Malaysia Starts Digital Satellite Tv Service

MEASAT Broadcast announced at a glitzy launch ceremony that it will start delivering 22 digital television channels of laser disc quality and eight radio channels with compact disc quality sound to Malaysian consumers starting next month.

It will be the most advanced television system in Asia, MEASAT's chief operating officer Paul Edwards said.

Viewers will receive the service under the Astro brandname via a 60-centimetre dish, the first of its kind in Asia. The decoder and receiver for the dish will also have a hard disc to provide multimedia capabilities including Internet access, home banking and shopping.

Speaking at the launch, information minister Mohamad Rahmat said the government will introduce amendments to the Broadcast Act in parliament next month to legalise the use of parabolic dishes and decoders.

 

The amendments will only allow the use of 60cm dishes which can receive {ignals solely from the MEASAT satellite.

Inevitably, we will open our sky, but just a little, with the use of a specific satellite dish approved by the ministry, Mohamed said.

Malaysia had banned the use of parabolic dishes to keep its airwaves clear of sex and violence