DVB-T2, the standard of choice for digital terrestrial television in Vietnam

(Baonghean.vn) - According to the Ministry of Information and Communications' digital television roadmap, after 2020, television broadcasting with analog signals will completely stop broadcasting. However, until now, not many people know this information and do not understand why analog television broadcasting must stop and digital television must be...

On December 27, 2011, the Prime Minister signed and issued Decision No. 2451/QD-TTg on "Approving the Project on Digitalization of Terrestrial Television Transmission and Broadcasting by 2020". The objective of the Decision is: Converting terrestrial television transmission and broadcasting infrastructure from analog technology to digital technology in a modern and efficient manner. Gradually expanding the coverage of digital terrestrial television to serve economic, cultural and social development, providing diverse, rich and high-quality television services. Forming and developing the market for digital terrestrial television transmission and broadcasting to attract social resources. Creating conditions for organizing and rearranging the system of radio and television stations nationwide. In the direction of specialization and professionalism.

According to the project, Vietnam will implement digitalization in parallel with stopping analogue terrestrial television broadcasting. The plan is divided into 4 phases, in which Nghe An will implement Phase 3 along with 18 other provinces and cities, with the deadline being December 31, 2018. Finally, Phase 4 will be implemented with the remaining provinces in remote areas such as the Northern mountainous region, the Central Highlands... with the deadline being December 31, 2020.

Digitalization of terrestrial television transmission and broadcasting is a project in line with the development trend of world television, which will bring benefits to the State and users in the long term. With the goal of ensuring that by December 31, 2020, 100% of households with television sets nationwide can watch digital television using different methods. Significantly improved sound and image quality, bandwidth savings and increased investment efficiency in transmission and broadcasting systems are outstanding benefits of digitalization of terrestrial television transmission and broadcasting. Viewers of digital terrestrial television instead of analog television signals will be able to watch many television channels with better sound and image quality, and an increased number of channels. Digital television signals will no longer have interference like watching analog television signals.

Viewers can be viewed thigh definition television, super high, can even watch 3D TV, watch TV on mobile devices. In addition, the strength of digital terrestrial TV is the efficiency of radio frequency use due to using less frequency spectrum than analog TV. With analog TV, only one TV program channel can be transmitted on an 8 MHz frequency channel, while with digital standard DVB-T2, (Digital Video Broadcasting - Terrestrial - the standard chosen by Vietnam) allows the transmission of about 20 normal TV programs.

With the advantage of using frequency bands, this "surplus" part can be used to develop broadband mobile information services (4G) and other radio information services. The funds collected from auctioning these surplus frequency bands can be reinvested to promote the process of digitalizing terrestrial television transmission and broadcasting. On the other hand, because it is possible to transmit many program channels on one frequency channel, instead of having to invest in many transmitters, it is only necessary to invest in one digital transmitter that can broadcast all these programs, leading to savings in investment costs for equipment, operating personnel, electricity, station houses, etc.

Current situation:According to current calculations, in Vietnam there are more than 12 million households using television viewing equipment by receiving signals through antenna arrays, about 5 million households have a contract to subscribe to pay TV (cable or satellite) and nearly that number of terrestrial receiving equipment is not suitable for the new standard. For households using pay TV services, there is no need to change equipment unless other needs arise. For the rest, converting equipment and technology is necessary, however, the level of conversion depends on their specific needs in the future.

According to the project, from April 1, 2014, all types of TVs using LCD, LED screen technology... and subsequent screen technologies with screen sizes over 32 inches, produced domestically as well as imported into Vietnam must integrate the function of receiving digital terrestrial television signals according to DVB-T2 standards in accordance with national technical regulations and one year later, from April 1, 2015, the above regulation will apply to TVs with screen sizes of 32 inches or less. However, in reality, not everyone can answer questions related to digitalization of terrestrial television such as: Why is it necessary to digitize? Why buy a new television when the TV at home is still working fine? The question is how does digitalization of terrestrial television specifically affect users in Vietnam? Do households need to change their receivers as they go, or is the change only necessary for certain groups based on their specific needs? Why should you buy a TV with built-in digital terrestrial TV reception according to the new standard right now? How much extra money will it cost?...

In fact, not all receivers are compatible with the new regulations. If consumers in cities in group 1, as mentioned above, buy a TV that does not comply with the DVB-T2 standard, they will most likely have to buy a digital receiver or subscribe to cable TV if they want to watch TV programs from the beginning of 2016, even if their need is only to watch broadcast TV channels. Those who are using TVs that do not integrate DVB-T2 can buy a receiver to receive the signal instead of buying a new TV. Households with integrated TVs that comply with the new standard may not need to buy a decoder if their need is only to watch TV channels that are not encrypted by the broadcasters for propaganda purposes.

Through research, not everyone understands the above regulation, especially how it directly affects them. By mid-June 2014, at electronics supermarkets in Nghe An, when asking some customers when buying TVs for family use, most of them only care about the manufacturer, screen size and resolution... but do not know, or do not care about the fact that the receiving devices must integrate the DVB-T2 standard after April 1, 2014 on devices larger than 32 inches.

Digital television symbols are attached to TV models with integrated DVB-T2 receivers from May 1, 2014.

Revolution in television:The Vietnam Television Digitalization Project unanimously determined that the application of DVB-T2 digital television standards will bring economic and social efficiency, be in line with the trend of technological development and accelerate the process of terrestrial television digitalization in Vietnam.

According to the roadmap, when regional digital terrestrial television broadcasting and transmission service providers are established and participate in the broadcasting transmission market, people will be able to watch more television channels. At that time, people in a province will not only be able to watch their own provincial television channels but also television channels from other provinces in the same region. A requirement in the implementation of the project is not to interrupt the ability to watch all the broadcast television channels that television stations in Vietnam are providing to viewers, especially after stopping broadcasting the analog system. What users need to know is when the project implementation roadmap is completed for each region as specified and completed in 2020.

Phan Nguyen Hao -Nghe An Department of Information and Communications