Nine’s new 9HD channel isn’t compatible with all TVs, causing grief for cricket fans (Australia)
News.co.au reports that Australia’s Channel Nine has spent months brewing hype about its new 9HD channel — but for some viewers, it has fallen bitterly flat.
The new service launched on Channel 90 yesterday, together with other rebranded free-to-air digital channels 9Go!, 9GEM and a new go-to for lifestyle shows, 9Life.
The standard definition Channel 9 is still available on 91, with programming simulcast with 9HD.
But the much-anticipated launch has already hit roadblocks, with some viewers furious that their HD televisions can’t access the “crystal clear” channel.
Nine’s Facebook page has been swamped with complaints, while the #9hdfail hashtag has cropped up on Twitter.
And as cricket fans settled in for today’s Australia vs New Zealand Test match, the grumbles continued to spill in.
The reason: Nine’s new channel requires an MPEG4 decoder in order to work — a functionality that most, but not all, new televisions are fitted with. As a result, these sets are emitting 9HD’s audio, but no vision.
No comments yet. You should be kind and add one!
The comments are closed.