Sri Lanka may adopt Japanese DTV standard

Japan’s Communications Minister Yoshitaka Shindo visited Sri Lanka this week to promote the Japanese digital terrestrial TV standard.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Mass Media and Information Keheliya Rambukwella said the country may drop a proposal to adopt the European digital terrestrial TV standards and opt for the Japanese standard instead.

Mr Rambukwella said even if tests proved no difference in technical superiority, Sri Lanka would choose Japan because of the close ties the two countries share.

In an earlier meeting, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa told Mr Shindo he believes the Japanese system is better, although a technical comparison between the two standards is still underway.

Sri Lanka’s state-run TV began test-broadcasts of both European and Japanese standards last month.