Thai TVs And Radios To Switch To Digital System In 2015

[webfact]

Thai TVs and Radios to Switch to Digital System in 2015

Thailand is planing to switch its TVs and radios to a digital system in 2015, and the scheme for the plan will be drafted by May this year.

Authorities from the Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission or ONBTC, Pana Thongmeearkom said after conducting a public hearing that the commission will consult with relevant authorities before drafting the model scheme for the transformation of Thai television and radio systems.

Pana said the model scheme is expected to be drafted by May this year.

The plan will make sure it does not violate consumer rights, piracy, obscenity, and that it does not aggravate political activities.

Pana explained that Thailand is planning to transform its television and radio systems from an analogue system to a digital system by 2015, to keep up with the evolving technologies.

The change is expected to reach the whole spectrum of citizens and will help save up to 10 percent more energy than the current system.

The chairman of ONBTC, Prasit Prapinmongkolkarn admitted that the change of systems is new for Thailand and will require funding.

He will consult with entrepreneurs regarding the problems and adjustment plans next week.

The initial plan is to run a trial period of three existing digital systems, which are ASTC from North America, DVB from Europe, and ISDB from Japan.

The trial period will begin this year,when authorities will compare and contrast to determine the best results, which will then be implemented on Thai TV and radio systems.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-28

[BuckarooBanzai]

Are all the new LCD LED Plasma etc. TV's digital ready?

[jpp2bkk]

Don't worry, it's not gonna happen before 2020 at least , you can enjoy your actual LCD

[JetsetBkk]

Don't worry, it's not gonna happen before 2020 <snip>

Optimist!

Oh boy, so much room for corruption, back-handers, the worst system winning, concessions to the worst manufactures (owned by influential Thais, of course), etc, etc.

This is going to be so much fun.

It'll make the 3G fiasco look like a Sunday picnic.

[Nisa]

Good news. Unless manufacturers are making them for local consumption only, LCD TV Manf.'s are all producing digitals now. Even non-digital TVs will work on a digital signal if you get a very cheap adapter. But all the TVs I see at the stores here are HD ready.

[lothda]

LCD TVs with built-in digital receivers are obviously only available in countries that have digital systems already And please keep in mind that digital doesn't mean HD.

[softgeorge]

Are all the new LCD LED Plasma etc. TV's digital ready?

You can buy a set top box and connect it to your existing T.V

[hyperdimension]

They should focus on improving content.

[Totster]

Another farce no doubt..

totster

[Nisa]

LCD TVs with built-in digital receivers are obviously only available in countries that have digital systems already And please keep in mind that digital doesn't mean HD.

No but HD is Digital and HDTV are available here. Same as the DVD HD players are available here. Take a look at the back of the LCD TVs in the stores here and you will see they have an HD connector. I would think there are very few manufactures offering Digital TVs that are not HD.

[cloudhopper]

Don't worry, it's not gonna happen before 2020 <snip>

Optimist!

Oh boy, so much room for corruption, back-handers, the worst system winning, concessions to the worst manufactures (owned by influential Thais, of course), etc, etc.

This is going to be so much fun.

It'll make the 3G fiasco look like a Sunday picnic.

Too right...

[bekken]

LCD TVs with built-in digital receivers are obviously only available in countries that have digital systems already And please keep in mind that digital doesn't mean HD.

No but HD is Digital and HDTV are available here. Same as the DVD HD players are available here. Take a look at the back of the LCD TVs in the stores here and you will see they have an HD connector. I would think there are very few manufactures offering Digital TVs that are not HD.

Sorry to say but there isn't anything that is called HD connector. But with a HDMI connector you surely may connect a HDTV ready source, like a set-top box...

[rotary]

YES by getting TRUEVISION some competition. The content is bad and the service is worse. Really sad what they charge and what you get but no options other than gray market TV from Vietnam or Malaysia which is better and cheaper but a hassle to get set up

They should focus on improving content.

