Freeview
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- This article is about the New Zealand digital TV service. For the UK digital TV service, please see Freeview.
FreeView is a planned non-profit free-to-air digital television service in New Zealand. It will be available on satellite and terrestrially using the UHF frequency. FreeView will provide more channels, higher quality and prepare users for the analogue switchoff in 2012 to 2016. A set-top box costing around NZ$200, a suitable TV tuner card or a digital capable TV and an UHF aerial or a satellite dish will be required to access the service.
Technology
If the satellite Optus D1 is successfully launched in September, satellite broadcasting covering the whole country will start in early to mid 2007. UHF terrestrial broadcasting covering 75% of the population initially will be introduced over a 12 to 18 month period. Terrestrial coverage may eventually reach 92%.BCL will lease a transponder on Optus D1, which will be subleased to the FreeView broadcasters. BCL will also broadcast the digital terrestrial signals using its existing towers.
New Zealand standardized on DVB in 2001 with NZS6610:2001, however, the codec to be used for FreeView is not yet known. New Zealand's rugged topography means multipath is inevitable. ATSC cannot handle multipath well, so it is not chosen.
Trials
TVNZ currently has a test DVB-T broadcast from Waiatarua to the Auckland area. Five channels are available: TV ONE, TV2, DW-TV, CCTV-9 and a widescreen test channel.TVNZ also has a DVB-S service on Optus B1. TV ONE, TV2, Māori TV, DW-TV, CCTV-9, NASA TV, Bloomberg TV Asia Pacific Channel and a widescreen test channel are all available. TV ONE and TV2 each have 3 regional versions: Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch; these only differ in the advertisements carried.
Content
Participating companies include TVNZ, CanWest, Radio New Zealand, Māori Television Service, the New Zealand Racing Board and an unspecified independent broadcaster rumoured to be Triangle TV. FreeView is currently in negotiation with Prime and other regional TV operators. FreeView will be open to other free-to-air broadcasters if they want to join.Initially 18 channels will be available, with 6 for TVNZ, 6 for CanWest and 6 for others, the six others may include Trackside, Māori TV, Radio New Zealand, Prime and regional TV. TV ONE, TV2, TV3 and C4 will all be available on FreeView, giving 4 extra channels each to TVNZ and CanWest.
While TVNZ and CanWest remained tight lipped in public on what new programmes would be available, claiming it was commercially sensitive, there's some indication that TVNZ will mostly screen reruns and new local programmes to fufil its Charter obligations while CanWest will screen imported programmes on its first extra channel.
Although the satellite and the terrestrial service will both have 18 channels initially, there is space for only 20 channels on the satellite. Therefore, fewer channels may be available on satellite than UHF in the future.
According to Rick Freisen, COO of CanWest TVWorks, "the quality [of the signal] will be stunning. People wouldn't recognise it.… It's not what you get on Sky now, it's much better."
The government will let the broadcasters decide whether to broadcast in high definition. TVNZ does not currently have plans on HDTV while Prime will start high definition broadcasting by July 2008.
An electronic programme guide and Teletext will be available.
Funding
The government will pay up to NZ$25 million and provide free radio spectrum, estimated to be worth up to NZ$10 million, during the transition to digital. The companies involved will pay the remaining $50 million. The government claims a NZ$230 million benefit to the economy. This is the second digital TV system attempted by the government. The first attempt in 2000 wasted NZ$6.8 million. FreeView may turn into for-profit after the analogue switch off.Competition
Sky currently has a service where channels similar to the ones available on FreeView are available for NZ$18.29 per month plus an installation fee. It is generally used by people who cannot get a high quality signal from analogue terrestrial free-to-air broadcasting. Sky stands to lose around 90,000 customers as FreeView provides a similar service for a one off fee only. A Sky dish can be used to receive FreeView but a separate set-top box may be required.Political reaction
The Green Party said it wants more funding for New Zealand made programmes, a local content quota, a public service channel, and cheaper set top boxes. The government said that no extra funding would be available, a quota is not necessary and the technology will get cheaper over time.The National Party said it thought of the idea first and it wants more details from the government.
References
External links
- [TVNZ digital TV site]
- [Ministry for Culture and Hertiage on digital TV] (includes a cost-benefit analysis)
- [Ministry of Economic Development on digital TV]