Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting in the EU Mark Hoda European Campaigns Officer, RNID Tokyo, 20thFebruary 2004 DIGITAL COVERAGE .Digital television in Europe-46% by end of 2010 .a fifth (22million) will be watching via digital terrestrial television (DTT) .Italy predicted to lead-5million DTT homes .UK .more than 55% of homes digital by June 2004 .USA-leading globally-currently 45% of the worlds digital viewers .Third of worlds population will have digital services by 2010 Access/Assistive services .Subtitling .Sign Language .Audio Description Benefits of DTV .Digital TV -more flexible and efficient .Broadcaster can provide a super sharp "high definition" (HDTV) programme or multiple "standard definition" DTV programs simultaneously- "multicasting" .DTV can provide interactive video and data services .Converting to DTV will also free up parts of the scarce and valuable broadcast airwaves .DTV-Opportunities and threats for disabled people The Good News .DTV offers more espaceffor public service TV .Better quality access services-DVB subtitling-much improved, new AD standard, closed signing-being developed.The audience for such services is large-81.5million deaf and hard of hearing in Europe .But benefits for allviewers.Access services regarded as important by many broadcasters-EBU Access Services Report-access services are essence not metadata.Cost falling all the time-pre recorded subtitles ’400 per hour, live can be as little as ’250 The Bad News .Levels of access services on television are verylow in most of Europe and most countries do not have legislation in this area.Receiving equipment is often not available or can be expensive-consumers donft know what suits there needs.DTV more difficult to use than PCs. Lack of awareness about assistive services and difficult to access-confusing menus and EPGs, no unified symbols, complicated navigation via remote controls .No mandated DTV technical standards to guarantee access to assistive services eTV for Allf .European Union (EU) commissioned report .Standardisation for access to DTV & interactive services by disabled people .TV for All conference-Seville 2002-Delegates: broadcasters, disabled peoplefs representatives, manufacturers, policy makers, consumer groups .Final report-December 2003-www.cenelec.org .Author-Gerry Stallard-gerry@stallards.f9.co.uk Final report-main areas .Assistive services (subtitling, signing & audio description) .Receiver terminals .Remote controls .Electronic Programme Guides .On-Screen Displays .Interoperability .Recording Equipment .Retention of Recordings EU ACTION-INCOM & eACCESSIBILITY .Inclusion Committee report to member states-includes access to Digital TV .eAccessibilityCommunication-legislation, benchmarking, certification, public procurement SWITCHOVER IN SPAIN .2003-Law on equal opportunities, non discrimination and accessibility for people with disabilities .The law covers telecommunications and the information society, public services and spaces .Digital TV is covered but specific requirements on subtitling and access services will be laid down in secondary legislation UK CONTEXT 2003 COMMUNICATIONS ACT .10 year subtitling targets for cable & satellite TV .Section 303-Code relating to provision for deaf and hard of hearing people-Clause 2- adequate information about the assistance for disabled people AUDIO DESCRIPTION .Audio description in the UK is available on digital terrestrial and digital satellite TV (SKY) .Groups for blind and visually impaired people are now calling for an increase in AD levels-50% PROBLEMS IN THE UK .RNID research subtitling viewing figures would be higher but lack of awareness of how to access the service .Elderly people in particular donft know how to use analogue subtitles. DTV is a bigger problem .55% of people over 60 are deaf or hard of hearing .Consumers donft know which product suits their needs best UK CONSUMER PANEL SUPPORTING THE MOST VULNERABLE CITIZENS THROUGH SWITCHOVER .DTV poses biggest challenges to vulnerable groups such as disabled people .Financial assistance for disabled people .Low cost and easy to use, clearly labelled equipment must be available .Public information campaign PROMOTION OF SUBTITLING .Subtitling Adverts Channel 4 advert run 314 times in a 4 month period-worth 500k in advertising BBC have recently run adverts on subtitles and how to access them .On screen information The word esubtitlesfshould appear at the start of subtitled programmes .Continuity announcements Continuity announcements should also say when subtitles are available MAKING ACCESS EASIER Electronic Programme Guides (EPGs) and Menus .Programmesummaries on EPGsshould contain a clear indication, wording or commonly agreed symbols for access services are available-Ofcomconsulting on this .Currently EPG summaries feature abbreviations such as eTfand eWfbut no indication of what they stand for .Navigation on menus should be a simple. Subtitle settings are buried under three menus and difficult to locate-e.g. eServicesf-eSystem set upf-eLanguage and subtitlesf MAKING ACCESS EASIER (cont) REMOTE CONTROLS.Navigation of EPGsand menus couldbe easier through good remote control design.Manufacturers wish to gbrandhremote control. But there is also a strong argument for some uniformity especially in the layout of buttons, their size and labeling.Need for dedicated subtitling button on remote controls to provide users with one touch access to the service MAKING ACCESS EASIER (cont) TV Listings Guides .Listings magazines and guides in newspapers use a range of abbreviations to indicate subtitles such as T and S .Abbreviations are not always explained .Universal abbreviation for subtitles should be developed that ties in with abbreviations on EPGs, menus and remote controls MAKING ACCESS EASIER (cont) Bills and TV licence literature .Information on how to access subtitles should be placed on the back of bills .Information on subtitling could be sent out with TV licence reminders and free TV licences for those aged 75 and over MAKING ACCESS EASIER (cont) .In 2002 S4C produced a subtitles leaflet entitled gRead our lipsh detailing how to access subtitles on all platforms .Broadcasters should also provide such information on their websites Proposed quality mark .Accessibility quality mark for digital TV products to be carried on packaging and at the point of sale .Carried on products that met a defined set of criteria relating to the accessibility of their products .Checklist for the quality mark would cover symbols for subtitling, signing and audio description and the ability of equipment to provide and record these services CONSUMER LABELLING OF PRODUCTS GOVERNMENT TICK MARK Digital tick logo TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS .Live subtitling .Voice recognition .Virtual signing .Closed signing .Web TV .http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/brochures/ibc2003/bbc- rd-televisionforall.pdf CONCLUSIONS Digital TV offers many opportunities but also threats for disabled people. Disabled people in Europe need; .increased levels of access services on TV .technical standards and consumer labelling to ensure easy, comprehensive access to these services .more promotion of assistive services by broadcasters and service providers .Assistance with digital switchover