Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting - Terrestrial (ISDB-T)

Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting - Terrestrial (ISDB-T) is the most

advanced international standard on Digital Terrestrial Television

Broadcasting (DTTB) system originally developed in Japan. It is the Japanese

standard for the transmission of digital television over-the-air (terrestrial). ISDB-T

has been introduced in Japan since December 2003, and the number of the

countries adopting ISDB-T is gradually increasing with the recognition of its

technological advantage. Countries including

Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, CostaRica,  Paraguay, 

Philippines,Bolivia, Nicaragua and Uruguay, based on the Japanese ISDB-

T standard. ISDB-T International launched into commercial operation on

December 2, 2007, in São Paulo, Brazil, as SBTVD

History of ISDB-T

HDTV was invented at NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories (Japan

Broadcasting Corporation's Science & Technical Research Laboratories). The

research for HDTV started as early as the 1960s, though a standard was proposed

to the ITU-R (CCIR) only in 1973.

By the 1980s, a high definition television camera, cathode-ray tube, video tape

recorder and editing equipment, among others, had been developed. In 1982 NHK

developed MUSE (Multiple sub-nyquist sampling Encoding), the first HDTV

video compression and transmission system. MUSE used digital video

compression, but for transmission frequency modulation was used after a digital-

to-analog converter converted the digital signal.

In 1987, NHK demonstrated MUSE in Washington D.C. and NAB. The

demonstration made a great impression in the U.S. As a result, the U.S. developed

its own ATSC terrestrial DTV system. Europe also developed their own DTV

system called DVB. Japan began R&D of a completely digital system in the 1980s

that led to ISDB. Japan began terrestrial digital broadcasting, using ISDB-T

standard by NHK and commercial broadcasting stations, on 1 December 2003.

The history of SBTVD development can be divided in two major periods: a) Initial

Studies and Tests; b) Implementation of Digital TV Work Group and final

definition of SBTVD standard.

Since 1994 a group composed of technicians from Brazilian Society for Television

Engineering (SET) and Brazilian Association of Radio and Television

Broadcasters (ABERT) has been analyzing existing digital TV standards

(American ATSC, European DVB-T and Japanese ISDB-T) and its technical

aspects but the discussion become a robust study only in 1998.

From 1998 to 2000, the ABERT and SET group, supported by Universidade

Presbiteriana Mackenzie developed a very complete study based on several tests

considering not only technical characteristics of each standard but also signal

quality, both indoor and outdoor. That was the first complete study comparing all

three major DTV standards in the world by an independent entity (i.e. without

influence of the ATSC Committee, DVB Group or ARIB/DiBEG Group) and it

was considered a very rigorous and robust study by the DTV technical world

community.[citation needed]

The results of the "Brazilian digital television tests" showed the insufficient quality

for indoor reception presented by ATSC (that is a very important parameter

because 47% of television sets in Brazil use only an internal antenna) and, between

DVB-T and ISDB-T, the last one presented superior performance in indoor

reception and flexibility to access digital services and TV programs through non-

mobile, mobile or portable receivers with impressive quality.[4]

In parallel in 1998, the Brazilian Ministry of Communication ordered the National

Telecommunication Agency to carry on studies to select and implement a DTV

standard in Brazil. Due to the completeness and quality of the

ABERT/SET/Mackenzie study, ANATEL considered that as the official result and

supported it considering ISDB-T the better standard to be implemented in Brazil.

However the final decision about the standard selected wasn't announced at that

moment (August 2000) because of three main points, 1.)Some groups of society

wanted to be more involved in that decision; 2.) The ATSC Committee and DVB

Group wanted to review the ABERT/SET/Mackenzie report and ANATEL

decision; 3.)Political discussions brought new requirements for the standard to be

implemented in Brazil, such as digital inclusion and e-gov dissemination.

In the light of those points, the Brazilian Government, created a more structured

discussion group, to review the first studies and to address these new points.

The program SBTVD program was deployed on November 26, 2003 by

Presidential Act # 4.901, focusing the creation of a reference model for national

terrestrial digital TV in Brazil.[5]

The National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL) was charged by the

Brazilian Ministry of Communications to lead this work with the technical support

of CPqD, and the contributions of 10 other Brazilian ministries, the National

Institute for Information Technology (ITI), 25 organizations related to the matter

(broadcast professionals, broadcast companies, TV program producers, etc.), and

75 universities/R&D institutes and electro-electronic manufacturers. More than

1,200 researchers/professionals were mobilized.

