Brazil on Wednesday showed interest in adopting Japanese digital-television standards over the format widely used in Europe during a ministerial meeting, a Japanese official said.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Minister Luiz Fernando Furlan, and Communications Minister Helio Costa told Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshihiro Nikai that Brazil considers Japanese standards appropriate for use, with some technical adjustments, the official said.
Nikai said if Brazil decides to introduce the Japanese format, Japan will help Brazilian electronics manufacturers by accepting their delegations to Japan, providing information and encouraging Japanese makers to invest in the country, the official said.
Amorim is in Japan to discuss digital television formats with Japanese ministers and such electronics giants as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., NEC Corp., Sony Corp. and Toshiba Corp.
Brazil has not yet introduced digital broadcasting and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to make the final decision on the format.
Under the Japanese standards, digital terrestrial broadcasting for portable terminals, such as mobile phones and car navigation equipment, is available without attaching adapters to the TVs.
The service -- called "One Seg" because one segment of a channel is used -- began in Japan this month.
The Japanese official said mobile phones are widely used in Brazil, which has a population of about 190 million.