[Nisa]

LCD TVs with built-in digital receivers are obviously only available in countries that have digital systems already And please keep in mind that digital doesn't mean HD.

No but HD is Digital and HDTV are available here. Same as the DVD HD players are available here. Take a look at the back of the LCD TVs in the stores here and you will see they have an HD connector. I would think there are very few manufactures offering Digital TVs that are not HD.

Sorry to say but there isn't anything that is called HD connector. But with a HDMI connector you surely may connect a HDTV ready source, like a set-top box...

If you want to be accurate then .. HD Connections can be made using various interfaces/connectors and are not limited to HDMI and most HDTV's have a number of options to input the signal

[surangw]

radios also?

I would think they would just go with 3 formats

[bangon04]

radios also?

I would think they would just go with 3 formats

More formats = More auctions = More "negotiating".

[bangon04]

They should focus on improving content.

It would be nice to think they could agree on a standard volume level for channels, so that the watcher doesn't need to constantly adjust the volume every time there is a channel change/programme change, or even adverts

[MaiChai]

Lets hope they choose an existing and well established standard; this keeps costs and complexity down. The European DVB system is very good, so I would plum for that. It would be nice to have multiple languages; say Thai, English, Japanese, Chinese? This has educational benefits as well as catering for the foreigners here.

The UK digital switchover was extremely well planned; lets hope its well planned here. Also I can't see them switching off the analog system for quite some time. Otherwise the poor will be quite affected. Also controlling the switchover has environmental consequences; nothing worse that everyone dumping their CRT based TVs for LCD ones, if the switchover is not done over a reasonable period of time. God knows what has happened to all the dumped CRT based TVs in Europe and America; probably to dumps in Africa?

The digital TV board is generally an add on to a TV configuration; this makes it easy for manufactures to have one platform that can support different standards; they just change the sub board and firmware. Thus no big drama for TV manufacturers.

[jayjay0]

I had to laugh when I read this line.

"Pana explained that Thailand is planning to transform its television and radio systems from an analogue system to a digital system by 2015, to keep up with the evolving technologies."

What a joke. First they would have to catch up. As long as the Government keeps meddling in it Thailand will never catch up in Technology.

By 2015 they probably wont have LCD they will all have gone to LED. The manufactures will not be making LCD's and Thailand will be forced to except them. By then Plasma might be the best option out there.

exciting times ahead. We might even have 3G by then.

[Sateev]

DTV? Fine.

Digital radio?? Several MILLION car stereos suddenly become obsolete? No 'set top box' to remedy that problem. And what about the hundreds of small, local radio stations? Will they need to shell out for digital broadcasting equipment? Most are run on shoestring budgets, and held together by chewing gum and bailing wire...

I think this headline is typically premature and poorly thought-out...

[Tatsujin]

If Digital TV is implemented as quickly as the BTS and 3G was/is here then 2015 is slightly optimistic . . . more likely 2115 unless of course those that will benefit most from it are getting low on funds right now and need a quick influx of ready cash in backhanders.

[tomyummer]

Universal health care, anti-flooding measures, the constitution, a top ten international airport, 3G, and now digital TV and radio. 2015?? Ba ha ha ha!

[KKK]

By the time Thailand gets around to doing this the rest of the world will have changed to something else. As usual "Too Little Too Late" Thailand's moto.

[rockyysdt]

Are all the new LCD LED Plasma etc. TV's digital ready?

When you buy an LCD, LED, or Plasma digital television panel, it comes standard with an analogue and digital tuner.

When you initiate your panels auto tuner it will scan and automatically lock into operating channels found.

As long as the digital bandwidth the Thai Television Broadcasting Commission selects is within the range found in the tuner of imported panels, then when digital transmission begins all you have to do is initiate the auto tune function.

Your television will then offer you a list of both analogue and digital stations from which to select.

In keeping with other countries, once digital broadcasting commences, this will occur simultaneously with analogue broadcast for a number of years, allowing consumers to either update their CRT sets or to purchase a digital set top box.

