15 March 2007
Despite the government's promises that the digital switchover will be relatively cost-free for consumers, broadcasters have warned that if consumers want to see high definition (HD) quality programmes they will be forced to pay extra.
Reported on Computeractive, the problems originate with the government's decision to sell off the part of the spectrum currently used for standard definition after the switchover rollout is completed in 2012.
If this happens, terrestrial public service broadcasters including the BBC and Channel 4 have declared that they would not be able to afford to bid for it - leaving them without the capacity to transmit programmes in HD.
HD requires more spectrum-space as the data used to create the pictures is larger, meaning that terrestrial channels would have to be able to acquire more spectrum-space if they wanted to compete alongside external television channels.
Senior figures from Channel 4, Sony, Dixons and the BBC attacked the government's plans at a digital TV conference in London this month, with Steve Dowdle, Managing Director of Sony UK, stating that there was a real danger of a 'content gap' developing between the increasing number of televisions that can display HD programmes and the few homes that can actually receive the broadcasts.
John Clare from retailer Dixons added that licence fee payers would be forced to foot the bill for the switch to digital broadcasting and that two thirds of customers expected to see HD programmes on digital terrestrial television as a result.