Philippine Star: TV network executives air concern over effects on public of migration from analog to digital

MANILA, Philippines - Top officials of some of the country’s biggest broadcasting companies have expressed concern over the possible adverse effects of the country’s impending migration from analog to digital television on the viewing public.

In an interview with The STAR, GMA Network chairman Felipe Gozon said that there is still a very small percentage of the Philippine population that has access to television sets that can receive digital transmission.

“As far as we are concerned, our system is already digital-ready. It is not even sensitive to the particular technology that will be adopted eventually by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). But once the networks shut down analog transmission, a big part of the population will not be able to use their TV sets,” he emphasized.

TV5 president Ray Espinosa echoed the sentiments of Gozon, saying that it will be the viewing public that will be hit by the shift to digital.

Set-top boxes are required for TV sets that are not digital ready and without the boxes, these sets will not receive broadcast transmission. Japan, which has been pushing for the adoption of the ISDB-T technology, has reportedly offered to produce the set-top boxes locally in order to further bring down cost, in addition to other assistance(both technical and financial).

According to an NTC official, the country’s migration to digital TV is set to start next year with Metro Manila pioneering the process.

Sources revealed that an NTC technical working group (TWG) is currently drafting the rules for the adoption of the Japanese ISDB-T as the technology that will be used by all broadcasting companies for the shift to digital terrestrial TV broadcasting. As planned, analog transmission will be shut down not later than 2015.

NTC deputy commissioner Carlo Juan Martinez said in an interview that the agency will be coming up with the implementing rules and regulations by June, which will fire up the setting up of antenna and TV towers that will transmit digital signals to the households.

 “We can introduce it within the year or next year, the sooner the better,” Martinez said.

He added that the technical group will be reviewing the IRR issued by the previous TWG to update the digital technologies and incorporate the emerging ones.

 “We plan to identify certain areas like Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao and other key cities to kick off the digital. From then on, we can proceed to smaller cities and municipalities. Once we determine that 85 percent of the viewing public has digital boxes installed in their TV units or that they already have digital TVs, that will be the time that we’ll shut off the analog,” he said.

According to him, the Philippines will be following Japan’s strategy in digitalizing its TV households which were done in phases.

He said Japan took nine to 10 years from the start of digitalization to fully shut off its analog TV systems and migrate its households to digital TV.

Martinez also revealed that there is no agreement signed yet between the Philippines and Japan but the latter submitted a proposal to the NTC offering technical assistance to the government and private companies.

The regulator earlier said Japan has offered to subsidize the transition from analog to digital TV of government channels through provision of equipment and training.

The Japanese proponents are also studying the possibility of manufacturing the set top boxes here in the Philippines which are now priced at $10 each.

Japan earlier said it is ready to provide the Philippines with technical assistance and necessary equipment for the country’s shift to digital TV.

However, it said the possibility of providing financial assistance to local TV stations cannot be assured yet as the draft offer submitted to the government only includes sharing of expertise through technical training.

Japan’s first secretary for transport and economic affairs Masaoki Shirai in an interview with The STAR outlined the various advantages of the ISDB-T (Japanese system), comparing it to the one being offered by the Europeans (DVB).

Shirai noted that the ISDB-T offers an efficient frequency utilization and mobile TV service, which is not possible under DVB. - Mary Ann Ll. Reyes, dated 27 February 2011, 12:00 AM.

Source: Philippine Star

ABS-CBN News: NTC wants digital TV service launched in key cities by 2012

It seems like NTC wanted the public within key cities like Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao and others experience first the digital TV service using the chosen ISDB-T standard.

Read the article after the jump.

MANILA, Philippines - The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) targets by next year the implementation of digital television service, starting with select key cities in the country.

The regulator wants the shift to be implemented it in phases, the same way Japan did, said NTC deputy commissioner Carlo Jose Martinez.

“We plan to follow Japan’s model. They started with Tokyo then Osaka and then followed by other major cities. The TWG (technical working group) has yet to identify which cities will start the digital TV shift but maybe we could start with Manila, Cebu, Davao, among others,” he said.
The Philippines is going to adapt Japan’s Integrated Services Digital Broadcast (ISDB) technology as the standard for digital TV. The TWG is currently working on the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) broadcast service in the country.

