Concerns are growing in Poland over the number of defective DTT receivers, imported duty free, that are flooding the market just days before the its first region completes the transition to digital broadcasting.
Quoted by Gazeta Prawna, Jacek Silski, the president of the Polish Chamber of Digital Radiodiffusion (PIRC), said that such receivers are cheaper than legitimate ones and would become completely useless once HD DTT becomes the norm.
Janusz Sulisz, the editor in chief of Satkurier, added that many receivers have been imported en masse from European countries hit by the economic crisis.
While some of them are of good quality, they are unsuited to the Polish market.
There are also a large number literally smuggled out of China duty free.
Such receivers can cost as little as PLN60-70 (€14.5-17.0), whereas the minimum price should be at least PLN80.
Last month it was reported that Poland’s Office of Electronic Communication (UKE) is to start tests on DTT set-top boxes to ensure they meet all the necessary technical criteria.
