TVMobile

Closure

MediaCorp has decided to terminate TVMobile upon expiry of its current agreement with SBS Transit on January 1, 2010.

The company said the discontinuation comes from a careful evaluation of the viability of the service, as resources required to operate and maintain TVMobile are substantial.

This may also be due to SBS Transit importing buses since 2002 but without mounting TVMobile in their buses (except 1 Volvo B9TL CDGE and Volvo B10TL). It is only available on Volvo B10M Mark III, Volvo B10M Mark IV (DM), Volvo B10M Mark IV (Walter Alexander Strider), Volvo B10M Mark IV (DM3500), Scania L94UB, Leyland Olympian 3-Axle, Volvo Olympian 3-Axle, Dennis Trident, Volvo B10TL Prototype and Volvo B10BLE (CNG) (not all).

This allows the Volvo B10M Mark IV (DM3500) to get deployed on their cross-border services (160 & 170), to replace de-registering Volvo B10M Mark III. The main reason it gets extended for 1 year is because of the TVMobile.

Programmes

It featured re-runs and simulcasts of shows both in Mandarin and English, and lately some in Malay and a little bit in Tamil, from its sister channels and occasionally features original content; for instance, shorts produced in collaboration with Nanyang Polytechnic.

Infrastructure

The network had one main transmitting site, nine filler transmitting sites and two transposers located island-wide. The digital signal was carried via ATM and microwave transmitting medium to the main transmitting site before being re-transmitted to the filler sites.

Receiving the Channel

TV mobile was available on SBS Transit Air-con Buses, Bintan Resort Ferries, the Tasty corner & delight corner in Suntec (Carrefour) and a few SmartCab Taxis. In addition, an audio simulcast of the channel was available by tuning into 89.3 MHz on the FM band.

SMRT Media

SMRT Media, the advertising arm of SMRT Corporation, is responsible for advertising on its trains, buses and taxis. A similar system, through the use of liquid-crystal display (LCD) monitors, has been installed on SMRT's third newest fleet of trains (the C751Bs) and all trains plying the Bukit Panjang LRT (Currently all deactivated).

SBS Transit Moove Media

SBS Transit Moove Media, the advertising arm of SBS Transit, is responsible for advertising on its trains, buses and taxis. A similar system, through the use of LCD monitors, has been installed on all trains plying the North East Line, Sengkang LRT & Punggol LRT(Currently all deactivated).

Reception and feedback

As of 2005, TVMobile had been installed in most of SBS Transit's buses. TVMobile was an outdoor digital television station, broadcasting live news and entertainment programmes throughout the buses' operating hours. SBS Transit was the only bus operator to have installed TVMobile in its buses as of 2006.

From time to time, SBS Transit's use of TVMobile had frequently attracted flak in the Straits Times' Forum pages. Some commuters hold the impression that the installation of TVMobile was the reason for increases in bus fares, even after announcements that this was not the cause. There were also feedback about TVMobile's suitability and the repetitiveness of the programs broadcast.

This was despite the fact that the infrastructure and equipment of TVMobile was not managed by SBS Transit at all, but rather, by MediaCorp TV Holdings. SBS Transit buses were just a medium on which TVMobile was installed. TVMobile also provided an extra source of revenue for SBS Transit. This was due to the royalties paid by MediaCorp.