In recent days, you may have heard about the DTT in high definition. And you may have seen an advertisement on television that talks about HD channels and goodbye to SD channels. Digital Terrestrial Television is going to experience one of its most important moments. The definitive leap to high definition and abandonment of standard definition. And the best of all is that you will barely have to do anything. But it is worth knowing in advance if your TV is compatible with DTT HD.
As the TV advertisement says regarding the transition to HD DTT, “don’t wait until the last day.” The key date is Wednesday February 14, Valentine’s Day. That day, SD channels will disappear from the dial. Or, rather, they will stop broadcasting. Instead you will see all current channels in high definition. Those that already broadcast in HD plus the rest. Or it will be if your TV is compatible.
How to know if your TV is compatible with DTT HD
The easiest way to know if your television or TV is compatible with DTT in HD is tune in HD channels that they currently broadcast. If you have been watching channels in high definition for a while, your TV is compatible. This is the case with most current televisions. If you bought it in the last ten yearsit is practically certain that you will be able to see DTT in high definition.
If your TV has more than ten years, you probably won’t see HD channels yet. In the channel information you will see their resolution. It is likely that indicate 576 as image quality. What is known as SD. If you could watch channels in HD, the indicator would be 720 or 1080. Obviously, if you already know that your TV cannot display high definition images, much less can it display HD channels. But you may have an HD TV that has a TDT tuner not compatible with HD.
In addition to trying to tune to HD channels, you can check the TV guide. If you don’t have it on hand, look for it on the internet based on the television model. The data sheet you have it behind the television, in a plastic label. What you are interested in finding is which DTT tuner is installed. Does it say anything about HD, H.264, MPEG-4, MP4 either DVB-T HD? Perfect. And if, furthermore, it says something about DVB-T2better.
DVB-T or DVB-T2, what are we left with?
The standard that works in Spain to receive DTT television signal in HD is DVB-T with H.264/MPEG-4 AVC codec. If your television meets this standard, your TV is compatible with DTT HD. For the moment, the DVB-T2 standard, its successor, is not implemented. Tests will be carried out in the coming years. And as we renew our televisions, sooner or later we will be notified that we must migrate to DVB-T2. But, for now, it is not necessary. With DVB-T you will be able to watch DTT in HD for several years without problems.
DVB-T2 either DTT2 It is already supported by televisions you have purchased in the last five years. So what we advance. When implemented, it will offer higher image quality, since it uses the H.265 codec compared to the current H.264. Thanks to this standard, it will be possible to enjoy TV in HD but also in 4K or UHD. And since it offers greater bandwidth, it will be possible broadcast more channels in the same radio space with the same or higher quality. But let’s not anticipate events.
What if my TV antenna is not compatible with DTT HD?
Let’s say your TV doesn’t tune to HD channels. There are two reasons for this. That the antenna is not prepared or that the television is not compatible. That is, your television is practically new and its technical data sheet shows support for DTT HD, but you cannot find those channels, perhaps you need make changes to the antenna. Individual or collective. For the collective, you will need to hire a technician. For that you should talk to your neighbors.
If you had one single antennaThere are very cheap indoor ones, try getting a new one. For an affordable price we can find DVB-T2 compatible antennas that connect to the television, you put them on the wall or on a tall piece of furniture, and you will be able to tune in to most or all of the current free-to-air DTT channels. Make sure they support “DVB-T2” so you can use them now and in the future. And, by the way, they offer HD and 4K image.
This is a list of DVB-T2 antennas to watch DTT HD:
New television or HD TDT tuner?
Once we have the antenna ready, we go to the television. If it is compatible with DTT in HD, you don’t need to do anything else. You will see HD channels. And the SD channels, will migrate automatically to HD. On February 14, check that you are still seeing DTT well. And if you miss any channel, search for it manually.
If your TV is not compatible with DTT HD, you have two options. Change TV or buy a DTT HD tuner. The first option is more expensive, but it may be a good time to change your TV if it is ten years old or older. If you have recently had it or it still works like the first day, it will be enough to purchase a HD DTT tuner. You connect it to the television and it has a much cheaper price. There are some with their own control and others that are simpler. dongle or stick. And they connect via HDMI to the TV or with the coaxial cable from the antenna. You can install it yourself.
This is a list of DVB-T2 tuners to watch DTT HD: