Half of Thai households to receive digital TV coupons by year end

[webfact]

Half of Thai households to receive digital TV coupons by year end
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Aug 4 - Thai media regulator National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) will begin distributing digital TV subsidy coupons in September and it is expected that 50 per cent of Thai households to receive the coupons by year end, according tos secretary-general Takorn Tantasith.

Mr Takorn said the coupon distribution will begin in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces, as well as Chiang Mai, Songkhla and Khon Kaen provinces and will later extend to cover other provinces with TV digital network reception.

Distribution will begin as soon as the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) gives a green light to the NBTC TV subsidy coupons.

The Thai media regulator decided last month to fix the coupons at 690 baht each to promote public purchases of the DVB-T2 set-top boxes to help them switch to digital TV viewing.

The coupon will be distributed to households by post, Mr Takorn said. There will be measures to identify the owner of each coupon and when and which shop used to buy the product.

The NBTC secretary-general spoke at a festival Saturday to mark Thailand’s National Communication Day.

The three-day festival, which ends today, was jointly organized by NBTC and other media operators and was presided over by NBTC Chairman Air Chief Marshall Thares Punsri.

The four-day event aims to honor His Majesty the King’s distinctive contribution to the development of Thailand’s communication sector and to promote knowledge of the public on Thailand’s broadcasting, TV and telecommunications operations. (MCOT online news)

[tna]2014-08-04[/tna]

[JetsetBkk]

Excellent! High quality digital lakorns. Just what we need.

[CWMcMurray]

So will everyone need one of these boxes or mid it just for old tv?

If having LED TV can't these already watch HD or of using TV box, doesn't that also allow you to watch the HD channels?

[Bangmod]

Looks like a populist scheme to me...

Better ask the General to look into this.

[Old Man River]

Looks like a populist scheme to me...
Better ask the General to look into this.

Well, we know Thaksin isn't involved since Bangkok and the south will also get them.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[edwardandtubs]

Nothing like some cheap television to keep the proles docile.

[edwardandtubs]

duplicate

Edited August 4, 2014 by edwardandtubs

[connda]

The entire country is forced to modify their TVs or buy new ones.

Who benefits?  Follow the money............

[chotthee]

It was supposed to be May. Then June. Then August. Now year end and only half of the families..

 

[Kan Win]

So will we at last see the EPL live then? or

 

Win (a Mansfield Town fan)  

 

Edited August 4, 2014 by Kan Win

[Rorri]

CWMcMurray, on 04 Aug 2014 - 13:26, said:

So will everyone need one of these boxes or mid it just for old tv?

If having LED TV can't these already watch HD or of using TV box, doesn't that also allow you to watch the HD channels?

Check your manual, if you TV has a "digital" tuner then you will not need a set top box.

[joecoolfrog]

Digital TV , the new ' Opium for the masses '

[GAZZPA]

So will everyone need one of these boxes or mid it just for old tv?

If having LED TV can't these already watch HD or of using TV box, doesn't that also allow you to watch the HD channels?

Many people are going to be confused by this.

 

Firtly your TV picture technology has nothing to do with the type of tuner inside your TV so HD, FHD and whatever else your TV claims to have is NOTHING to do with digital TV. This is all about switching the broadcast signal from analogue to digital. So you can have a flat panel TV which is LED, HD, Full HD but unfortunately may have an analogue tuner as they have been sold in Thailand for some time now. They will not be able to tune in the new digital channels.

 

There are a couple of ways of checking whether your TV has a digital tuner,, first there is very often an analogue and digital option when you go into your tuning menu, if so you have a digital tuner in your TV. The other way is from your instruction manual or manufacturers website, there you can check specifications of the tuner,, if it say DVBT2 as an option then you are also ok.

 

So, if you are using your TV for free channels only (using an aerial) and you have no service provider for your TV service then you will need to buy a DVBT2 set top box when the analogue tuners are switched off OR you can buy a new TV with a Digital tuner built into it. (look on the box and it will say DVBT2 or Digital tuner) If you do buy a set top box or new TV then you can get 690 baht back using the governments voucher.

 

If however like me you are using a service provider and paying a monthly subscription then you are probably not even using your TV's tuner. You will probably be watching from the box the service provider has given you, in which case you have nothing to worry about, you carry on as normal and your service provider will tell you what upgraded digital services you can subscribe to.

 

Hope that makes sense fella,, Ive been in this business for years and i still have to check details form time to time..

[Bpuumike]

 

So will everyone need one of these boxes or mid it just for old tv?

If having LED TV can't these already watch HD or of using TV box, doesn't that also allow you to watch the HD channels?

Many people are going to be confused by this.
 
Firtly your TV picture technology has nothing to do with the type of tuner inside your TV so HD, FHD and whatever else your TV claims to have is NOTHING to do with digital TV. This is all about switching the broadcast signal from analogue to digital. So you can have a flat panel TV which is LED, HD, Full HD but unfortunately may have an analogue tuner as they have been sold in Thailand for some time now. They will not be able to tune in the new digital channels.
 
There are a couple of ways of checking whether your TV has a digital tuner,, first there is very often an analogue and digital option when you go into your tuning menu, if so you have a digital tuner in your TV. The other way is from your instruction manual or manufacturers website, there you can check specifications of the tuner,, if it say DVBT2 as an option then you are also ok.
 
So, if you are using your TV for free channels only (using an aerial) and you have no service provider for your TV service then you will need to buy a DVBT2 set top box when the analogue tuners are switched off OR you can buy a new TV with a Digital tuner built into it. (look on the box and it will say DVBT2 or Digital tuner) If you do buy a set top box or new TV then you can get 690 baht back using the governments voucher.
 
If however like me you are using a service provider and paying a monthly subscription then you are probably not even using your TV's tuner. You will probably be watching from the box the service provider has given you, in which case you have nothing to worry about, you carry on as normal and your service provider will tell you what upgraded digital services you can subscribe to.
 
Hope that makes sense fella,, Ive been in this business for years and i still have to check details form time to time..

Thanks for a very clear summary.

[CWMcMurray]

Thanks guys , all very clear now..

[Sayonarax]

The entire country is forced to modify their TVs or buy new ones.

Who benefits?  Follow the money............

 

Because the analogue system will be eventually turned off.. Sorry to disappoint you Colombo. 

[hyperdimension]

It would be interesting to know what kind of box the vouchers would be valid for. I'm thinking to get a box that can tune both satellite (DVB-S2) and digital terrestrial (DVB-T2) signals.

 

If all channels are going to be simulcast via both terrestrial and satellite then technically there's no need to get a digital terrestrial box if you already have a satellite dish (with HD tuner box). In such a case, the only advantage of using a digital terrestrial box would be a flawless picture when it rains, as satellite signals can be affected by weather.