Will Radio and Television Go Digital at the Same Time?

TV digital conversion refers to the conversion of TV signal transmission from analog technology to digital technology, or from analog TV to digital TV.

TV digital conversion

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Analog television signals are broadcast to the receiving end via ground, coaxial cable (commonly known as cable), and satellite broadcasting. After the television is digitally converted, the digitized television signals are also transmitted to the receiving end via ground, cable, and satellite respectively. Therefore, TV digital conversion is divided into three different parts: digital conversion of terrestrial TV, digital conversion of cable TV, and digital conversion of satellite TV. In China, because the satellite transmission of analog television has not been popularized, there are only two parts: digital conversion of terrestrial television and digital conversion of cable television.

Driven by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the process of digital conversion of cable TV is carried out in the "overall conversion" method, which is widely referred to as "the entire cable TV conversion".

Since 2007, the United States, major Western European countries and Japan have successively shut down terrestrial analog TV broadcasting. Major cable TV operators and satellite TV operators have also successively closed analog TV broadcasting, and the digital conversion of television has been basically completed.

In China, according to the "Notice on Encouraging the Development of the Digital Television Industry" issued by the State Council General Office Document No. 1 in 2008, China will basically stop broadcasting analog signal television programs in 2015. The digital conversion of TV is in progress.

In China, the cable television network has covered almost all cities and major towns, with about 200 million subscribers. In 2003, the digital transformation of cable television began. In 2005, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television issued "Several Opinions on Promoting the Overall Digitalization of Cable TV in Pilot Units", ^[1]

Terrestrial television broadcasting is regarded as a social good in all countries without charging the public for viewing fees. In countries where the digitalization of television was carried out earlier, several years before the terrestrial analog television broadcasting was turned off, it was required that newly listed televisions must be equipped with a device capable of receiving terrestrial digital television broadcasting. Give subsidies to needy families to help them buy terrestrial digital TV set-top boxes.

In mainland China, terrestrial digital television transmission standards have been issued and implemented in 2007, and major cities have successively started terrestrial digital television broadcasting ^[3]

The digital transformation of TV is a major change in TV technology and a powerful driving force for the growth of the consumer electronics industry.

The digital transformation of TV involves all aspects of TV program production, transmission and reception. The main technologies and industries are as follows:

TV show production

The camera equipment, editing equipment, storage equipment, etc. of the analog TV were all replaced with corresponding digital equipment. At present, China's major television stations and video program production institutions have completed the digital update of their main equipment and are undergoing a process of conversion from standard-definition digital equipment to high-definition digital equipment.

Video signal transmission

The first is the transport stream format. The radio and television industry implements the international standard ISO / IEC13818-1 and uses the TS stream format to compose digital video transmission streams; the Internet industry implements the TSC / IP protocol to transmit digital video IP streams. In the context of industry convergence, various receiving terminals will gradually achieve compatibility with the two types of transmission formats. That is, digital TV receiving devices can also receive video signals from the Internet, and desktop and handheld Internet devices can also receive digital TV broadcasts.

The second is the transmission protocol. The terrestrial broadcast transmission protocol varies from country to country. China will implement the national standard GB20600-2006, code-named CTTB. For cable network transmission protocols, most countries including China implement the European-derived DVB-C standard. The next-generation standard is DVB-C2; the transmission protocol of satellite broadcasting, China will use the self-developed ABS-S technology, and most other countries will adopt the DVB-S or DVB-S2 standard from Europe; the transmission protocol of mobile broadcasting varies from country to country, China Will use self-developed CMMB technology.

In terms of industry, China's terrestrial digital broadcasting will usher in the large-scale construction period of terrestrial single-frequency network transmitters, of which the number of low-power transmitters will be on the order of 100,000; most operators of China's cable television networks have completed digitalization. Modification of transmission equipment.

Digital TV receiving equipment

Set-top boxes. China currently has more than 400 million analog TVs and must receive digital TV signals through a set-top box. The digital conversion of cable TV has already completed the deployment of about 100 million standard-definition cable set-top boxes, and the remaining 100 million units may be directly deployed with high-definition set-top boxes, while the high-definition cable-set-top boxes will have a total deployment potential of 200 million units. Direct broadcast satellite set-top boxes, including satellite / terrestrial dual-mode set-top boxes, will have a total deployment of 200 million units after the completion of the rural-to-household Huthutong project. If the satellite live broadcast service of high-definition television is opened, it will have an impact on the cable television network, and the market of high-definition satellite set-top boxes targeting urban customers is not yet clear. Terrestrial digital TV set-top boxes will be deployed mainly in rural areas, the total amount of which is related to the charging policies of local radio and television departments and the acceptance of the rural public.

"TV all-in-one" is a TV that contains a terrestrial digital TV receiver. The number of deployments of such models will rise rapidly after the country promulgates relevant regulations, and will account for 100% of the TV market after 2015.

Hand-held receiving device. Handheld devices such as smart phones that can connect to the Internet will all support Internet video playback, and some devices can receive mobile TV broadcasts.

Other receiving equipment. Such as "TV stick", plug in the desktop device to receive terrestrial or cable TV broadcasts.