Decision on digital TV standard before year end
The Philippine government sees completion of the country's shift to digital television going beyond its previous 2015 deadline, as the regulator expects to take more time to decide on which standard to use according to news reports.
"At present, the target is still 2015. But this will most likely be changed as we are already pressed for time," Gamaliel A Cordoba, commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), said in a telephone interview with Business World.
Mr Cordoba said that while an NTC technical working group had recently recommended the adoption of the Japanese standard over the European alternative, the commission still had to review this and come up with its own decision to recommend to the government.
"We will definitely... (arrive at a decision) before the year ends," Mr Cordoba said.
According to a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, broadcast giant GMA Network Inc has urged the government to adopt the European standard while the Association of Broadcasters of the Philippines and ABS-CBN Corp have voiced preference for the Japanese standard, citing set top box cost concerns.
The argument has less and less credibility as more and more countries adopt DVB-T and the more efficient DVB-T2 system helping to continually reduce the cost of STB’s as a result of competition and the economies of scale.
DVB-T and DVB-T2 have been adopted by 138 countries and are in use in 69.
The latest more efficient DVB-T2 standard has already been adopted by 23 countries and it is deployed and operating in 5 more. Nine more countries have DVB-T2 trials underway.
Original source: Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union
Item added: 5th September 2011
NTC to consider DVB-T2
The regulator NTC which adopted Japan’s ISDB-T standard for Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting in June last year has been asked by the Philippines government to consider the DVB-T2 standard instead.
The move has been supported by Broadcasters who are keen to get the system with the best commercial earning potential.
DVB-T2 the latest terrestrial standard is a great improvement on all previously available systems and has been adopted by 28 countries and is already in use in 4.
Source: Manila Standard more information EBU (Frequency and Network Planning aspects of DVB-T2)
Item added: 23rd May 2011
Digital TV standard choice to be reviewed
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has ordered a review of the standards to be used for the country’s shift to digital television broadcasting technology.
NTC Deputy Commissioner Carlo Jose Martinez said the regulator was considering the adoption of a new technology, the second-generation Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB-T2) from Europe, to replace the Japanese Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting (ISDB) standard.
DVB-T2 has been touted by industry experts as superior to the ISDB platform from Japan, which was chosen over the first generation DVB-T standard.
“In the advent of the new technology, we want to have a review to see if the DVB-T2 is superior to the ISDB,” he said in an earlier interview.
Association of Broadcast Electronics Practitioners vice president Armand Ursal said reports from overseas showed that Europe’s DVB-T2 standard could send more data using much less power than required when using the Japanese standard.
“What we hear is that it’s superior and more beneficial to the public,” Ursal said, but admitted that more would have to be conducted.
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
Item added: 28th March 2011
Philippines ASO delayed
The Philippines is expected to delay its planned 2015 date for the completion of analogue switch-off according to advanced-television.com.
One of the key reasons highlighted for the delay is that a DTT service hasn’t yet been started in the country. Although ASEAN members jointly adopted DVB-T as its preferred standard the Philippines has not yet made this choice official.
Source: advanced-television.com
Item added: 8th February 2010
New DVB-T DTT service planned for Manila
A new digital terrestrial television service provider in the Philippines, All Asia Broadcast Systems Inc, plans to spend nearly Php100 million (US$2 million) to launch its service, reports the ABU in an item attributed to the Business Mirror published on its website.
All Asia Broadcast plans to start with four DVB-T transmitter sites in the National Capital Region.
Although the Philippines has traditionally adopted US technical standards in broadcasting, the company said it expected more broadcast companies in the Philippines to adopt the DVB-T standard because it addresses the multipath problems associated with reflections from varying terrains and manmade structures.
The company is waiting for the NTC to allocate frequencies which it expects will be between channels 21 and 51.
All Asia Broadcast also has a pending application to operate digital mobile TV using the DVB-H technical standard.
