The digital television transition, also called the digital switchover (DSO), the analogue switch/sign-off (ASO), the digital migration, or the analogue shutdown, is the process in which older analogue television broadcasting technology is converted to and replaced by digital television. Conducted by individual nations on different schedules, this primarily involves the conversion of analogue terrestrial television broadcasting infrastructure to digital terrestrial television (DTT), a major benefit being extra frequencies on the radio spectrum and lower broadcasting costs, as well as improved viewing qualities for consumers.
The transition to digital television is happening at different paces around the world. Although digital satellite television is now commonplace, the switch to digital cable and terrestrial television has taken longer.
The transition may also involve analogue cable conversion to digital cable or Internet Protocol television, as well as analogue to digital satellite television. Transition of land based broadcasting had begun in some countries around 2000. By contrast, transition of satellite television systems was well underway or completed in many countries by this time. It is an involved process because the existing analogue television receivers owned by viewers cannot receive digital broadcasts; viewers must either purchase new digital TVs, or digital converter boxes which have a digital tuner and change the digital signal to an analogue signal or some other form of a digital signal (i.e. HDMI) which can be received on the older TV. Usually during a transition, a simulcast service is operated where a broadcast is made available to viewers in both analogue and digital at the same time. As digital becomes more popular, it is expected that the existing analogue services will be removed. In most places this has already happened, where a broadcaster has offered incentives to viewers to encourage them to switch to digital. Government intervention usually involves providing some funding for broadcasters and, in some cases, monetary relief to viewers, to enable a switchover to happen by a given deadline. In addition, governments can also have a say with the broadcasters as to what digital standard to adopt – either DVB-T2 or ATSC. Governments can also require all receiving equipment sold in a country to support the necessary digital 'tuner'.
Before digital television, PAL and NTSC were used for both video processing within TV stations and for broadcasting to viewers. Because of this, the switchover process may also include the adoption of digital equipment using serial digital interface (SDI) on TV stations, replacing analogue PAL or NTSC component or composite video equipment. Digital broadcasting standards are only used to broadcast video to viewers; Digital TV stations usually use SDI irrespective of broadcast standard, although it might be possible for a station still using analogue equipment to convert its signal to digital before it is broadcast, or for a station to use digital equipment but convert the signal to analogue for broadcasting, or they may have a mix of both digital and analogue equipment. Digital TV signals require less transmission power to be broadcast and received satisfactorily.
The switchover process is being accomplished on different schedules in different countries; in some countries it is being implemented in stages as in Australia, Greece, India or Mexico, where each region has a separate date to switch off. In others, the whole country switches on one date, such as the Netherlands. On 3 August 2003, Germany became the first country in the world to fully switch off terrestrial analogue signals.
The major terrestrial broadcast standards are DVB-T/T2 (Europe and most of Africa and Oceania), ATSC 1/3.0 (North America and South Korea), DTMB (China, Pakistan, and two other countries), and ISDB/Tb (two incompatible variations used in Japan and much of South America).
Background and timeline Transition dates
1996: Netherlands (satellite services) 1998: United Kingdom (digital terrestrial service) 1999: Russia (satellite services) 2001: United Kingdom/Ireland (satellite services), Malaysia (cable television) 2002: Denmark (Faroe Islands), Malaysia (satellite services), Albania (satellite services), Norway (satellite services) 2003: Germany 2004: Sweden (satellite services), Indonesia (cable television) 2005: Italy (satellite services), Indonesia (satellite services) 2006: Turkey (satellite services), China (satellite services), Luxembourg, Netherlands 2007: Finland, Andorra, Sweden, Switzerland 2008: Belgium (Flanders) 2009: United States (full power stations and satellite services), United Kingdom (Isle of Man), Denmark, Norway 2010: Belgium (Wallonia), Croatia, Estonia, United Kingdom (Guernsey, Jersey and Wales), Japan (northeastern Ishikawa Prefecture only), Latvia, Luxembourg (cable television and satellite), San Marino, Slovenia, Spain 2011: Austria, Canada (major markets), Cyprus, France, Israel, Japan (except 2011 Tōhoku earthquake-affected prefectures), Malta, Monaco, United Kingdom (Scotland) 2012: Czech Republic, Germany (satellite services), Ireland (terrestrial), Italy, Japan (Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi), Lithuania, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Portugal, Slovakia, South Korea, Taiwan, United Kingdom (England, Gibraltar and Northern Ireland), Vatican City 2013: Australia (including Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Norfolk