KUALA LUMPUR: Digital television broadcasting has become a trend and a necessity following the latest development of telecommunications technology, according to a broadcasting expert.
Broadcast course coordinator at the Faculty of Communications and Media Studies Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam, Mohamad Razeef Shah Mohmad Rafik said digital television broadcasting in the country was also likely to thrive based on the success of several private broadcasting stations here previously.
“If the analogue system in Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) can be converted to a digital system, the broadcasts would not only be able to be seen via traditional television sets, but also through smartphones and mobile devices,” he told Bernama here yesterday.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak recently said RTM planned to create a dedicated TV news channel once its transition from an analogue to digital system was completed.
“If we look at the beginning of 1996, there has already been private television stations using this technology, and since 2005, RTM has also planned to switch to digital broadcasting technology,” said Mohamad Razeef Shah.
He said for RTM to switch to the new system, several changes need to be made to ensure that consumers could enjoy the digital broadcasts, particularly by providing a set-top-box for digital transmission.
According to him, RTM had already made several attempts at digital broadcasting through TVi, and it is not impossible for it to be implemented for TV1 and TV2.
He said the path which had long been paved by paid satellite TV provider Astro has opened up oppotunities for the expansion of digital TV broadcasting in the country, including RTM, which has now reached the age of 70 in the world of broadcasting in Malaysia.
“Astro is a paid TV station, and we want to find ways on how to create a free digital broadcasting system as how it was with the analogue system prior to this,” he said.
Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Jailani Johari had previously explained that the ministry was looking to transform the television broadcasting system in the country from the current analogue system to Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (DTTB). — Bernama