Digest - Thursday the 3rd of March 2016

New VAST TV Advertisement on Imparja

NAS Australia is pleased to announce the release of the new Altech UEC DSR4639 1TB Vast Certified Dual Channel High Definition Satellite Recorder.

To celebrate the release of the DSR4639-1TB, and to mark the start of the NRL and AFL seasons, NAS is running an advertisement on Imparja, Go and Gem.

The advertisement will run from the 28th of February till the 20th of March and will suggest that VAST viewers upgrade their existing reception systems to enable them to record their favourite programming. The 30 second advertisement can be viewed here:

https://vimeo.com/155608328

The advertisement will direct interested parties to the following website: http://www.vastsat.com.au where we can direct inquiries through to the trade and retail channel who keep stock of the DSR4639-1TB.  Should you wish to have your business contact details listed on the site, all you need to do is stock the new Altech UEC DSR4639-1TB. Contact your NAS Australia Sales Rep for more information.

FNQ Showroom Re-launch - Friday the 19th of February 2016

With three supplier representatives and six NAS team members in attendance, in excess of 20 NAS customers joined us throughout the day for free industry training to celebrate the launch of our refurbished Cairns Showroom.  The feedback we have received from those who attended has been very positive.  The NAS team would like to thank our supplier representatives for joining us in Cairns to share their valuable knowledge and industry insights with our loyal customer base.

The training topics included:

• HDMI & HD BaseT
• Home Automation Basics
• Commercial TV, Satellite & IP TV Systems
• IP over Coax Distribution Systems
• NBN Information & Structured Cabling
• Texecom Intrusion Basics

Our Cairns Showroom has been transformed into a Technology Hub where NAS Staff, our customers and their customers can collaborate, demonstrate and tailor personalised technology solutions to meet individual needs.  A separate airconditioned meeting room has also been created for our customers to use should they need a private place to meet with their customers and discuss their requirements. The resource is yours to use.

For those who could not attend, we recorded the sessions and they are available to view on our new NAS Video Channel.  The Channel is for trade use only and is password protected.  Should you wish to access the videos, please email: videos@nasaustralia.com.au

New NAS Trade Only Video Channel Launch

The team at NAS is proud to launch our new TRADE ONLY Video Channel.  NAS has a long and proud history of conducting free industry training sessions at our branch locations.  We are acutely aware that due to time constraints and the tyranny of distance, many NAS customer's find it difficult to attend our sessions as often as they would like.  Now all you need is a decent internet connection and a password.

As NAS is a trade supplier, we do not court retail business.  The majority of the videos on the channel will require you to make contact with us to access a password.  Please email videos@nasaustralia.com.au and let us know which video you would like to view.

Please visit our channel and let us know what you think.

https://vimeo.com/user38677926

Change in the NAS Sales Department

I would like to take this opportunity to advise you that NAS team member David Bowdler has left NAS after 6 1/2 years of service.

David has been a dedicated and immensely popular member of our team and leaves NAS on extremely good terms to follow his programming passion on a full-time basis. David has led our transition into the home automation space over the last few years and is an extremely proficient Programmer. David has taken a ‘leap of faith’ and has started his own programming business – Smart Home Programming and Automation

NAS will still import, support and sell the On Controls Product. Should you purchase an On Controls License and are looking for someone to program your job, David comes highly recommended.

David’s new contact details are:

Business Name:  Smart Home Programming and Automation
Phone:               0401 190 122
Email:                david@smarthomeprogramming.com.au
Web:                 smarthomeprogramming.com.au

The NAS Australia team wish David all the very best in the future and look forward to serving him as a NAS Customer for many years to come.

News Articles

FTA TV

Free TV Australia: Keep major Sporting Events Free

"Free TV Australia has hit out at what it has labelled calls from pay TV to undermine anti-siphoning rules ensuring all Australians are able to view major sporting events for free." The article can be accessed here.

Fifield wants media ownership changes passed before the election

"The government wants to push the biggest overhaul of Australia’s media laws in a generation through parliament before the election, Communications Minister Mitch Fifield says."

"Fifield on Tuesday unveiled the much-anticipated plan to substantially deregulate the media market – which the government is selling as a 'microeconomic reform'."

