Dolby® Digital Plus audio has been chosen as part of the minimum specification for Ghana’s digital terrestrial television (DTT) standard for Integrated Digital TV (IDTV) and High-Definition Set Top Boxes (HD STB). The National Communications Authority (NCA) recently published the minimum requirements for receivers of free to air DTT in the country, and have chosen to adopt the DVB-T2 and MPEG-4 coding standards for digital broadcasting. Dolby Digital Plus has been identified as a required element of the specification for High-Definition functionalities. The latest standard sets out the minimum technical requirements for standard definition and high definition set-top box decoders for free-to-air digital terrestrial television in Ghana. Digital broadcasting improves spectrum efficiency compared to analog TV. Setting minimum specifications ensures DTT receivers will provide enhanced video and sound quality for viewers with more choice of programmes. This delivers audio in a more efficient way and lowers operating costs for broadcasts and transmission. “Ghana's electronic communications regulator, the National Communications Authority (NCA), is dedicated to ensuring that consumers across the country are provided with better broadcast services, through the use of high-efficiency solutions,” said Edmund Fianko, Manager, Engineering at the NCA and Secretary to Ghana's Digital Broadcasting Migration Committee. “Digital broadcasting in Ghana will play an important role in the delivery of high quality audio-visual content. The inclusion of Dolby Digital Plus is ideal for our use as it delivers authentic, high quality audio in a single, bandwidth-efficient stream.” “The inclusion of Dolby Digital Plus in the Ghanaian TV Standard is a testament to the dedication of the Ghana government to provide an exceptional audio-visual experience to consumers across the country,” added Tarif Sayed, Regional Director, Middle East & Africa, Dolby Laboratories. “The adoption of the DVB-T2, MPEG-4 standards for SD and HD broadcasts in Ghana ensures efficient use of limited spectrum. This plays a key role in transforming digital broadcasting in Africa, and we look forward to working closely with broadcasters to deliver improved DTT services across the region,” he added. The performance and flexibility of Dolby Digital Plus is ideal for limited-bandwidth environments such as terrestrial broadcasts. It allows broadcasters to deliver authentic, high-quality audio in a single, bandwidth-efficient stream to mono, stereo and 5.1 channel systems, removing the need to simulate multiple streams. Dolby Digital Plus works across DTT, satellite, cable and IP – future proofing audio delivery to all platforms for everyone, everywhere. Its flexibility also means that it can deliver the true excitement of the original soundtrack to a variety of other multimedia platforms, including online, tablets and mobiles.