e.tv warning on digital decoders

[Ivork]

imost dvb-t sets sold here in europe also have cam slots. for pay-tv. .

Mine too, but I doubt SABC would go that route. If they do that's Pay-tv, not national broadcaster.

To ivork, you are right that they dont have control over your hardware, but that doesnt mean they wont broadcast encrypted. you will also have a tough time finding readily available dvb-t pc cards with cam slots.

Well I don't know about that. I don't use pc to watch tv. But don't most digital TV's have cam slots? Mines got 2 and it's 8 years old for heavans sake!
(EDIT: Thats a slot at the back of the TV with a whole lot of pins, similair to a pcmcia slot, that takes a cartridge with a sim card, for pay tv like dstv card but can do firmware updates etc as well. Most digital TV's have a RJ11 phone jack with built in modem to boot for that but seldom used tho).

i'm also a bit perplexed at what e-tv are trying to argue against.
seeing as you need a tv license in s.a. to receive broadcast transmissions (channel agnostic),

Um well that's half the point. Etv should be free, but it is not under the current situation. The argument been that if you can receive an analog tv signal, you must pay. (because they have no way of preventing it right now).When digital comes in and analog gets switched off, that will no longer be the case.

So as far as I'm concerned, bring on the SABC cams and pay tv - lets see how many subscribe to their rubbish!

PS PeterCH: Sorry Boet, your analog "premium grade" LCD / PLASMA state of the art TV you got ripped for from Korea, Taiwan or f)ck knows where, won't even have them cam slots at the back either.(Bearing in mind mines Hatachi too).......makes me sick how they sell us this utter rubbish cheapo tv's here! Hope you didn't pay to much and have an RCA AV channel left for the new decoder - plug it in the front maybe where your DV camera should go?

 

[Ivork]

plug it in the front maybe where your DV camera should go?

Oops, that was a bit nasty - sorry.

But you get my drift. Why don't we have SCART in-outs and digital yet?
I mean if we spending R10 000 plus on a TV!
It's utterly pathetic!

 

[BiteMe]

Mine too, but I doubt SABC would go that route. If they do that's Pay-tv, not national broadcaster.

thing is, the tv license authority in s.a. is a probably technically a seperate company, with the sole purpose of collecting fees (can anybody confirm, legally, how the tv license authority is joined to the hip with the sabc, or not..)
so as i said, although i dont agree with it, on many reasons,
AND
even though sabc may not implement it..
THERE IS scope for the tv license authority to require it. watch the smallprint. it wouldnt be "pay-tv" either, although we all know it works out to be the same thing. legally they would call it a license-enabler card or some other mumbo -jumbo. i believe this is what they really want, control...pay up or dont watch is the ultimate killswitch....since 1986 when mnet decoders could just sit there and flash when you didnt pay, that was when the sabc got jealous

p.s. my reference to pc cards was simply because you referenced them earlier. not implying this is the general way to watch dvb-t.

 

[Ivork]

BiteMe, we are in agreement here, but we both missing eachother:

Currently, because SABC is able to be picked up with any device - even if you don't have a tv but maybe a VCR, pci card or anything capable of getting the signal -weather you watch it or not - you have to pay SABC.

When digital, they will try keep it the same. For that very reason they will go out of their way to NOT encrypt it. ie you have a digital tv=you pay.

Many of us would like it otherwise, so we have a choice, but I can't see it happening - purly from a revenue point of view. No way they would like less income than what they currently getting.

EDIT: Of course, when they turn off the analog signal, and you have an analog only tv, vcr etc and have not baught the digibox/decoder.... you can possibly claim you only watch DvD's, DSTV, games etc on your tv and stand a good chance of getting away with it. ? yes?

 

[Ivork]

When they come round, quickly hide the decoder before you let them in.

 

[Ivork]

so if sabc do implement cams and cut people off, are e-tv arguing that unlicensed viewers should still be able to receive e-tv?
if they are, that is clearly against the law, as already written.

