31/12/06
A big thank you to all that have contributed to Apsattv.com during the year. Hopefully in the next few weeks Apsattv will be making some major changes to the format of the site. But it will need some testing and expect a few problems to crop up during the change to the new format. But when it is all finished it should make the site much easier for me to update and also allow far more user interaction meaning I can cut down on the amount of time I spend on it.
and now on with the predictions!
Apsattv.com Official Predictions for Year 2007
Please Note The following contains, rumours, gossip, half-truths, misleads, daydreams, exaggeration, wild guesses and good old B.S it also contains some real info, it's up to you the reader to work out the fact from the fiction.
Satellite launches scheduled for 2007 in Asia Pacific region
In no particular order
55E Yamal 302 12xku t.p
57 E NSS8 C&ku
74E Insat 4CR 12 KU t.p
90E Yamal 301 7xC t.p 6x ku t.p
91.5E Measat 1E AKA Measat 4 12xku 12xC
93.5E Insat 3D
93.5E Insat 4B
98.5E Thurya 1 (Satellite phone)
110.0E Bsat 3A
115.5 Sinosat 3
134E Chinasat 9 22 KU t.p
156E / 160E Optus D2??? or D1R???
Chinasat 6b with 38 KU t.p
Jcsat 11
Express AM 33
Apstar 6B t.ps 4xka 18xku 4xc
Insat 4D
Express AM44
Express MD 1 1xLband 8xC t.p
January 2007
Al Jazeera Documentary channel starts. UBI wants it but a battle involving UBI, Selectv, TV Plus , Globecast and Orcsat and Mysat sees it available NON exclusively to all providers.
Casbaa reports a dramatic decrease in cardsharing piracy but fails to mention its mainly due to most of Asia having their Internet access severely limited by the undersea cable failure.
UBI lose Court case (oops this happens every year!)
Mirchee TV launches its own satellite service on Nss 5
Mirchee One launches FTA nation wide. All recipes are on their web site.
Apsattv.com makes some major site alterations
The TVNZ mux goes missing from B1 for several hours due to tracking problems. Later near end of the month moves to D1 H pol.
My Orcsat Receiver and smart card arrive
ApsatTV channel launches from 4pm to midnight 24 / 7
Dr Dish comes to New Zealand and is interviewed exclusively for ApsatTV at Mirchee Studio’s Auckland.
Coop hosts a 1 hour monthly Sat facts satellite show on ApsatTV.
New FTA Cooking channel launches “LETS COOK “ host whizzes around the supermarket on a mini bike . He also claims all his food is fresh “ Fresh out of the Can”
Orcsat goes live on NSS5 177W to Australia. Did someone say IMPACTV? Dorrigo Hills man receives special on screen message .. something about his pedigree.
Nasa TV finally DTH to Australia (No more complaints about the low power I701 signal)
A new niche channel launches in Australia "Bushfire tv", is also carried as a Digital terrestrial service. Is available free to all platform providers.
SelecTV announces "New channels coming Soon"
Public launch of the Supa Tenna NSS5 and D1 on one 65cm dish .
Sky TV swoops down to beat Orcus to another music channel however not much call for the Swahili music channel in New Zealand. It is termed ALTernative Music!!!!!!!
Several new Canadian channels launch in New Zealand and Australia
All New Zealand regional Stations get together and launch Nationally YEAH Right.All they have in common is D/W TV and CCTV9
February 2008
Another satellite industry seminar is held , Auckland Wellington and Christchurch , televised on Auckland Teleports Adhoc channel to NZ /Aust.
A new telecommunications group announce the purchase of a Lite sat already in orbit telecasts start within hours of the announcement. What the hell is a multi media satellite anyway!
NZL SAT are still fighting one Pacific Island for coordination for their much awaited Satellite Launch.” Hang on didn’t Tonga have 2 dozen slots , OOPS 34 degrees west is over our horizon.
NZ users of Optus D1 agree to accept D1 “as is” and sign a secret agreement with Optus. Documents leaked to Apsattv.com reveal that Optus D3 will co-locate with D1 in early 2008. The arrangement involves Optus purchasing a cheap Russian litesat that will be configured to NZ users specifications.
