BREAKING. e.tv and M-Net seems to be fighting with each other over the functionality of the set top box for digital terrestrial television (DTT).

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More details are slowly coming to light and it's now becoming clear that the free-to-air commercial broadcaster e.tv and the SABC on the one hand, and pay TV operator M-Net on the other are seemingly fighting and disagreeing with each other regarding digital terrestrial television (DTT) in South Africa - specifically regarding the functionality of the set top boxes (STBs) and the controversial issue of STB Control, or encryption for the past 8 months already.

Yesterday I wrote RIGHT HERE how the department of communications told parliament that M-Net objected to the set top box control system. Nobody explained exactly why.

Now Lara Kantor, senior e.tv executive shed more light on this when she told parliament that ''the key worry is about the functionality issue. That's a worry.''

''As long as we have objections from the pay TV operator [M-Net] on the functionality of the free-to-air box, we are unable to finalize that standard to progress in a meaningful way, and launch the free-to-air platform.''

e.tv and M-Net will be sharing Multiplex 2 on DTT, so the two broadcasters have to agree on things like the network operator and the configuration of that Multiplex. Because M-Net is part of the same work group, M-Net also gets a say on the free-to-air STB.

''The one red light is the disagreement on STB Control which is hampering the process,'' said Lara Kantor.

''M-Net has two arguments. One argument is that they don't believe the STB should have any mechanisms that prevents access to the TV signal,'' Marcel Golding, group CEO of e.tv told parliament. ''The second point is they believe with encryption added the boxes will be too expensive.''

''We believe that in the long term having an appropriate STB that meets the requirements of the 21st century is appropriate. And why should working people not have an appropriate box?''

ALSO READ: e.tv on free-to-air set top box control for DTT: ''We do not have any direct benefit from this system. We appeal for finality on this matter.''
ALSO READ: e.tv on digital terrestrial television (DTT) in South Africa: ''Our greatest challenge lies before us''; needs DTT ''for our own survival''.

BREAKING. e.tv on digital terrestrial television (DTT) in South Africa: 'Our greatest challenge lies before us'; needs DTT 'for our own survival'.

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South Africa's free-to-air commercial broadcaster e.tv told South Africa's parliament today that digital terrestrial television (DTT) is the greatest challenge the 13 year old broadcaster has ever faced and that the DTT platform, due to multiple delays,  has had its credibility damaged before it has even had a chance to launch.

''e.tv has had many challenges over its 13 years of existence, but we believe our greatest challenge lies before us - and that is the compulsory migration to DTT,'' Lara Kantor, senior e.tv executive told parliament's portfolio committee on communications today.

''South African DTT has already seen multiple delays since 2008 when we were first supposed to launch this service,'' Lara Kantor told parliament. ''There have been implications because of those delays''.

''The project has lost momentum and the platform has had its credibility damaged even before its had a change to launch and establish itself in the mind of consumers. The broadcasting environment in South Africa has become more competitive - especially in the area of pay TV which also has grown significantly and that will make it harder for the DTT platform to establish itself,'' Lara Kantor said.

''Three out of every four South Africans rely on free-to-air television. That means that three out of every four South Africans will need access to a free-to-air DTT set top box (STB) before analogue transmissions can be switched off. Given the growth that we've seen in the satellite market in the last few years, free-to-air broadcasters need DTT to succeed for our own future survival. We have an interest in ensuring that the platform is strong.''


ALSO READ: e.tv and M-Net seems to be fighting with each other over the encryption functionality of the free-to-air set top box control for digital terrestrial television (DTT).
ALSO READ: e.tv on free-to-air set top box control: ''We do not have any direct benefit from this system. We appeal for finality on this matter.''

BREAKING. SABC wants funding of R1,6 billion for TV content, R90 million for marketing and R145 million for master control centre for DTT.

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The South African public broadcaster wants R1,6 billion in funding for the South African government for TV content for the SABC's digital terrestrial television (DTT) roll-out, another R90 million for marketing of DTT, and another R145 million for a new digital master control centre over the next 3 years.

The SABC has asked for this funding for the next 3 years as the public broadcaster is preparing, together with the other broadcasters, to switch from an analogue to a digital broadcasting environment in the country, a process known as digital migration.

''Basically over the course of the 3 years, - 2013, 2014 and 2015 - content cost is in the region of R1,6 billion,'' Richard Waghorn, the SABC's chief technology officer told parliament today. ''That's excluding the SABC Sport channel and the new 24 hour news channel.''

''In terms fo the infrastructure for marketing for DTT it's in the region of R90 million, again over 3 years,'' he said. ''The cost of the SABC's digital playout centre is R145 million including the new master control centre.''

