SBS 3D

Updated March 28, 2013

Here is the list of digital channels updated as at March 28, 2013. All channels in SD (standard definition), unless otherwise stated.

ABC
ABC1 – 2 & 21
ABC2 – 22
ABC3 – 23
ABC News 24 – 24 (HD Channel). Also on 20 is some areas.
ABC HD channel 20 phased out to make way for ABC News 24 on channel 24.

SBS
SBS ONE – 3 & 31
SBS TWO – 32
SBS ONE HD – 30 (HD Channel, simulcast of SBS ONE)
SBS also transmits channels 33 and 34 (until early December 2012) which are clones of SBS ONE
NITV – 34 from December 12, 2012

Seven
Seven – 7, 70 & 71
7TWO – 72
7mate – 73 (HD Channel)
7HD that used to be on 70 no longer exists.
74 – TV 4ME – Information / infomercial / paid program channel

Nine
Nine – 9
GO! – 99
GEM - 90 (HD Channel)
GEM replaced 9HD or Nine High Def ch 90.
Extra – 94 – Information / Infomercial / paid programming channel from March 26, 2012
Extra2 – 95 – appeared as part of Nine’s digital channel matrix March 28, 2013. So far, as I can only say it is the Sydney market only.

Ten
Ten – 10
ELEVEN – 11
ONE – 12 & 1
SD simulcast of ONE formerly on ch 12 was dropped to make way for ELEVEN
TVSN – Channel 14 (Home Shopping)

Community
Ch 31, TVS and the like now digital in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth on digital ch 44

Special / part time
TV 4ME – Essentially 24 hour infomercial channel launched December 2011 on channel 74 in 5 metro and regional QLD, part of Seven’s multi-plex
Extra – Essentially 24 hour infomercial channel launching March 26 2012 on channel 94 in at least the 3 eastern state capitals, part of Nine’s multi-plex
3D Channel – 40 (HD, used only for 3D trials in 2010, not currently on the air)
3D Channel – 95 (HD, used for London Olympics daily 3D highlights during the 2012 Olympics)
Extra2 – 95 – appeared March 28 (Sydney market).

Regional (eastern states).
Prime
Prime Main Channel – 6, 60 & 61
7TWO on Prime – 62
7mate on Prime – 63 (HD Channel)
Prime HD channel 60 no longer exists. Note: 7mate on ch 60 in some markets.
64 – TV 4ME. Regional NSW, VIC, ACT. Essentially same as 74.

NBN/WIN
Main Channel – 8
GO! – 88
GEM - 80 (HD Channel)
Extra – 84

SC10
SC10 Main channel – 5
ONE HD – 50 (HD channel).
Eleven – 55

Special
Television 4 / TV 4ME – 64. Launched September 18, 2011. Only those who are in Prime markets will get this channel.
Extra – 24 hour infomercial channel launched March 26 2012 on channel 84. Known as WIN GOLD in WIN markets.

Digital channel summary.

Main channels
Nine – 9.
Seven – 7, 70 & 71
Ten – 10
ABC1 – 2 & 21
SBS ONE – 3 & 31. Available in HD on ch 30.

Digital Channels (in launch order)
ABC2 – 22 Launched 2007
ONE – 1 & 11 (at the time, now 1 & 12) Launched March 27, 2009
SBS TWO – 32 Launched June 1, 2009 (replacing SBS News channel)
GO! – 99 Launched August 9, 2009
7TWO – 72 Launched November 1, 2009
ABC3 – 23 Launched December 3, 2009
ABC News 24 – 24 Launched July 22, 2010
7mate – 73 Launched September 25, 2010
GEM – 90 Launched September 26, 2010
ELEVEN – 11 Launched January 11, 2011
Community – 44 Various dates for various mator markets
TV4 – 74 – Launch December 2011. Five city metro and regional QLD
Extra – 94 – from March 26, 2012 – Syd / Melb / Bris
TVSN – 14 – September 24, 2012. Metro markets only
NITV – 34 – December 12, 2012.
Extra2 – 95 – from March 28, 2013 (Sydney market only so far – subject to confirmation from other markets).

Still to come:
SBS THREE – 33 – possible for late 2013 / 2014.

Regional (NSW, VIC, ACT)
Main channels
WIN, NBN - 8.
Prime - 6, 60 & 61
SC10 - 5, 55
ABC1 – 2 & 21
SBS ONE – 3 & 31. Available in HD on ch 30.

Digital Channels
ABC2 – 22
ONE - 50
SBS TWO – 32
GO! - 88
7TWO – 62
ABC3 – 23
ABC News 24 – 24
7mate – 63
GEM – 80
ELEVEN – 55
TV4 – 64 Launched September 18, 2011. Prime regional markets only. Read more here.
Extra – 84 from March 26. NBN regionals, can’t confirm WIN at this point.

