWagga ! ! P Canberra Wagga ! ( ( ! Horsham ( ! ! Hillston ( ! ( Peterborough ! Melbourne R Orange ( Mount Gambier !( Griffith WhyallaRenmark! ! ( Traralgon ! R Warrnambool ! ( Kadina ! ( ( ! ! R Mildura ( ! ! ( ( ! P ! Adelaide Naracoorte ( Pinnaroo ! ! R Albury !( Batemans Bay ! R Shepparton Cooma ( Merimbula ! ! R Launceston ( Queenstown ! P Melbourne ! ! ( Traralgon ! R Warrnambool ! P Hobart Bendigo ( ! P ! ! ( ! R Horsham ! ( Mount Gambier ! ( ( Currie ! ! R Launceston ( Queenstown ! P Hobart ! REMOTE CENTRAL & EASTERN AUSTRALIA TV1 Area ID: 963 Legend Coastline; State Borders P ! ! R ! ( ( ! ( ! Legend Licence Area Principal roads; Cities (Medium, Large) Secondary roads; Towns, Cities (Small) 0 255 510 1,020 Kilometers REMOTE CENTRAL & EASTERN AUSTRALIA TV1 Area ID: 963 Minor roads; Localities © Commonwealth of Australia 2005. Contains data © Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2001, 2002 25/10/2005 3:11:31 am Coastline; State Borders Licence Area The!RTV1 area is shown above in grey. It’s within this area that Aurora Principal roads; Cities (Medium, Large) P licence ! Kilometers reception has traditionally been allowed. The straw-coloured areas of the map ( ! ! ( Secondary roads; Towns, Cities (Small) Localities are areas Minor (at roads; least theoretically!) served by terrestrial TV stations, even though © Commonwealth of Australia 2005. Contains data © Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2001, 2002 25/10/2005 3:11:31 am many viewers in these areas have poor reception at best and often much less. With appropriate receiver and dish, anyone in this area will now have at least HD ABC and SBS access. By the end of 2013, VAST will offer 17 HD channels across all areas. 0 255 510 1,020 To access the service, you will need to purchase a satellite set-top box, a satellite dish of at least 65cm (85cm is recommended) a low noise amplifier (LNBF), a mounting post on which to install the dish, and some cable. Access to this new satellite service will be managed by the use of subscriber ‘smart cards’, included when you purchase your new satellite set top box. Smartcards will be matched to each satellite receiver and will be available as a package for $269.00. Currently UEC has the only approved set top box on the market. They are available from most reputable satellite equipment retailers. The VAST service uses the Optus C1/D3 satellite which means most customers who already watch the Aurora services won’t need to re-point their dish. VAST is broadcast using the DVB-S2 standard which allows for high definition broadcasts. Once the equipment is correctly installed, viewers should be able to receive ABC and SBS TV without registering the smartcard which accompanied the set top box. However to access the full range of commercial services, viewers will need to register their details, which must include a site address within the approved areas. This can be done online or via the form included with the VAST set top box. In time, it is hoped that even the site address requirement will be lifted. ( ! When can you start watching? Communities relying on self-help TV towers in other regions will be able These coverage maps highlight the VAST roll-out dates in South Australia and Victoria. As you can see, parts of regional SA, Broken Hill and Mildura area have already commenced, with regional Victoria scheduled for the next few months. 14  Silicon Chip siliconchip.com.au to access the scheme on a region-by-region basis. Regional South Australia was the first switchover area to open for the Satellite Subsidy Scheme in July 2010. Other areas opened from November 2010 . According to the ACMA website (www.digitalready.gov. au/rolloutmap.aspx), the first areas of Australia to have Digital Television Service implemented are Regional South Australia and Broken Hill, rolled out from December 15 2010 onwards. As can be seen from the accompanying maps, the areas covered by the December 15 commencement were Broken Hill, Renmark, Loxton, Mt Gambier, Naracoorte, Bordertown, Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Port Augusta. Customers living in these areas will have access to the full VAST line up. Next up will be Regional Victoria, which will be rolled out by June 30 2011. This includes Bendigo, Ballarat, Swan Hill, Traralgon, Bairnsdale, Malacoota, Albury/Wodonga, Wangaratta, Shepparton, Warnambool and Horsham. And if you already watch the Aurora Service? ACMA advises that the Aurora service will continue to run until the end of 2013 when the national digital rollout is completed. Prior to this, the VAST service will operate side by side with the Aurora service. It is expected that between now and then, Aurora viewers will make the switch to digital by purchasing a VAST set top box. Many may run VAST and Aurora receivers side by side in the interim. In most instances, no new dish or cabling will be required. SC * Technical Director, Av-Comm Pty Ltd Custom Battery Packs, Power Electronics & Chargers )RUPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQFRQWDFW TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR VAST EXPERIENCE! UE DS C VAST RDE-4C121 IN STOCEKIVER AV-Comm were pioneers in satellite TV in Australia -- we have been here since it started. Others have come and gone but Av-Comm are still here and will be when you need help. NOW Let us assist you in the transition from analog satellite TV to digital. Do you qualify for the new VAST service? We can advise you. We have the equipment. We have the accessories. But most important of all, we have the knowledge and the experience to help you! www.avcomm.com.au AV-COMM Phone (02) 9939 4377 SATELLITE TV PO Box 225, Brookvale NSW 2100 NEW CATALOG OUT NOW! Contact us for a free copy! 3KRQH  RUHPDLO PDUN#VLRPDUFRP ZZZEDWWHU\ERRNFRP siliconchip.com.au January 2011  15