U.S. standard picked for digital television

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U.S. standard picked for digital television

The government announced yesterday that it would adopt the U.S. standard for digital television services in Korea, a move that may offer advantages to Korean firms. The new system is expected to replace most analog broadcasting within six years. The Ministry of Information and Communications said that government officials and broadcasting industry leaders agreed to select the system employed in the United States, instead of one used in Europe. Digital television broadcasting, compared to traditional analog methods, provides higher quality images and sound, and can be used interactively with other digital media such as the Internet. Industry analysts noted that adopting the U.S. standard may be to the advantage of Korean companies in the long run, since LG Electronics owns Zenith, the U.S. company that holds the patents for the core technologies of this format. Following the decision, digital television broadcasting services for ground networks will begin in Korea’s six largest cities in time for the Athens Olympics. Efforts will be made to provide digital broadcasting services to most of the nation by 2005. KBS is preparing to start digital broadcasting services immediately; MBC is awaiting final inspection of its facilities by official bodies. In 1997, the government had said that it would adopt the system used in the United States, known as vestigial side band, but strong complaints from broadcast-related companies and civic groups beginning in 2000 delayed the final decision for four years. At the time, some broadcasters and media unions opted for a European format, which transmits clearer images to receivers in motion ― such as those in car televisions ― but lower definition than the U.S. format for stationary sets. After years of negotiations, government and industry decided on the U.S. standard since television sets currently on the market are all based on that code, and conversion to European codes would require more years of development and investment. To supplement the system’s weaknesses in the mobile area, the government said it would launch a local digital broadcasting function for mobile broadcasting later this year. The settlement was applauded by television makers such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, who said that they would pursue active marketing. “We have high expectations of the digital television industry, which may be the next growth engine for Korea’s information technology, following semiconductors and cellular phones,” said Kim Gyeong-whan of LG Electronics. “The U.S. market is the largest single market in the world, so this enables us to gain continuous competitiveness.” The government is also upbeat. “The domestic economy is stagnant,” said Lee Jae-hong, director of the ministry’s digital television team. “We hope that digital television will have a big impact in increasing consumption, especially with the Olympics coming up.” Rha Bong-ha, the ministry’s broadcasting and satellite team director, forecast that analog broadcasting would end in 2010, by which time the ministry expects about 95 percent of Korean households to own digital sets. by Wohn Dong-hee
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