Dialog presents another first in South Asia:
Terrestrial TV to go digital
Ramani Kangaraarachchi
Sri Lanka’s first Terrestrial Digital Television Broadcast went on
air, yesterday with Dialog Television’s Pilot launch of DVB-T based
Terrestrial Digital Television covering the City of Colombo. Sri Lanka
will be No. 1 in South Asia to enjoy this status with this launch.
Chief Executive Officer, Dialog Television, Nushad Perera said Dialog
is committed to establish and operate world class digital broadcast
infrastructure and to provide excellent customer service to Sri Lankan
consumers.
Our platforms will carry high quality content of local and
international broadcasters to Sri Lankan homes, vehicles, and handsets
via our portfolio of satellite and terrestrial broadcast”, he said.
Referring to the benefits that DVB-T offers to the consumers he said
DVD quality video, electronic program guides and selection,
multi-lingual audio capability, multi-lingual sub-titling capability and
enhanced audio technology are significant.
“The efficiencies delivered by digital broadcast technology are also
set to facilitate the expansion of television availability to all
regions in the country, where economic viability constrained the
expansion of incumbent analogue infrastructure,” he said.
The DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcast-Terrestrial) broadcast standard
enables digital broadcast over the standard VHF/UHF television spectrum,
enabling viewers to access the digital broadcast using standard
televisions and VHF,UHF antennae with the addition of a DVB-T access
device (adaptor or set top box).
The broadcast would be also available on vehicle mounted devices, and
via DVB-H technology on advanced GSM, 3G handsets.
LAUNCH: Customers viewing the first Terrestrial Digital
Television Broadcast launch at Waters Edge last morning. Inset;
CEO, Dialog Television, Nushad Perera.
Picture by Saliya Rupasinghe |
The pilot broadcast carried out by Dialog Television carries nine
television channels on a single UHF frequency demonstrating at the
outset a nine fold enhancement in Frequency utilization.
State channels Rupavahini, Eye, Nethra and ITN join private
broadcasters Derana, Swarnavahini and The Buddhist on the first
terrestrial digital broadcast. It also carries three foreign channels to
complete the channel line up.
The pilot broadcast would be initially ‘tested’ using selected
viewers forming a representative set across the broadcast coverage area.
Dialog Telekom PLC Group, CEO, Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya appreciating the
support and encouragement it had received from state and industry
stakeholders in delivering the country’s first terrestrial digital
television broadcast hoped that the broadcast industry will capitalize
on technology advancement in order to deliver a superior and more widely
available television experience to Sri Lankan consumers.
He said the product will not be immediately available in the market
as this is a pilot project but once it is ready the price will be
affordable to consumers. It will be less than the price of a hand phone.
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