Digital television in Japan continues to experience steady migration from analog. Broadcast satellite (Bsat or BS) television is under parallel operation between analog and digital services. The digital service with HDTV capacity launched in December 2000, and increased the content offering with more TV channels, datacast channels, and digital audio. After several years of operating losses, the five commercial Bsat channels respectively controlled by the terrestrial (broadcast TV) networks are gradually finding their businesses improve as a greater viewer base justifies higher ad media rates; the proporation of HD programming aired remains far below any positive description, however.
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Communication satellite (Csat or CS) television is consolidated around a single platform: SkyPerfecTV. The latest competing platform Plat-One merged with SkyP on March 1, 2004. SkyPerfecTV beams its main service from 124 and 128 degrees E. Longitude, and "e2," its renamed secondary service from 110 degrees E., the same look angle as the Bsat services. In autumn 2004 SkyPerfect began offering its first HD programming on the "e2" service, but government and private opinion are suggesting the need to enable HD on the main service as well. SkyPerfect added two more HD channels on "e2" in May 2006.
Digital terrestrial broadcasting with full HDTV capacity launched on Dec. 1, 2003. As of December 2006, over-the-air reception for digital terrrestrial service has penetrated all major urban areas: Sapporo, Tokyo-Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka-Kobe-Nagoya, and Fukuoka-Kita Kyushu. In addition, signal availability has extended to all prefectural seats. Both digital Bsat and digital terrestrial services have specifications that include HDTV.
The growing popularity in large wide-screen TV sets has provided a favorable opportunity for Japan to migrate consumers to DTT. Buyers of replacement TV sets are regularly opting for units that contain tuners to both analog and digital terrestrial service, although the percentage of people immediately hooking up DTV service is probably small. Moreover, HDTV sets remain costly purchases, so there is still a divide between HDTV and digital terrestrial capability in the home.
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In the cable realm, provisioning of telephony and internet access is stimulating the digital migration, as cable operators gain incremental revenues. Moreover, No. 1 MSO Jupiter Telecommunications (J:Com) has started to offer VOD on its digital tier, and urban cablecos are beginning to follow suit. Migration from analog to digital cable service is steady. There are variations, too. Yahoo BB, Japan's largest ADSL service operated by Softbank, has developed BB Cable TV. The TV service delivers over 25 subscription channels plus VOD via ADSL. KDDI, the country's second largest telco is selling its Hikari Plus TV over FTTH mainly to MDU's.
Finally, the internet provides the least structured, and potentially largest field for video media. Whether via streaming or downloading, internet video content is becoming more and more accessible. The broadband internet subscriber base by the end of 2006 should include nearly 15 million ADSL subs, between 3.5 and 4 million cable internet subs, and around 6 million FTTH subs. The growth of FTTH subs has outstripped ADSL subs in 2006.
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Welcome to the SARJAM website. Originally printed in my newsletter in April 2006, this article outlines the April launch of mobile digital terrestrial TV. Yours truly, Seth R. Click here and you're there. |
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