The program to connect Russians to free digital television continues. Digital terrestrial television
Digital television is watched by 10% of TV viewers, according to iKS-Consulting analysts. The federal target program for the transition from analogue to digital format of terrestrial television started six years ago; to date, the digital signal is available in almost all regions of the country. Satellite TV is the most popular among Russians - it is watched in 33% of the country's households.
The iKS-Consulting agency published the results of a survey conducted jointly with the Cable Guy magazine. “With the hypothetical availability of digital terrestrial broadcasting to almost two-thirds of television households in Russia, the real number of those who use digital terrestrial broadcasting is estimated at just over 10% of the total number of television households: the lack of receivers and the low percentage of renewal of the TV fleet still have an impact,” notes the report. report. At the end of 2014, out of 55.2 million households, 52.36 million received a TV signal, of which 55% had a digital format. The most popular method of receiving a TV signal in Russia was satellite television - 33% (see figure).
Initially, the Federal Target Program “Development of Television and Radio Broadcasting in Russia in 2009-2015” assumed that by the end of this year the first multiplex (a package of channels broadcasting on the same frequency in digital format) would be able to be received by 100% of the country’s population, and the second by 98.3%. In each subject, parallel broadcasting was to be carried out until at least 95% of the region's population acquired televisions or special set-top boxes capable of receiving digital TV. The exception is border regions, where analogue TV was planned to be switched off on June 17 under the Geneva-06 agreement (otherwise it could interfere with digital TV in neighboring countries). However, at the beginning of the year, the Federal Target Program was extended until 2018, the target indicators were lowered (the first multiplex should cover 98.3% of the population, two multiplexes - 98%) and a number of other changes were made. For example, the criterion of 95 percent coverage disappeared from the text.
The Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network" (RTRS), which builds multiplex distribution networks, do not have data on the number of viewers of digital terrestrial TV. RTRS only notes that they have launched digital TV in 83 regions of Russia with the exception of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Bashkiria (should launch today). The first multiplex can be watched by 87% of TV viewers, the second by 57%. The new edition of the Federal Target Program does not have an exact date and criteria for turning off analogue TV. “Within the framework of multi-structure and multi-format, analogue broadcasting should and can exist as long as there is demand for it. That is, as long as there are people willing to pay for this service. It will die out naturally,” Deputy Minister of Communications and Mass Communications Alexei Volin recently told Kommersant. .
The first step on this path, in his opinion, will be the cessation of government funding for the distribution of the analog signal of mandatory all-Russian public channels in cities with a population of less than 100 thousand people after 2018. “Under these conditions, the population will switch to multiplexes, and the difference between digital and non-digital pictures will become obvious. With the increase in possible ways of delivering a signal to the viewer, analogue broadcasting will most likely begin to disappear after 2020,” Mr. Volin predicted. At the same time, in the border regions, analogue broadcasting continued after June 17: TV transmitters were simply tuned to other frequencies, a small part was left to work on the old one - until complaints were received from neighbors.
Most of the country's population receives TV signals not over the air, but through pay TV operators. At the end of 2014, pay TV had 37.7 million subscribers, iKS-Consulting estimated. Among them, 59% used digital TV services. “In the context of insufficient progress in digital terrestrial TV, as well as a low level of digitalization in the cable TV segment, the leader of digitalization in Russia has become satellite television broadcasting, both paid and free,” the report notes.
Sovetskaya Sibir was looking into whether it’s time to throw out old TVs, whether it will show a blue screen in the outback, whether you’ll have to pay to watch your favorite programs.
Good news right away: with the launch of digital broadcasting, Russians will receive a set of 20 high-quality TV channels absolutely free, which until recently was only available in paid packages. According to the head of the department of informatization and development of telecommunication technologies of the Novosibirsk region, Anatoly Dyubanov, in order for “digital” to become publicly available, a federal target program “Development of television and radio broadcasting in the Russian Federation for 2009–2018” was developed. Thanks to it, at the expense of the federal budget, over the previous eight years, a state network of digital terrestrial television and radio broadcasting (DTTV) of the first and second multiplexes was built in our region - this is the name for a package of programs that are broadcast by one transmitter. In fact, there are now two multiplexes in the country, each with ten TV channels. The first includes Channel One, “Russia 1”, “Russia 2”, “Match TV”, NTV, Channel Five, “Russia - Culture”, “Russia 24”, “Carousel”, OTR, TVC; in the second - REN TV, Spas, STS, Domashny, TV-3, Friday, Zvezda, Mir, TNT, Muz-TV.
