Sports fans switch on to HD TV

Webber's RetraVision assistant manager Justin Williams admires the picture clarity of a Samsung LED high-definition television.

Allan Reinkka AR30/0609/1

SPORTS fans like Justin Williams will be glued to their televisions from today when the first free-to-air 24-hour sports channel becomes available in Central Queensland.

The Southern Cross digital channel One HD will be available only to viewers with digital-ready televisions and is likely to be the first of many new changes viewers will see over the next year.

Mr Williams, assistant manager of Webbers Retravision, said the store had seen large increases in the sale of digital televisions and set-top boxes in the past few months.

“We've had a lot of people coming in and being disappointed because we have been sold out of stock a couple of times but we've got plenty at the moment and more on order,” he said.

Mr Williams said anyone who didn't already have digital television could expect to pay between $79 and $200 for a set-top box to modify an analogue TV.

The One HD channel has previously been available in metropolitan areas but regional sports fans will no longer miss out on their daily dose of sports action.

“A lot of people don't want to have to pay extra for Austar to get the sports channels so it's handy in that way. I'm looking forward to it.”

Macquarie Southern Cross Media chief executive Rhys Holleran said he was thrilled to bring One HD to regional viewers.

“The launch of this channel follows the significant investment program which was required to enable the broadcasting of HD television across 25 markets we have in these regions in Eastern Australia.”

One HD will be broadcast on Channel 50 and some of the sporting highlights that will be available on One HD include ANZ Champion Netball, 2010 Commonwealth Games, every round of the Formula One, national basketball, 11 tennis tournaments and at least three National Football League games per week.

Between next year and 2013, analogue free-to-air TV signals are being switched off and replaced with digital-only signals.

The ABC has already introduced the ABC2 kids channel, which is only broadcast in digital, and SBS has SBS TWO in digital.

The Seven, Nine and Ten networks have introduced high-definition digital channels.

Gradually, each of the free-to-air television broadcasters will be introducing new digital channels and content.