U.S. television broadcasters have had quite a ride over the past few years with completion of their lengthy transition to digital transmission, policy and legal wrangling over the future use of spectrum and a rather erratic launch of mobile DTV.
Faced with such significant challenges, it's easy to lose a bit of perspective and fail to realize that much of the rest of world — some 70 percent of nations — still transmit analog TV. Many are at the beginning of the process of planning for their digital transitions.
A new report from the DTC Digital TV Transition Group lays out the transition status of broadcasters worldwide as well as the issues they must consider as they move forward. Myra Moore, founder of the group and an authority on the digital transition, consults with broadcasters and governments to help guide them through the transition process.
In this podcast interview, Moore discusses what lessons broadcasters around the world can learn for the U.S. transition experience, current thinking about allocating spectrum for HD, SD and mobile service and whether or not making the transition to digital terrestrial television is a net positive for broadcasters.