Victorian stragglers have only weeks to upgrade to digital television as the networks prepare to scrap the country's remaining analog channels.
Almost 60 years after the first black-and-white broadcasts were introduced, for the 1956 Melbourne summer Olympic Games, the city is the last in line for the digital switchover, on December 10 at 9am. At that time, in homes from Geelong to Wonthaggi and as far north as Kilmore, analog television broadcasts will cease.
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The rest of the state has already made the move to digital. Australia's digital TV switchover began in Mildura in 2010 and reached regional Victoria in 2011. After years of planning, 95 per cent of Melbourne homes have made the switch to digital television, according to the Digital Switchover Taskforce.
It isn't necessary to buy a new television to watch the digital channels. An analog TV can still be used with a $50 set-top box.
The Household Assistance Scheme is still open to eligible pensioners who haven't made the upgrade to digital television, says the Minister for Communications, Malcolm Turnbull.
"If you haven't yet converted to digital, now is the time to get ready for the switchover," Mr Turnbull says.
"If you receive certain government full-rate pensions and you haven't already converted any televisions in your house to digital, you may be eligible for the household assistance scheme. It's important to check your eligibility now by calling the Department of Human Services, 1800 556 443."
Covering 1.7 million homes, Melbourne's switchover is the largest of the country's digital rollout. So far more than 34,000 households across the city have taken advantage of the Household Assistance Scheme and it remains open until January 10, 2014. Figures from previous switchovers indicate that 1 or 2 per cent of homes are unlikely to upgrade until after the switchover date.
Digital broadcasts began in the summer of 2001 with the promise of sharper pictures, improved sound and a wealth of extra channels. Melbourne's five main analog channels were all simulcast in digital - Seven, Nine and Ten, along with government broadcasters ABC and SBS.
Community station Channel 31 moved to digital in 2010 and has already ceased analog broadcasts.
Alongside these digital broadcasts, Melburnians have access to almost 20 extra digital-only channels. If you can see ABC2, you're watching digital TV. If you can only see the same old five channels you've always had, you're likely to be still watching analog television.
Switching off analog broadcasts frees wireless spectrum, which will be used to extend Australia's high-speed mobile broadband networks. It will also grant the television networks greater freedom as to how they use their digital channels for sporting events such as football, cricket and the Olympics.
Anti-siphoning laws through the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, help ensure all Australians can watch significant sporting events on free-to-air TV, rather than locking them away on pay television. This initially prevented the free-to-air broadcasters from screening major sporting events on their digital-only channels, so as not to create a divide between the digital haves and have-nots.
Making the upgrade to digital television is easy.
Digital set-top boxes sell for less than $50, although it's worth spending more on a high-definition set-top box for the five HD channels. It isn't necessary to own a high-definition TV to watch these channels, as an HD set-top box can "downscale" the HD channels for a standard-definition television.
After the switchover, every TV in the house will require a built-in digital tuner or separate digital set-top box to watch live television.
The box connects to the television's video input, similar to hooking up a VCR or DVD player. Your VCR will no longer be able to receive digital broadcasts, although you'll still be able to watch programs you've previously recorded to tape.
Very old TVs that lack video inputs will require a digital set-top box with a built-in RF modulator, which sends the digital channels to the TV via the aerial cable.
It's important to check the features of the set-top box carefully. Some have an RF pass-through, letting you run an aerial cable to a second device, but lack an RF modulator for sending through the digital channels.
You might use a VCR as the intermediary device, connecting the digital set-top box to the VCR's video input and then the VCR to the television's aerial socket.
Many digital televisions and set-top boxes let you record live television to a USB drive. Another option is to invest in a set-top box with a built-in hard drive.
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