3. Transmission Modes

3.3 Digital Broadcasting

3.3.1 Digital Terrestrial Television

ATV and TVB launched their DTT services on 31 December 2007 through the main transmitting station at Temple Hill to cover about 50% of the population in Hong Kong, namely the Kowloon peninsula, the northern part of Hong Kong Island, part of Sha Tin and the eastern part of Lantau Island. The two stations collaborated to extend the coverage to all 18 districts reaching 75% of the population by early August 2008 through the launching of six new transmitting stations at Golden Hill, Kowloon Peak, Castle Peak, Cloudy Hill, Lamma Island and Mount Nicholson. The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games were carried extensively on the DTT services. This helped to drive the take-up rate of DTT to 15.6% of all households in Hong Kong by the end of July 2008.

3.3.2 Digital Cable Broadcasting

HKCTV completed digitisation of its HFC and MMDS network in 2005. By using the compression ratio of 6:1 for digital television channels, HKCTV increased the number of channels from 31 in early 2002 to 100 as at August 2008. Digitisation has also enabled HKCTV to improve picture quality and enhance the capability to combat illegal viewing of its programme services.

3.3.3 Digital Satellite Broadcasting

Two pay television operators, viz. TVB Pay Vision and HKCTV, and all the 16 non-domestic television programme service licensees provided digital satellite broadcasting services. In Hong Kong, around 34.6% of the households received digital satellite broadcasting services via the SMATV Systems installed in their buildings. 

3.3.4 Digital Broadcasting over Broadband Network

PCCW Media and TVB Pay Vision provided digital broadcasting services via broadband networks, achieving near universal coverage in Hong Kong.

ZOOM

3.3.5 Digital Audio Broadcasting

The Government's policy is that the launch of digital audio broadcasting (DAB) service should be market-led and there should be no regulatory obstacles to the deployment of new technologies and entrepreneurial ventures to launch innovative services including digital transmission of specialised info-data to specified user groups. The Government welcomes applications for launching DAB trial services and has reserved Band III and L-Band frequencies for DAB. No application was received to conduct DAB trials in Hong Kong during the report period.