TVNZ Encrypted HD via SKY

[Apsattv]

Tony O'Brien from Sky has confirmed via email that both TV1 and TV2 from TVNZ will be ENCRYPTED on SKY. In the past Sky carried Tv1/2 by contract FTA as most people will know, even before Freeview it was there FTA.

Expect all hell to break loose now!

TVNZ has soldout!

Taxpayer funded channels Encrypted...!

Rural viewers and other outside the Freeview coverage areas have been screwed also!

[openmedia]

Tony O'Brien from Sky has confirmed via email that both TV1 and TV2 from TVNZ will be ENCRYPTED on SKY. In the past Sky carried Tv1/2 by contract FTA as most people will know, even before Freeview it was there FTA.

Expect all hell to break loose now!

TVNZ has soldout!

Taxpayer funded channels Encrypted...!

Rural viewers and other outside the Freeview coverage areas have been screwed also!

Not surprise. It will be on a Sky transponder and using Sky's uplink so Sky will want to use NDS.

Personally I think FTA should require no encryption on any broadcast medium, but I don't think National has the balls to take on Sky.

[Apsattv]

Well here in Nelson since we have no signal for Freeview HD we have no option at all if we want ANY HD but to PAY a subscription to SKY for it.

Even the channels our taxes pay for which has NOT been the case with TVNZ's current contract with Sky.

I wonder if I ask under the Freedom of information act if I can get from TVNZ a copy of their contract with SKY?

[Geekster]

It seems like a bit of a waste of satellite bandwidth to me. You have the TVNZ streams for Freeview in SD (same to Mediaworks), but then you also have HD streams, NDS VideoGuard encrypted, for Sky. Now, if sky agreed to unencrypt the TVNZ and Mediaworks streams, you could then get rid of the Freeview streams, and have Hi-Def Freeview Satellite, albeit STBs would need updating. Then you've got more space for channels.

But it all comes down to the $$$ for Sky. They're not going to just give away HD content over satellite.

I hate capitalism.

[Apsattv]

I would put money on the minister of Broadcasting not even being aware that people can buy FTA satellite receivers capable of playing HD signals.

Ah no, the SDTV signals of Freeview would need to remain there are far too many STB out there now.

Freeview on D1 had room to have the main 3 channels in HD in the one half transponder with SDTV feeds on the other half but they chose not to do that...

I don't think we have all the info on this one yet...still 2 months to bring it to people attention.

[Dave B]

But it all comes down to the $$$ for Sky. They're not going to just give away HD content over satellite.

I hate capitalism.


Of course they are not going to give it away ..... just like you will not give away $100 to me if I was to ask you for it. You will want a return on it, (such is the capitalism that you profess to hate).

Sky is a commercial organisation and as such all decisions it makes have to make commercial sense in order to show a return to its shareholders.

[Apsattv]

Good morning Craig.

TVNZ's HD feed will be encrypted when it is delivered through the SKY
platform, because all SKY material is encrypted.

TVNZ HD delivered through Freeview will remain unencrypted.

Megan Richards
Corporate Affairs

[Apsattv]

In response I sent back this.


That is not correct at all.

TVNZ's TV1/2 transmission on SKY's transponder has been FTA for several years.

Just as it should be with a taxpayer funded broadcaster


(no reply received!)