Sydney viewers may need to perform a rescan on their digital TV or set-top box to receive the latest addition to the suite of digital channels in Sydney, community television service TVS on channel 44. This is because not all digital receivers automatically detect the arrival of a new channel.

TVS and the ACMA are working together to raise consumer awareness of the issue and provide advice on how and when to rescan.

“‘Many receivers will require a ‘rescan’ or ‘retune’ every time a new channel is launched,” said ACMA Chairman, Chris Chapman.

“This is not a situation that relates only to TVS—it occurs whenever a new digital channel commences in any market.”

Manual rescanning of digital services is usually done through the menu button on the remote control of a digital television or set top box. Usually the option of rescanning is available in the ‘set-up’ menu. Once viewers have accessed this menu they should choose ‘rescan’, ‘store channels’, ‘retune’ or ‘replace’ and allow the set to automatically identify digital services. A rescan will identify and remember all the digital services that a television is able to receive.

In some cases re-scanning may still not provide access to TVS. This may be because the home is not within the TVS coverage area. TVS is only available from the Gore Hill transmission site so antennas pointing to other sites such as Kings Cross or North Head, may not receive the TVS digital signal.

“Generally speaking, if you can receive TVS via your analog TV you should be able to pick us up on your digital receiver,’” said TVS Chief Executive, Laurie Patton.

Other issues that may affect the ability to receive a digital signal include the quality of the external antenna and the cabling between the antenna outlet and the receiver.

TVS (Television Sydney) is a not-for-profit community television channel. Since it launched in February 2006, TVS has provided an analog service on UHF channel 31 and was the first new permanent free-to-air television channel in Sydney in more than twenty-five years.

TVS launched its digital service on channel 44 from 1 March 2010, leading the way to digital television for community broadcasters. TVS will ‘simulcast’ in both digital and analog from 2010 until the switch-off of all of Sydney’s analog channels in 2013.

TVS is committed to providing an outlet for programs for all the communities of Sydney with an aim to maximise content developed in Sydney.

ACMA