To guarantee the quality and efficiency of digital terrestrial television (DTT), the Spanish Government has established a deadline for all channels to adapt to the high definition (HD) format.
According to the TDT Technical Plan, approved in 2019 and published in the State official newsletter (BOE), the February 14, 2024 It will be the last day on which content can be broadcast in standard quality (SD).
This represents an important advance for Spanish television, which will offer a better viewing experience to viewers.
But what does this change mean for your current television? Will you have to buy a new one or will you be able to continue enjoying your favorite shows? Here’s how to check it.
How to know if your television is valid for DTT in HD in Spain
If you want to continue watching DTT in high definition in 2024, it is important that you check if your television is compatible with the new standard that will be applied in Spain. To do this, we explain how to do it quickly and easily.
Since March 2020, 98% of televisions sold in the country meet the requirement of receiving HD broadcasts, since by default they are compatible with the standard DVB-T and MPEG-2.
To check it, you can see the resolution of your TV. If it is 1280 x 720 pixels or more, it means that it can receive the DTT signal without any problem.
However, if your television is older than 2020, it may not be ready for the change and you may be left without a DTT signal in 2024.
If this is your case, don’t worry, there are solutions to avoid this problem. One option is to purchase an external decoder that is compatible with DVB-T2 and MPEG-4which is the HD DTT format compatible with video codecs H.264 and H.265.
These devices connect to the television through the HDMI ports, and will allow you to continue watching the DTT in Spain in 2024 without having to change television. This way, you can make sure that your TV is ready for the change and you won’t miss any details of your favorite programs.
The transition to DTT in high definition will bring with it several benefits, among which are greater image quality, since HD channels will offer an image resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, which represents a great advance compared to the 720 x 576 pixels of the SD channels.
Starting February 14, 2024, SD channels will no longer be available, so it will be necessary to adjust the channels on your television or decoder. Don’t be left behind and get ready for the revolution of the Digital Terrestrial Television.