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Thread: Foxtel Cable vs Satellite

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    Default Foxtel Cable vs Satellite

    Hi all, pretty silly question here I guess, but not being from oz, always wondered - if you live in an area that has cable Foxtel, can you still choose to have Foxtel via satellite instead if you wanted to?

    Also, given the option (you lived in such an area), which would you choose and why?



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    At one time if you were in a 'cabled area' you were not given a choice but now I dont know if that still applies.
    There could be the situation that even though you are in a cabled area, where they may install the satellite service 'for technical reasons', mainly where cable has not been installed.

    Cable at one time did have services not available on Satellite but I dont know if that still applies.

    One quirk now is Foxtel supplies Subscriber TV to all of Australia BUT it is divided into 'Metropolitan' and 'Regional' zones.
    I think the Metro areas can access the local Terrestrial TV channels via Satellite (available on Cable) but this is NOT available to regional areas due to copyright restrictions.
    In regional areas, to obtain the local Terrestrial TV channels where available, you can connect an external antenna and run it through the Set Top Box but where no reception is possible, a system called VAST is available via satellite that carries almost all of the Terrestrial TV channels available in the Metro areas.
    The viewer buys the STB and dish but there is no charge to receive the signal but you must be in an authorised area,where it is recognised no TV is available or so poor as to be unwatchable.
    Last edited by gordon_s1942; 06-09-16 at 11:49 AM.
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    You don't get a choice. Foxtel decides.

    If you are in a 'cable' area that's the connection you'll get, providing there are no technical issues, eg: can't physically get the cable to the premises.

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    If you're in a cable area, but not connected, I'd hurry up and sign up, NBN won't be "in-filling" dwellings when it rolls out in a cable area, those without a physical cable connection will be relegated to FttN.

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    If you see where AdrianR lives, he will be a very long time waiting to be able to connect to Foxtel (or Vast), cable or Satellite !!!

    macca; If you're in a cable area, but not connected, I'd hurry up and sign up, NBN won't be "in-filling" dwellings when it rolls out in a cable area, those without a physical cable connection will be relegated to FttN.
    That doesnt sound right to me that you have to sign up to Foxtel as the NBN and Foxtel are separate companies and I havent seen anything about Foxtel being an ISP for the NBN.
    Last edited by gordon_s1942; 06-09-16 at 04:01 PM.
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    Thanks guys.

    Yeah, I ask, because I recall reading something like this in older pages when you still had Austar, ECTV and so on. They wouldn't do you satellite if you had cable available. And the situation with today's VAST was the same/similar rules one had for the defunct Optus Aurora, not so? They call it a "black spot" area, not so? And the whole regional blocking thing, you can only view your local commercial channels.

    So, I take it today there are no real advantages of cable over satellite anymore (like you say Gordon, in the past it had more/different services, but perhaps not so today)? Perhaps only the short periods of time a few times a year when you experience a rain/weather/uplink outage on satellite, which you won't get on cable?

    Just a weird question - is it true that years ago they didn't want satellite dishes in Sydney because seeing dishes on the roofs of houses was considered unsightly?
    Last edited by irritant; 06-09-16 at 06:31 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by macca View Post
    If you're in a cable area, but not connected, I'd hurry up and sign up, NBN won't be "in-filling" dwellings when it rolls out in a cable area, those without a physical cable connection will be relegated to FttN.
    What's got the better speed?

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    I'm in a cabled area and have had a Foxtel Satellite connection for over 10 years.
    I was originally cable connect but I asked to go to Satellite when updating from a plasma TV to an LCD.
    I managed to prove to Foxtel that reception quality was better off Satellite than of the existing cable.
    They accepted my argument and effected the change at their expense.

    My INTERNET still comes through the cable

    In hindsight I should have posted my Facebook status as: "I've blown the head gasket on my 1997 XR3i" rather than "I've just buggered a 14 year old escort".
    The police still haven't seen the funny side, my lap top's been confiscated and the wife has gone off to her mum's.

