dtt/hdtv european dtt picture needs to crystallise · dtt receiver, with many more viewing...
TRANSCRIPT
The United States switches its
analogue TV signal off for good
barely 18 months from now,
in February 2009. The US has been
working since 1987 on the event,
attempting to convince viewers to
buy digitally-enabled TV sets in
readiness. Officials at the National
Association of Broadcasters (NAB) admit
there will be problems and their own recent
studies suggest that up to 60% of all view-
ers have no idea that the great analogue
switchoff is about to happen. NAB says the
message hasn't got through to Hispanic
viewers, the poor and the elderly, and they
comprise some 20m homes, with more than
two million in California alone.
American broadcasters are dumping
analogue in exchange for new HDTV
frequencies. That is not the situation
in Europe, where regulators have
permitted digital multi-channel transmissions
to take place and where
there's - by and large - no
mandated spectrum for HDTV
broadcasting. Officials in Europe,
meanwhile, fear a similar problem to those in
the US. While digital TV adoption in Europe's
major markets such as the UK and Spain is
progressing very well, there are far too many
countries still making zero effort towards the
Brussels-proposed 2012 switchoff date.
Even in the UK, where now almost 80%
of homes are 'digital' at least for the primary
set, there will be huge headaches.
For example, a June report from uSwitch
predicts that a massive eight million VCRs
and TVs will be dumped because they are
not easily convertible to digital signals.
The main problem is old TV equipment
without a SCART socket. USwitch says 1.9m
homes will simply be throwing TV sets into
rubbish dumps, and up to four million VCRs
will be similarly treated. More modern
analogue VCRs will still have some
functionality as a slave recorder to a digital
TV, but will not be able to record one
channel while another is viewed.
Spain, which is pushing towards 60%
digital penetration (based on satellite,
cable and DTT) says 17.6% of Spanish
homes are now connected to at least one
DTT receiver, with many more viewing
satellite and cable. Spain's enthusiasm
for digital terrestrial TV grows steadily.
According to the latest data, there are some
DTT/HDTV
Cable & Satellite International sept-oct 2007 www.csimagazine.com page thirteen
The market is ready for HD over DTT, but where's the spectrum? Chris Forrester finds Europestumbling towards analogue switch off, with many nations lagging early pace-setters France
European DTT picture needs to crystallise
Analogue switch-off dates
Finland 2007
USA 2009
Australia 2010*
Japan 2011
France 2011
EUROPE 2012
ASEAN region 2015
*Note: Australia's rural regions get until
2012 Europe's 2012 date is not
mandatory
Source: Screen Digest
2.97m homes capable of viewing DTT
signals, according to official association
Impulsa TDT. The study also states 16.5%
of those surveyed have the DTT integrated
into their TV sets.
The Estudio General de Medios (EGM),
the company analysing the country's
media situation, says amongst the 30.4m
TV sets in Spain, some 11% (3.3m) are
already DTT equipped. EGM says that
310,000 DTT receivers were sold in
March 2007, making a total of 4.4m
DTT receivers in Spain to date. The
region of Catalunya is where DTT
is most developed.
Slow progress elsewhereIndeed, Spain is also leading a DTT charge
into Latin America, where many countries
are in the middle of deciding whether
to adopt Europe's DVB system or the
USA's digital standard. In May, a meeting
in the Colombian city of Cartagena
de Indias welcomed delegations of
professionals from different Latino
countries, as well as Spain, in order
to study the various options for
digital TV to be implemented
throughout the region.
Spain is pushing forward to sell
its own experience and technology.
A group of Spanish officials,
including representatives from the
Polytechnic University of Madrid,
the Association of Technical
Companies (AETIC), as well as
private entrepreneurs, are showing
the success of the Spanish DTT
model, and comparing this with the
North American lobby, which wants
to implement its own standard for
clear strategic reasons.
Francisco Ros, the Spanish
Telecommunications Secretary, has
highlighted Spain's cooperation with
Latin America in the development
of DTT and stressing how flexible
the European DVB-T standard was.
He also pinpointed Spain's
experience in the DTT arena and Spain's
high penetration levels.
