Altech’s Venter slams digital TV rethink

Altech CEO Craig Venter has taken government to task for considering pulling the plug on SA’s commitment to the digital video broadcasting terrestrial (DVB-T) standard for digital terrestrial television.

In an outspoken interview on Classic FM on Wednesday evening, Venter (pictured) has lashed out at the department of communications’ decision to review the country’s commitment to switch from analogue to digital using the DVB-T standard and to consider alternatives like Japan’s integrated services digital broadcasting terrestrial (ISDB-T) standard.

SA agreed to use the DVB-T standard in 2006.

Venter says Altech subsidiary UEC has invested R80m in developing set-top box technology based on the DVB-T standard. However, he says the company will be able to absorb that cost.

His bigger concern, he says, is that a change in standards will set back the country’s migration from analogue to digital terrestrial television by up to five years.

It’s not the first time Venter has criticised the department of communications publicly. In 2008, Altech won a high court case against former communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri that resulted in a dramatic further liberalisation of the telecommunications sector.

Now, Venter has described news of the department’s change of heart over DVB-T as “serious to SA”.

“It is ludicrous for us to be considering changing the specification for digital broadcasting at this hour,” he says.

Brazil, the largest country outside Japan to adopt ISDB-T, is lobbying SA to adopt the standard. Outside Japan, it’s only used in a handful of countries in South America.

If SA ditches its support for DVB-T, all countries in the Southern African Development Community will have to follow suit to ensure harmonisation in radio frequency spectrum across the region. Harmonisation is important to prevent cross-border spectrum interference.

“If this kind of project is going to be exported and will enhance Japan or Brazil at the expense of SA, I will, quite frankly, lose a lot of confidence in this country,” Venter says.

He adds that digital television standards are probably being discussed in bilateral discussions between SA and Brazil. “Maybe that’s why government, at this point, is entertaining the idea of throwing away three-plus years of work…”

Communications department director-general Mamodupi Mohlala has strongly denied suggestions that SA has already agreed to ditch DVB-T in favour of ISDB-T or any other standard.

The department will soon hand a findings document and recommendation to communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda, who will make the final decision on the way forward. — Duncan McLeod, TechCentral

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http://www.digitalnatives.co.za Bruce

Wow this country has a lot of money to throw around. Wish Venter had his finance dept run a few numbers to work out how much this is going to cost only in labor being lost.

C’mon Nyanda – we are not talking about cutting your 5 star stay short, but merely for you to cancel any and all thoughts you had about making such a really retarded decision.
Robert Dillware

I think the government must hear the players involved, which is our industry and broadcasters, and not Brazil´s interest. How can we loose 3 years of preparation and just throw it away? Not only ISDB-T is more expensive overall, but we will import everything from Brazil, while DVB alredy prepared a fully national migration process with 100% support of south african companies. DVB´s project stregthens local production of decoders and transmitters, while allowing full interaction with GSM cell network and DVB-H mobile TV. I only pray that the minister stops this adventure, and listen the south african players involved. It´s not much to ask, is it?
Laurence

Better loose 3 years of preparation than get a worse standard.
ISDB-T allows multiprogramming, portability (support to multiple devices), mobility (see digital Tv in movement) and interactivity for multiple devices.

Facts !

1) Data coding uses MPEG-4 standard. The better standard that we have today. This allows multiprogramming, allows transmit untill 8 programs in the same channel with SDTV quality.
DVB-T uses MPEG-2.

2) The ISDB-T middleware, Ginga, is the most advanced in the world, is the only one that is totaly FREE and supports all middleware’s features (supports live edition interactive applications, development for multipe devices, media objects syncronism, adaptability and the best support for development socials applications).

There’s a cool site that provides Ginga interactive applications (include de code). There’s games, interactive programs, t-health applications, t-learning applications, and a lot of others. To run applications we need an emulator and a ginga-ncl virtual set-top-box. We can download this tools in this website too.
http://www.grupogingagoias.com.br
Robert Dillware

Better not loose anything and adopt the “best standard in the world today”, which is “DVB-T2!”

