Survival in digitization of TV in Japan (4)

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, which supervises the migration to terrestrial digital broadcasting, insists on the beneficiaries-pay principle for each household to make digital broadcasts appear on its TV screen.

The principle is bringing various kinds of problems to some of the end TV viewers.

Migration to Terrestrial Digital Broadcasting
Survival in digitization of TV in Japan (1)
Unsolicited digital broadcasts?
Survival in digitization of TV in Japan (2)
Survival in digitization of TV in Japan (3)
Analog BS to disappear in 2011

Toshiba with its back to the wall in HD disc contest

Toshiba Corp. has cut the price of its HD DVD players/recorders in Europe as well as in North America.

That shows the HD DVD camp led by Toshiba is trying hard to recover from the setback where more and more companies such as Warner Bros. are supporting the rival standard, Blu-ray.

However, the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray competition is no longer on the stage of lowering the retail prices.

Fujitsu's PC is ready for Dubbing 10 (Copy 10)

The FMV PC line-up to be released soon will address “Dubbing 10” (formerly referred to as “Copy 10”), FUJITSU LTD. announced on January 11th.

The line-up can implement the upgrade program for Dubbing 10 that will be provided by the company after “Dubbing 10-enabled” TV programs are on the air.

As for Dubbing 10, NEC Corp. has already launched its LaVie and VALUESTAR PC line-up that can be upgraded in the same way as the FMV.

Analog BS to disappear in 2011

The TV programs based on the analog broadcasting satellite (BS) system are expected to cease in 2011.

They are now on the air from the three stations - NHK BS-1, BS-2, and WOWOW.

These stations have already had their programs broadcast on the digital BS system, but will continue their analog BS broadcasting until 2011.

The “analog to digital” migration is a challenge for BS as well as terrestrial broadcasting stations.

Survival in digitization of TV in Japan (3)

There are some cases that you can see terrestrial digital TV broadcasts on the line installed by a network service provider (NSP) or an ISP in Japan.

The broadcasting is often provided as part of the “triple play” service - telephone, Internet connection, and TV.

However, the TV broadcasts aren't necessarily full-HDTV based.

Flat-panel displays are getting thinner

Japan's electronics/electrical manufacturers are competing in making HDTV displays less thick.

As thick as 2 cm has a 65-inch LCD got. It is on a prototype HDTV set from Sharp Corp.

A 50-inch PDP from Pioneer Corp. has achieved a slimness of 0.9 cm.

A PDP unveiled by Panasonic has enlarged to 150-inch as well as got three fourths thinner than its existing 103-inch one.

In addition to LCDs and PDPs, OLEDs are emerging. An 11-inch OLED that is 0.3 cm thick has completed on an already-commercialized HDTV set from Sony Corp.

These HDTV sets including prototypes are now exhibited at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

You may have them confused with pictures on a wall in the near future.

Survival in digitization of TV in Japan (2)

If you get out of the coverage of terrestrial TV airwaves and the TV programs are unavailable both on CATV and on IPTV when the TV broadcasting completely shifts from analog to digital system in July 2011 in Japan, the TV programs would be delivered to you on the given BS channel for a limited period.

The TV programs delivery will start on a trial basis in 2009 and the detailed scheme is now being discussed at a panel under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC).

To see terrestrial digital TV broadcasts, especially for residents in blind zones, there seems to be another troublesome factor arising.