Italy will complete the switchover from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 with AVC encoding for DTT broadcasting on December 21st. Most of the national TV channels had already switched to MPEG-4 AVC encoding since March 8th, but smaller broadcasters were given more time to adjust to the new regime. The switch was necessary in order to free […]

João Cadete de Matos, the  president of Portugal’s National Communications Authority (Anacom) has acknowledged that Meo (Altice Portugal) has requested the renewal of the DTT network licences. During a meeting with journalists, Cadete de Matos said that the regulator has six months to make an assessment, including financial issues, as ‘DTT has to be cost-orientated.’ […]

After months of uncertainty, Altice Portugal has requested the renewal of the DTT network operator licence for its Meo multimedia unit from Portugal’s National Communications Authority (Anacom). Meo (formerly Portugal Telecom) was awarded the licence to operate Portugal’s DTT only multiplex in 2008 for a period of 15 years. The company had until today (December […]

France’s Arcom (Autorité de régulation de la communication audiovisuelle et numérique/Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority) has issued a call for applications for the award of two national FTA High Definition DTT licences. This call comes in light of the expiry of the authorisations currently granted to the TF1 and M6 services. The spectrum, available […]

As more than 90 million households, or 30 per cent of European TV homes, still rely exclusively on free-to-air channels for their TV consumption, the ongoing evolution of DTT transmission standards could be seen as a way to rejuvenate a TV access mode which does not appear as prosperous as it was in the past, […]

A study published by the European Commission supports the EBU position that there should not be any change in the way that UHF spectrum is allocated in Europe. The study makes clear that both DTT and wireless audio equipment for programme making and special events (PMSE) will continue to require the sub-700 MHz spectrum currently […]

Spain’s pay-TV revenues grew by 2.5 per cent to €506.1 million in the second quarter of the year, according to the CNMC. By contrast, FTA TV saw its revenues fall by 7.1 per cent to €403.4 million. In terms of subscriber numbers, pay-TV reached 9.1 million, up 7.7 per cent compared to the same period […]

The Portuguese Government has provided assurances that DTT broadcasting will continue in the future. The confirmation came from the Secretary of State for Infrastructures, Hugo Santos Mendes, during a Parliamentary hearing, who added that the Government is in negotiations with DTT network operator Altice Portugal (Meo). This follows uncertainty regarding the future plans of Altice […]

Harmonic has announced it will introduce a new Single Illumination System (SIS) offering to ensure greater interoperability and cost savings for broadcast operators with DTT and DTH services. Based on the DVB-SIS standard, Harmonic’s new offering reduces multiplex distribution costs by about 50 per cent compared with the double satellite illumination method and enables broadcast […]

Spanish public broadcaster RTVE has warned of the risk of DTT disappearing in its free distribution model, and has joined the lobby group for FTA DTT: Call To Europe Project, formed by over 40 organisations, to lobby for the maintenance of the radio spectrum to guarantee DTT frequencies beyond 2030. RTVE director of Audiovisual Policies, […]