Digital TV brings greater choice to Hong Kong viewers

Hong Kong’s  public service broadcaster RTHK says its new digital television service has brought a greater variety of programs to viewers in the special administrative region of China.

“With the launch of digital terrestrial television (DTT) services on January 2014, the public is enjoying more choices in addition to the services delivered by the existing commercial free TV broadcasters, and it meets the mission of being the sole PSB in Hong Kong,” an RTHK spokesperson has said. “The three high-definition channels RTHK TV 31, RTHK 32 and RTHK 33 are providing a wide variety of programs.” 

TV 31 is an integrated channel offering current affairs, education, information, culture and arts and drama, including new programs specially produced for the DTT channel, acquired programs, a selection of RTHK’s productions, classic archive programs, educational TV, weather reports and programs simulcast in prime time slots on the region’s two free-to-air television stations.

“The commissioning programs and relayed local arts and cultural programs will help promote local production and nurture talents in arts and cultural,” the spokesperson says.

TV 32 provides live feeds of Legislative Council meetings every Wednesday and other important press conferences as well as signals issued to the public. TV 33 relays the programs of China Central Television-9 Documentary 24 hours a day.

Households within the signal coverage area should be able to receive RTHK’s DTT broadcasting signals using standalone antennas in reasonably good condition and DTT receivers. Through in-building communal aerial broadcast distribution (CABD) systems, the CABD system owners and managers of buildings need to install appropriate DTT receiving equipment.

Other platforms for viewing RTHK’s productions include the RTHK website (rthk.hk) and an original mobile app “RTHK Screen” that provides webcasts for TV 31 and 32 and features other functions such as video-on-demand (VoD), download and program subscriptions.

Further details on RTHK’s DTT service and its development can be found here.