Television broadcasting in Myanmar began in 1979 as a test trial in Yangon. The first television service BBS was launched on 3 June 1980, followed by regular service in 1981. Most television networks in the country are broadcast from Yangon. MRTV and MWD are the two Burmese state-owned television networks, providing Burmese-language programming in news and entertainment. Other channels include MRTV Entertainment, M Channel, MRTV-4,Forever Group | MRTV-4 Channel 7, 5Plus, MNTV, Channel 9, Mizzima TV, DVB TV, Channel K, YTV, Fortune TV, Mahar HD, HEY Play Sports Channel, Uni TV, SNDSY Channel, Channel 24, Noble Star TV, Golden Land Channel, Channel B and more than 20 TV channels. Pay TV services include SKYNET, Myansat and CANAL+ Myanmar.
Digital Terrestrial Television
Network Name Owner/Operator Multiplex Frequency Channel (Yangon Area Only) Relay Stations Operatior Total Relay Stations Total Channels Other Info Note 4 Digital CANAL+ Myanmar Group CanalPlus MUX 5 E27 522 MHz CANAL+ Myanmar Group 2 4 DTV 3 Radio – – MRTV Multichannels Playout System Ministry of Information (Myanmar) MRTV MUX 1 E31 554 MHz Ministry of Information (Myanmar) 158 19 DTV 6 Radio – – MRTV Multiplex 2 Ministry of Information (Myanmar) MRTV MUX 2 E35 586 MHz Ministry of Information (Myanmar) 3 9 DTV 0 Radio – – MWD Digital Myanmar Armed Forces MWD Digital MUX E42 642 MHz Myanmar Armed Forces 30 6 DTV 2 Radio – – Channel (LCN) Picture format EPG Name Programming Note CanalPlus MUX 5 61 1080i 16:9 MRTV-4HD Main MRTV-4 Programming 62 1080i 16:9 Channel7 HD Main Channel 7 Programming 64 480i 4:3 MAHABAWDI Mahabawdi Channel Programming 65 480i 4:3 READERS CHANNEL Reader's Channel Programming A160 Audio only MANDALAY FM Main Mandalay FM National Service Programming A161 Audio only PYINSAWADI FM 1 Mandalay FM National Service Programming A162 Audio only PYINSAWADI FM 2 Mandalay FM National Service Programming MRTV MUX 1 1 1080i 16:9 MRTV HD Main MRTV HD Programming 2 1080i 16:9 MRTV NEWS HD MRTV News Channel Programing News & Current affairs Programming 3 1080i 16:9 MRTV HLUTTAW MRTV Parliament Channel Programming 4 1080i 16:9 MRTV NRC HD MRTV NRC Channel Programming Minorities Service. 5 480i 16:9 MRTV Farmer MRTV Farmers' Programming 6 480i 16:9 HEY Play Sports HEY Play Sports Channel Programming Commercial service 7 1080i 16:9 MRTV ENTERTAINMENT MRTV Entertainment Channel Programming 8 480i 16:9 MITV MITV Programming Information, Cultural and Travel Programing in English. 9 480i 16:9 EDU Myanmar Education Channel Programming 10 480i 16:9 M Channel M Channel Programming Commercial service 11 480i 16:9 MRTV-4 MRTV-4 Programming Commercial service 12 480i 16:9 Channel-7 Channel 7 Programming Commercial service 13 480i 16:9 5-Plus 5 Plus Channel Programming Commercial service 14 480i 16:9 MNTV MNTV Programming Commercial service 15 480i 16:9 Channel-9 Channel 9 Programming Commercial service 16 480i 16:9 MWD MWD Programming 17 480i 4:3 Channel K Channel K Programming Commercial service 18 480i 4:3 YTV YTV Programming Commercial service 19 480i 16:9 Fortune TV Fortune TV Programming Commercial service A1 Audio only Myanma Radio Main Myanmar Radio National Service Programming A2 Audio only Upper Tineyinthar Myanmar Radio Minorities Programming A3 Audio only Lower Tineyinthar Myanmar Radio Minorities Programming A4 Audio only Test Radio Mayu FM Programming A5 Audio only MRI Channel Myanmar Radio International Programming A6 Audio only Tha Pyay Myanmar Radio 2nd Programming MRTV MUX 2 1 