Digital broadcasts burdensome for low-income households
Published on | Source
By Yoon Ja-young
Hong Sun-jeong, a housewife, has been watching a 28-inch Sony TV for more than 10 years. She had no problem watching it and she didn't subscribe to cable or satellite broadcasts services. From the end of next year, however, she won't be able to watch it without buying a digital converter.
The government plans conversion to digital broadcasts from analog at the end of next year. This means analogue broadcasts will stop at 4 a.m., Dec. 31, 2012.
The government is moving to make the transition to digital from analog beneficial. As digital broadcasts are better received than the analog format, viewers will enjoy better quality. Images will be clearer, in high-definition and the screen will be wider _ the ratio of width and the length will be 16 to 9, while that of an analog TV is four to three. It offers sound quality as good as that of CDs, while analog broadcasts are comparable to an FM radio listening. As digital broadcasts offers caption and audio services, senior citizens or people with disabilities will be able to better enjoy TV programs as well.
The most notable feature of digital broadcasts lies in two-way transmission. Viewers can participate in quiz programs or enjoy TV commerce and home banking by using a return channel. By using an electronic program guide, one can check TV schedules for the next week by simply pressing a button on the remote control.
The government also expects digital broadcasts will create many jobs in new sectors such as production of high definition programs.
Terrestrial broadcasters started sending digital broadcast signals from 2001, and they have also been converting their facilities to digital little by little. Currently, however, everybody can watch TV as broadcasters send both digital and analog signals.
Who can't watch TV?
However, there are some people who will be deprived of TV viewing. Those who have digital TVs have no problem. Those who have analog TVs but have subscribed to paid TV services such as cable, satellite, or IPTV can also continue watching TV as these service companies will accommodate analog TV owners. Those who have analog TVs and have directly received terrestrial broadcast signals without subscribing to cables, satellites, or IPTVs are ones facing the problem. They need to either buy digital TVs, or subscribe to paid TV services, or add a digital convertor.
However, all of them cost money. The cheapest solution among the three _ adding a digital convertor to an old analog TV _ would cost around 100,000 won. Even if these analog TV owners buy convertors or even subscribe to paid TV services to enjoy digital broadcasts, the images will be distorted as the ratio of the length and the width of the screen is different for digital and analog broadcasts.
Digital gap
It is natural that those with greater income and higher levels of education tend to have more digital devices. According to a survey by TNmS, a TV rating monitoring company, 66.6 percent of those who have college degrees or above had digital TV sets. Among those whose education ended at middle school or below, only one out in three had digital TV. In terms of income, 76.2 percent of households with over 5 million won a month had digital TVs, while only 30.9 percent of those with less than 1 million won in income had the privilege.
Hence, some fear that the economic burden resulting from the conversion to digital broadcasts may leave the less privileged without TV sets to enjoy the latest technology. A survey by the Nielsen Company in the United States showed that TV set ownership fell to 96.7 percent of households from the previous 98.9 percent and the company explained that low-income households could not afford digital TVs and antennas.
In an effort to help overcome economic or physical problems relating to the conversion, the government is devising a measure to provide them with subsidies to secure digital TV service. It is planning to provide 100,000 won or digital convertors for the underprivileged who have only analog TV sets and haven't subscribed to paid TV services, but the number of the beneficiaries is estimated at just slightly over 300,000. Many of the households who have subscribed to analog cable services, which is cheaper than digital cable services, will not be able to get the support from the government.
Cable service companies, which have to convert their service to digital, are also complaining that the government should give them some financial support.
While satellite services or IPTVs send digital signals, cable services started with the analog format. Some started offering digital services, but the conversion is costly. "The initial cost was huge for us as we offered digital broadcasts from the beginning, but we have no additional cost for digital conversion. Cable companies had little initial cost for their analog services, but the cost of digitalization is going to be huge", said a spokesperson for KT SkyLife, the country's satellite broadcaster.
