SHANGHAI residents should be able to watch free high-definition programs on laptops or HD TVs with special set-top boxes by August, major developers Shanghai Media Group and Intel Corp said yesterday.

The demand for HD TV in China is being fueled by the forthcoming Beijing Olympic Games, industry insiders said.

The broadcasting HD industry chain includes content provider SMG, chip maker Intel, equipment maker iVision and Tsinghua Linxun, which is developing the national digital TV standard.

At present, most HD TVs use cable-based services provided by CCTV and SMG.

"HD, wireless and interactive are the trends in TV and we hope to officially launch the service before the Olympics," said Diana Gao, president of Shanghai Interactive Television Co, an SMG's subsidiary on HD and other new media content.

Laptop users need to buy an HD TV receiver which can be plugged into a USB slot. The receiver costs several hundred yuan but the price will drop with volume sales, Intel said.

Chinese users are eager to enjoy the new technology ahead of the Olympics, which are boosting the demand for HD TV and IPTV (Internet protocol TV), according to IT research firm iSuppli.

HD TV services are available in 37 cities, including all the provincial capitals, Shanghai and Beijing, said Gao.

Users need to access the Internet and HD content anytime and anywhere, according to Elaine Chang, market director of Intel China. Shanghai plans to build a citywide wireless network by 2010, according to Shanghai Telecom.