Status of Migration:
From Analog to Digital Transmission
By Engr. Fernando Morales
In 2005, the National Telecommunications Commission organized a "Technical Working Group (TWG)" composed of NTC personnel, network associations, and broadcast operators. In May 2006, the TWG convened and submitted a report containing its recommendation on various technical and regulatory issues pertaining to digital terrestrial television. The following is an excerpt from the Technical Working Group (TWG) reports:
Advantages of Digital Over the Analog
- The transmission covers a wider service area compared to analog;
- Much better picture quality since it has 1080 scanning lines compared to 525 lines in analog;
- Bigger screen from 4:3 (Analog) to 16:9 (Digital) aspect ratios (width vs. length) on digital, similar to cinemascope;
- Stable picture even in mobile installation unlike analog where the antennas are installed/fixed on the rooftop;
- Analog transmitters are only capable of transmitting one program at a time per TV channel, while digital transmitters can send three or four programs on the same TV channel simultaneously; also capable of sending high definition television (HDTV) programs which has a superior picture quality and sound;
- Reception is clear and stable, no more fading or snowy picture, either you receive it or not at all;
- Portable and convenient to telecom;
- Audio is good to five (5) channels; and
- Interference is negligible.
There are three (3) digital terrestrial television systems presently used:
COUNTRY |
COMMITTEE |
|---|---|
| USA (1998) | ATSC-Advance Television System Committee |
| Europe (1998) | DVB-Digital Video Broadcasted |
| Japan (2003) | ISDB-Integral Service Digital Broadcasting |
Recommendation to NTC by the TWG:
- Majority of the TWG group recommended DVB (Europe).
- Some chose ISDB (Japan).
Comparative Analyses of the Three Systems:
PROS/CONS |
ATSC |
ISDB |
DVB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limited adoption | x |
x |
|
| Limited technology | x |
x |
|
| Limited flexibility and high cost | x |
||
| World wide acceptance | x |
||
| Wide choices of equipment suppliers | x |
||
| Cheap and affordable TV receivers | x |
||
| Several countries had changed their systems from ATSC to DVB | x |
The NTC is still waiting for a public hearing on the matter, as to what system is to be adopted for the Philippines.
December 31, 2015, at 11:59 P.M., is the date and time set for the termination of all analog broadcasting system and the manufacturing of analog TV receivers.
Comments: The transition is welcomed by CATV operators since by 2016, all analog television receivers can still be used on CATV systems because we are not included in the migration, only broadcast stations. So cable television operators can continue whatever system it is using now, subject to the constraint that in 3 to 5 years, analog receivers will have to be replaced by digital ones. By then, there will be no more spare parts.