1080i 16:9 Channel 24 HD Main Channel 24 Programing 2 1080i 16:9 HEY Play Sport HD Main HEY Play Sports Channel Programming 3 1080i 16:9 M CHANNEL HD Main M Channel Programming 4 1080i 16:9 CHANNEL K HD Main Channel K Programming 5 1080i 16:9 FORUNE TV HD Main Fortune TV Programming 6 1080i 16:9 YTV HD Main YTV Programming 7 1080i 16:9 5-Plus HD Main 5 Plus Channel Programming 8 1080i 16:9 Mahar HD Main Mahar TV 9 1080i 16:9 Uni Channel Main Uni TV Programming 10 1080i 16:9 SNDSY Channel Main SNDSY Channel Programming MWD Digital MUX 1 1080i 16:9 MWD Variety HD MWD Variety Programming Presentation and Play Out System are based on Naypyitaw 2 1080i 16:9 MWD Education Knowledge and Sports HD MWD Educational and Knowledge and Sports Programming 3 1080i 16:9 MWD HD Main Myawaddy TV Programming Presentation and Play Out System are based on Yangon 4 1080i 16:9 Channel B HD Channel B Programming Commercial service 5 1080i 16:9 Golden Land HD Golden Land channel programming Commercial service 6 1080i 16:9 Noble Star HD Noble Star TV programming Commercial service A1 Audio only Thazin Thazin FM Programming A2 Audio only Star FM Star FM Programming
Television Platforms & Providers
Provider Name Owner Available Area Service Type Platform Total Channels Launch date Defunct date MRTV Multichannels Playout System Myanmar Radio and Television Nationwide Free-to-Air Digital terrestrial television 19 15 October 2013 – MRTV DTH Myanmar Radio and Television Nationwide Free-to-Air DTH (using Intelsat 39 62°E) 18 1 February 2022 – MRTV App Myanmar Radio and Television Nationwide Free-to-Air IPTV (using Twitch servers) 8 Channels with VOD Catalogue 1 August 2023 – MWD Digital Myanmar Armed Force Selected City's and Township Free-to-Air Digital terrestrial television 6 1 October 2010 – Softtech M1 Myanmar Softtech Company Limited Nationwide Free-to-Air DTH (using Thaicom 6 78.5°E and Apstar 7 76.5°E) 19 28 August 2026 – PSI Satellite Myanmar PSI Company Limited Nationwide Free-to-Air DTH (using Thaicom 6 78.5°E and Intelsat 39 62°E) between 10 and 60 28 August 2026 – CANAL+ DTH CANAL+ Myanmar Group Nationwide Pay TV DTH (using Thaicom 6 78.5°E) 61 28 January 2018 – Myansat DTH Borderless Media and Telesky Media Group Nationwide Pay TV DTH (using Laosat 1 128.5°E) 130 15 January 2025 – SKYNET DTH Shwe Than Lwin Media Nationwide Pay TV DTH (using Apstar 7 76.5°E) 47 15 November 2010 – CANAL+ DTT CANAL+ Myanmar Group Yangon & Mandalay area Pay TV Digital terrestrial television 61 28 January 2018 – NayPyiTaw Cable TV Naypyitaw City Development Committee Selected location's in Naypyitaw Pay TV Cable TV 20 1 September 2013 – My CANAL CANAL+ Myanmar Group Nationwide Pay TV IPTV 59 channels with VOD Catalogue 23 January 2019 – SKYNET App Shwe Than Lwin Media Nationwide Pay TV IPTV 7 Channels with VOD Catalogue 15 January 2025 – TV360 by Mytel Mytel, Viettel Nationwide Pay TV IPTV 15 Channels with VOD Catalogue 27 May 2025 – former television providers Analogue Terrestrial Television Myanmar Radio and Television, Myanmar Armed Forces, Forever Group Nationwide Free-to-Air Analogue Terrestrial Television between 2 and 6 3 June 1980 14 February 2024 Myanmar Armed Forces Cable Television Myanmar Armed Forces Selected location's in Naypyitaw and Yangon Pay TV Analogue Cable Television 20 15 May 1996 31 August 2013 MRTV-4 International / 4TV / 5 Network Forever Group / Family Entertainment Group Nationwide Pay TV Digital terrestrial television 27 15 February 2006 27 January 2018 Cookie TV Cookie TV Group Nationwide Pay TV IPTV 57 Channels with VOD Catalogue 10 January 2019 10 May 2021 SKYNET DTT Shwe Than Lwin Media Yangon area Pay TV Digital terrestrial television 50 1 August 2022 31 October 2024
