Nine’s new 9HD channel isn’t compatible with all TVs, causing grief for cricket fans (Australia)
Story Highlights
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.
