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