China's wired digital TV users exceed 26.86 million households_Xinhua News Agency_Finance Channel

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 17th (by Li ShiYu and Zhou TingYu) - The "2008 Report on the Development of China's Radio, Film, and Television" recently released points out that the digitalization process of China's radio and television is accelerating comprehensively. By the end of 2007, the number of cable digital TV users across the country reached more than 26.86 million households, an increase of more than double compared to 2006.

The report states that China's radio and television network is transitioning towards a digital TV network. By the end of 2007, 53 cities and regions had established new technical systems for cable digital TV, with 31 cities completing the overall digital conversion. Guangxi, Shaanxi, Jiangxi, Jilin, and other provinces have completed the integration of their entire provincial networks.

To promote the digitalization and networking of radio and television, in 2007, the State Administration of Radio and Television organized the compilation and release of relevant standards and normative documents for the digitalization and networking of radio stations and TV stations. Experimental bases were established in 12 radio stations and 20 TV stations nationwide. Digital audio broadcasting trials were conducted in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, and other places.

In addition, preliminary technical standards for the digital movie screening system have been established. The digital movie technology platform has completed the conversion of over 500 films from film to digital format, and urban digital cinema screens have reached 200.

The Blue Book of Radio and Television also pointed out that in 2007, China's audio-visual new media industry maintained a high-speed development trend overall, with new media becoming a new platform for public opinion promotion. By the end of 2007, China’s IPTV users had approached one million; mobile TV users amounted to about 8 million; and the scale of internet users reached 210 million people. Among these, 86.6% had listened to online music within half a year, and 76.9% had watched online movies or TV shows.