China pumps CCTV into Freeview HD boxes China has launched three TV channels onto Freeview HD, so now those few who are equipped with compatible, and connected, Freeview boxes can see how China sees the world. The channels are delivered using the Vision IPTV platform, so aren't broadcast at all despite appearing in the EPG. The three channels (which cover news, …
iPlayer is supposed to work on any box carrying the "Freeview HD" logo, but doesn't thanks to inconsistent compatibility.
"Freeview HD" certification includes MHEG rendering and data channels, so any Freeview HD box (or TV) should be able to see the iPlayer and CCTV.
We tested with a box from TVonics, which works fine, but the company is known for it's compatibility with the standards and when we polled readers a while back it seems that many boxes weren't working so well.
Bill.
The news channel has been available on 211 on Freesat for a while, it is broadcast (my freesat box isn't connected to my router) so can be watched if you are so inclined.
Watched about 5 minutes as any debates on issues seem to be rather tame as you would expect.
This is one of the reasons why people in the West tend to be narrow minded. In China, everyone knows the press is state run and thus biased. So they look for other sources from foreign media - unfortunately realising that they too are biased. So they learn early on, not to place their trust in any one or group of media sources.
Here in the West, the model of free press has been mistaken for the truth. i.e no way can the press lie, speculate and take part in shady deals, because it's free! And therein lies the problem. We are so convinced that our favourite newspaper, channel etc. are impartial because of its freedom to say what it wants, that it can get way with "fair and balanced" stories that are anything but, creating reports that go along with what people WANT to believe, and not quite the hard truth.
As propaganda channels go from around the world, this one is not much different. Its greatest strength is its ability to send even the most hardened insomniac to sleep after not much more than 30 minutes viewing. I'm in China, and, being unable (despite the name) to understand much Chinese, it is one of the few English-language channels one can easily view. Many Chinese view it and its Chinese-speaking equivalent as being boring and repetitive. I agree - a perfect alternative to counting sheep!
Pondering: why should China be demonised quite as much as it is?
Potential ans: even the the PR (peoples republic) seems to be embracing western capitalism (or at least some of their organisations) it should not be hailed as a thing of great excellence because:
(a) doing so might mean the PR has got there and need do no more
(b) there may be a future disagreement in some third party nation about some natural resource contractually obliged to PR while the west looks on enviously - very, very enviously. Hence PR of CC can never, ever be portrayed as a goodie. It has to be portrayed as forever a baddie? (by those contractually obliged to think about these things?)?
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