The first commercial DVB-H services began in the Philippines on the 24th July 2007
Main source: Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union
Item added: 2nd March 2009
Philippines TV 'may go digital soon'
The Philippines may shift to digital broadcasting in two to three years, the President of GMA Network, Felipe L Gozon has said. However he emphasised that the digital transition would not be easy as the purchase of the necessary receiving equipment would be expensive for consumers.
He said local broadcasters would have to adapt to the technology but the transition will "not be in the immediate future".
GMA Network has a pending application with the National Telecommunications Commission for the use of digital broadcasting. It aims to convert its channel 27 UHF station to digital television
Source: ABU website
Item added: 22nd December 2008
NTC recommends DVB-T/H for Philippines
The Philippines is likely to adopt DVB-T/H as the standards for its digital migration according to a report in The Manila Times Internet edition.
The Times attributes the news to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) which last week submitted a report to the government recommending the adoption of the standards.
NTC had previously set up a working group to investigate which DTT standard would be best for the Philippines.
The report recommends that the NTC should stop issuing new licences for analogue TV broadcasting by 2010 and plan for the introduction of DTT by 2015.
Source : Manila Time Internet Edition
Item added: 20th October 2008
DVB-H Mobile TV service launched in the Philippines
The first commercial DVB-H service in the Philippines was launched on Tuesday the 24th July by Smart Communications and broadcast firm 360media Corp, a subsidiary of MediaQuest Holdings.
The service is available to both paid and pre-paid subscribers but will be free to all subscribers until August 31st.
The service dubbed myTV, will be available in ‘Mega Manilla,’ Cebu, Davao, Tagaytay, Batangas, Baguio City first and later rolled out to Cagayan de Oro and Boracay.
Consumer studies and trials using DVB-H were carried out earlier this year resulting in “strong acceptance for mobile TV”
The service will start with 10 channels initially adding more premium channels later.
Source: Inquirer.net
Item added: 30th July 2007
Commercial launch for DVB-H service
Philippine Multi-media System, Inc (PMSI) has announced that the test broadcasts of mobile TV services using DVB-H have been successful and will be commercially launched this year. The commercial service will initially launch in Manila and then be extended to other cities. PMSI has five transmitters around metropolitan Manila and intends to eventually increase coverage nationwide. The service will be named Dream TV which is already a brand name used by PMSI.
Main Source: IBE
Item added: 21st June 2007
DVB-T Endorsed as ASEAN DTT standard
Ministers endorsed DVB-T as the standard for the ASEAN member nations at the Ninth Conference of the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) held in Jakarta Indonesia during May 2007.
ASEAN representatives from member countries, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam were all present at the conference to share the endorsement.
According to the joint media statement “ The Ministers noted that the DVB-T standard was the most commonly adopted international DTV standard and would offer the most advantages in terms of economies of scale, ease of adoption and versatility for multiple platforms”.
The common standard is expected to make equipment, such as set-top-boxes and DTV receivers more affordable throughout the region. The analogue switch off date is likely to be 2015.
Source: Joint Media Statement
Item added: 5th June 2007
DVB-H trial service for Manila
Smart Communications recently announced that it would start a pilot DVB-H trial service in Manila.
Smart’s test broadcast service will initially be available in Metero Manilla, Cebu and Davao. Nine channels including 24-hour news channels CNN, BBC World and CNBC; a sports channel, Basketball TV; leisure and entertainment channels; and music channel MTV, will be offered. The pilot is planned to start on March 11th 2007 with commercial operations commencing later this year.
Source: Manila Bulletin Online
Item added: 13th March 2007
Various DTT trials take place in the Philippines
DVB-T and DVB-H are being tested in various parts of the Philippines to assess their potential.
ABS-CBN is testing DVB-T in San Fernando, Pampanga on channels 50 and 51 with 3 programs each.
DVB-H is also being tested by ABC5 in Manila on channel 47 and GV Broadcasting and GMA7 are also planning to test DVB-H in Manila.