A group calling themselves Oneb attempts to setup a satellite uplink facility in Auckland. Manakau council turns down their application to erect 9 meter uplink
Dish. Greenies living at Manakau Heights object at the hearings.
The name change of several ex Panamsat satellites confuses many.
One B is seen testing on Pas 8 NZ beam.
Measat 3 starts using Cband huge signals reported across Asia and into Australia. Received in Cairns on a hubcap with lnbf attached.(yes cband!)
A man in Te Anau (far southern NZ) receives Measat 3 at an elevation angle of 1.337 degrees.
Telecom NZ test IPTV via Freeview
Auckland Telco announces business service to the CBD by fiber.
Channel 7 win Court case against Foxtel and start their own free satellite service on Orcsat via NSS5 (Australian beam). Has 1 million viewers within 3 months due to FTA AFL broadcasts.
March 2007
Sky NZ makes all NZ regional channels a surprising offer.
Foxtel's online I.Q programmer is hacked. All I.Q's are reprogrammed to tune into and record Al Jazeera English. Considered to be act of terrorism by John Howard. Asks George W. Bush for advice. Gets told “I wish people would stop asking about my I.Q”
Foxtel starts a 24x7 Simpsons channel. Which outrates the Sci-Fi channel
Rupert Murdoch signs deal with Nintendo to use Nintendo WII remote in latest Sky / Foxtel Set top box. Breathes new life into the pathetic interactive games Sky and Foxtel offer.
Dream TV announce they will be changing to a new NAGRA version 3 encryption. First company in the world to test in this format. Hackers have it cracked within minutes of the first test signal.
The Cricket World Cup from the West Indies brings Sky and Foxtel lower than expected ratings due to time differences.
John Howard invites George W Bush to Australia. Tells him he will show his I.Q once he gets here.
Freeview NZ announces a delay in launching due to issues with D1.
NZ Teleport locates Vsat equipment at Te Anau mans house.
ImpacTV launches their own $199 installed FREESAT Domestic TV service comprising of a News / Sports, General Entertainment Channel , Documentary channel on NSS 5.
METRO TV launches nation wide from Auckland , bringing a new era of regional TV stations to NZ . Broadcast times Midday to Midnight from its studio’s in Central Auckland.
Auckland City council attempts to ban Toroidal dishes claiming they are the work of the Devil.
April 2007
UBI starts selling more channels ala-carte, claims English package will come soon
One B is seen testing on Pas 8 NZ beam
Jsat.TV announces Distribution of 6 NEW English channels that have never before been broadcast into the Asia Pacific region. One of which becomes hugely popular in Thailand. So that’s what the quick trip to Auckland was about last November.
THE KIWI CHANNEL launches to Asia Pacific Region. (yes sooner or later this will happen a bit of an annual feature of the Apsattv predictions)
Chaos, when Rupert Murdoch turns up at the Satellite & Broadband Expo 2007 for the first ever Satellite Pioneers dinner, when he slips on a floor tile and breaks his hip. Later claims to have been "pushed by that Cooper fellow" after dispute over secureness of NDS encryption., TED Turner and Coop are seen shaking hands at the bar later.
Ted Turner, you know him, CNN replays the incident for days.
Dish Network , decide to launch a service to NZ/AUST So EchoStar 8 does have spot beams on Aust and NZ.
Due to Copyright infringement problems DSTV refuses to issue Cband cards for their Multichoice IAS10 service
Orcsat via NSS5 is installed at Mc Murdo Station , Antarctic.. 3 degrees! No not the air temp but the elevation angle! Orcsat kindly ships them 2 dozen receivers with cards.
Optus Sells B1 Guess who brought it ?, at 164 Degrees East
TV Plus merges with another Ethnic provider.
May 2007
Free view partners hold a party to launch Free view , problem, is it to be held at TVNZ. TV3 or Maori TV studio’s . Trackside insist at Ellerslie race course after the Free View Hurdles.
Freeview has lauched but there are problems with the “official licensed receivers” which require an over the air software update to get the Mheg 5 working. The over the air software update accidentally? corrupts the software in all Coship branded receivers requiring them to be returned to the dealer for reprogramming.
