whispa1970 Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 Just to let you all know, Austar have released a new STB called the Flinders. It's the same looking as the TITAN but it has SPDIF output for your digital sound output. Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalj Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 Good News for Austar Customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizclinton Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 Does it also have component out for video? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drubie Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 Does it also have component out for video? ...and how do we get one? SPDIF and component would be enough for me (actually, I'd get it just for the spdif) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whispa1970 Posted April 25, 2007 Author Share Posted April 25, 2007 Only SPDIF. Have to wait for Mystar for the component. Saw on another NG that CEO of Austar was on Sky today saying Mystar not before August as well. Anyone else see this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizclinton Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 Foxtel might beat mystar by the looks of it. The Iq may well be the next Austar box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozbrit Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Does it also have component out for video? Sorry to being a smarta**e but Austar boxes already have s-video which is technically a form of component video. I guess you mean RGB component. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whispa1970 Posted April 26, 2007 Author Share Posted April 26, 2007 You wouldn't want Foxtels IQ, the MYSTAR is far better, Foxtel will want the MYSTAR. I wouldn't think the ACCC would allow Foxtel to Purchase Austar would they, that would basically create a monopoly, and you cant say that Selectv is any competition? Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizclinton Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Sorry to being a smarta**e but Austar boxes already have s-video which is technically a form of component video. I guess you mean RGB component. Yeees. I only have one s video input on my Bravia x series and two devices fighting for it so another form of output other than composite would be very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizclinton Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 You wouldn't want Foxtels IQ, the MYSTAR is far better, Foxtel will want the MYSTAR.I wouldn't think the ACCC would allow Foxtel to Purchase Austar would they, that would basically create a monopoly, and you cant say that Selectv is any competition? Regards, Don’t we have a virtual monopoly right now? Foxtel will not sell me their service because I'm in an Austar area and the same applies to people in a Foxtel area who want Austar. If the ACCC should be looking at anything, it should be the current collusion between the two major pay TV players not selling into each others patch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chatham Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Umm, there's no collusion that I know about, each has their own mandated/gazetted area that they are licenced to broadcast to. Even though the signal is sent Australia wide from Optus' C1 satellite, unless you are in an AUSTAR area you cannot legally receive/descramble it's signal, and visa versa for Foxtel...I've heard of rare exceptions to this but in the main it's the Federal Government's choosing, not the providers. Even though I'd much rather pay AUSTAR I'm only able to get Foxtel where I live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizclinton Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 I cant see why the ACCC would care if Foxtel took over Austar there will be no reduction in competition in either market. As for the Mystar PVR it may well be technically better than the Iq but the Iq has a couple of things going for and that is its does really exist and its in customers premises as far as Mystars concerned after two years of waiting Im not sure it really is more than a figment of someone at Austars imagination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizclinton Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Umm, there's no collusion that I know about, each has their own mandated/gazetted area that they are licenced to broadcast to.Even though the signal is sent Australia wide from Optus' C1 satellite, unless you are in an AUSTAR area you cannot legally receive/descramble it's signal, and visa versa for Foxtel...I've heard of rare exceptions to this but in the main it's the Federal Government's choosing, not the providers. Even though I'd much rather pay AUSTAR I'm only able to get Foxtel where I live. Its my understanding and I'm happy to be proven wrong on this, that there is no government imposed licence area on pay TV providers and that the current boundaries exist by a gentlemen’s agreement only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chatham Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Its my understanding and I'm happy to be proven wrong on this, that there is no government imposed licence area on pay TV providers and that the current boundaries exist by a gentlemen’s agreement only. I'd be more even more happy to be proven wrong, my direct attempts at getting AUSTAR in Sydney came to nought, I was told AUSTAR was not licenced to be received here...I wonder where the truth