The closest neighboring country to Indonesia, which has changed its digital television system and turned off all analog television technology, is Singapore. Maybe this article is a little out dated when read by fellow Indonesian lives in Batam and other Riau Islands because ASO (Analog Switch Off) in Singapore has been implemented in the new year of 2019. Let's see how the ASO process was conducted in that garden city.
Since 2019 on January 1st, the analog TV signal has been disabled - meaning households that haven't switched to digital television (DTV) will no longer be able to watch Mediacorp's free-to-air programs. We know that the island-city state of Singapore has very few TV channels and all of them belong to Mediacorp, the rest of Singapore's air is filled with broadcasts from Batam Indonesia and Johor Malaysia. The Minister of Communication and Information S. Iswaran revealed in a written reply to parliament in September 2018 that four out of five households have DTV.
Switching from analogue to digital broadcasting would cost a family in Singapore about $ 100 to install STB equipment to convert analog to digital signals. Plans to end analogue broadcasting by the end of 2017 were put on hold for a year to get more people switching.
As a result, the Government has set aside $ 40 million to help equip homes to receive digital broadcasts by the December 31 deadline. In April 2018, The Straits Times reported that up to 400,000 Housing Council homes still had to switch from analogue to digital broadcasting. IMDA has said it will start sending letters to these households, letting them know they are entitled to $ 100 worth of free equipment.
Homes can choose to install a free digital set-top box and antenna in their home for free, or get a $ 100 discount on their preferred digital TV equipment at participating stores. Starting 17 September 2018, households who have not switched are also seeing a smaller image on their screens, which serves as a visual reminder for them to switch before the analog TV signal is turned off.
There are also on-screen instructions and advertisements in various media to tell viewers how to switch to DTV. Digital transmission allows broadcasters to send more signals more efficiently, allowing viewers to receive higher quality images and sound. The user can also, among other benefits, choose which subtitles and language options to display.
In 2017, Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said the government is committed to helping Singaporeans switch to digital TV and enjoy its benefits. He said in Parliament last November that access to Mediacorp's free-to-air channels is important because they are a major source of news and entertainment in four languages, and carry programs that promote Singapore's social values and identity.
Straits Times customers who have not switched to digital broadcasting can also take advantage of special offers to get a digital television set. In collaboration with Philips and as part of the "ST + news with benefits" program to reward customers, they can purchase the 6000 series Ultra Slim Smart LED TV set from Philips for almost half the price from 13 November to 9 December 2018.
