Switch from analogue to digital TV starts with 24 new channels from next month: Thailand

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DIGITAL TV
Switch from analogue to digital TV starts with 24 new channels from next month
Watchiranont Thongtep
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- From this year (2014), not only will the broadcasting industry be reshaped after the birth of digital terrestrial TV channels but 22 million households will also change the way they view content from free-TV channels, as there will be more choice and better viewing experiences.

From about February 24 new digital, terrestrial, commercial channels will take to airwaves. Some of these will be operated by leading content providers, namely GMM Grammy, RS, Workpoint Entertainment, the Nation Group, Post Publishing, Amarin Group, True Visions and the publisher of Thai Rath, Daily News and Siam Sport newspapers.

Meanwhile, existing analogue broadcasters such as Bangkok Entertainment, the operator of Channel 3; Bangkok Broadcasting and Television, the operator of Channel 7; and MCOT, operator of Modernine TV, also transform themselves into digital operators by offer channels more segmented for particular audiences. MCOT, for example, aims to have its own children's channels.

The 24 digital TV channels are divided into four segments.

First group is variety TV with high definition (HD) service. There are seven channels in this category.

Second group is called variety TV channels in standard definition (SD) service. There are also seven channels with such service.

The third segment also has seven channels in SD for news programmes and the remaining three in the last category are set for producing TV programmes for children and families. These will also be telecast in SD.

After the transition from analogue to digital terrestrial TV begins, Thais will learn more about functions of public broadcasting services on top of their experience with Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS).

Under the NBTC's broadcasting master plan, 12 channels are reserved for public services. These include Thai PBS and two state-run TV broadcasters - the Army's TV5 and NBT, the channel run by the Public Relations Department (PRD). In the near future, TV5 will transform to be a public TV station for national security, while NBT will change to public relations.

The transition will also provide communication channels for each community in the country to own and participate in broadcasting services by community-based digital terrestrial TV channels. The NBTC has reserved about 20 per cent of total available radio frequency for this purpose.

Besides having more choice and more participation, audiences will also enjoy high quality pictures and sound from digital TV, even programmes telecast in SD service. Broadcasts via a digital system will support 16:9 widescreen display, and for viewers it will be like enjoying a movie at the cinema.

Another important benefit is that digital TV signals penetrate into areas that analogue signals can't reach, such as inside a tall building.

And with digital technology, TV broadcasters can not only provide better quality service, they will also be able to offer new "cutting edge" services such as TV on mobiles, interactive TV, three-dimension TV (3D), plus multimedia and data broadcasts.

Natee Sukonrat, chairman of the NBTC's Broadcasting Committee, said: "The benefit of digital terrestrial TV is that the digital content can interface with different platforms such as online, on mobile and on air."

People will get access to digital TV programmes anywhere and anytime. Also in the near future, viewers will also be able to listen to digital radio via TV sets and watch archived TV programmes via digital on-demand services.

Importantly, NBTC commissioner Supinya Klangnarong said digital terrestrial TV was equipped with an assertive technology for disabled and elderly people. This includes audio descriptions, with spoken subtitling, closed captions and sign language, as well as emergency warnings.

However, before getting access to these new services, people must purchase an integrated digital TV (iDTV) set or digital TV set-top box. An iDTV is a television set with built-in digital TV tuner.

Viewers will be able to use the digital TV set-top box to convert digital signals to analogue for old TV sets, if needed.

To make this TV transition smooth and fast like many other countries, the NBTC plans to give subsidy coupons for all households - approximately 22 million across the country. Discount coupons valued about Bt690 per household will help people buy an iDTV set or a set-top box.

In 2013, there were about half a million iDTV sets and digital TV set-top boxes available here, but the NBTC expects the distribution to discount coupons to begin in about April while the country's first digital TV channels will go on-air in February.

Why should people follow this change? The answer is that in the near future all equipment and TV sets used for analogue broadcasts will no longer be sold.

In 2009, at the 10th Conference of Asean Ministers in Vientiane, ministers responsible for information agreed that Asean should adopt a phased "switch off" of analogue from 2015 to 2020.

So, the analogue era is coming to an end.

-- The Nation 2014-01-02

[FangFerang]

This is going to slam poor people, especially. 22 million "planned" subsidty coupons for less than half of what a digital converter box costs is poor financial planning. The outlying areas will simply have almost no access to television now.

Bad idea.

