Hey, he’s the family guy….

THAT expensive plasma or LCD will be obsolete from May 1 when Australia’s TV population – about 16.5 million of them – and its digital TV system, becomes officially outdated.

Basically the article says that the digital signal for HD channels will go from MPEG2 to MPEG4 on May 1. This is simply not correct.

Yes, Freeview branded products are hitting the shelves on May 1.

Yes, Freeview products must be capable of receiving MPEG4 to get brand approval.

But NO, TV stations are not switching to MPEG4. They might switch to MPEG-4 one day… but they are not now.

Don’t throw away your plasma TV for now!

When that day does come, fortunately I can just switch over the TV card in my Windows Vista Media Centre with an MPEG4 one and she’ll be right mate!

Thanks to Gizmodo for explaining this and putting our minds at ease.

1. A poor attempt at branding free to air TV
2. An attempt to get manufacturers to make PVRs minus a button that skips forward 30 seconds (to skip ads)
3. An estimation that the general public is stupid and that they don’t have smart friends!

Whilst Freeview is wrapped in a promise to supply more free to air channels, the unfortunate reality is that there is no new content. Channel 7 and Channel 9 have not taken up the new channels yet, and Ten has already been playing US sporting events on its OneHD for ages now.

LOL

Lesson: Don’t buy anything with Freeview written on it. Get a Windows Vista Media Center or a decent PVR instead.