DVB-T2 solution ordered
Harris Broadcast Communications has received an order for a DVB-T2 UHF TV transmission solution from Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC), the State Television Network in Sri Lanka, following the government’s decision to standardise on DVB-T2 for its migration from analogue to digital broadcasting.
The Harris DVB-T2 solution for SLRC will include multiple Harris Maxiva ULX UHF transmitters to support eight over-the-air digital channels, and allow the national broadcaster to retain local flavour through targeted DVB-T2 channel insertions in specific regions.
Source: Content + Technology Magazine
Item added: 14th November 2011 



President opens Kokavil DVB-T2 transmitter tower
The new Kokavil Transmission tower-in the Mullaitivu District in the Northern Province has been opened by the President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The 174 meter tower will be used to introduce digital radio and television transmission using the Digital Video Broadcasting’s DVB-T2 digital terrestrial broadcasting standard to the entire Northern Province as well as to provide Internet and radio services.
”We now have an opportunity to give a clear picture and provide information to the Northern people regarding the government’s massive development drive and other social and political issues in the country,” said .Anusha Pelpita, the Director General of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.
Source: Sri Lanka’s Daily News
Item added: 9th June 2011



Sri Lanka prepares for DVB-T2
Sri Lanka has taken the important step of selecting DVB-T2 as the national standard for the Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting.
In order to prepare for the roll out of DTT a workshop on DVB-T/T2 Technologies and Measurements was organized jointly by AIBD, SLRC & Rhode & Schwarz from the 24-28 January 2011 in Colombo.
22 participants from various Television broadcasting organization (SLRC, MTV, ITN & Swarnavahini) in Sri Lanka participated in this workshop.
Apart from theory, covering DVB Technologies & Applications, DVB-T2 Overview, DVB-T2 Technology primer, Compression, Interference and Noise and Single Frequency Network, etc., there were practical demonstrations made using DVB-T1/T2 signal generator, Analyser and Set Top Box. Participants were given an opportunity to configure various parameters and observe the results.
Source: Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcast Development
Item added: 9th June 2011 



Sri Lanka to go digital by 2017
The Sri-Lankan terrestrial broadcasting system will be fully converted to digital by 2017 according to Daily News quotes, from the Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.
He told a briefing in Colombo that he has appointed a committee to look into the technical aspects and evaluation of the digitalisation project and that it will be headed by Mass Media and Information Ministry Secretary W B Ganegala. He went on to say that the conversion process will begin in 2011 and because digital technology had the capacity to transmit several channels using a single frequency, obstacles to the expansion of broadcasting facilities could be removed, he said.
Sri Lanka will use the DVB-T2 digital standard. The first region to have the service will be the country’s Western Province which includes the capital, Colombo.
Source: ABU website
Item added: 20th December 2010  



DVB-T2 to be introduced in Sri Lanka
The Digital Video Broadcasting’s DVB-T2 digital terrestrial broadcasting standard will be introduced to all television channels in Sri Lanka by the year 2015 said Secretary to the Ministry Mass Media W B Ganegala.
Speaking to Lankapuvath, the Secretary said that the DVB-T2 system is already used in Europe while the Committee appointed to look into the eligibility of its use in Sri Lanka has confirmed that it could be used for local TV channels.
The Committee is to get the permission of the Sri Lankan Government to the report on implementing the system in the country he said. It would take at least 5 years to introduce the DVB-T2 technology to Sri Lanka while the Ministry aims at implementing it in several phases and under the first phase the system will be introduced to the Western Province mentioned the Secretary.
Further he said that by the year 2015 all TV stations in the island will function with the DVB-T2 system.
At present channels in Sri Lanka are broadcasted using the analogue system and with the DVB-T2 system broadcasting would be made more productive and efficient stated Secretary Ganegala. The system will also reduce the cost on TV stations he added.
Sri Lanka began pilot trials using DVB-T in 2008 and adopted the system in August 2009.
However following the development of the DVB-T2 system, which has 50% more capacity using the same channel bandwidth, it now intends to switch to DVB-T2.
The trend towards DVB-T2 is increasing especially in countries where Digital TV is still to be introduced. This is because the additional capacity DVB-T2 provides is much greater than with any other current DTT system and it can be implemented at much the same cost as for DVB-T.
Main source: Lankapuvath National News Agency of Sri Lanka
Item added: 1st November 2010  



Sri Lanka adopts DVB-T for digital TV
DVB-T will be the digital television standard to be adopted for Sri Lanka's analogue to digital transition, according to a recent ABU report.
The announcement was made on the 27th August 09 at a Cabinet news briefing by the Media and Information Minister, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa.
He said that the Japanese and US standards had also been considered, but as most countries in the Asian region were adopting the European DVB standard, the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission had decided to do the same.
The Minister said Cabinet had approved the proposal at its Thursday meeting.
"The current transmission system has to be upgraded, therefore 150 million rupees (about US$1.3 million) each will be allocated for both Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) and Independent Television Network (ITN) in the 2010 budget,” he said.
“The money will be utilised to purchase equipment and antennas required for the digital technology," the Minister added.
Source: Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union
Item added: 31st August 2009


DVB-T pilot launched
Sri Lanka’s Dialog Television began a pilot DVB-T launch on the 23rd January 2008 in the city of Colombo. The pilot broadcasts will initially be tested by a selected group of representative viewers across the broadcast coverage area.
Nine channels will be available on a single UHF channel. The programme mix consists of state channels, Rupavahini Eye, Nethra and ITN as well as the private channels, Derana, Swarnavahini and The Buddhist. Three foreign channels will also be made available to complete the line-up.
Source: Daily News.lk
Item added: 29th January 2008
 

CBNSat (DVB-S) TV network launched
Sri Lanka's first Satellite digital Video Broadcast, DVB-S Direct to Home (DTH) network was launched by Communiq Broadband Network(Private) Ltd. (CBNSat) at the end of May 2005. The service is receivable throughout the Island and has the capability to broadcast up to 120 channels.
Arthur C. Clarke, who's home is in Sri Lanka, inaugurated the service.
Source: Daily News Online
Item added: 4th August 2005



DVB-T launch expected to take 5-10 years
No time frame has been allocated for introduction of digital terrestrial TV services and it is expected to take five to ten years before final decisions are made. Sri Lanka is expected to select the DVB family of standards. Source: ABU Technical Committee Annual Meeting, 20-23 September 2004

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Last page update: 14th November 2011, Barry Tew