Interactive digital TV in Asia II

　　"Companies who are the first to move in digital TV will achieve tremendous competitive advantages," the st udy said. "These advantages include building a powerful brand franchise through customer mind-share, strong inv estor support, and positive responses from market analy sts".

　　Japanese begin interactive digital TV broadcasting.

　　Interactive TV sets are in high demand in Japan, bu t there are not enough of them to go around.

　　Japan's TV industry turned a new page with the star t of high-definition, interactive digital broadcasting.

　　Broadcasters and electric appliance makers were hol ding events in Tokyo's Harajuku, Yurakucho and other pl aces to mark the start of digital broadcasting.

　　Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) was to install digit al TV sets at 200 sites across the country, such as dep artment stores and railway stations, in its effort to p romote digital broadcasting.

　　One merit of the broadcast satellite (BS) digital b roadcasting is that companies can provide viewers with interactive programs.

　　Similar to internet services connected through tele phone lines, digital TVs let users receive various serv ices, including banking and online shopping.

　　This will create competition between the digital br oadcasting industry and information and communication c ompanies that offer similar services.

　　With the start Dec. 1of BS digital programs, televi sion manufacturers are scrambling to cash in on the new system through tie-ups with rival semiconductor manufac turers rather than producing the key component on their own.

　　The number of viewers is still small. Only about 11 6,000 TV sets and tuners dedicated for digital broadcas ting were shipped as of the end of October. Demand is r ising, however.

　　Electrical appliance shops in Tokyo's Akihabara dis trict are advertising advance orders for BS sets, but s uppliers cannot meet the demand.

　　By Michael Mahoney