Digital switch in Manila?

MANILA, Philippines – The biggest event in the history of television took place in the US last June 12.

The US underwent a total Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) switch over, which ceased all analog television transmissions within its territory for good.

The impact of DTT was already felt in several cities in the US even before the switch over such as New York City, where TV network giant NBC is able to operate two channels at the same time with one frequency, offering viewers more options than were ever available over the air.

All American TV networks can now do the same and soon, so can Filipino local broadcasting corporations.

The US is the ninth country to have a complete digital switch over, after European countries such as Germany and Belgium. Aligning with the global transition, the Philippines is exploring DTT to make this technology available to the Filipinos.

DTT allows more channels than its predecessor — the analog television, better reception, and improved audio and video quality. It has also proven to be a more flexible and efficient technology.

The difference between digital and analog transmission is comparable to cassette tapes, which have long taken a backseat to compact discs (CDs) and digital music players, which store digital data. Digital data have higher quality than analog, and take up smaller space. That’s why CDs and mp3 players can play songs with greater clarity and can carry more songs than cassette tapes.

The same principle works in DTT. The multicasting feature of DTT allows TV stations to broadcast several digital channels, using the same amount of frequency needed for one analog channel. Imagine your favorite Philippine television station having two or more channels which means more choices for the viewers.