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News Release from: Strategy Analytics
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 23 February 2007
French laws pave the way for digital HD
television
France has set a new benchmark for European digital television policy, according to a report on digital and HD television from the Strategy Analytics Broadband Media and Communications service.
France's new "TV of the Future" law has taken an important step towards high-definition television (HDTV) on the digital terrestrial television (DTT) platform by allocating capacity for HD channels and mandating HD tuners in HD-Ready TV sets These decisions will have ramifications for other countries in Europe, which will watch these developments with interest
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 4 Nov 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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The laws have prompted the Strategy Analytics Broadband Media and Communications service to comment that France has set a new benchmark for European digital television policy in its latest research, published under the title "Digital TV Transition: Europe Watches France's Mandates As Terrestrial HDTV Arrives".
There will also be important lessons from the French approach to licensing HD channels that takes place over the next few months.
According to the report, the decisions made in France will put increased pressure on other European countries to accelerate their own policies towards HD on DTT platforms.
"Most other European countries are still at the discussion stage regarding the introduction of HDTV on their DTT platforms", notes David Mercer, Principal Analyst at Strategy Analytics.
"France has taken an important lead by allocating the capacity for HDTV and ensuring that future HDTVs will be able to receive these new channels".
"The industry will be satisfied that France has set clear policy goals on these important issues".
Also according to the report, France's plan to switch off analogue television broadcasts by 30th November 2011 remains an ambitious goal, given much of the country's still heavy dependence on those signals.
But the country's aggressive top-down approach to policy setting gives much-needed clarity to industry decision makers, which will allow technology vendors and service providers to plan with confidence.
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