***********************************************
The digital terrestrial television (DTT) audience of DTT increased 60% in two months with the extension of free DTT broadcasting coverage which enabled more viewers to watch the Beijing Olympics with a brand new audio-visual experience.
According to a survey conducted jointly by the Government and the two free-to-air TV broadcasters at the end of July before the Olympics Games started, about 15.6% of the households (approximately 351,000 families) had watched DTT via DTT receivers (including set-top boxes or integrated digital TV sets) or computers, representing a 60% rise compared to the take-up rate of 9.7% surveyed at the end of May.
A spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said, ¡§The six new transmitting stations all came into service in early August, extending the DTT to all 18 districts covering 75% of the population. Together with the launch of Olympic channels by the two TV broadcasters, more people will switch to digital TV.¡¨
¡§The Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department recently seized for the first time some counterfeit DTT receivers. To protect consumer rights, we urge the public to stay alert in selecting receivers and buy from authorised dealers, ¡¨ the spokesman said.
DTT receivers that are suitable for use in Hong Kong and on sale in the market bear labels issued by the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA). The public should purchase these DTT receivers. As at August 11, OFTA had received applications for labelling 152 DTT receivers under the labelling scheme. So far, 81 receivers (including 22 integrated digital TV sets) were granted the higher-tier label.
To obtain the latest information on DTT broadcasting and learn more about the receiver labelling scheme, the public can visit the Government's dedicated digital TV website www.digitaltv.gov.hk, or call the OFTA hotline at 2961 6333.
Ends/Sunday, August 17, 2008
Issued at HKT 11:00
NNNN