“The IRR will be finished in 60 to 90 days. We may implement digital TV this year or next year but we are not yet going to switch off analog TV yet. We will introduce digital TV [service] in major cities first,” said Martinez.

This means that broadcasting firms can still transmit analog TV service while digital TV is being implemented in other areas. The NTC official said as soon as compliance rate has reached 85% then the government will consider terminating all analog TV broadcast transmissions.

Martinez could not provide the timetable for the analog TV broadcast termination but said it won’t be soon—or not in 2015 which is the year previously identified by the NTC administration.

“Japan was able to shut off its analog [broadcasts] after nine to 10 years upon introduction of digital TV. So it would probably be the same here. The consumers will be our basis as to when the shutdown will take effect,” added the NTC official.

When DTT technology is enforced in the country there is a need to switch off all analog TV handsets. The switchoff would render all non-digital TV sets obsolete unless connected to a set-top box, which could cost $10 each.

Depending on the demand, Japan is willing to manufacture set-top boxes here so these could be sold at cheaper prices. At the same time, this could provide job opportunities to Filipinos.

The TWG is composed of members from the broadcast industry and stakeholders such as the government, suppliers and consumers.

Japan’s ISDB-T platform is expected to provide more business opportunities because the bandwidth that will be assigned for digital TV can also be used to service mobile phones. The technology is also capable of sending emergency warning broadcasts to households. - Lenie Lectura, Business Mirror, dated 25 February 2011, 11:10 AM.

Source: ABS-CBN News

Manila Standard Today: Japan offers local stations subsidy for digital switch

JAPAN has offered to subsidize the transition to digital from analog of the Philippine government’s television channels to lessen its financial burden, an official said Monday.

“[The Japanese] will help government channels. They will provide the equipment to them,” National Telecommunications Commission chief Gamaliel Cordoba said.

But he said the private channels would not be included in the equipment subsidies to be provided to government-owned and -operated TV channels.

“We might be asking for financial assistance to our local TV stations,” Cordoba said.

“The Japanese proponents are also studying the possibility of manufacturing the set top boxes here in the Philippines.”

Set top boxes of integrated services digital broadcasting technology, or ISDB-T, are needed to use analog televisions in a digital TV setup, and those now cost $10 each.

Cordoba said no formal agreement had yet been signed between the Philippine and Japanese governments on the use of integrated services digital broad casting technology as the country’s official platform for its transition to digital TV.

“It is still being reviewed by the Department of Foreign Affairs, National Economic Development Authority, the NTC and the Commission on Information and Communications Technology,” Cordoba said.

“But so far, unless there is a compelling significant reason to change the system, we will stick with the Japanese system.”apan was ready to provide the Philippines with technical assistance and the equipment to shift to digital TV.

“Once we sign an agreement, we are ready to provide assistance. We are confident that the NTC will stick to its original decision to use the Japanese standard.”

Proponents of the digital video broadcasting technology are asking the government to consider the improved version of the European digital TV platform.

But Cordoba said the Philippines couldn’t wait for the DVB-T2, which could take three to five years to develop.

“That it is still an emerging technology. We cannot wait for three to five years,” he said. - Jeremiah F. de Guzman, dated 22 February 2011.

 Source: Manila Standard Today

Business World: NTC sticking with Japan standard

THE NATIONAL Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said yesterday implementing rules and regulations for the switch to digital television from analog will be ready by April.

Gamaliel A. Cordoba, NTC commissioner, told BusinessWorld in a telephone interview the country will still use the Japanese standard Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) despite suggestions to adopt “more superior standards.”

“The technical working group had its first meeting last Friday. We are able to form the committees that will handle the legal, technical and communications groups for the implementation of the digital standard.

We target to issue the implementing rules and regulations by April,” he said. “We will stick to the original plan of adopting the Japanese standard. We don’t see the point of adopting a standard that has yet to be used by some areas and is due for testing. Digital television standards take two to three years to mature,” he added.

Mr. Cordoba said that after the issuance of the implementing rules and regulations for the digital standard, broadcasting firms can start rolling out the digital signals alongside analog signals.

“We will do it gradually. Companies would not stop transmitting analog signals because most of the households’ television sets are not yet capable of receiving digital signals. Those who have television sets that are capable of receiving [digital] signals will have it while those who are still in analog have the option to buy a digital box,” he said.

Mr. Cordoba said the technical working group has yet to discuss whether broadcast firms should pay for the digital boxes.

