Philippines to decide on digital TV standard
January 23, 2012
By Chris Forrester
The Philippines government will decide on its digital terrestrial TV operating system by mid-2012, according to local reports. The choice, between Europe’s DVB, the USA’s ATSC or the Japanese ISDB standard, is needed in order to start the nation’s migration from analogue to digital broadcasting.
Gamaliel A. Cordoba, head of the nation’s National Telecommunications Commission, says the country is developing its transition plan now. “Through the migration plan, we will be able to foresee issues that may come up in the implementation of the country’s shift to digital TV.”
The plan will also include a timetable for the implementation of the shift to digital TV and a listing on how much the government, broadcasting firms, and the public are projected to spend, Cordoba said.
In 2010, the country aimed to complete the shift to digital TV by 2015, but the NTC in August last year said it may move the target to a later date as the implementation has been long delayed.