Will wonders never cease? Foxtel to finally go HD on June 22!

By Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 17 June 2008 09:19

Opinion and Analysis

Foxtel is finally making the plunge into the high-def world of HD TV shows on June 22, boasting of 15,000 Foxtel subscribers already upgrading to the Foxtel HD+ service and the Foxtel iQ2 set-top box.

Foxtel, the purveyor of subscription, paid television, is taking what was once a standard definition ‘digital’ service into a world of HD programming. However, only a relatively small amount of Foxtel’s total content will be broadcast in high definition.

Foxtel HD programming is available in either 720p or 1080i HD quality – there is no television programming available in FULL HD 1080p, you’ll only find Blu-ray movies with 1080p HD quality for now.

Foxtel says you can select an HD movie from the Foxtel iQ2 menu, press play and it will start “instantly” – in 1080i quality, with the ability to “play, fast forward, rewind and pause your film for 48 hours from time of purchase”. All films are “Australian television premieres, broadcast in widescreen, 1080i HD with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound”, with the proviso of “where Dolby 5.1 is available”.

There are two HD packages to choose from, or you can have them both, with the first being “HD Sport puts you in the front row, with adrenaline-charged sports programming from FOX SPORTS HD and ESPN HD”.

The second package is called HD Explore which “serves up world class drama, documentaries and special event programs from BBC HD, National Geographic Channel HD and Discovery HD.”

These channels cost AUD $9.95 each per month or you can get them both for $14.95 per month. But you’ll also need to buy a Foxtel iQ2 box which costs $200 to upgrade and $10 extra per month, so be prepared for your bill to rise to a high-definition price, too!

Details of Foxtel’s HD service are available here, while the specific pricing page is here.

Foxtel HD+ will launch with a high definition broadcast of Sunday June 22’s World Cup Qualifier between Australia and China from 6.00pm AEST on Fox Sports HD, Channel 205.

Kim Williams, CEO and MD of Foxtel, waxed lyrically that: “FOXTEL aims to be true to the concept that ‘Wonders will never cease’ and the new FOXTEL HD+ High Definition television service truly embodies this.”

“The launch of FOXTEL HD+, and the remarkable FOXTEL iQ2 which powers it, is a significant event for Australian television and FOXTEL.

“Over the past 12 years FOXTEL has been a central agent of change and evolution in the Australian television experience and the FOXTEL HD+ service and FOXTEL iQ2 are remarkable additions to the wondrous story of TV in Australia.

“We’ve already seen extremely strong take up of FOXTEL HD+ and the FOXTEL iQ2 with more than 15,000 of our subscribers upgrading to the new service since it was made available to them in the past few weeks.”

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