Digital TV needs govt push

By Dave Glazier for Gartner
Johannesburg, 24 Aug 2006

A senior Gartner analyst has emphasised the importance of government`s policy of creating the right environment for migration from analogue to digital TV broadcasting.

"Conversion time depends on many factors, but if government relies merely on market forces, migration to digital TV will take much longer," says Laura Behrens, principal research analyst: media industry, at Gartner.

Sentech, in committing about R1 billion to digital terrestrial TV (DTT) migration, said earlier this year that roll-outs of DTT should begin in metro areas in 2008, and that by 2010 two different multiplexes should allow Sentech to carry up to 12 digital high-definition channels.

But Behrens says government will need to encourage the market by heavily subsidising transmission equipment. If not, the conversion process (from initial roll-outs, to the point where DTT becomes so pervasive the analogue signal can be switched off) will take longer than two years.

Switch-off deadlines

The other major tactic the state can employ is to put a firm deadline on when the analogue signal will be turned off. This, she says, will encourage market players and consumers to adopt the technology faster.

She uses the example of a German regional broadcaster that switched off the analogue signal into Berlin about a year ago, saying the policy speeded up the digital migration process in that city.

Sentech`s acting COO, Frans Lindeque, says DTT and analogue are set to run side-by-side until such time as the analogue can be switched off, though there are no firm dates set for this yet.

Readiness

Although the ability to broadcast the 2010 World Cup in digital format is a FIFA requirement, Behrens points out that being able to broadcast in digital, and having the population viewing in digital, are two different things.

"There are many stages of readiness - being able to feed DTT to the rest of the world is different to local people being able to watch digital TV."

Aside from enhanced quality, she says, DTT allows for the transmission of a greater number of channels than traditional analogue.

DataMonitor yesterday released a new report stating it expects 187 million households will be equipped with digital TV by 2010 across Europe and the US.

The spotlight will fall on SA`s digital migration strategies at Business Zone`s digital broadcasting conference, on 28 and 29 August, at the Airport Grand Hotel, in Boksburg.