Hong Kong - Digital Terrestrial Television Services Operating Smoothly since Launch

The Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) announced today (2 January 2008) that digital terrestrial television (DTT) services, have been operating smoothly since launch on 31 December 2007.

“The simulcast transmission of DTT and analogue services has been satisfactory. The two broadcasters, ATV and Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), have launched their new programmes, including HDTV programmes, as planned.”

“OFTA has received over 300 public enquiries in relation to DTT via its hotline since the launch of the services on 31 December 2007, indicating keen interest on the part of the general public in the new free-to-air television services. Majority of the enquiries were about DTT coverage area and reception with the use of set-top boxes. Only five enquiries so far related to the reception quality of conventional analogue television programmes, ” Mr Danny Lau Kwong-cheung, the Assistant Director (Operations) of OFTA said at a briefing held today.

With respect to some public concern about the reception of existing analogue television services, Mr Lau explained that the DTT transmission should not affect reception of analogue television services at all.

“OFTA specified the frequencies and powers of DTT signals to ensure that DTT signals will not interfere with analogue TV signals. The two broadcasters comply with these specifications. In fact, their DTT test signals have been transmitted throughout the digital coverage areas since mid-July 2007. No interference between analogue and digital signals has been observed over the past five months. There is no difference between the test DTT signals transmitted since mid-July 2007 and the DTT signals currently broadcast by the two broadcasters. Hence the alleged reception quality problem of conventional analogue television programmes has nothing to do with simultaneous transmission of DTT and analogue television signals,” explained Mr Lau.

“Rather, it is possible that when individual buildings engage contractors to upgrade their communal aerial broadcast distribution (CABD) systems to receive DTT signals, they may have inadvertently disturbed the reception of analogue television signals within the building. This is a minor technical problem which could be readily solved by the CABD system contractor engaged by the concerned building management,” continued Mr Lau.

Members of the public are welcome to call the hotline of OFTA (29616333) during office hours (8:30 – 17:45) if they have any questions about DTT. OFTA will provide technical advice and assistance as necessary.