Digital television transition

The digital television transition is the process in which analog television broadcasting is converted to and replaced by digital television. This primarily involves both TV stations and over-the-air viewers; however it also involves content providers like TV networks, and cable television conversion to digital cable.

In many countries, a simulcast service is operated where a broadcast is made available to viewers in both analog and digital at the same time. As digital becomes more popular, it is likely that the existing analogue services will be removed. In some cases this has already happened, where a broadcaster has offered incentives to viewers to encourage them to switch to digital. In other cases government policies have been introduced to encourage or force the switchover process, especially with regard to terrestrial broadcasts. Government intervention usually involves providing some funding for broadcasters and, in some cases monetary relief to viewers, to enable a switchover to happen by a given deadline.

The switchover for individual countries varies; it could either happen in small steps, such as with the United Kingdom where each region has a separate date to switch off, or the whole country could switch in one go, as did Finland on 1 September 2007. The most recent country to switch off all analogue services was France on 29 November 2011; the next country to switch off all analogue services will be Japan on 31 March 2012.

Contents

Purpose of the transition

Almost all analog formats in current use were standardised between the 1940s and 1950s and have had to be adapted to the technological innovations since then. Initially offering only black and white images with monophonic sound, the formats have had to be modified to broadcast in colour, stereo sound, SAP, captioning, and other information all while being backwards compatible with televisions unable to use the features. Additionally, engineers have had to implement these protocols within the limits of a set bandwidth and the tolerances of an inefficient analog format.

However during this time, the application and distribution of digital communications evolved. Digital television transmission is more efficient, easily integrating other digital processes. Analogue features have difficulty or cannot do the extra digital features.

Timeline for the digital switchover

Other information

The Geneva 2006 Agreement sets 17 June 2015 as the date after which countries may use those frequencies currently assigned for analogue television transmission for digital services, without being required to protect the analogue services of neighbouring countries against interference. This date is generally viewed as an internationally mandated analogue switch-off date, at least along national borders.[1] The European Commission has recommended that digital switchover should be completed by 1 January 2012 - Commission Recommendation 2009/848/EC, of 28.10.2009.[2]

Digital switchover at a glance

Country First DTT broadcast Started switch-over Finished switch-over Ref
Andorra 02007-09-25 25 September 2007
Australia 02001-01-01 1 January 2001 02010-06-30 30 June 2010 02013-12-31 31 December 2013 [3]
Belgium 02008-11-03 3 November 2008 02010-03-01 1 March 2010
Canada 02003-03-01 1 March 2003 02012-08-31 31 August 2012
Croatia 02002-06-13 13 June 2002 02010-01-26 26 January 2010 02010-10-05 5 October 2010 [4]
Denmark 02003-03-01 1 March 2003 02009-11-01 1 November 2009
Estonia 02010-07-01 1 July 2010
Finland 02001-08-21 21 August 2001 02007-09-01 1 September 2007
France 02005-03-31 31 March 2005 02010-02-02 2 February 2010 02011-11-29 29 November 2011 [5]
Germany 02002-11-01 1 November 2002 02008-11-25 25 November 2008
Guernsey 02010-11-17 17 November 2010
India 02012-03-31 31 March 2012 02015-03-31 31 March 2015 [6]
Ireland 02010-10-29 29 October 2010 02012-10-24 24 October 2012 [7]
Isle of Man 02009-07-16 16 July 2009
Japan 02003-12-01 1 December 2003 02011-07-24 24 July 2011 02012-03-31 31 March 2012 [8]
Jersey 02010-11-17 17 November 2010
Latvia 02010-06-01 1 June 2010
Mexico 2011 2015 [9]
Netherlands 02006-12-11 11 December 2006
New Zealand 02007-05-02 2 May 2007 02012-09-30 30 September 2012 02013-12-01 1 December 2013 [10]
Norway 02007-09-01 1 September 2007 02008-03-01 1 March 2008 02009-12-01 1 December 2009
Pan-Arab 15 December 2011 31 March 2014 31 March 2014
Slovenia 02011-06-30 30 June 2011
South Africa 02008-11-01 1 November 2008 02013-12-01 1 December 2013 [11]
Spain 02005-11-30 30 November 2005 02010-04-03 3 April 2010
Sweden 1999 02005-09-19 19 September 2005 02007-09-29 29 September 2007
Switzerland 02006-06-01 1 June 2006 02008-01-01 1 January 2008
Tunisia 2015 [12]
United Kingdom 01998-10-01 1 October 1998 02007-10-17 17 October 2007 02012-10-24 24 October 2012 [13]
United States 01998-10-29 29 October 1998 02009-06-12 12 June 2009 02015-09-01 1 September 2015 [14]

