Digital TV offers a superior way to enjoy free to view television. With free to view digital TV, all the great programs you now enjoy – sport, movies, drama, comedy, news, current affairs, kids – are available in a greatly improved format. Key benefits include better picture and sound quality, widescreen images, extra channels and a arrange of programme enhancements.
SHARPER PICTURES
Free to view digital TV eliminates one of the most common problems with analog reception: a fuzzy or ghosted picture. The digital result is a sharper and clearer picture of equal quality to playing a DVD on your TV set.
CLEARER SOUND
Free to view digital TV offers MPEG stereo sound, which is similar to CD quality sound. Many MPEG stereo programs are also enhanced with Dolby Pro Logic surround sound. Some High Definition programs may be broadcast in Dolby Digital, including Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.
WIDESCREEN
Rather than the ‘boxy’ format of traditional analog television (4:3 aspect ratio), free to view digital TV pictures are broadcast in widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio), similar to the format used for DVDs and at the movies. Widescreen is a more natural view for the human eye, and literally means you see more of the picture. Most new Australian and overseas programs are now produced in widescreen.
EXTRA CHANNELS
With free to view digital TV, you receive extra channels – free of charge. The ABC provides a two new free to view digital TV channels – ABC 2 and ABC 3 – which broadcasts a wide range of new and repeat programming including children’s, regional, documentary, arts, lifestyle, international and regional news. In addition to their main digital service, SBS is broadcasting the World News Channel. The World News Channel broadcasts more than 200 news programs from 18 countries each week.
In certain areas, broadcasters are providing program guide channels. Program guide channels are a television version of a printed program guide, and provide information about daily program schedule, coming attractions, and the latest news and weather. You can also receive selected radio channels from the ABC and SBS via free to view digital tv, including the ABC’s Internet radio service dig, dig jazz and SBS multilingual radio services.
OTHER ENHANCEMENTS
The benefits of free to view digital TV will continue to evolve over time, eventually leading to free to view digital TV viewers enjoying a wider selection of ‘enhancements’ to regular programming. Some of the enhancements already being provided on free to view digital TV include:
- Now and next program information
While watching a program, you can see on-screen information about ‘whats on now’ and ‘what’s on next’.
Closed captioning provides an on-screen display of the text spoken on television. The broadcasters caption all English language news and current affairs programs, as well as all programs broadcast during prime time.
Thanks to Digital Broadcasting Australia for providing parts of this explanation. Unfortunately their website is no longer available for viewing.
