Brazil’s ISDB choice declared ‘unconstitutional’

Chris Forrester

Few expected that Brazil’s ISDB digital terrestrial television transmission system, the ‘hybrid’ version of Japan’s transmission standard, would be declared “unconstitutional”. The system has been in use for some 18 months.

Brazil’s General Prosecuting Office (Procuraduría General) declared that the official decree that established ISDB in the country was unconstitutional. Eighteen months after the system launched, the Procuraduría General’s office produced strong criticism of the federal government.

Sources quoted locally by Nex TV Latam say that the decision might account for a very damaging factor in the ongoing negotiations with other countries of the region which also might adopt the Japanese digital TV standard.

One of the most advanced negotiations is said to be those being held with Ecuador. The President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, had stated that he was studying the possibility of supporting ISDB, but that he was still analyzing which standard his country would adopt.

Argentina and Paraguay also seem to be favouring the Japanese-Brazilian standard. Both Cuba and Venezuela are still carrying out trials, but have expressed their interest in entering into co-operation agreements for the development and promotion of digital TV.