Distribution of digital TV coupons put off till end of September: NBTC

[webfact]

Distribution of digital TV coupons put off till end of September



BANGKOK: -- The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has put off its scheduled distribution of its 690 baht coupons from September 15 to the end of September.

The coupon will be used to buy set-top boxes using coupon as a discount and that will enable TV audience on the current analog system to switch to digital TV watch.

NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith attributed the late distribution to delayed coupon printing and delivery that make it impossible to distribute coupons on earlier schedule.

He said he expected the distribution of coupons to households could begin end of September at the latest.

He said the NBTC would make announcement for producers of set-top boxes to join the coupon scheme on September 15, while selling of boxes could begin October 15 or 16.

Qualified set-top box producers must have at least five-million baht registered capital, must place deposit of about 5 percent of the value of coupons for the number of set-top boxes joining the scheme, must not be a juristic person blacklisted by the NBTC, must have at least four customer service or after-sales service centers in each province, and 24-hour call center.

They must also display serial numbers of set-top boxes to get stickers to attach to the boxes that are put on sales.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/distribution-digital-tv-coupons-put-till-end-september/


-- Thai PBS 2014-08-20

[retell]

Is the digital signal allready in the air ?

Stay in mukdahan province , where 3g is not really everywhere as they claim it does

[CNXBKKMAN]

Free to view digital TV is being transmitted in Chiang Mai. Everything is on except channel 3. Hi def too.

[no deal]

and where do we get this coupons?

[Pib]

and where do we get this coupons?

My understanding is the coupons will be mailed to folks...I expect it will be mailed to "Blue Book" registered households. I expect renters are out of luck unless the Blue Book holder (landlord) gives the box to the renter, but I'm guessing here. Now, since our home's Blue Book is in the wife's name and I also have a Yellow Book in my name, I'm hoping two coupons show up in the mail...but that's more of a wish...I expect it will just be Blue Book folks. But I could really care less as I already see all the digital channels on C/KU band satellite TV and many of the channels on TrueVisions.

Now, my mother-in-law who lives out in the province/jungle said the district office will be given X-amount of boxes for distribution...a person will just need to show up with their Blue Book to get one...how true that is I don't know as the mother-in-law comes up with some strange stories sometimes but many of them turn out to be true. Maybe the district office will just deliver the coupons to the households. But some things are done a little differently out in the small villages. Like the old age pension given to many Thai's starting at age 60...in most places you have to open a KrungThai Bank account (the govt is a major shareholder in KrungThai Bank) , provide that account number to your district office, and the money is direct deposited to that account each month. For folks who just don't want to have a bank account with KrungThai Bank, like my mother-in-law, once a month the district office delivers her a cash payment to her house.

[IsaanUSA]

I've been through this in the USA already. My advice is to not buy the analog converter box. Just buy a new HDTV.

In a couple years time you will upgrade your TV anyways and then you will be stuck with a worthless TV and a worthless converter box.

[georgehale]

Is there a source that gives transmitter location coordinates and DTV channel frequencies. This information is essential to know what wavelength antennas to purchase and the pointing directions from a village east of Uttaradit.

[sustento]

Distribution of digital TV coupons put off till someone can figure out how to make a few quid on the side out of it...

[Pib]

Is there a source that gives transmitter location coordinates and DTV channel frequencies. This information is essential to know what wavelength antennas to purchase and the pointing directions from a village east of Uttaradit.

No special antenna required other than a standard, low cost "UHF" outdoor or indoor antenna covering the 470-862Mhz range like the ones pictured below. Then just buy a DVB-T2 setop box which here in Bangkok currently cost in the range of around Bt990 to Bt1490..the box automatically tunes into all the available DTV channels. I haven't seen any settop boxes going for around Bt690 which the coupon is suppose to be for.

[IsaanUSA]

Pib that's not entirely true. If all of the broadcast towers are due west of your location, pointing a directional antenna east is not going to work. At my summer cottage, we have to have it within a few degrees to get the signal. The towers at our cottage are nearly 40 miles away. In the USA we use http://www.antennaweb.org/

An omnidirectional antenna may work, but not as good as a directional antenna if all the towers are located in the same direction from your house. We went through several antennas, in several locations in the house before we found a combination that worked decent.

I would start with rabbit ears first and see how that goes. If you ask some other people in the village about tower locations or ask them what antenna they are using, that may help. If you live 20km outside of town, there's a good chance that the tower will be in the town and you can just point a directional antenna towards the town.

Just keep in mind there is no such thing as an "HDTV antenna". An antenna is an antenna. Don't let a shop try to charge you extra for an HD antenna as opposed to a regular antenna.

[Pib]

Oh, I'm not saying you might have broadcasts coming from different directions...I'm just saying a UHF antenna works to pickup digital TV signals. Here's a link to the 9sats.com store in Bangkok that sells a variety of satellite/communications equipment to include digital TV antennas and settop boxes...I get all my stuff from them. Google Translate is your friend with the 9sats website.

[IsaanUSA]

Well that guy was asking for tower loations so he could pick the best antenna for him, that's why I commented.

I love HD