MELBOURNE, Fla., Feb. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- One year before the
nationwide mandatory sign-off of analog television transmission, scheduled
for February 17, 2009, U.S. broadcasters said they expect to meet this
major milestone as part of their ongoing transition to the adoption of
digital TV (DTV). The findings resulted from a survey released by Harris
Corporation (NYSE: HRS), an international communications and information
technology company.
In addition to meeting the deadline to convert over-the-air
transmission from analog to digital, the survey showed that most
broadcasters plan to upgrade their facilities to provide consumers with
local programming and news that originates in high definition (HD), while
also providing local TV content via the Internet and mobile devices,
including cell phones, PDAs and laptop computers.
"The survey shows that U.S. broadcasters are fully embracing the
conversion to digital and high-definition TV (HDTV) and the additional
revenue opportunities it will provide," said Tim Thorsteinson, president of
Harris Broadcast Communications. "The transition to digital equipment and
supporting software systems is not only allowing broadcasters to offer
expanded services, but also to create a seamless workflow and reduce
costs."
The survey showed:
-- 66 percent of broadcasters plan to provide consumers with more
programming in HD, with its significantly superior picture and sound
quality;
-- 55 percent said they will use the additional channels resulting from
DTV's superior spectrum efficiency to multicast more local news,
sports, weather, traffic and other community interest programs;
-- 50 percent expect to broadcast live programming over the Internet and
derive additional revenue from their station's Web site; and
-- 28 percent of broadcasters expect to provide programming over mobile
handheld devices including cellular phones, PDAs and laptop computers.
Harris Broadcast Communications provides products, systems, and
services that deliver interoperable workflow solutions that span the entire
broadcast delivery chain. The Harris ONE approach brings together highly
integrated products that are ideal for customers upgrading media operations
to digital and high-definition services and for emerging media business
models such as mobile TV and IPTV. Harris will be demonstrating how
broadcasters can make the move to becoming multiservice providers for their
markets in April at the 2008 National Association of Broadcasters
conference.
About the DTV Transition
Television programming has been transmitted over the air using analog
signals since it was first commercially launched in 1947. The digital TV
format was introduced in 1996 to increase the signal efficiency and provide
enhanced capabilities, such as HDTV, which are impossible using analog
technology. The U.S. Congress has mandated that all 1700-plus TV stations
nationwide transition to digital television and discontinue broadcasting
analog signals by February 17, 2009. As a result, broadcasters will become
more spectrum efficient, allowing the spectrum above CH 51 to be auctioned
off for public safety and new media delivery services.
About the Survey
The scientific survey of more than 100 television stations was
conducted for Harris by In-Stat in December 2007 and January 2008. The
survey has a margin of error of 9.3 percent. For further information,
contact Harris Corporation at david.glidden@harris.com.
About In-Stat
In-Stat is a strategic segment of the $9 billion Reed Elsevier global
information network, with access to an expansive worldwide electronic
network, extensive technology databases and well-informed personnel. As a
member of Reed Business Information, In-Stat is a division of the largest
business-to- business publisher in the U.S. For more information on
In-Stat's research pertaining to potential consumer uptake in the wake of
the analog cut off: http://www.instat.com/r/consumervideo.
About Harris Corporation
Harris is an international communications and information technology
company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150
countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has annual
revenue of almost $5 billion and 16,000 employees - including nearly 7,000
engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class
assured communications(TM) products, systems, and services. Additional
information about Harris Corporation is available at http://www.harris.com
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