[terryp]

More brain numbing Thai trash tv...I watch very few tv programmes for the past 6 months just too much advertising and basically garbage that I have no interest in hearing (especially all the crying screaming and basically Bollaks)

Bought the mother in law a Thai satellite system for New Year …over 300 channels of, I still cant find the words to describe this stuff

[MaiChai]

This is just DVB-T which we have had in Europe since the late '90s. Why dont they use the international recognised abbreviation for it, rather than confusing by calling it something else? if you don't believe me google it.

Also with digital you either get a picture or a frozen picture. In a way its inferior to the old analog system as you can still watch analog if the signal is poor.

At least we will get a decent picture to display on our high tech led tv's!

[Yunla]

Keep taking the medicine. Here's more medicine. Its free.

[tominbkk]

Yay! 24 more channels of low budget soap operas! 24 more channels of sound effects (booooiiiinnngggg).

[Thaddeus]

This is just DVB-T which we have had in Europe since the late '90s. Why dont they use the international recognised abbreviation for it, rather than confusing by calling it something else?

Easy answer, can claim invented in Thailand.

[livil]

More brain numbing Thai trash tv...I watch very few tv programmes for the past 6 months just too much advertising and basically garbage that I have no interest in hearing (especially all the crying screaming and basically Bollaks)

Bought the mother in law a Thai satellite system for New Year …over 300 channels of, I still cant find the words to describe this stuff

;-)

over 300 channels of utterly garbage !! i guess you went with PSI

thai pbs channel can have good programming but unfortunately no subtitle nor dual language .

psi channel ( channel 0 ) advertise dual langage . pressed on the audio option . only one audio stream . pointless

only channel 198 has got some english programming .

just went for their HD box ... 4 or is it 5 HD channel only ?

good thing is that the receiver lets you connect a external hardrive via usb . sends audio / video via HDMI ( has got an extra audio out via stereo jack )

surprisingly enough the PSI box was able to read flawlessly all my 1080p MKV files !!! sadly no DTS nor AC3 support for sound yet . looking for a modified firmware on the web and a way to update via usb . all avi with mp3 sounds are playing fine .

I prefer the IPM selection of channel . at least you got the english spoken version of aljazeera and a thai channel full of american trash tv show ( cheaters , real life crap and so on ) a couple more of channel with english programming ( 2 movie channel in english , older movies of course )

most upsetting is that i now have lost the IPM cartoon channel that only play the farting larvae cartoons 24h a day . my 3 year old i very upset as he cant stand ben 10 and scoobidoo on psi

i got i believe done by the guy whom did the instal . i had a PSI box and orange antenna , basic box connected via a lousy composite video yellow cable . just got another tv for the bedroom and asked to have another box , with HD video outpout with another head for the antenna , guy told no go with IPM, need to go with PSI . i never owned satellite before so am a bit dumb in the matter , just said go for it . i suspect he either only do psi or get better profit with them .

5000 baht . installed . 1 large black dish , 1 HD box , 1 regular box .

would gladly go back to IPM but i got generous and told the guy to take it away and instal it on my wife's ant house to male her a present !! shot myself in the foot .

pointless anyway as all they are watching is the usual crappy soap from chan3 ( or 7? ) good thing is that i now have my sofa back for me and the in laws when they are around dont sleep on the floor of my lounge front of the tv but now in the guets bedroom ( front of the tv ) this was worht it !!!

Edited January 2, 2014 by livil

[simon43]

over 300 channels of utterly garbage

Correct - I have satellite TV at one of my hotels (too far from the cable system). With very few exceptions, the channels are total garbage.

As a teacher, what is of concern is that I can view more than 200 Thai TV channels on that system and, (with the exception of some business and ASEAN news), all programmes are in Thai language.

Why is there no Thai TV channel with 24/7 programmes in English language for expats and tourists? (Local channels do exist on the cable systems, but I'm not aware of a national entertainment channel in English)

Why is there no TV channel with 24/7 educational programmes in English language to help Thai children and adults learn English - the ASEAN language?

Why are foreign TV films/programmes not shown with English language audio and Thai sub-titles to help Thai people learn and understand English?

These are all retorical questions - I already know the answer!

Simon

W

Edited January 2, 2014 by simon43

[brfsa2]

Welcome to Digital Brainwashing Technology. Congrats to Thailand for finally having 'HD' public TV.

anyways it still sux Digital or Analog, it will be the same brainwashing with white people garbage as usual....

