Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Breaking News : Dialog launches DVB-T

According to information being received Dialog have launched the first Digital Terrestrial Broadcast in Sri Lanka which was declared open by the Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa a few minutes ago.

We will provide more details as and when we receive them. Those who have more information on this are requested to update us.

6 comments:

LKDOOD said...

wow !
great news

some time back there was 'talk' that rupavahini was going launch a DVB-T

Free to air & digital quality

i wonder what they will show ?

will it be 1 channel or many ?

will other networks eg. sirasa launch ?

Amaris said...

People on these blogs are getting carried away with the tech stuff sometimes. First they were arguing that getting signals from a satellite (with rain fade and pixelation due to cramming) was somehow more glamourous than getting it through a co-ax cable.

Now they are going to start another fad by giving this DVB-T thingy.

Why are you not mature enough to realise that picture quality, content, reliability and cost are the important factors and not how the damn thing comes to your house? That is immaterial.

Ahamed Nishadh said...

does this mean dat theres a new channel airing in sri lanka nw??

LKDOOD said...

Dialog presents another first in South Asia : Terrestrial TV to go digital

LINK

DVB-T may take off in Sri lanka

time will tell !

cost ? rental ? content ?

for example in the UK Freeview Digital boxes go from £14.98 & up

LINK

rental ?

there are 2 systems
1. Freeview
2. PAY TV FREEVIEW(card system)

FREEVIEW :

0 per month rental yes 0 !

yes ! THERE IS FREEVIEW pay TV

you need a card & you need to pay up if you want to watch pay channels on DVB-T

don't expect HBO to be free LOL !

content on FREEVIEW:

Rupavahini, Eye/Nethra and ITN join private broadcasters Derana, Swarnavahini, The Buddhist and three foreign channels

no news of FREEVIEW pay tv ?

maybe in the future you will see star, HBO etc. on the DVB-T pay service

LKDOOD said...

@AHAMED NISHADH

there are not just one !

there are 9 channels on now
(TESTING)

if you have a Digital box & a normal antenna(UHF) you can watch it for FREE

Mario said...

Dialog presents another first in South Asia:
Terrestrial TV to go digital

FULL ARTICLE

http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/01/24/bus01.asp

Dialog presents another first in South Asia:
Terrestrial TV to go digital

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.


LAUNCH: Customers viewing the first Terrestrial Digital Television Broadcast launch at Waters Edge last morning. Inset; CEO, Dialog Television, Nushad Perera.
Picture by Saliya Rupasinghe

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.