Digital TV (DVB T2) in Singapore [consolidated]

[ah_cheng1882]

I wrote to them again just now, saying it's silly to require each and every household to have an external antenna.

Here's the reply from their Manager a few months back. Will relate the latest reply when available

"Dear Sir

Thank you for your feedback.

With regards to your query on enabling the MATV for reception of digital terrestrial signal, the existing HDB’s rooftop master antennae (MATV) system was designed to receive analogue TV signals and will not be able to receive digital FTA TV signals.

On your concern on the reception quality for low-rise households, MediaCorp has tested the DVB-T2 standard and the results show that the reception and coverage is more robust and comprehensive. Moving forward, MediaCorp will also be enhancing their digital TV broadcasting infrastructure to enable adequate coverage even for low-lying areas.

Please do not hesitate to contact me on or email me at Zoey_MOH@mda.gov.sg should you require further assistance.

Thank you.


Yours sincerely;

Zoey Moh
Manager (Planning)
Digital Broadcasting Deployment Office Division"

If they implement it right (which they usually not). A small indoor antenna will work without trouble.

 

[petetherock]

It will be a while before coverage is better and more locatios can get good reception.
Keep all your gadets and try again later. It may just be the location for now..

 

[mrsun18]

Obviously the people at MediaCorp are not following this and other related threads.

There have been so many cases of confirmed reception of both T and T2 broadcast with hdb matv.

Any matv professional will know the statement in red is unbelievable, to say the least!

Please read my post #27 in this thread too, hidden in the spoiler

Spoiler

The information here is complementary to post #2, the FAQ provided by MediaCorp

Quote:

Now I see a sudden burst of interest in the new transmission format.

For those using hdb wall outlets, and private properties (landed or older condos) with own antennae, if your tv sets can receive on analogue

U (chan28)
Octo (chan 30)
CNA (chan 32)

there is a high probability that you can receive the new T2 channels if your tv sets are T2 ready.

However, for some hdb blocks, these stated channels may have been changed to another channels (just like scv channels) because of technical limitation - if this is the case then there may be no reception.

The matv in my condo caters to the 3 channels stated above plus tv3 (chan 26). I could received T test transmission on chan 29 previously. I am confident that my condo can receive all the new 3 channels (yet to be verified).

I wrote to them again just now, saying it's silly to require each and every household to have an external antenna.

Here's the reply from their Manager a few months back. Will relate the latest reply when available

"Dear Sir

Thank you for your feedback.

With regards to your query on enabling the MATV for reception of digital terrestrial signal, the existing HDB’s rooftop master antennae (MATV) system was designed to receive analogue TV signals and will not be able to receive digital FTA TV signals.

...


Yours sincerely;

Zoey Moh
Manager (Planning)
Digital Broadcasting Deployment Office Division"

 

[SilveR1_09]

There have been so many cases of confirmed reception of both T and T2 broadcast with hdb matv.

I can vouch for this.

 

[chakuman]

xinmsn's TV listings are starting to label their shows in HD.

 

[ah_cheng1882]

Bro, any chance I can receive digital TV using the old hdb antenna network?

I can vouch for this.

 

[merc]

Bro, any chance I can receive digital TV using the old hdb antenna network?

Provided your TV support DVB-T2, you can try it.

 

[vanillarose]

FYI

MediaCorp is going fully digital

 

[Kiwi8]

FYI

MediaCorp is going fully digital

Looks not bad.... hopefully they can do as what the map indicated, to improve the indoor reception if that means either through the StarHub antenna point or the HDB MATV antenna point.

 

[ah_cheng1882]

Hmmm juz checked my house. No sign of the hdb antenna point, only the Starhub point.

Actually I'm moving out to my own place in 2015. Was hoping to have a solution for my parents. We have a samsung LCD TV which is relatively new, but def dun have dtv2.

The problem is, I have my own tv set in my too. With a digital antenna, each time a motorbike goes by, the reception drops. No way my parents can accept this, if I were to hook up the digital antenna to the tv in the living room.

Any hope that I can get for them digital tv in living room, without signing up Starhub or mio tv?

 

[Kiwi8]

Hmmm juz checked my house. No sign of the hdb antenna point, only the Starhub point.

Actually I'm moving out to my own place in 2015. Was hoping to have a solution for my parents. We have a samsung LCD TV which is relatively new, but def dun have dtv2.

The problem is, I have my own tv set in my too. With a digital antenna, each time a motorbike goes by, the reception drops. No way my parents can accept this, if I were to hook up the digital antenna to the tv in the living room.

Any hope that I can get for them digital tv in living room, without signing up Starhub or mio tv?

For aerial antenna it's like that one. Even HDB's MATV antenna is also susceptible to interference from aerial objects like planes or helicopters, etc although it's not as much as the indoor antenna since indoor antenna is at a lower level than MATV antenna.

The only chance is to hope that MediaCorp's negotiations with StarHub bears fruit that StarHub carries the digital signals on their StarHub antenna point via either DVB-C or DVB-T2.

 

[SilveR1_09]

Bro, any chance I can receive digital TV using the old hdb antenna network?

Chance is there of course, but it depends on a lot of factors.

1) Do you have a TV that has a inbuillt DVB-T2 tuner?
If not, you would need a DVB-T2 set top box to receive and decode the DVB-T2 signals.

2) Is the HDB antenna at your block still being maintained? If it is, you have a higher chance.
Some households, their internal TV wiring was cut over to StarHub's cable TV network when it was rolled out. And they no longer have access to the HDB rooftop antenna.

