HD? Not for Aussie TV!

[mvcg66b3r]

Earlier this week the NFL Superbowl XLIX was played out to a television audience of millions, if not billions, around the world. It is one of the largest annual TV spectacles – but Australian viewers wishing to witness the event were tied down to watching it in standard definition on the Seven Network’s main channel instead of having the option to enjoy it in high definition.

This is despite the preceding NFL season being broadcast on Seven’s HD channel, 7mate.

The situation becomes even more frustrating with overseas reports that the Seven Network was the only broadcaster in the world not to take the HD broadcast of Superbowl.

In the world.

http://televisionau.com/2015/02/hd-...d:+TalkingTelevisionau+(Talking+TelevisionAU)

 

[blizzard59]

As that article mentions, there is a regulatory quirk with the terrestrial broadcast networks in Australia. The primary networks that have been around for decades are only broadcast in standard definition. In order to broadcast in high definition, the networks created secondary channels within the last few years. However, being secondary, these channels often end up with secondary programming, so you end up with the problem the article describes: high-interest and high-profile programming stays on the primary networks in standard definition.

 

[mvcg66b3r]

As that article mentions, there is a regulatory quirk with the terrestrial broadcast networks in Australia. The primary networks that have been around for decades are only broadcast in standard definition. In order to broadcast in high definition, the networks created secondary channels within the last few years. However, being secondary, these channels often end up with secondary programming, so you end up with the problem the article describes: high-interest and high-profile programming stays on the primary networks in standard definition.

Does this happen in other countries as well?

 

[blizzard59]

Does this happen in other countries as well?

Not that I can think of. In most countries, when HD was ready to launch, broadcasters simply created high definition simulcasts of their preexisting standard definition channels.

 

[bm10k]

I Actually Looked at the Australian TV listings that day. It seems that only the Seven O&Os were only carrying it.
It's Prime7 Regional Affiliates didn't even Aired it.

 

[mvcg66b3r]

I Actually Looked at the Australian TV listings that day. It seems that only the Seven O&Os were only carrying it.
It's Prime7 Regional Affiliates didn't even Aired it.

What did Prime7 air?

 

[bm10k]

I Believe it might have been NRL Game