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Freeview (Australia)

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This article is about the Australian digital terrestrial television brand. For other uses of the branding, see Freeview.
Freeview Australia Limited
Company typePrivate
IndustryDigital television
Founded2008
Headquarters
Sydney, New South Wales
,
Australia
Area served
Australia
Key people
Robin Parkes - CEO
Number of employees
Unknown
Websitewww.freeview.com.au

Freeview is the brand given to the digital terrestrial television platform in Australia. It is intended to bring all of the free-to-air (FTA) broadcasters on to a consistent marketing platform to compete against PayTV, in particular Foxtel, and coincides with the expansion to 3 digital channels for each FTA network. Freeview will emphasise its members' 15 free over-the-air channels, will produce an enhanced electronic program guide (EPG) - and will also certify televisions, set-top boxes and personal video recorders (PVR) which meet their requirements.

The Freeview brand was launched in November 2008 with teaser commercials promising 15 channels in 2009. The first new "Freeview" channel started on 26 March 2009 with Network Ten's One sports channel. Further advertising began on 26 April 2009, with the first Freeview certified devices appearing in retailers from May 2009.

Freeview has been criticised as being ambiguous and light on details, with criticism that certification is more about restricting devices than enabling them.[1] Network Ten's simulcast of One in both high- and standard-definition is criticised by some as a single channel, without content unique to each. Its introduction also meant Network Ten's non-sports programming is no longer broadcast in high-definition.[2] Freeview certification will include at least two phases, with the phase 1 Freeview devices not required to feature the MHEG-5 technology Freeview intends to use to support its electronic program guide.[1]

Launch

The brand was launched on 24 November 2008 at 6:29 p.m. through the use of a 60-second advertisement shown on all networks, in a roadblock.[3]

The proper service was launched in 2009 along with a number of Freeview badged set-top boxes and integrated digital televisions.[4] At least four manufacturers intend to release Phase 1 Freeview devices which do not support MHEG-5.[5]

Ownership

The non-profit Freeview organisation comprises the free-to-air licencees; Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Special Broadcasting Service, Seven Network, Nine Network, Network Ten, WIN Corporation, Prime Media Group and Southern Cross Broadcasting.[6]

An ABC release stated these groups are shareholders of Freeview,[7] though a company search revealed all shares are owned by the Nine Network.[8]

Freeview certification requirements

Part of the Freeview initiative is to certify set-top boxes as capable of receiving free-to-air digital television broadcasts (both standard and high definition). Although certification requirements have not been formally released, Phase 1 Freeview devices will be high-definition, and capable of more advanced video encoding (MPEG-4). Recorders will not be able to skip over ads, and must enforce digital rights management.

Phase 2 requires Freeview devices to feature the MHEG-5 technology, which Freeview intends to use to support its electronic program guide and its future enhancements.

The Freeview advertising for their 15-channel platform and certified products, combined with the Australian government's commercials warning of the closure of analog TV transmissions, is intended to help consumers buy appropriate devices.

Freeview has threatened PVR manufacturers such as DViCO with legal action if they include the Freeview (UK) logo (which looks very similar to the Freeview Australia logo) on their Australian packaging.[9]

Sony Computer Entertainment Australia added Freeview compatibility to the PlayStation 3's PlayTV digital television tuner in October 2009 with the 1.21 firmware update. The update disabled ad-skipping, reduced fast forward and rewind speed to 30x and removed the ability to copy recordings to other devices. Unlike other Freeview-endorsed devices, these restrictions can be easily bypassed on the PlayStation 3.[10]

High-definition

To obtain Freeview certification, devices must include at least one high-definition digital tuner.

Note: In April 2009, it was not known whether displays needed to meet high-definition standards.

Video Decoding

Freeview devices must be capable of receiving and decoding H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, a far less data hungry standard than current MPEG-2.[11] The standard allows higher quality transmissions or more television channels in future, and Freeview has said that the television networks will not broadcast with this codec until the majority of the population has a device that can receive it.

The federal government has not approved any change in television broadcasting standards,[12] and Australian broadcasters have not announced a timetable for switching to MPEG-4 broadcasting.

Digital video recorder restrictions

Freeview devices can not skip an ad block - they can skip 10 minute blocks, and fast forward and rewind at 30x speeds

Hard drive-based recorders must offer a minimum of 160 GB internal storage, with Digital Rights Management applied to recordings copied off the device. Restrictions must also be in place to ensure recordings can not be accessed if the hard drive is removed from the recorder.

Enhanced EPG (MHEG-5) - phase 2

Freeview Phase 2 certified devices will use a new electronic programming guide (EPG).

Phase 1 Freeview devices are not required to feature the MHEG-5 technology that Freeview intends to use to support its EPG. From April 2009, Freeview was still negotiating an MHEG-5 licensing deal.[1] and it was not signed until July 2009 [13].

