Nine announces GEM HD

**Windy** · 13-09-10, 05:53 PM

The Nine Network has announced its new digital channel, called GEM.

It will broadcast in high definition from Friday September 24th. Its formal launch date will be Sunday September 26th.

GEM, which was trademarked by Nine early last month, is an acronym for "General Entertainment and Movies".

As previously reported in TSR, GEM will focus on females 35+ with programs such as Secret Millionaire, The Big C, Weeds and Wife Swap. Some sports, including cricket and Rugby League, will feature on the channel as part of the network's high-definition sports quota.

GEM will also include Nine News and current affairs programming, including a reworked 60 Minutes. The programs would be different but complementary to the Nine news brand.

Chief executive of PBL Media, Ian Law, says that Nine News programs will be restyled onto GEM:

Shows:

Secret Millionaire
Random Acts of Kindness
Wife Swap
The Big C
Weeds
reworked version of 60 Minutes
Crime Night
Some sport (rugby league and cricket)

**Windy** · 13-09-10, 06:08 PM

Gem [Channel 90]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GEM is the Nine Network's third digital channel. It will launch on Sunday 26th September.

GEM will be a mix of new content, classic comedies, cherished drama series, all-time favorite movies, and all
of Nine’s sport coverage in high definition.

Leading the GEM lineup is the acclaimed new US drama series The Big C, starring Laura Linney as a woman making the most of her life after being diagnosed with cancer. The cult favourite Weeds will also be seen on GEM in a new season.
Other first-run imports include Southland, Miami Medical, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, The New Adventures of Old Christine, and the lifestyle programs Wife Swap, Secret Millionaire USA, The Chopping Block USA and How Clean Is Your House? Also on GEM will be a new season of Random Acts of Kindness (previously seen on Nine) featuring Shelley
Craft, Scott Cam, Dr Andrew Rochford and Simmone Jade Mackinnon, treating everyday Australians to well deserved
rewards.

Rounding out the schedule will be the classic comedy Friends, stripped to air every week night, Aussie gold
dramas McLeod’s Daughters, Sea Patrol and The Alice, and the hit US crime shows CSI, CSI Miami, CSI New York, The Closer and Cold Case, along with great movies such as Million Dollar Baby, The Aviator, 21 Grams and Being Julia.

GEM is what its title suggests – a general entertainment and movie channel.

To receive GEM from 26 September, you need to tune in to channel 90 on an HD-capable digital TV, PVR or set top box. If you have an analogue television you will need to connect your old TV to an HD-capable digital set top box, PVR, or digital recorder and tune in to channel 90.

**allstarnz** · 15-09-10, 08:34 PM

oh, thank christ for that.

I thought once again we were going to get screwed over again by another Aussie network dropping their HD sports coverage.

Perhaps that might also signal a stop to the dreaded 6pm sharp cut off when cricket goes over time too? (at least on the HD channel)

**Greg** · 16-09-10, 06:04 PM

This will result in the dumping of Standard definition set top boxes as people upgrade to HD STB. I mean ABC, 9 and 7 have channels that are only available on HD and next year 10s 24/7 sports channel will only be available on HD when they launch there next SD channel and remove the 10 Sports SD channel.

HD set top boxes are getting cheap these days. So no great expense to buy one. Except the cost of decoders for those in areas where terrestrial can only be received via satellite.

**OSIRUS** · 26-09-10, 07:06 AM

GEM is now up and running,

(now playing a movie "Kim" from 6.00am)

EPG was updated this morning too.

**danone** · 26-09-10, 09:23 AM

what frequency is this channel 90 on?

**shagga66** · 26-09-10, 09:26 AM

So let me get this straight, they took ch9 that was 90 HD, back to SD and are now broadcasting old movies on a HD channel....?

**bambbbam** · 26-09-10, 09:53 AM

I think it will stay HD until after the NRL finals have finished.

**OSIRUS** · 26-09-10, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by danone

what frequency is this channel 90 on?

Do a re-scan if if the STB has not updated automatically,

Channel 90 in the Capital City's, (channel Nine areas)

& channel 80 in Regional areas (WIN, NBN areas)

**mickstv** · 26-09-10, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by shagga66

So let me get this straight, they took ch9 that was 90 HD, back to SD and are now broadcasting old movies on a HD channel....?

True channel nine will only be SD, but then again it is the primary channel and like all the other networks and they have to make it avaiable to all consumers as not all people would have HD capability yet. Maybe more changes will occur in the future.

Mickstv

**OSIRUS** · 26-09-10, 11:43 AM

At the Moment there is a 1943 Movie showing,

1920 by 1080 Interlaced,

I bet it doesn't cost them much to show a 1943 movie

still, its good to have FTA alternatives to the main Chanel,

especially now the Sport season is approaching,

but people won't be watching unless its good programs

**knight2001dts** · 26-09-10, 12:04 PM

While it is always welcome to have more content (bring it on!!) I'm stuffed if I can work out why they didn't just use an additional SD channel for GEM.....same as they did for GO!

At least there was SOME order to the digital channels when the primary stations were all 10, 20, 30, 70, 90.

I had to try and explain the channel setup to a couple of elderly pensioners a few weeks back, who were only JUST grasping the idea of having to use a remote for a box and a remote for the TV. I had to explain Ch31 was on 44, nine was on 90 and others all over the shop. Now more changes....and more re-tuning which I can thankfully do for them.

Does anyone think about channel allocation and confusion when it comes to the elderly?

I don't have a problem with understanding it, but many do!

CHEERS!

Knight.

**mickstv** · 26-09-10, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by knight2001dts

I had to try and explain the channel setup to a couple of elderly pensioners a few weeks back, who were only JUST grasping the idea of having to use a remote for a box and a remote for the TV. I had to explain Ch31 was on 44, nine was on 90 and others all over the shop. Now more changes....and more re-tuning which I can thankfully do for them.

Knight.

Yeah what I normally do is get the pen and paper out and clearly write down what the channels are and how to get them. Then they don't ring back all the time. But it's not just the older people in the community i've struck some dumb ass younger people as well.

Mickstv

**TVguy** · 26-09-10, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by mickstv

Yeah what I normally do is get the pen and paper out and clearly write down what the channels are and how to get them. Then they don't ring back all the time. But it's not just the older people in the community i've struck some dumb ass younger people as well.

Mickstv

I quite agree Mickstv, age is not the only factor in technophobia. Instead of writing the channels down I print out the PDF from the Freeview website to give to customers at all the installations I do, it saves time.

**Lofty2** · 26-09-10, 11:00 PM

I just rearrange all the stations and delete the double-ups to simplify it for the oldies (& noobs).
I put all the ABCs together in order(1,2,3,4), then SBSs, then 44, then 7s (3 of em), then 9s and then 10s (usually just 10,11,12).