Austar
| File:Austar Logo.PNG | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pay TV, Broadcasting, Telecommunications |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Sydney, New South Wales Gold Coast, Queensland |
Key people | John Porter, CEO Mike Fries, Chairman |
| Products | AUSTAR Pay Television AUSTARnet AUSTAR Mobile |
AUSTAR is an Australian telecommunications company. Its main business activity is Pay TV, although it is also involved with internet access and mobile phones. The company commenced operations in 1995, and thus celebrated its 10th birthday in 2005. Austar's current slogan is "You'll love what's on!"[1][2]
It is owned by Austar United Communications Limited (ASX: AUN). 54% of Austar United is owned by Liberty Global, through United Austar Partners. The remaining 46% is owned by public shareholders [3]
Austar also owns 50% of XYZnetworks, a pay television program provider, a 50-50 joint venture between Foxtel and Austar. [4][5]
Mobile telephony (AUSTAR Mobile)
Established in 2000, AUSTAR Mobile offers mobile services via resale agreements with Optus and Telstra for access to their GSM and CDMA mobile networks respectively.
At the end of 2005, there were about 30,500 customers. [6]
Dial-up internet (AUSTARnet)
Established in 2000, AUSTARnet currently outsources its network to COMindico and is available across Australia.
At the end of 2005, there were about 38,326 customers. [7]
Subscription television (AUSTAR Television / Austar Digital)
AUSTAR's main business is subscription television, serving customers outside of the major metro areas. It takes programming from both Foxtel and Optus services, and operates in both analogue and digital platforms.
AUSTAR Television is available in 2.4 million homes in regional and rural areas of all mainland states (bar Western Australia), Gold Coast, Tasmania & the capital cities of Darwin & Hobart, although in the latter Foxtel is also available. [citation needed] Subscriber numbers to Austar Television are second behind Foxtel. Delivery methods include utilising the Optus C-Class Satellite Optus C1 and a digital cable network in Darwin
AUSTAR Digital
Launched in March 2004, AUSTAR Digital subscribers account for about 75% of all of AUSTAR's Television Subscribers. In October 2004 the cable network utilised in Darwin was converted to allow the AUSTAR Digital product to be sold over that delivery method. In December 2006 it was reported that AUSTAR was in talks with Channels Seven and Ten about providing AFL coverage to rural areas. [citation needed]
The MyStar Personal Digital Recorder
Announced in November 2005, Thomson SA have been awarded the contract for the development of a 4 tuner PDR, two of which will be dedicated for Australia's Digital Terrestrial free-to-air (FTA) service. MyStar will also allow for recording of two shows at one time, while still being able to watch one pre-recorded.
Mr. Porter had announced that the MyStar personal digital recorder has been delayed back to August 2007 rather than the May 2007 release date they had planned. [8] However Subscribers who have already signed up on the waiting list will be able to buy the personal digital recorder MyStar as of November 2007, before the commercial launch in 2008. This has been reported as the first quarter of 2008, and later reported as January 2008. The MyStar will cost $49.95 to install and $14.95 extra per month per device.[9] The install costs will cover a service technician coming out to the premises, delivering the Mystar PVR, setting it up, and installing a second cable from the satellite to the PVR. This installation fee will apply when moving house (on top of normal Austar relocation charges) even if you are moving into a dwelling that has previously had Mystar installed.
The MyStar was released in November, 2007, to people who nominated to be informed when it was released. The FTA tuner does not work in a blackout area.
The MyStar is manufactured by Thomson Telecom Australia. The current MyStar is the model T500.
The MyStar is a 4 tuner set-top box equipped with 2 satellite tuners and 2 terrestrial tuners available both for viewing and recording standard definition digital free-to-air services including full electronic program guide data for Seven Network, WIN Television, Prime Television and Network Ten. (ABC, SBS and ABC2 continue to be provided via satellite).
The MyStar has a 160GB Hard Drive, with 120GB User Accessible. It can record 60 hours of content. Because it is equipped with Macrovision Copy Protection, some content saved to the MyStar cannot be transferred to other mediums (such as VHS or DVD). It has support for Time shifting for up to 1 hour.[10]
The MyStar supports Dolby Digital Surround Sound, and, when connected to appropriate equipment, can produce true surround sound on shows that support it. It also has support for Closed Captioning and 4 different aspect ratios (4:3 Cropped, 16:9 Letterbox, 16:9 Postcard and 16:9 Widescreen). Both of these features are accessible through the remote’s coloured buttons.[11]
The MyStar cannot be self-installed: it requires a technician to come into your house and install a new wall plate for the second tuner to operate. This process takes an hour and a half. The MyStar supports additional outputs not found on the normal decoders such as Component Video and Coaxial. Support for Composite Video, S-Video and RF Out are also available. It also has USB and Ethernet ports, but they have no clear function as yet.[12]
The MyStar Remote is similar to the standard austar Digital remote, but it has the addition of buttons specific to recording and playing back video. The remote is similar in design to the Foxtel IQ remote, with the exception that it has an austar button instead of a Foxtel button.
Tutorials on how to use the MyStar run at about 3:00AM most days on The Weather Channel.
Channels on the Austar Digital Service
Austar/Unwired Alliance
In 2005, Austar United and wireless internet provider Unwired announced a deal to swap spectrum under either companies control to allow for interoperable wireless broadband services across the country. In 2006, Austar United and Unwired together with Soul formed AUSalliance for the purposes of obtaining funding from the Australian Government's Broadband Connect Infrastructure Program and rolling out a regional broadband network[13].
AUSTAR holds a considerable number of 2.5 & 3.5 GHz spectrum licences that they have purchased for delivery of their former MMDS Service and for an ill-fated attempt at wireless internet through a joint-venture with Chello. The deal will also allow WIMAX wireless services to commence in Australia.
Austar Broadband has launched wireless (non-WIMAX) services in:
- June 2006 - Service launched in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales [14]
- November 2006 - Service launched in Tamworth, New South Wales [15]
- End 2007 - Further 24 markets
Notes
- ^ Austar Homepage and Logo (accessed 2007-09-06)
- ^ AUSTAR United - About Us - Our Services (accessed 2007-09-06)
- ^ Austar United Website: http://www.austarunited.com.au/aboutus/ownership.asp
- ^ XYZnetworks Website: http://www.xyznetworks.com.au/xyznetworks/About.aspx
- ^ Austar United 2005 Annual Report
- ^ Austar United 2005 Annual Report
- ^ Austar United 2005 Annual Report
- ^ http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/austar-tunes-in-with-earnings-lift/2007/04/18/1176696914501.html
- ^ www.austar.com.au/mystar
- ^ http://www.austar.com.au/mystar/mystar_um.zip
- ^ http://www.austar.com.au/mystar/mystar_um.zip
- ^ http://www.austar.com.au/mystar/mystar_um.zip
- ^ Austar United Press Release: http://www.austarunited.com.au/pdf/06-03-29%20AUSTAR%20_%20Soul%20partner%20for%20regional%20b'dband%20network.pdf
- ^ Austar United Press Release: http://www.austarunited.com.au/pdf/06-06-08%20AUSTAR%20Broadband%20launch%20release%20-%20final.pdf
- ^ Austar United Press Release: http://www.austarunited.com.au/pdf/06-11-28%20AUSTAR%20broadband%20arrives%20in%20Tamworth.pdf