lies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozbrit Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Its my understanding and I'm happy to be proven wrong on this, that there is no government imposed licence area on pay TV providers and that the current boundaries exist by a gentlemen’s agreement only. Liz, the present arrangement where Foxtel are limited to providing a service to the major cities and Austar to regional Australia was set by the previous federal government. Might be wrong, but I seem to think the minister responsible at the time was senator Graham Richardson. Of course the federal government took a huge fee (surprise surprise) when granting the licenses to the three players, Foxtel, Optusvision and Galaxy. Of course since then Optus decided it wasn't worth fighting Foxtel and duly threw in the towel so to speak and Galaxy simply went bust. Galaxies Capital city customers went to Foxtel and regional ones to Austar. Australia has proven to be a difficult market-place fror paytv, even NZ has twice as many subscribers proportionate to their population. NZ like most countries has only one operator and what regulates things is the price. People choose whether they're getting value for money and not whether there is competition. If its not a good product people won't buy it, its as simple as that, and going on the poor take up rate here, the consumer is obviously doesn't feel they're getting value for their money. Some argue that paytv won't ever be as successful as elsewhere unless or until the government allows paytv to take a stranglehold on sporting rights. I suspect having more than one supplier (as was the case in the cities) hasn't helped things. I'm all for one operator who will have a requirement to on-sell to other suppliers at a sensible charge, just as Telstra has to to AAPT and Primus etc with its telephony network. That'd be the best and fairest arrangement all round and we the consumer, wherever we are can access all the channels available from the satellite(s). Then paytv might move forward and we get what they've been promising us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrP Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Telstra is doing everything in its power to remove itself from the 'sensible charge' policy too. Having all your eggs in one basket is a gigantic mistake. Pay TV in this country is slowly but steadily moving towards that single supplier stance too (most people already view Foxtel supplied content). Its part of the reason pay TV pricing in this country is as high as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whispa1970 Posted April 26, 2007 Author Share Posted April 26, 2007 Telstra is doing everything in its power to remove itself from the 'sensible charge' policy too. Having all your eggs in one basket is a gigantic mistake. Pay TV in this country is slowly but steadily moving towards that single supplier stance too (most people already view Foxtel supplied content). Its part of the reason pay TV pricing in this country is as high as it is. Not sure if you realise this, but it's not actually Foxtel provided content alone. True that Austar connect to Foxtel uplink, but the actual channels are owned 50/50 by Foxtel/Austar called XYZnetworks, so it's not really a Foxtel network. Other channels are owned by various companies both Australian and Overseas, and some by the local FTA channels. All listed on the Foxtel website of course. Also I understand that Austar was around prior to Foxtel, anyone give me dates for the startup, around 12 years ago or something. Foxtel purchased the Galaxy Subs as they only had cable in some capital cities. Foxtel areas are most capital cities, except Darwin and Hobart, Foxtel also have rights to all of WA and cable only on Gold Coast Austar have all regional areas, except WA, rights to all of TAS and NT, cable in Darwin and Sat on the Gold Coast. None available on northern tip of Australia! Also AAPT has it's own network Australia wide as well, which onsells space to Telstra and other networks, including many broadband internet companies, AAPT also use the Telstra network. And as we know, AAPT is owned by Telecom New Zealand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozbrit Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Also I understand that Austar was around prior to Foxtel, anyone give me dates for the startup, around 12 years ago or something. Foxtel purchased the Galaxy Subs as they only had cable in some capital cities. You understand wrong. Galaxy (Australis media) were the first company to offer paytv to Australia with their now defunct microwave delivery from tall buildings in City centres. Subsequently Austar and East Coast broadcasting became franchisees of Galaxy. It was after the demise of Galaxy that Austar were given approval to replace and continue the satellite service to regional Australia. Foxtel operated in the same capacity by absorbing the metropolitan Galaxy customer base. If my memory serves me right, it was Optusvision that were the second provider out of the blocks with their cable service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizclinton Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 If licences were issued many years ago who now administer these licenses the AMCA ? A check of their web site for pay TV licensing brings up nothing. Back in 2000 I wrote to Foxtel asking if there was a possibility of them extending their coverage to the Hobart metro area. At the time the Austar service was very poor only offering 15 or 16 channels in even