Roberto Lauro: ? Are there more countries than are estimated to be inclined towards DVB?

Exclusively with TV and Video, the representative for Latin America of the European standard for digital television reaffirmed the advantages that the standard has over its competitors and highlighted the weaknesses of ATSC.

Peter MacAvock, CEO of DVB, announced at a press conference that the DVB Project has launched a call for technological requirements and commercial within the plan for the development of a new version of the DVB-T digital terrestrial television standard. The T2 (by DVB-T2) seeks to take advantage of new opportunities from planned suppression of analogue transmissions in some countries in the coming years.

TV and Video spoke with MacAvock about this announcement.

Does the DVB-T2 change the lobbying strategy for DVB?
No, what you have to consider is DVB-T. DVB-T2 is barely in research and development and is foreseen for the future. No we want an update to catch us off guard technological in these times, when changes happen so quickly. The other rules must be doing the same, they just don't say it.

What is the schedule of DVB-T2?
We have published a Call for Requirements technological and commercial. We want to establish the requirements in terms of its performance, its compatibility with previous systems that kind of ideas. In June we wait the answers to this call. During the initial quarter of 2008 we expect the first specifications of DVB-T2. That to us will allow products to be available by 2009, in time for the shutdown of analog systems in some countries, which is scheduled between 2010 and 2012.

- Publicidad -

Why do they say T2 is for countries in the process of analog shutdown and not for countries that are just adopting digital systems?
It could serve countries that are just adopting a digital system, but the price of the receivers is not in this case as important as in DVB-T systems. Also, if someone is migrating from analog to digital today, or in the future Immediate, DVB-T is the technology available with great flexibility and cheap receivers.
All the technological advantages of DVB-T will be available in DVB-T2, but we will emphasize new areas of application, where not is restricted by low-priced receivers or compatibility with previous systems.

Indonesia and the Philippines have announced the adoption of DVB-T these days. Several countries of the region agreed on the system and achieved a specifications for set top boxes of about US$10 per unit.