UK Broadcasters Plot Managed Transition to Universal Access Streamed TV
包括bbc在内的英国广播公司 BBC, 曾说过，通过空中传输电视在经济上已不再可行，并设想未来视频流将越来越依赖宽带网络.
在一个全面的 提交给英国政府的报告 关于电视分销的未来，监管机构 Ofcom 发现整个行业普遍支持继续向所有人提供电视服务，但对如何实现这一目标没有共识.
相反，Ofcom概述了三大战略:
1. 投资更有效率的数码地面电视服务, possibly requiring audience-scale and investment sustainability over the 2030s, potentially involving new equipment for improved broadcast signals.
2. 将DTT减少为核心服务, maintaining essential channels while encouraging internet-based TV access, potentially transitioning to a fuller switch-off or remaining indefinitely as a last resort provider.
3. 计划逐步关闭数字地面电视, ensuring digital inclusion and support for those reliant on DTT while promoting confidence in internet services.
所有这些场景都将依赖于对互联网基础设施的投资，以管理网络负载和线性电视观看带来的更高峰值.
向受众提供同等水平的普遍覆盖, the broadband network would need to match the level of DTT coverage today, 是98.5%的英国家庭(PSB频道).
包括沃达丰在内的一些互联网服务提供商, BT, Mainstreaming和SES表示，英国的宽带网络目前无法取代广播网络的规模，而广播网络将需要分发高质量的直播内容.
However, 这是占用, 而不是推出, of broadband that would present the largest barrier in the case of a full or partial switchover to IP delivery.
“没有干预, there will likely remain a cohort of people who do not take up broadband because they do not have the means, skills, 或者有兴趣这样做,” Ofcom states. “To ensure any partial or full managed switchover is as inclusive as possible, government, industry, and Ofcom would need to work together to design a scheme which provides significant consumer support.”
据巴布说，13岁.到2023年，200万英国家庭的主电视机已接入数字地面电视. The majority of those already had an internet connection to their smart TV or box. However, 3.300万英国家庭.100万人)只能使用数字地面电视收看任何电视服务. 随着时间的推移，这个数字正在逐渐下降, 部分原因是越来越多的人开始使用宽带服务, 部分原因是代际更替. “But the group of viewers solely reliant on DTT will remain in the millions for many years to come, 目前的趋势没有任何变化.”
转向流媒体
该报告的背景是电视生态系统的性质正在发生变化，英国和其他地方的观众正在从线性电视转向互联网上的数字服务.
On average, individuals spent 25% fewer minutes per day watching broadcast TV in 2023 compared to 2018. Projections suggest a continued decline in scheduled TV channel viewing through DTT and satellite, 从2022年的67%下降到2040年的27%.
However, 只使用数码地面电视的家庭, typically older, less affluent, or disabled, 我们仍然是重要的用户，对于即将到来的全ip过渡，我们不断重复的口号是通过确保普遍访问来“不让任何人掉队”.
英国广播公司已经开始转向流媒体. The BBC doubled down on its commitment to an all-streaming future in its annual report published in March. Pay TV leader Sky is gradually weaning subscribers off satellite delivery. ITV支持在ITVX Kids中只播放儿童内容. Channel 4 also recently announced plans to shift its focus from traditional broadcasting to digital, 包括计划关闭小型线性频道(2024年从Box频道开始)，并计划到2030年成为数字优先的公共服务流媒体. Most recently, TalkTV announced that it would be closing its DTT channel in the summer of 2024 and become an online-only channel.
“把这些趋势结合起来, 多家广播公司和频道表示，对它们来说，像现在这样无限期地付费在这么多的发行平台上播放节目，在商业上不太可能可持续，也不太可能物有所值.”
数字地面电视的未来
这些对Arqiva来说都不是好消息, 英国现有的数字地面电视基础设施提供商, which is owned by a consortium of investors led by Digital 9 Infrastructure (48%) and Australian bank Macquarie (25%).
当合同到期需要续签时, Arqiva和多路复用许可证持有者之间将重新谈判网络接入和管理传输服务的价格.
Arqiva在提交给Ofcom的证据中表示，DTT网络是一个“具有成本效益且可靠的平台，可以向全球提供免费电视”。.
