Malaysia’s MiTV halts expansion

Roll-out is delayed by 3G license win but DVB-H services due in 2007

MiTV, the Malaysian Pay TV operator using an unusual IP-over-UHF delivery technology, is preparing for phase two of its media expansion with mobile TV trials underway using DVB-H and plans to roll-out mobile TV services commercially using this transmission standard in 2007.

Dato' Ir. Rosman Ridzwan, chairman of MiTV Corporation Sdn Bhd, says the company wants to deliver video services over DVB-H, 3G and DVB-T, targeting multiple devices and differentiating the services based upon the size of screen and average duration of the viewing session.

MiTV has taken on the DTH satellite provider Astro in the Pay TV market with a terrestrial service that delivers video in IP packets over UHF wireless spectrum and offers three major channel bouquets, for Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnic households. Subscribers buying the premium set-top box (called the Internet Multimedia Terminal and containing hard drive and modem) can enjoy access to interactive TV services like voting on television shows. There is also a lower-cost set-top box that delivers basic television services. The UHF delivery method, coupled with its use of VC-1 compression and utilisation of Microsoft ASF (Advanced Streaming Format/Advanced Systems Format), rather than using MPEG-2 Transport Stream, makes it one of the more unusual broadband TV deployments in the world.

Dato' Ir. Rosman Ridzwan says MiTV chose to deliver video over IP over UHF because it fits the company’s convergence strategy. “Eventually we will offer services using DVB-H (DVB-Handheld) and we believe IP to be the common denominator,” he says. In fact, MiTV is one of the founding members of the DVB-H Alliance in Asia.

MiTV also delivers data services over its UHF network alongside television, using IP encapsulation and delivery techniques. Besides the premium and basic set-top boxes, customers can also receive the service on their PC by using an IP-UHF USB receiver and a UHF antenna. A broadband or dial-up telephone connection is needed as a return path for interactive services and these can include Internet surfing, email and instant messaging.

Content protection is provided by the Conax CAStream system. In September, it was announced that TANDBERG’s EN5920 encoders and the nCompass control and monitoring systems will be used in the deployment. Ericsson announced a contract with MiTV in August to build, manage and maintain MiTV’s WDCMA/HSPA network across Malaysia.