Mobile phone, computer and personal data assistant (PDA) owners will be able to watch digital TV on their screens or laptops within two years with the launch yesterday of 14 digital TV channels.
The 14 channels, which are operated by five terrestrial TV stations, represent the completion of the third wave of a revolution in the TV industry, Premier Yu Shyi-kun said.
He also said that the introduction of digital TV was a milestone for the media industry.
PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
"After black-and-white TV in 1962 and color TV in 1969, today's digital TV is without doubt the third wave of the revolution," Yu said at a ceremony yesterday morning.
"And because digital TV offers much clearer images, I'm afraid I'll have to ask the make-up artists to put more make-up on my wrinkly face whenever I'm on," he said.
Digital TV not only opens the door to a digital nation but also delivers a government promise to the people, Yu added.
One of the projects in the Cabinet's NT$2.6 trillion, six-year national development package aims to develop the nation into the most digitalized nation in Asia. The "digital Taiwan" project in particular aims to digitalize the media industry, including TV, radio and film production.
The Cabinet plans to switch the nation completely to digital TV by 2006 or 2008 at the latest, but is locked in a dispute about fees and regulations with cable operators, who supply TV to more than 80 percent of households nationwide.
The Cabinet wants the nation to switch to digital before 2008, when the Olympic Games will be held in Beijing. They will be broadcast entirely in digital format.
The five free-to-air TV channels -- China Television (CTV), Taiwan Television (TTV), China Television System (CTS), Formosa Television (FTV) and the Public Television Service (PTS) -- have spent more than NT$5 billion to make the switch.
The Cabinet also hopes to allow mobile-phone, computer and PDA owners to watch digital TV on their screens or laptops within two years.
Digital TV, like its analog counterpart, is subscription-free. But users will need to buy a decoder box or a new TV set with a built-in decoder.
While decoder boxes cost between NT$4,800 and NT$12,000 and digital TV sets cost more than NT$90,000, the Cabinet is expecting that prices will drop dramatically as they enter mass production.
With regard to digital audio broadcasting (DAB), the Government Information Office (GIO) is accepting applications for eight DAB frequencies reserved for private radio stations starting Aug. 1.
The GIO is envisioning a four-year trial run involving 19 stations, with full operation commencing between one and four years after the completion of the trial period.
Service providers are required to begin their first phase of broadcasting within three years of obtaining licenses. Those who do not do so will risk having their licenses revoked.
DAB promises a wider choice of radio listening, less interference and higher sound quality. To receive DAB, listeners will need to buy receivers costing between NT$5,000 and NT$15,000.
The GIO hopes that the price will eventually fall as low as NT$1,000.
Although DAB receivers are more expensive than standard FM radios, the cost of the receiver is the only outlay that consumers will have to make.
The eight DAB licenses include three national licenses, which will allow broadcasters to offer services throughout the country, including outlying Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.
Three regional licenses will cover northern, central and southern Taiwan. The two remaining licenses will be temporarily reserved for official and emergency use.
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS