19
Feb
2009
Home Cinema Choice: The US digital TV switch-off has begun in earnest, with more than 400 TV stations shutting down their analogue transmissions yesterday.
The US government sanctioned a delay in the switch-off till June 12, because of problems with hardware supply and its digital coupon redemption scheme, but nevertheless 421 stations decided to flip the switch on Tuesday night.
According to the FCC, more than 36 per cent of America’s TV network is now fully digital.Currently, it’s estimated that 51 per cent of US households do not have any find of digital reception equipment.
Conversely, in Japan the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is contemplating bring forward the country’s digital switch-over by a year. Japan’s analogue shut-down is currently scheduled for July 24, 2011.