Analogue switch-off

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net1

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The technological challenges in achieving analogue switch-off will be no small feat, with 6,000 analogue receivers to dismantle as well as 1,000 old digital receivers to come out and 5,000 digital transmitters to be erected, all while maintaining existing services, according to Alan Watson, consultant to NTL Broadcast. He said, “[As for] which transmission sites will be used and how many…there is absolutely nothing set in stone about the transmission network as we speak.” Jim Egan, head of strategy development at Ofcom, added that the aim was to convert 98.5% of multiplexes to digital which will require 280 sites to be upgraded but he admitted that “You can’t make six multiplexes available to everyone [via DTT], that’s simply not possible.”
Allan Williams, senior policy advisor of Which?, formerly known as the Consumer Association, said the main problem was communicating the case for switch-off to the consumer to encourage buy-in. “The benefits of digital TV are clear but the benefits of switchover are far less clear…. In fact about 55% of the public are opposed to switch-off,” he said.
A session on 'When to invest?' looked at the prospects afforded by DTT to commercial channels. When asked whether it was worth paying in excess of £3m for carriage on the Freeview platform, Jon James, commercial director of Flextech Television and Simon Brown, vice-president of research and planning at MTV Networks UK and Ireland agreed the move, initially a strategic one, had reaped real rewards. MTV broadcasts The Music Factory (TMF) a music channel, on Freeview while Flextech broadcasts UK Bright Ideas and FTN over the platform as well as selling capacity to third parties such as Thomas Cook TV. Brown said, “If you look at all of the channels on there, they’re aimed at over 35s or kids so we thought there was a real opportunity we could exploit. If you look at the DTT audience share, it’s six times larger than that over a pay-TV platform.”
Due to zapper box limitations and capacity constraints, Freeview does not have a return path so its iTV services are limited to information on demand. The panel all agreed that the development of a return path was not a priority for Freeview, with Paul Robinson, an independent media consultant, highly sceptical of the iTV phenomenon. “With Sky there is absolutely not a lot of red button use,” he said. “People are risk-averse when it comes to using it…. Freeview’s lack of a return path isn’t a big issue; everyone is happy to use the old-fashioned telephone or mobile.”
 

gameboy

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Until I see every new TV, DVD recorder etc with a built in decoder I see this difficult to happen.

I can see no reason why ALL the latest TVs etc don't have them as standard - they're cheap now.

Anyone else agree?
 

rolfw

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I think it is pretty unbelievable that there aren't more standard TVs, particularly portables, with digital only tuners, they don't need to be dual standard now. Agree though, people are still buying stuff which has a very short built in obsolesence.
 

andy321

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Yep I agree. It can’t cost any more to drop in a digital tuner instead of the old analogue one. When this digital terrestrial TV all started I was under the impression that all new TVs would have a built in digital tuner and the transition to digital tuners only would be much quicker than it has been. Its still the exception to find a tv with built in digital tuner.



Yes and also why not build the digital tuner into the stand alone dvd/hd recorders. I saw a nice DVD recorder for £120 yesterday but why couldn’t they drop in a freeview tuner for an extra £50 or so? I guess the manufacturer would argue that the tuner source should be your freeview box but then what should be used to watch live TV whilst recording another channel? Another freeview box or back to the analogue TV which we are supposed to be letting go of DOH!?
 

andy321

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Oh and I don't want to keep ranting on but we wouldnt buy a VCR without a built in tuner so why make dvd recorders without a built in tuner? Rant over :-)
 

rolfw

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Just bougth a Thompson DVD player with a built in Digital tuner, so I guess the recorders won't be far behind.

The European nations are starting to come online with their digital services, so perhaps this will help drive the market.
 

sonic1

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THE PROBLEM?

Those in power and parliment are all too old or senial or have their heads
so far up their own arse that they all think 4 channels is enough to keep
them ocupied.
Untill we have politicians from the working class or some under fourty
that have had an education in a public school, what hope have we that
they could give a F!!k or show an intrest in something that has kept the
working class ocupied for years.
We could switch off analogue tomorrow if the government didn't waste money
on wars that we have no intrest in.
The rest of Europe is investing so why should we lag behind?
Just my opinion!!!!!
 

rolfw

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Unfortunately, we are actually in the lead as far as digital terrestrial broadcasting is concerned, well in advance of most of our European neighbours and I believe this is one of the stumbling blocks. Until they catch up and the manufacturers perceive a potential in the digital only TV market, the pace will stay slow.
 
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