Technical Details When Myanmar (Burma) established its first television service, the choice of the Broadcast television systems was an unusual, considering its geography. At that time, most of the neighbouring countries were adopting PAL-B/G system. But, Myanmar (Burma) has chosen NTSC-M system on 6 MHz channel spacing on Pan-American TV frequency as their analogue television standard. The reason Myanmar (Burma) adopted NTSC-M standard is because of the Government of Japan and Matsushita Electric. They are involved during the establishment of Myanmar's first television service and, they are assisting through various methods like Financially, Technologically and Broadcast Expertise. They lobbying to Ministry of Information Burma and Burma Broadcasting Service to adopt NTSC, and the MOI and BBS is agreed. In early 2010s when the Government of Myanmar is working to adopt Digital terrestrial television standard, Myanmar's chose DVB-T2 standard on 8 MHz channel spacing on Western Europe / Asia DTV frequency along with Southeast Asian countries (except Philippines). In terms of technology, DVB-T2 is the most advanced standard and most optimized for multi-channels purposes. Ministry of Information Myanmar and the 'Big Four' television network's MRTV, MWD, SKY NET and CANAL+ Myanmar All are recommend to the government to adopt DVB-T2 standard, and government is agreed their recommendations. Because of the Digital television transition commitment given to the ITU, all NTSC analogue television services in Myanmar ware switched off on 14 February 2024.
Broadcasting Platform Broadcasting system Video resolution Video encoding Audio encoding Broadcast spectrum System Inaugural date First local broadcast Final local broadcast Analogue Terrestrial Television CCIR System M 525-line 4:3 NTSC FM VHF Band I, Band III, UHF Band IV, Band V 1 January 1954 3 June 1980 14 February 2024 Analogue Cable Television, SMATV CCIR System G 625-line 4:3 PAL FM, Zweikanalton UHF 302~870 MHz 25 August 1967 15 May 1996 – Digital Terrestrial Television DVB-T 480i 4:3 MPEG-2 MPEG Audio Layer II UHF Band IV, Band V 15 November 1998 15 February 2006 13 March 2020 Digital Terrestrial Television DVB-T2 1080i 16:9 H.264 MPEG Audio Layer II, HE AAC UHF Band IV, Band V 2 December 2009 15 October 2013 – Satellite Television, Direct to Home DVB-S2 1080i 16:9 H.264, H.265 AAC, HE AAC Ku Band 1 September 2006 15 November 2010 – 625 line PAL-G was never recognised as the official system by the Government of Myanmar and has never been broadcast on terrestrial network. but many cable providers and SMATV installers are using this system for two reasons. The first resson is, Signal distribution equipment for cable television are imported from Thailand. The Second reason is, Most TVRO International satellite feeds are broadcast with analogue PAL, or digital 576i video mode. Converting to NTSC may result reductions of picture quality. To avoid that, cable providers are simply following video mode used by foreign satellite broadcasters. Before adopting DVB-T2, MRTV-4 International, 4TV and MWD Digital used DVB-T system for their multi-channel services. 4TV upgrade to DVB-T2 in 2014 and abandoned DVB-T and MPEG-2 video encoding. MWD Digital did the same in 2020.
See also Media of Burma
References