Following the obligation under Art. 43 Section 1 of the Broadcasting Act concerning retransmission of TVP1, TVP 2, the regional television programme services transmitted by TVP S.A. and POLSAT, TVN, TV4 and TV PULS, the National Broadcasting Council is reminding cable operators about the necessary changes in picking up the television signal fed to the head ends.
The digitization process is managed in Poland by the Ministry of Administration and Digitization and the Office of Electronic Communication, which reports to it. The National Broadcasting Council is in charge of issuing broadcasting licences and supervising television broadcasters.
- The National Broadcasting Council, in its present composition of members appointed in August 2010, has undertaken a number of tasks which have contributed to the actual launch of the digitization process. We participated, jointly with the Office of Electronic Communications amongst others, in finalizing fundamental decisions in the then existing Ministry of Infrastructure. They brought the end to the year-long discussions over the content of digital multiplexes during the transition period - until deactivation of the analogue television – and over the procedure of selecting programmes to be offered on those multiplexes – emphasizes Jan Dworak, the Council’s Chairman. – We have held the first contest for four new programmes, and currently we just about to accomplish the second one. We have also proactively joined in the information campaign. Today, we can already say that the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting has been completed without any major disruptions despite concerns raised by various communities – added the Chairman.
The advantages of Digital Transmission include:
- a much wider programme offer than that of the analogue TV;
- a better picture and sound quality especially thanks to the introduction of high-definition television (HDTV) and the surround sound;
- maintaining permanent good quality of picture and sound within the broadcasting station’s limits (for instance through elimination of ghost image and other picture disruption);
- picture broadcast in different formats (the current one 4:3 or the panoramic one 16:9);
- a number of soundtracks and additional data (such as subtitles, for instance) can be broadcast concurrently;
- access to additional services including interactive ones whenever the TV set or the STB is connected to the Internet;
- mobile and movable reception possible.
