One HD - in with the sport, out with the sci-fi
Nerds are set to be the big losers as Network Ten prepares to convert its HD channel to a 24 hour sports channel.
As of January 1, Australia's three major commercial networks can join the ABC and SBS in offering a second SD digital channel. These three extra channels will bring the total number of digital channels to 15, which the networks are marketing as Freeview in an effort to fight off Foxtel's strong marketing push.
Network Ten is the only commercial network so far to announce its digital plans for 2009, intending to covert its existing HD channel into a 24 hour sports channel as of April. Currently, Ten (Channel 10) and Ten HD (Channel 1) are mostly in simulcast, although in the evenings Ten HD has screened re-runs of sci-fi classics such as The X-Files and Buffy.
When Network Ten announced plans to convert Channel 1 into "One HD", sci-fi fans were hoping that the network's new second SD channel (Channel 12) would come to the rescue by screening alternative programming to Ten - similar to the relationship between ABC1 and ABC2. Now Network Ten has confirmed that the second SD channel will be labelled "One" and will be a continuous simulcast of the high definition One HD sports channel. As a result, sci-fi fans will no longer have access to the extra sci-fi content on Ten HD, and the sci-fi programming on Ten's primary channel will no longer be available in HD.
Network Ten's head of corporate communications, Jeanette McLoughlin, has confirmed that Ten HD is dead, with One HD and One to be in constant simulcast as of April. She says the network is looking to offer "a broad mix of content" but feels HD sport will be a winner with the network's under-40 target demographic.
The decision to simulcast on One HD and One leaves Australians with fewer programs to chose from, and less content in HD, although it ensures viewers with SD-only digital receivers won't miss out on any of Network Ten's sport offerings. The uncertainty over One HD has certainly driven the uptake of HD equipment in the last few months, much to the delight of retailers. The confirmation of an SD simulcast will obviously come as a surprise to those who bought HD gear in the belief it was they only way they'd access some sporting events.
Aussies love their sport and Network Ten is certainly on a winner with its 24 hour sports channel - it will do more to drive the take up of digital television than all the bumbling of the last decade combined. Sports lovers are the big winners, but sci-fi fans will need to turn to BitTorrent or Blu-ray if they want to watch the latest sci-fi in HD.
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Comments: 1
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Chaps
Feb 12, 2009 3:51 PM
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Yeah, but what "Sport" will they have?? Most of the stuff is what was programmed already and due to anti-siphoning laws, the majority of it has to be shown either earlier or simultaneously on Channel 10 anyway..
In the meantime we lose Smallville, Torchwood, Battlestar Galactica, Eureka, One Tree Hill, Friday Night Lights and Monk as well as HD Versions of Australian Idol, Rove, Neighbours, Supernatural, NCIS, Rush, House, Life, 9AM with David and Kim, Oprah Winfrey and The Late Show with David Letterman
Hardly a stellar example of TV in Australia moving forward.. |