Due to lack of funding, broadcasting of analogue television broadcasts will soon be discontinued. The question of when analogue television will be turned off in Russia, and what it will turn out to be, worries many citizens. We will try to answer it in this article.
What is analog television, and how does it differ from digital?
An analogue system is a system that uses an analog signal to transmit sound and pictures. It can be transmitted by radio waves or by cable. Technically, this is a whole set of signals: about brightness, image color and sound. The output is exactly what we see on our screens.
Digital television uses digital standards to transmit sound and images. Today, most of the leading domestic television channels are already working on them, while duplicating broadcasting on an analog signal. Many countries that have already created a full-fledged digital communications system have completely stopped using analog standards. In the near future, the transition to the "figure" is expected in Russia.
Minister's statement
Recently, the Minister of Telecommunications and Mass Media Nikolay Nikiforov gave an idea of the timing of this transition. According to him, analogue television in Russia will be completely turned off in 2018, since it is at this time that the termination of its financial support is planned. However, Nikiforov himself does not exclude the possibility that independent financing is possible in some regions of the country, which means that some old television channels will remain.
When exactly will the analogue broadcast disconnect in Russia? According to a draft government decree, this will happen by July 1 of next year. Anyone can see this project on a single portal of the Ministry of Communications.
Of course, the television will not be completely turned off, but its format will only change - from analog to digital. And there are good reasons for this.
Why switch to the "number"?
The prerequisites for such a solution in technical terms have developed for a long time. Over the past few years, TV receivers of almost all operators have been released with digital signal support.
In addition, the audience themselves understand the validity of such a choice. Satellite and cable television provides higher quality broadcasts, a wider selection of channels. And the possibilities of smart TV are very wide. See for yourself: more than 10 million people have already connected the Tricolor satellite, and 20 million viewers have chosen cable TV.
To maintain analog television in such conditions is simply becoming economically disadvantageous for the television channels themselves. Therefore, they also strive to change the broadcast format with all their might.
Change of formats in Russia and abroad
In the last decade, many European countries have begun to change the broadcast format of the main television channels. Since 2006, the inhabitants of the Netherlands have switched to digital standards, a year later the Swedes and Finns joined them.
Since 2009, digital channels have been operating in Germany, Denmark and Norway. They were followed by Great Britain and Poland. When analogue television in Russia is turned off, our country will join this list. It is expected that the border regions will be the first to get rid of the outdated broadcasting system - there are 26 in all.
When and how should the transition take place?
According to current standards, in order to fully switch to digital television broadcasting, the population must be provided with this type of signal by at least 95%.
Earlier, Dmitry Medvedev, when he was still the President of the country, said that by 2015 there will be a complete transition to digital television. He emphasized that this will be a key factor on the path to technological modernization. In addition, turning off analog television was supposed to free up the frequencies that the new channel package - multiplex - would occupy. However, it was not possible to complete the transition process by 2015, and the question of when the analogue television was turned off in Russia remained unresolved.
Largely also because some citizens simply could not afford to buy set-top boxes for digital television. However, the regional authorities have undertaken the solution to the problem and are ready to assist in subsidizing.
Even after the analogue broadcasting in Russia is turned off, citizens will still have free access to the main television channels in digital format. Among them are NTV, Culture, Russia-1 and 2, Bibigon and popularly beloved Channel One.
What do ordinary users need to know?
Many people care about the question of whether it is possible to receive a new television signal on old televisions. Indeed, outdated equipment only works with analog standards. To switch to digital broadcasting, you will have to buy a set-top box with a special decryption module. However, if you have a new model TV purchased after 2008, it most likely already supports digital standards, and no additional equipment is needed.
Analog television differs from digital in the way the signal is distributed. If earlier it was transmitted to a conventional antenna, then modern standards provide for the transmission of a signal through a cable or satellite connection. That is, analogue television in Russia will soon be completely turned off, and you will need to either lay the cable directly into the apartment, or install a satellite dish. The last option will be the only way out for a summer residence or if you live in a small village.
And yet, when will analog television be turned off in Russia?
To date, the year 2018 is called the final deadline for the transition to the "figure". Prior to this, it was already planned to begin this process in 2015 and to complete it by 2016. But the situation was complicated by economic shocks in the country, which delayed the construction of the necessary infrastructures.
However, it is difficult to name a specific date, since in each region it will most likely be its own. The criterion, again, is the number of people capable of receiving only an analog signal. When they remain less than 5% of the total, this will be a clear sign that the region is ready for the transition to digital standards. Nikolai Nikiforov emphasized that 2018 is the final figure, and after that the analog broadcast will be completely disabled.