"The changes would scrap the present ban on a person controlling more than two out of three of commercial radio, TV and newspapers in one market. They would also repeal the “reach rule” – which prohibits a person controlling commercial TV licences that collectively reach more than 75% of the Australian population." The complete article can be accessed here.

Southern Cross Media in talks to sell TV assets to Ten Network

"Southern Cross Media has opened exploratory talks about selling its television assets to Ten Network Holdings in what would be the first deal made possible by proposed changes to media ownership laws.

It is understood Southern Cross, which has net debts of $372 million, has proposed selling its television assets to Ten and focusing on its higher-rated radio assets, which include the Hit and Triple M networks.

Sources estimate Southern Cross' TV assets, which broadcast Ten's signal to most of Australia's East Coast, parts of South Australia and include joint ventures in Tasmania and Darwin, could be worth $100 million to $120 million." The complete article can be accessed here.

Satellite

NBN's Sky Muster satellite is almost ready to ride

"Australians in the outback are set to get a taste of high-speed broadband which is still out of reach for many city slickers.

NBN's Sky Muster communications satellite blasted into orbit in October, with plans to launch a second satellite later this year. Between them they'll offer regional and remote Australia access to download speeds of 25 Mbps, replacing the Interim Satellite Service which is groaning under the load." The complete article can be accessed here.

MATV & Development Opportunities

There is a lot of building activity occurring in South East Queensland at the moment. Should you wish to access some of this work the team at NAS can assist.

NAS is a provider of quality Australian (Kingray Professional Series) and European (Triax, GSS & Fagor) Digital Headend equipment , IPTV distribution systems and associated products. These products are highly in demand for commercial and multi residential TV distribution systems, particularly in the transition of analogue to digital broadcasts.

NAS offers comprehensive MATV System Design & Consultancy, Commissioning, Drawings/Manuals and build to order systems (turn key solutions). NAS also imparts 34 years of knowledge and experience onto our existing customers by way of FREE MATV system design courses, as is the case for all our industry courses!

We have participated in a wide variety of projects for clients large and small: from retirement homes and units, to hotels, office blocks and government facilities, so why not contact NAS today (matv@nasaustralia.com.au), we have the design experience you need.

Some recent "good news" articles regaiding SEQ development follow.

Remarkable year for booming Brisbane's new apartments

"Brisbane has completed an unprecedented year of new apartment development with high levels of activity set to continue through 2016. 

Latest ABS data reports that in Brisbane 1388 apartments were approved for building in December.  Although this was below the 2090 approved the previous month, numbers continue to be well above the average levels of previous years.

An astonishing 19,992 apartments were approved for building in 2015.  This total was 7928 more than the 12,064 recorded the previous year – a steep increase of 65.7 per cent.  This result was clearly the best growth rate for apartment development of any of the capital cities although Sydney recorded a significant increase of 38.9 per cent over the year." The complete article can be accessed here.

Maroochydores's new CBD will go sky high

"AN "ICONIC" building more than 25 storeys high could be the centrepiece of the new-look Maroochydore CBD.

All existing height restrictions would be waived to allow the building under plans unveiled by the council and State Government yesterday.

Launching a period for public comment on the Maroochydore City Centre Priority Development Area, mayor Mark Jamieson said the feature building being envisaged would accommodate a proposed arts and exhibition centre and an international hotel." The complete article can be accessed here.

Million-dollar first stage to new Sunshine Coast heart

"A new future for the Sunshine Coast begins on Thursday when Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk "turns the sod" on a 50-hectare new development in the heart of Maroochydore.

Over the next 20 years, an old golf course at Maroochydore will become a new Sunshine Coast city CBD, complete with commercial buildings, retail section, a hotel and an exhibition centre, lined with canals and parkland.

Independent economic analysis says "in the next five years the development of the city centre will add more than $350 million to the state economy, with $2.3 billion in value added to the Queensland economy over the next 25 years." The complete article can be accessed here.

The Economy

It's been a while since my last Economic Post. Whilst business conditions remain tight for the many, it's not all doom and gloom.

