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Dubai: Gulf consumers might not be able to benefit from high-definition television (HDTV) due to lack of initiatives by broadcasters, officials said.
Most broadcasters have HDTV infrastructure set up in the Middle East and yet it could take a few years before HDTV will be in the homes of consumers, as broadcasters are daunted by high costs of satellite bandwidth.
"About $5 billion has been invested in HDTV infrastructure in the Middle East but the broadcasting could take almost two years in this region," said Sandeep Ranade, business development manager of Salam media cast.
"The first programmes to broadcast in HDTV should be documentaries, news or sports as the image will be extremely clear and these do not require people to look perfect as in the movies," Humaid Rashid Sahoo, chief executive of e-vision, told Gulf News.
"We have been ready for HDTV for two years now in terms of infrastructure, but there isn't enough content to broadcast to balance the cost," he added.
Sahoo said the high costs are holding back broadcasters from shifting to HD and they will be prepared for the costs. "Someone needs to take the first step into HDTV," he said.
Companies are increasing moving towards HDTV, whether they are satellite providers, solutions management or equipment manufacturers.
"As the international market has converged on one format of video of AVI6, it will be easier to move to HDTV," said Neeraj Mehrotra, vice-president of Eurostar communication who provide HD receivers and have launched an eco-friendly receiver, made completely from materials that can be recycled.
Ready to supply the additional capacity for HDTV broadcasting is SES New Skies, an European satellite operator. The company is launching two more satellites adding to its existing 38, while enjoying $17.9 million in revenues from the Middle East last year.
In the UAE, e-vision, Orbit, Showtime and Arab Digital Distribution dominate the cable network market.
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