Latest Letters
:: January 2012
Licensing local DTT services in the UKProponents of the DTT platform have often noted the platform’s unique advantage in providing local television programme services efficiently in terms of cost and spectrum usage compared with other television delivery platforms. For many broadcasters, the DTT platform is the only viable option for the delivery of their regional and/or local content.
:: December 2011
Implementation of Hybrid Television ServicesThe outlook for television receivers connected to the Internet is very positive. According to Strategy Analytics, 42 million households already watch content from the Internet on their television sets while Digital TV Research predicts that 551 million television sets will be connected to the Internet by 2016.
:: November 2011
DVB-T2-Lite: a new option for mobile broadcastingLast July, the DVB Steering Board approved a new specification profile targeted at mobile broadcast services. Known as DVB-T2-Lite, this new specification brings together a subset of the very efficient existing DVB terrestrial television standard DVB-T2 with some extensions specifically aimed at addressing receivers that are incorporated in portable or handheld devices.
:: October 2011
Digital Switchover progress in PortugalThe economic woes in Portugal have not spared its broadcast industry. As part of its bailout plan, the government has proposed the privatization of one channel belonging to the public service broadcaster Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP). And with the economy expected to contract by 1.9% in 2011 and 2.8% in 2012, many of the pay television operators and broadcasters expect a decline in revenue. Yet, despite this economic situation, analogue switch-off is progressing without difficulty.
:: September 2011
Planning for the future of DTT in FranceThe DTT platform in France has generated much attention in the past month. Most notably, the head of the CSA, Michel Boyon, issued his recommendations to the Prime Minister on the future of the DTT platform calling for the introduction of DVB-T2. In addition, the pay broadcaster Canal+ announced its plans to enter the free-to-air DTT market. And early reports about the release of the European Commission’s formal opinion on the attribution of the so-called bonus channels on the DTT platform indicate opposition from the European Commission.
:: July 2011
Propects for mobile television servicesThe Mobile500 Alliance [1] is planning to make mobile television services available to 90% of households in the United States this autumn. Already, an independent joint venture of national broadcasters Fox, NBC Universal and several top TV station groups, known as the Mobile Content Venture, plan on rolling out their mobile television services to 50% of the population by the end of the year. The Open Mobile Video Coalition's technical advisory group, supported by both Mobile500 Alliance and the Mobile Content Venture, is said to be making progress on a baseline set of specifications for mobile DTV receivers.
:: June 2011
DTT in FranceDebate rages whether to expand the number of free-to-air channels on the DTT platform in France. Polls have been published to support both sides of the debate with one survey [1] showing that 69% of French television viewers are satisfied with the current number of television channels and another survey [2] showing that 87% of viewers would like more channels on the DTT platform.
:: April 2011
The spectrum debate in the United States"Why should people in Kentucky have their local stations' signal potentially degraded….so urbanites in Manhattan can have a faster download of the app telling them where the nearest spa is located?" - Gordon Smith, NAB State of the Industry address.
At the NAB Show in Las Vegas earlier in the month, plans for spectrum auctions were a topic of intense debate. Two representatives from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defended their proposal for incentive based auctions to allocate frequencies currently used by broadcasters to wireless broadband providers.
:: March 2011
Harmonising radio-frequencies in EuropeOn 28 February, the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee of the European Parliament discussed the European Commission’s proposal for the establishment of a Radio Spectrum Policy Programme (RSPP). This proposal, presented in September 2010, defines the policy program for the strategic planning and harmonization of the use of spectrum in Europe until 2015. The discussion in the ITRE Committee was based on a draft report prepared by Swedish MEP Gunnar Hökmark.
:: February 2011
3DTV on the DTT platformInterest in 3DTV is strong. Appealing animated content in cinemas has attracted the attention of viewers, most evident by the popularity of the 3D movie Avatar. The number of 3D films available on Blu-ray discs continues to increase. And already, several broadcasters have begun producing and transmitting 3D content while others have expressed an interest in doing so for certain events, such as the next Olympic Games in 2012.
:: January 2011
Digital switchover in CroatiaDigital switchover was completed in Croatia at the end of 2010. On 5 October 2010, all high-power analogue transmissions were switched off followed by the switch off of low-power analogue transmissions. Despite the availability of three DTT multiplexes, the government has taken steps to ensure that the DTT platform continues to develop and offer viewers access to quality services.