 

[chakuman]

All MediaCorp TV channels now available in digital broadcast - xinmsn News

MediaCorp announced today that all its seven free-to-air TV channels will be broadcast in digital (DVB-T2 format).

In addition, four out of the seven channels - Channel 5, Channel 8, Suria and Vasantham - will be broadcast in High Definition (HD) while the remaining three channels - Channel NewsAsia, Channel U and okto - will be upgraded to HD by 2016

In a statement today, MediaCorp also said residents in Bukit Batok will be the first in Singapore to receive these channels as the estate is now covered by the new digital broadcast infrastructure.

Over the next two to three years, coverage will be expanded progressively to enable all residential homes to receive digital TV signals.

MediaCorp Deputy CEO Chang Long Jong said, "Besides better picture and sound quality, digital TV allows MediaCorp to consider rolling out other value-add services and features for the discerning audiences of today such as closed captions and multi-language subtitles."

"With digital TV, MediaCorp will also be able to offer time-shifted services, which will provide an alternative choice for viewers who miss out on their favourite TV programmes due to work or lifestyle commitments. More information on these value-add services will be announced soon," Mr Chang added.

Residents in other estates who currently use outdoor antennas to receive their free-to-air TV channels can also tune in to MediaCorp's seven digital channels.

The public can continue to receive free-to-air TV channels in analogue broadcast as existing analogue TV signals will continue to be broadcast alongside the digital TV signals for at least another two years.

Media Development Authority's Director of Digital Broadcasting Deployment Office) Ling Pek Ling said "The world is transitioning from analogue TV to digital TV. Beyond enhancing the TV-viewing experience, the migration to digital TV will also free up scarce radio spectrum for other services such as high-speed mobile Internet access."

"MDA will work closely with our industry and community partners to facilitate a smooth nationwide transition from analogue to digital TV," Ms Ling added.

Information on digital TV, including the digital TV rollout plan, is available atmediacorp.sg/digitaltv

More information on digital TV is also found be at the MDA website.

 

[AnDyLe0]

If you have SingTel mio or StarHub TV, you look at their program info, if there is a (HD) on their program info, then that means it is shown in true HD.

this "(HD)" word in EPG (st, sh, dvb-t2) starts today (except HD5)... previously don't have.

 

[chakuman]

this "(HD)" word in EPG (st, sh, dvb-t2) starts today (except HD5)... previously don't have.

HD5 all along have de.

 

[SilveR1_09]

Any hope that I can get for them digital tv in living room, without signing up Starhub or mio tv?

The only chance is to hope that MediaCorp's negotiations with StarHub bears fruit that StarHub carries the digital signals on their StarHub antenna point via either DVB-C or DVB-T2.

Have a look at my post here.

Situation 2(a) applies to you since you mention without signing up with either of the Pay TV operators.
Your Samsung would have to have a DVB-C tuner built-in. If not, perhaps you could buy a DVB-C tuner. Your parents would then be able to enjoy digital TV in the living room. Although as of now, for DVB-C, it's SD for the 7 FTA channels + HD5.

As to whether StarHub would carry the other 3 HD channels (Ch 8,Suria & Vas) on DVB-C, like Kiwi8 has said, depends on MediaCorp's negotiations with StarHub.
MediaCorp might even get them to relay the DVB-T2 signals like how the analogue signals are right now? *shrugs*
God knows which alternative and stage they are negotiating at right now.
Only insiders might know.

 

[MoneyFace =p]

Looks not bad.... hopefully they can do as what the map indicated, to improve the indoor reception if that means either through the StarHub antenna point or the HDB MATV antenna point.

How to determine if one's cable point routes to HDB antenna point?

My house used to install illegitimate signal filter in the master bedroom (that is also split into cable point in sister's bedroom next door, that sister's bedroom's cable point casing has the genuine SCV label though) which detects most foreign analogue channels blocked by SCV e.g. TV2, TVRI, SCTV, ntv7, etc... and no SCV analogue test channels. Then when my sister subscribed to SCV for her bedroom, the technician found out about the inability to receive SCV channels through her bedroon cable point (and hence the illegal filter and cable point in the master bedroom) and thus changed the master bedroom's cable point with new legit filter and then both TVs in the master bedroom and sister's bedroom are able to receive SCV signal, no more FTA foreign channels and able to receive SCV test channels as well as Mediacorp FTA channels using StarHub specified frequencies.

My question here is, does the difference between SCV certified cable point and connection to HDB MATV antenna point differs by the legitimacy of the signal filter used?

 

[AnDyLe0]

For DVB-T2 HD5 channel got 3 audio tracks for you to select.There is ...
1) AAC 2Ch
2) AAC 5.1 ch
3) AC3 5.1 ch

For DVB-T HD5 channel only got 2 audio tracks for to choice.
1) MPEG audio 2Ch
2) AC3 5.1ch

for those that can recv DVB-T2 5(HD)... can u still see the "Dolby D+ AC3" audio track? i can only see 2 "AAC" audio track now... the 3rd audio is missing since friday nite.
anyone can confirm?

 

[AnDyLe0]

HD5 all along have de.

pls read carefully... i already say "except HD5"... why u repeat again?

actually most of us are not interested in HD5 or 5(HD) anymore since we have been watching it since 2007.
we are more interested in Ch8(HD) and other new HD channels.

 

[chakuman]

pls read carefully... i already say "except HD5"... why u repeat again?

actually most of us are not interested in HD5 or 5(HD) anymore since we have been watching it since 2007.
we are more interested in Ch8(HD) and other new HD channels.

Haha sorry my bad, never see properly. Yeah I am also interested in watching the 9pm dramas in HD. Hope MediaCorp and ST/SH gets things done fast.