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MII Backs Changhong's IPTV Research(Comtex Business Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)MIANYANG, Mar 16, 2006 (SinoCast China IT Watch via COMTEX) --The IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) research and development projects of Changhong, one of the established home appliance makers in China, have got financial support of CNY 1 million from the Ministry of Information Industry (MII), the telecom regulator in China. In China, the IPTV industry is still in its infancy, but the potential is very huge. Spokesperson for Changhong says that the success of the projects will add the company with more high-blood embedded system researchers and help to build up a development platform for information home appliance. In addition, it will also further sharpen Changhong's competitiveness in China's television industry. On January 13, the embedded software platform and key technology research project of information home appliance of Changhong passed the tests of Chinese telecom regulators. Based on the platform, Changhong not only can develop some integrated 3C products, but also do some comprehensive research and development. MII says IPTV is a key area in which China needs to develop, and therefore it is offering preferential policies and funding to businesses within this sector. This is the largest sum of funds ever offered by MII to a Chinese enterprise. By joining hands with China Telecom, the biggest fixed line telephone carrier, Changhong is focusing on transforming 400 million television users in China into potential broadband users through the use of IPTV. IPTV uses a two-way digital broadcast signal that is sent through a switched telephone or cable network by way of a broadband connection, along with a set top box programmed with software that can handle viewer requests to access media sources. A television is connected to the set top box that handles the task of decoding the IP video and converts it into standard television signals. The Switched Video Service (SVS) system allows viewers to access broadcast network channels, subscription services, and movies on demand. IPTV streams TV programs over the Internet. IPTV uses streaming video to deliver scheduled TV programs via the Internet. Unlike transmitting over the air or via cable to a TV set, IP TV uses the Internet as the delivery mechanism and requires a computer and software media player to display the content. IPTV differs from traditional Internet access ways in terminals. Traditional Internet access ways are restrained to personal computers. But terminals of IPTV can be either computers or TV sets. This renders wide application scope for IPTV. Users can get access to the Internet on their televisions through set-top boxes, even though they do not know computer and network knowledge. Target users of IPTV are the masses, so simple operations are crucial for their wide popularizations. Compared with getting Internet access through computers, IPTV is more convenient. IPTV can bring along sharp increases of broadband users for operators with simple ways. With a view to the future, fixed- line carriers have to construct IPTV systems directed to next generation networks. To change the current broadband development situation, China Telecom and China Netcom, the two largest fixed-line telecom carriers, have been focusing on the service quality of broadband businesses. The construction of stream media CDN (Content Delivery Network) system is one of the efforts. CDN system is similar to IPTV business in some aspects, and may achieve part of IPTV businesses. But it is still designed for personal computers, and it is unrealistic to completely depend on CDN system to develop IPTV. [USD 1 = CNY 8.04958545] From Beijing Morning Post, Page 1, Wednesday, March 15, 2006 [email protected] |