VietNamNet Bridge – TV enterprises would have to spend several trillions of dong to buy new machines to broadcast TV programs in new technology, while people would have to pay VND9,100 billion to buy set top boxes to watch terrestrial digital TV.

Trillions of dong to be spent on the new technology

Tuoi tre has quoted an expert as saying that it would cost TV enterprises trillions of dong to shift to broadcast digital TV programs.

In some cities and provinces, local TV stations, which anticipated the utilization of the new technology, have been using the analog generators which can be upgraded into digital generators by using supporting cards. The TV enterprises would only have to spend money on the cards, while they don’t have to pay for new generators.

Meanwhile, other TV enterprises using the generators which cannot be upgraded would have to spend $400,000 on every 2kw generator which can cover the area with the radius of 25-40 kilometers.

Tien Phong has quoted Deputy General Director of Vietnam Television (VTV) as saying that VTV would need multi billions of dong for the technology renovation, which is really a big sum of money for it.

A report released in June 2011 showed that Vietnam has 18.2 million households with TVs, including 12.6 million ones using frame antennas. Once Vietnam stops analog TV, about VND9.1 trillion would be spent to buy set top boxes to watch terrestrial digital TV.

The set top box average price is VND500,000, including the installation fee, which would be a burden on 2 million poor households.

In HCM City, where there are 99,812 poor households, the city’s authorities would have to spend VND28 billion to support the households to buy set top boxes.

According to Truong Tan Minh, Director of the Khanh Hoa provincial Television, propping up people to buy set top boxes is a must. He said that even in the developed countries like the US, the authorities also have to give financial support to its citizens when renovating the TV broadcasting technology.

Vo Van Cam, Director of the Ba Ria – Vung Tau Television, the province where the television waves can reach to 60 percent of households, also said that he would ask the local authorities to give money to people to buy set top boxes.

People keep indifferent to terrestrial digital TV

While television enterprises feel enthusiastic about the TV digitalization project, people keep indifferent to the information.

“It would be better to have more TV programs to watch, but I would not spend money to buy set top boxes. I am satisfied with what we have today,” a man said.

Nguyen Thi Ro in Quang Binh province said she now catch watch TV programs on 3 channels, which is enough for a 70-year old woman. She affirmed that she does not intend to buy new TVs or any boxes just to be able to watch more programs. Besides TV programs, her grandchildren can also entertain themselves with Internet.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Communication has shown its determination to speed up the television digitalization. Local television enterprises have confirmed that they would complete the digitalization process sooner than planned.

Compiled by Thu Uyen