디지털방송 저소득층에게는 짐일뿐
가정주부인 홍선정씨는 28인치 소니 TV를 10년 넘게 보았다. 보는데 아무 문제가 없었고, 케이블방송이나 위성방송에 가입하지도 않았다. 하지만 내년말부터는 디지털 컨버터 없이는 TV를 볼 수 없다.
정부는 내년 말 아날로그 방송을 디지털방송으로 전환을 계획하고 있다. 즉, 2012년 12월 31일 오전 4시부터는 아날로그 방송은 종료된다.
정부는 아날로그에서 디지털로의 전환이 유용하게 만들려 한다. 디지털방송이 아날로그방식보다 수신이 좋으므로 시청자들은 양질의 서비스를 즐길 수 있다. 영상이 선명하고, 고화질이며 화면이 광폭이다 가로와 세로의 비율이 16대 9이다. 반면, 아날로그 TV 비율은 4대 3이다. 디지털방송은 CD와 같은 음질을 제공하지만 아날로그방송은 FM라디오와 비슷하다. 디지털방송은 캡션과 오디오 해설도 제공하므로, 노인이나 장애가 있는 이들도 TV프로그램을 더 잘 즐길 수 있다.
디지털방송의 가장 주목할만한 특징은 양방향 전송에 있다. 역방향 채널을 통해 시청자들이 퀴즈에 참여하거나 전자상거래, 홈뱅킹을 사용할 수 있다. 전자프로그램가이드를 사용해, 리모트컨트롤의 버튼을 누르기만 해도 다음주의 프로그램 편성표를 확인할 수 있다.
정부는 HD 프로그램 제작과 같은 신분야에서 일자리가 창출될 것도 기대하고 있다.
지상파 방송들은 2001년부터 디지털방송신호를 보내기 시작했으며 장비들도 디지털로 교체해왔다. 현재로서는 방송사들이 디지털과 아날로그 신호 둘다 송출하므로 누구나 TV를 볼 수 있다.
Hong Sun-jeong, a housewife, has been watching a 28-inch Sony TV for more than 10 years. She had no problem watching it and she didn't subscribe to cable or satellite broadcasts services. From the end of next year, however, she won't be able to watch it without buying a digital converter.
The government plans conversion to digital broadcasts from analog at the end of next year. This means analogue broadcasts will stop at 4 a.m., Dec. 31, 2012.
The government is moving to make the transition to digital from analog beneficial. As digital broadcasts are better received than the analog format, viewers will enjoy better quality. Images will be clearer, in high-definition and the screen will be wider _ the ratio of width and the length will be 16 to 9, while that of an analog TV is four to three. It offers sound quality as good as that of CDs, while analog broadcasts are comparable to an FM radio listening. As digital broadcasts offers caption and audio services, senior citizens or people with disabilities will be able to better enjoy TV programs as well.
The most notable feature of digital broadcasts lies in two-way transmission. Viewers can participate in quiz programs or enjoy TV commerce and home banking by using a return channel. By using an electronic program guide, one can check TV schedules for the next week by simply pressing a button on the remote control.
The government also expects digital broadcasts will create many jobs in new sectors such as production of high definition programs.
Terrestrial broadcasters started sending digital broadcast signals from 2001, and they have also been converting their facilities to digital little by little. Currently, however, everybody can watch TV as broadcasters send both digital and analog signals.
Who can't watch TV?
However, there are some people who will be deprived of TV viewing. Those who have digital TVs have no problem. Those who have analog TVs but have subscribed to paid TV services such as cable, satellite, or IPTV can also continue watching TV as these service companies will accommodate analog TV owners. Those who have analog TVs and have directly received terrestrial broadcast signals without subscribing to cables, satellites, or IPTVs are ones facing the problem. They need to either buy digital TVs, or subscribe to paid TV services, or add a digital convertor.
