Digital TV in SA: the fight continues

[Kevin Lancaster]

Namec fight over digital TV in South Africa

Founding members of the National Association of Manufacturers in Electronic Components have accused its “self-styled” chairman of “massive fraud”

 

[Paul Hjul]

to go with the standard refrain: scrap DTT altogether it is a corruption infested pit of nonsense that does not benefit the country at all. DVB-S2 and broadband Internet ftw

 

[FNfal]

This shyt has gone on far to long .
They should just import the decoders from China and give 1000 people that would have got jobs from manufacturing the STBs R100000 .

Then all the bickering and bull shyt would be over with and every one can move on .

Enough already .

 

[elvis_presley]

Just declare bog standard untouched DVB-T2 as the standard, let some guys make some short term money from importing Chinese crap for the switch-over, then Samsung, LG, etc will subsidize the long-term roll out through built in tuners in new TVs.

 

[Paul Hjul]

Just declare bog standard untouched DVB-T2 as the standard, let some guys make some short term money from importing Chinese crap for the switch-over, then Samsung, LG, etc will subsidize the long-term roll out through built in tuners in new TVs.

why waste the spectrum though ...
and more importantly keep Sentech in business on public funding?

 

[elvis_presley]

why waste the spectrum though ...
and more importantly keep Sentech in business on public funding?

You have to have some kind of DTT - satellite creates a big barrier to entry for the poorest, and a high barrier to entry for new players in the market. DTT can really be "free" as TVs have to have a tuner.

For all their faults, Sentech do basic signal distribution OK, just don't let them start to do conditional access, etc on DTT.

 

[Paul Hjul]

You have to have some kind of DTT - satellite creates a big barrier to entry for the poorest, and a high barrier to entry for new players in the market. DTT can really be "free" as TVs have to have a tuner.

For all their faults, Sentech do basic signal distribution OK, just don't let them start to do conditional access, etc on DTT.

you DTT STB pricing is at the same pricing as DVB-S2 STBs - so to subsidize one STB is the same as another - and installation is your only challenge.

The spectrum savings - and ability to licence out the spectrum for non-broadcast purposes - can be used to fund DVB-S2 rollout, as opposed to the current approach. In terms of player barrier to entry satellite broadcasting has the advantage that distribution is cheaper.

The poorest sections of the population aren't always in areas where terrestrial broadcast reach is accomplished.

 

[elvis_presley]

you DTT STB pricing is at the same pricing as DVB-S2 STBs - so to subsidize one STB is the same as another - and installation is your only challenge.

You're wrong for 2 reasons
1. DVB-S2 requires a dish + installation. At worst DVB-T2 requires an antenna any nosepicker can install (I needed one to pick it up, I just pointed it out the nearest window). Score 1 for DVB-T2
2. DTT in the long term doesn't need an STB, it will be included in the TV's cost. Score 2 for DVB-T2.

The poorest sections of the population aren't always in areas where terrestrial broadcast reach is accomplished.

If they can get SABC now, they will get DTT. In fact, I think they've reached their target of about 90% DTT population coverage already? Do you propose they tear all the infrastructure down?

There is around 10% that they won't reach, and government will be subsidizing them to get (watered down) DVB-S2. We want to minimize that, though. So much more to maintain on the user side.

 

[Paul Hjul]

again you aren't attributing full cost to the terrestrial transmission - running a terrestrial broadcast signal provider is an idiotically expensive exercise and that is with the signal distributor not paying properly for spectrum

they claim to have reached their target - they haven't
the radio free zone mandated for the SKA alone makes the targets for population

Whether in the long term the reach of DTT (version whatever) will produce a better offering than a satellite based system is a different story - the savings on installation costs etc ... vs the broadcasting costs - but as the situation is right now where there is a subsidization of upgrade the case for using existing satellite infrastructure over pouring funds into a bottomless pit is deeply compelling.

 

[elvis_presley]

again you aren't attributing full cost to the terrestrial transmission - running a terrestrial broadcast signal provider is an idiotically expensive exercise and that is with the signal distributor not paying properly for spectrum

Having the users maintain a satellite dish and STB for decades, compared to free built in DTT tuners is the idiotic option, IMO. The big cost for the DTT roll out has already happened. I'd wager the costs on the user side are far more significant, regardless of technology.

You just can't beat free.

 

[Paul Hjul]

user side isn't free the reception equipment - either in the form STBs or in the form of new sets - is a serious consideration and are being subsidized ineffectively
partly because terrestrial broadcasting is a monopolistic exercise (in SA Sentech)

 

[elvis_presley]

user side isn't free the reception equipment - either in the form STBs or in the form of new sets - is a serious consideration and are being subsidized ineffectively
partly because terrestrial broadcasting is a monopolistic exercise (in SA Sentech)

DVB-T2 STB's are cheap and self-installable. DVB-S2 are not self installable and more expensive because of the dish+install. End of story. There is no way you can spin DVB-S2 as a better or cheaper option to the end user.

TV sets don't last forever. In time they will all be replaced, and those will all have a free DVB-T2 tuner in them. You have to take a long-term approach to it.

Edit: I don't see the broadcast "monopoly" as such an issue, as providing a basic broadcast system is exactly the type service a government SHOULD provide, and is a good use of taxpayer money. Left to the private sector, they'd be cherry-picking their roll out and it'd take years to reach the places Sentech have spent tax money in reaching from the beginning.

 

[krycor]

It's all about the tenders and who gets it.. post 94 SA problems haha. No mater what laws they brought in paws still getting greased with each tender