Digital television in Malaysia

See digital television for more technical details, or DTV transition in the United States for specific information related to the analogue-to-digital switchover

In Malaysia, digital television broadcasts, DTV or DHD, can be received via cable, internet, satellite, or via free over-the-air (OTA) digital terrestrial television - much like analogue television broadcasts have been. It began in the mid-1990s with the introduction of the Astro satellite television service, now followed by new paid television services in the 2000s, as well as the digitalisation of over-the-air TV which was expected to be complete by the mid-2010s before being shelved. This article discusses various platforms where DTV is applied in Malaysia, including Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) (DVB-S for satellite and DVB-T for over-the-air) and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).

DTV systems

Satellite television

The DTV era in Malaysia began with the introduction of direct broadcast pay television service, Astro, in 1996 as part of commercialisation of space. Astro now transmits about 130 local and international TV channels in the MPEG-2 video format through the Ku band utilising the MEASAT satellite system's transponders, according to the DVB-S standard. Astro's transmission is especially susceptible to rain fade, and complaints of interruption during wet weather are not uncommon in Malaysia with a tropical climate. On December 2011, prime minister Najib Tun Razak announced that free satellite television, NJOI will be available to customer starting February 2012.[1]

Digital terrestrial TV

Free-to-air

In 2005, the Ministry of Information announced their plan to digitalise nationwide free-to-air TV broadcasts led by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).[2] Trial broadcasts were undertaken, involving one thousand households in the Klang Valley from September 2006 till February 2007. According to the then-Deputy Minister of Information, Chia Kwang Chye, the trial received "very positive" feedback, i.e. "more than 60 percent said the quality of the signal ranged from good to better. Over 88 percent said the picture quality improved, while 70 percent said the sound quality was better."[3]

According to Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, it was anticipated that RTM would fully complete its digitalisation in 2012 as part of its three-year restructuring process.[4] It was anticipated that each household, once equipped with the necessary equipment (set-top box, iDTV or DHD set) would receive up to 19 channels, seven of which would fall under RTM and the rest for private broadcasters such as TV3, ntv7, 8TV and TV9.[5] Thus far, besides simulcasting TV1 and TV2, RTM is currently airing RTMi, Muzik Aktif and Arena exclusively on the digital TV platform, transmitted at UHF channel 44, modulated at 64QAM, in test forms.[6] RTM was also expected to launch regional channels for each state and/or territory in Malaysia; increasing to 20 television channels.[7] Media Prima has started trials on March 2009.[8]

Malaysia and all other ASEAN nations (with the exception of The Philippines, who selected ISDB instead) had selected DVB-T as the final DTV standard, and were expected to switch off analogue broadcasts completely by 2015.[9] On June 2008, participants of the 6th ASEAN Digital Broadcast Meeting from seven south-east Asian countries (including Malaysia) agreed to finalise the specifications of the DTV set-top box for use within ASEAN, and also set up an ASEAN HD Centre to provide training on HDTV content to broadcasters in the region.[10]

Despite a success of RTM's pilot trials, the digital terrestrial television transition faced many problems. These problems stemmed from the lesser enthusiasm of content providers toward the digitisation, with the exception of Les Copaque, and the need to improve the nation's Internet broadband infrastructure. However, after Abdullah Badawi resigned as Prime Minister and succeeded by Najib Tun Razak in 2008, the project by RTM was deferred indefinitely.

Future

Although Telekom Malaysia has been rumoured to be builder for a digital terrestrial television infrastructure, TM wishes to improve the broadband infrastructure to increase Internet readiness for the country, which leads to UniFi.

On 8 January 2014, Puncak Semangat was awarded the concession for digital terrestrial television development. The company is obligated to develop the digital terrestrial television infrastructure, which include a digital multimedia hub and a network of high, medium and low-powered digital TV transmitters nationwide that are capable of carrying up to 45 standard-definition or 15 high-definition digital TV channels, for a start. Television and radio services will be offered first while the latter three, connected services (catch-up TV and video on demand), t-commerce (television commerce) and soft services (e-learning applications and SMS voting) will delivered via home broadband networks after the former two.[11]

The first roll-out will start on 16 April 2015 (originally expected to be in the third quarter of 2014),[11] using Puncak Semangat's inside-out rollout strategy where the rural areas will have analogue switch-off first followed by suburbans and eventually urban areas in stages, due to the fact that free-to-air television will benefit rural people while people in urban and suburban areas already have pay television such as Astro, HyppTV and ABNXcess.[11] The rollout will complete in 2017 [12] and will cover 98% of Malaysia's population with the capacity of up to 80 television channels and between 30 and 40 radio stations.[11]

Once the full digital platform has been rolled out, television broadcasts in analogue will be terminated.[13]

Analogue switch-off

Analogue TV broadcasts would have been shut down in stages, due to complete by 2015 as per recommendation from ASEAN. The DTT migration plan was divided into three phases:[14]

  1. Phase I (2007–2015)
    • Analogue TV & DTT co-exist
    • Analogue TV shut down in stages
    • Vacate other primary services (radar and LMS)
  2. Phase II (2016–2020)
    • No analogue TV service
    • Vacate DTT service using channels 56 and above
    • Vacate LMS in band 477 MHz to 478 MHz
  3. Phase III (2020-)
    • 100% DTT service using channels 5 to 12 and 21 to 54

Television broadcasts in analogue are originally scheduled for 2017, but the transition will be completed after the full-out of the digital platform.[13]

Standoff between Media Prima and MYTV

In May 2016, Media Prima was considering withdrawing its television channels from the free-to-air (FTA) space when Malaysia migrates to digital broadcast, as it regards the transmission fee charged by the digital terrestrial television (DTT) infrastructure operator — controlled by tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-bukhary — as commercially unviable.[15] The broadcaster with four FTA analog channels laid three possible outcome scenarios.[16]

Paid terrestrial television

In 2006, U Television, formerly MiTV, was scheduled to roll out broadcast services in the H.264 video format according to DVB-T, for better picture quality and more efficient frequency bandwidth usage, after having failed in an earlier venture with the IPTV-over-UHF system previously.[17]

Broadband and IPTV

DETV, a new paid television provider owned by REDtone, provides television and video-on-demand services on the IPTV platform, targeting the Chinese audiences in Malaysia.