However, all of them cost money. The cheapest solution among the three _ adding a digital convertor to an old analog TV _ would cost around 100,000 won. Even if these analog TV owners buy convertors or even subscribe to paid TV services to enjoy digital broadcasts, the images will be distorted as the ratio of the length and the width of the screen is different for digital and analog broadcasts.
Digital gap
It is natural that those with greater income and higher levels of education tend to have more digital devices. According to a survey by TNmS, a TV rating monitoring company, 66.6 percent of those who have college degrees or above had digital TV sets. Among those whose education ended at middle school or below, only one out in three had digital TV. In terms of income, 76.2 percent of households with over 5 million won a month had digital TVs, while only 30.9 percent of those with less than 1 million won in income had the privilege.
Hence, some fear that the economic burden resulting from the conversion to digital broadcasts may leave the less privileged without TV sets to enjoy the latest technology. A survey by the Nielsen Company in the United States showed that TV set ownership fell to 96.7 percent of households from the previous 98.9 percent and the company explained that low-income households could not afford digital TVs and antennas.
In an effort to help overcome economic or physical problems relating to the conversion, the government is devising a measure to provide them with subsidies to secure digital TV service. It is planning to provide 100,000 won or digital convertors for the underprivileged who have only analog TV sets and haven't subscribed to paid TV services, but the number of the beneficiaries is estimated at just slightly over 300,000. Many of the households who have subscribed to analog cable services, which is cheaper than digital cable services, will not be able to get the support from the government.
Cable service companies, which have to convert their service to digital, are also complaining that the government should give them some financial support.
While satellite services or IPTVs send digital signals, cable services started with the analog format. Some started offering digital services, but the conversion is costly. "The initial cost was huge for us as we offered digital broadcasts from the beginning, but we have no additional cost for digital conversion. Cable companies had little initial cost for their analog services, but the cost of digitalization is going to be huge", said a spokesperson for KT SkyLife, the country's satellite broadcaster.
디지털방송 저소득층에게는 짐일뿐
가정주부인 홍선정씨는 28인치 소니 TV를 10년 넘게 보았다. 보는데 아무 문제가 없었고, 케이블방송이나 위성방송에 가입하지도 않았다. 하지만 내년말부터는 디지털 컨버터 없이는 TV를 볼 수 없다.
정부는 내년 말 아날로그 방송을 디지털방송으로 전환을 계획하고 있다. 즉, 2012년 12월 31일 오전 4시부터는 아날로그 방송은 종료된다.
정부는 아날로그에서 디지털로의 전환이 유용하게 만들려 한다. 디지털방송이 아날로그방식보다 수신이 좋으므로 시청자들은 양질의 서비스를 즐길 수 있다. 영상이 선명하고, 고화질이며 화면이 광폭이다 가로와 세로의 비율이 16대 9이다. 반면, 아날로그 TV 비율은 4대 3이다. 디지털방송은 CD와 같은 음질을 제공하지만 아날로그방송은 FM라디오와 비슷하다. 디지털방송은 캡션과 오디오 해설도 제공하므로, 노인이나 장애가 있는 이들도 TV프로그램을 더 잘 즐길 수 있다.
디지털방송의 가장 주목할만한 특징은 양방향 전송에 있다. 역방향 채널을 통해 시청자들이 퀴즈에 참여하거나 전자상거래, 홈뱅킹을 사용할 수 있다. 전자프로그램가이드를 사용해, 리모트컨트롤의 버튼을 누르기만 해도 다음주의 프로그램 편성표를 확인할 수 있다.
정부는 HD 프로그램 제작과 같은 신분야에서 일자리가 창출될 것도 기대하고 있다.
지상파 방송들은 2001년부터 디지털방송신호를 보내기 시작했으며 장비들도 디지털로 교체해왔다. 현재로서는 방송사들이 디지털과 아날로그 신호 둘다 송출하므로 누구나 TV를 볼 수 있다.
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