Mediacorp and IMDA - Supplementary Guide to Digital TV

Connecting to DVB – Getting Ready 
Helping Singaporeans with Assessing their TV for DVB-T2 Implementation

TV broadcasting by Singapore Broadcaster “Mediacorp” will cease (switch off) transmitting in analogue and move to digital transmission by 31 Dec 2018.   You may have noticed the TV advertisement of Suhiami and Kym Ng and another running to each other and then eating ice cream….
These folks are trying to tell you about digital TV but what is not clear is the impact to you if your TV is not compatible or you have not prepared for digital TV.

If your TV set is 5 years old or older than there is likelihood that you would need to upgrade it to be able to continue watching Mediacorp TV programmes.
 
Mediacorp and MDA (now IMDA) has distributed a booklet to every household on this, however the content looks cramp and confusing thus the need for supplementary explanation. 

Points to Note 
If you are unsure about your TV on whether it is equipped for Digital TV, ask family or friends to assess the TV set. It will help to avoid disrupting your Mediacorp TV programmes viewing when Analogue TV is turned off.  
If you already understand the advertisements and the booklet and have a TV set with/and a DVB-T2 tuner then you are equipped for digital TV when analogue broadcasting is switched off.  If not, you may need to purchase a DVB-T2 set top box or a new TV integrated with DVB-T2 tuner. 
If you decided on a TV with DVB-T2 look for the Digital TV logo, it is the easy to identify a TV set for DVB-T2 compliance. See logo above.

 For those of us that are not sure, the following can help you assess your situation arriving at a decision towards upgrading or just give up watching Mediacorp TV programmes.   

 If you fall in the Low-Income Household category, then the Government has a scheme that provides for free DVB-T2 set top box set.  The scheme has been extracted from IMDA and is reproduced below. For the rest of us, please see the para following the Assistance Scheme. 

~~Extracted from IMDA website~~

 Assistance Scheme for Low-income Households

The scheme will help low-income Singaporean households make a smooth transition from analogue to digital TV, so that they can continue to enjoy their favourite Mediacorp TV programmes. 
If you have StarHub TV or Singtel TV service, or a digital-ready integrated television (IDTV) connected to an antenna, you can already enjoy Mediacorp's digital TV channels. You do not need to do anything. 
If you don't, you may qualify for a free digital set-top box and indoor antenna (package) under the Digital TV (DTV) Assistance Scheme
Who Qualifies
Households with: 
  • A working TV set;
  • No pay TV subscription or integrated television (IDTV; i.e. TV with built-in DVB-T2 digital tuner);
  • At least one Singapore household member; and 
  • For economically active households
    Monthly household income* of $1,900 or below, or ​
    monthly household income per household member# of $600 or below;
    or
    For households with no incom​e
    Annual Value (AV)^ of residence of $13,000 or below.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO APPLY: 
  • If you meet the above criteria AND stay in a one or two-room HDB rental flat or receive public assistance from ComCare**, CHAS^^ or self-help groups (CDAC, SINDA, Yayasan MENDAKI, Sikh Welfare Council), as you will be automatically included in the scheme. ​​
  • When your estate can receive Digital TV, IMDA will send a notification letter to you with information on how you can obtain the Assistance Scheme package. 
Each eligible household is entitled to ​​one Assistance Scheme package. 

To check if your TV set is sufficiently equipped for Digital TV : 
Step 1 – Check for the Right Connectors 
These are found either at the back, side or front of the TV. There are two commons types of connectors used for connection to the DVB-T2 set top box.

Pic 1 - RCA connectors (must be 3 coloured, Red, White, Yellow). The order of the 3 colour is not important.
Pic 2 - HDMI (looks like an elongated “D”)


If the TV set is not equipped with either types of connectors shown in Pic 1 or 2, then it is likely a new TV equipped with DVB-T2 tuner needs to be obtained but .. still check with people who know about DVB-T2.

 Separately, If your TV set is those that are of the CRT era, that is, those TV that are boxy and bulky and not the slim type, then it is possible that viewing is limited to only of 625 lines.  625 lines is standard definition and not High – Definition (HD) thus even if you purchased the DVB-T2 accessories and device you will not experience HD viewing unless you have the latest model of TV with integrated DVB-T2 tuner. 

Step 2 – Connecting your DVB-T2 set top box.
Mediacorp has provided a diagram on how this is done.  It is reproduced below for easy reference.
 
Pic 3 – Set top box connecting to TV

Ensure you have an additional power point to power the set top box.

The DVB-T2 set top box will need to connect to an antenna, you need to find a place to put the set top and site the antenna.

Not forgetting the wiring that is required to the set top box and to the TV.

In Summary
Type of TV sets
Set top Box
RCA or HDMI cables
Antenna or Antenna Feed*
Scenario 1 and 2

TV sets with RCA or HDMI connectors without Integrated DVB-T2 tuner

Required

Required

Required
Scenario 3

TV sets with integrated DVB-T2 tuner
Not required
Not required
Required
·         * denotes cable for connecting to a working set of antennae either indoor, out door or Central Antenna System.

If you have TV sets that fall within Scenario 1 and 2, then you need to decide if you purchasing a DVB-T2 set top box or a new fully integrated DVB-T2 tuner TV to watch Mediacorp programmes is worth the cost and trouble. Remember you need to have as many set top boxes or TV for each set that is not DVB-T2 compliant. Additional  power points need to be available for new devices.

If already own a TV with integrated DVB-T2 tuner then you need to tune in to the correct  channels to enjoy HD TV and even lesser problem if you are a SingTel or StarHub Cable TV subscriber since there is nothing to do for the latter case. 
 

In my case, I do not see benefits of either purchasing a set top box or replacing my existing TV sets.  My first reaction to this is my TV is working well no point in ditching it, furthermore it is wall mounted and I cannot allocate enough space for new devices. I figure that I just give up watching Mediacorp programmes; afterall I only watched 30 mins to 1 hour at most per day.  I feel this is their lost as they have lost one channel of communication with consumers and public for those who are on a limited budget and can live without TV.   
Update:
7 April 2018: G announces remaining households not on pay tv will receive $100 voucher or free set top box and antenna for consumer to continue watching Mediacorp TV. 
Gwyneth Teo, CNA, 6 April 2018, 7.01pm, "400,000 HDB households eligible for free digital TV starter kits"
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/free-digital-tv-starter-kits-analogue-switch-off-400000-hdb-10111836

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