Bitrates of live streaming of the mainstream OTT services.

Bitrates are approximate - measured over 1-2 months of testing!

MYTV Mana-Mana - 1.3Mbps (480p), 2.3Mbps (720p), 3.5Mbps (1080p) (ad breaks before video)

RTM Klik - 800kbps (480p), 1.1-1.2Mbps (720p), 2.7Mbps (1080p) - Avoid using RTM Klik for live streaming - picture quality is absolutely trash. Use Mana-Mana instead.

Sooka/Astro - up to 910kbps (480p), up to 1.7Mbps (720p), around 4Mbps (1080p).
Only paying customers get to enjoy 720p/1080p in app. Ad breaks before video (not applicable to Sooka Premium subscribers)

Tonton - around 3.15Mbps (720p), around 4.95Mbps (1080p) - resolution is 100% auto on app (can't be selected). However, there are ad breaks on TV streams on app, especially if you are free viewer. Ad breaks before video. Use Unifi TV to stream TV3, 8TV and TV9 instead if you don't want sudden ad breaks.

Unifi TV - 3.9-5.3Mbps (1080p) - resolution is 100% auto on app (can't be selected!) (you can stream more than one channel but the usage increases)

YouTube - Around 2.5Mbps (on one stream I tested, the bitrate varies at 2Mbps) (Note that YouTube uses VP9 encoding to save royalty fees - which the codec is more efficient than H.264, while others use the more standard H.264) (1080p)

Unifi TV, Sooka and Tonton requires registration/login.

Mainstream 12Mbps "unlimited" mobile data plans will work fine on these (as long as you don't break FUP limits - usually 200GB/month - you can actually stream 2-3 hours of 1080p live broadcast per day without breaking the FUP - note that this doesn't include other usages, yet! It is not realistic to just stream live TV on a mobile data plan - one will usually do more than just that!)

A fixed/fibre broadband connection is still recommended for this purpose as it provides unlimited data usage and high reliability.

This post has been edited by shaun_kok: Oct 8 2024, 04:00 AM

But MYTV DTT audio is at measly 32kbps HE-AAC V2, which audio enthusiasts aren't that happy for. Unifi TV/Tonton own streaming is very likely higher in audio quality, despite in mono.

Mono audio can only mean wrong configuration on Media Prima or TM (Unifi TV) side. But then, many Media Prima own productions are in mono anyway.

This post has been edited by shaun_kok: Oct 8 2024, 11:42 AM

While RTM Klik is already quite bad in picture quality (This one I blame the low bitrate - can be easily resolved by simply increasing the bitrate - the stream on Mana-Mana looks better with higher bitrate), but Awesome TV live stream picture quality is easily the worst in the country - they must be using some low quality encoder/low bitrate levels.

No much alternative is available other than watching it using via the DVB-T2 network.
It is just bad business decision for Awesome TV to withdraw their distribution on Astro, which they loses up a huge chunk of potential audience - which uses Astro/NJOI as the primary method on watching TV.

Besides that, Awesome TV is in huge mess anyway, and I am not so interested on their programmes (I am only streaming it just to measure their bitrate).

I am still measuring the bitrate used on this channel by streaming the channel (on a spare phone) for few hours.

The bitrate is around 3.6Mbps for their 1080p stream. In fact, Mana-Mana has comparable bitrates, but it looks significantly better. Awesome TV must be using encoders that is poor in quality. The pixelation can be very obvious (even more on a large screen)

RTM Klik 1080p @ 2.6-2.7Mbps actually looks comparably good (which is itself awful in picture quality) , when compared than the shit quality on Awesome TV live stream.

In conclusion :
Only the combination of high enough bitrate + good quality encoders can ensure the best possible video experience.

Even with good encoders, a low bitrate is not going to give you great video experience. For instance, streaming K-pop live performances via a live stream on Sooka will still look very blurry due to high amount of movements, despite the same 720p stream will look relatively fine on other programmes of the same stream.

This post has been edited by shaun_kok: Oct 9 2024, 10:53 PM

Also, their main playout system are still in Sri Pentas (Glenmarie as backup)

Radio operations are likely still based in Sri Pentas.

As DoubleM2 Said - it is the news operations of Media Prima that are unified in Bangsar.

Technically Media Prima has 3 main locations - Sri Pentas, Glenmarie (the former NTV7 HQ - which they inherited it when they purchased NTV7) and NSTP/News HQ (Balai Berita) at Bangsar.

In fact Sri Pentas is leasehold since the 1990s - Media Prima might eventually move out from this location in favour of the other two to save lease costs. For now, the now decomissioned Sri Pentas news desk will likely be the backup for TV News department in case Balai Berita has technical issues. They might even have backup on Glenmarie.

