DIGITAL TV broadcasts in the Philippines may soon be realized. This, as the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is reportedly considering to formally adopt Europe’s Digital Video Broadcast Handheld or DVB-H as the country’s preferred platform for Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) standard.

Sources said last week that the technical working group (TWG) on digital TV already submitted to NTC commissioners its latest recommendation. The commission en banc, they said, is already finalizing the issuance of the final draft rules governing the use of DTT technology in the country.

The TWG was tasked to assist the NTC in crafting the rules and regulations that will govern the conduct of implementation of DTT technology in the country. The report will include a recommendation as to which technology is best suited to provide robust signal for both fixed and mobile receivers in the country. The group’s recommendation will then be the basis of the issuance of the draft rules. When the NTC issues the draft rules, a public hearing will be scheduled to get the opinions of industry stakeholders. 

The members of the group include the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas, Philippine Information Agency, National Economic Development Authority and 48 broadcasting firms.

“The draft was a sort of an internal memo only. The commissioners still have the final say. For now, nothing is final yet. But the final draft rules on digital TV will be out very soon,” said a source.

The NTC has to pick a technology standard that will be adopted by the broadcast industry in offering digital TV service. The United States’ Advanced Television Systems Committee, Japan’s Integrated Services Digital Broadcast and Europe’s DVB-H are the three technology standards that are being considered by the NTC to jumpstart the transmission of digital TV service in the country.

Aspiring digital TV operators that were allowed by the NTC to test-broadcast the service are adopting the European standard.

Sources said the TWG has recommended DVB-H technology in its latest recommendation. “The industry has waited for so long. It is really time to decide on this. The practical way to go is to choose DVB-H. But whatever technology standard will be chosen it has to benefit the industry,” they said.

Countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have endorsed the DVB-H standard as the common digital TV broadcasting standard for the region during the ninth conference of the Asean Ministers Responsible for Information held in Jakarta, Indonesia in May last year.

During the recent sixth Asean Digital Broadcasting meeting held in Singapore, the representatives agreed on a common set of technical specification for standard-definition and high-definition (HD) digital set-top boxes for member-countries.

This means that Asean countries that have adopted and are planning to adopt DVB-H technology will also have to roll out a standard set-top box that consumers will have to purchase to receive digital TV signal.

They also agreed on the establishment of an Asean HD Center, which will provide training on HD production and facilitate HD co-productions within the region.

In the Philippines, the NTC has received DTT applications from GV Broadcasting Systems Inc., ABS-CBN, GMA Network Inc., Associated Broadcasting Corp., National Broadcasting Corp., and Christian Era Broadcasting to offer digital TV service.

Digital TV technology allows multitransmission of programming content all at once through just one terminal, may it be a TV set or a handheld unit such as mobile phones, laptops or personal digital assistant devices. 

GV and Smart Communications Inc. are conducting a pilot test on mobile TV. They said the technology for mobile TV service was developed precisely to cater to people on-the-go and is therefore inevitable that broadcast companies will partner with mobile phone firms to provide reasonable and affordable rates.

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Shang keeps bullish prospects for sector

Developer Shang Properties Inc, the real-estate arm of the Kuok Group, said despite the many in the coming year, they remained bullish on their prospects in the real-estate industry.

NTC to adopt Europe digital TV standard

DIGITAL TV broadcasts in the Philippines may soon be realized. This, as the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is reportedly considering to formally adopt Europe’s Digital Video Broadcast Handheld or DVB-H as the country’s preferred platform for Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) standard.

A FILIPINA businesswoman and a foreign national allegedly engaged in the sale and distribution of counterfeit Louis Vuitton products at a popular mall in Binondo, Manila were lodged yesterday with criminal charges in a Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC).

Software makes HRD work easier

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There’s a new version of the highly popular PDF software, version 9 of the Adobe Acrobat, that is expected to transform how the networked world “create and share electronic documents.”

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Not Business as Usual: Poster boy

WHICH is a better alternative?

On one hand, there’s the Greenpeace Internet-based initiative asking environmentalists to write Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. to stop power subsidiary, Panay Power Corp., from using coal. Greenpeace even provides a uniform letter, addressed to nobody in particular at Metrobank, with a just “Dear Metrobank” as salutation.