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    Quote Originally Posted by AdrianR View Post
    Just a weird question - is it true that years ago they didn't want satellite dishes in Sydney because seeing dishes on the roofs of houses was considered unsightly?
    Not sure if true, however I read that rumour somewhere too.
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    OK, so went to check a few things out. Tried the Telstra website with an address that I know exists (and which they know exists), but it won't tell me whether cable is available there or not (the tool doesn't work at the moment). Also checked out . Added the broadband quality data, shows 6 categories - A, B, C, D, E and no data, shaded from maroon through red through orange to a whitish colour, which I'm assuming means higher/faster to lower/slower.

    Has anyone used these tools on the web yet to check cable/HFC availability? Especially the latter - nice zoomable map and whatnot but totally non-descriptive legend. Is category A your Telstra HFC network?

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    When moving house & wanting Foxtel ready to go ASAP when you move in, you can ring Foxtel & they can tell you exactly what installation is available at the premises & what they can & will install. Sat or Cable, Multi-room, Foxtel Broadband etc.

    Some friends of mine did this & booked the Tech to install the day after they moved in.

    Edit; & actually when I rang Foxtel to get an extra box & do a self install; they told me that I didn't have a multi-room installation at my premises, to which I replied that I did in fact have the capability of multi-room & they said; Ok we will adjust our records, however as the install was not done by an authorised Foxtel Tech that if I had any issues with the installation, that later had to be brought up to Foxtel specifications, I would have to pay for the alterations.
    Last edited by Tiny; 07-09-16 at 10:01 AM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by AdrianR View Post
    Just a weird question - is it true that years ago they didn't want satellite dishes in Sydney because seeing dishes on the roofs of houses was considered unsightly?
    Never heard that about Sydney but I was told by a relative in Canberra back in the very late 60's, they either didnt want or wouldnt allow large arrays needed for fringe area reception to be used.
    I remember him saying the site for the Transmitter was carefully chosen (Black Mountain) to cover the then town area to reduce the size of the antenna to the smallest needed.
    Back then Canberra was run by the Department of the Interior as a Territory (Australian Capitol Territory) I think it was and not by an elected Council and as such you didnt buy the land so much as leased it for 99 years and had to obey any restrictions or covenants that applied.
    I dont doubt some Councils may have wanted to restrict antenna's particularly some of the massive arrays I have seen in fringe areas but it would be a courageous Counselor not wanting to be re-elected to make such a proposal I would think.

    There is the possibility 'Public Housing' may not have been keen to allow large arrays but if they did, no one took any notice of them as I have seen many 50 foot masts either roof or ground mounted with large arrays where there was no local reception.
    I have noticed driving around the 2 nearby towns that where there was a literal Forrest of mast and arrays on nearly every house, you can count on the fingers of one hand those still there, some in very poor state.
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    I have a friend who had the same situation. He had some sort of Telstra box up the front of the house that the Foxtel guy said he can connect cable no problem. My friend really wanted Satellite due to having a holiday house and would like to take the box there on some weekends. The foxtel guy said no that cable is easier and quicker to install.
    My friend told him don't want it any more so in 30 seconds the Foxtel guy made a decision to install the satellite at his place and I installed the one at his holiday house.

    All happy.

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    Quote Originally Posted by aarty View Post
    I have a friend who had the same situation. He had some sort of Telstra box up the front of the house that the Foxtel guy said he can connect cable no problem. My friend really wanted Satellite due to having a holiday house and would like to take the box there on some weekends. The foxtel guy said no that cable is easier and quicker to install.
    My friend told him don't want it any more so in 30 seconds the Foxtel guy made a decision to install the satellite at his place and I installed the one at his holiday house.

    All happy.
    Might I be crass enough to suggest in aarty's friends situation it was either do as ask or lose a customer which today Foxtel would be very very lothe to do if stories about their 'tight' financial situation are correct.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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    Probably more that the installing contractor would lose $ if he didn't perform the installation he was booked for... even though it was the customer who changed their mind.

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