''Those are the three requests we've put in to the NTF. The content cost is for 15 TV channels and that's over 3 years. That would also include the cost of some of the elements like some of the subtitling and some other e-services as well,'' Richard Waghorn said.

BREAKING. SA's Set top box Control for digital terrestrial television (DTT) will be video scrambled; will be to protect STB manufacturing industry.

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The controversial set top box (STB) control that the government now wants in STBs for digital terrestrial television for South Africa when the country moves to digital terrestrial television (DTT) will be video scrambling of TV signals.

The South African government now also claims that it wants STB Control to protect the local STB manufacturing industry. This means that the South African government places manufacturers' ''rights'' higher than the rights of free access to information of ordinary South African citizens.

''The encryption is [what is known as] STB Control. It's one and the same,'' Richard Waghorn, the SABC's chief technology officer explained to parliament today, after the shocking relevation yesterday in parliament that the department of communication wants to include STB Control, or encryption in the decoders to control access to the free-to-air TV signals.

''The SABC was written to by the department of communications at the beginning of March, asking the SABC as well as the other free-to-air broadcaster to start the process of procuring a vendor for the STB Control system. As a result of STB Control, the TV signal will then be video scrambled,'' said Richard Waghorn.

Richard Waghorn told parliament that ''the rationale for STB Control is to protect and to encourage the STB manufacturing industry in South Africa''.

''By having that technology in the box, it means that the STB's can't be taken out of South Africa or across the borders. STB Control is the encryption system. There's different kinds of encryption, and that's where we currently are. This is something that was discussed at the minister's governance board a the end of August and something we need to have further discussions about.''

ALSO READ: South African government wants digital TV control with DTT; M-Net objects to the set top box control system.

BREAKING. South African broadcasters SABC, e.tv and M-Net creating two joint ventures for digital terrestrial television (DTT).

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I can break the news that digital terrestrial television (DTT) in South Africa is going to lead to the creation of two new joint ventures between South African broadcasters to manage certain aspects.

The first joint venture will be between the SABC, e.tv and M-Net to create a platform management joint venture. This first joint venture between all three the broadcasters in South Africa will look after creating and consolidating the service information that drives the electronic programme guide (EPG) for instance, and which will be integrated into the STB for all the TV channels.

The second joint venture will be one between the SABC and e.tv to establish a brand-new, South African free-to-air broadcasters' association. Can we talk about acronyms already? FABA? FBA? Whatever this association is called, this joint venture will start out between the SABC and e.tv. However, any other free-to-air broadcasters (that joint the DTT platform in future) could join.

South Africa's free-to-air broadcasters' association will be responsible for the marketing of the free-to-air brand, which I've revealed will be known as Multiview. This association of the SABC and e.tv will also work together to development the user-interface as well as promoting the product offering, for instance the 18 new TV channels of the SABC and e.tv's DTT channel grouping.

BREAKING. The SABC's planned new 24 hour news channel will broadcast in all 11 official languages; include doccies, breaking news.

The SABC's planned new 24 hour news channel will broadcast in all 11 official South African languages and include talk shows, documentaries, news bulletins, breaking and live news coverage.

''The news channel will be in all official languages, featuring live news, news bulletins, features, discussion programmes and documentary coverage,'' Lumko Mtimde, chairperson of the technology committee of the SABC board told the South African parliament today.

The 24 hour news channel will be one of the 18 TV channels the SABC plans to launch as part of the South African public broadcaster's digital terrestrial television (DTT) offering.


ALSO READ: SABC wants to spend R288,9 million over the next 3 years on the SABC's new 24 hour news channel News24.
ALSO READ: More background on the SABC's new 24 hour news channel, News24, from the National Treasury report in parliament.
ALSO READ: After missing its 1 April 2011 starting date, the SABC's new proposed 24 hour news channel News24 will likely also miss its new starting date of 1 October 2011.
ALSO READ: SABC sees its new 24 hour news channelreferred to as News24, as a key driver of the broadcaster's turnaround strategy.

BREAKING. SABC to launch its digital terrestrial television (DTT) offering from April 2012; busy digitising playout suites.

The SABC will launch its digital terrestrial television (DTT) service in April 2012 the public broadcaster told parliament today which will consist of 18 TV channels - 17 TV channels and one interactive video service channel - and 18 SABC radio stations plus Channel Africa.

''We foresee that with DTT every household within our coverage will receive 18 TV channels – 17 linear TV channels and one interactive video service channel, including SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 – 18 SABC radio stations plus Channel Africa,'' Lumko Mtimde, chairperson of the technology committee of the SABC board, told parliament.

ALSO READ: TOLDJA! SABC planning to broadcast 18 TV channels and all its radio services when it starts digital terrestrial television (DTT) services.

