A Harvey Norman executive has said that he can deliver a brand new flat panel LCD digital TV for $199 as opposed to the proposed $400 that the Federal Government has allowed for a set top box.
Haydon Myers said there had to be a better options than what the Labour Federal Government was proposing, his boss Gerry Harvey, chief executive of Harvey Norman has also questioned whether the government was spending its money in the most effective way.
Myers said “We can do a top-range, LCD digital television for $199, which you don’t even need a set-top box for,” he said. “All you have to do is plug a lead from the TV into the wall and one to the antenna.”
Mr Myers added he was curious as to where the government was getting the set-top boxes made. “Are they some cheap thing being made by a Chinese manufacturer?” he said.
Even the mouth from the South Ruslan Kogan from Kogan Technologies who will comment on anything to try and get some publicity has jumped on the bandwagon claiming
that he could run the project for $50m as opposed to the $400 that the Labour Federal Government is proposing.
“We can charge as little as $39 for a set-top box (pre-GST)” he said..
A spokeswoman for Stephen Conroy’s office for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy said the government made no apologies for the scheme.
“The scheme provides a quality high-definition set-top box with an emphasis on accessibility for the aged and people with disabilities,” she said in a statement.
The government has justified the $350 cost by saying it will include “any antenna adjustment, demonstrations and ongoing support”.
