On 15th October, the analogue TV shutdown in the Northern and Eastern region of Peninsular Malaysia has been completed at 12:30 am. This covers 49 analogue TV transmission stations in seven states namely Perlis, Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.
Small ceremonies were held to commemorate the event at Gunung Jerai, Kedah and Bukit Besar Terengganu. Representatives from MCMC, Telekom Malaysia, MYTV and RTM were on-site to ensure a smooth transition.
The recent switchover marks a new milestone as entire West Malaysia is now fully converted to digital TV broadcast. The Central and Southern region had performed its switchover on 30th September, while Sabah and Sarawak are scheduled to switch off analogue TV transmission on the 31st October.
The government and broadcasting parties have taken several initiatives to switch viewers from analogue to digital TV. TV and radio stations have been running public service announcements (PSA) about the switchover in an effort to educate viewers on what is needed to enjoy digital TV.
At the moment, there are a total of 14 channels which include 6 radio stations. Digital TV offers better image quality and there are 6 HD channels that push 1080i resolution. The Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) service currently has 95% population coverage and there are a total of 44 transmission sites throughout Malaysia. Digital TV is free and you won’t need an internet connection to enjoy the channels.
For those who have yet to make the switch, all you’ll need is a digital TV decoder and a compatible UHF antenna. Another alternative is to get an Integrated Digital TV (IDTV) which is available on most new TV models and hook it up to a UHF antenna.
B40 households are also entitled to get a digital TV decoder for free. You can check if you’re eligible by sending the text MYTV DEKODER with your IC Number (e.g. MYTV DEKODER 800101131234) to 15888. Alternatively, you can check online via MYTV’s website.
