>>continued...


On the other hand, apparently that TV3 airs this particular Friday night Hollywood movie air on TV3 in 4:3 SD quality...


The channel is HD, but the content from TV3's side is not. It's quite obvious to see, when you compare how sharp/crisp is the image quality of the movie title at top left corner, TV3 logo and subtitle, with the movie itself.

3) CJ Wow

Nothing surprise to see. It's just a 24 hour CJ Wow Shop channel.

Bitrate comparison:
HD: Average 4.5Mbps, max around 7Mbps
SD: Average 1.5Mbps, max around 4Mbps

In layman terms, a bit better than YouTube's 1080p quality, at the same time, a bit lower than Astro's HD quality.

As for audio, all channels uses HE-AAC v2 at 32kbps Stereo. So far no channel is available in Dolby audio.
Overall, both video and audio is pretty good quality, and I am quite satisfied with it...

The most important is the video encoder's settings they use, not necessarily the encoder itself.

Broadcasters (e.g. Media Prima) can't just set the bitrate too high, as this will result in higher cost to them as they have to pay more money for bandwidth. Cuz if video bitrate is too high, means one frequency mux (e.g. 666MHz) can accommodate lesser channels. The lower the bitrate, the more channels can be accommodated in one frequency. This also explains why they use the current most advanced, bandwidth efficient audio codec, HE-AAC version 2, where good quality audio is possible with a pretty low bitrate at 32kbps Stereo. I can see that they're trying their very best to use lowest bitrate settings possible while offering great image and audio quality.

It's not 2.5Mbps for Full HD... If it's 2.5Mbps, you will see poor video quality when there's fast moving scenes. 2.5Mbps is too low for Full HD resolution video. 4.5Mbps for Full HD, is also acceptable level (to me), same goes to audio.

If you guys want to compare the image quality difference, make sure the content itself that is airing is in HD quality. If the programme is in SD, wait till the next programme. Don't jump to conclusion immediately when you see it's SD.

But regardless, whatever picture/audio quality we see or hear from MYTV (myFreeview) are already been processed/encoded by MYTV side, no longer original from channel provider (e.g. Media Prima).

For example, even if Media Prima provide the original HD channel feed to MYTV with the video bitrate of 10Mbps, MYTV will still encode to the bitrate as they want (e.g. average 4.5Mbps). Same goes to audio.

CJ Wow channel is still HE-AAC v2 at 32kbps Stereo on MYTV, and yes, I do notice that the audio quality on this channel is very poor.
From what I see, the problem is from Media Prima's side, not MYTV.

Well after all, there's "SIARAN UJIAN" watermark on top corner, so no need to be surprised when problems like this occur lo...

And you're right, this particular ad airs on CJ Wow Shop channel mention that the channel is now available in High Definition and broadcasts in 24 hours on MYTV.

But do note that as of now, CJ Wow channel on MYTV is still in SD.

This post has been edited by joshhd: Oct 28 2017, 10:10 PM

Media Prima likes to do lots of test, I think...
Be patient, just ignore the EPG.

Responsive in giving general reply 😂😂😂😂

What I meant by:
Video content providers = any kinds of platform that offers video-related services such as satellite TV, digital TV, internet video streaming, etc.


Many video content providers, from free or pay type, don't implement HEVC (H.265) just yet, because of the very very expensive patent fees, which is around 4x the patent fees of H.264. You can Google more about it. Patent is one thing. The provider/broadcasters have to upgrade their equipments to support H.265 HEVC somemore leh. And we consumers have to upgrade our related devices like set-top-boxes.
Yes, I'm talking about a change or upgrade take could go up to billions of dollars (not RM ringgit oh).

In general, even if Astro or MYTV uses H.265 (HEVC) or H.264 codec, we as viewers/consumer won't see the difference in terms of image quality.
The only difference is the technical advantage which saves bandwidth (sounds like supposed it will save cost as well?), but in return, service providers have to pay more patent fees and upgrades related equipment, eventually the costs doesn't look feasible and efficient at all. Many video service providers around the world are unhappy about this, so they rather stick with H.264 or find other alternatives if available.

So, if you are video content provider, would you throw in money to implement H.265 (HEVC) video compression technology because it is a new and latest technology, and yes, you like new high tech stuff, can save bandwidth and stuff, but in return you got to pay 4x more of the patent fees compared to H.264 which you already have, somemore upgrade your video processing equipment and your customer's device to support H.265 (HEVC)? Are you willing to do that?

No it's not "unstable audio". It will be like this as it is.
Astro's Dolby audio also like that.

To identify if the content is in 5.1 or Stereo, make sure your home theatre system output its audio in 5.1 mode from your digital TV box (myFreeview box). Then, listen to your home theatre speakers one by one, see which one has sound, which one doesn't have.

If the content is in Stereo, only Left and Right channel speakers will have sound, meanwhile Centre, Rear Left and Rear Right speaker will have no sound.

Owhh... That's what you meant by "unstable audio", is it? Hmm okok, I get it.

Yes. TV3 HD has 2 audio tracks.
One is HE-AAC v2 at 32kbps Stereo, and another is Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3) at 192kbps 5.1 surround sound.

But from what I hear, it seems that they simply just duplicate the Front Left/Right channel audio to ALL Rear Left/Right channel as well as Centre channel but in a lower volume.
So it will sounds like "5.1ch Stereo" where all centre, front, rear speakers sounds the same.

