Terrestrial DTV Debuts in Japan Dec. 1

Japan Times said Terrestrial DTV Debuts in Japan December 1. According to the article, the first transmissions will begin in some areas of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya on Dec. 1. All major cities should have DTV by the end of 2006 and analog broadcasting is due to end in July 2011. Reading the article, the transition to terrestrial DTV in Japan appears to face some of the same hurdles the U.S. digital transition is facing. The article said a survey by Dentsu, Inc,. Japan's largest ad agency, found about 40 percent of the TV-viewing public knows nothing about terrestrial DTV. It also noted that receiving digital broadcasts will be expensive, "requiring the installation of new antennas, specialized tuners, and new TV sets with built-in tuners that sport price tags of around 200,000 Yen." [U.S.$1,830]. A ministry official was quoted in the article saying, "This is a trump card for economic revival."