Digital broadcasts to expand TV channels

Digital television broadcasting will enable the efficient use of limited frequency resources, multiple channels with wider coverage and a range of other benefits to bridge the digital divide, said Minister of Mass Media and Information Anura Priyadharshana Yapa.

He was speaking at a ceremony to launch the terrestrial digital television network, a pilot project of Dialog Television (Pvt) Ltd., a subsidiary of Dialog Telekom PLC.

"The media in Sri Lanka can be proud of its achievements in taking bold steps to introduce new technologies to provide a reliable, affordable and quality service to customers.

Sri Lanka was ahead of India in introducing colour features to television," Minister Yapa said.

The Digital Video Broadcast-Terrestrial (DVB-T) enables digital broadcasts over the VHF/UHF television spectrum (airwaves) enabling viewers to access the digital broadcast using (analogue) televisions VHF/UHF antennae with the addition of a DVB-T access device (adaptor or set top box).

DVB-T carries nine channels on a single UHF frequency. State channels Rupavahini, Eye/Nethra and ITN will join private broadcasters such as Derana and Swarnavahini on the first digital broadcast.

The benefits that DVB-T offers are DVD quality video, electronic program guides and selection, multi-lingual audio capability and sub-titling and enhanced audio technology such as dolby digital 5.1.

Dialog Telekom PLC Group Chief Executive Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya said the digital broadcasts will help to expand television channels to all regions.

Dialog Television is confident that the broadcast industry will make maximum use of the technology to deliver a superior and widely available coverage to consumers.