Just for the Consultant Committee, 20 public RFP (Request for Proposal) were

published trying to cover all areas that compose digital TV: Modulation, Signal

Processing/Compression, video systems, audio systems, data transport,

middleware, etc. The RFPs strongly reinforced the creation of research networks

where the studies could be carried in a decentralized manner by several institutes

working together.

Some groups worked to present a totally new digital standard, some groups worked

to analyze and select the most known digital TV standards (American ATSC,

European DVB-T and Japanese ISDB-T), and other groups worked to implement

new features/modules to these already known standards.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ISDB-T

ISDB-T has the following characteristics, 1)Single digital channel high-definition

TV (HDTV) or about three digital standard definition TV channels can be

combined in a 6 MHz "analogue TV channel". 2.)Other multimedia services and

sound broadcasting services can be provided. 3. )Part of the data rate can be used

for mobile reception of video, audio or data services.4.)Building up Single

Frequency Networks (SFN) is possible to make more efficient use of radio

frequencies.

Features of ISDB-T

ISDB-T is characterized by the following features:

ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial) in Japan

use UHF 470 MHz-770 MHz, bandwidth of 300 MHz, allocate 50 channels,

namely ch.13-ch.62, each channel is 6 MHz width (actually 5.572 MHz

effective bandwidth and 430 kHz guard band between channels). These

channels are called "physical channel(物理チャンネル)". For other countries,

US channel table or European channel table are used.

For channel tables with 6 MHz width, ISDB-T single channel bandwidths

5.572 MHz has number of carriers 5,617 with interval of 0.99206 kHz. For

7 MHz channel, channel bandwidth is 6.50 MHz; for 8 MHz 7.42 MHz.

ISDB-T allows to accommodate any combination of HDTV (roughly 8Mbit/s in

H.264) and SDTV (roughly 2Mbit/s in H.264) within the given bitrate

determined by the transmission parameters such as bandwidth, code-rate, guard

interval, etc. Typically, among the 13 segments, the center segment is used

for 1seg with QPSK modulation and the remaining 12 segments for the HDTV

or SDTV payloads for 64QAM modulation. The bitstream of the 12 segments

are combined into one transport stream, within which any combination of

programs can be carried based on the MPEG-2 transport stream definition.

ISDB-T transmits a HDTV channel and a mobile TV channel 1seg within one

channel. 1seg is a mobile terrestrial digital audio/video broadcasting service in

Japan. Although 1seg is designed for mobile usage, reception is sometimes

problematic in moving vehicles. Because of reception on high speed

vehicle, UHF transmission is shaded by buildings and hills frequently, but

reported well receiving in Shinkansen as far as run in flat or rural area.

ISDB-T provides interactive services with data broadcasting. Such

as Electronic Program Guides. ISDB-T supports internet access as a return

channel that works to support the data broadcasting. Internet access is also

provided on mobile phones.

ISDB-T provides Single Frequency Network (SFN) and on-channel

repeater technology. SFN makes efficient utilization of the frequency resource

(spectrum). For example, the Kanto area (greater Tokyo area including most

part of Tokyo prefecture and some part of Chiba, Ibaragi, Tochigi, Saitama and

Kanagawa prefecture) are covered with SFN with roughly 10 million

population coverage.

ISDB-T can be received indoors with a simple indoor antenna.

ISDB-T provides robustness to multipath interference ("ghosting"), co-channel

analog television interference, and electromagnetic interferences that come

from motor vehicles and power lines in urban environments.

ISDB-T is claimed to allow HDTV to be received on moving vehicles at over

100 km/h (this has not yet been proven in real-world operation); DVB-T can

only receive SDTV on moving vehicles, and it is claimed that ATSC can not be

received on moving vehicles at all (however, in early 2007 there were reports of

successful reception of ATSC on laptops using USB tuners in moving

vehicles).

Just as the European DVB-T standard, ISDB-T is based on the transmission

ofMPEG-2 compressed video data containers. These data containers can be used

to transmit a flexible mixture of compressed video, audio and other data services.

The transmission itself is based on OFDM to have resistance to interference by

multipath radio waves (echoes).

