Singapore embraces Digital TV.... your current TV is now obsolete, or soon at least..

[petetherock]

Free-to-air TV channels to go digital from end-2013 - Channel NewsAsia

Four of the channels (Channel 5, Channel 8, Suria and Vasantham) will also be transmitted in high definition by then, while the remaining three (Channel NewsAsia, Okto and Channel U) will follow suit by 2016.

The move marks another milestone in Singapore's roadmap in making the digital switchover, where analogue signals will be completely switched off by 2020. This is the deadline that all ASEAN countries have agreed to switch off analogue signals.

If you just bought a TV in the past few days/months/year, well good luck, your digital TV tuner is now as useful for TV as a toaster.... well at least the toaster can make toast whilst you watch telly, whereas all the tuner will do is generate heat...

How will you embrace DTV?

Will by then, your new telly may be due for replacement, or you can buy a set top box, yes, yet another one to add to the MIO, Starhub and whatever other equipment you have...



Good luck with that new telly

Pete's Write: Your Digital TV is now out of date... Singapore goes Digital TV

 

[fotoudavid]

can make it short???

 

[kei1309]

you can still buy an external digital tuner and antenna to get the digital transmissions.

 

[justme77]

...If you just bought a TV in the past few days/months/year, well good luck, your digital TV tuner is now as useful for TV as a toaster.... well at least the toaster can make toast whilst you watch telly, whereas all the tuner will do is generate heat...

Luckily for me, I only use the tv to watch VCD!!

And on cold nights, the heat will keep me warm while i sleep... :sweat:

 

[Sion]

Luckily for me, I only use the tv to watch VCD!!

And on cold nights, the heat will keep me warm while i sleep... :sweat:

What sort of VCD do you watch to generate so much heat?

:bsmilie:

 

[Sion]

you can still buy an external digital tuner and antenna to get the digital transmissions.

and a pushbike to generate electricity by paddling it while you watch?

 

[kelccm]

Thats good. We have to make the switch sooner or later. Might as well set a firm dateline.

 

[justme77]

Thats good. We have to make the switch sooner or later. Might as well set a firm dateline.

I am guessing that they'll probably meet with lotsa objection from the ground yada yada yada and will do a U-turn (or provide alternative). Can't imagine a country forcing nearly everyone/a substantial portion of their population to replace their TV (hell, those TV makers will probably be the happiest person).

 

[justme77]

What sort of VCD do you watch to generate so much heat?

:bsmilie:

The hotty and sweaty and steamy types?? (which I have no idea as well!!). Probably twinkle twinkle vcds

 

[petetherock]

IMO, it's good for TV reception BUT
- make the transition smooth. Make any set top box cheap and easily available.
- make sure the analogue cover is sufficient for old sets to die.
- and make sure the reception is really good, right now the coverage is patchy.

 

[acpical]

the total cutover is in 2020! jeez!! mountain, molehill etc...

 

[ricohflex]

Start in 2013 and finish by 2020. Non-issue for me. Cable-TV subscribers do not have to buy a set-top box as they are already receiving digital signals.

 

[Prince Photogenic]

my tv is a toshiba crt type bought some 10-13 years ago..:bsmilie:

 

[9V-Orion Images]

It's been a while since I kept up with the local and regional ham scene. Should be intriguing to know how the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) plans to reallocate the Very High Frequency (VHF) bands or channels within the electromagnetic spectrum utilised for analogue terrestrial television broadcasting that will subsequently be liberated (Also Known As (AKA) digital dividend) with the transition towards a Digital Video Broadcasting – Second Generation Terrestrial (DVB-T2) broadcasting standard. :think:

 

[milez]

New digital TV to be transmitted in DVB-T II ... Which essentially uses about the same spectrum as cellular signal. So the MDA or IDA will have to install a lot of repeaters around the island to ensure total coverage. Not too dissimilar to the previously discontinued MobileTV (on DVB-T).

Advantages of digital tv are,
1. You dont need cable (like now either via starhub's coaxial RGA, Singtel's ADSL IP based, or open net fibre IP based) to scramble signals for tv channel subscription. Digital TV allows services provider to offer scrambled Tv channel over the air using the same infrustructure (spectrum) for pay TV. This will open up more pay tv service provider.
2. Old VHF/UHF frequencies used for analog tv can be freed up for other use (4G LTE or 5G ?)
3. Digital tv is mor efficient with freq used hence can offer more channels with the same frequency used for only one channel on analog tv.
4. High Def content can be transmitted OTA.
5. Set top to to receive DVB T II signal can be purchased to hook up to existing non DVB-T ready TV.

