Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Brit TV Won't Go Digital Till 2012

Posted by Zonk on from the bad-reception-across-the-pond dept.

judgecorp writes "While the US switches off analog(ue) TV in 2009, it stays on in the UK till 2012, according to a timetable, the Digital Dividend Review released by the UK regulator Ofcom. And while the US taxpayer will fork out $3 billion, there's no mention of government subsidising the switchover in the UK - apart from the licence fee which Brits pay for the BBC, or course. The good news is that the 112 prime MHz of spectrum freed up will be used for wireless broadband, rural coverage for wireless services, and unlicensed spectrum for data. All things that will keep us so busy, we won't bother to watch TV, anyway."

5 of 231 comments (clear)

  1. Inaccurate headline by Bogtha · · Score: 5, Informative

    I've got digital TV now. Millions have. The headline should read "Brits will keep analogue TV around until 2012". This isn't about getting digital telly, it's about how long we keep analogue around for the people who don't upgrade.

    --
    Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
  2. No "hard" date required... by Anita+Coney · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I agree with the Masked Engineer. Don't have a hard date, merely print "a label on every single device with an analog TV tuner explaining to consumers that there will come a day when that tuner will cease to function and an 'adapter' will be needed at extra cost."

    That puts the consumer on notice and allows broadcasters to make the switch when they're ready. If they're ready sooner, the consumers were warned. If it's later, it's later.

    http://www.tvtechnology.com/features/Masked-Engine er/f_mario_orazio-09.21.05.shtml

    --
    If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
  3. Re:There's probably no mention of subsidizing by taskforce · · Score: 5, Informative
    Actually no, the UK government doesn't own TV any more than the US Governemnt does. The BBC (by no means the only broadcaster in the UK) recieves a liscence fee from the public who have a TV. This fee is only charged if you have a television (In theory, although they often have a hard time believing you don't have one if you actually don't) and the money is never seen by the governemnt. It is not paid for with taxes.

    In addition, the BBC wouldn't actually be the ones paying for the switchover, so the liscence fee is in fact a mute point here.

    The subsidisation in the US is supposed to be on Digital enabled TV sets for consumers; which the governemnt certainly don't "own" in the UK.

    --
    My 3D Texturing Skinning work (under construction)
  4. There's something unnerving... by IANAAC · · Score: 4, Funny

    about seeing an American flag behind a British TV story.

  5. What happens in 2009 by CastrTroy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What happens in 2009 when everything is supposed to be digital, and Canada still hasn't gone digital. Will it cause interference in places close to the border? I haven't heard of any plans for canada making the switch.

    --

    Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.