“We still have to discuss that with them as you know that majority of the television viewers are watching free television. However, most of the cable providers are already giving out digital boxes to their subscribers,” he said.

Early this month, broadcast giant GMA Network, Inc. said the government should reconsider its decision to pick the Japanese standard for the country’s switch to digital television in 2015, saying a new European standard was better.

The DVB2 standard used in Europe has significantly better quality than the Japanese standard, said the TV network. - Aura Marie P. Dagcutan, dated 14 February 2011, 10:23 PM.

Source: Business World

Business Mirror: NTC supports Japan digital TV standard

After the alarming suggestion of GMA Network to reconsider the new European DVB-T2 as the DTV standard of the country, NTC finally raised its hand as it sticks with the chosen Japanese ISDB-T standard.

Read the post after the jump.

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is going to stick with the Japanese Integrated Services Digital Broadcast (ISDB) technology as the standard for Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) broadcast service in the country despite talks that some industry players prefer the European platform.

NTC commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba said the technical working group (TWG), which is responsible for drafting the rules and frequency planning for the implementation of the ISDB-TV technology in the country, will be ready with the rules by April.

“It takes three to five years for a new technology to mature. We cannot wait for that, otherwise the Philippines will be left behind in the digital TV migration. So the TWG will continue with crafting the [implementing rules and regulations] and its implementation unless there emerges a very significant compelling reason to do otherwise,” said the NTC chief in a text message.

The NTC has set by end-2015 the compulsory transition of all analog TV service providers to shift to digital TV and for the termination of all analog TV broadcast transmissions. If the NTC chose to shift to another platform the Philippines may not meet the schedule.

When DTT technology is enforced in the country there is a need to switch off all analog TV handsets. The switchoff would render all nondigital TV sets obsolete unless connected to a set-top box.

During the first TWG meeting on Friday, Cordoba said officials from the Philippine Cable Television Association raised the possibility of the adopting the European DVB-T standard instead of Japan’s ISDB because there is an emerging version of the said technology.

GMA Network Inc. president Gilberto Duavit Jr. earlier said “there is a clamor to review the benefits of the European standard” as the said platform “has a new version, one that it is more advanced and better than the previous.”

It can be recalled that the previous commission had chosen Europe’s DVB platform because the set-top boxes to be used for DTT broadcast service were cheaper than the Japanese standard and the former was more widely used in most countries. But when Japan brought down the price of the boxes to $10 each, the NTC changed its mind.

During the meeting, three committees formed. Cordoba said there was a committee on the legal and technical aspects concerning migration to digital TV.  Likewise, a communications group was formed. “Meetings will be every Wednesday for the TWG and every Monday for the committees. We will try to finish the IRR in two months,” said Cordoba.

The NTC will also invite during the meetings representatives of the ICT Committee in Congress and Public Service Committee in Senate.

Last week, Japan minister and deputy chief of mission Motohiko Kato said the Philippines stands to gain from the ISDB platform compared to the DVB-T2. Among them, he cited, are the following: The ISDB-T platform will provide more business opportunities because the bandwidth that will be assigned for digital TV can also be used to service mobile phones; the technology is also capable of sending emergency warning broadcasting system to the households; it provides clearer image due to robustness against errors; cheap price of set-top boxes; Philippine government need not pay Japan any royalty fees; there is wider coverage area; and support from the Japanese government is overwhelming.

“The European standard does not have what we offer. Our standard provides a variety of services and it is more cost effective and we will also provide technical support,” said Kato.

The TWG is composed of members from the broadcast industry and stakeholders such as the government, suppliers and consumers. It is chaired by the NTC and cochaired by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas. - Lenie Lectura, dated 14 February 2011, 07:44 PM.

Source: Business Mirror

NBN: NTC to issue IRR on digital TV in April

At last, the digital TV rules are set to be released this coming April. Expect DTV sets and boxes by few months after.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on Monday said it expects to complete the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) on digital terrestrial television (DTT) by April amid clamor to review the approved platform for the country's migration.

Gamaliel Cordoba, NTC chief, said the regulator has formed committees on legal, technical and communications for the creation of IRR for digital TV.

"The meetings will be every Wednesday for big group and every Monday for committees. We will try to finish the IRR in two months," Cordoba said.

