CSA recommends DVT-T2, MPEG-4 for new DTT channels

France's TV and radio regulator, CSA, has proposed the immediate adoption of the DVB-T2 broadcasting standard and MPEG-4 compression standard for all new DTT channels, Reuters reports. If adopted by the government, the recommendation would require most consumers to change their STBs and TV sets for equipment that is not expected to be available to the general public for 12 or 18 months. DVB-T2 will allow broadcasters to air four HD channels over a single multiplex, compared to three channels today. MPEG-4 will favour the development of HD , which is expected to be supported by 95 percent of French TV sets by 2015, according to Boyon. Once the government decides on the standard, CSA will be able to launch a tender for the new DTT channels, he said, without giving a timeframe. NextRadioTV CEO Alain Weill called this a "poisoned gift", as people will not be able to watch the new channels with their existing equipment for several years. The historic broadcasters obtained exactly what they wanted, to freeze the French broadcasting landscape, he added. Boyon highlighted that around 45 percent of homes will be able to watch the new channels from the start without changing their equipment if they are cable or satellite subscribers. On the related issue of bonus channels for historic broadcasters, the head of the CSA said the European Commission is due to announce its decision by the end of September.