Government has finally shut down analog cable TV in Kathmandu on March 28, 2018. Although the shutdown was announced at multiple times before, this time only the switch off is successful. They also plan to close Analog TV broadcast all over the country.

Ministry of Information and Communication authorities visit to some local cable operators to make sure of the shutdown. Most of the cable operators have already implemented digital system, so as to continue serving people. For digital cable TV, people need to put set top box and subscribe the digital service.

People who have not yet subscribed digital TV in Kathmandu, will be unable to view any channel now.

If some people have not put set top box and subscribed the digital service, they will be unable to view all TV channels. Earlier, they have let the cable operators to provide Nepali TV channels to give ample time for the subscribers to change. So, after the closure, there will be no any channel at all in analog cable TV. You can ask the same cable operator for digital TV service or take the service from the biggies like Subisu, Hamro TV, Sky cable and the Space Time Network. MOIC says, if some other cable operators are still found to be broadcasting analog TV channels, they will be facing legal action.

As per their plan, they are also going to perform this shutdown from metro, sub-metro and municipality areas gradually to whole of the country. The digital TV service will be made compulsory first in the city areas and then to rural areas.

Advantages and disadvantages

After the closure, people will be bound to subscribe Digital TV in their home. Here are some of the advantages from digital TV.

• The TV viewing experience will be of high quality, highly improved in image and sound quality. So, you will not find the snowy image and unclear sounds anymore.
• Improved Value added services like Internet, distance learning and interactive gaming can be added.
• As each TV now requires separate digital subscription, it will increase the tax revenue for the government.
• Can also provides the choice for more TV channels and HD version channels.
• Easy for the payment of bills and control.
• Can record some TV programs in the local hard-disk to watch later.
• Can build on the top of the same infrastructure for adding 4K and more enhanced services later.
• Promotes building new digital TV channels for local video content and videos / movies on demand.

There are disadvantages from Digital TV as well for the customers.

• It will be little bit costly for the customers for this service.
• People cannot share the same service in many TVs as the way that they used to do.
• As digital literacy is less, people still cannot make use better use of this digital service.

As of now, most of the people who switched to digital TV already, found it to be a nice TV experience. People can also use the regular digital payments like eSewa, Khalti to pay for the digital service.

If you have any views for this analog TV shut down, do comment below.