(20 June 2007 2:41 pm)

SINGAPORE: Digitalisation allows for streamlining operations and enhances ability to manage content assets.

This was the focus of Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) director, technical department Wayne Heads' address this morning at BroadcastAsia.

Showcasing the status of technology deployment in a number of key countries in the region, Heads said digitalisation significantly improved services to the viewer like interactivity. In radio, there is also an enhancement in existing services like HD Radio. There are also new services in new frequency bands with DAB, ISDB-TSB & satellite radio.

New platforms are coming up with internet radio and mobile phones. Enhanced analogue is happening with Visual Radio. Many radio stations like AMP (Astro), Media Corp Radio, RTM, RNZ, KBS, TRT, IRIB, RTB, NHK are fully digital.

However progress is slow in terms of transmission and receivers are the main inhibitor to progress.

There are a few operations underway for the standards DAB, DAB+, DRM, DRM+, HD Radio. While Singapore is going for DAB, Australia will go for the DAB+ standard.

In television, digital standards are settling down. DVB-T is leading the way in Asia. The Asean countries will adopt DVB-T which could be a major step forward.

MPEG-4 AVC will help in the compression process.

In terms of studio development, there has been major deployment of non-linear editing systems for post production and newsrooms by most major and medium size broadcasters. Many have digitalised transmission playout like TVNZ in New Zealand. However progress in terms of comprehensive asset management systems, has been slow to come as costs are high. HD compatible equipment is increasingly becoming the norm but the debate still continues over extra costs.

As far as mobile TV goes, it is getting introduced in Korea and Japan. But there is a battle of the systems - DMB -T/S, DVB-H, MediaFlo. China, Indonesia, Malaysia and others are running trials and planning to implement this. Regulators in some countries are allowing the market to decide the system. Though receivers are expensive, variety of choice is available in the market. Content developments for small screen are on the rise and this is also being driven by 3G.

In terms of media on the internet, internet radio is underway.

iPOD audio content is offered. TV content downloads are on offer but copyright is a concern. The feasibility of P2P and multicasting is being studied in some countries.

IPTV over broadband is taking place in Korea. What is hampering digitsation in Asia is that many countries have hardly started planning their digitalisation unlike Australia, US and the UK. While there is a long way to go, Asian broadcasters in many countries are embracing the new ecosystem.