Island), Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, North Macedonia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Poland, United Kingdom (cable television) 2014: Serbia, Iceland, Namibia, Algeria 2015: Belarus, Brunei, Greece, Iran, Morocco (UHF band), Mexico, Moldova, Romania (UHF band), Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Tunisia, Armenia, Georgia, United States (class A low-power stations), Mongolia, China (full power stations) 2016: United Kingdom (Bermuda), Brazil (Federal District and the city of Rio Verde, Goiás), China (CCTV), Burundi 2017: Brazil (a few metropolitan areas, such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, among others), Philippines (Light Network), Romania (phase 2), Germany Unitymedia, Kyrgyzstan, Brunei 2018: United States (cable television), Brazil (major markets, including all markets in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo states), Romania (VHF band), Russia (first two multiplex channels) (Tver Region), Thailand (most channels), Ukraine (most channels), Uzbekistan, Philippines (RJ TV/2nd Avenue, Net 25 and 3ABN/Hope Channel Philippines) 2019: Ireland (cable television), Russia (first two multiplex channels) (more regions), Northern Cyprus, Singapore, India (phase one), Moldova (Transnistria), Bhutan (cable television), Costa Rica, Malaysia (terrestrial), Philippines (ETC/SBN 21) 2020: Brazil (other markets), Morocco (VHF band), China (Hong Kong), Thailand (Channel 3), Venezuela, Moldova (other territories), Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire, Indonesia (terrestrial and the entire 34 provinces), Vietnam, Pakistan, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Sweden (Com Hem's) led by Ana Alonso 2021: China (regional stations), United States (low-power stations except in Alaska), India (phase two), Kazakhstan, Paraguay, Panama (Panamá, Colón and Panamá Oeste) 2022: Botswana (remaining localities), Canada (remaining markets), Indonesia (final terrestrial) (Batam and major cities on the island of Java), Philippines (BEAM TV and SMNI), United States (low-power stations in Alaska) 2023: Cambodia (remaining markets), Jamaica, Pakistan, Philippines (CLTV 36), India (last phase), China (Macau) (terrestrial), Indonesia (rest of the country) 2024: Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Paraguay (Asunción), South Africa 2025: Brazil (remaining areas), South Africa, Peru (Lima and Callao), Russia (remaining channels), Macau (cable television), Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026: Argentina, Trinidad and Tobago, Philippines (Mega Manila), Bolivia (La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz) Uruguay 2027: Cuba, Argentina (remaining areas) 2028: Bolivia (other departments) 2029: Paraguay (remaining areas) 2030: Bolivia (remaining areas), Ethiopia Multiple dates: Angola, Mozambique, DR Congo
Different standards have been developed for the broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial television, comparable to the older analogue standards they replace: NTSC, PAL and SECAM. Broadcasters around the world choose and adopt one of these to be the format and technology behind the transmission. The standards are: The European-made DVB-T2 is adopted by Panama, Colombia, most of Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania. The American-made ATSC is adopted by most of North America and some of Asia and Oceania. DTMB system, from China, is adopted by China, Laos, Cambodia, and Pakistan.
2006 Geneva Agreement The "RRC-06" agreement in Geneva (hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)) was signed by delegates from many countries, including most of Europe, Africa and Asia. The agreement set 17 June 2015 as the date after which countries may use frequencies currently assigned for analogue television transmission for digital services (specifically DVB-T), without being required to protect the analogue services of neighbouring countries against interference. This date was generally viewed as an internationally mandated analogue switch-off date, at least along national borders—except for those operating on the VHF band which would be allowed until 17 June 2020.
These deadlines set by the agreement have been difficult to reach in certain regions, like in Africa where most countries missed the 2015 deadline, as well as South East Asia. High upgrade costs are often a reason cited for the slow transition in those regions.
The European Commission, on a different note, had recommended on 28 October 2009 that digital switchover should be completed by 1 January 2012.
Digital-to-analogue converters
After the switch from analogue to digital broadcasts is complete, analogue-only TVs are incapable of receiving over-the-air broadcasts without the addition of a set-top converter box. Consequently, a digital converter box – an electronic device that connects to an analogue television – must be used to allow the television to receive digital broadcasts. In the United States, the government subsidized the purchase of such boxes for consumers via their coupon-eligible converter box program in 2009, funded by a small part of the billions of dollars brought in by a spectrum auction. The program was managed by the Department of Commerce through its National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Televisions with integrated digital tuners have been available for a considerable time. This means that a set-top box is usually no longer necessary with a new TV set.
Overview of the terrestrial digital switchover