The transition to digital television begins in earnest now that Boxer DTT has been awarded the contracts to roll out set-top boxes which will render the traditional aerial on the roof obsolete, writes Róisín Ingle.
THE YEAR IS 2012. You sit down at the end of a hard day with a fresh cup of tea, the remote control and a packet of chocolate-covered Hob Nobs. All of a sudden, the realisation dawns that something is very wrong with your normally reliable telly, and instead of watching Coronation Street, you find yourself staring at a blank screen.
If this scenario reads like some kind of post-apocalyptic nightmare, then you'll want to pay close attention to the main players in the digital television revolution over the next few months and years as they begin a carefully orchestrated public information campaign.
Next week, the Minister for Communications, Eamon Ryan, is expected to hold a press conference designed to demystify the planned switchover from analogue to digital television while some of the 500 participants in a digital pilot programme, run for the past 18 months across Louth and Dublin, will be telling the rest of us about their experiences in this brave new world.
Of course, these developments will barely register with those who have cable or satellite television already installed, allowing them to watch repeats of Sex And The City to their hearts' content. But for the 350,000 homes across the country which still rely on the analogue television signal - the transmission received through an aerial - the "digital switchover" is as significant as going from brick-heavy analogue phones to GSM, or swapping your vinyl records for CDs.
"There's absolutely no need for anyone to panic," says Susan Fleming, a reassuring voice in the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. "There will be a few years for people to get informed and comfortable with the change before the switchover happens."
Earlier this week, Boxer DTT, a consortium made up of Denis O'Brien's Communicorp and BT Ireland, was awarded all three digital terrestrial television contracts from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. Availing of expertise from Swedish pay-TV platform Boxer, they will start selling their packages to consumers who are "digital ready" from next January.
MEANWHILE, RTÉ HAS been gifted one of the digital "multiplex" packages, allowing it to deliver RTÉ 1, RTÉ 2, TG4 and TV3, along with new channels, possibly including the exciting-sounding Dáil TV, free-to-air for all consumers. The other three packages will be delivered by Boxer DTT, and consumers will have to pay for the privilege - anything from €9.99 per month for the basic package - of watching up to 30 channels.
The switchover is scheduled to be completed across Europe by 2012. So what's in it for the telly-watching consumer? Well, for a start, digital television will provide higher-quality picture all over the country. "There is no such thing as grainy or fuzzy digital TV," says Fleming. The service also includes plenty of add-ons such as programme guides and "what's on next" functions. "Once you've had the benefit of these extras that are part of the digital television experience you'll never want to go back," she says.
For customers in "analogue land" who at the moment only receive between one and four channels, the switchover will be straightforward enough. They will need to buy a set-top box or signal decoder for each television in the house which will plug into the television, changing the signal from analogue to digital. The decoders are expected to cost about €100. With the decoders, even the most ancient black and white televisions can receive the digital signal, although old video recorders will not record programmes transmitted digitally. Consumers can also choose to buy digital-ready TVs or personal video recorders, both of which remove the need for a standalone set-top box.
"There's no point running out to buy a box straight away," says Fleming. "It makes more sense to wait until we are closer to analogue switch-off, when the set-top boxes are expected to cost less".
She stresses that older people and those with disabilities will be helped to make the transition. "We don't want to leave anyone behind," says Fleming. "Anyone who needs assistance will be given it. We do not envisage anybody sitting at home in 2012 wondering what is wrong with their TV set."
LUCY GAFFNEY, chairwoman of Boxer DTT, says that, given the technical complexity involved, it is vital that the public information campaign offers a "Ladybird" guide to digital television. In Sweden, an animated character called Robert was used to inform the public about the ins and outs of going digital.
"We also think it's important to make the set-top boxes easy to purchase. We will be negotiating with convenience stores, supermarkets and garage forecourts so consumers won't have to go to the usual electrical outlets," she says. The company will offer additional services, including a pay-as-you-go service and smart cards that allow consumers to customise their television viewing.
A recent survey of participants in the pilot digital television project, which was managed by Amarach Consultants, showed that for the most part those who used it were happy with the service, although there were issues with poor picture quality and bad reception, as well as "scrambling" of some of the channels.
"For a smooth and positive transition towards digital television, it is imperative that set-top boxes are reliable and do not experience the same scrambling issues," concludes the Amarach report, but experts say that any technical issues are expected to be ironed out by the time "D-Day" arrives. And while nobody can force you to go digital before the "switch-off" in 2012, the alternative is sitting and staring at that scary blank screen.