Source: Local correspondent
Item added: 30th January 2007
Philippines chooses DVB-T
21 November 2006
The DVB Project has welcomed the recent publication by the Philippines' National Telecommunications Commission of a draft set of Rules and Regulations for Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Broadcast Service mandating the use of DVB-T as the sole digital terrestrial television broadcasting standard for the Philippines. Section 2.1 of the draft Memorandum Circular states: "The Digital Video Broadcast - Terrestrial (DVB-T) standard shall be the sole standard in the delivery of DTT services in the country."
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is the Philippines' telecommunications and broadcasting regulator, and the draft Memorandum Circular, containing the choice of DVB-T and several provisions for the launch of DVB-T services in the Philippines, comes after deliberations in a cross industry grouping entitled the Technical Working Group on Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting. The group examined the alternatives such as ATSC and ISDB and recommended DVB-T because it offered "advantages in terms of terrestrial transmission/networking, interoperability with other technology applications, proven capability for mobile terrestrial reception, its ability to satisfactorily address the multipath/ghosting problem, and its capability to support single frequency networks."
Mr. Armand C. Ursal, President of SBETP (Society of Broadcast Television Engineers of the Philippines), Vice-Chairman of the Technical Working Group on Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting, and Director of the Association of Broadcasters in the Philippines (KBP) stated: "Our deliberations took into account many elements, and apart from the technical advantages of DVB-T, the current deployment of DTT systems show that DVB-T is emerging as the global preference, with far more countries having adopted, or in the process of adopting the DVB platform, thus ensuring equipment availability and enhancing affordability. Indeed, comments submitted by various sections to the NTC have made the same recommendation."
Peter MacAvock, Executive Director of the DVB Project, said: "The Philippines recommendation for DVB-T represents an important milestone for DTT. With the importance of end-user equipment cost paramount, the endorsement of DVB-T by a large 6MHz country like the Philippines paves the way for other 6MHz countries to choose DVB-T. We will work with the industry in the Philippines to smooth the rollout of DTT services there and hope that the decision influences countries such as Chile, Colombia, Venezuela and Argentina making their DTT standard choices shortly."
The relevant documents can be accessed using the links below.
The DVB Press Release related to this story can be downloaded here. Versions in Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and Chinese are also available.
Philippines choose DVB-T for Digital Terrestrial TV
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) have announced that the Philippines will use the DVB-T standard for its future Digital Terrestrial Television services. The news was released in a draft regulations document which gives television broadcast companies nine years or until Dec. 31st 2015 to make the transition from Analogue to Digital transmission. However the transition period may change either way depending on prevailing market conditions. It will also be up to individual broadcasters to decide if they wish to transmit HDTV on their allocated spectrum or multiple channels using SDTV.
According to reports the Associated Broadcasting Corp. (ABC-5) has already applied to the NTC to be allowed to conduct DTT test broadcasts.
Source: ABS-CBN Interactive
Item added: 8th November 2006
TV to Mobile Phones might be the key to Digital TV in the Philippines
Phone maker Nokia is looking at offering television via its new line of cellular phone models soon to be launched in the Philippines according to an article in the Manila Bulletin Online.
Parikshit Bhasin country manager for Nokia said that "Nokia has yet to hold negotiations with Philippine-based broadcasting companies".
The service would use the DVB-H system which is part of the DVB range of digital broadcasting specifications now used in most countries of the world.
The Philippines have yet to decide on a digital terrestrial standard for television broadcasting but if mobile TV gets a hold then using DVB-T as the main standard for broadcasting to the home would be most cost effective and technically the easiest to implement.
Main source: Manila Online
Item added: 15th August 2005
DTT Policy in the Philippines
Studies have been carried out since the year 2000 on migration from analogue to digital. A 'wait and see' policy is being followed, monitoring developments with no urgency to proceed with digital TV services. Source: ABU Technical Committee, Annual Meeting, 20-23 September 2004.
DVB endeavour to ensure that the information published on these web pages is correct however we cannot guarantee its accuracy. If you have any comments or additional information please send an e-mail to dvb@dvb.org
Last page update: 5th September 2011, Barry Tew