It doesn't sound like any truly "surround sound" at all. Just duplicate audio channel from Stereo to 5.1 only. And there's no even "virtual surround sound" method used like the Dolby Pro Logic II by broadcaster.

In other words, "fake 5.1 surround sound". If that's the case, I wonder why even they use Dolby Digital Plus when they don't seem to transmit content in proper 5.1? Not Dolby Digital (AC3) but Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3) somemore.

I hope they're still testing and will get it solved soon.

Oh wow. Thanks for sharing this info...
Because Singapore will be shutting down analogue TV by end of this year, so it is good that they put such indicator, to let viewers know the source they're watching from, either digital or analogue.

If you have any news and updates about Singapore digital TV, do share with us as well... I'm interested.

For Singapore's case, it's different. Singapore only has 1 main TV transmitter (which is at Bukit Batok if I'm not mistaken), and only has 7 channels. According to the news, http://www.straitstimes.com/tech/more-time...h-to-digital-tv
The frequencies for all their analogue TV channels are below 700MHz, and their DVB-T2 digital TV frequencies are 5xxMHz, since Singapore's Mediacorp do not plan to launch some new analogue nor digital TV channels (unlike Malaysia, where new digital TV channels are "expected"), so basically from what I see, they don't have the urgency to switch off analogue TV also. This would allow more time for those (especially the elderly) who don't care or don't know about analogue switch-off, to switch over to digital TV. Even after they shut down, those frequencies will be left vacant, but of course it can be re-use in the future. But that doesn't means Singapore don't need to switch off. They know they still have to switch off some day, but it's just that, there's no absolute rush for them.

Meanwhile for Malaysia, we got 10 over main analogue TV transmitters over Peninsular Malaysia and each of them uses different frequencies, and some of it uses over 700MHz range, so this prevented the implementation of 4G services in 700MHz band.
The telcos also want to deliver 700MHz 4G service to customers as soon as they can, because the 3G/4G networks across telcos especially in Klang Valley areas is starting to get congested as smartphone users is increasing rapidly. With more mobile frequencies spectrum band available like 700MHz, this can cater more users to enjoy fast mobile Internet. So I don't think even the MCMC will delay the date of analogue switch-off as from what I see, MCMC is quite taking pretty seriously this time. But if it get delay, I guess the latest is end-2018, won't go until 2019.

Thanks for sharing additional info about it. I've learnt something new as well.

Owhh if you talk about coverage, well what the public knows is the coverage is still expanding, like what the government/MYTV/MCMC said before that the coverage shall reach 98% nationwide, human population coverage before analogue switch off on June 2018. Now it's already more than 80% nationwide coverage, I personally think can make it on time la, about 7 months time from now... In addition to that, since 7/10 of Malaysian homes has Astro, that could mean many Malaysians don't care/don't know about digital TV because they have Astro or watch content other than terrestrial TV such as spend more on internet content, or don't watch much TV, or "analogue TV works fine, why go digital anyway?".

Are there many of your family members and friends aware about the existence of digital TV in Malaysia? They might heard before the term "digital TV" somewhere, but do they know what is that, and should they care if they're still watching analogue TV? Do they even interested to migrate to digital TV by listening to your advises? This is the problem. Almost all my family members and friends don't even know what is that, and they don't seems to care about it. But I don't feel bother much, because the quality programming of RTM and Media Prima channels aren't interest me much also, yet lots of propaganda somemore, so I'm not surprised if they don't know about it.

This post has been edited by joshhd: Nov 8 2017, 12:56 AM

Don't use Photobucket cuz we can't view your image... Photobucket need to pay to host your image, no more free like last time...

Consider upload your images to imgur.com

You can manual scan on 546MHz, you should be able to get it. If you can't get any signal:

Try relocate antenna to somewhere else. If you are using outdoor antenna and you have signal booster, power it off and see if you can get signal.

Glad to hear that. Previously what you did to get signal? You try to use outdoor antenna to receive, or you power off the signal booster, or just relocate your indoor antenna?

Btw it is better if you put the antenna high up and away from any electrical appliances, for a better signal performance.

What's the frequency for SCTV that can be received in JB area? What other frequencies has potential interferences with each other?


Do you have any idea why is there another transmitter after Skudai, which is called Pelangi, and it is just 4km away from Singapore causeway?
MYTV deliberately want our Malaysia channels to be receivable in Singapore?

You said many Singaporeans staying in HDB complained about poor indoor signal. You mean receiving Singapore channels or Malaysia channels that is poor signal, or both?

SCTV is 679.25MHz while MYTV one is 682MHz for JB area, right? In this case, I wonder why MYTV didn't just use other frequency first? Why they want to interrupt Indonesia's 679.25MHz?

It seems that Brunei is using Vertical polarization for their digital TV broadcasts instead of Horizontal like many other countries do, including Malaysia and Singapore.

But anyhow, why is Brunei uses Vertical polarisation instead of Horizontal?

No point raise the issue to Mediacorp. We can receive Singapore channels are due to overspill signals from Singapore.
So if by any means, Malaysia interrupt Singapore TV or radio channels, they (Singapore) cannot do anything because it is outside Singapore's land.
If the interference affects Singapore, then only they will interfere.

But, overspilling their signals to Malaysia could actually benefit Singapore's Mediacorp, because that could mean that Malaysian can contribute to increase their channel's viewership rating on certain programmes as well.