Communications regulator ACMA are still waiting for SBS’s report into the trial free to air 3D broadcasts earlier this year that saw the Rugby League State of Origin and the World Cup Soccer broadcast in 3D.

Nine have handed in their report albeit late, which was due one month after the trails concluded on August 18. The late handing in of the report, however, has meant that Nine may not be able to broadcast the NRL Grand Final in 3D while ACMA reviews the reports.

ACMA engineers are likely to review the reports in coming weeks, but are unable to issue any further trial 3D TV broadcast licenses until they complete the reviews. The timing will most likely mean that Nine will not be able to broadcast the NRL Grand Final in 3D this year.

Meanwhile, viewers in Australia can see the US Open Tennis men’s and women’s final in 3D through Foxtel on channel 206, which will later also be used for ESPN 3D coming soon. In order to see the channel, subscribers must have both the sports package and an IQ2 with the HD package.

Source: The Australian.

With the State of Origin is over and the FIFA World Cup about to finish, what will be next for 3D TV broadcasting in Australia?

In the past two months, there has been a lot of hype surrounding 3D TV, with Fox Sports the first broadcaster ever to bring a 3D live sporting event to Australian screens on May 24, followed by Channel Nine two days later with the first State of Origin.

In total, three State of Origin games were broadcast in 3D on a special trial 3D free to air channel under a two month temporary license arrangement. A total of 15 World Cup Soccer games were presented in 3D on the same channel, and thanks to an agreement with Foxtel, they were also able to be seen through pay TV allowing many in areas not able to receive the 3D free to air channel to view the events. Also broadcast in 3D was one French Open tennis match, and a soccer friendly between Australia and New Zealand.

But with the free to air 3D channel’s trial run due to end July 19, what next for 3D TV in Australia? More 3D TV’s are being released to the market – LG’s Infinia and much publicised Sony models about to hit stores – without regular broadcast content being available and little in the way of 3D on Bluray, take up may be slow.

Even before Nine and Harvey Norman announced the State of Origin in 3D, Ten were considering the idea of 3D citing they would need more spectrum to be able to offer 3D TV. Just after Nine’s first broadcast event, Seven announced they too were looking into the prospect of 3D for events like the ALF Grand Final, the Melbourne Cup and the Bathurst 1000. Recently, Ten have suggested the three commercial broadcasters work together and share the expense of providing 3D events in a single joint venture rather than each going it alone.

So far, however, there have been no announcements from any broadcaster of future definite events to be covered in 3D. This means, that once the temporary 3D channel on both Free to air and Foxtel are switched off for now, there will be no broadcast of 3D content until such time one of the broadcasters commits to airing an event in 3D.

After such high momentum over the past two months, the lack of future 3D events will only add to those who believe 3D is nothing more than a fad and will not go further than random trial and one off broadcasts.

Yes! I was up at 4am to see the Socceroos play Germany in their 2010 World Cup Campaign.

By half time, the score was 2-0 and hope was fading, but a victory for Australia was not impossible. Not that far into the second half, Germany scored again, taking the score to 3-0. Once the 4^th goal was scored, it was nearing 6am and time for bed.

Thousands braved the cold – and here it was the coldest night this year so far – for outdoor screenings at places like Darling Harbour in Sydney – one of six official World Cup outdoor viewing locations in the world (so they say). The coverage was made available at certain 3D enabled cinemas as well.

We won’t know until tomorrow how many people tuned it at 4am to watch the game, as the coverage counts as Monday programming. A ratings “day” runs from 2am – 2am the next morning. As for SBS shares, only 6pm – 12 midnight count towards the shares a network earns.

Needless to say, it’ll be one of the most watched shows on TV at 4am for a long time, helped by the long weekend in all states except WA.

Australia plays Ghana on Saturday (post updated).

World cup coverage continues on SBS and SBS 3D, with the final July 11.

The FIFA Soccer World Cup is under way.

Last night’s opening game between South Africa and Mexico was the fourth live sporting event in Australia to be broadcast in 3D. The 3D coverage was available free to air in parts of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Wollongong and Newcastle on digital channel 40 as well as channel 200 on Foxtel and Austar.

Like other 3D sporting events televised so far, the 3D soccer coverage is actually different to the main coverage you will see on SBS ONE. As there are additional 3D cameras used to capture the 3D vision, the pictures and angles are not the same, nor are the replays. The 3D coverage has its own commentators.

One thing that stands out in watching the game is the incredible drone from thousands of those horns the spectators use throughout the match. The constant drone was quite pronounced in the 3D coverage, making it sometimes hard to hear the commentary, while the main SBS coverage it was more of a background noise.