I just cant watch Thai TV for 5 minutes without going mad.

Now, with Digital TV, it's going to have more advertisement for things with we dont need with white people on it telling that you need to buy this whitening product and this car so you look cool.

and worse people keep letting their 3 year old watch TV cartoon all day.

[cbluck58]

22 Suthep channels, the way things are going....

[simon43]

I just cant watch Thai TV for 5 minutes without going mad.

The new B&B that I'm building will not have any Thai TV channels - I'm only going to use the Asiasat 3S feed with channels such as Aljazeera, RT (Russia), DW (Germany) Lotus (Macau), and various Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French and other foreign language channels..

I'm sure that my Thai guests (if I have any), will be shocked when they cannot watch their usual drivel

Simon

[slipperylobster]

I disconnected the cable and put my large, flat screen on a moveable cart with my small laptop. Got two different screens going off the cheap laptop. So many movies, videos programs available, that I don't even use the cable. More news videos from all over the world as well. Never run out. The missus will be disconnecting out cable, and I map opt for more speed. However, scheduling your downloads before sleeping the next day always ensures uninterrupted video as well. Yeah, its not always possible to download from some restricted sites, but there are some workarounds. Amazed at what I find just on Bing video search. You can just hover over the results for a sample.

[GuyL]

"Got thirteen channels of s... on the TV to choose from..." - Pink Floyd, Nobody Home

[tingtongteesood]

I gave up on Thai tv long ago. I watch mostly dvds now. Large collection...

[NCC1701A]

WATCH OBEY!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I'm a bit fuzzy on the technology of what the Thais are doing here:

Is all that's going to be required is a digital antenna to receive the new channels with a digital-capable TV, and if so, will varieties from outside Thailand work properly here?

Or, are they going to be encrypting/encoding the signals somehow, and some kind of decoder box unique to the Thai set-up is going to be required?

Edited January 2, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[indothai]

I'm willing to bet that Thailand is going to find ingenious ways to FAIL the switch over. Don't get me wrong, they will eventually turn off analog by force.

The Americans switched from Analog to Digital to reallocate analog signals for other communications and provide expansion for the local Television stations. Aside from potential money making scheme, why is Thailand doing this?

To be in trend?

[rametindallas]

This is going to slam poor people, especially. 22 million "planned" subsidty coupons for less than half of what a digital converter box costs is poor financial planning. The outlying areas will simply have almost no access to television now.

Bad idea.

You would stop digital progress for the whole country because 'some' poor people won't be able to watch their 'old' TVs any more?

Their analogue TVs will be quite old before the plug is pulled on analogue signals and by that time, there will be many who have upgraded to TVs with built-in digital tuners thereby freeing up their old set top converter boxes. Since you care about the poor so much and there is zero chance the World will go backwards, I suggest you form a charity to collect those slightly used set top converter boxes and give them to the poor who cannot afford to buy a used converter box. I imagine there are even some who are too poor to own a TV. Perhaps you could collect all the no-longer-needed analogue TVs and give them to the very poor (along with an electric subsidy). There, fixed it for you.

[daveAustin]

The outlying areas will simply have almost no access to television now.

Bad idea.

Surely that's a good idea.

[rametindallas]

I'm a bit fuzzy on the technology of what the Thais are doing here:

Is all that's going to be required is a digital antenna to receive the new channels with a digital-capable TV, and if so, will varieties from outside Thailand work properly here?

Or, are they going to be encrypting/encoding the signals somehow, and some kind of decoder box unique to the Thai set-up is going to be required?

All antennae are both analogue and digital. It's the tuner that turns the signal into a TV picture. If you have a flat screen TV, It is, for sure, digital with a tuner that plays both digital programming with just an antenna. If you have an older tube-type TV, it is most likely analogue and you run the signal from an antenna through a set top converter; tune your analogue TV to channel 3 or 4 (depending on the output channel of the converter box), and change channels with the remote control that comes with the converter box.

[Totster]

This is going to slam poor people, especially. 22 million "planned" subsidty coupons for less than half of what a digital converter box costs is poor financial planning. The outlying areas will simply have almost no access to television now.

Bad idea.

Most households where I live have PSI satellite installed as the TV signal has been weak for many years. So it won't make much difference to their lives.

totster

[rametindallas]

I'm willing to bet that Thailand is going to find ingenious ways to FAIL the switch over. Don't get me wrong, they will eventually turn off analog by force.