Unlike DVB-T though, low power mobile reception was built into ISDB-T from

the beginning. ISDB-T divides the transmission channel in 13 segments. Each

segment consists of an OFDM block. The transmission parameters such as the

modulation scheme (QPSK, 16QAM or 64QAM) and error-correction can be

specified on a segment-by-segment base. The central segment can be used to

deliver low data rate services to a dedicated single segment (ISDB-Tss) portable

receiver whilst on the move. A dedicated single segment receiver can be much

smaller and has a much lower power consumption than a full-blown receiver. This

makes it possible to integrate a single segment receiver in a mobile phone and

other handheld portable devices.

ISDB-T has a transport capacity of 280.85 kbps to 1.7873 Mbps per segment for

information in a 6MHz channel, giving a total data rate of 3.651 - 23.234 Mbps. In

a 7 or 8 MHz channel, the total data rate is respectively 4.259-27.107 Mbps and

4.868-30.979 Mbps.

ISDB-T International is also called ISDB-Tb (ISDB-T Japanese standard,

Brazilian version) and basically differs from original ISDB-T by

using H.264/MPEG-4 AVC as a video compression standard (ISDB-T

usesH.262/MPEG-2 Part 2), a presentation rate of 30 frames per second even in

portable devices (ISDB-T, One seg, uses 15 frame/s for portable devices) and

powerful interaction using middlewareGinga, composed by Ginga-

NCL andGinga-J modules (ISDB-T uses BML).

The ISDB-T International standard was developed as SBTVD by a study group

coordinated by the Brazilian Ministry of Communications and was led by the

Brazilian Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL) with support from the

Telecommunication's Research and Development Centre (CPqD). The study group

was composed of members of ten other Brazilian ministries, the National Institute

for Information Technology (ITI), several Brazilian universities, broadcast

professional organizations, and manufacturers of broadcast/reception devices. The

objective of the group was to develop and implement a DTV (Digital TV) standard

in Brazil, addressing not only technical and economical issues, but also and mainly

mitigating the digital divide, that is, to promote inclusion of those living apart from

today's information society. Another goal was to enable access to e-government,

i.e. to make government closer to the population, since in Brazil 95.1% of

households have at least one TV set.[2]

In January 2009, the Brazilian-Japanese study group for digital TV finished and

published a specification document joining the Japanese ISDB-T with Brazilian

SBTVD, resulting in a specification now called "ISDB-T International". ISDB-T

International is the system that is proposed by Japan and Brazil for use in other

countries in South America and around the world.[3]

Adoption of ISDB-T

ISDB-T was adopted for commercial transmissions in Japan in December 2003. It

currently comprises a market of about 100 million television sets. ISDB-T had 10

million subscribers by the end of April 2005. Along with the wide use of ISDB-T,

the price of receivers is getting low. The price of ISDB-T STB in the lower end of

the market is ¥19800 as of 19 April 2006.[18] By November 2007 only a few older,

low-end STB models could be found in the Japanese market (average price

U$180), showing a tendency towards replacement by mid to high-end equipment

like PVRs and TV sets with inbuilt tuners. In November 2009, a retail

chain AEON introduced STB in 40 USD,[19] followed by variety of low-cost tuners.

The Dibeg web page confirms this tendency by showing low significance of the

digital tuner STB market in Japan.[20]

Brazil, which currently uses an analogue TV system (PAL-M) that slightly differs

from any other countries, has chosen ISDB-T as a base for its DTV format, calling

it ISDB-Tb orinternally SBTVD (Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão Digital-

Terrestre). The Japanese DiBEG group incorporated the advancements made by

Brazil -MPEG4 video codec instead of ISDB-T's MPEG2 and a powerful

interaction middleware called Ginga- and has renamed the standard to "ISDB-T

International".[21] Other than Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Chile and Ecuador[22] which

have already selected ISDB-Tb, there are other South American countries, mainly

from Mercosur, such as Venezuela,[23] that are considering ISDB-Tb, which could

provide economies of scale and common market benefits from the regional South

American manufacturing instead of importing ready-made STBs as is the case with

the other standards. Also, it has been confirmed with extensive tests realized by

Brazilian Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters (ABERT), Brazilian

Television Engineering Society (SET) and Universidade Presbiteriana

Mackenzie the insufficient quality for indoor reception presented by ATSC and,

between DVB-T and ISDB-T, the latter presented superior performance in indoor

reception and flexibility to access digital services and TV programs through non-

mobile, mobile or portable receivers with impressive quality.[24]

