Organized by Cédric Davy, an eminent specialist on the subject (among others, founder of the late digital reception show), and the professional magazine Smart Integrations Mag, AVCesar was of course present at the Avenir de la TNT 2023 conference, the opportunity to glean some additional information from our previous news published about the deployment schedule for 4K DTT (see France 2 UHD and France 3 UHD on 4K DTT, authorization to broadcast validated and Alert: 100% of DTT switches to 4K in 2029 at the latest (Switch-off)).
TVT285 UHD, first 4K Ultra HD decoder
Firstly, we were able to discover the first Ultra HD 4K TNT decoder signed by the French company Cahors (see photo below) allowing display on a 4K UHD TV which would be devoid of certain 4K TNT components an appropriate signal. Obviously, this decoder also manages HD signals. There is no doubt that other models will be available quickly, in the coming months, in stores.
Afnum, roadmap for 4K/HD+ TNT
For its part, Afnum (French Alliance of Digital Industries) via its general delegate Stella Morabito indicates that the 4K Ultra HD TV fleet should be around 20 million units at the end of 2024, compared to 16 million at the end of 2023. That is to say more two-thirds of equipped households. Afnum took the opportunity to discuss its vision of the evolution of DTT with its sights set on a UHD Switch-Off in 2028 or 2029 to evolve towards Ultra HD 4k and HD+, i.e. high definition HDR).
TNT 4K, the details of Arcom
The legislator was of course present, via Juliette Théry, member of the Arcom college (Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication), the French independent public authority which results from the merger of the Higher Audiovisual Council - CSA- and the High Authority for the dissemination of works and the protection of rights on the internet, dated January 1, 2022. The latter indicated that the channels France 2 UHD and France 3 UHD would respectively be available on channels 52/53 in mainland France and 22/23 in overseas territories. As a reminder, France 3 UHD will stop broadcasting after the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, while France 2 UHD will continue on a long-term basis after this global event. Likewise, the obligation for satellite and IPTV operators to resume 4K DTT signals was indicated.
TNT 4K, the sustainable development argument
Among the other information gleaned during this conference, the sustainable development dimension of DTT compared to other modes of content distribution. Thus, one hour of DTT broadcast generates 0.4 g of CO2 compared to 4 g for OTT and 6 g for IPTV. The difference between OTT and IPTV is due to the presence of the box which is also energy consuming in addition to the television.
To conclude, another good news announced by Gilles Brégant, general director of ANFR (Agence Nationale des Fréquences), the assurance of seeing DTT continue until at least 2031, a revision (or not) of its modalities being planned during WRC-27 (World Radiocommunication Conference) for the post-2031 period.