Freeview has agreed that manufacturers can sell Phase 1 devices without MHEG-5 for another three years, and are not required to label such devices as Phase 1.[1]

Freeview announced details of its EPG on June 28, 2010, with plans for a consumer launch in September 2010. The new EPG will be based on the same EPG data available to all digital TV devices via the broadcast signal, but it will also monitor Content Reference Indicator (CRID) data embedded in the broadcast signal. The CRID data will allow recorders to detect when a program is running over schedule and continue recording [14].

After initial confusion as to whether non-Freeview devices would still have access to the EPG, Freeview chief executive Robin Parkes confirmed the broadcast EPG would remain.[15] Only Freeview-endorsed PVRs featuring the "Freeview EPG" logo will have access to the new Freeview EPG, although the Freeview-endorsed TiVo recorder will extract CRID data from the broadcast signal to update its own EPG (with permission from the networks), rather than relying on Freeview's EPG data [14].

Australian EPG provider IceTV's high court victory over the Nine Network, securing its right to supply a third-party EPG service, may influence Freeview's long term plans for the broadcast and MHEG-5 EPG services.[16] The ruling may also affect whether third-party EPG providers have the right to extract CRID data from the broadcast signal without permission from the networks, as the CRID data will not be encypted according to Freeview marketing director Chelsea Wymer [14].

Freeview has finalised its license to use MHEG-5 but initially lacked a license to use the traditional information grid pattern EPG which is covered under patents under owned by Macrovision.[17] Freeview announced details of an agreement with Macrovision in July 2009.[18]

Non-compliant devices

Existing digital television devices should continue to operate without Freeview certification, with the following caveats:

  • Only HD devices can view the HD channels
  • If the TV networks start transmission in MPEG-4 in the future, non-MPEG-4 capable boxes will not be able to receive those channels
  • Non Compliant devices (and Phase 1 Freeview devices) will not have the enhanced EPG, which may be encoded to prevent non certified boxes reading it. Initially the enhanced EPG will contain the same data as the broadcast EPG,[15] although eventually it may feature higher quality and more accurate information to use for scheduling recordings.

Government labelling scheme

In April 2009, the government released a new labelling scheme for digital television devices, to help people buy the correct equipment in the transition from analog to digital television. This is unrelated to the Freeview labelling endorsed by the major commercial and public broadcasters.

Televisions will have the following labels:[19]

  1. Digital TV Capable - for analogue TVs which require a set top box
  2. Digital TV Ready (Standard Definition) - for TVs able to receive SD broadcasts
  3. Digital TV Ready (High Definition) - for TVs able to receive HD broadcasts

Freeview devices meet the High Definition Digital TV Ready standard, in addition to the other Freeview standards.

Channels

Since 2009, each commercial free-to-air broadcaster has been permitted to transmit two channels in Standard Definition (SD) and one in High Definition (HD)[20]. Restrictions on the number of multi-channels permitted by commercial broadcasters will end after digital switchover. The public broadcasters - ABC and SBS - are not subject to multichannelling restrictions.

Channel numbers

The digital television standard allows for multiple channel numbers to point to the same television stream. All the broadcasters use this - it can appear that there are several separate channels when they each point to the same transmission.

The commercial broadcasters are permitted to broadcast three separate channels. When the HD and SD channels show the same program, they use different streams - one in standard-definition, the other in high-definition.

Channel table

Not all channels are available in all areas, duplicate channel numbers listed in notes.[21]

Note: Metro refers to urban, suburban and greater parts of Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane only. Regional covers all other areas, excluding Griffith, Regional Western Australia, Regional South Australia and remote areas. Commercial channels are assigned separate LCNs in regional areas to metro areas, government owned channels have the same LCN nationwide.

LCN
(Metro) 		LCN
(Regional) 		Common Channel Name Genre/Type 24-Hour Picture Format Notes
1 50 One HD Sport 1080i HD Duplicate on LCN 11.
2 ABC1 General 576i SD Duplicate on LCN 21.
3 SBS One General / foreign language 576i SD 5am to 2am (next day) only
7 6 Seven Digital General 576i SD As Prime Television, GWN or Southern Cross Television in regional areas. Duplicate on LCN 71 and 73.
9 8 Nine Digital General 576i SD As WIN Television or NBN Television in regional areas.
10 5 Ten Digital General 576i SD As Southern Cross Ten or Ten Digital in regional areas.
11 - Eleven Youth aged 13-29 576i SD To replace One Digital when it launches in early 2011. Details for the channel in regional areas not yet specified.
12 55* One Digital Standard definition simulcast of One HD 576i SD To be replaced by Eleven when it launches in early 2011.
22 ABC2 ABC for kids / News breakfast / General 576i SD 5:30am to 2am (next day) only
23 ABC3 Children / Teens 576i SD 6am to 9pm only
24 ABC News 24 News 720p HD
30 SBS One HD High definition simulcast of SBS One 720p HD 5am to 2am (next day) only
32 SBS Two General / foreign language 576i SD 6:30am to 1am (next day) only
38 SBS Radio 1 Radio channel Audio only
39 SBS Radio 2 Radio channel Audio only
44 - Community TV Local Community TV channel 576i SD As TVS in Sydney, C31 in Melbourne, C31 in Adelaide, 31 B in Brisbane, and West TV in Perth[22]
70 60 Seven HD High definition simulcast of Seven Digital 1080i HD As Prime HD or Southern Cross HD in regional areas. To be replaced by 7mate on 25 September 2010[23]
72 62 7Two General 576i SD
73 63 7mate Males 16-49 1080i HD From 25 September 2010[23]
90 80 Nine HD High definition simulcast of Nine Digital 1080i HD As WIN HD or NBN HD in regional areas. To close September 2010.[24]
99 88 GO! Teens/Youth/Young Adult 576i SD
200 ABC Dig Music Radio channel Audio only
201 ABC Jazz Radio channel Audio only