The ABERT–SET group in Brazil did system comparison tests of DTV under the

supervision of the CPqD foundation. The comparison tests were done under the

direction of a work group of SET and ABERT. The ABERT/SET group selected

ISDB-T as the best choice in digital broadcasting modulation systems among

ATSC, DVB-T and ISDB-T.[citation needed]Another study found that ISDB-T and DVB-

T performed similarly, and that both were outperformed by DVB-T2.[25]

ISDB-T was singled out as the most flexible of all for meeting the needs of

mobility and portability. It is most efficient for mobile and portable reception. On

June 29, 2006, Brazil announced ISDB-T-based SBTVD as the chosen standard for

digital TV transmissions, to be fully implemented by 2016. By November 2007

(one month prior DTTV launch), a few suppliers started to announce zapper STBs

of the new Nippon-Brazilian SBTVD-T standard, at that time without interactivity.

The implementation rollout in Brazil is proceeding successfully although some

voice like Philips' say[26] that its implementation could be faster. It terms of

broadcasting, the implementation plan seems to be on target. In only eight months

since the start, the digital signal is present in four state capitals and by the end of

2008 another three capitals will receive the signal. In terms of end-customers the

implementation could be better, since at the moment it is estimated[by whom?] only

20,000 set-top boxes have been sold. Part of this low sales number can be

explained by the prices that in the beginning ranged from BRL 600 to BRL 1,100.

However, recently new set-top boxes were launched in market at R$300 (approx

US$ 150) that will probably increase set-top box sales. Another reason to explain

low sales level is the interactivity service not available yet. That is because the

"middleware" developed by Brazilian universities (PUC Rio and Federal

University of Paraiba) was finished in October 2008. It is expected [by whom?] the

interactivity will be a strong appeal bringing more and more people to digital TV

world.

Additionally, mobile TV started successfully with the launch of Samsung and

Toshiba cell phones with ISDB-T "one-seg" tuners. Its main appeal is that the

service is free. That is a very impressive accomplishment in a short period since

Brazil launched its digital mobile TV for free. In other countries such

accomplishment occurred years later, and in others like the U.S. and Europe this is

far from reality and probably won't be for free[citation needed].[27] Subscription mobile

TV in Germany using DVB-H has been dubbed "a failure".[27] In Italy the cost of

receiving mobile TV over DVB-H costs the user €9.90 per month just for the basic

channel package.[28]

Adoption by country

This lists the countries who adopted the ISDB-T standard, chronologically

arranged.

On April 23, 2009, Peru announced its decision to adopt ISDB-T as the digital

terrestrial television standard. This decision was taken on the basis of the

recommendations by the Multi-sectional Commission to assess the most

appropriate standard for the country.

On August 28, 2009, Argentina officially adopted the ISDB-T system[29] calling

it internally SATVD-T (Sistema Argentino de Televisión Digital - Terrestre).[30]

On September 14, 2009, Chile announced it was adopting the ISDB-T standard

because it adapts better to the geographical makeup of the country, while

allowing signal reception in cell phones, high-definition content delivery and a

wider variety of channels.[22]

On October 6, 2009, Venezuela officially adopted the ISDB-T standard.[31][32]

On March 26, 2010, Ecuador announced its decision to adopt ISDB-T standard.

This decision was taken on the basis of the recommendations by the

Superintendent of Telecommunications.[33]

On April 29, 2010, Costa Rica officially announced the adoption of ISDB-Tb

standard based upon a commission in charge of analyzing which protocol to

accept.[34]

On June 1, 2010, Paraguay officially adopted ISDB-T International, via a

presidential decree #4483.[35]

On June 11, 2010, the National Telecommunications Commission of the

Philippines officially adopted the ISDB-T standard.[36]

On July 6, 2010, Bolivia announced its decision to adopt ISDB-T standard as

well.

On December 27, 2010, the Uruguayan Government adopts ISDB-T standard.,

[37] voiding a previous 2007 decree which adopted the European DVB system.

On November 15, 2011, the Maldivian Government adopts ISDB-T standard.

[4] As the first country in the region that use European channel table and 1

channel bandwidth is 8 MHz.

