Top Biz News

China to announce digital TV standard

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-08-21 13:51

BEIJING - Chinese regulators will soon announce a digital TV standard for the world's biggest television market, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The system will apply to terrestrial, satellite and cable broadcasts in China, the Xinhua News Agency said, citing Wang Xiaojie, director of the technology department of State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

The government has said that it would start rolling out digital television this year. The technology offers sharper pictures and better sound. Its compressed signals also use narrower segments of broadcast spectrum, allowing for more channels.

China has about 400 million television viewers, according to industry estimates. It is also one of the leading producers of digital television sets.

China already has 4.13 million households that receive digital pay-TV channels, and companies that serve them will be required to switch to the new standard, Xinhua said.

The country has more than 120 licensed pay television channels, according to the government. It said earlier that some 30 million households were expected to sign up for digital pay channels in coming years.

China has been testing digital cable TV since 2003 in 49 areas, with more than 1 million subscribers, according to earlier news reports.