Meanwhile Glenmarie and NSTP HQ (Balai Berita) is owned by Media Prima - they once sold Balai Berita (when their cash was tight) but then repurchase the building back when their financial situation improves.

This post has been edited by shaun_kok: Oct 22 2024, 08:24 PM

On TV3's showing of Japanese drama "Silent" right now - there is zero Malay subtitles showing on the drama - a huge technical issue on Sri Pentas!

Even though it is a good drama (have finished it 2 years before during its first showing back in 2022) - how can people understand the plot if there is no subtitles - especially as first time viewer?

That's the reason why I want all non Malay dramas not showing in Malay to be dubbed completely in Malay as a mandatory requirement to Malaysian broadcasters (but with a bilingual option available) - as to encourage the National language use, for 8TV - it would be reverse with Malay option provided as second audio - Chinese remains as main audio for 8TV.

It has been said the subtitles issue have been persist for days on TV3.

This post has been edited by shaun_kok: Nov 23 2024, 07:43 PM

Second technical issue for TV3 during the showing of Silent.

Instead of having zero subtitles - it is showing the subtitles in delay....

As much as I want more Japanese drama showings on TV3 - this kind of experience is just disappointing as a viewer.

8TV feed via Unifi TV frozes frequently tonight during news - like we are watching Astro (satellite) during rain - Unifi TV captions comes out frequently - and ended up have to drop to SD quality temporarily to fix the issue. TV3, TV9 and Didik TV works as usual.

Larger screen - tonton, Smaller screen - Unifi TV
The streaming feed via Tonton and MYTV Terrestrial feed works fine - which is very weird.





Update : as on now (11:30pm), picture quality of 8TV on Unifi TV is still in SD.

This post has been edited by shaun_kok: Dec 7 2024, 11:31 PM

8TV SD quality has persisted for a few days on Unifi TV.

Until now, it is not solved. Have made a response to Unifi to see.

8TV on Unifi TV is now back in HD after dropping to SD due to technical issues.

Meanwhile, there are excessive failures on TV3's showing of Silent. At least 3 of the episodes (shown across few weeks ago) have poor timing/no subtitles issue, including today's episode.

This post has been edited by shaun_kok: Dec 14 2024, 07:25 PM

Those who are interested, can watch it from fansubbers, or watch via Tonton or via official platforms. There are subtitles readily available for this drama - and these are significantly superior than TV3's showing.

Not to mention the cuts to accommodate the 1 hour broadcast slot and even Islamic prayers at this timeslot.

As they are not going to dub anything foreign in Malay (which in my opinion, it should have be done for every foreign drama show on Malaysian TV, with dual sound option available), they could have go for hard subtitles mode (burn into the drama) - like what they had done for Korean dramas in the past for TV9/8TV - saving the trouble of not so stable subtitles.

This post has been edited by shaun_kok: Dec 14 2024, 08:18 PM

Although it is hard subs (as Media Prima's broadcast system never sent close captions), the subtitles is clearly "soft" in their playout system, and they added it, before it is sent to the transmission chain (example : Astro, MYTV DTT). Hence all the subtitling issues - with one of the episodes having zero Malay subtitles at all due to the technical fault on Media Prima's side.

If the subtitles is "hard" (like the Chinese subtitles already embed on the Chinese dramas shown on 8TV, by the content provider itself), such technical issues won't appear. The downside of "hard subtitles" is you won't be able to edit it, without redoing the whole video - so the broadcasters who do so, will often store both versions (the one with "hard subtitles" and "clean version"), just in case. The "clean version" of the drama are the variant most favoured by TV broadcasters and OTT providers like Netflix - as it provides the most flexibility.

The Malay subtitles are still "soft" in this case, and is prone to technical issues that has appeared during the showing of Japanese drama "Silent" multiple times on TV3.

This post has been edited by shaun_kok: Dec 16 2024, 11:25 PM

Let's take overseas broadcasters for comparison. Mediacorp (Singapore) and TVB (Hong Kong) only ever send hard subtitles during analogue broadcast era all the way until the end of analogue broadcast (as it is not technically possible to send Chinese subtitles via the analogue Teletext - Mediacorp never utilize the feature. Hong Kong never had any analogue Teletext service.)

However, the subtitles are completely "soft" in their playout system - it was added to the picture, before the analogue signal is sent out to the public. Hence, it becomes hard subtitles, while we watch the show on TV.

In the past, it is completely possible for multiple languages subtitles to come out on analogue TV (TVB Pearl : Chinese + English ; Mediacorp : Chinese + English - common on Channels 8 and U, or Chinese + Malay, for Channel 5)

However, when digital broadcasts started, they decided to deliver subtitles, completely in soft mode (closed captions), and in multiple languages (HK : Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, English; Singapore : English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil), as it is feasible doing so.

