Launch for First Digital Terrestrial Datacasting Service

Consumers can now access more information services on free-to-air digital television with Broadcast Australia’s launch of Australia’s first full datacasting service.
The new service, ‘Digital Forty Four Datacast on 44’, showcases the potential of datacasting under a three-year, Federal Government-endorsed trial. Digital Forty Four, which is the generic name for a suite of datacasting services that can be found on a number of digital channels starting with the prefix ‘4’, was officially unveiled by Hon. John Della Bosca MLC, NSW Special Minister for State, Minister for Commerce and Minister for Industrial Relations.
Broadcast Australia is providing the technology and delivery platform for the Digital Forty Four service. Datacasting content is being provided by third parties.
“This trial will demonstrate that free-to-air digital television and datacasting provide a very effective way to deliver large amounts of information to anyone with a TV set and a digital set top box. Not only is digital datacasting free to receive, it can carry high definition signals and be tailored for local audiences,” said Graeme Barclay, Managing Director of Broadcast Australia.
Datacasting is a new technique that allows the broadcasting of text, audio and video content over digital TV spectrum. It promises to greatly expand the range and variety of free-to-air content available to consumers through their TV sets as more households embrace digital television.
The current trial is being conducted in Sydney only and initially features six information services: a video program guide listing current programs on all free-to-air digital TV channels; news, sport, weather from the ABC; real-time traffic, coast watch and other community information from the NSW State Government; EXPO shopping; SportsTAB; and audio broadcasts of Federal Parliament.

Viewers can find Digital Forty Four by going to channel 44 on their free-to-air digital TV service. 44 is a ‘home page’ that lists the full range of datacasting services available through Digital Forty Four. Consumers need a digital TV or digital set-top box to view the service, which is available now.
Broadcast Australia is seeking to expand the number and range of third-party content on Digital Forty Four and expects to announce more services this year. It plans to incorporate interactive programs once interactive set-top boxes become available on the Australian market over the next six months. Broadcast Australia is also interested in specialist applications such as the delivery of Internet and specific information to closed user groups and PDA users via datacasting.
“We believe that many of the services that have been pioneered on the web will thrive in the datacasting environment,” said Mr Barclay. “This is because the cost of distribution, and the cost to receive content, is far lower per person using the free-to-air digital television system compared to traditional Internet.
“Our goal is to create a new point of differentiation, in this case additional new services, for the digital terrestrial television platform that will encourage the viewing public to convert from analogue to digital,” said Mr Barclay. “It is too early to say what the likely outcome of the trial will be but we expect to see greater awareness of and attraction to digital television among consumers. We also expect content providers to become more aware of the commercial possibilities offered by datacasting.”
Datacasting is different from ‘traditional’ television because programming is limited to certain forms of content, focusing on information and educational programmes. Broadcast Australia’s datacasting platform also employs new techniques including extensive use of the Internet Protocol (IP) in sourcing and handling content and straight-through processing of programming from content providers. This ensures Broadcast Australia’s datacasting platform is efficient and flexible, and ready for interactivity.
Broadcast Australia was awarded a three-year licence to transmit datacasting services in the Sydney metropolitan area by the Australian Broadcasting Authority in October 2003. The licence was issued following the Federal Government’s December 2002 decision to encourage the development of datacasting. Each content provider using Broadcast Australia’s Digital Forty Four platform also holds a datacasting licence.
Digital Forty Four Datacast on 44 is broadcast on UHF Channel 35 from Broadcast Australia’s transmission facility at Gore Hill.

Return to Industry News