The day of the DTT blackout has arrived. Starting today, the television channels that broadcast in standard quality (SD) will disappear and only the high definition (HD) signal will reach those devices. A leap, as a television format, that should have taken place in January 2023, but postponed due to the pandemic until February 2024 by the Ministry for Digital Transformation.
The objective of the measure? Improve the image quality of all channels. So conventional television consumers with older sets without an HD signal will see today, if they have not taken action, how the screen goes black. But everything has a remedy. Below, a guide to survive the last of the television blackouts.
Any television purchased after 2015 would have to allow, by regulation, to tune into HD channels on that device. This reduces the number of televisions affected by this blackout to 2% of those currently in Spain, according to calculations by the Ministry of Digital Transformation. So 98% of people with television at home – unless they require antenna adjustments – only have to pay attention to the changes to reorder their channels.
On those televisions where HD channels are already seen, the only change from today is that the SD channels of those channels that broadcast with both signal qualities disappear. Only the HD channel will remain and the only thing you have to keep in mind is that, if you tune in again, the positions in the channel list will change, as those of the standard signal will automatically disappear.
If our television is old and does not have an HD signal, two options open up. Perhaps it is a good time to change your device and retire that veteran model from home. But if that is not possible due to lack of budget, on that old television you can continue tuning to the new and only signal with an external decoder for DTT in HD. Demand for these devices has skyrocketed in recent weeks, which has increased their price. A decoder can be found on the market, which connects to the TV via SCART or HDMI, for an amount that can range from 20 to 40 euros. Older people are predicted to be the most affected by this blackout. Also the old televisions that continue to serve second homes, nursing homes or hospitals.
To receive the HD signal, a DTT antenna adapted to all bands and with filters for 4G and 5G signals from mobile operators is required. But nobody panic. That antenna was already necessary to receive the SD signal, so most homes will not have that problem. If it had to be adjusted in the case of neighborhood communities or public spaces, additional modules would have to be installed or existing ones updated. It is advisable to leave the matter in expert hands.
More problems can be logged here. The satellite signal is used in shady areas, where antennas do not work. If it is satellite and already includes all DTT channels, including HD, there should be no problems. Yes, they will be left with a black screen, on the contrary, satellite receivers that now only receive the SD signal. In these cases, it will be necessary to contact authorized distributors to change the reception system. The problems of this satellite signal in shadow areas especially affect rural areas. In Galicia, for example, help is already being requested to cover the amount that residents of villages will have to pay that from today may be left without a television signal. Here a simple decoder does not solve the problem and much more expensive technology is required.
With the HD signal, it is advisable to make sure that the antenna cable or the decoder cable is good to avoid loss of signal quality.
