By Fr. Joselito Jopson
The
Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting Television or ISDBTV, the official
Japanese system of digital TV, will slowly be implemented in the Philippines
starting late this year or early next year.
An
ISDBT International Conference was held last Jan. 13 – 14, 2014 at the Edsa
Shangrila Hotel to orient Philippine broadcasters to this new system. Another conference will be held this March
2014 to allow more participants in the Electronics Engineering division to know
and design the system.
The
event was highlighted by the signing ceremony between the Philippines and the
Japan, represented by Japanese Minister Yoshitaka Shindo, head of the Ministry
of Internal Affairs and Communications and Philippine Executive Sec. Paquito
Ochoa on the cooperation of the two countries in the field of information and
communications technology.
In
a speech delivered by Sec. Mario Montejo of the Department of Science and
Technology, he underscored the advantages of such system: “ISDBT provides
better viewing experience, and education opportunities, disaster management,
wider TV space… we have to plan before adopting a system that best suits the
county.”
He acknowledged that the Philippines
is in a critical transition to digital terrestrial TV that would change viewer
expectations.
Minister Shindo on the
other hand promoted the system as able to “protect life and to enjoy our
lives.”
The ISDB TV’s infinite possibilities
ISDBT, promoted as having “infinite possibilities” has three
features favorable to both consumers and businesses - social innovation, data
broadcasting, and technological innovations.
Social innovation
ISBDT
provides real time enjoyment connected with advertising. It is an interactive device in which one can order
products or participate in game shows in the convenience of his own home as in
Japan’s JOIN TV.
ISDBT
works in harmony with social networking such as Facebook and Twitter.
It can also serve as a tool for measuring
surveys and public opinion.
Data broadcasting
Also known as datacasting, TV experience will now be active in providing information
of almost anything like weather forecast, food and restaurants, and even police
information with a system that is friendly to children and the elderly.
Government
information is easily accessible, providing knowledge, education, information,
service and formation among the viewers.
Contribution to education
Universities
and other educational institutions can avail of services of ISDBTV. In a test broadcast in Botswana, the
Department of Agriculture teaches the public on how to breed cattle.
There is also a “telehealth” that informs the people on how to take care of their
health.
ISDBT’s greatest
contribution: emergency warning broadcast system
Also
known as EWBS, there will be a real-time government response during emergencies
like typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes, and even terrorism. The greatest fear a citizen can have is
isolation and a lack of information.
Through ISDBT, the government can give regular and fast updates that
could save people’s lives in an instant.
Technological innovation
With
this technology, the TV will not be confined simply in the home; one can watch programs
anywhere using their smartphones and tablets.
In
an island without electricity, TV can be viewed because it doesn’t require
power. The program is free-to-air and transmitted
through terrestrial and satellite transmission. Thus, TV information can easily be attained
by many, eliminating digital divide.
Implications for the Philippine Church
With
this new technology already in its experimental and implementation phase, with
existing broadcast stations already shifting their systems to the digital
format, the Philippine Church cannot continue lagging behind digital TV to the
point of default. Digital TV will soon
catch fire among the viewers, affecting 80% Catholics.
At
present, the Catholic Church will still have to wait for the National Telecommunications
Commission to reclassify frequency assignments and accommodate even just one
channel for it. There is no available
frequency of the TV channels in Metro Manila.
Second,
this new technology will bring a paradigm shift in people’s viewing habits. Among the changes are as follows:
1. There will be a plurality of TV channels. The perennial battle among Media giants will
be a thing of the past. Every products
and services will try to get into the arena by getting a channel and introduce
a world that favors their product, just to catch the attention of the market. Would the Catholic Church join the bandwagon of
TV channels and be one of the many voices eager to communicate to the viewers?
2. Digital TV can eliminate the digital divide
and provide relevant information and education to people even those living in far-flung
places. This is a great opportunity to
increase literacy among our people in faith, politics, media, and in all areas
of life.
3. TV will not be found in the homes; every
person who has cell phones, tablets, and mobile computers. This may affect person-to-person
communications what is already happening in today’s times.
4. TV will save lives, prevent disaster victims,
and decrease fatalities arising from unexpected calamities. Japan, learning from its major disaster last
2011, shares this technology to the Philippines having the same predicament.
5. A great tool for measuring public opinion,
the Catholic Church, can now monitor the level or degree of public opinion it
is molding according to Gospel values.
Conclusion
As it is said that this technology has “infinite
possibilities”, ISDBT also prepares itself to make the world smaller by
providing information at a global level.
In whatever technological advancement there may be, the
Church is at the frontline of this journey, leading the people of God to the
Father. The document Comunio et Progressio has it: “The People of God walk in history. As they, who are essentially, both
communicators and recipients, advance with their times, they look forward with
confidence and even with enthusiasm to whatever the development of
communications in a space-age they have to offer.” (CP # 187)
May we be enthusiastic to use the digital TV to proclaim the
goodness of God!
