‘American Style for Digital Cable Broadcasting Technology System

The technology system of the digital cable broadcasting which will be shown at the end of the year, was determined as the American Style.

The ministry of information and communication announced to decide the technical system required for the digital conversion of the existing analog cable TV broadcasting as ‘Open Cable’ which is the open international standard of US Cable Broadcasting Research Institute. It also announced the standard of Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) on September 18.

For a selection of the technical system, there are candidates of the European style ‘DVB’ and the foreign private companies’ technology. However, the open cable systems are all open in the market and it will be advantageous to the domestic equipment companies.

As the basic standards are determined, the digital broadcasting service and contents industry will become brisk.

Lee Jae-Hong, the manager of broadcasting satellite of the ministry of information and communication(MIC) forecasted “Open cable system can activate the market competition through separating the Conditional Access System (POD) from the body of the set top box as advantages. The equipment purchase costs of consumers will decrease.” These Standards include the sending/receiving technical standard between the set top box and image equipment, the sending/receiving technical standard between the set top box and the broadcasting equipment (Headend), and the middleware standard for data broadcasting.

Tae-Han Kim freewill@donga.com