ISDB-T in the Philippines

In the Philippines, digital television broadcasts can be received through digital

cable and direct broadcast satellite. Digital terrestrial television (DTT) services are

in development by the major broadcasting companies of the Philippines.

The Philippines was using the American NTSC standard for analog television.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) announced in June 2010

that the Philippines would use the Japanese ISDB-T standard for digital television,

and issued a circular stating that the country's broadcasters must discontinue their

analog services by the transition deadline of 11:59 p.m. (Philippine Standard

Time, UTC+8) on December 31, 2015. The commission will be using the ultra-

high frequency television channels from 14 to 51 (470-698MHz) for DTT

broadcast service and deliberating channels 14 to 20 (470-512 MHz) which is

being used for fixed and mobile services.[1] However, before the announcement,

several broadcasters performed trial broadcasts using the European DVB-

T standard.

Preparation for the transition to digital television commenced with an issuance of

Executive Order 546, series of 1979 and Republic Act 3846 or the Radio Control

Law as amended by the local governing body for broadcast services, the NTC

adopted the said order to promulgate rules and regulations in order to facilitate the

entry of digital broadcast services in the Philippines and implement a specific

standard for the delivery of DTT services. Subsequently organizing two technical

working groups for the purpose of directing the governing body in the selection of

appropriate DTT standard and upon the commendation of investors in the

broadcast business, comprising the local broadcasters group, the Kapisanan ng mga

Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, and the NTC, issued Memorandum Circular 02-06-2010

on June 11, 2010 implementing the standard for digital terrestrial television

broadcast service.

Since the early 2000s, studies have been carried out on the country's digital

television transition. A “wait and see” plan is being trailed and examining

progresses with no resolution to ensue with digital television services in the

Philippines.[3] The NTC chose to use the Japanese standard ISDB-T for digital

television in the country in Memorandum Circular 02-06-2010, noting its

capability to 3 levels of categorized modulation (audio, video and data services) to

fixed, portable and handheld devices exclusive of the necessity for a

supplementary communication facility.[4]

In the draft version of the NTC's proposed regulations for DTV, broadcast

companies who intend to provide digital terrestrial television service must have a

congressional broadcast franchise before operating such services and have at least

15 television stations throughout the Philippines; have a minimum paid-up capital

of₱1 billion and accessible locally in 10 regions while broadcasting companies

with less than the required television stations and availability locally, the minimum

paid-up capital will be ₱1.2 billion, whereas new applicants with no present

broadcast station, the paid-up capital will be ₱1.5 billion. For those broadcast

companies who intend to delivery digital broadcast locally, must procure a

congressional franchise and have at least ₱60 million per digital terrestrial

television station. Concurring to the commission, the outline of digital technology

in the broadcasting service would guarantee the effectiveness of the broadcast

business and provide them the prospect to offer superior facilities to end-user. The

draft outline as an enactment of the digital technology in the television broadcast is

intended to provide greater number of channels, better screen resolution and stereo

sounds through a conventional aerial antenna instead of a satellite or cable TV

service.

Initially, the commission adopted the European standard DVB-T for digital

broadcasting. The broadcast providers adopt either high-definition

television format or its standard definition multiprogramming. The draft IRR also

states that a duly broadcast provider with a congressional franchise will deliver

analog television service and must carry its present analog television programs

through its digital terrestrial television service. For digital broadcast provider

aiming to offer pay-per-view or restricted access will be required to seek additional

permission from the commission. Supplementary services may be permissible,

subject to prevailing decrees, acts and laws. The draft rules equally specify the

commission shall continue to process new applications for analog television

stations up to December 31, 2008 but will no longer approve or authorized to

broadcast beyond December 31, 2010 and all certified digital broadcast providers

will relinquish their individual analog frequencies upon the termination of its

analog television broadcast transmission by 11:59 p.m., December 31, 2015.[5]

Deployment

Terrestrial

ABS-CBN: ABS-CBN Corporation intends to spend 1 billion pesos on its

transition to digital broadcasting. ABS-CBN announced on April 4, 2011 that it

was prepared to launch 5 free "premium" channels on a DTT platform as soon

as the NTC finalized its regulations surrounding digital television. ABS-CBN

will be using UHF channel 43 (596–602 MHz) for its ISDB-T test, and channel

51 (692–698 MHz), which was previously used for test broadcasts using DVB-

T. Their initial test was conducted in areas

of Valenzuela, Bulacan,Rizal, Cavite and Laguna. In November 2010, ABS-

CBN began rolling out its digital broadcast in 17 cities in Metropolitan

Manila including selected areas in Bulacan andPampanga.[6][7]

