News from the ABU Region
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CCTV will also reportedly utilise its broadcast rights to the London Olympics to test 3DTV broadcasts. The tests are scheduled for late second quarter and third quarter of this year – and come amid the continued popularity of 3D broadcasts of global sporting events, including the FIFA 2010 World Cup and last year’s Wimbledon tennis tournament.
(
www.apb-news.com) Japan
Switchover to Terrestrial Digital Broadcasting Successfully Completed
Terrestrial digital broadcasting in Japan, began in December 2003 and was gradually expanded until, on July 24 2011, analogue terrestrial broadcasting was switched off and the process of digitisation was completed successfully.
Indonesia
Indonesia Takes up DVB-T2 Indonesia is set to be the latest Asian country to adopt the DVB-T2 digital TV terrestrial transmission standard, if the government’s proposal is accepted.
After consultation with industry players, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) of Indonesia proposed the adoption of DVB-T2 for free-to-air digital broadcasts. Indonesia is expected to go fully digital by 2018.
Following a public consultation in December last year, the MCIT is expected to publish a tender for new DTV broadcast equipment in the first quarter of this year. DVB-T2 would just need to wait slightly longer until DVB-T2 set-top boxes are mass-produced, and the price of DVB-T2 transmitters comes down.
The process was characterised by target-oriented cooperation between government, broadcasters, manufacturers, and many other parties working together towards a single goal. The ISDB-T terrestrial digital broadcasting standard, developed in Japan, combines the beautiful image quality of high-definition television (HDTV) with solid reception performance and other advantages, such as an emergency warning broadcast system for use in times of disaster. In addition, it enables the implementation of “one-seg” mobile TV broadcasting at the transmitting side which, unlike other standards, is done at no additional cost.
Shortly before the planned analogue switch-off (ASO), Japan suffered vast and severe damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. This led some people in Japan to wonder whether the termination of analogue broadcasting should not be delayed. But the fact that terrestrial digital broadcasting has disaster-resistant features that proved useful during the emergency resulted in ISDB-T maintaining its credibility, and the original schedule was adhered to in all but the three hardest-hit prefectures.
Japan has a population of more than 120 million people. Almost 80% of households view television via terrestrial broadcasting, a ratio that is higher than in other countries. About 70% of Japan’s surface is mountainous, resulting in many areas where broadcast reception is difficult. Given this background, the fact that a large-scale switchover from analogue to digital was possible without major confusion or problems must be considered an unquestionable success. (ITU New Breeze)
FBC Launches Free-To-Air Television
The announcement completes a turnaround for Indonesia, who had previously indicated plans for a nationwide DVB-T network. Indonesia conducted its first DVB-T trial in August 2008, which was followed by a more extensive DVB trial in 2009, covering the suburban areas of the capital, Jakarta.
In a statement, the MCIT explained that the use of DVB-T2 would “open up business opportunities for multiplex broadcasting” and would also “open up the market to additional broadcasters”.
(Asia-Pacific Broadcasting)
The launch of the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation’s free-to-air television service in November last set a number of firsts for the nation and delivered clear signals into formerly blacked-out areas, as the nation’s oldest broadcaster jumped into TV and digital age.
Half a street was closed for the red-carpet event styled after “Hollywood in the 30s” complete with several stages and live entertainment. The four-hour extravaganza was covered live-on-air from multiple locations within the event and from the FBC studios.
Live coverage of the event was a huge hit with the viewers, especially those in areas previously without a free-to-air TV signal. For the first time, they were able to watch live coverage from the capital Suva, beginning with the official sign-on ceremonies where the Prime Minister officially opened FBC TV, and then followed by the longest live TV
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