Haier Group Co has partnered with Shanghai Interactive Television to tap the nation's booming high-definition TV market.

 

Haier, China's largest home appliance maker, has launched a sub-brand for a new HDTV collection designed to broadcast programs made by SiTV, the digital TV arm of Shanghai Media Group, it said yesterday. The two companies plan to jointly develop HDTV technologies and the conversion of high-definition content. Details were not announced.

 

"HDTV is a major trend in China, taking into account the coming Olympic Games and World Expo," said Yu Zida, vice president of Haier Group Co Ltd. "Haier will make use of SMG's marketing platform while SMG will take advantage of our sales network to promote its HDTV programs."

 

The HDTV collection, named Innov, went on sale yesterday on OCJ Home Shopping, a TV shopping program owned by SMG.

 

SiTV started commercial operation of HDTV in January last year, kicking off with one channel featuring 15 hours of programming a day. It was available to viewers across the country via satellite. Called "New Vision," the channel airs movies, TV drama series, sports games, documentaries and live shows.

 

HDTV, a form of digital television, offers wide-screen pictures five times sharper than DVDs. Viewers need to purchase an HDTV set or buy a set-top box to convert the digital signal.

 

(Shanghai Daily March 16, 2007)