The Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) association has rubbished claims made by Brazilian industry that the current digital standard being tested in SA does not support high-definition television viewing.
SA is preparing to turn off analogue television broadcast in the next few years, and has been testing the European DVB-T standard in preparation for switchover. So far, industry has invested about R300 million in test equipment, money that industry is concerned may go to waste if the country decides to go with the Brazilian ISDB-T standard.
In April, the Department of Communications (DOC) took a controversial decision to review the adoption of DVB-T, a move that has industry saying a switch now could cost millions to implement, and set back the entire migration process by years.
Brazil has been punting its standard as superior, arguing that it is more robust, enables mobile television at no extra cost and allows for a range of interactive applications to be developed, which will further service delivery by government. DVB, however, has rejected several of Brazil's claims and say the unknown standard is not the right choice for SA, or Africa.
In the latest salvo in the ongoing war of words over which standard is better, Brazilian broadcast players claim DVB-T does not support high-definition (HD) television viewing. HD is a visually better experience than the current standard definition (SD) because it displays more detail on screens. In order to view television in HD, the signal needs to be broadcast in that standard, and viewers need a TV that supports the display.
No HD for SA?
The Brazilian subsidiary of Italian equipment manufacturer Screen Service, says the DVB-T standard currently being tested does not support HD. Area manager Alberto Morello told a delegation of South African journalists this week that one of the biggest drawbacks to DVB-T is that it does not offer HD.
Morello says in order for South Africans to receive HD, the current system being tested would have to be upgraded to DVB-T2, which is the latest DVB standard available. He says this upgrade would require new investments in transmission technology as the current transmitters would need certain aspects replaced.
In addition, contends Morello, every set-top box being used in SA to receive the test signal would need to be thrown away and replaced.
Set-top boxes are required to convert the digital signal for viewing on analogue television sets.
Morello contends that if SA were to switch to a digital signal, based on the DVB-T standard, no one in the country would be able to view HD through the terrestrial signal. However, he says, ISDB-T allows for HD reception.
Several industry players echoed his views during this week's trip to Brazil.
Nonsense
DVB chairman Philip Laven disagrees with the contention that DVB-T does not allow for HD viewing. He tells ITWeb this is “nonsense”, and says Australia, Norway, France and several other countries are receiving HD on DVB-T.
“In fact, all DVB transmission standards can be used to deliver SDTV and HDTV,” says Laven.
However, he concedes that DVB-T and DVB-T2 are not compatible with each other, but argues that DVB-T transmitters can be easily upgraded to DVB-T2 - simply by changing the modulator within the transmitter. This, says the Southern Africa Digital Broadcasting Association, can be done for less than 10% of the cost of a transmitter.
Laven points out that DVB-T2 has been launched in the UK and Italy, and licences have been granted for DVB-T2 services in Sweden and Finland. In addition, he says, HD is not a driver for conversion to digital television.
“Most countries in Europe do not offer HDTV on their digital TV services, but consumers are very enthusiastic about digital TV - and many countries have already switched off their analogue TV services mainly due to the success of SDTV services on DVB-T.”
* Nicola Mawson is being hosted in Brazil courtesy of the Brazilian Embassy in SA.
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