HKSTP, ASTRI, TVB, ATV and Rohde and Schwarz to Establish Hong Kong Digital Terrestrial Television Local Testing Group for New DTV Standard

First to Provide Receiver Testing in Hong Kong for Recently Selected DTMB National Standard (GB20600 – 2006) in Digital TV Broadcasting

Hong Kong — Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has signed an MOU to establish the Hong Kong Digital Terrestrial Television Local Testing Group (DTTG) with the Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), Asia Television Limited (ATV), and Rohde and Schwarz Hong Kong Limited (R&S) at a ceremony presided over by Mrs. Rita Lau, Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology).

The Hong Kong DTTG is the first organisation set up in Hong Kong to support both the roll out and testing of the digital TV (DTV) broadcasting technology in Hong Kong. In particular for the testing of set-top boxes and digital TV sets, HKSTP’s Wireless Communications Test Lab will play an important role in providing the digital TV testing facility and testing service for receiver functional validation and to ensure the compliance with the recently selected National Standard (GB20600 – 2006).

ATV and TVB will be able to provide their experience to the DTTG in delivering a variety of digital programming content compliant with the National Standard, their experience in transmission testing for the standard as well as the operators’ perspective of the demands of viewers. DTTG will be able to leverage the technical expertise from the ASTRI-Tsinghua Multimedia Broadcast and Communications Joint Lab to facilitate the National Standard testing as well as DTV service development in Hong Kong. Researchers at Tsinghua University helped develop the DTMB National Standard, perhaps the leading DTV technology in China. Rohde and Schwarz is to provide equipment for the DTTG’s DTV test system as well as the relevant technological expertise.

“Our participation in the DTTG is an example of HKSTP leveraging our own technology support infrastructure, in this case, the Wireless Communications Test Laboratory and working with partners such as ASTRI, Rohde and Schwarz Hong Kong, ATV and TVB in bringing the most updated DTV test technology to benefit Hong Kong. The synergies of these companies will ensure that manufacturers in Hong Kong and elsewhere will be able to produce the digital TV set-top box and receivers integrated within TV sets to smooth the transition to digital terrestrial television broadcasting in time for the roll out of DTV here and in China,” said Ir. S.W. Cheung, Vice President, Business Development & Technology Support, HKSTP.

“ASTRI will leverage the ASTRI-Tsinghua Multimedia Broadcast and Communications Joint Lab to support the efforts of the DTTG in the testing development and subsequent management of DTV content and services in Hong Kong. The ASTRI-Tsinghua MBC Joint Lab’s extensive experience and knowhow of the DTMB will benefit the DTTG in improving the quality of digital broadcast programming and its open, resilient operation. In addition, the Joint Lab will provide the receiver core technologies to local vendors so that they can fully enjoy the opportunities available to Hong Kong as an early adopter of DTMB,” said Dr. Chih-Lin I, Vice President and Group Director, Communication Technologies Group at ASTRI.

The Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) recently announced the adoption of the National Standard (GB20600 – 2006) as the technical standard for digital terrestrial television service in Hong Kong after considering the proposals of the two free-to-air television broadcasters, ATV and TVB, who unanimously indicated their preference for this standard. It is expected that digital TV receivers will be available to consumers as digital television is launched in Hong Kong.

“The DTTG will facilitate the smooth transition to digital broadcasting which is essential to the digital broadcasting age, and our participation will help us maintain our competitiveness, as well as provide us with additional new business and revenues both in Hong Kong and abroad, enabling us to become a leader in the digital broadcasting era,” said Bruce Kruger, Controller, Engineering Division, TVB.

“The migration to digital broadcasting is an important strategic move for ATV, and our participation in the DTTG will help us play a leading role in the growing digital broadcasting market through enhanced response to the faster-changing market environment and by better satisfying the various needs of TV audiences in Hong Kong and elsewhere,” said Choi Chung Hong, Vice President – Engineering at ATV.

“We believe that Rohde and Schwarz through providing cutting-edge equipment and T&M systems and instruments for new digital broadcasting standards and MPEG2 and H.264 streaming technologies for video can enhance and improve the testing methodology and advance the OFTA DTV receiver specification,” said Frank Wong, General Manager, Rohde and Schwarz Hong Kong.

Using the equipment of HKSTP’s Wireless Communications Test Lab, ASTRI and Rohde and Schwarz, as well as the experience gained by TVB and ATV in their previous efforts evaluating the National Standard (GB20600 – 2006) and converting analog content to digital format, the DTTG will support the laboratory testing and field trials in preparation for digital broadcasting. According to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s implementation framework for digital television broadcasting, ATV and TVB are required to simulcast both analogue and digital terrestrial television services this year.