Boyon report calls on DVB-T2 for all future French DTT channels

A report on the future of digital-terrestrial in France has called on the country to adopt the DVB-T2 standard for the launch of all future channels.

Michel Boyon, the president of media regulator the CSA, yesterday presented a report on the future of the digital-terrestrial platform calling for the immediate adoption of DVB-T2 for all future services.

Adoption of Boyon’s recommendations by the government would mean that French viewers would need to upgrade their set-top boxes or integrated digital TVs to DVB-T2 to watch any new channels launched on the platform.

The DVB-T2 modulation scheme would allow four HD channels to be delivered on each DTT multiplex instead of three with the existing DVB-T standard.

Commercial channels TF1 and M6 have been singled out for early adoption of the new standard. Adoption of DVB-T2 will result in a delay in the launch of the so-called bonus services set to be awarded to the commercial broadcasters and Canal Plus. The latter had announced plans to launch a free-to-air service, but its acquisition last week of Bolloré-owned Direct 8 and Direct Star will already give it a large presence in the free-to-air market. Boyon has also recognised in his report that the decision to award bonus channels may be blocked by the European Commission.