Malaysia's TV broadcast now entirely digital

[zanderthunder]

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The entire country has gone digital television broadcast, following the successful switch over of Sabah and Sarawak to myFreeview digital television broadcast from analogue terrestrial television Thursday.

 

It is the final transition after the process involving areas in the central, southern, northern and eastern regions of the peninsula began in stages since Sept 30.

 

Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo (pictured, right) said the transition proceeded smoothly as hitches were addressed by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

 

“As in any transition exercise, there would be problems but, more importantly, MCMC is ready to settle them. Today is the day the transition to digital (TV broadcast) in Malaysia is completed,” he said.

 

Source: Malaysia's TV broadcast now entirely digital (via Daily Express)

[zanderthunder]

Analogue TV broadcast in Sabah and Sarawak ends

 

 

SIBU, Oct 31 -- When the Negaraku is played at 12.30am, it normally marks the end of television broadcast for the day.

However, this time, when the national anthem was sung by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) officers and staffers of the TV Transmitting Station at Bukit Lima here tonight, it signified the end of analogue television and the switch over to digital broadcast, which offers better audio-visual quality.

A total of 26 transmitting stations ended the analogue broadcast simultaneously tonight, completing the country’s successful switch over to digital TV.

MCMC head of department, Digital Creation and Distribution Platform, Azlina Mohd Yusof, who was present at the brief ceremony tonight, said among the preparations made before the switch over was ensuring that the digital system functioned properly.

“What happens after the end of analogue broadcast is that viewers will see a static graphic on the myFreeview service that is offered for free. This is for those who have not yet obtained the myFreeview decoder,” she told Bernama and RTM reporters.

The static graphic will be on display for a week and after that the television screen will be a sea of black and white spots.

“For those who already have myFreeview, broadcast will proceed as usual,” she said.

The digital terrestrial TV service under myFreeview is a government initiative provided free to the people, and is managed by MYTV Broadcasting Sdn Bhd via private sector financing.

 

Azlina encouraged individuals who received the MYTV decoder for free to install it so as to enjoy its various benefits.

The free decoder recipients were selected from the Bantuan Sara Hidup Rakyat (BSH) list, especially B40 households.

The decoder can be bought for not more than RM200 and those who are interested can visit https://myfreeview.tv or call 1800181088 for further information.
 

In SANDAKAN, heavy rains at Stesen TM Bukit Trig failed to dampen a ceremony held to mark the switch over to digital TV transmission in Sabah.
 

The ceremony was witnessed by Sabah Education and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob.
 

Sabah and Sarawak were the final two states to switch to myFreeview TV under a nationwide transition process which began on Sept 30.
 

Also present at the ceremony were TM Sabah general manager Mohd Sainal Mohd Amin, chief executive officer of Altel Holdings Group Chelvakumar G Krishnan, MCMC senior director of Digital Enablement Nor Akmar Shah Minan, MYTV vice-president of regulatory division Shamsul Najib, Sabah and Labuan MCMC director Roslan Mohamad and Sabah Broadcasting director Malinaziah Datu Mohd Julaspi.
 

Yusof said the switch over to digital TV is also a boost to related industries in content creation like animation, drama and documentaries.
 

"For sure the broadcasting industry will expand because many will be involved, leading to creation of job opportunities,” he told reporters.
 

Through myFreeview digital TV broadcast, the audience would be able to enjoy various TV and radio channels and new applications such as online shopping, interactive learning via TV channels including TV1, TV2, TV3, NTV7, 8TV, TV9, Al Hijrah, Bernama, TV Okey and six radio channels.

 

Source: Analogue TV broadcast in Sabah and Sarawak ends (via BERNAMA)

 

p/s: While this article talks about the end of analogue transmission in Sabah and Sarawak, but this news is instead posted on the same thread as it does talk about the total end of analogue television broadcast and the full transition to digital television broadcasting in Malaysia, which was done in stages according to regions.