One B is seen testing on Pas 8 NZ beam
Mr Cordless is missing from Trademe all month he’s very a busy man reprogramming his Coships.We have the technology , and dish motors Going Going GONE.
UBI are booted from Telstar 10 after non payment of transponder rental. Later move distribution to Insat at 83E. Deal done with ISRO after Bolous impresses them at meeting by wearing a Turban and claiming to be Indian.
George W Bush bans the English version of Al Jazeera news channel, is unable to understand the big words the presenters use.
WiMax 3.5Ghz tests in Thailand cause problems with Thaicom 5 reception. Jsat.tv sells out of notch filters and single pol lnbfs. Then offers a 200 baht bounty to any customer that can bring in a destroyed Wimax 3.5ghz transmitting device.
Lachlan Murdoch returns to the Murdoch Empire. Is asked to run the new IPTV division
Another new mux of FTA channels launches on ABS1 @ 75E providing a great platform right across Asia.
The new TVNZ digital download service is a hit, the top download being the classic Goodnight Kiwi TVNZ shutdown clip. Repeats of Philip Sherry hosting the
News from 1978 is the 2nd most popular. The rest of the Top 10 is dominated by of all things, peoples favorite adverts.
South Pacific Television reappears on our screens . Just who owns that channel now?? The Kiwi and Cat don’t look a day older, however the microwave dish needs a paint and the lift is stuck.
June 2007
Why does Craig need that network cable running into his bedroom?? Did he get a Dreambox for his birthday?
Intelsat rename some satellite back to Panamsat.
Sky TV announce Rugby on their new mobile phone service will cost $10 per game or 25cents per minute. Kids ask your parents first
Astro in Malaysia sign a deal to carry channels provided by Auckland Teleport in New Zealand.
A Malaysian man is executed for smuggling Cband dishes into Malaysia.
UBI launches a PVR made by UEC
Freeview PVR Launches
New DVB S2 signals arrive in the region. Mostly feeds! Apsattv tests the Homecast 5001 HDTV receiver which can handle the Dvb s2 format.
Globecast add the new French news channel to their B3 mux is FTA!
One B is seen Testing on Pas 8 NZ beam
One well known Trademe satellite equipment seller has his shipment seized by customs in a dispute involving use of the Freeview logo.
TV3 announce they will use some capacity on Freeview to broadcast a special Rugby World cup 24x7 channel.
Selectv announces "New channels are still coming Soon"
July 2007
July 1st A new globally broadcast niche tv channel "The Christmas channel" starts up. "Every day is Christmas with the Christmas channel" has 15 hours a day of advertising and the usual Christmas garbage programing,, Ernest saves Christmas and Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation. Repeated daily
Optus Aurora Finally moves to an Irdeto 2 only format. Dozens of cheap used receivers appear on Trademe and Ebay.
Austech Forum crashes due to traffic overload.
Mike Boulos makes a shock announcement, UBI in a new partnership with Foxtel!!! will move all customers to Optus D2 @156E after it launches.
Aus-City (unofficial UBI forum) crashes due to traffic overload. Even P.Debono returns
Disputes in India over Cricket rights leads to DD National covering every game
Sky NZ launch Prime TV, Sky Sports and Sky Movies in HDTV format
NZ TV1 and 2 appear on TVUplayer.
Auckland Teleport shut down for 3 weeks after the discovery of mysterious bones behind the facility. Which an archeologist later identifys as ancient chicken bones (circa 2006, KFC)
Foxtel launches 2 HDTV channels, FOX Sports (HDTV) and Fox Movies (HDTV) pic quality still terrible in 720P format at 5 mbitt. Even using newly released decoders, garbage in garbage out
August 2007
Optus announce D2 launch has been delayed until November
More changes to Australian broadcasting laws after the success of Channel 7 Freeview satellite service
Telstra wins fight with Aus Govt and rolls out broadband at their terms which includes vsat and wireless. Foxtel is now availableAustralia wide via the internet
Setanta Sports relaunch their channel in Australia and start broadcasting to NZ and into Asia.
