Apsattv.com Official Predictions for Year 2005
Please Note The following contains, rumours, gossip, half-truths, misleads, daydreams, exaggeration, wild guess's 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.
January
Apstar 6 launches to 134E
A syndicate led by Mike Boulas attempts to buy Austar
Sales of circular feeds take off for the I701 FIJI service.
Multichoice South Africa Cancles all CBAND subscriptions in a grey market piracy crackdown. Taiwan "Agent" disappears.
MVTV is questioned on it current content on Thaicom
N.T satellite guy starts selling Kangaroo scrotum lnbf covers to make ends meet during rainy season.
February
Mud flys in the Australian Ethnic tv scene with one provider taking legal action against another.
A stuffup at Intelsat sees FUJU TV from Japan beamed by mistake to FIJI
Thaicom 3 totally fails causing massive problems, Thaicom 1 shifted from 120E to replace it
UBC moves from Thaicom to Intelesat
All former Thaicom 3 cband signals move to Panamsat 10 and Asiasat 3 and 2
Zee TV on Asiasat3 is hacked again on code receivers.
Impactv Holds their launch party!
March
New FTA channels start testing on Optus B1 for NZ's rumoured "Freeview" platform.
Pakistan channels increase on Asiasat 3
Express Am3 launches to 140E
Ipstar 1 launches to 120E
Fiji tv viewers demand the return of FUJU TV
April
Nz's Freeview service launches with 15 channels all FTA! 16x9 in Ac3 audio. Channels include NZ's very own 24 hour News channel and a new National Sport channel
A solar flare damages 4 satellites, the event is covered live by NASA TV
A new decoder from China with card sharing internet networking built in causes chaos in the Australian marketplace leading to it being banned. But still sold via NZ.
NASA TV arrives on KU band FTA! they also bring back the KU signal to Asia
FreeXTV on NSS6 switches off.
Thai Outlook channel becomes a regional English news player
MCOT delays their regional english service (Thai Outlook takes over)
May
A $99 FTA box hits the NZ market
Sky NZ start giving away their ancient decoders for free for those that will take up a 6 month sub.
Asiasat announce that Asiasat 3 is at %95 capacity and no space available for new Cband services
Seca 3 Encryption is Launched in Asia
Insat 4A launches to 83E
Rupert Murdoch purchases Global rights to..lawn bowls and Table Tennis
TSC channel looses viewers during the IPStar change over
June
UBI goes bankrupt leaving 500 angry subscribers without service.
Fiji TV celebrates 6 months of being on-air... unfortunately nobodies been watching as dishes for the service are yet to arrive.
Viaccess 2.5 becomes the hackers network of choice
BISS encryption becomes more common
All BLUEKISS channels leave Asiasat 3!
A new Asian network starts using DVB S2 on Telstar 18
Globecast launches some new Religious channels on B3
July
A new Ethnic pay TV company is formed in Australia. Known as I.O.U the new company is directed by a "Junior Boulas" NO RELATION
The Falungong take control of Asiasat 3 sending it spinning out of control
Optus C1 develops serious transmission problems and all paytv services are transferred to pas 8 which nets installers good money on repoints costing Foxtel millions.
A Chinese satellite comes crashing down to earth destroying a house. (OH WAIT that was last year)
Due to complaints by their viewers SKY NZ are told to stop advertising Foxtel programs and channels on some of their channels.
Rupert Murdoch has his first heart attack of the year
Thai CH 3 goes digital
August
A NZ dealer launches the first budget priced 4:2:2 and HDTV compatible receiver.
Measat 3 launches to 91.5E giving good reception all over Australia.
Insat 4B fails on launch
A change to SKY NZ's basic package the movie channels are now included in the "Startup pack"
Globecast take over the ex UBI transponders and switch the Verticals to dual Aus/NZ beam.
Pacific Broadcasting Services DTH KU service for FIJI and the islands leaves I701 leaving 500 unhappy ex-subscribers owed money
IPStar users move to other providers like SpeedCast across the region
September
This month sees the launch of a GLOBAL crackdown on Satellite piracy Forum. A dozen well known forums are shutdown. With arrests happening in a number of countries.
Craig gets his 2.4m cband working..
Kim Williams sacked from Foxtel, Replaced by John Fellet ex Sky NZ
Jcsat 9 launches to 132E
A Cskynet DTH package starts on Asiasat 4 KU Australasia beam.
DD Direct + free tv service for India on NSS6 expands to over 100 free channels.
October
ITU vs Australian Govt goes to Court over CBand frequency licensing
Telkom 2 launches to 118E
With sales of NZ's new free to air satellite service booming, the Govt looks into protecting certain sports events to ensure live FREE coverage of certain sports. SKY NZ takes legal action!
An Apsattv reader in Cairns loses his 3.8m dish in a Cyclone.
BIGPOND ISP finally starts accepting Apsattv mailing list email.
Foxtel adds 12 more time shifted channels, and puts up prices $5 more per month
November
Foxtel launches their latest interactive feature. Known as "The back button" it allows you to go back to the previously selected channel at the press of a button. All for the cost of an extra $1 a week.
SKY NZ launch their PVR, for only an extra $10 a month.
"Unwired" service ordered to cease transmission immediately following court ruling.
A FTA Japanese channel launches on Optus B3.
December
5 new channels this month for FTA viewers in languages, German, French, Polish, Indian and Arabic
Rupert Murdoch has 2nd Heart attack of the year.
Worldsat 3 launches to 172E
Optus D1 launch is delayed
Sky NZ puts up price of basic package by $4