Apsattv
23-03-2008, 11:46 PM
From http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dailynews/4447839a6002.html
Taranaki is being left in the dark ages as high definition digital television goes on line.
The land-based service for Freeview HD, New Zealand's first high definition TV provider, will become available on April 2.
About 75% of the country will be able to access the service and Taranaki is not included.
Retailers in the region, selling thousands of dollars worth of high definition TVs, are angry Taranaki will not be able to access the service.
The Ministry of Economic Development has allocated frequencies for 87% coverage of the country, but set-up costs were too high to connect them all, Freeview general manager Steve Browning said.
"It is a terrestrial-based service, which means transmitters have to be put on hill sides and each extra transmitter added is obviously more cost.
"The frequencies are sitting there, so it is matter of a cost equation for the broadcasters."
At the moment, Freeview is available in Taranaki to people who install the required satellite dish.
Terrestrial transmission will not require a dish.
TVNZ and Mediaworks, the owners of TV3 and C4, are footing most of the bill for setting up and running the network, which makes a number of extra free-to-air channels available.
Mr Browning said deciding who would receive the service was done on population size and New Plymouth only just missed out.
There are presently no plans to connect Taranaki. It depends on how fast the rest of the country signs up.
"These things take time to roll out and it is a significant amount of money."
Mr Browning said people living outside the main centres would not be upset they could not receive the service.
"People who live in smaller centres are actually quite used to this sort of thing."
People buying high definition televisions were not wasting their money, he said.
"We buy TVs hoping that they are going to last seven to 10 years, so I'm sure that there will be high definition television in Taranaki within seven to 10 years."
Mason Appliances owner Mike Walsh said he was telling his customers the high definition service was on the way.
"Taranaki people are quite forward in getting into new technology but they are feeling a bit left out. They are getting new TVs that have high definition, and they can't use it."
Mr Walsh said his biggest concern was they had been unable to get answers on when the region could expect to get the service.
"We want to know a date so we can tell our customers."
Taranaki is being left in the dark ages as high definition digital television goes on line.
The land-based service for Freeview HD, New Zealand's first high definition TV provider, will become available on April 2.
About 75% of the country will be able to access the service and Taranaki is not included.
Retailers in the region, selling thousands of dollars worth of high definition TVs, are angry Taranaki will not be able to access the service.
The Ministry of Economic Development has allocated frequencies for 87% coverage of the country, but set-up costs were too high to connect them all, Freeview general manager Steve Browning said.
"It is a terrestrial-based service, which means transmitters have to be put on hill sides and each extra transmitter added is obviously more cost.
"The frequencies are sitting there, so it is matter of a cost equation for the broadcasters."
At the moment, Freeview is available in Taranaki to people who install the required satellite dish.
Terrestrial transmission will not require a dish.
TVNZ and Mediaworks, the owners of TV3 and C4, are footing most of the bill for setting up and running the network, which makes a number of extra free-to-air channels available.
Mr Browning said deciding who would receive the service was done on population size and New Plymouth only just missed out.
There are presently no plans to connect Taranaki. It depends on how fast the rest of the country signs up.
"These things take time to roll out and it is a significant amount of money."
Mr Browning said people living outside the main centres would not be upset they could not receive the service.
"People who live in smaller centres are actually quite used to this sort of thing."
People buying high definition televisions were not wasting their money, he said.
"We buy TVs hoping that they are going to last seven to 10 years, so I'm sure that there will be high definition television in Taranaki within seven to 10 years."
Mason Appliances owner Mike Walsh said he was telling his customers the high definition service was on the way.
"Taranaki people are quite forward in getting into new technology but they are feeling a bit left out. They are getting new TVs that have high definition, and they can't use it."
Mr Walsh said his biggest concern was they had been unable to get answers on when the region could expect to get the service.
"We want to know a date so we can tell our customers."