Getting the 'Australian Network'

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Idug

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Wannabe Geek

#55388 2-Jan-2010 16:25

Hi all,
I am looking into receiving the Australian Network tv station...I have visited there website and like some of the sports they broadcast...mainly the AFL/NRL and motorsport content....I don't have sky ( I used to )..but found I didn't watch enough to justify the ongoing cost...
I have 2 questions....

#1 is..to people that already receive the Australian Network...what is the reception like?..and what is the sports coverage like?...do they have some live content?...or is it delayed?..and

#2 is..what do I need to get it?...,I have a TH-P50G10Z telly with built in freeview..running off an old sky UHF aerial with new RG6 cable...I live in Papatoetoe , Auckland...the current freeview reception is great.
Do I simply need to purchase ...say the 90cm dish from the freeviewshop...mount it and hook it into my aerial setup with a splitter...and bobs your uncle?...or is there more to it?..,do I need freeview box...and if so what type?...

I've asked this question of a couple of people and no one has given me a confident answer so far..so I thought I would ask on here...cheers in advance...Ian

sbiddle

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#286528 2-Jan-2010 17:00

Australia Network is on Intelsat5 and can be picked from new Zealand.

From what I've been told you need a minimum of a 1.2m dish. You will also need to buy a satellite receiver in one form or another - your TV isn't capable of tuning a satellite dish.

I have no idea what there content is like, their website would be the best source of that. I would doubt there would be much live content due to licencing restrictions.

EDIT: All live rugby and AFL is encrypted.

allstarnz

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#286542 2-Jan-2010 20:17

as far as I know, only Super 14 is encrypted. They do show some AFL and NRL as well, but not as much as Sky does (NRL anyway)

You need a setup like this - http://www.freeviewshop.co.nz/world-package-p-560.html

I wouldn't really use it just to get sport, more to complement other stuff you might have.

Have a look at their site, in the sports lounge section it shows what they have rights to.

Idug

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#286655 3-Jan-2010 13:20

Thanks for the feedback so far...,looking at there site it seems they have available a card to allow the watching of encrypted content to those outside of Australia.
I have emailed them to clarify the card and the sport available...if the content is quite good I will invest the hardware to receive it.
Just hoping that there may be others out there that already receive the "Australian Network" and also "BBC World" , that may have some comment on it..cheers..

allstarnz

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#286669 3-Jan-2010 14:14

read the enryption bit carefully. The IS5 beam uses different encryption, and doesn't actually use a card. You need a Scientific Atlanta box, which doesn't seem very straight forward at all.

http://australianetwork.com/tuning/encryption.htm

Idug

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#286785 4-Jan-2010 07:54

Thanks allstarnz..,after having another read you are right...

I guess if it was easy everyone would be doing it..,its a pity we couldn't get channel 7 and 10 from Oz..I believe most of the league and AFL is free to air?...I will wait for a reply from the "Australian Network"...and see what they have to say...but..

I think I will need to join up to sky to watch sports..cheers..

andrewcnz

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#286792 4-Jan-2010 08:39

I think you would be out of luck regarding encrypted sport via Australia Network, Sky television has right's to those games in NZ.

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allstarnz

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#286841 4-Jan-2010 12:25

Idug: I guess if it was easy everyone would be doing it..,its a pity we couldn't get channel 7 and 10 from Oz..I believe most of the league and AFL is free to air?...I will wait for a reply from the "Australian Network"...and see what they have to say...but..

I think I will need to join up to sky to watch sports..cheers..

joining Sky is the easiest way, all NRL games live or slightly delayed. Sky's AFL coverage is just a bit average though.

Nine own the rights to some NRL (two games Fri, and one Sun), Seven and Ten own the rights to most AFL. The rest is owned by Foxtel for both sports.

If you really want AFL, the easier way is via SCTV (aka 7 Central) on Optus C1 (Aurora). But you need a smartcard for that.

kiwijunglist

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#287180 5-Jan-2010 15:53

from what i understand it's very complicated. you need to get an encrypition card, and to do so you have to live in Australia. It would involve either a friend in australia or a company operating illegally to send you the encryption card and you would need a sattelite receiver that can read the decryption card.

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kiwisat

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#287246 5-Jan-2010 19:15

As allstarnz mentioned previously the signal from Intelsat 5 requires a supplied receiver and access card to receive encrypted content and of course an address outside NZ.

However the same channel/feed is also broadcast on Intelsat 8 and the reception of encrypted services is somewhat different. Australia Network website has lots of helpful info.

Anyone resident in several Asian countries including Singapore, Malaysia and others (but not Japan) can apply for an access card from Australia Network which can be used in any suitable card reading receiver.

So if you know someone in any of those countries, they can apply for a card, then post it to you.

The downside of course is the dish size, minimum 3 metre in Auckland, to receive Intelsat 8, but heck, to hell with the expense if you can watch for free.

Paul

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#287331 6-Jan-2010 09:24

Yeah it doesn't look like Australian Network is actually for Australian reception. The beams spill over to Australia/NZ/Japan so they have to encrypt the shows to ensure they don't infringe the rights SKY TV has to the rugby etc here.

IS5 is the one we can get fairly easily here in NZ, but the encryption on this is receiver based. IS8 is the one that allows for cards, but requires a huge dish to receive. So really I don't think this is a goer based on the encryption techniques used on the beam we can receive here.

I looked into this about a year ago to try and get some form of Formula One coverage, but the costs and the need for a huge dish (read extremely solid mounting required in any slightly windy area) just made this unrealistic for me. SKY is just that much easier to ensure consistent coverage and in English too etc. Only downside is obviously SKY's expensive pricing which is now twice the rate they used to offer on the older UHF service.

Idug

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#288619 10-Jan-2010 09:57

I've had a reply from the "Australian Network" and they have told me that they are not licensed to broadcast in Australia or NZ and are unable to help me.

So thanks for all the replies...you guys have been spot on with your comments...

so..its off to SKY I go... cheers...