That, my friend, is where the BS begins..... and ends.
Cut me off from SABC if i don't pay, - by all means. Totally fair enough.
Cut me off from Etv and whatever other free channels might be around, the problem begins. What right would they have to do that?

 

[Moederloos]

i had a think about this a while ago and i think it is the perfect time for sabc to introduce a smartcard. pay your tv license, smartcard is valid, channels decrypted...dont pay tv license, smartcard gets revoked. dont like the idea? they dont care, analogue is switched off...so you either pay tv license or you dont watch

They will never do this - because then the people who are forced to pay, and do, will simply cancel if they want to (which most will).
How many people who DO pay SABC only do so because they have to - and would way rather not pay at all, since they never watch the cr@p?

 

[Tns]

why might at first say no they not going to make you pay but they will later on....just you wait.if thats the cause they can keep it.

 

[ThatOtherGuy]

You can watch eTV and get rid of SABC, theoretically??? And hence, not pay TV licence?

 

[MFour]

lol never seen a "my tv is better than yours" contest before. Is wathcing tv that important in your lives?

Had a good laugh though

 

[stoke]

It's still morally wrong for SABC to get the money from TV licenses, where the wording of the act indicates that these monies are required for ALL TV viewing.

It effectively makes SABC thieves.

 

[BiteMe]

You can watch eTV and get rid of SABC, theoretically??? And hence, not pay TV licence?

no, that would be illegal. if you won a device capable of receiving broadcast tv (that is, one fitted with a tuner), and never even switch it on you will still need a tv license. what channels you do or dont watch is immaterial.

 

[Ivork]

lol never seen a "my tv is better than yours" contest before.
Had a good laugh though

Glad you find this thread amuzing, but I don't think it's very funny at all.

Mine's pretty buggared and I need a new one too, but it appears I can only get ancient technology here which is ridiculous considering the tone of money its going to cost me and digital switchon is later this year for heavans sake!

 

[HBee]

Does this mean I will not be prosecuted for not paying my TV licence ? I mean I don't give a stuff about SABC channels, and if this means I dont have to pay for something I dont watch, then I'll be very happy with this move.

 

[Matosha]

they said the broadcasting was free to the people. Why do we pay?
I dont pay for a microwave license?

 

[CRN]

Ivork,
I have been reading your messages and your first mistake is trying to buy a decent LCD or Plasma from HI fi Corp. There are some much better independent retailers like tafelberg who will give you a lot better service and product for your money. Regardless though, you claim that Plasma and LCDs sold here in SA are not digital. I agree with PeterCH that that statement is incorrect. Just because most of the LCDs and plasma Televisions sold here have an analogue TV tuner in and not a digital one does not mean that the unit is not digital. Most people wont even use the Tuner as the new PVR is comming out with an HDMI interface which you will use to connect you your decoder straight to your plasma or LCD. Then when they broadcast the HDTV signal, either 720P or 1080i, your decoder will transfer it digitally via the HDMI port and cable to your LCD or plasma, giving you the great high definition picture we are all waiting for. The other thing i can't work out is why Scart is so important to you. It is after all just another interface to connect one device to another and to be honest is now fairly dated as it is fairly bulky. HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) is the new interface that Plasma and LCDs are designed to work off and I am sure will become the most common and widely used interface on all video and audio devices.

 

[Tns]

they said the broadcasting was free to the people. Why do we pay?
I dont pay for a microwave license?

you pay for being able to receive any transmission, you dont pay for watching sabc 1 2 3 or etv. and don't give them any ideas either.

 

[Ivork]

Ivork,
Just because most of the LCDs and plasma Televisions sold here have an analogue TV tuner in and not a digital one does not mean that the unit is not digital. ....when they broadcast the HDTV signal, either 720P or 1080i, your decoder will transfer it digitally via the HDMI port and cable to your LCD or plasma, giving you the great high definition picture we are all waiting for..