Transitions around the world

Transitions completed

Transitions in progress

Transitions not yet started

Digital-to-analog converters

Main article: Digital television adapter

After the switch from analog to digital broadcasts is complete, analog TVs will be incapable of receiving over-the-air broadcasts without the addition of a set-top converter box. Consequently, a digital converter box – an electronic device that connects to an analog television – must be used in order to allow the television to receive digital broadcasts.[59] In the United States, the government is subsidizing the purchase of such boxes via their coupon-eligible converter box program, funded by a small part of the billions of dollars brought in by the spectrum auction of 12 of the upper UHF channels. The program is managed by the Department of Commerce through its National Telecommunications and Information Administration.[60]

European deployment

United Kingdom

Main article: Digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom

The initial plan for transition announced in 1999 was to start in 2006 and finish in 2010 but after ITC was replaced by Ofcom it changed the plan to a 5-year transition between 2007 and 2012. The transition started on Wednesday, 17 October 2007 with Whitehaven in Cumbria, and is proceeding to a transmitter switchover timetable, implemented by region. The last transmitters will be switched over during 2012; these will be London, Meridian, Tyne Tees and Ulster. The process is managed by Digital UK, and viewers that are aged over 75 and/or live in a care home will be able to apply to Digital Switchover Help Scheme until March 2013.

All analogue broadcasting will finish on 24 October 2012; the specific date for England is 26 September 2012. Analogue switchoff in Northern Ireland has not yet started but will finish on 24 October 2012. However, this only applies to the terrestrial network; analogue cable is still allowed to broadcast for now, however Virgin Media has plans to shut down its analogue service by January 2012. Analogue satellite was discontinued on 27 September 2001. The old analogue service has been replaced by a stronger digital service and high-definition (HD) channels in regions which have finished the switchover.

Republic of Ireland

Digital television was launched in the Republic of Ireland as Saorview on 29 October 2010. At launch it had 5 standard-definition channels and 1 high-definition channel. The analogue service is set to terminate on 24 October 2012 and will be replaced by a second multiplex for Saorview.

North American deployment

United States

Main article: DTV transition in the United States

All US full-power analog TV broadcasts came to an end on 12 June 2009.[61] New television devices that receive signals over-the-air, including pocket sized portable televisions, personal computer video capture card tuners and DVD recorders, have been required to include ATSC digital tuners since March 1, 2007.[62]

On 8 September 2008, Wilmington, North Carolina became the first city in the United States to fully switch over from analog to digital broadcasts. All analog signals were terminated at noon. This switchover was a test by FCC to make further improvements to the transition process before the whole nation was switched over to digital.[63] Hawaii followed on 15 January 2009. By midnight on 17 February 2009, the original cut-off date set by the Congress, 641 stations representing 36 percent of U.S. full-power broadcasters were transmitting exclusively in digital.[64] After that, most of the remaining full-power U.S. broadcasters were beaming their signals in both analog and digital formats.

In a January 2009 study, 70% of over-the-air viewers expected to get a DTV converter box, 10% would switch to pay TV services, and 20% would abandon TV altogether.[65] Based on this survey and considering that 13–15% of TV viewers depend on over-the-air TV,[66][67] 3% of the overall TV viewership might be lost due to the DTV conversion. Potential negative impacts on TV stations include reduced TV advertising and pledge drive revenue.

Cable TV systems are not required to convert, but must-carry rules will require local stations to be carried in analog for at least three years after the over-the-air cutoff, until early 2012. Must-carry rules requiring digital-only subchannels to be carried have been a source of contention.

Australian deployment

Digital television commenced in Australia's five most populous cities on Monday, January 1, 2001. Digital switchover was originally intended to be complete by 2008, but got delayed to an expected completion date of Tuesday, 31 December 2013 with Mildura being the first region to terminate its analogue network on 30 June 2010. The second region to terminate its analogue network was Riverland and Broken Hill on 15 December 2010. Regional centers will switchoff between 2011 and 2012, while the main capitals will cease the analogue network in 2013. Until that time, free-to-air stations will be simulcast, along with digital-only channels like ABC2. Since 1999, legislation has required all locally made free-to-air television transmissions to be in 16:9 widescreen format. Cable television networks began simulcasting in 2004 and analogue cable services were switched off in April 2007. The switchover is being co-ordinated by the Digital Switchover Taskforce operating under the federal Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

Switchover table

Oceania deployment

New Zealand

Main article: Freeview (New Zealand)

New Zealand officially began broadcasting digital terrestrial television using DVB-T MPEG-4 under the name Freeview in 2007. Analogue began to be phased out on 31 July 2011 when Trackside was removed from analogue. The first region to lose all of its analogue channels will be Hawke's Bay and West Coast on 30 September 2012. The remainder of the South Island will follow on 28 April 2013; the Lower North Island and East Cape on 29 September 2013; and finally the Upper North Island on 1 December 2013.

See also

References

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Further reading

External links