The Challenge
As the digital switchover progresses around various regions of Australia, businesses are learning the importance of planning for the transition from analogue to digital only TV. The Queensland branch of Hills Antenna & TV Systems, with their experience and understand of all issues involved with switching off analogue television, have been part of a team to assist miners in the remote parts of Queensland to enjoy the benefits of digital television with minimum disruption.
The MAC Group in Queensland is one of Australia’s largest owner-operators of accommodation services for resource companies operating in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. So, when the digital switchover commenced in Queensland in December 2010, The MAC Group knew that detailed planning would be required to convert the 4,588 units they manage at Nebo, Moranbah, Middlemount, Dysart and Coppabella in central Queensland.
Not only would the old analogue TV sets in each unit require replacing, free to air and pay TV services need to be converted from analogue distribution to digital, and all of this had to be done with minimal disruption to the thousands of MAC village guests, who would come and go according to their shift work demands.
SOS Electrical & Communications, with the support of Hills Antenna & TV Systems were able to supply the technology and logistics to ensure the upgrade of all TV services without interrupting the work and sleep patterns of any of the MAC village guests.
Technical Solution
Hills supplied three Televes digital modulators to convert the Austar signals from analogue (at the output of the set top box) to digital (COFDM) format for distribution throughout the village. In addition, a Televes processor headend was used at each location to provide optimum levels of all free to air channels. This allowed for RF distribution of all digital free to air channels, as well as 10 Austar services (modulated onto three RF channels).
RF distribution of the digital TV signals was selected in order to provide backwards compatibility. That is, the digital TV distribution could be installed alongside the analogue, so that a staged switchover from analogue to digital was possible without disrupting analogue viewers before their units were converted.
SOS Electrical & Communications, who was responsible for installation of the Televes modulators and headend equipment also had to plan replacement, installation and tuning of all TV sets in each unit. To do this, they purchased golf carts to allow them to silently travel through the villages, carry flat screen TVs, wall mounts and other equipment, without waking the shift workers who were sleeping in adjoining units.
The Outcome
With appropriate support from Hills, the digital switchover in Queensland has been a seamless transition for many of the miners residing in remote villages. Hills and SOS Electrical & Communications continue to support the MAC group as they upgrade existing villages and plan the expansion of their considerable infrastructure throughout the remote regions of Australia.
