(1 February 2007 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: The Beijing Gehua CATV Network has formed an alliance with other companies to provide high-definition television (HDTV) service and accelerate the development of the service in China.

The parties are Dazhong Electronics as well as TV manufacturers like Changhong and Haier.

Media reports state that the co-founders also include Huacheng Film and TV Digital Programme, Beijing BAMC Communication Digital TV Co Ltd, Dolby Laboratories and other TV manufacturers such as Hisense, Panasonic, TCL and Sharp.

According to the agreement, Huacheng Film and TV Digital Programme together with Shanghai Media Group will provide HD TV channels. Gehua CATV Network takes charge of communicating signal. The HD TV sets made by the above manufacturers should comply with the related national standards and the standards of Gehua CATV's network.

Huacheng says that its CHC high-definition film is the first of its kind in China and will work with others to provide this to the alliance, while Gehua is mainly responsible for signal transmission among alliance members. The six TV manufacturers promise that their TV sets sold at Dazhong retail outlets conform with the national high-definition standard.