Prices tumble in Oz

Word reaches us from Australia that discount supermarket chain ALDI is selling HD DVB-T receivers for less than AUS $100 (or about EUR 60) and SD receivers for AUS $35 (about EUR 21). MPEG-2 video coding is used for both SD and HD services in Australia, where 7MHz channel bandwidths are used.

The attached photo shows that the HD box outputs 576p, 576i, 720p and 1080i video, with a range of connections including HDMI and DVI.

High Def kicking off on terrestrial in Singapore

MediaCorp has launched its well-flagged HD5 service on the DVB-T network in Singapore. The service, which has been in trial for about a year, is a simulcast of Channel 5, the main English language channel that carries major drama series, movies and sports events. The service uses MPEG-4 video coding. Not much word yet on STB availability. One model that's getting a lot of mention on discussion boards is the Draco HDTV 3900...seemingly it's available for about Sing$ 300 - that's just over €140.

The MediaCorp site suggests that the main retails are selling receivers, bundled with an indoor antenna for about Sing$560 - about €265. That price seems a little steep compared to prices reported previously in Estonia and Norway. Presumably prices will fall as more HD content (rather than upconverted SD stuff) is added to the service.

ALDI selling cheap HD STBs in Oz

Budget retailer ALDI is currently selling an HDTV (DVB-T, MPEG-2 video) set-top box, with HDMI output, for AUS$ 119. That's about €75... It's a Tevion box - the black and pink boxes in the middle of the photo above.

DVB-T STB prices in Australia

Australia is an interesting market for DTT, having introduced high def broadcasts (using MPEG-2 video coding) on DVB-T more than five years ago. I believe they are beginning to think about a move to MPEG-4 in the coming years there, but for the moment the receiver market is entirely MPEG-2....and there are some very cheap boxes available.

This standard definition box from Ultraview is available at AUS $ 50, which is about 30 €UR or US$40. That beats any price I've been able to find online for the UK or elsewhere (although I'll keep searching). By the way, this box can output both PAL and NTSC signals - this is a key point for the markets in Latin America.

Arguably, what's really impressive about the market in Oz is just how low the prices for HD receivers have fallen. For example, the Legend box pictured here is available for AUS $ 130 - that's just over 80 €UR for a box that can do SD and HD, with DVI video output and SPDIF for the audio. That's pretty inexpensive HDTV by any standard! (Again, it can output both PAL and NTSC.)

There's a long list of receivers available for the Australian market on the DBA website, although the recommended retail prices listed there seem a little high when you search some of the online retailers.

MPEG-4 receivers in Estonia

People are starting to talk about MPEG-4 video coding as a real option for launching DVB-T services now. The headend equipment is certainly available and getting better all the time. The Estonians have launched DVB-T services this year and are using MPEG-4 right from the off. The big question is will the receivers be affordable. Everyone knows that standard MPEG-2 DVB-T boxes are as cheap as chips (literally, if you get my meaning!), but there isn't yet a mass market for these new-fangled MPEG-4 boxes. So, what's happening in Estonia....?

Well it seems that one manufacturer at least has put a line in the sand in terms of a price point. This box from Kaon is, I am reliably informed, retailing at 109 €UR, plus sales tax (which is a not insignificant 18% in Estonia). The box, which is not a bad looking piece of kit, can handle MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, both SD and HD, and has HDMI output. You'll find the full spec here. (Takes a while to load for some reason.)