Edited March 1, 2011 by rockyysdt

[bkkjames]

Are all the new LCD LED Plasma etc. TV's digital ready?

When you buy an LCD, LED, or Plasma digital television panel, it comes standard with an analogue and digital tuner.

When you initiate your panels auto tuner it will scan and automatically lock into operating channels found.

As long as the digital bandwidth the Thai Television Broadcasting Commission selects is within the range found in the tuner of imported panels, then when digital transmission begins all you have to do is initiate the auto tune function.

Your television will then offer you a list of both analogue and digital stations from which to select.

In keeping with other countries, once digital broadcasting commences, this will occur simultaneously with analogue broadcast for a number of years, allowing consumers to either update their CRT sets or to purchase a digital set top box.

by 2015 (2020 more likely) - will anyone still have a CRT set working. Seems quite silly (and expensively redundant) to maintain two systems because Grandma refuses to upgrade.

Potential to roll out a new election platform - vote for moi and get a no-name lo-cost digital TV....

[Totster]

by 2015 (2020 more likely) - will anyone still have a CRT set working. Seems quite silly (and expensively redundant) to maintain two systems because Grandma refuses to upgrade.

CRT sets will work with no problems after a changeover to digital. All that is needed is an inexpensive set top tuner. Many households in the UK still use analogue CRT tv's with external digital tuners. So not so silly or redundant at after all.

Totster

[Oberkommando]

Most HDTVs; Plasma, LCD and LED TVs sold in Thailand do not have digital tuners built in.

You will only need a digital tuner if; your TV doesn't have one built in, and you are only planning on watching terrestrial TV content. If you have satellite or cable such as Truevisions then the service provider's set-top box acts as your tuner, nothing else is required.

Edited March 1, 2011 by Oberkommando

[softgeorge]

I had to laugh when I read this line.

"Pana explained that Thailand is planning to transform its television and radio systems from an analogue system to a digital system by 2015, to keep up with the evolving technologies."

What a joke. First they would have to catch up. As long as the Government keeps meddling in it Thailand will never catch up in Technology.

By 2015 they probably wont have LCD they will all have gone to LED. The manufactures will not be making LCD's and Thailand will be forced to except them. By then Plasma might be the best option out there.

exciting times ahead. We might even have 3G by then.

And no mention of becoming the digital HUB of the world

[ericthai]

Are all the new LCD LED Plasma etc. TV's digital ready?

When you buy an LCD, LED, or Plasma digital television panel, it comes standard with an analogue and digital tuner.

When you initiate your panels auto tuner it will scan and automatically lock into operating channels found.

As long as the digital bandwidth the Thai Television Broadcasting Commission selects is within the range found in the tuner of imported panels, then when digital transmission begins all you have to do is initiate the auto tune function.

Your television will then offer you a list of both analogue and digital stations from which to select.

In keeping with other countries, once digital broadcasting commences, this will occur simultaneously with analogue broadcast for a number of years, allowing consumers to either update their CRT sets or to purchase a digital set top box.

by 2015 (2020 more likely) - will anyone still have a CRT set working. Seems quite silly (and expensively redundant) to maintain two systems because Grandma refuses to upgrade.

Potential to roll out a new election platform - vote for moi and get a no-name lo-cost digital TV....

the Govt will keep both systems for awhile, as you should know not every thai can afford to go out and buy a TV. As for 2015 still having CRT type TV's im sure here in Thailand there will still be plenty, they are still selling CRT TV's in the stores and actually a CRT TV will have a better life span than a Plasma or LCD. I have seen 20 year old CRT tv's still working, life span for a LCD or Plasma is expected at 10-12 years. I know people in the USA that are still using CRT types Tv's with a converter so dont be so quick to rule out the CRT TV.

[gregb]

Are all the new LCD LED Plasma etc. TV's digital ready?

You can buy a set top box and connect it to your existing T.V

Buy??? There better be a budget to give away set top boxes for free. If red and yellow shirts can draw tens of thousands to protest, the threat of losing their awful TV shows should draw millions.