
SMPTE-HK 11th Anniversary Seminar - HONG KONG SECTION (25 November 2005)​
The Hong Kong Section celebrated its eleventh anniversary by hosting a seminar on “Digital TV Broadcasting and HDTV – Dual link to Digital Evolution" at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education - Kwun Tong (IVE).. Seven honorable speakers from around the world shared with over 400 participants their experiences in the areas of system design, application, DTV transmission and HDTV.
In the key note speech, Mr. Du Bai Chuan, Deputy Chief Engineer of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television of China, talked about the preparation for transition from analogue to digital TV and the potential changes in the industry in China. Mr. Norio Sakamoto, Executive Technology Officer of Panasonic China, gave an overview on the global situation on Digital TV progress, especially on the display, mobile and portable reception.
As the fourth major player in DTV, China has developed new DTV Systems. Dr. Guan Yun Feng of the Institute of Wireless Communication of Jing Tung University of Shanghai unveiled for the first time the ADTB-T system to an overseas audience. He explained in detail the strength of the system and the satisfactory results of its trail use in various cities in China.
To further elaborate on the application of DTV, Mr. Simon Chan, Director of Sales, BTL Digital Communications of Hong Kong, told us how he overcame all the hurdles and technical difficulties while implementing digital TV on commuter trains. On top of as an efficient tool for disseminating information to commuters, the DTV system was able to generate advertising revenue to sustain the operation of the system on the public transportation system,.
Mr. Roderick Snell, Founder & Research Director of Snell and Wilcox. explored the added value that DTV could bring to our customers. He remarked that being so involved in the DTV technology as practitioners, we quite often forget our customers. No matter how advanced we could be, we must ensure the outcome is viable and enjoyed by customers.
Transmission is to deliver the content therefore content production is the core of digital TV, and Mr. Katsumi Takahara, the General Manager of Technology Strategy Department, Technologies Development Division, Sony Corporation B & P, focused on “ High Definition Content Creation and Workflow Innovation.” He described the new workflow enabled by the MPEG 2 Long GOP technology and MXF file format. It is a time efficient solution for field production and MXF would be a standard for file exchange between systems.
The last speaker of the day was a familiar face, Mr. Percy Fung of Digital Magic Limited HK. He illustrated to the audience the technique of digital mastering and color management by showing the outcome of merging various formats of source materials ( film, digital,etc.) into a final product. Audience was impressed by his 35 mm film excerpts showing that after precise mastering and color managing, audience could hardly notice the different formats of source materials.
The highlight of the event was the live demonstration of DTV transmission from Temple Hill to the seminar venue. High definition contents were playback from the server, transmitted and received by an antenna set up at the venue and shown on the a six-meter screen by means of a 2K digital projector and plasma TV screens. Members and guests were amazed by the clarity and color rendition of images.
The attendance was record high with over 400 participants packed the Assembly Hall of IVE. At this age of transition, engineers from both the film and TV industries were concerned about the future trend and application of new technologies. They were keen to listen to field experiences in the implementation of the digital TV in Asia region especially China.
After the seminar, SMPTE Hong Kong section hosted its annual dinner and members exchanged views with our speakers. During the dinner, a ceremony was held for SMPTE Hong Kong Section and IVE to sign a letter of intent. By signing the letter, a fruitful relationship would flourish and the two parties would work together to organize technical courses for TV and film engineers in Hong Kong and China. This would be the first step to support projects conducive to the healthy and long term development of the film and TV industries.
It was a very successful day and enjoyable evening for all and the next event is being planned for January 2006.