Advanced Television

Italian consumers seek DVB-T2 postponement

June 17, 2014

From Branislav Pekic in Rome

Italian consumers association Adiconsum has requested that the mandatory introduction of decoders with DVB-T2 technology be postponed.

According to existing regulations, from 1 January 2015, all TV equipment sold on the Italian market must have a mandatory DVB-T2 decoder for the transition to this technology of DTT broadcasts.

Although Adiconsum recognises the need to switch to DVB-T2 to improve the quality of reception of TV channels, it nevertheless expressed its concern with the date of entry into force of the obligation, suggesting it is premature as there is no specification of the encoding.

The national president of Adiconsum, Pietro Giordano, pointed out that, in light of the high costs incurred by families for the transition to digital television, there is no sense to mandate the installation of a decoder with technology that may not enable the reception of TV channels, thus forcing users to purchase an external decoder. Also, no free-to-air TV channel, including the public service broadcaster, is transmitting in this mode and there are no ongoing trials, visible to consumers. For these reasons, it is necessary to establish a date by law which obliges broadcasters to start broadcasting in DVB-T2 with a specific encoding, followed by the obligation to sell devices with such specifications.

According to Giordano, the technical committee organised by Italy’s Communications Authority should not only seek to find solutions related to the standards, but also propose to the government a clear technological evolution of TV in Italy that provides technologies, coding and implementation times, setting the deadlines for trials and regular broadcasts.

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