He noted that at the launch of the network, 98.24 percent of the region’s population will be covered digitally. At the same time, the signal will not be able to be received in 191 settlements. But their total number of inhabitants is considerable - more than 48 thousand people, that is, about 18,849 households.
Due to the fact that at the federal level it was decided not to allocate funding for the construction of new network facilities to cover all settlements, FSUE "RTRS" additionally configured transmitting and receiving antennas at existing facilities and thus reduced the number of settlements not covered by digital broadcasting - Anatoly Dyubanov reported.
The head of the department added that the number of settlements where CETV is completely absent was reduced to 135; in 58 villages, only partial coverage was provided. The problems are mainly related to the terrain, as well as the remoteness of these settlements from communication facilities. After adjustment, 1.46 percent of the region's population remains unreached.
What should this minority do - throw away the TV and return to the radio? No need for extremes. In order to ensure that even in difficult times Russians are not left without their favorite TV shows, it was decided at the federal level to provide them with a satellite signal.
Thanks to joint work at the federal and regional levels, an agreement was reached with satellite television operators NTV Plus and Tricolor TV on a preferential cost for installing satellite equipment for residents of settlements that are still without a CETV signal, as well as on free broadcasting for them a package from 20 all-Russian mandatory public television channels,” said Anatoly Dyubanov.
While digital television has not yet become ubiquitous, many questions remain. Some of them were answered by the sales director of the MTS branch in the Novosibirsk region, Alexander Vinogradov.
Will the transition to digital be paid or free? After all, many apartments and houses in the Novosibirsk region already have digital television, but only through telecommunications companies. Everyone who is connected to digital TV in this way currently pays a subscription fee. Svetlana Gorbunova, Ob - Federal mandatory public channels on the RTRS network (common antenna) are provided free of charge, subject to the presence of a new TV set that supports the digital standard or a special set-top box. In the networks of other operators, the subscriber pays for access to the network. In cities with channels of the first and second multiplex there should be no problems with access to free digital broadcasting. In remote areas, there may be problems with the availability of digital TV. Those who use pay TV services (cable or satellite - no matter which operator) will not be affected.
Will I need a new TV to switch to digital television? Viktor Vasilievich Krotov, Berdsk
To use digital television, you need to have a more or less modern TV. If you bought your TV before 1998, it probably doesn't have a digital tuner. Look at the TV's passport or find information about this model on the Internet. If the inscription DVB-T2 is present, it means it supports it. If there is no number 2, then you are out of luck. You will need to additionally install a special digital set-top box. Most modern TVs support the DVB-T2 broadcast standard, which broadcasts free multiplexes. Where digital broadcasting is not available (remember, this is less than 1.5 percent. - Ed.), you will need to buy the appropriate equipment from satellite TV operators. Therefore, the government's proposed bill on providing broadcasting by satellite operators is being considered. But the subscriber will need to purchase satellite equipment himself and pay for access to the operator’s network.
Is a digital antenna different from a regular analog antenna and will it be necessary to reconfigure the antenna? Ekaterina V., urban settlement Kochenevo
Most modern TVs already support the DVB-T2 broadcast standard, which broadcasts free multiplexes. Therefore, to receive free digital terrestrial television, you just need to purchase a UHF antenna (collective or individual, outdoor or indoor, depending on your living conditions). The cost of a decimeter antenna starts from 300 rubles, a digital set-top box - from 700 rubles. The antenna, set-top box and connecting antenna cable can be purchased at stores that sell consumer electronics. You can understand in what format you are watching the program and whether digital signal adjustment is necessary by looking at the special letter A on the TV screen.
Will residents of the region be able to watch local TV channels broadcast in analogue format? Director of the Novosibirsk Regional Television and Radio Broadcasting Network Sergei Eclair said that at the moment OTS-TV has a license for analogue broadcasting and it has not been revoked. Accordingly, it is planned to continue this broadcasting in full.
