The launch of One HD, the new free-to-air sports TV channel run by Channel 10, caused a bit of a flutter over the weekend. Using the Australian Formula One Grand Prix as its flagship program, many other programs were also shown showcasing sport at its visual best we are told.

But was it?

While in the main, on my laptop using a Compro capture USB stick and Windows Media Center, my office 27” LCD and upstairs on a 50” LCD, the video and audio was quite good, I noticed differences in quality at various times of the day. For example, the races in the GP telecast of a “lesser” interest to many such as the GT cars, seemed far better quality than the big race itself. And on the Saturday in particular, the V8 Supercars at one point were virtually unwatchable with much digital interference, frame dropping and stuttery audio.

Why would this be so? This is supposed to be digital broadcasting at its finest. Atmospherics shouldn’t affect it, I have boosters on my antennae (and besides, all other digital channels were fine including ABC HD) so what would cause this.

Channel 10 would never divulge if in fact they were using HD cameras – they cost big bikkies – but I’ll give them here the benefit of that doubt. Certainly studio shots were crisp and clean and it appeared pit shots were the same. I haven’t yet hooked up the surround sound amp. So cannot comment on whether it was true 5.1 audio, but if they so and it wasn’t, that claim would not have lasted long!

A quick discussion with Steve Turner, a writer for my magazine Australasian Camcorder, who full times as a director and producer for Channel 7 may have solved the problem.

Without getting into technicalities, let’s assume that a TV station has 100 bandwidth units over three “normal” channels and one high definition channel (complete with 5.1 audio). To get the very best out of the HD channel, this might take up 70 bandwidths so the other channels hum along on 10 bandwidths each. It’s not high def so no one really notices a slightly less than average quality and audio is hardly affected at all.
But what if suddenly the three normal channels need more bandwidth for some reason? In this case, the hi def channel might get cut to only say, 50 bandwidths, and the quality of the video and audio will certainly degenerate. This is apparently what happened during the F1 broadcasts over the weekend.

This very problem is why, I am told, that some free-to-air channels are doing bugger all with their digital channels – they just don't have the bandwidth to cope and so they have the same program on different channels.

The answer of course lies in successive governments having it seems no clue about the digital changeover. I won’t be holding my breath until they get it sorted.