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Bits'N'Bytes April 2011

We are all aware that our cosy relationship with

analogue TV is going to end soon by government fiat. If

you are anything like my wife and I, you are quite

satisfied with the current offerings on free-to-air

analogue TV, particularly on ABC and SBS. The rest of

the channels are mainly garbage, and the claim that

more channels on digital TV will give more choice is

spurious because it will mean only that the intellectually

satisfying material will be still more diluted and just

spread more widely over the spectrum of many

channels. The improved definition available with digital

will in no way improve the program content on its own.

However, we do need to come to terms with this so-

called technical advance because the analogue signal

will be switched off within two years, even if it costs

retirees more than they want to pay. Should we go for a

large screen with high definition and appropriate tuner

costing several thousands of dollars? OK if you have

money to burn. Or should we go “lo-tech” and

minimum cost with a set-top box (STB) to adapt our

existing analogue TV to digital signals? This article

explores the second of these options.

The situation is complicated by any wish to record

shows or documentaries. We have a hard disk personal

video recorder (PVR) for our analogue setup that cost

some $800 which is able to record one program while

we are viewing another, and to record several hundred

hours then dub them onto DVD discs. By careful

selection in the dubbing process I can put all the

episodes of a particular series onto one DVD, using

extended play options. But this machine will not record

or playback digital material. Such a machine must have

two tuners, and its equivalent digital model in a STB is

quite expensive.

Reviews of Set-top Boxes

Several multifunction (i.e. they have some recording

functionality) STBs were reviewed in the March 2010

issue of PC User magazine, page 69. They ranged in

price from the DigitalView XC-4912 ($49 at Jaycar) to

the Strong SRT 5440 ($250) but PC User does not rate

them comparatively.

I decided that $49 for the DigitalView (DV) model was

not too much to spend on an exploration of this

technology, and I have not regretted the purchase.

However, the DV manual leaves much to be desired, as

we shall see, and in the following writeup I share my

experience of setting up and using this particular STB.

The DV offers only standard definition (SD) digital

reception, but there is no point in having a high

definition (HD) tuner if your existing TV can show only

a standard definition picture.

For more STBs and reviews, see

http://www.productreview.com.au/c/set-top-boxes-tv-

receivers-dvrs.html

http://www.choice.com.au/reviews-and-

tests/technology/home-entertainment/digital/hdstb-

with-usb-review-and-compare.aspx, though most of

these refer to more expensive equipment.

Government Assistance for Pensioners

I should mention here that the federal government has

instituted a “Household Assistance Scheme” to provide

eligible customers with a high-definition STB (see News

for Seniors 2010 issue 83 or

http://www.digitalready.gov.au/ ) prior to shut down of

the analogue signal in each area. This scheme does not

appear to include any upgrade of your TV screen or any

means of recording programs. Eligibility is limited to

those already on a variety of CentreLink approved

pensions

at the maximum rate

. Part-pensioners are

excluded.

The Function of a Set-top Box

My expectation of the function of an STB was that it

would convert a digital TV signal to analogue and then

feed it to the analogue tuner in my existing TV set. This

misconception led to a day of frustration when I first

connected it according to the diagram in the manual,

which nowhere tells you to use an audio-visual input

(AV channel) on the TV! In fact, an STB should be

viewed as another external tuner which is attached to

your TV in the same manner as a PVR, VCR or a DVD

player.

The Digital View XC-4912

The DV is a deceptively simple-looking piece of

equipment, with just an on/off switch on its front fascia.

Note that red is off/standby and blue is on. This switch

sometimes did not respond to the remote but a quick

touch fixed that. The manual instructs you to insert two

AAA batteries in the remote, but this is incorrect: the

remote comes with a coin-shaped C2025 battery and all

that you need to do is to remove the sliver of plastic

insulation from the battery compartment.

External Recording Media

The DV has a USB2 port for connecting an external

flash drive or hard disk, so I bought a 1 terabyte (Tb)

Western Digital external hard disk (EHD) from the

closing down sale of Dick Smith in Horton Parade,

Page 10

Going Digital – Ted Webber

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