VAST con

[Zolle]

The story I have been given during enquiries about a VAST receiver is that technically the existing Strong boxes used on the Optus system can receive the VAST signal IF the VAST system was unlocked from the Altech UEC boxes. At present the VAST system is locked such that the sole supplier appointed by the government is able to block any competitor by making each access card linked to the box it is sold with and only the Altech box is allowed to access the system.

Retailers have told me that the present Altech only system is good for them as they are making far more money than they would if they could just sell access cards capatible with Strong or other boxes.

So much for the open market competition bringing prices down the the Labour government spouts about.

Has anyone else been told the above and can confirm it?

Cheers

[RussnSue]

G'day,

The introduction of the VAST system is more complex than plugging in a decoder and displaying the end result on a TV. With the introduction of digital TV it was clear that many of the self-help TV transmitters and translators in rural areas would not be upgraded to digital. This would mean that many areas that formally had TV coverage would no longer have it post-2013.

Other things also came into play. The Aurora satellite service is also due to switch off at around the same time and the free-to-air TV stations lobbied the Government to ensure that they maintained market share. The VAST system was selected because the channels that the end-user can receive can be strictly controlled. One way of doing this is to link the smart-card to the decoder in which it should be working. It is ironic that the plethora of freely available forged or bogus smart-cards that plagued the pay TV satellite services was front and foremost in the Government/bureaucratic decision to tighten the security of the service.

The Government and by extension, we taxpayers, are subsidising the service and they had to come up with a scheme that would satisfy the free-to-air providers to keep them on board. That is why there will be different levels of access to the VAST system depending upon where you live. In theory, you should only be able to get the suite of channels that you currently do now, along with their digital "extra channels". If it was a free-for-all and you could get any channel from anywhere in Australia, then the advertising revenues of smaller, regional networks would be threatened - and perhaps even some of the capital city networks would suffer this as well.

For example, why would someone in WA wait for channel 7 to put Friday night footy on at 8:30 PM when they could switch to a Victorian Channel 7 and watch it Live? Time shifting, especially to another timezone can mean loss of revenues. The free-to-air providers were never going to run with a situation like that. As a traveller you can sign a declaration that will enable you to pick up the full gamut of channels for one State. If you cross borders you can notify them and change the allowed channels to those of the new State that you are in.

So, the bureaucrats came up with VAST, including the propriety decoder, to satisfy the FTA networks, stave off card counterfeiting and ensure that there are no black-spots in Australia after 2013. The fact that they aren't allowing other decoders to be used is largely due to the dickheads that cheated the system in the past. Competitive forces are coming into play and I have noticed a decline in VAST decoder prices over time. In the scheme of things, we should be happy to get such an excellent quality service for what is still a pretty cheap price.

Cheers

Russ

[Rod and Mavis]

Great presentation makes good sense thanks Russ

[Bas]

My experience with VAST can only be described as exceptional in terms of both service and the facility itself. An added and unexpected bonus is the near-absence of advertising and the scenes from various parts of Australia. It's only a pity some of the scenery is identified whereas some channels do not provide a caption.

You can register for any state you wish. If in WA, you can register for NSW and watch games live, but for practical reasons, it's probably best to register for where you are so that you receive local news.

After enduring the vagaries of terrestrial reception for years, VAST is out of this world (literally!!!).

Barry

[ATV42]

Hi all

We have been using the VAST system in our ATV for two since the system was launched in December 2010. It is the best satellite TV system on the market (with the exception of pay TV).

It's easy to setup, easy to use and it works anywhere. Who cares if only one decoder box is available!!!! it's the quality of the service that counts.

Peter