An even greater predicament affects the
ASEAN region, where an estimated 540m
people - and their regulators - are only just
beginning to discuss analogue switch off.
At the recent BroadcastAsia conference in
Malaysia, a target date of 2015 was
confirmed for its switch off, and while various
other countries have made noises about
beating this date (notably Singapore) few
have begun to create any sort of digital plan.
Progress is also ultra-slow in Australia,
where Digital Broadcast Australia (DBA)
recently released updated DTT penetration
figures. Based on sales figures, DBA
estimates that 2.2 million or around 28%
of Australia's 7.8 million homes, now have
free-to-air DTT. These free-to-air signals
are in HD, and yet still people are reluctant
to convert. Sales of integrated digital
televisions represented 61%
of the 247,000 digital television
receivers sold to Australian retailers
and installers during January, February
and March. And high-definition digital
TV receivers accounted for the majority
of sales to retailers and installers for the
second quarter in a row. DBA estimates
that high-definition receivers now
account for 39% of the digital
TV receivers present in Australian homes.
France leads the wayIn France, the French broadcasting
regulator is the most advanced
country in terms of looking beyond
the implementation of DTT and towards
high-definition availability. It is currently
studying bids for the first couple of HD
services (on DTT multiplex R5). Multiplex
R5 is currently empty, and will host three
HD channels including public broadcaster
France O. The CSA mentions that 18
editors of services, industry players
and broadcasters had contributed and
delivered their position papers on HDTV.
The CSA states that globally they see
HDTV being “tomorrow's TV standard”
and the CSA is supporting the use
of DTT for HDTV services.
Combined to the success of DTT
and its expansion throughout the territory,
the rapid sales growth of HD-ready
TV sets have also prompted the CSA
to rapidly introduce HD on the R5
multiplex. “The launch of HD is a first
step towards new services on DTT,”
concludes the CSA.
The French example is perhaps the most
tangible example of progressive thinking
in regard to DTT, and the benefits that
could flow. Jean-Pierre Lacotte, chairman
of France's HD Forum, says that its new
law mandates that all TVs sold in France
after 1 December 2008 must contain an
MPEG-4 chip.
DTT/HDTV
page fourteen www.csimagazine.com Cable & Satellite International sept-oct 2007
“France is the most advanced country in terms of looking beyondthe implementation of DTT andtowards HD availability. Its new lawmandates that all TVs sold in Franceafter December 1 2008 mustcontain an MPEG-4 chip.”
DTT viewers as % of total
UK 35.2%
Spain 33.7%
Italy 22.4%
France 18.3%
Austria 2%
Belgium 0.6%
Denmark 0.2%
Norway 0.7%
Portugal 0.5%
Source: Screen Digest
DTT/HDTV
page sixteen www.csimagazine.com Cable & Satellite International sept-oct 2007
The rule (Loi No 2007-309) obliges
all TVs and recorders to be MPEG-4
enabled, and thus suitable for the HDTV
transmissions that will start shortly, and
delivered over the air terrestrially.
Additionally, TVs (and recorders) must from
next year be labelled “Pret pour la Haute
Defintion” (HD-ready). Lacotte says that
French viewers are buying flat-panel
displays enthusiastically
France starts switching off its analogue
transmissions from March 2008 and the
task will be complete by November 2011.
The first regions to get HDTV terrestrially
(in MPEG-4) will be Paris, Marseilles and
Lyon. Tests started in July in each of these
three cities, with three experimental HD
channels (using French multiplex R5).
These trials will last until this coming
November. In August, the CSA was due
to issue a tender for the actual channels
which will follow on from the trials, with
the intention being to have one public and
two private (commercial) channels on air
this coming winter in HD.
What's driving digital?Undoubtedly, DTT is one of the main
motors of digital growth in Europe. Screen
Digest, in a new study, says that at the end
of last year DTT had achieved an average
12% penetration in Europe. That average
percentage figure, however, hides a variety
of very different performances, ranging
from 31.7% in the UK to 4.9% in Germany,
and the Netherlands with just 3.8%.