The 3D coverage of the soccer featured no ads. While SBS ONE played ads during half time, the 3D coverage continued, showing what the teams were up to during the break and recapping the fist half of the game.

South Africa and Mexico ended up in 1-1 draw.

Next 3D match is Australia Vs Germany, 4.15am Monday June 14.

If you have Foxtel IQ2 or My Star HD from Austar and are in one of the many areas that cannot receive the free to air 3D channel on digital channel 40, then you can still see the 3D World Cup Soccer broadcasts, assuming, of course, you have a 3D TV.

Foxtel’s channel 200 which has broadcast two live 3D sporting events is now providing the SBS 3D broadcast of the World Cup.

15 soccer games will be broadcast in 3D, including the Socceroos Vs Germany match at 4.15am Monday June 14.

The full list of 3D games can be seen here.

Having the 3D soccer broadcasts on Foxtel and Austar will make them available to many who would otherwise not be able to receive the 3D trial free to air. This especially includes regional areas who now will be able to see the soccer in 3D via My Star HD through Austar.

As SBS is a free to air channel, you won’t require the sports package to receive channel 200, but you will need to have subscribed to the HD package to allow access to the HD channels.

This one almost slipped away unnoticed! No fanfares, no cakes, no parties… how could I forget?

6pm June 1 marked the first birthday of SBS’s second digital channel SBS TWO. SBS TWO replaced the SBS News channel which previously had only been broadcasting international news bulletins for most of the day.

While the International news is still available until 6pm on SBS TWO as well as SBS ONE in the mornings, SBS TWO has allowed SBS to offer more content then it could just on the one channel.

SBS TWO as a multi channel does not exactly set the ratings world on fire – with shares of around 0.4% on average of the total TV viewing audience, and about 10% of those of SBS ONE, but it has been able to compliment SBS ONE at times where sporting commitments overlap – such as in July 2009 when both the Tour de France and the Test Cricket were on at the same time – SBS TWO allowed one event to be shown while the other was aired on SBS ONE.

With the World Cup Soccer starting June 11 (and SBS remind us of that date after every ad break at the moment) anti-siphoning rules have been temporarily relaxed to allow SBS to show different games on both SBS ONE and SBS TWO concurrently – meaning viewers with access to both channels will have the choice of two games to watch live. Games played on SBS TWO will be repeated on SBS ONE at a later time. Games on SBS ONE will also be seen in HD on SBS ONE HD.

Selected soccer games will also be shown in 3D on SBS 3D, digital channel 40 – the same channel Nine is using for 3D coverage of the State of Origin, the second game of which occurs on June 16.

Happy Birthday, SBS TWO – albeit a day late!

SBS has confirmed that as many as 15 World Cup Soccer matches will be able to be seen in 3D including Australia Vs Germany on June 14.

The 3D soccer matches will be seen on digital channel 40 and replayed on a loop until the next match airs. Digital channel 40 is the same channel that Nine will use for 3D coverage of the three State of Origin Rugby League matches – with the first airing on May 26.

And if you were tossing up whether to buy a 3D TV or not, then Foxtel also have come to the 3D party announcing that they will broadcast the soccer match between the Socceroos and New Zealand on Monday May 24 in 3D on FOX Sports 3D – channel 200.

But what will you need? In order to view the Foxtel match, you will need a 3D TV, an IQ2, sports as part of your package and have paid the extra to be able to receive HD channels on Foxtel. It does not look like Foxtel will charge any extra for channel 200. While this is a one off event, they will have it on air before Nine’s State of Origin and there will no doubt be many more event covered in 3D and broadcast on Foxtel.

Meanwhile, 3D TV on free to air will utilise temporary spectrum allocated for 3D for a period of just two months. Digital channel 40 will be used by both SBS for the soccer and Nine for the State of Origin. All you need to see the free to air digital offerings will be a 3D TV. Nothing more. The special allocation covers Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Nine have stated that Wollongong and Newcastle will be covered for the State of Origin in 3D but we cannot confirm if those two cities will be included in the 3D soccer broadcasts.

And then what? After these major sporting events are over, no doubt there will be many others announced in 3D. Like the uptake of digital TV and high definition, the driving force initially will be sports. Already a number of overseas events are being covered in 3D, some of which may end up here as well on Fox Sports 3D or otherwise.

And what of all those movies lately on 3D? Well, no doubt we will see them in 3D first via Blue Ray, then maybe premium 3D movie channels.

3D is here and whether it succeeds in home entertainment is yet to be seen. It will ultimately come down to available content as to the speed of uptake. Certainly a good time for sports fans though.