The Americans switched from Analog to Digital to reallocate analog signals for other communications and provide expansion for the local Television stations. Aside from potential money making scheme, why is Thailand doing this?

To be in trend?

Bandwidth is a finite commodity and analogue is wasteful and requires more power (electricity) to push the signal. Digital is compact, allowing for more stations within the same bandwidth (There are at least three times the number of free, over-the-air TV stations than before digital) and the power required to broadcast is lower and the signal is not blocked by structures nearly so much. Also you cannot get HD without digital transmission as there is so much more information to be sent. The US is now transitioning to 4K TVs and programming which is 4 times the resolution of HD. That would be impossible/impractical with analogue transmissions. In the US, there are dozens of radio stations between the TV channels; each playing a different type of music for every taste/occasion. It is a transformative technology.

[johng]

If you have a flat screen TV, It is, for sure, digital with a tuner that plays both digital programming with just an antenna.

I would love to be wrong but I don't think the above statement is correct, untill very recently ( 2014 ) TV's sold in Thailand did not have a DVB-T

tuner installed.....so far I've only seen 1 set top converter box for sale the Createch full HD CT1

Does anyone know of any coverage maps for the Chonburi Area ?

[GinBoy2]

I myself am just giddy at the thought of HD coming to Thai domestic stations. I'm practically salivating over the thought of watching my nightly soap on Channel 3. Oh my, those pouting lips, steely stares, chisseled chins all in blistering HiDef. But there's more, imagine now you will get to hear those face slaps, screams, gut whalloping action scenes in 5.1 Dolby. I think I need to go for a lie down LOL

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

There was a column in the BKK Post the other day discussing the arrival of digital TV, and it said that "broadcast trials" for some of the digital stations/channels were supposed to begin this coming week.

As usual, the report didn't say exactly what "broadcast trials" meant in terms of what will start coming over those digital channels. Nor did it say which or how many of the Thai digital channels were going to be starting their broadcast trials next week.

Meanwhile, it looks like TrueVisions is once again revising their cable TV packages and channel lineups, and heavily promoting a variety of new HD channels. They also seem to be working from a new website domain:

www truevisionsgroup com

http://register.truevisionsgroup.com/new_customer.php

as opposed to the older: www.truevisionstv.com

Edited March 29, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[rstone]

Some technical info for DVB-T2 in Thailand for Bangkok and Pattaya

Channel allocations for DVB-T2 according to frequency plan are as below:

Bangkok Ratchathewi Channels: 26; 36; 40; 44; 48

(on ch. 26 and 36 in the area of Bangkok signals with digital transmissions are already on air)

Pattaya Si Racha District Channels: 27; 30; 33; 37; 41

channel No .center frequency Mhz

26 514

27 522

30 546

33 570

36 595

37 602

40 626

41 634

44 658

48 690

Edited March 29, 2014 by rstone

[johng]

Thanks rstone can you share where you got this info from.

I was in Big C today and they had 2 DVB-T set top boxes 1 from aconatic and a Samsung

they assured me the aconatic had a hard drive in to record programs ( PVR )

but when I picked up the reciever it was clear just by the light weight that it didn't have a hard drive in it !

They also said that there where still no digital transmisions in the Pattaya are I took the advice with a large grain of salt.

[kkerry]

Could they have meant connecting a flash drive or external hard drive to the USB port and recording programs that way?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Someone tell me if I'm getting this kind of stuff right...

--If you have a regular, traditional over-the-air reception television, you'd need a DVB-T set-top converter box in order to receive the newly launching digital broadcast channels.

--If you have a regular, traditional over-the-air reception television and you only add a digital antenna, that alone won't allow you to receive the new digital channels. You'd still need the DVB-T converter box.

--There are newer digital reception TVs available that, if you're using, you won't need the set-top converter box, but might still need the digital antenna to help with its over-the-air reception.

--If you're getting your TV now via cable or satellite, then you don't need to worry about set-top boxes or digital antennas, because the new channels will be fed to your current cable or satellite systems. Supposedly, the NBTB has a must-carry rule for all those digital channels.

--Some of the new digital channels will be in HD and others will be in SD. If you have a HD TV, you'll be able to view the HD channels in HD. If you only have a SD TV, you'll still be able to receive/view the HD channels, but only in SD resolution.