Digital TV arrives in Albany

Albany has joined the digital television revolution, with residents able to access a range of extra free-to-air television channels from this week.

Residents have been waiting with anticipation to access the same channels available in Perth.

Engineers have been installing the infrastructure to allow Albany residents to access the full range of commercial free-to-air television services.

Residents will have access to digital channels like GO!, 7TWO, 7mate, One and Eleven by December 16.

But GWN7 general manager Trevor Sutherland said digital channels would become available this week in “test mode”.

“Digital television is really good and includes greater offerings and superior quality, picture and sound,” he said.

“The analogue channels will be re-tuning as well because they have to move the frequency of analogue to fit in the new digitals, so when people turn their televisions on it will come up with a message telling them to retune to get new analogue.”

To receive digital channels viewers need a digital set-top box for their existing television or a television with a built-in digital tuner.

Those who already have digital reception will need to auto-tune their television or set-top box to access the full range of digital services.

In November last year, the Federal Government committed $34 million over four years to ensure regional viewers could receive all channels available in capital cities.

The funding helped regional commercial broadcasters install transmitters to give them the capacity to transmit all new digital TV channels. “In regional WA we are putting in 51 installations, but the metro area might have one or two at best,” Mr Sutherland said. “It is a pretty big job, WA is a pretty big State.”

Eighty per cent of West Australians are expected to have access to the full suite of digital television services by mid-2012.

In the second half of 2013, regional and remote WA will switch to digital-only free-to-air television.

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