In the December quarter the Australian Economy grew by 0.6% largely driven by increased consumer spending and housing construction.  In 2015, our annual growth was 3%, which was a better result than the average growth rate over the last 10 years.  These results mean that the "R" word is not on the table.  Our last recession was 24 years ago.

GDP: Economy's surprise jump

"The Australian economy grew 0.6 per cent in the final quarter last year, as consumer spending, housing construction and public sector expenditure offset a fall in company investment and profits and export prices.

The growth rate, which equates to 3 per cent year-on-year and 2.5 per cent for 2015, came in at the high end of economists' estimates." The complete article can be accessed here.

Oil collapse doesn't even come close to the subprime crisis: Goldman Sachs

"Don't even try to compare current troubles in the energy patch to the subprime crisis.

That's the message from credit analysts at Goldman Sachs.

According to the team at Goldman, led by Head of Global Credit Strategy Charles Himmelberg, there are four key reasons that similarities between the 2007 housing bust and the recent collapse in oil prices don't go very far.

First, the size of the debt outstanding isn't nearly as large.

The second reason, per Goldman's analysis, is that the drastic fall in home prices was completely unexpected, while the drop in oil prices wasn't totally unforeseen.

Third, debt levels in the energy market aren't as high, due to oil's volatile nature.

Finally, bank balance sheets are healthier than they were in 2007-2008 and exposure to energy is much smaller than subprime." The complete article can be accessed here.

WiFi

Experts hit out at claims Wi-Fi devices cause cancer

"We have heard the claims before, that our mobile phones could be killing us, but for the most part we believed them to be safe.

But new claims made during the ABC’s flagship science program, Catalyst, that Wi-Fi enabled devices could be causing cancer much faster than we think, has sparked controversy.

Some of Australia’s leading authorities on electromagnetic energy and preventive medicine have hit out at the half-hour program saying the assumptions made by some of the experts were views that were“not supported by science”. The complete article can be accessed here.

IoT

Where Is IoT Headed? Gartner Highlights Top 10 Technologies

"Gartner has identified its top 10 IoT technologies, which it states "should be on every organisation's radar through the next two years".

Gartner's top 10 IoT technologies for 2017 and 2018 are:

1. IoT Security
2. IoT Analytics
3. IoT Device Management
4. Low-power, short range IoT networks
5. Low-power, wide-area networks
6. IoT processors
7. IoT operating systems
8. Event stream processing
9. IoT platforms
10. IoT standards and ecosystems

The complete article can be accessed here.

On Line

Treasurer introduces 'Netflix tax' for GST on digital products to Parliament

"Digital products such as books, movies, games, apps and e-books purchased by Australians from overseas could soon attract the GST.

Treasurer Scott Morrison introduced draft laws to Parliament on Wednesday seeking to level the playing field between Australian and overseas business." The complete article can be accessed here.

YouTube Red is coming to Australia, but who, if anybody, should be worried?

"YOUTUBE Red is not even available in Australia yet but already it’s dividing opinion.

Some say it’s the next great competitor to rival Netflix, Stan and Presto. Others say it’s a rip-off disguised to charge existing platform users for the privilege of avoiding those annoying ads.

Most of all, it’s a mystery, given the video sharing giant has been very tight-lipped about the roll out." The complete article can be accessed here.

Another Youtube red article can be accessed here.

NBCUniversal Launching Reality TV Streaming Service In Oz

"The Australian subscription video-on-demand market is set to become more crowded, with NBCUniversal International to launch hayu, which it states is the first all-reality service of its kind, in March.

Priced at $5.99 per month with no contract and available across mobile, tablet, laptop and connected TV, at launch hayu will include over 3,000 episodes of reality content." The complete article can be accessed here.

Foxtel selects Unified Streaming for on-demand delivery

"Australian TV operator Foxtel has selected Unified Streaming to enable delivery of Foxtel’s premium live and on-demand programming across multiple devices."  The complete article can be accessed here.

Netflix To Deliver 600 Hours Of UHD 4K Content This Year In OZ

"Netflix is set to deliver 600 hours of original 4K content with the bulk available in Australia.

The US streaming service who launched in Australia 12 months ago has been streaming 4K content since April 2014 when actual 4K content was extremely thin on the ground." The complete article can be accessed here.