Science and Technology Daily:

We've noticed that there are some Ultra-high definition (UHD) programs broadcasting at present that bring a better experience to viewers. What are the NRTA's considerations for advancing the development of ultra-high-definition TV (UHDTV) in the next step? Thank you.

Zhu Yonglei:

This is a very good question. The NRTA is advancing this work with all efforts. We will have Mr. Yang to answer this question.

Yang Guorui:

Thank you for your question. We all know that TV has evolved significantly, from black and white to color, analog to digital, and standard-definition TV to high-definition. Now, we've entered the era of UHD. UHD has a resolution over four times that of high definition, providing viewers with sharper details, richer colors, smoother images, and a more immersive experience. At the same time, UHD not only performs well on large-size screens but also has obvious improvements in picture quality on small screens such as mobile phones, tablet computers, and vehicle terminals. Therefore, UHD will bring a brand new audiovisual experience to people on both large and small screens.

After years of hard work, China's video technology has progressed from learning standard-definition technology and catching up with HD technology to developing some core UHD technologies that are at world-class levels. We've made accelerating UHD development a key strategic task, following the approach of driving overall development by launching pilot programs in selected areas, making key breakthroughs, and upgrading the entire industrial chain. We planned to pilot projects in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong, and selected several regions to promote UHD broadcasting on provincial satellite TVs. The Beijing and Guangdong pilots have launched in April and August this year, respectively, while Shanghai's will officially launch tomorrow. An important task of these pilots is to remove barriers in UHD content production, program broadcasting, network transmission and terminal presentation so UHD programs can truly enter ordinary households.

We will adopt an integrated approach to advance the application of UHD in radio and television, online audio and video, as well as TV screens and mobile phone screens. It is planned that by the end of 2025, 13 new UHD channels will be aired across the country, including CCTV and provincial satellite TVs. There will be over 20 UHD channels in China. By 2026, 11 more UHD channels will be added. At the same time, streaming platforms — including iQiyi, Youku, Tencent, Mango TV, Bilibili and Migu — will ensure that over 50% of their newly added programs annually are in UHD. At that time, UHD will become the primary presentation format for radio, television, and online audio and video, and people will be able to enjoy stunning and immersive audiovisual experiences at home.

To effectively carry out this work, we actively cooperate with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China Media Group, and local Party committees and governments, and communicate closely with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF). These joint efforts create a sound ecosystem for UHDTV development. For example, the NDRC, the MOF, and other departments have actively offered support and included UHD development in the scope of support as we implement major national strategies and build up security capacity in key areas while promoting equipment and consumer goods renewals. Additionally, as there are still cases where technical quality doesn't meet standards, we will work with relevant departments to establish a comprehensive quality certification mechanism to ensure users get a real UHD audiovisual experience, striving to make the UHD industry development a high-quality project and a popular project that satisfies the public. Thank you.