DTV under threat

Australian manufacturing industry's plans for investment in the development and promotion of digital television products and equipment is under threat unless Australia's digital terrestrial television market is stimulated, two leading industry associations have warned.

According to the AEEMA and the Consumer Electronics Suppliers' Association (CESA), the growth in sales of DVD and high-resolution display devices clearly demonstrate that Australian consumers want high quality pictures. The two industry associations believe that providing audiences with high-definition and multi-channel content will be a key to growing the consumer take-up of digital equipment.

We believe that the ABC and SBS hold the key to opening up digital, free-to-air TV, with their capacity to Multi-Channel," said Ross Henderson, Chair, AEEMA Digital TV Forum. "Combined with their ability to deliver high-definition content, this means the national broadcasters will play an important role in accelerating the whole digital television industry, subject to adequate government funding."

According to the two associations, the ABC and SBS play two roles in the digital TV industry. One of those roles is to research the area of digital TV. The other is to act as a catalyst for the creation of new ideas and content, which could then be adopted across the broad spectrum of digital broadcasting. This would lead to increased consumer demand, which would in turn strengthen and hasten the penetration of digital broadcasting.

"The consumer manufacturing industry really requires multi-channelling and high-definition TV to be further developed in order for us to justify greater investment in digital equipment," Mr Henderson said. "Without both of these content options, take-up of the technology could be so slow that manufacturers may need to reconsider the development of product for this market."

"We strongly support any government initiatives, including funding supplier, which will enable ABC and SBS to proceed with their multi-channel and high-definition TV plans in the coming years," Mr Henderson added.