1. Digital TV in Singapore
Seah Seng Choon
Executive Director
Consumers Association of Singapore

2. Agenda What is Digital TV? Worldwide Trends Digital TV in Singapore
Benefits to Consumers
Transiting Over
Assistance Scheme for Low Income Households
Educating Consumers

3. What is Digital TV?
Advanced broadcasting technology that enables superior-quality pictures and sound
Supports 2 broadcast formats: Standard Definition TV (SDTV) and High Definition TV (HDTV)

4. What is Digital TV?
Richer audio-visual experiences and opportunity for more interactive services
Higher-resolution pictures that are sharper, clearer and free from the fuzzy images associated with analogue TV

6. Worldwide Trends
Many countries such as USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia, UK and Germany have already gone fully digital
Most countries have chosen to adopt the DVB-T2 standard

7. Worldwide Trends
In Asia, China, India and Hong Kong are in the process of switching over
ASEAN countries have agreed to switch over between 2015 to 2020

8. Digital TV in Singapore
Bukit Batok became the first zone in Singapore to be ready to receive digital broadcasting signals
Consumers can watch all 7 free-to-air Mediacorp channels in high or standard-definition
Coverage will be expanded progressively over the next 2 to 3 years

9. Digital TV in Singapore

10. Digital TV in Singapore
Analogue TV signals will continue to be available for at least 2 years from December 2013 until the switchover to digital broadcasting signals is completed between to 2020

11. Benefits to Consumers Better quality pictures Superior sound
Multi-language subtitles
Electronic programme guides containing more information about TV programmes

12. Benefits to Consumers Multicasting
Additional local broadcast TV channels
Multiple channels of separate programming simultaneously, free and over-the-air

13. Transiting Over
CASE engaged the government in extensive discussion and consultation in implementing digital TV in Singapore
One particular concern was the impact of implementing digital TV on low income households
CASE also discussed with businesses and urged them to not take advantage of the situation

14. Assistance Scheme for Low Income Households
Eligible households will receive:
One digital set-top box
One indoor antenna
Installation service

15. Assistance Scheme for Low Income Households
To be launched in September 2014
One and two-room HDB rental flat dwellers and recipients of social assistance will be automatically included in the Assistance Scheme

16. Educating Consumers
To help consumers identify TVs and set-top boxes that are compatible with the digital TV system, Digital TV Ready Labels launched by the Media Development Authority have been affixed to compatible TV sets and set-top boxes

17. Educating Consumers
Mediacorp will be rolling out a series of advertorials and infomercials from 2014
Educational videos, brochures and posters are available at major retail outlets

18. Educating Consumers
The Media Development Authority has conducted training workshops for retailers and sales staff
The public can look out for sales staff wearing the Digital Advisor tags in retail outlets

19. Educating Consumers
The Media Development Authority will be working with voluntary welfare organizations to reach out to the elderly and disabled to ensure that they know what they need to do to prepare for the digital switchover

20. Educating Consumers Digital TV Label Mark
To help consumers identify the correct receivers to buy as this label will indicate that a product is suitable for use in Singapore

21. Educating Consumers Digital TV Label Mark
Dealers must first register their DVB-T2 equipment with the Infocomm Development Authority and apply for the use of the label mark with the Media Development Authority
If a dealer affixes the label on non-compliant receivers, enforcement action can be taken

22. Thank you