Cordoba said it takes three to five years for a new technology to mature. "We cannot wait for that, otherwise the Philippines will be left behind sa digital tv migration."

The country originally planned to migrate from analog to digital TV in 2015.

In June, last year, the NTC approved a memorandum circular mandating the use of Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) for DTT migration.

The Philippines will be the first in Asia to adopt the Japanese standard for digital TV.

Besides Japan, other countries that adopted ISDB-T were Brazil, Peru, Chile, Venzuela, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Paraguay.

ABS-CBN Corp. earlier said it plans to spend P3 billion and P5 billion to roll out DTT nationwide for over five years to improve signal, particularly in Metro Manila.

Digital TV is a system for broadcasting and receiving digital sound and video signals that requires a specially designed and more advanced TV set than the traditional analog box.

This means that upon migration to the digital format, consumers who still have analog TV sets would have to buy set-top boxes to receive digital signals.

According to the NTC, the set-top boxes for the Japanese standard would cost $ 11, while the price for the European standard gadget would range from $ 12 to $ 13.

The regulator estimates that around 14 million Filipino households use analog TV sets. - PNA, dated 14 February 2011, 10:11 PM.

Source: National Broadcasting Network

I.T. Matters: European standard better, says TV exec

GMA Network, after approving with the other broadcast networks to decide and chose the Japanese ISDB-T standard, here they come again and wanted to reconsider the choice of NTC for the better digital TV standard that will suit the Philippine broadcast industry.

Read the post after the break.

BROADCAST GIANT GMA Network, Inc. said the government should reconsider its decision to pick the Japanese standard for the country’s switch to digital television in 2015, saying a new European standard was better. 

“There [is a] newly emerging standard with significant difference in quality,” said Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., GMA Network president.

The broadcast executive said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) should revisit the upgraded Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) technology, or the DVB2 used in Europe.

DVB was rejected last year in favor of the Japanese standard.

“[For] the Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) standard [of Japan] and the old DVB standards, it can be said that either one is superior over the other in some respects. But with the DVB2, the difference in quality is significant,” he said.

“With the emergence of the DVB2, there is a hope that the standard chosen by the NTC will be reviewed,” he added.

In June last year, the commission, following unanimous industry support, decided to adopt the ISDB-T standard as the country’s digital television platform. Aside from Japan, the standard has been widely adopted in South America.

Mr. Duavit said the shift to digital technology from the current analog system would allow accessibility to more channels and better video and audio quality.

The delivery of high-definition content will be through a conventional aerial antenna, instead of a satellite or cable connection, he added.

DVB2, the successor to the DVB standard, is now widely used throughout Europe and most parts of Asia, Mr. Duavit pointed out.

“I would not be surprised if there are discussions for a possible review [over which digital television technology should be adopted],” he said.

Sought for comment, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel A. Cordoba told BusinessWorld in a telephone interview yesterday it was the broadcast industry that had picked the Japanese digital technology standard.

“If the industry players have issues with the standard, they should have come to us. As far as we are concerned, it was the entire broadcast industry that had agreed with it,” he said.

Mr. Cordoba said the technical working group will meet on Friday to discuss the “organizational matters” for the rollout of the system.

“We will meet the industry players on Friday for the first meeting of the technical working group. We hope to form the necessary committees that day,” he said.

The decision last year to adopt the ISDB-T standard was reached in a meeting of stakeholders from the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, GMA Network, ABS-CBN Corp., RPN Channel 9, and Vanguard Radio Network Co., Inc., among others.

In June last year, representatives from the Japanese embassy and NTC officials signed a memorandum of cooperation. Japanese makers of the set-top boxes required for non-digital TV sets were said to have committed to build a manufacturing plant in the Philippines to help cut prices.

Mr. Duavit had supported the NTC’s decision to adopt the Japanese standard, saying in a statement last year the network had “assessed the prominent DTT (digital terrestrial television) standards available and have determined ISDB-T to be technically suitable for our television broadcast industry. The network therefore endorses the adoption of the ISDB-T DTT for the country.”

The government is eyeing a switch to digital TV by 2015.

In 2006, the industry regulator released a memorandum saying the country would be using the European standard for digital television. The NTC later deferred this, saying more consultations were needed. - Aura Marie P. Dagcutan, Business World, 06 February 2011, 09:20 PM.

Source: I.T. Matters