Last century the television succeeded covering almost the whole population of the globe. The possibilities of programs delivering to population through air, cable and satellite TV channels extended gradually. It was carried out a smooth switch from monochrome display to color, that improved essentially information and emotional perception of the programs pulled in.

The necessity for the digital format switch came to a head for the last 20-30 years. At the end of the eighties major technical and technological problems were overcome. After success of Standards Expert Group in video compression tens of times for moving image transmission (MPEG) the digital format switch became not only possible but unavoidable. Practical success on the image compression and processing is to a large extent connected to the achievements in microelectronics.

Up to now analog TV broadcasting was regulated by Stockholm Plan of 1961, which established the principles of frequency planning and assignment. In June, 2006 Regional Conference of Radio Communications for digital ground radio broadcasting service planning in the certain areas of Regions 1 and 3 in frequency bands 174…230 and 470…862 MHz (RKR-06) was held.

According to the experts’ evaluation the digital television is sixfold more effective than the analog one. It is an integral index, which cannot be measured in terms of money separately for the number of channels available for viewers, or for image and sound quality, for image emotional perception, or for any other comparable index.

The higher quality and digital TV signal interference immunity is reached when switching from analog to digital ground broadcasting. Moreover, electric energy consumption capacity of a digital transmitter in terms of one TV program is reduced several times in comparison with analog TV, which allows to cut electricity total costs in the same service area.

Advantages:

• Use of the unified digital coding standard, which will replace inconsistent standard color TV systems – SECAM, PAL, NTSC in the future;
• Considerable quality improvement by image transmission;
• Possibility of sound use in the stereo mode;
• Possibility of expansion in the number of TV and radio programs on one frequency channel;
• Release of frequency resource without TV broadcasting volume reduction;
• Considerable reduction of energy consumption by transmitting equipment;
• Possibility to provide the mobile reception of TV broadcasting and high-quality reception under the big cities conditions.

Moreover, stable and high-quality perception of TV programs is available both by a fixed and indoor antenna (digital TV signal is less exposed to noise and different interferences).

A digital signal perception is carried out by digital TV receivers, as well as by existing analog TV receivers using the digital Set top Box.

Adoption of digital TV broadcasting distinguishes essentially from other telecommunicational novelties. Appearance of new technologies, as a rule, does not supersede the previous ones. It is a kind of parallel adoption.

The peculiarity of switch to the digital format in television is that restrictions to the duration of analog and digital TV coexistence have been brought. This period is specified as a transition period, which is over in 2015. The Republic of Belarus cannot be out of progress in the sphere of TV and radio broadcast taking place in all developed countries. The program of ground digital TV broadcast adoption is very important for our republic. Adoption of digital TV broadcast in the Republic of Belarus is stipulated by shortage of the radio frequency channels for TV and sound broadcast, social demands of the society having need of the breakthrough in broadcasting infrastructure and telecommunications, as well as by the current situation in the TV broadcast in the developed countries, which is, firstly, characterized by replacement of analog methods of transmission for digital and, secondly, by tendency of the unified all-European and world standards adoption.

For this purpose according to The Program of Communication Development in the Republic of Belarus over 2001-2005 approved by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of 26.03.2001 No.402, on December 30, 2004 experimental performance of ground digital TV and radio broadcasting on the 48^th TV channel by a transmitter with a capacity of 1.0 kW was commenced as part of Minsk VHF communication unit located in population centre Kolodishchi. The service-area radius was about 60 km.

The experimental performance results evidenced that not only the residents of Minsk and the Minsk Region, but also of the Smolevichi, part of Dzerzhinsk, Volozhin, Molodechno, Vileika, Logoisk, Borisov, Chereven and Pukhovichi Regions could receive the digital package.

On July 1, 2005 the permanent on-air translation of TV and radio broadcast package in the digital format was begun on the 48^th TV channel from population centre Kolodishchi for the first time in our republic:

• Pervy Kanal;
• Telekanal Lad;
• Obshchenatsionalnoye televideniye;
• Stolichnoye televideniye;
• Pervy natsionalny kanal Belorusskogo radio.

For the purpose of multiprogram TV providing, improvement of services quality in respect of TV programs translation, and taking into account the current tendency of digital broadcast development The Government Program of Digital Broadcast TV Adoption in the Republic of Belarus till 2015 approved by Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of 08.12.2005 No.1406 was worked out.