You are of course correct.
Buts thats assuming you have DSTV (which I don't). The rest of us plebs would still have to buy a set top box, (which may or maynot have a HDMI port) to watch everything else and whatever new free-to-view channels may or maynot come out.

And I would suspect that they won't have HDMI. I suspect it's going to be a simple box that converts the digital signal back to analog. ( hmm wonderful ) so it can be compatabile with non digital TV's.

The other thing i can't work out is why Scart is so important to you.

Because you can daisy-chain all your devices together from what I can remember - as opposed to one device per AV input.
There must be a limit, but can't remember what it is. I'm sure I had 3 or 4 together.

Satelite decoder takes up one, DvD player takes up onother, VCR another - no wonder they worried what they going to do when yet another digibox decoder arrives on the sceen. - (and heaven forbid - wot they going to do with the playstation?)

You didn't read my previous post (link on page 1 this thread) about how to tell if you HD tv is digital or not, and/or check out the pictures which show clearly how the SCART connections would work. But you are right about the quality - ti's no better than RCA Av - just a bit more intelligent. And all the std RCA AV in I've ever seen only allow 2 channel (stereo) in. Not so with SCART (hence all the 20 odd pins).

 

[Ivork]

Ivork,
Regardless though, you claim that Plasma and LCDs sold here in SA are not digital. I agree with PeterCH that that statement is incorrect. Just because most of the LCDs and plasma Televisions sold here have an analogue TV tuner in and not a digital one does not mean that the unit is not digital. .

Dude, I'm fully aware that the setup you suggest with a device with a HDMI output will work, but we are talking about DVB digital Terrestrial here and the soon to be implamented switchon thereof later this year.

When I say "digital tv" i'm using the term loosely that the common man-in-the-street would interpret as referring to digital vs analog “signal”, not the components therein.

Anything with a chip comprising a couple of gates and a few flip-flops can be said to be digital, so that would encompass any TV from 1980 or before, onwards! Very few valve jobs around still.

But I think the public are been duped into thinking that if they buy a 20 grand HD TV, it will not require an additional decoder, and retailers are even telling them this is so, and that is BS. There is nothing wrong with a cheaper CRT (tube type tv) with a digital tuner which should come in at under R1000. (of course you'll miss the HD transmissions from the soccor WC - if they ever get to get that right).

And if you heard the utter rubbish on SAfm just before 6pm (PM live)today on the topic….you would know what I’m talking about! Utter confusion out there, and the media is simply compounding to it! From that they promoting the fact that only HD tv's can receive digital signals. (which most around here cann't)

Their question was something like: "Should the shops make it clear which tv's would still require a set top box " - (ie not digital)

Someone should have said :
YES, Hi-Fi corp, PnP hypermarket, Game, Hyperama, various furnishers, you name it, all the ones I tried, should have a big fat sign saying...

"EVERY SINGLE TV IN THIS JOINT THAT YOU BUY NOW YOU WILL ALSO HAVE TO BUY A SET TOP BOX BECAUSE WE RIPPING YOU FOR ANALOG RUBBISH THE REST OF THE WORLD IS DUMPING HERE BUT IT'S LEKKER CHEAP AND WE CAN FLOGG IT TO YOU FOR THE SAME PRICE AS A DIGITAL JOB, COMPLETLEY SCREW YOU, AND YOU'RE SO DOFF YOU WON'T EVEN REALISE IT TILL NOVEMBER OR EVEN MAYBE CUTOFF IN 2011"!

 

[Ivork]

Hey CRN, i sent you a pm (Private Message).
You have to login tho or you won't know about it.
(Can see you a noob) pls reply to me. Honoured to have your first post.

And many welcoms to the no.1 anti Telscum forum. Anti MonoChoice, Anti ICASA, anti Escom, anti Vodacom - (ask Skeptic ) you name it etc.

Loads of fun tho.

But I Would like to discuss this matter futher with you.

EDIT: Actually I gave you terribly bad advice there. Pleeeze, Whatever you do, don't mention vodacom in the same sentence to Skeptic at the mo