All the repeats (which was first shown with only hard subtitles available), suddenly become available in soft subtitles when it it's repeated, if the subtitles was itself provided in the first place.

However, exceptions does remain. TVB remains providing their news in "soft" subs (the subtitles remains hard at end broadcast), and does provide their drama in hard subtitles while exporting to some broadcasters such as Mediacorp and Media Prima.

The retransmission of TVB channels in Guangdong uses hard subtitles - the subtitles itself is soft (they picked up the off air digital signal - where it is sent with closed captions. The cable provider then re-encode the signal - with Traditional Chinese subtitles selected, and use the feed for censorship and ad insert purposes). Fun fact: Mainland China usually broadcast only in hard subtitles, and no soft subtitles was ever provided on broadcast there.

However, export broadcast may still come with clean feed - such as the likes on iQiyi International OTT.
I have said before that many OTT providers/broadcasters prefer the 100% clean version without any embedded subtitles in video - hard subtitles in video, is usually an instant reject.

Meanwhile, for Mediacorp, they provided soft Chinese subtitles for their own Chinese dramas, but it becomes hard while they broadcast dramas from Taiwan, China and Hong Kong on TV broadcast. These can't be turn off even while toggle the settings.
Sometimes this is the case for some Korean dramas - which they imported the Mandarin dub from Taiwan. But in all these cases, English subtitles remained soft.
In the case of Vasantham, they even provided shows in Tamil captions, which was never seen in any form on analogue TV (except Tamil news).

Exception does remain on Mediacorp - news bulletins on Channels 5, 8, Suria and Vasantham only comes with "soft" subtitles - which is added into the broadcast (just like Media Prima's case), before the signal was delivered.

This post has been edited by shaun_kok: Dec 17 2024, 04:00 AM

Another delayed subtitles issue on TV3 Japanese drama.

I really hope that they will just use "hard subtitles mode" rather than the current "soft mode".


Attached thumbnail(s)

The future of Media Prima operations is clear : Balai Berita in Bangsar (main building) and NTV7 Glenmarie Studios in Shah Alam (backup/certain productions).

Recent Media Prima productions - like One in A Million or Famili Duo (both TV3) - they are clearly using Glenmarie as their production studio and base - note that on media release on Media Prima publications - they are using "TV3 Glenmarie, Shah Alam" for One in A Million - even though it is actually NTV7 studios (acquired in 2005 as part of their purchase of NTV7) as they are moving out completely from Sri Pentas in the future.

This post has been edited by shaun_kok: Dec 28 2024, 07:31 PM

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g6LJ7H53LrU#

End of an era - Swiss public broadcaster SRG SSR has ceased all FM transmissions earlier today (1/1/2025) (7:00 am Malaysian Time, Midnight Swiss time) in favour of digital listening methods like DAB+ and Internet streaming

Above video are the switch off process of FM transmissions - they cut the audio feed shortly after midnight, and the transmitters was shut down due to lack of audio carrier shortly after.

Private broadcasters in Switzerland will continue FM transmissions until 2026, at the latest (some private broadcasters there are against the forceful FM shutdown.)

The only other country that have shut down FM transmissions is Norway - however this applies mainly to the national stations - but in Norway's case, some local FM transmissions continued.

This post has been edited by shaun_kok: Jan 1 2025, 11:46 PM

We don't even have a digital terrestrial broadcast radio equivalent yet (internet streaming is excluded), so FM will keep running for a foreseeable future.

All cars sold in EU since 2021 (and vast majority of cars in UK, UK is not part of EU - but they have some of the largest digital radio networks) already have DAB+ capable tuners included by default - this is mandated by EU.

Many cars in Australia also have this capacity.

In Norway and Switzerland, DAB+ tuners are mandatory in all new cars, since radio transmissions in these two countries are primarily transmitting using DAB+.

For older cars, it is an entirely different story. Many older cars on road (even in Norway and Switzerland) doesn't have DAB+ tuners, only FM/AM, but you can add an DAB+ adapter, or change the radio tuner as an option.

Internet streaming is not a reliable option, especially on the go (although it does sometimes provide better audio quality).

Broadcast methods (like AM, FM, DAB+, 5G Broadcast, HD Radio, DRM) are still the better method for radio listening and it is crisis proof. FM is indeed, more reliable than DAB+ while on the move (this depends on the network configuration).

This post has been edited by shaun_kok: Jan 2 2025, 05:16 PM

Even with this, they still embarrassing lacking coverage for Labuan...