PTV: The state broadcaster People's Television Network began DTT trials

using ISDB-T in 2009 using channel 48. In 2011, the Japanese government

donated additional equipment to the network in order to improve its digital

services. PTV 4 is also planning to operate an emergency notification

system using the digital platform.[8][9]

ABC: ABC Development Corporation, operator of TV5 will use ISDB-T for its

DTT trials; a simulcast of DWET-TV on DWDZ-TV. Stressing the importance

of the transition, the broadcaster plans to migrate DWET-TV to digital as soon

as possible.[10]

GMA: GMA Network, Inc. is applying for a digital television license from the

NTC to install and maintain transmitting stations that will be attuned with and

utilize to offer digital terrestrial television and digital mobile TV broadcast

services,[11][12] using channel 27. Areas planned for a temporary digital broadcast

will cover the cities of Quezon City,[13] Makati , Pasig, Tagaytay,

and Angeles in Pampanga; and areas like Ortigas, Cavite,

and Calumpit in Bulacan. GMA was vocal about the NTC's choice of DTV

standard; on March 27, 2011, a GMA executive proposed the use of the

updated European standard DVB-T2 as opposed to ISDB-T due to its better

quality. However, the NTC did not change its decision.[14][14][15]However after

few years they are ready to adopt the ISDB-T standard[16]

Eagle Broadcasting Corporation : In partnership with the Christian Era

Broadcasting Service, the companies launched the first digital television station

in the country, DZCE-TV, GEMNET, in 2007. Initially broadcasting in DVB-

T, it shifted to using ISDB-T in 2009.[17][18]

BEAM: Broadcast Enterprises and Affiliated Media, Inc., owned by a joint

consortium led by Bethlehem Holdings, Inc., an investee of Globe Telecom

Retirement Fund through its holding company HALO Holdings Inc. (which

owns 39 percent of Altimax Broadcasting Company), applied for digital

terrestrial broadcast but still vocal to the DVB-T2 digital system. The station

uses the frequency of UHF Channel 31.

Cable[edit]

SkyCable: In October 2010, SkyCable announced it would migrate at least

80% of its subscribers in Metro Manila to a digital cable platform with

new Digiboxes by 2011. SkyCable allocated 20 percent of its Php1 billion

capital expenditure in order to fund the migration. SkyCable adopted the DVB-

C standard for its digital cable system. The new platform also allowed

SkyCable to additionally introduce high definition channels to its lineup.[19][20]

Destiny Cable: In March 2009, Destiny Cable began to offer its own digital

cable services, investing Php500 to Php700 million on headend and

infrastructure updates and the distribution of digital set-top boxes for its

subscribers.[21][22]

Parasat Cable: Parasat Cable TV, the cable provider of Mindanao, introduced

digital cable in July 2009. It has rolled out its services to Cagayan de Oro City;

municipalities ofOpol and Tagoloan; in Malaybalay and San Carlos, Negros

Occidental; Ginoog City; municipalities of Balingasag, Don

Carlos and Valencia City, Bukidnon; and, the east and west sides of Misamis

Oriental.[23][24]

Satellite[edit]

Cignal Digital TV: Cignal Digital TV and its parent

company MediaScape (which is owned by the PLDT) invested Php1.5 billion

in the implementation of its digital satellite TV services. Cignal uses the DVB-

S2 standard for its digital satellite platform.[25][26]

Developments[edit]

July 2007. Television firms who plan to broadcast digital terrestrial television

services to television and other communication devices cannot implement such

as the commission is revising its guidelines on digital television programming.

