Getting connected to VAST

[abesty]

I live in Canberra and am interested in connecting to VAST to see channels from other areas and the news bulletin channels.

I don't think it would be possible though, because I have perfect reception from terrestrial antenna, so I wouldn't pass the test to get one, would I?

Is it possible to apply as a traveller and just use it at my house? I understand with this one it only last 6 months so would need to be renewed?

Also if one connects to the VAST commercial service, do they just get the channels for their local area, or ALL the channels available on VAST?

Thank you.

[mtv]

No, you will not be authorised for VAST commercial channels at your Canberra address.

Yes, you could get a traveller authorisation.

You get the channels for the area you specify in your application. EG: if you apply for WA you get WA channels.

Regardless of area applied for, you get all ABC and SBS channels for all regions of Australia, plus all the regional news channels from all areas. (WA does not have regional news)

[Smacca]

I would recommend you apply for a travellers authorisation for Queensland. That way you get the commercial channels +1 hour behind Canberra time and all the regional news channels.

You only get access to three groups of commercial channels - North, South or West. If you apply for a travellers auth and say you're travelling through rural Queensland, they will allow you access to North channels only and block out South and West channels. The VAST boxes won't even show the South and West channels at all. After 6 months, you could renew your travellers auth and change locations if you wish.

Good to see you're getting on VAST after all these years,

[Tiny]

The travellers authorisation is easy & renewal takes about 30 seconds online every six months.

[gordon_s1942]

There is a warning with watching VAST is you will find yourself after some time, tending to chew on a piece of Grass or Straw and not turning nauseous when watching adverts for the treatment of 'Barbers Pole Worm, Liver Fluke etc' and what Sheep Dip goes with your RM work boots.
There will also be the temptation to want to go shopping at Alice Springs when you see punnets of Margarine being advertised at 5 cents off along with other must have items.
I must say I do use the ABC delay to watch shows that 'er indoors' isnt keen on and the current 3 hour East/West difference suits me fine.
I could record I suppose but I find this Digital is a P.I.A compared to the 'Wish I still had' VCR.

There is another option to being authorised that was extremely well covered during the early days of VAST and I know it works because that was how I got full service Aurora and VAST before my area was 'deemed' to be officially VAST approved.

If you want to, PM me for further details.

[abesty]

Is there anyway they can detect you are not travelling when you sign up for the travellers one?

Also I would want to find a way to record/screen cap content on my computer. Is there a way to plug the VAST box into my computer to do this?

I have a TV Tuner in my laptop and I use Arcsoft Total MediaPlayer to record digital TV.

The only option I can think for vast is plugging it into my DVD recorder, recording the VAST content to DVD, then transfer the DVD to the computer to get the content.

Thanks.

[mtv]

No way to detect your location, (unless you tell them).

VAST boxes use HDCP, so you can't record directly from HDMI unless you use some form of removing the copy protection.

You can record composite video, but quality is poor by comparison.

If you have a computer satellite tuner that can accept an Irdeto CAM, you can get a VAST CAM and card.

You can also record direct to HDD from a VAST box and transfer to computer that way.

[LeroyPatrol]

or a more permanent solution is to pick an address in the region you're after

Leroy

[abesty]

Thanks for all the help.

I think the only major issue I have I am living in a share rental home, so I can't just go and get a satellite dish installed on the roof for VAST to work.

Are there any other options that don't involve installation of equipment on a house that I might not be allowed to do?

Thanks.

[LeroyPatrol]

Concrete a pole in the ground.

......Leroy

[gordon_s1942]

Thanks for all the help.

I think the only major issue I have I am living in a share rental home, so I can't just go and get a satellite dish installed on the roof for VAST to work.

Are there any other options that don't involve installation of equipment on a house that I might not be allowed to do?

Thanks.

Now, the way I read your remarks, the place your in doesnt have a Dish which you MUST have to receive VAST so now the options are, buy a 'portable' one designed to be stood on a light frame but they can be expensive new (look for 2nd hand maybe?) or depending on yours or others skills, scavenge a dish and make your own mount with 3~5 metres of cable, a signal finder, 2 'F' connectors and your in business.

Now, if I have misread this and you do have a Dish there and you have Foxtel connected, you in general CANNOT have both Foxtel and VAST connected together without certain conditions being met so we need to know about that please.
I will be replying to your PM shortly.

[abesty]

Yes I dont have a dish at the moment.

[gordon_s1942]

Yes I dont have a dish at the moment.

Great, all you need is about half a square metre of ground space where it cant get knocked or bumped.

At one rental place my Daughter lived at, they had a 'Queensland Room' facing roughly north so I used the bolts holding it together to use brackets to hold a 3 foot TV mast in place with the Dish on top of the mast.
When she moved, it took 15 minutes to remove the brackets and there was no sign anything had ever been there before.
The main critera is that it must be safe, where it cant be bumped and wont move in the wind.