Overview

On February 9th, 2017, the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) issued Ministerial Resolution N° 048-2017 MTC/01.03, which establishes new labeling norms for televisions.

Digital TV Standard

The Peruvian digital TV standard adopted is ISDB-T, a technology developed from Brazilian and Japanese standards. Households with TVs that cannot receive this signal will be limited to pay-TV offerings and will miss out on free programming that relies on open signals distributed throughout the country.

Transition Period

Currently, we are in a phase of migrating signals and channels, utilizing parallel transmissions for both analog and digital formats. However, it's important to note that in a few years, analog signals will be phased out. Only those equipped with TVs ready to receive ISDB-T signals will be able to continue viewing.

Market Equipment

Most of the newly imported televisions are designed to receive the ISDB-T signal. However, some inventory still consists of equipment operating under a different American standard. The labeling initiative aims to provide consumers with the necessary information at the point of purchase, ensuring they understand whether their TV can receive local signals.

Labeling Requirements

According to the new standard, the label must be prominently displayed on the television screen and clearly indicate if the apparatus cannot capture any open digital television signals.

Consumer Information

Furthermore, the regulation mandates that TV marketers inform consumers if an additional digital set-top box or tuner is needed for units that are not ISDB-T compatible.