Blue Mountains TV Antennas

If you are in a Digital TV Blackspot where your Digital reception is pixellated, poor quality or just plain un-watchable, There is now a solution available for residents in the Blue Mountains.

Introducing VAST or Viewer Access Satellite Television.
One of the Australian Government’s objectives in the switch to digital TV is to address, as much as possible, long-standing issues in regional and remote areas of Australia where residents have poor, or in some cases, no access to terrestrially broadcast TV services.

The VAST service is a first class direct-to-home digital TV satellite service which covers all of Australia. For the first time, viewers who cannot receive digital services from the terrestrial transmitters that serve their area will have access to a reliable free-to-air satellite TV service which delivers a range of digital channels.

The majority of Australians receive their TV services from the network of broadcaster-owned transmission towers. However, for those who live outside the coverage of this terrestrial network, a new satellite TV service is available to ensure that they are able to enjoy the same benefits of digital television as other Australians.

The Australian Government is investing $375.4 million to provide transmission of digital free-to-air TV services from the new satellite platform known as the VAST service. The establishment of the VAST service aims to ensure that anyone in Australia that cannot receive digital terrestrial services has immediate access to a reliable and professionally operated free-to-air service now and into the future.

The VAST service will also be available to people who currently rely on community-run ‘self-help’ transmitters that are not being converted to digital by commercial broadcasters and who are not able to receive an adequate digital signal from another transmitter site serving their area. Some households that rely on these services, and are not being converted, may be eligible for the Satellite Subsidy Scheme. For more information about the subsidy refer to the Satellite Subsidy Scheme link under ‘related information’.

The VAST service commenced on 15 December 2010 and will be progressively made available in all parts of Australia as they switch to digital TV. Viewers will be able to access the commercial channels of the VAST service about six months before the switch to digital TV in their area. The channels of the national broadcasters, ABC and SBS, are available without restriction. Regional areas that have already switched to digital-only TV and remote areas of Australia have access to the VAST service now.

It is difficult to estimate exactly how many viewers will need to receive the new satellite service, but it may potentially benefit up to 247,000 households across Australia. Many of these households already rely on satellite reception for their TV, such as the Aurora service, and for the first time, all Australians will have access to the same number of channels that are available in capital cities.

About The VAST Set-Top-Box

As of August 2011, there is only one VAST certified set-top box available in the market. This is manufactured by Altech UEC and is available to buy from Blue Mountains TV Antennas.

Once you purchase your Satellite Set-Top-Box, You own it. There is no monthly cost, no subscription fee, renewal fee, or any other hidden costs. It is a one-off purchase and installation cost.

The DSD4121 high-definition set-top box is specifically designed for the Australian VAST service delivering industry leading quality and performance at market leading pricing.
The DSD4121 employs a new generation STi7111 microprocessor incorporating the latest secure processor technology, and is equipped with an HDMI interface, component video, stereo audio outputs with digital audio S/PDIF, and a USB 2.0 port.

Key Features

STi7111 Secure Processor Core
MPEG-2/4 HD compliant
DVB-S2 Front end
F-Type Satellite input
IRDETO secure silicon conditional access
450 MHz core processor
Over-the-Air secure software download
HDMI output
Component video output
Coaxial S/PDIF digital audio output
Optical digital audio output
Dolby digital audio
Subtitles
Stereo audio outputs
USB 2.0 interface
8 Day electronic program guide
Compliant with Australian VAST services

You can download a brochure for this unit HERE

More information is available on the Government Digital Ready Website or by phoning Blue Mountains TV Antennas on (Mobile) 0422 869 464 or 4702 0580 (for Local Call cost to call my mobile phone)

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