There are two elements to digital TV broadcast expenses - one from the broadcaster and the other for users. For broadcasters, their pipeline (including make-up and sets) must be made to comply with HD.

For users, the set-top box must be purchased. But the government can bypass this if the government gives HDTV manufacturers and importers a mandate - that by January 2015 all HDTVs and DVRs imported must have a built-in DVB-T2 tuner. If they don't, they have the responsibility to provide one for free.

But Media Prima is not getting away free either. Just because they are testing using DMB-T because it's cheaper, doesn't mean that's the one that RTM will choose. Media Prima and Astro are bound by the fact that they are leasing the airwaves from the government. So if RTM wants to go DVB-T2, that will be the defacto digital standard for Malaysia's OTA broadcast. And so far, I believe the Malaysian standard was set at DVB2.

If RTM HD is fed to Astro (and Astro wants to broadcast it in HD), then you don't need another STB.


Of course. That's because the Kempen ministry hasn't asked parliament to table a bill that would make DVB-T2 the standard for all future HDTVs sold/imported in Malaysia. Once that is done, then all HDTVs sold/imported for Malaysian users will have built-in tuner for OTA broadcast.


No. That's a processing algorithm for H264 encoders and decoders. It's meant so that the encoding and decoding of videos are as efficient and fast as possible. It's also meant for security purposes; look at the SD specs they highlight often. The bandwidth for security application is narrower than the bandwidth that Astro has. Astro gains nothing from using this company's algorithm.


fuad

If they want to maintain the video quality using MPEG-4 instead of MPEG-2, then RTM can reduce the bitrate. If they maintain the bitrate and use MPEG-4, they increase the video quality.

I'm not knowledgeable on OTA transmission or how frequencies have RTM been allocated. But if I what I read is correct, a broadcaster is given a frequency with which it can use that as their DVB-T2 (an upgrade from DVB-T) transmission. Using DVB-T2, each frequency can deliver up to 45Mbps of data. A broadcaster may then choose to mux 3-4 channels using a single frequency. For instance, RTM can mux RTM 1, RTM 2, RTM 1 HD, and RTM 2 HD on a single 658 MHz frequency. This muxing will still deliver very good AV quality as SD channels require less bandwidth than HD channels.

Using digital TV transmission, governments can potentially earn more money by leasing these frequencies because a broadcaster doesn't need three frequencies to air three channels.


fuad

The allure of IPTV is that, if you have the resources, you can be up and running relatively quickly. Satellite takes about five years at least after you give the green light - get bids for the satellites, build the satellites and your TX centers, find a launch window (and hope that your first launch doesn't have complications), do tech tests, do market tests, then finally a public launch.

IPTV is easier than that, and wireless IPTV is even easier than that. But of course, wireless comes at a price, at least to those who are in Sabah, Sarawak or those in the pendalaman areas.

Depends on the coverage area. Satellite is cheaper if you have a wide coverage like Malaysia. Cable is cheaper in Singapore. That's why internet is better in SG because coverage is 100%. In Malaysia, Streamyx access is still not 100% (I believe).

For Malaysia, the approach should be cable HDTV for the peninsula and satellite for Sabah and Sarawak (only until the population picks up). For internet, cable for peninsula and wireless for Sabah and Sarawak.
It's not cut and dry like that. Some US shows are shown on ABC there but when it comes to international markets, they go to AXN. You cannot take everything from a local broadcaster and port it to its international counterpart.

Yeah, I don't think their broadband pricing is going to be that competitive. Maybe for the first year but after that they'll find a way to jack up their prices. Remember that ALL of the internet lines are leased from TM. TM is obligated to lease them to internet licensees (Celcom, Digi, Maxis) at a certain fair rate. Unless Sezmi lease their own T1 lines, their rates will be comparable to what Celcom, Digi and Maxis are getting. But that's for the internet.

For IPTV, Sezmi can do whatever they want. If 4G can give a single user a maximum 100 Mbps speed, Sezmi can allocate a maximum 5 Mbps for internet access (remember they are leasing the lines from TM, who must also protect their Celcom [EDITED], Streamyx and Unifi services), while allowing 95 Mbps for IPTV. If Sezmi wants 100 channels, that's 0.95Mbps per channel. That bit rate is obviously not for HD channels.

At maximum bit rate of 8 Mpbs, Sezmi can only deliver about 12 HD channels. But obviously they don't want to do that because there are more SD viewers out there and SD content is cheaper. So if Sezmi goes with 8 HD channels at 8 Mpbs, that leaves 31 Mpbs for SD channels which is about enough for 10 channels. So 18 channels for Sezmi.

And how many channels does Astro have?
RM50 for IPTV and broadband is too low. Streamyx alone is RM45 a month. Remember - leased internet lines.

Exclusivity deals are not just played in Malaysia. They are being applied to BD releases and DLC for video games.


fuad

This post has been edited by writesimply: Oct 14 2010, 01:20 PM

I guess legally you can't buy a pre-fab 90cm dish but it doesn't mean you can't make one. If you use one for Astro, there should be no problem. Hell you can always paint the Astro logo to your DIY 90cm dish.


fuad

I didn't imply it was a DIY nor did I imply that the hotel did it themselves. I believe that's the standard Astro installation for hotels.


fuad

You need to pay RM400 because you don't have B.yond. B.yond users can upgrade to B.yon PVR for RM300.

So if you want to pay JUST RM300, get B.yond then wait a month then upgrade to B.yon PVR. Of course, why waste a month and the hassle of another installation date?

Because that's how they set up the business. We don't know the reason but that's how it is.

So you're not going to cancel Astro? Or you want to cancel Astro?


fuad

I've checked the numbers and 150Mbps is not right.

Say a 70-minute episode of Band of Brothers. 70 minutes x 60 seconds = 4200 seconds. For that episode to utilize a 150Mbps bandwidth, it will total up to 630GB full of HDD space. A 630GB for a 70-minute episode is indeed possible BUT that amount of data is achieved when you're using UNCOMPRESSED video.

If you take a look at the image, you'll see that the video is compressed with H264. Not only that, it is INTERLACED video. So "150,000" is not 150 Mbps. Maybe it's just 15 Mbps.

DVD bandwidth are just that. You can't compare that to HD's H264.

See above.


fuad

I can understand that screencaps is some form of truth. But to do 150 Mbps for a H264 file is completely unnecessary. Basically the channel is giving you an uncompressed DigiHD master tape content (the audio is not master audio). Imagine you recording it. You wouldn't want to keep it. Lastly, satellite bandwidth is limited. Giving 150 Mbps for one channel is completely wasteful - it's wasteful to uplink, it's wasteful to re-transmit and it's wasteful to downlink.


fuad