Philippines Digital Tv Switchover

[Benington]

An unexpected visit from my cable provider the other day provided me with the information that  Philippines TV is going Digital. I don't think I am alone in not having heard anything about it up till now. Some hasty Googling revealed it's not going to happen soon - early plans that analogue signals were to be switched off by now obviously did not materialise, and I read that it is likely to be 2020 or later. So, no panic yet, but try not to buy a TV which is not digital ready over the next few years.

 

We're getting a Japanese digital  system, which is only used in South America outside of the home country. Something to do with its ability to carry disaster preparedness messages - although my experience here is that the first thing that goes off during a typhoon or flood is the power! 

 

Strangely, cable services also have to changeover even though they get their feed through Satellite.This already seems to have happened in Manila. The cable company are promising better pictures and sound - but they were also keen to tell me that when installed I would not be able to split the signal myself  - as I am doing now (to their annoyance) by servicing three TVs with a splitter/booster. They were hoping I would now sign up for three new Set Top Boxes (STBs) - only to be disappointed when I told them I no longer watch much TV on the TV - just on the PC, so one would do!

 

One can connect up other TVs in a house to the output of one STB under the severe restriction that the channel will be the same on the hooked-up TV as received on the main set. But as we don't watch much TV we'll probably do that and put up with the inconvenience.

 

We also have two other TVs taking their signals from two roof antenna - so more STBs needed. One does wonder how this will be dealt with by the government - for some people here a few hundred for a new STB will be difficult and resented. I would assume most people will hang on to their existing analogue sets if they are working well, rather than buy new ones for the changeover.

 

Another issue is the well known property of digital signals to be either fully on or off, Somewhat concerning for those of us on the edge of transmitter range, as we are for some channels. Hopefully transmitter power will be boosted.

 

In Japan there was apparently a 3 year information campaign. I think it needs to be much longer here!