The estimated 11 million TV households in South Africa will have to buy a set top box (STB) when the South African TV broadcasting industry switch from analogue to digital broadcasting, a process known as digital migration.

''The SABC's DTT coverage was according to our earlier targets expected to reach 74% of the population, but we understand after discussions that we may have to revise that target to 70% coverage by April 2012, 84% by April 2013, and 92% by December 2013,'' said Lumko Mtimde.

''The SABC has devised a channel line-up that for instance include the following channels: a health channel, sport, education and SMME channel and children's channel. The other possible channels are the 24 hour news channel. We're also supposed to have two regional channels, a regional north channel and regional south channel, and certainly in terms of the opportunity presented by DTT we will be able to add those regional channels into our bouquet,'' Lumko Mtimde said.

''The SABC will also use the functionality of DTT to provide the following services: closed captioning (on-screen subtitles) in multiple languages that can be accessed by the set top box's remote control, multiple language soundtracks up to four different audio tracks which can be provided per programme, audio description to provide contextual information in programmes, interactive applications which will assist with e-government services,'' Lumko Mtimde told parliament.

''The SABC is on track and we're making good progress,'' Richard Waghorn, the SABC's chief technology officer said. ''The SABC is working and preparing for a soft launch of DTT in April 2012. We will have content ready for April 2012 for a soft launch.''

He said that the SABC worked under the assumption that ''the full channel line-up that we have, is subject to funding [from government]''.

''The SABC's intention is also not to make all of TV channels available at the launch of DTT immediately. The availability of STBs will still be very small. The intention is to ramp up the launch of channels as STBs increases within the market. We will have a phased launch in the market through the following two to three years,'' Richard Waghorn told parliament.

The SABC's DVB-T2 trial will also be extended to Cape Town in early 2012 in advance of the April 2012 soft launch window of DTT.

The SABC is currently also upgrading all the public broadcaster's play out centres, called final control centres (FCC). They're all being digitised with SABC1 which just went operational.

''Over the course of the next few months we're digitising the remaining three playout suites so that they will be fully digital by March 2012. Then we will have a full digital playout chain. Our existing master control room will also be digitised. That infrastructure will be ready by early March 2013,'' Richard Waghorn said.

BREAKING. Consumers to pay even more for DTT in South Africa; government says weak digital TV signal will need new antennas as well.

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The bill is fast mounting for ordinary South African TV viewers for whom the cost is steadily increasing to get digital television: I can reveal that South Africa's 11 million TV households will also need to buy a new antenna besides just a set top box (STB) during the country's switch-over from analogue to digital broadcasting – because the digital signal will be ''too weak''. That will cost another R110 for over half of the TV households, besides the R700 per STB.

ALSO READ: The government finally confirmed what I've already spilled RIGHT HERE earlier - that new antennas will also be needed.

While millions of South Africans will have to cough up an estimated R700 to buy a STB for South Africa's TV switch-over, a process known as digital migration, the department of communications is now saying that new antennas will also be needed. That will cost another R110 for most viewers. Add another R31 ($4) if the government adds an encryption system, or so-called STB Control, into the box so that the government can control who gets the signal and prevent STBs from being used outside of South Africa. This means that the STB price has just shot up to a new estimated price of R840 per STB which the majority of South Africans will have to pay in full.

Meanwhile the government has said that only the poorest of South African households will receive a subsidy to buy a STB but has given no indication yet of how the subsidy will work, how it will determine which households qualify, and what the subsidy amount will be. The rest of households will have to fork out the full amount to switch to digital terrestrial television (DTT) when broadcasters start moving to a digital broadcasting system.

The department of communications dropped a bombshell in parliament and told the portfolio committee on communications matter-of-factly that ''60% of South African TV owning households will require a (new) outdoor antenna; 40% will require an indoor antenna, depending on the strength of the signal. 'We have not catered for that when we dealt with the issue of the subsidy. There is a need for us as government to ensure that people have the right antenna to get the signal.''

The department said an outdoor antenna will cost an estimated R110 and an indoor antenna will cost R45.

This is going to balloon the overall cost of DTT in South Africa, increasing the financial burden on ordinary consumer and TV viewers. The department did a cost analysis for DTT in 2006 and determined that the entire programme of digital migration would cost South Africa R4,2 billion if the migration happened within the three year period for broadcasters, signal distributors, industry and consumers. ''The cost needs to be updated,'' the department said.

''If one could do with just (indoor) antennas or do away with antennas that would have been the ideal situation,'' the department told parliament. ''Unfortunately in practice this is not possible because we are using the Sentech network. The Sentech network was designed for analogue television. The network is not dense enough to enable the (digital) signal to be strong enough to provide coverage using indoor antennas only. We're sitting with an unfortunate situation whereby certain viewers need to outdoor antennas. If we were to try and implement a system for everybody to use indoor antennas, it would mean building a substantial number of transmitting stations. This would not only have cost implications but also for the digital migration timelines involved.''


