China to upgrade cable TV media boxes to receive HD and UHD signals

China’s National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) on Tuesday issued a document outlining the acceleration of the development of high definition (HD) and ultra high definition (UHD) television signals, in addition to developing the capacities for broadcasting HD and UHD TV signals among provincial TV stations by the end of 2023.

The document states TV channels in standard definition will be gradually closed down starting from 2023 and will be completed by 2025. From July 2022, all TV broadcasters should broadcast using HD and UHD signals.

TV remains one of major media for dispersing information in China, especially in rural areas, Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Beijing-based Information Consumption Alliance, told the Global Times on Wednesday, noting the important role of TV in transmitting information and government policies to remote outlying areas.

The document referenced the cable TV box upgrade project to match the HD and UHD TV signals, noting that new-set cable TV boxes after 2023 should be able to receive HD and UHD signals, and growing the popularity of TV boxes to receive satellite transmissions.

“China’s TV box technology level is in the top tier in the world, some domestic leading telecom operators such as China Mobile and China Telecom have also developed advanced TV boxes used in households,” Xiang said.

Xiang suggested that TV boxes are usually connected to a broadband network, which can realize multiple functions in households, in addition to receiving TV signals. “Enterprises in all phases of the industry chain including equipment manufacturing, software development and intelligent furniture will be helped by the new document,” Xiang said.

Stock prices of multiple enterprises in the industry such as Skyworth Digital Co, Unionman Technology Co and Jiangsu Yinhe Electronics Co saw rises when trade opened on Wednesday. Global Times