Disadvantage
1. Older non HD ready TV could be obsolete and unable to receive digital tv channel. But there are 8 years for people to upgrade before old spectrum is shut down for good.
2. Neighbouring countries might not be able able to receive DVB-T signal (since the range is short), hence political propaganda cannot be transmitted outside the country. However, there is always internet now to subtitute that now.
3. Costly upgrade of infrustrature necessary.
4. We may see round 2 private condo's MC opposing to installing new antenae and cabling for each unit, ala open net versus some private condo's MC for cabling fibre optics.

.... Regardless, we have to move on to new era .... Singapore is probably one of the last 1st world country still not on digital broadcasting.

 

[BBTM]

.... Regardless, we have to move on to new era .... Singapore is probably one of the last 1st world country still not on digital broadcasting.

Cause we are a 1st world country importing most 3rd world ppl n must wait for them to catch up before we can move on. Ha ha!

 

[ninelives]

Free-to-air TV channels to go digital from end-2013 - Channel NewsAsia



If you just bought a TV in the past few days/months/year, well good luck, your digital TV tuner is now as useful for TV as a toaster.... well at least the toaster can make toast whilst you watch telly, whereas all the tuner will do is generate heat...

How will you embrace DTV?
[/url]

not really a concern, no one watch local tv anyway..

 

[Ted888]

Cause we are a 1st world country importing most 3rd world ppl n must wait for them to catch up before we can move on. Ha ha!

If you are comfortable with what you said, you don't need to say "ha ha"

 

[9V-Orion Images]

New digital TV to be transmitted in DVB-T II ... Which essentially uses about the same spectrum as cellular signal. So the MDA or IDA will have to install a lot of repeaters around the island to ensure total coverage. Not too dissimilar to the previously discontinued MobileTV (on DVB-T).

Advantages of digital tv are,
1. You dont need cable (like now either via starhub's coaxial RGA, Singtel's ADSL IP based, or open net fibre IP based) to scramble signals for tv channel subscription. Digital TV allows services provider to offer scrambled Tv channel over the air using the same infrustructure (spectrum) for pay TV. This will open up more pay tv service provider.
2. Old VHF/UHF frequencies used for analog tv can be freed up for other use (4G LTE or 5G ?)
3. Digital tv is mor efficient with freq used hence can offer more channels with the same frequency used for only one channel on analog tv.
4. High Def content can be transmitted OTA.
5. Set top to to receive DVB T II signal can be purchased to hook up to existing non DVB-T ready TV.

Disadvantage
1. Older non HD ready TV could be obsolete and unable to receive digital tv channel. But there are 8 years for people to upgrade before old spectrum is shut down for good.
2. Neighbouring countries might not be able able to receive DVB-T signal (since the range is short), hence political propaganda cannot be transmitted outside the country. However, there is always internet now to subtitute that now.
3. Costly upgrade of infrustrature necessary.
4. We may see round 2 private condo's MC opposing to installing new antenae and cabling for each unit, ala open net versus some private condo's MC for cabling fibre optics.

.... Regardless, we have to move on to new era .... Singapore is probably one of the last 1st world country still not on digital broadcasting.

Just browsed through IDA's latest revised Radio Spectrum Management Handbook and Radio Spectrum Master Plan again, not much information on how future digital dividend from Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) bands or channels within the electromagnetic spectrum currently utilised for Analogue Terrestrial Television (ATT) broadcasting will be reallocated except for an ongoing commercial trial regarding VHF and UHF ATT white space technological applications for TV Band Devices (TVBD) etc. etc.?

My guess is that we won't be seeing the 120 kW ERP MediaCorp Bukit Batok Transmitting Station (BBTS) at the summit of Bukit Batok Nature park (already one of the towers had been dismantled when it started corroding) and the 250 kW ERP BBC World Service Far Eastern Shortwave Relay Station currently operated by Babcock International Group for any longer once they starts becoming redundant (who can still remember Radio Singapore International (RSI) that once transmitted from the Kranji Shortwave Transmitting Station?).

 

[petetherock]

If digital TV is upon us, I wish they will bring back DAB.