ALSO READ: South African government wants digital TV control with DTT; M-Net objects to the set top box control system.
ALSO READ: Is M-Net being held back from launching its digital terrestrial television (DTT) offering?
ALSO READ: Marketing and information on South Africa's digital terrestrial television (DTT) migration process an utter disaster. Here's why.
ALSO READ: For DTT, the South African government wants a ''consortium'' of local manufacturers to produce set top boxes (STBs).

BREAKING. South African government wants digital TV control with DTT; M-Net objects to the set top box control system.

The South African government wants to control television in the country, specifically control of the access control mechanism once television broadcasting switches from analogue to digital broadcasting or digital terrestrial television (DTT).

Not only is the government considering a conditional access system – or encryption – for the set top boxes (STBs), the government also wants to own the system of access control. Meanwhile M-Net has objected against encryption for non- pay TV in South Africa. The encryption or so-called STB Control addition will add another R31 to the estimated STB price of R700 that South African viewers will have to cough up.

There are no examples of any terrestrial public broadcast services or commercial free-to-air broadcast on DTT being encrypted elsewhere in the world.

''Who should own the system of access control?'' asked the minister of communications Roy Padayachie yesterday in parliament while discussing DTT. ''In the way the process has unfolded, the responsibility to decide on these questions was left to the broadcasters. The current state of play in the world is that the ownership of the system must be in the hands of the state and not in the hands of the existing broadcasters. If it is in the hands of the state, we would then ensure that new broadcasters can enter the terrain as the broadcasting landscape changes and that new entrants will not be particularly disadvantaged in the future,'' Roy Padayachie said.

South African TV households will have to buy a STB to continue to receive broadcasting signals and TV channels when South Africa starts the switch to DTT known as digital migration. The government has said the switch-over is to start in earnest from April 2012. That's when broadcasters e.tv, the SABC and M-Net will all launch more digital TV channels as a switch-over incentive for viewers, while continuing to broadcast their current analogue channels. That process known as ''dual illumination'' will continue until December 2013 according to the government, when the old analogue signal will be switched off. The SABC and e.tv will call their combined new DTT offering Multiview with the SABC that will have 18 digital TV channels.

The South African government is now again raising the highly-controversial access control system and so-called STB Control. The amended Broadcasting Digital Migration Policy of August 2011 calls for STBs with STB Control that would ''enable addressable messaging and the ability to turn off lost or stolen decoders''. Meanwhile the SABC and e.tv that in 2008 objected to the encryption of free-to-air services now suddenly want STB Control in a seemingly about-face. The SABC and e.tv have recently jointly issued a tender for the provision of STB Control solutions.

While the requirements seem reasonable, this functionality could have far reaching implications for broadcasters, TV viewers and would give sweeping power to whoever controls this mechanism. This will give the government the power to turn STBs on and off – enabling the government to decide when to allow or cut TV channels coming through the device. The government has already had one meeting with e.tv, the SABC and M-Net together regarding STB Control. M-Net objected to the set top box control system, the department of communications told parliament on Tuesday.

STB Control that encrypts video and audio content would effectively end true public free-to-air broadcasting in South Africa as it's known today. STB Control could be used to disable homes that do not have a paid-up TV license. That would result in more than half of all South African television households being cut off and no longer having access to any television services, although the government currently claims it wouldn't do that.

STB Control will have to be built into STBs and will raise the cost of the box. ''The cost of encryption will add another $4 to the STB, largely due to royalty that must be paid to the technology company that wins the reward of encryption,'' Roy Padayachie said. ''We're discussing that with e.tv, SABC, MultiChoice and Sentech.''

STB Control would also cost the viewer more money long after the initial STB purchase. Consumers would have to call to activate and reactivate STB Control, must have a telephone and money to pay for calls. STB Control would mean that STBs will only work within South Africa.

According to policy STBs must be made locally. It will be an incentive to manufacturers since grey imports would be useless. An SABS approved STB will have to be bought in South Africa which will automatically be disabled if taken outside borders. STB Control will also enable address traceability and also allow for stolen STBs to be disabled.

''STB Control would negatively impact on the ability of the South Africa viewing pubic and vulnerable groups in particular to access free to air television services,'' wrote Gerhard Petrick, an engineer and DTT expert and a former councillor of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa).


ALSO READ: Is M-Net being held back from launching its digital terrestrial television (DTT) offering?
ALSO READ: Marketing and information on South Africa's digital terrestrial television (DTT) migration process an utter disaster. Here's why!
ALSO READ: For DTT, the South African government wants a ''consortium'' of local manufacturers to produce set top boxes (STBs).