myFreeview digital TV by MYTV has come and end of analog TV in Malaysia by 2018

If you have a television at your home in Malaysia and you are watching the free analog TV programmes (TV1, TV2, TV3, NTV7, 8TV, 9TV, ...) without subscribing to Astro satelite TV or HyppTV broadband TV, you must be aware that there will be no more analog signal broadcasting to your television from 2018 onwards.

In other words, your television will be unable to show any channel and will be pretty useless by 2018, unless you perform either one or more of the following actions:

• Get a MYTV digital terrestrial television (DTTV) decoder box (DVB-T2 receiver) to receive the myFreeview digital TV programmes using your existing UHF aerial and send the DTTV signal to your television via HTMI cable or other compatible signal cables.
• Buy a new television with built in DTTV decoder, certified by MCMC. This kind of television is called integrated digital television (IDTV) and will have a SIRIM approved DTTV sticker on it, which looks like the logo below. You can connect it directly to your existing UHF aerial to watch the TV programmes.

• Just forget about myFreeview and subscribe to alternatives such as Astro (including Astro NJOI) or HyppTV. 
• Buy an Internet TV box such as HiMedia to stream TV programmes using the Internet.

The existing free channels (TV1, TV2, TV3, NTV7, 8TV, 9TV, ...) are still free in myFreeview DTTV service. In future, there might be additional payable channels.

Under this DTTV initiative, the Malaysia government is giving away free decoder box to 2 million eligible families. The free decoder will be sent to them via Poslaju service.

The eligibility criteria for the free MYTV decoder box is:

• Must be registered BR1M beneficiary in 2016.
• Fall within the B40 income group.
• Address is within the initial DTTV broadcast coverage area.

In fact, you can click on this link to check for your eligibility to receive this free MYTV decoder box.

Another way of checking is by sending SMS to 15888 with the following content: "MYTV DEKODER ".

The benefits for you to use myFreeview include:

• Continue to watch the free TV channels after 2017.
• There will be more upcoming TV channels available.
• Better quality of picture and audio in digital format. HDTV is possible.
• Personal video recording functions using the MYTV decoder box sold in the market.

The benefits for the Malaysia government to switch over from analog to DTTV:

• The 700Mhz band currently occupied by the analog TV broadcasting will be freed up in 2018. This band can be reallocated for mobile LTE (4G & 5G) services.
• It is easier to track your TV watching behaviour and pattern using the digital box, perhaps for big data analysis.

The benefits for Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary in this initiative:

• His company Puncak Semangat Sdn Bhd got the 15-years contract to operate MYTV.

You might be interested to...

• Click here for more information about myFreeview digital TV broadcast service.
• Click here for more information about Astro NJOI free satelite digital TV broadcast service.

TM UniFi free bandwidth upgrade 2017

Under budget 2017, the Malaysian govenment has initiated a move to increase the broadband Internet speed in the country while reducing the broadband subscription fee.

Following the budget announcement in October 2016, broadband service providers in Malaysia, both wired and wireless, have respectively announced their bandwidth increment and/or price reduction plans.

For domestic TM UniFi and Streamyx users, TM has promised to provide free upgrade to existing bandwidth subscribed by their users, at no additional cost. Now, this has come to reality!

If you are existing domestic TM UniFi or Streamyx user, you can check for the free Internet speed upgrade detail of your subscription with this webpage:

https://www.tm.com.my/thankyousurprise/

In general, if your existing UniFi package is 30 Mbps, you will be upgraded to 50 Mbps, at the same subscription fee as before, and all the components in your package remains the same except for the increase in bandwidth. If your existing UniFi package is 50 Mbps, you will get 100 Mbps after the upgrade.

This bandwidth upgrade exercise is called the "TM Thank You Surprise Free Speed Upgrade Campaign".

Eligible TM broadband customers will receive email and/or SMS about this campaign, together with the link above. If you have not received the message from TM, you can still click on the above link to check for your eligibility.

To accept this offer, you need to visit to the above link, and fill in your basic personal details.

Before filling up the online form and giving out your personal detail, it is always advisable for you to check for the validity of the website's SSL certificate to ensure the website you visited is genuine.

If you are using Google Chrome browser, click on the word "Secure" with lock icon at the left of the URL address bar, then click "Details" under "Secure connection", then click the "View certificate" button.

If you are using Internet Explorer browser, click on the lock icon (security report) at the right of the URL address bar, then click "View certificates".

You should then be able to see that the SSL certificate of the website is issued to www.tm.com.my and the expiry date is in the future.

After submitting your details which include your UniFi phone number, the screen will show you your eligible upgrade. You can then choose to accept or decline the upgrade offer.

Note:

• If you declined the offer, nothing will happen. You will continue to pay your UniFi subscription fee at same amount, and your bandwidth remains the same as before. All the components in your package: voice calls, HyppTV, TM WiFi, ... remains the same.
• If you accepted the offer, your bandwidth will be upgraded in a future date (before July 2017). Your subscription fee remains the same as before the upgrade, and all the components in your package: voice calls, HyppTV, TM WiFi, ... remains the same.
• If you do not indicate accept or decline, I'm not sure it will default to which option. Most likely it will default to declined.

Important: if you wish to accept this offer, you need to click on the Accept button in the website latest by 31 January 2017.

According to TM, once your bandwidth is successfully upgraded, you will be informed by email and/or SMS. You will need to reboot your modem or CPE equipment for the new bandwidth to take effect.

Malaysia schools festival holidays in 2017 (Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri & Deepavali)

Here are the Malaysia schools' festival holidays in 2017 for Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Deepavali, as announced by Ministry of Education (a.k.a. Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, KPM).

Note that individual school can apply for additional off days  during these festival holidays period, which might subject to having replacement class for the additional off days applied.

The 2017 festival holidays for schools in Group B, which weekends fall on Saturday and Sunday, is as follow:

The 2017 festival holidays for schools in Group A, which weekends fall on Friday and Saturday, is as follow:

For your knowledge and information:

• Chinese New Year falls on the first day of the first month of a new Chinese lunar calendar year.
• Hari Raya Aidilfitri (a.k.a. Hari Raya Puasa) falls on the first day in Shawwal (the 10th month in Islamic calendar year) after the last fasting month of Ramadan (the 9th month in Islamic calendar year).
• Deepavali celebrated in South-India, which followed by the Indian race in Malaysia and Singapore, falls on Ashvina Krishna Chaturdasi which is the lunar day before the new moon (Amavasya) in the Hindu lunisolar calendar. The date is between mid-October to mid-November every year.