Mike Butler: Going digital

Hawke’s Bay is a guinea pig area for digital television and the switch-over takes place on Sunday, September 30, before it is rolled out to the approximately 1.6 million households in New Zealand, so what has the experience been like. But first, why is it being done?

If you talk to an installer, someone from the government agency Going Digital, or a politician, you will hear about the marvellous things you will be able to make your TV do. You can access the net, watch programmes you missed via On Demand on your TV rather than your computer screen, you won’t need to record shows etc.

Gerry Eckhoff: Why NZ will never become high tech

The reason why NZ is unlikely to become a high tech nation became very clear to me after having the phone and broad band disconnected by Telecom. It appears we aren’t even allowed to communicate with ourselves (NZers) without first talking to something that sounds like a contracted Afghani Camel Duffing Call Centre from the other side of the world or if they are too busy – to the Philippines or Mumbai (some where in India). 

It all started with some forward thinking.