SIBU: The switch from analogue to digital TV in Sarawak and Sabah will take effect today, according to the Malaysia Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

In a media statement, MCMC said it had completed the switch in stages starting with central and southern regions on Sept 30, northern and eastern regions on Oct 14, followed by Sabah and Sarawak by end of October.

The transition of free-to-air terrestrial TV from analogue to digital TV is one of the government’s efforts to narrow the digital gap among people in the city, suburbs and rural area.

myFreeview digital TV offers high-definition (HD) visual and audio quality and there are 15 television channels and six radio channels available for free.

Mytv Broadcasting Sdn Bhd vice-president (regulatory) Shamsul Najib Mohtar said, “To get access to myFreeview, you would need a DVB-T2 decoder and an ultra high frequency (UHF) aerial connected to an existing TV set.

“Alternatively, if you have an Integrated Digital TV (IDTV), you can connect it to the UHF aerial as it comes with a built-in tuner.”

For details, Malaysians can go to its website (myFreeview.tv) or call its customer careline at 1-800-18-1088.