Beijing Gehua CATV Network Company has formed an alliance with other companies to provide comprehensive high-definition television service and accelerate the development of the service in China.

The alliance includes companies like Huacheng Film and Television Company, Dazhong Electronics, Dolby Laboratories Changhong, Haier, Hisense, Panasonic, TCL and Sharp.

Huacheng says its CHC high-definition film is the first of its kind in China and will work with others to provide this to the alliance, while Gehua is mainly responsible for signal transmission among alliance members. The six TV manufacturers promise that their TV sets sold at Dazhong retail outlets conform with the national high-definition standard.

A representative from Gehua says that high definition TV, including LCD and plasma televisions, are replacing traditional CRT TVs because of their continuing price decline. However, they can't offer better television programs unless there is high-definition signal access, and this is why they have formed this alliance.