By Judy Mubuu
BY 2012, the world would have shifted from analogue to digital Broadcasting ahead of the 2015 global headline.
With this imminent shift therefore, unscrupulous traders could be flooding the Kenyan market with fake Digital Television sets and set-top boxes. Unsuspecting buyers would easily be lured into buying TV sets believing they are digital yet they are not. Experts have in the past warned of this danger but crooks are always crooks, they would always want to take advantage of ignorant consumers. To ensure consumers don’t fall in this trap, this is what experts say on what Kenyans should know about the Digital broadcasting.
Digital television broadcasting – What is it?
Digital broadcasting provides best available picture resolution; clarity and color without interference just like what would be seen in movies. It also allows multi-channel digital surround sound including Dolby Digital 5.1 A broadcaster also can use its DTV signal to provide video and data services. “Multicasting” which means several program streams in one broadcast signal is also possible with digital broadcasting.
What does the analogue to digital broadcasting shift mean to viewers?
Broadcasters will now focus on providing quality content and starting a (broadcast) station will not be as expensive as it is. Digital TV will bring about sharper images and clearer audio with very few interruptions. Instead of having different aerials for different stations, viewers will only be required to have one aerial to receive all signals. The set-top box will allow for parental control on selected channels, pay-TV, on-demand services, and PVR recording options.
Are there economic benefits with that come with Digital TV?
Digital TV uses less bandwidth, and this will usher in a wider scale of services provided to the viewer, such as multimedia, interactivity, electronic program guides and additional languages (spoken or subtitled). Apart from video and audio, viewers will get other services, like data, radio services, internet services and video on demand.
How do I know whether my current TV set is digital?
Many DTV’s equipment will have labels or markings on them, or statements in the informational materials that came with them, to indicate that they contain digital tuners. These labels or markings may contain the words “Integrated Digital Tuner” or “Digital Tuner Built-In.” “Receiver” may be substituted for “Tuner,” and “DTV,” “ATSC,” or “HDTV” (high definition television) may be substituted for “Digital.” However, if your television set is labeled as a “Digital Monitor” or “HDTV Monitor,” or as “Digital Ready” or “HDTV Ready,” this does not guarantee that it actually contains a digital tuner. You should also check the manual or any other materials that came with your television equipment in order to further determine whether it contains a digital tuner. What should consumers considering the purchase a TV set need know? When buying a television sets and other TV equipment such as DVD players, consumers should know whether or not the equipment includes a digital tuner. (TV equipment that includes a digital tuner is sometimes referred to as a “digital receiver.”) The only additional equipment required to view over-the-air digital broadcasting with a DTV is a regular antenna, either on your roof or a smaller version on your TV If you have an analog television, you will have to purchase a digital-to-analog set-top converter box to attach to your TV set to be able to view over-the-air digital broadcasting.
Digital-to-Analog converter box. What is it?
Digital to analog converter box, otherwise known as a set-top-box, is designed to make over-the-air digital television signals viewable on analog-only TVs, though the analogue TV will not still be capable of taking full advantages of DTV. There are different digital broadcast standards categorized according to regions. Kenya is using the Digital Video Broadcast – Terrestrial (DVB-T). This is the same system that the rest of Africa and Europe is using. The set-top boxes must be compatible with the broadcast standards. Set-top boxes (STB’s) or converters that work in China, Japan or the US may not work in Kenya.
Will analog TV sets work with other equipments?
A television set or other TV equipment with only an analog tuner will not receive over-the-air digital broadcasting unless it is connected to a digital-to-analog converter box (set-top-boxes). Analog-only TVs should continue to work as before with cable and satellite TV services, gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players, and similar products.
If I buy a digital TV will my VCR, DVD player, camcorder, video Games, or other equipment still work?
VCRs, DVD players, camcorders and video games will continue to work, even if they are only analog-capable. Such equipment, however, may not provide digital-quality picture and sound. Manufacturers are producing a number of different connectors to hook equipment together and improve picture and sound quality.
Does DTV use the same antennas as analog TV?
If you already have a good VHF and UHF antenna, either indoors or on your roof, you don’t have to buy an antenna that is “HD ready”. DTV broadcasters have been assigned channels in the VHF and UHF bands between 54 & 700 MHz, where analogue channels 2 to 51 are now. Therefore as long as a DTV signal is available, existing antenna should still work. How much will DTV improve my TV viewing? While picture quality will vary according to whether you receive digital programming in high definition (HDTV), enhanced definition (EDTV), or standard definition (SDTV) format, all digital programming provides an enhanced viewing experience. HDTV, the highest quality format, provides high resolution, a widescreen format, and surround sound.
{Judy Mubuu is an ICT specialist and a Masters Student at the University of Nairobi.}
