Joining International Telecommunication Union agreement in 2006 fall, Armenia undertook to solve the issues TV digitalization by 2015. Interestingly, in the interview with NEWS.am majority of Armenian TV companies’ representatives said that analog television ran out its capabilities and the time to switch to modern technologies in the field is right.

Almost all workers of A1, Shant, AR, Yerkir Media, Yerevan TV and ALM TV-channels underlined that through internal network they are already switched to digital broadcasting.

According to them, it did not cost large amounts and rumors that it claims astronomic sums of money are unfounded. “Switching to digital broadcasting will be difficult for the companies that have to start from the scratch. For instance, Yerkir Media company purchased digital technology from its establishment and is almost ready for digital broadcasting,” the head of company’s information department Gegham Manukyan told NEWS.am-Innovation. In his turn, ALM company owner Tigran Karapetyan deems at a rough estimate digitization will cost about $600.000.

Strikingly, TV companies’ representatives underlined only advantages of digital broadcasting (good reception of poor signal, hi-res picture, high definition, possibility to offer users extra services) and found difficulty in replying what are the disadvantages.

“As we don’t broadcast in this format, we cannot name disadvantages or difficulties of digital television,” Shant TV company chief engineer said. Asked of the possibility of losing part of their audience after switching to digital broadcasting, the experts expressed their concern over the matter.

“Digital television allows choosing the needed program at the convenient time for which a monthly fee will be charged. Thus, few viewers can or will be willing to pay for it, thus the audience will reduce dramatically,” Yerkir Media TV company chief engineer stated. In some countries digital TV is free, and you have to pay only for extra features. In any case all TV companies are reluctant to lose viewers, however, according to their representatives, the switching process is at the conceptual stage and decision should be made by RA government. Hence, currently there is no ground for concern.

A.G.