1) Brazil urgently needs scale to put decoder´s prices down: That´s why they´re crying and praying for South Africa to adopt ISDB.
In Japan, a digital tv tuner ISDB-T with MPEG 2, costs US$51,00.
In Brazil, which is a modified ISDB-T (not compatible with Japan), using MPEG 4, costs R$ 349,00, which is US$200,00. Way too expensive for social benefits in South Africa.
The good news is that decoders for “DVB-T2″ in the U.K. are costing US$55,00, much less than Brazil!!!!

2) Data coding for DVB-T2 is MPEG-4, given that DVB-T2 has proven higher performance than ISDB-T, having much more spectrum efficiency, given it is a newer standard. DVB-T2 was specialy designed for 8 mhz channels, which fits perfeclty South Africa´s case. ISDB doesn´t have a single transmitter built for 8mhz at work anywhere in the world. Another expensive item which can become a scale problem.

3) DVB-T2 midleware MHP has the most advanced interactivity tools in the world with ZERO royalties.
MHP includes: A) T-GOVERNMENT
B) TAXATION OFFICE
C) POST OFFICE SERVICES
D) E-BANKING SERVICES
C) JOB VACANCIES

4) South African industry and players involved in this decision supports DVB-T2, unlike brazilian reality, where their industry and broadcasters always supported ISDB. 2 different realities! But the most important of all, is that technically DVB-T2 is superior, and NOW BECOMING CHEAPER THAN ISDB from Brazil!!!!
Pietro

I don’t believe SA governemnt is fool.
If they are considering another standard it’s because they can be better for the country.

All countries that have not adopted a digital tv system are adopting ISDB-T. In asia, Philippines and India are so interesting in ISDB-T. Some countries are even reviewing its adoption as the Uruguay.

Unfortunately some people only think about the money they invested. For them no matter the country, but the money will win.
Nick Slater

It´s not a matter of being a fool or not being a fool. BROADCASTERS and the INDUSTRY of South Africa supports DVB-T2. India and Philippines are also evaluating DVB-T2. Uruguai is Brazil´s neighbor and has a strong political influence that might cause a change to ISDB-T. But here in south Africa, the industry and the broadcasters, 2 important players that knows exactly what they are talking about, support DVB-T2, because DVB-T2 has an OFDM modulation with CONSTELATION making it superior in terms of performance than ISDB-T, and it fits perfectly in the 8 mhz channel system of South Africa. Even though DVB-T2 is newer than ISDB-T, prices of DVB-T2 tuners in the U.K. are already cheaper than tuners in Brazil, very good news for South Africa.
Bernard Caulier

I agree with Nick, the government must also hear what our specialists have to say, and not just Brazil´s lobby interest! Altech is a big proudly south african company that invests millions in South Africa, and employs thousands of South Africans, so they sure know what they´re talking about when they support DVB! I´m with Nick and Robert in favor of DVB-T2 for South Africa! Our intersts first!!!
Bryce

First should be considered what’s better for South Africa after the rest !!

That’s pretty funny, if DVB-T was so superior than ISDB-T I guess government wouldn’t have rethink their adoption.

This only happened because in the SADC comparative tests ISDB-T was superior to the DVB-T.
Carlos Joaquim

Let´s make it clear and tell the truth to everyone:

DVB-T2 IS SUPERIOR THAN ISDB-T!!!! FACT!!!!!
ISDB-T IS SUPERIOR THAN DVB-T!!!! FACT!!!!

LET´S TEST DVB-T2 WITH ISDB-T SO WE CAN TELL THE TRUTH!!!! BOTH DVB-T2 AND ISDB-T ARE JUST AS NEW, EXCEPT DVB-T2 HAS THE MOST MODERN MODULATION, WHICH IS IN “CONSTALATION” FORM, GIVING DVB-T2 BETTER PERFORMANE, BETTER EFFICIENCY, BETTER CAPACITY, AND ECONOMY FOR 8mhz countries like SOUTH AFRICA!!!!

