February 2014
Overseas Research
In developed countries in Europe and North America as well as in East Asia, “digital switchover,” or the full-transition from analog to digital terrestrial TV broadcasting, was completed in 2012. Taking note of this milestone in the industry, the authors review the current broadcasting situations in seven countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Republic of Korea, focusing on the media usage and actual services as well as the utilization of radio waves after the termination of analog broadcasting in each country.
Against the backdrop of the explosive popularization of the Internet and mobile devices, all of the seven nations now have Internet distribution services of TV content which are operated by existing broadcasters via communication network. However, despite such changes in the media environment, the center of TV viewing still involves people who enjoy watching television in real time in the living room of their houses.
NHK, Japan’s public service broadcaster, has been working on Hybridcast as a key focus of its new service initiatives. There are three similar services in Europe: HbbTV in Germany and France, YouView in the UK, and Tivù On in Italy. Although their common purpose is to provide catch-up service after broadcasts via communication network, there seems to be a difference in priority: HbbTV focuses on interactive services linked to TV channels and ongoing TV programs while YouView provides access to TV programs on all channels, whether they were aired in the past or in the present.
Regarding the utilization of radio waves after the termination of analog broadcasting, all of the seven countries are considering the use of radio waves for wireless broadband services, demand for which is growing. European priority, however, is to make all terrestrial broadcasts high-definition. Meanwhile, the countries that currently draw a roadmap for the introduction of ultra-high definition television such as 4K and 8K, as Japan does, are only France and Korea.