worse quality to today PQ. The reply I received back from Foxtel was quite positive and I forwarded a copy on to the then regional manager of Austar Tasmania/Victoria hoping that some interest from another company may spur Austar into lifting their game in Hobart. That it certainly did I received a phone call from the regional manger offering certain enticements to drop my very small campaign to lure Foxtel down here. There appeared to be no legislative reason why Foxtel could not have opened shop here if they had wanted to and the impression I got from the regional manager he was quite worried they may be about to do just that. I was more than happy with the offers made and still remain a happy Austar customer to this day even without a Mystar. I totally agree with the principal of only one operator in each market considering the very small nature of our pay TV industry but really cant see what difference it would make one nationwide company replaced two servicing essentially walled markets or just where the ACCC would fit into all this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrP Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Not sure if you realise this, but it's not actually Foxtel provided content alone. True that Austar connect to Foxtel uplink, but the actual channels are owned 50/50 by Foxtel/Austar called XYZnetworks, so it's not really a Foxtel network. Other channels are owned by various companies both Australian and Overseas, and some by the local FTA channels. All listed on the Foxtel website of course. What I meant is that the content all comes out of Foxtel's video encoders. If the rumour mill has the story correct, Austar will be part of Foxtel and XYZ will be a wholely Foxtel owned subsidiary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whispa1970 Posted April 26, 2007 Author Share Posted April 26, 2007 What I meant is that the content all comes out of Foxtel's video encoders. If the rumour mill has the story correct, Austar will be part of Foxtel and XYZ will be a wholely Foxtel owned subsidiary. We will see. Austar is connecting subscribers like never before, and I would think they will hang onto this and increase the value of the shares. Besides, do we want a Telstra company to take over. Foxtel is Telstra, lets leave Austar foreign owned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrP Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Austar may well be connecting subscribers like never before, but they are also disconnecting them like never before too. The disconnect rate is pretty impressive (that goes for Foxtel too). To quote a post on another forum referring to the 'interview' of the Austar chairman... Between the multiple "you know ... you know ... you know" one can discern that there are 800-900 new connections each day but only 18,000 new customers in the first quarter.Given that 900*52*5/4 = 56,250 this must mean that the difference (56,250 - 18,000 = 38,250) must be due to churn. That puts churn at at least 8%. Which is why Austar has to force customers onto 12 month contracts. He also states that "the product is as good as its ever been". Not "better than its ever been". Very carefully chosen words. If Austar wants to reduce the churn then they have to provide better programming, plain and simple. But they wont do that because they appear intent on maintaining a product that is "... as good as its ever been". This means the same repeats will continue to be repeated at the same rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolly73 Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 You understand wrong. Galaxy (Australis media) were the first company to offer paytv to Australia with their now defunct microwave delivery from tall buildings in City centres. Subsequently Austar and East Coast broadcasting became franchisees of Galaxy. It was after the demise of Galaxy that Austar were given approval to replace and continue the satellite service to regional Australia. Foxtel operated in the same capacity by absorbing the metropolitan Galaxy customer base. If my memory serves me right, it was Optusvision that were the second provider out of the blocks with their cable service. CETV - As AUSTAR was then known began broadcast via MMDs and DTH satellite in 1995. Galaxy went bust in 1998, and AUSTAR took on it's East Coast TV network in coastal NSW and Tassie. Fox took all Galaxy Metro customers and Newcastle customers. There is a book about the early days of sub tv in OZ, which I saw mentioned in another forum, but can not find the title.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skooter Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 So, anyway.... How do we get our slimy hands on one of the new boxes? Disconnect and when they try to keep you, ask for the new box? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whispa1970 Posted April 27, 2007 Author Share Posted April 27, 2007 So, anyway....How do we get our slimy hands on one of the new boxes? Disconnect and when they try to keep you, ask for the new box? You could always ring and say you would like the new box because of the Digital audio which better suits your sound system. I guess the tgrick is to be nice, and not demand demand and crack it like alot of people do. You just never know. I dont think any of the techs have them just yet in any case. You get what the tech installs. They are still sending out the larger Atlas and ADB decoders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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