However, the report stresses that Dutch
viewers are well served by cable TV and
there's no great pressure to supply over the
air DTT. The same applies to Germany,
where cable or satellite-delivered multi-
channel TV is readily available. The
Netherlands has already made the great leap
forward and totally switched its analogue
transmissions off - arguably about six years
ahead of its European neighbours.
Some German regions have also totally
switched off analogue, but the next market
to make the transition is Finland (on
August 31 this year). Cable companies
with less than 85% of their customers
already on digital have an additional six
months to drive digital take up, says the
Screen Digest report.
While the UK, Spain, Italy and France
are all making good progress with DTT
(see table on page 13), others are lagging
well behind. Austria's position is poor, as is
Belgium, although both are helped by a
widespread cable infrastructure. The same
goes for Denmark, Norway and Portugal.
Norway will launch 'Riks TV' offering 18-20
pay-DTT channels in September, having
worked hard through last winter's bitter
weather to convert most of its scattered
transmitters. Portugal will issue a fresh DTT
licence tender at the end of this year.
In other words, progress is being made.
However, Central and Eastern Europe also
pose considerable challenges to the
Brussels plan of a 2012 switchoff. Only
Estonia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic
have made any tangible progress beyond
undertaking laborious tests and trails.
Hungary says it will issue its first batch of
licences next year, and tests have been
undertaken in Budapest and Kabhegy.
Poland is trialling a DTT service using
pubcaster TVP's programming in the
Wisla region. Slovakia says it will start
transmissions in Q1 2008.
Greece launched a pilot test service
earlier this year in Athens and
Thessalonica, while neighbouring Turkey,
despite considerable success for satellite-
based services, will only start DTT services
this coming winter. A joint-venture
transmission company (Anten) will build
and operate the system.
In summary, since Berlin-Brandenburg
switched off its 100,000 or so analogue
homes in August 2003, some huge steps
have been made, but to date only France
looks like utilising the 'digital dividend'
in favour of HDTV over terrestrial. Europe,
by and large, is marking time en route
to HDTV until its assorted regulators
can decide what should be done with
the freed-up spectrum.
Europe's viewers, in fact, are more
than ready for HDTV. Indeed, it may be a
sad fact of life that many of them already
think they are viewing HD signals on their
'HD Ready' sets. Ben Keen, senior analyst
at Screen Digest, delivers a robust forecast
as to the take up of HD services. While
only about 5% of homes with 'HD Ready'
sets are viewing HD transmissions
currently, this will rise dramatically over the
next few years. “By 2011, we estimate
Europe will have around 250 HD channels.
Globally, there will be almost 600
channels,” says Keen.
Keen suggests that by the end of this
year some two million European homes will
be viewing HDTV broadcasts, rising to 32m
by 2011 (about 20% of all European TV
households). He sees the UK's HD viewing
homes rising from around 230,000 today
to 8.5m by the end of 2011. However,
most of these viewers will be watching HD
from satellite and cable, and not over DTT.
John Binks, market research company
GfK's commercial director, said at the
'HD Masters 2007' event in London that
the take up of flat-panel TV sets in
Europe is happening at an
“unprecedented rate”. In effect, all TVs
other than small units for second rooms
are now flat panel and HD Ready.
In the period if January-April this year,
91% of all sets sold in Switzerland were
flat-panel, as were 89% of sets sold in
Sweden. UK had 85% sales, and France
78%. Lowest sales were Italy (69%). Binks
said that the percentage of homes with an
HD Ready flat-panel TV (either LCD or
Plasma) will rise three-fold by end-2008.
This would put the UK in the lead with
16.6% of all TV households owning a flat-
panel, 13.1% of Swedish homes, 10.1% of
French homes and 8.1% of German homes
owning an HD Ready display. The smallest
market (in percentage terms) is Italy with
7.3%. Across the ten major European
markets, some 16.2m HD Ready sets have
been sold as of April 2007.
In other words, the market is ready
for HDTV over DTT: the sets are in place,
and broadcasters want the spectrum.
But first, regulators have to make the
frequencies available. This can only happen
once analogue spectrum is freed up, hence,
the push for analogue switchoff. There's
still an awful lot to do. CSI
“By 2011, we estimate Europe willhave around 250 HD channels, andalmost 600 channels globally.”
HDTV camera in Istanbul