On December 27, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. In the Vitebsk region, 82.6% of the population is covered by DVB-T digital television broadcasting, the Republican Unitary Enterprise "Belarusian Television and Radio Broadcasting Center" (BelTРC) informed a BELTA correspondent. Currently, 11 digital transmitters are operating in the Vitebsk region, installed in Vitebsk, Liozno, Senno, Sharkovshchina, as well as in settlements in Brаslav, Gorodok, Tolochin, Orsha, Verkhnedvinsk, Rossony, and Ushachi districts. These transmitters provide broadcasting of a universally accessible package of eight television and one radio program. In accordance with the Program for the Implementation of DVB-T Terrestrial Digital Television Broadcasting in the Vitebsk Region for 2011-2015, 11 automated radio and television transmitting stations (RTPS) are to be commissioned in the region, equipped with digital transmitters. A total of 22 digital transmitters will be installed across the region, enabling 99.9% of the region's population to watch television in digital format. According to the state program for the implementation of digital television and radio broadcasting until 2015 and the action plan for the accelerated implementation of digital television broadcasting in Belarus, the transition to digital terrestrial television broadcasting is underway, and a time limit is being set for the coexistence of analog and digital television. This period is defined as a transition period, which ends in 2015. Russia also plans to switch off its analog signal in 2015. Most European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Estonia, and Norway, have switched to digital television. France, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Malta, and Iceland will soon abandon analog television. In Belarus, the coverage of the population with DVB-T digital television signal is 94.5%. To receive television in digital format, it is necessary to purchase a DVB-T digital set-top box supporting MPEG-4/AVC compression format (e.g., manufactured by OJSC "Vityaz", OJSC "Horizont"), or a digital television set supporting MPEG-4/AVC compression format from retail outlets. -0-

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