Online Video Portal

Through Freeview, the free-to-air broadcasters have signed a new initiative for an industry-wide video hub - details of what content will be carried is unknown. A consultant has been commissioned to advise on vendor partnerships, and ABC's iView technology is the frontrunner to deliver the service.[25]

Currently, the ABC, SBS, Seven Network, Nine Network and Ten Network each offer "catch up" internet television services in Australia, allowing viewers to watch local and foreign content after it has been shown on their respective channels.

Criticisms

Freeview has been criticised as being ambiguous and light on details, with criticism that certification is more about restricting devices than enabling them.[1] TEN Network's simulcast of "One" in HD & SD is criticised by some as a single channel, as it is not unique content and the introduction of One HD means TEN Network's non-sports programming is no longer broadcast in HD.[2] Freeview certification will include at least two phases, with the Phase 1 Freeview devices not required to feature the MHEG-5 technology Freeview intends to use to support its Electronic Program Guide.[1]

In addition to the lack of detail, minimal information was given by Seven and Nine Network management regarding new channel launch dates. The original Freeview announcement stated planned May releases for the launch of new digital channels by both networks, while a later Seven release mentioned mid-2009 [26] and then October for its secondary channel launch.[27]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Turner, Adam (9 April 2009). "Picture not clear on Freeview". The Age. Melbourne, Australia: Fairfax Media. p. 17. Retrieved 20 June 2010. {{cite news}}: |section= ignored (help)
  2. ^ a b Nerds pay the price for One HD's 24 hour sport
  3. ^ "Freeview to launch 6.29pm Monday". The Spy Report. Media Spy. 21 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
  4. ^ UNITES NETWORKS IN THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION 24 Nov 08.pdf "Freeview unites networks in the Digital Revolution" (PDF) (Press release). Freeview (Australia). 2008-11-24. Retrieved 2008-11-24. {{cite press release}}: Check |url= value (help)
  5. ^ Half of Australia's first Freeview devices won't be Freeview compatible
  6. ^ "Freeview About Us". Freeview. 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  7. ^ Freeview to Drive Digital Take-up in Australia
  8. ^ So who's really behind Freeview?
  9. ^ Freeview Australia's FUD campaign turns on Dvico
  10. ^ Freeview infects PlayStation 3's PlayTV
  11. ^ Familari, Peter (16 March 2009). "Clock ticks for plasmas, LCDs". Herald-Sun. p. 4. Retrieved 20 June 2010. {{cite news}}: |section= ignored (help)
  12. ^ "Battle over TV future". Herald-Sun. 17 March 2009. p. 19. Retrieved 20 June 2010. {{cite news}}: |section= ignored (help)
  13. ^ IMPALA announces Freeview Australia's selection of MHEG-5 as its iTV middleware
  14. ^ a b c Freeview launches auto-updating EPG
  15. ^ a b Freeview confirms new Aussie EPG is backwards compatible... coz it's nothing but a skin
  16. ^ IceTV cracks Nine - a win for viewers
  17. ^ Freeview To Cut EPG Deal After IceTV Win
  18. ^ New Freeview Coming In April 2010
  19. ^ http://www.digitalready.gov.au/panel_labels.aspx
  20. ^ "Broadcasters' multi-channel requirements".
  21. ^ "Freeview Channels". Freeview. 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
  22. ^ http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2009/digital_pathway_for_community_tv
  23. ^ a b "New channel coming: 7mate". TV Tonight. 19 August 2010.
  24. ^ "Nine to launch new channel before 7mate". TV Tonight. 23 August 2010.
  25. ^ Freeview beats off US rivals
  26. ^ Leckie Hits out at Network Ten
  27. ^ Sinclair, Lara (22 April 2009). Foxtel ponders internet-only subscriptions "Foxtel unveils internet vision". The Australian. p. 26. Retrieved 20 Jun 2010. {{cite news}}: |section= ignored (help); Check |url= value (help)
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