TV with built-in Freeview HD usage in Australia

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damienid

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#59153 28-Mar-2010 21:05

Hi

I'm thinking of moving to Aussie and am wondering if my TV will be compatible with whatever digital HD networks they have over there? Does the built-in Freeview HD tuner do the job with the Aussie equivalent or is it possible to get it modified so it can?

Thanks!

ZollyMonsta

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#312204 28-Mar-2010 21:34

What model TV is it? You may be able to load a new version of firmware onto it for use in Australia.

Be warned though, if something goes awry you may have trouble getting it fixed under the warranty (see other threads on here about Samsung TV's).

It should be as simple as a new firmware load, if supported.

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DrCheese

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#312210 28-Mar-2010 21:48

Not sure if it will work. I have the reverse situation, an Australian HD set that won't pick up a digital signal here in NZ, only analog. Digital TV is MPEG4 in NZ and MPEG2 in Australia. You'll have to do some reading to see if these are compatible, but I suspect not.

sbiddle

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#312273 29-Mar-2010 07:06

The answer straight off is no, however you may be able to update the firmware as ZollyMonsta mentioned. Australia uses a non standard 7MHz channel spacing for DVB-T and also uses both VHF and UHF bands. Out of the box most TV's won't be able to handle this, however TV's such as the Samsung ones only differ in firmware.

davidcole

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#312283 29-Mar-2010 08:47

Wouldn't that assume that the telly has H.264 decoders (for NZ) and Mpeg2 decoders for Aus?

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ajhphd

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#312287 29-Mar-2010 09:15

Are the compatibility (or lack of) issues the same for tv tuner cards?

I have a Nova T 500 tv card here in NZ, could it work in Australia? (I had an inkling that MPEG4 was backwards compatible with MPEG2 (or is that a really ignorant question?))

davidcole

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#312292 29-Mar-2010 09:36

ajhphd: Are the compatibility (or lack of) issues the same for tv tuner cards?

I have a Nova T 500 tv card here in NZ, could it work in Australia? (I had an inkling that MPEG4 was backwards compatible with MPEG2 (or is that a really ignorant question?))

Apart from maybe the issue that Steve brought up (but software should be able to get around that), yes they will be compatible as these cards just dump the stream as broadcast....it's up to your PC to decode the signal and display it. In the same way I mentioned about the decoder chip inside the tv, your computer uses a codec to do the same thing.

Obviously easier on the PC than inside a pre-built tv.

allstarnz

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#312308 29-Mar-2010 10:16

MPEG2 set top boxes are dime a dozen over there anyhow, you can probably pick an HD one up for less than A$100 these days.

robjg63

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#312315 29-Mar-2010 10:22

Dont forget that they sell set top boxes in Aussie - their HD boxes dont cost that much (unlike here).

A quick look at JB HiFi Aus shows one at less than $120.

If your TV is a good one and it doesnt cost too much to move it then just get a STB.

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DrCheese

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#312332 29-Mar-2010 11:00

davidcole: Wouldn't that assume that the telly has H.264 decoders (for NZ) and Mpeg2 decoders for Aus?

Terrestrial Freeview uses H.264/MPEG4 compression in NZ. This is a more efficient use of bandwidth than the Australian MPEG2 coding, although the Australian Freeview system requires set top boxes to receive H.264/MPEG4 for future use.

sbiddle

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#312346 29-Mar-2010 11:35

DrCheese:
davidcole: Wouldn't that assume that the telly has H.264 decoders (for NZ) and Mpeg2 decoders for Aus?

Terrestrial Freeview uses H.264/MPEG4 compression in NZ. This is a more efficient use of bandwidth than the Australian MPEG2 coding, although the Australian Freeview system requires set top boxes to receive H.264/MPEG4 for future use.

Just for clarification only Freeview branded boxes and TV's require H.264 support. The vast majority of TV's and STB's sold in Australia still only support MPEG2.

Australia has had a digital system for many years but decided to introduce the Freeview brand and MHEG5 EPG to bring some standardisation to to the market. They still have no plans at this stage to broadcast H.264 content but wanted to futureproof themselves which wasn't a bad idea since there digital system now deserves an award for being the world's biggest disaster!