Large amounts of Chinese clone Dreamboxs appear on Trademe NZ. Seller is blocked from trading after legal action is taken.
An Indian Insat satellite launch fails. A detailed investigation reveals the failure of a single component worth about 50 cents was the cause.
Rupert Murdoch buys the company that makes Tvuplayer. Then has a heart attack when he sees how many of his channels they are stealing.
A UBI installer is caught at doing indecent act at customers home, Shown on Channel 7 hidden camera tv show.
Both Sky TV and Foxtel launch replacement subscriber cards due to spiraling piracy problem.
UBC Thailand launch their new Humax PVR
September 2007
George W. Bush arrives downunder and is shocked upon finding UBI Middle Eastern channels package on his hotel tv. Orders Howard to immediately have the service shut down has all staff members sent to Guantánamo Bay detainment camp. (Enjoy your Holiday Liski!)
A new series of Humprey B. Bear starts on Australia network! Realizing he's still popular he goes on a promotional tour of Asia.
Records sales of Freeview systems due to the World Cup on TV3. Leads to record yearly churn for Sky NZ. Fellet asked to explain at AGM
Sky NZ offer a “Free” package, decoder + install for free with a limited package of 10 basic channels with NO ongoing subscriber fee.
Lifecare Solutions start work on building their large retirement village behind Craig's house causing Craig to lose all satellites between 100E-122E. ( unfortunately guys this one really is happening....unless? Tony.D can you send me down those KFC bones...) and my Blindscanner
Maori TV broadcasts to Australia. UBI requests exclusive rights to it. Too late Orcsat has it.
The Russian channels leave Asiasat 4 Australasia beam. Then reappear on NSS 5 NZ, Aust beams.
DVB-T launches via terrestrial in some parts of NZ
October 2007
Lifecare Solutions complain about Craig's dish which has been raised in height by 3 meters. They better not moan too much I know where I can find a 9m redundant uplink dish.
Prime TV Pakistan infotainment channel Launches FTA via Asiasat!
In preparation for the Olympics in 2008 China opens up to foreign media, several new Chinese based English language channels appear.
Humphrey B Bear caught in Bangkok brothel incident. Claims to have taken his suit off due to heat exhaustion. Witness Miss Nong Patty Pong claims “no probrem I watch him on satellite Humpflee never wear his pants”. Is later released after Jsat.tv pays his 2000 baht fine.
SCTV in Indonesia forced to encrypt HBO boxing events due to international broadcast copyrights.
November 2007
Optus announce D2 will now not launch until January 2008
Rupert Murdoch has heart attack and dies after finding his wife is having an affair with his son.
Satellite Radio(Sirius/XM) plan to go global includes Asia Pacific region
The Comedy channel launches on Sky NZ, Sky puts up all subs by $2 a month
Humphrey B Bear's special adverts for Jsat.tv sees the new “Bbear Box” sellout
NZ DTT boasts record sales of set top boxes. Australia still struggling with low take up rate.
Slingbox Pal version is released in Australia and New Zealand.
December 2007
TVNZ launch their new "Home channel" which also transmits FTA via IAS 2 Cband (169E)
DTH satellite Installers are in high demand in India due to rapid takeup of DishTV service in India. Leading to some Indian installers in Australia and New Zealand returning home to make some money.
Intelsat go public(IPO)
Asia Sat 5 launched solar panels fail to deploy Another write off.
Optus B1 now at 3 degrees inclined orbit providing TV distribution and Telecoms between NZ and Aust.
Apsattv.com sitemeter hits 2 million
Selectv promises “New channels are definitely still coming soon”
One B Launches on Pas 8 NZ beam. (What is One B? umm who cares???)
The end of the year sees Tony Dunnett returning to the UK after nearly 35 years of living in NZ having sold out his satellite interests to an undisclosed buyer. He’s moved to Dunnett’s Head the Scottish equivalent of Coopers Beach. (Craig's comment, I didn't think there was any room left in Dunnett's Head? Oh and T.D you cant see any Pacific Satellites from the UK. You better buy a SLINGBOX