by 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.
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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