At yesterday's press conference at TASS-Siberia, Alexander Otsetsky, director of the RTRS branch Siberian Regional Center, reassured:
There are no forced bans on analogue broadcasting from January 1, 2019 and there will not be any. Our regional channels, which broadcast in Novosibirsk and in a number of areas of the region where there are local television stations, will be able to continue to operate in accordance with existing licenses. For God's sake, no one forbids them to broadcast as the regional television and radio network - OTS. All their transmitters will continue to operate. Retuned TVs show the first digital channels - from the New Year there will be twenty of them, and then there are channels that can be received in “analog”, nothing will change for them. Maybe just the channel order. Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation Alexey Volin states that there are no difficulties or obstacles.
Development of television and radio broadcasting in the Russian Federation for 2009–2015
The transition of terrestrial television broadcasting to digital technologies is the largest infrastructure project in the communications industry in modern Russian history. The global goal of building a digital network is to eliminate information inequality and improve the quality of life of Russians.
In December 2009, the Government of the Russian Federation approved the federal target program “Development of television and radio broadcasting in the Russian Federation for 2009–2015.” The creation of a digital terrestrial television network was entrusted to the federal state unitary enterprise “Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network” (RTRS).
RTRS, in accordance with the Federal Target Program, is building digital networks in 83 regions of Russia.
The digital infrastructure created by RTRS will ensure the broadcast of two packages of digital TV channels (multiplexes): RTRS-1 and RTRS-2. RTRS-1 includes 10 all-Russian compulsory public television channels. The RTRS-2 package consists of 10 popular commercial TV channels. The number of multiplexes may increase in the future.
The Decree of the President of the Russian Federation “On All-Russian Mandatory Public TV Channels and Radio Channels” approved a list of TV channels that are mandatory for distribution throughout the Russian Federation and free for consumers: First channel, Russia 1, Russia 2, NTV, Petersburg-5 channel,Russia-K, Russia 24, Carousel, Public television*.
* Public television of Russia is included in the list of all-Russian mandatory public television channels by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of April 17, 2012.
On April 20, 2013, Vladimir Putin signed Decree No. 367 “On amendments to Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of June 24, 2009 No. 715 “On all-Russian compulsory public television channels and radio channels” and the list approved by this Decree”:
a) in paragraph 2 of the Decree:
from paragraph five of subparagraph “b” the words “as well as regional TV channels in a specific broadcast zone” should be deleted;
from subparagraph “d” the words “which can be used by the federal state unitary enterprise “Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network” also for on-air digital terrestrial broadcast of regional television channels”;
b) Section I of the list should be supplemented with paragraph 10 as follows:
"10. TV CENTER - Moscow (open joint stock company "TV Center").
On December 14, 2012, Roskomnadzor named the TV channels that won the competition for the right to be included in the second digital television package. It will become available throughout Russia without a subscription fee by 2015, and in some regions as early as next year. The winners of the competition were the following channels: "Ren-TV", "Spas", "STS", "Domashny", "Sport 1" VGTRK, "NTV Plus Sport", "Zvezda", "Mir", "TNT", "Muz TV" ".
However, later VGTRK withdrew the Sport TV channel from the package. On November 18, 2013, Roskomnadzor announced that following the results of the competition, the vacant place in the second multiplex was taken by the TV-3 channel.
At this stage, the package of RTRS-2 TV channels looks like this: Ren-TV, Saved, STS,Home, TV-3, NTV Plus Sport, Star, World, TNT, Muz TV.
Upon completion of the implementation of the Federal Target Program, digital television networks will have about 5 thousand broadcasting points.
The share of the population of the Russian Federation that has the opportunity to receive all-Russian mandatory public television channels as part of the first multiplex will be 98.3%.
The share of the population of the Russian Federation that can receive 20 TV channels as part of the first and second multiplexes will be 98%.
The total budget of the Federal Target Program is more than 120 billion rubles. About 90% of these funds are aimed at providing high-quality multi-channel television broadcasting to 40% of the Russian population living in remote and hard-to-reach areas, villages and villages.
In each region of Russia, RTRS opens consultation support centers (CSC) for the population on issues of connecting digital television. Employees of the Central Communications Center provide the viewer with comprehensive information about “digital”, receiving equipment and its settings.