LET´S NOT MIX THINGS!!!! DVB-T2 IS THE MOST ADVANCED STANDARD IN THE WORLD AND TUNERS ARE AREADY CHEAPER THAN BRAZIL!!!!!!

LET´S COMPARE ISDB-T WITH DVB-T2!!!!! DVB-T2 WINS!!!!! SORRY!!!!!

THE REST IS POLITICS…..
Lindsey Camaroon

I agree with Carlos, if we are to choose the most modern standard, let´s make a test to compare “DVB-T2″ with ISDB-T!

DVB-T2 is sure better for South Africa economically and socially, specially for public tv, BBC is very happy with DVB-T2!

DVB-T2 is increadibly modern, worth adopting!
Siboniso

Yesss, DVB-T is better. Must be why after comparison tests they decided to revise the standard.
Rene Speler

DVB-T2 is the best standard for South Africa!
Cliff

Actualy ISDB-T it’s the better.
August Mcseven

Thanks Cliff, like you say: ISDB is better, but DVB-T2 is the “BEST”!!!!!

Thanks so much!!!!

Better is not enough, it´s got to be the best!!!!

For South Africa, the best is DVB-T2!
Laura Samantha

I agree with August…better is not enaugh….we must adopt the best, which is DVB-T2!
Denver Jacobsen

DVB-T2 is the best for South Africa!

No use being better…….south africans prefer the “BEST” = DVB-T2
Joseph Cavalla

Hi guys,

The Brazilian experience has not been a good one. Expensive ISDB-Tbr products, low number of users, very low roll out of the digital transmissions and low number of programs to be watched are now the portrait of the vicious cycle that was installed.

Many of the views above are technically relevant in developed countries but the main issue in developing countries is affordability. Poor should be the main beneficiaries of the FTA Digital TV project, as it is sometimes the only cheap option of entertainment. The rest of people can consume media through other means (HD payTV, HD contend download, blueRay, etc)

If you look from this perspective, the rest of the technical discussion loses a lot of its importance. Technical discussions are sometimes very subtle, particularly if you consider that the Digital TV standard, if well planned in terms of coverage, has no influence on the picture quality experienced by the customer. Many Standard comparisons are fake, because they still rely on old analog paradigms. Quality of a Standard, in the digital age, is much more related to spectrum efficiency, robustness of the transmission, etc., issues that the end user never will perceive. The only issue poor man really perceives is how deep he must stretch his hand into the pocket.

In this context I would take care of bedding in ISDB-Tr, a Brazilian niche-market invention which never got any major backing. It was decided at highest political level, in a year of presidential elections. There is almost no eco-system to support further development or its sustainability. As this is now being recognized, other countries beyond Latin America are being invited to join the party and to pay the bill. ISDB-Tbr seems to have all the ingredients to stay stuck and internationally isolated, similarly to what happened with former Brazilian analog standard (the PAL-M standard, which was a unique combination of PAL and NTSC standards).

In times of standard globalization for the benefits of people, with GSM and UMTS becoming irrefutable examples, it seems a bit odd bedding on Digital TV niche-market Standards. In fact this all seems now to be framed in a broader political bed. If you read the local news in Brazil you will notice that actual Government is pushing the south-south alignment, making also agreements with Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, etc. to show its importance in being able to align secondary markets, all this as a way to get a permanent sit in the UN security council.

THE BEST FTA DIGITAL TV STANDARD FOR A DEVELOPING COUNTRY IS THAT ONE WHO FITS IN THE POCKET OF POOR PEOPLE. THAT’S FOR SURE NOT ISDB-Tbr. THE REST IS DISCUSSION FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TECHNOLOGY AND CAN AFFORD OTHER MEANS OF WATCHING MEDIA. AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE DRIVING POLITICS.

Altech’s Venter slams digital TV rethink

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