TM launched its IPTV services, branded as Hypp.TV in the fourth quarter of 2009, and has completed its trials with 1,000 selected households in Klang Valley, Penang and Kulim, Kedah.[18] The service began in March 2010. However, due to the service being tied down to their UniFi fiber-to-the-home service, availability remains limited to areas covered by the national fiber rollout.

Mobile television

Mobile television was introduced in Malaysia with video streaming services by mobile telecommunications providers such as Maxis and DiGi, to users of mobile phones with 3G or similar technologies. Maxis TV now offers more than 20 channels to Maxis 3G subscribers who own compatible mobile phones.[19] Yet, Maxis is expected to roll out broadcast mobile TV services based on DVB-H in the near future.[20]

U Mobile also provides broadcast mobile TV to users of selected 3G phones, also based on DVB-H.[21]

In October 2008, Astro launched Astro Mobile TV[22] which currently provides 18 channels, all of which are mobile versions of existing Astro TV channels, including seven in-house channels. This service is only available to Maxis subscribers with compatible 2.5G or 3G handsets, and does not reprise its role from Maxis TV cable television.

In 2012, HyppTV launched the HyppTV Everywhere service to counter the lack of fiber coverage. Initially only available to UniFi subscribers, the service was opened up to the public to compensate for the limited UniFi coverage.

HDTV

RTM initiated its inaugural high-definition television (HDTV) trials in 2008, with the Beijing Olympic Games, of which RTM test-broadcast the opening and closing ceremony, and several events on HD.[23]

In late 2009, Astro launched Astro B.yond as a personal video recorder and a high-definition television service.

As of July 2013, Media Prima group chief financial officer Mohamad Ariff Ibrahim told that Media Prima will launch high definition (HD) simulcast for one of its four terrestrial television stations as early as the first half of year 2014.[24] But, it is already 2016 and audience are still suffered with SD resolution and stretched 4:3 scale format in most 16:9 TV that majority people own nowadays.

In early 2015, NJOI began the HD service that will automatically available for free for all NJOI customers starting from 1 February.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Free satellite TV". The Star. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  2. ↑ "Malaysia to launch digital TV trial program". 6 October 2005. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
  3. ↑ "Malaysia adopts DVB-T standard for digital broadcast transmissions". ABU. 28 March 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
  4. ↑ "RTM To Restructure, Go Digital In Three Years". BERNAMA. 22 September 2008. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
  5. ↑ "RTM's Best Mechanism For Digital Broadcast". BERNAMA. 14 February 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  6. ↑ "Malaysian DVB-T trial underway". DVB. 6 January 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
  7. ↑ "RTM To Introduce Regional TV". BERNAMA. 28 September 2008. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
  8. ↑ Major, Rose (5 March 2009). "Media Prima asks govt for help on DTT". Rapid TV News. Archived from the original on 7 March 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  9. ↑ "ASEAN picks DVB-T as common TV standard". 17 June 2005. Archived from the original on 14 July 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
  10. ↑ "Asean Broadcasters Prepare For Digital Broadcasting". Bernama (Ministry of Information). 19 June 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "The move to digital TV broadcast is happening". The Star Online. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  12. ↑ "DTTB due by 2017". The Sun. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  13. 1 2 "MCMC picks Puncak Semangat to operate digital tv broadcast service in Malaysia". The Sun. 8 January 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  14. ↑ Ahmad Nasruddin Atiqullah Fakrullah (2008). "Fulfilling Needs for Digital Media" (PDF). .my Convergence: 15. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
  15. ↑ Kamarul Anwar (2016). "Media Prima may exit FTA space due to unviable DTT fee". The Edge Financial Daily: 1. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  16. ↑ Yin Shao Yang and Jade Tam (2016). "The digital TV stand-off". Maybank IB Research: 6. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  17. ↑ "MiTV Awards RM115 Million Contract for the Latest Broadcast Technology Network". U Television Sdn Bhd (press release). 18 December 2006. Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
  18. ↑ Goh, T. E. (19 June 2008). "TM sees IPTV commercial roll-out in 12 months". Business Times. Archived from the original on 20 June 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
  19. ↑ "Maxis 3G in Action - Maxis TV". Retrieved 21 June 2008.
  20. ↑ "Maxis completes DVB-H trial". Mobile World. 28 August 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
  21. ↑ Timbuong, J. (20 September 2007). "U Mobile is newest cellular service provider". The Star. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
  22. ↑ Mustapha Kamil (13 October 2008). "New Astro contents to pack a bigger punch". Business Times. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2008.
  23. ↑ "Radio TV M'sia transmitting Olympics in HD via RTM HD". @llo' Expat. 11 August 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2008.
  24. ↑ http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/business-news/246878-media-prima-to-launch-hd-simulcast-in-1h2014.html

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