它引用了最近在DTT上推出的频道，包括Earth X和GB News，作为对平台容量持续需求的证据, and expects demand for multiplex capacity from broadcasters “to continue in the long-term”.
然而，数位数位数字电视的主要利益相关者却持不同看法. For example, BBC的证据表明，即使没有通货膨胀, 到2030年，每小时收看数字地面电视的费用将是2023/24财政年度预计费用的四倍左右.
所有英国公共服务广播公司都预计，最终将达到一个临界点，届时成本将超过使用数字地面电视的收益.
商业广播公司表示担心，虽然数字地面电视和卫星电视在向商业广播公司提供大量观众方面仍然很重要, 随着用户迁移到IP平台, those viewers that remain on DTT and satellite are increasingly older and less affluent, 这使得广告客户的利润减少了.
Ofcom表示:“综合来看, 相当数量的广播公司在他们的证据中表示，在本世纪30年代中期之后，维持现有的数字地面电视基础设施在商业上不太可能具有吸引力. They stated that the DTT platform may increasingly represent poorer value for money or even become financially unsustainable.”
卫星的未来
这也不会让卫星设施提供商感到宽慰，因为他们可能会失去一度占据主导地位的电视分销业务的更多份额.
The current fleet of satellites used by Sky and Freesat is likely to reach the end of its life by the end of this decade, and Sky is shifting its strategy to deliver TV content over IP rather than satellite.
这些发展将为卫星分配基础设施的利益相关者创造一系列投资决策, 包括是否投资一个新的卫星群，以及如果天空退出卫星业务，留在Freesat所需的投资是否可行.
The BBC stated in its evidence that it expects to begin discussions about future capacity with SES in 2025. BBC的证据表明, 即使没有通货膨胀, 到2030年，每个DSat观众小时的费用将比2023/24财政年度的预计费用高出约5倍. Per Ofcom, these cost outcomes will continue to reduce the incentives for broadcasters to remain on the platform.
可访问和可用的IPTV接口
任何向互联网的转换都会引起人们的担忧，即基于IP的平台会让某些习惯于更简单使用的EPG(包括带有频道编号按钮的遥控器)的公众感到困惑, 音频描述和通道列表指南.
“对于那些数字素养水平较低的人来说, IP-based platforms can be confusing and are largely taking design inspiration from ‘smartphone’ style app interfaces,报告说.
“随着内容消费转移到网上, 由于适应更复杂和多样化的用户界面的挑战，有些人可能会被抛在后面.”
It noted, however, that IP-based interfaces also open up opportunity for “creative and sophisticated approaches” to usability.
商业投资提高宽带覆盖率
Every household and business in the UK has the right to request a ‘decent’ affordable connection. 一个体面的连接被立法定义为下载速度至少达到10mbit /s，上传速度至少达到1mbit /s——目前99就可以实现.8% of premises.
Ofcom states that a decent connection speed can be sufficient for both SD and a single stream of HD viewing, “but in practice multiple users in a household can quickly put this under strain. 基于当前不断增长的数据消费模式, 在大规模放弃数字地面电视的时间框架内，速度不太可能仍然足以在多用户家庭中提供可靠的IPTV观看体验. Superfast broadband speed (30 Mbit/s) is more likely to provide a reliable viewing experience. Ofcom指出，10mbps的连接不太可能继续满足现代家庭的需求.
只有IP和混合的增加观看
The majority of DTT viewers are and will continue to be ‘hybrid’, 将传统的线性与连接观看相结合. 拥有联网电视的家庭数量已从2018年的约600万户增加到2023年的1200万户. Additionally, 一些广播公司预计，大多数“混合型”英国家庭将在未来更频繁地使用IP技术来访问他们的内容.
Forecasts suggest that households which solely rely on IP connections (without a DTT or other TV service) are growing from 5.2023年至2017年的300万户家庭.到2035年800万户.
Next steps
Ofcom表示，其报告对期权保持中性, 强调广播之间的合作, 宽带产业, and the Government to establish a unified vision for delivering universal TV services. 这一转变预计需要8-10年时间, underscoring the importance of early consideration to prepare for industry changes by the early 2030s.
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