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The Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) announced today (January 2) that digital terrestrial television (DTT) services, have been operating smoothly since their launch on December 31.
"The simulcast transmission of DTT and analogue services has been satisfactory. The two broadcasters, ATV and TVB, have launched their new programmes, including HDTV programmes, as planned," the Assistant Director (Operations) of OFTA, Mr Danny Lau Kwong-cheung, said at a briefing held today.
"OFTA has received more than 300 public enquiries in relation to DTT via its hotline since the launch of the services, indicating keen interest on the part of the general public in the new free-to-air television services. Most 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."
With respect to some public concern about the reception of existing analogue television services, Mr Lau said that the DTT transmission should not affect reception of analogue television services.
"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 and the DTT signals currently broadcast by the two broadcasters. The alleged reception quality problem of conventional analogue television programmes has nothing to do with simultaneous transmission of DTT and analogue television signals," Mr Lau said.
"It is possible that when individual buildings engaged 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."
People are welcome to call the hotline of OFTA (2961 6333) during office hours (8.30am-5.45pm) if they have any questions about DTT. OFTA will provide technical advice and assistance as necessary.
Ends/Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:13
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