However, the commission allows broadcast firms to test its system while

waiting for the implementing rules and regulations (IRR). The development

comes in light with telecom company, Smart Communications Inc. through

its MediaQuest Holdings, Inc. for its myTV service. The commission reiterates

in the absence of IRR, the telecom company cannot charge the service being

offered to its subscribers.[27]

June 2009. In formulating the transition from analog television broadcast

to digital terrestrial television (DTT) transmission in the Philippines and to

guide the commission in outlining the planned implementing rules and

regulations for the enactment of DTT service, ultra-high frequency television

channels 14 to 51 (470-698 MHz) will be assigned to the DTT Broadcast

Service and deliberating further channels 14 to 20 (470-512 MHz) which is

being used by Fixed and Mobile Service. On June 24, 2009, the local unit of the

commission, the Frequency Management Division is assigned to formulate a

frequency allocation plan for the effective transmission of appropriate users of

channels 14 to 20.[28]

February 2010. The Philippines is anticipated to deferment its planned analog

television signal automatic switch-off in 2015 due to technicalities in

implementing an official digital terrestrial television platform. While other

members of Association of Southeast Asian Nations cooperatively accepted the

digital video broadcasting-terrestrial or the DVB-T as its favored standard, the

Philippines have not adopted any platform.[29]

December 2010. The governments of Japan and the Philippines reached a

collaboration decision in adopting a memorandum of cooperation resulting in

the commission’s earlier pronouncement to use the Japanese’s Integrated

Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial platform for digital terrestrial television

broadcast standard for the Philippines. According to the Commission on

Information and Communications Technology, the Japanese government is

keen on guiding Filipino counterpart to the technology. The Philippine

government also requested its counterpart to shoulder the cost of set-top

boxes and also deliberating in rescheduling the compulsory switchover from

analog transmission to digital broadcast from an earlier target.[30]

February 2011. The National Telecommunications Commission plans to

implement the digital terrestrial television service in select key cities in the

Philippines in 2012. The governing body desires the transition be implemented

gradually. The technical working group has yet not classified where the

transition will take place. Key cities in the Philippines are being considered but

in the absence of an implementing rules and regulations, the digital terrestrial

television service may not be fully consummate to the viewing public. While

the transition will be made progressively, broadcasting networks can still

convey analog television service although DTT is being rationalized in other

areas. Meanwhile, the commission set an 85 percent compliance rate before it

consider terminating all analog signals for broadcast transmission.[31][32]

March 2011. The National Telecommunications Commission asked to

reevaluate the platform to be used for the Philippines digital television

broadcast. The regulator is studying the possible implementation of a newer

platform, the European second-generation Digital Video Broadcasting-

Terrestrial (DVB-T2) substituting the Japanese Integrated Services Digital

Broadcast-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) standard that the commission adopted earlier

and was the basis of creating implementing rules and regulations for digital

broadcast. Experts announced the DVB-T2 is superior to its Japanese

counterpart. Broadcasting firms, GMA Network, Inc. and TV5 conveyed their

support to reevaluate its earlier decision to adopt ISDB-T platform. The

Commission adopted the ISDB-T primarily owing in terms of affordability.[14]

April 2011. One of Philippines broadcasting firms, ABS-CBN Corporation,

criticized the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for conveying

varied indications on the Philippines official stand on digital television

standard. The firm panned the commission on its incompetence in supporting

its initial pronouncement to implement Japanese digital television standard,

the Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial (ISDB-T). In 2010, the

commission officially led the digital television period in the Philippines and

releases a memorandum circular agreeing to the use of ISDB-T as the standard

digital platform. But in recent developments, the commission is considering the

European digital television platform, the European Digital Video Broadcast-

Terrestrial (DVB-T). According to the commission, the European platform is

superior to its Japanese counterpart.[33]

May 2011. Television companies in the Philippines have supported the local

governing body to reevaluate the digital television standard to be used, and the

attempt to reconsider the advancement of the Japanese technology (ISDB-T)

over the newer version of the European digital television platform.

Broadcasting companies initiated to delay the switchover provided the

technology will be used is far more advanced than the initial digital standard

adopted on June 11, 2010. GMA Network, Inc. and TV5 agreed to do

comparative tests with the European and Japanese standard. The commission is

simultaneously drafting the implementing rules and regulations for digital

terrestrial television broadcast under the Japanese platform and reviewing

the DVB-T2 European standard.[34]

August 2011. Philippine local agency, the National Telecommunication

Commission has finalized its evaluation on the chosen standard for the digital

terrestrial television (DTT) broadcast service in the Philippines. The

commission adopted the Japan’s Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-

Television (ISDB-T) standards over its European counterpart, the Digital Video

Broadcasting-Television (DVB-T2).[35][36]

October 2013. The National Telecommunication Commission reconfirmed the

recommendation to adopt the Japanese Digital Television standard as the

country's national TV standard after a public hearing.[37]