Digital terrestrial television (DVB-T) pilots

Pilot transmission in MPEG-2 format (1999-2008)

Antenna Hungária started the first pilot transmission from its Budapest site in DVB-T MPEG-2 format on July 9, 1999.

Since October 2001, our own equipment was used for the transmission of the three public service programs (m1, m2, Duna TV) and measuring signals for the testing purposes at 1 kW transmitted output. During the experiments the company continuously monitored the quality of reception.

Antenna Hungária launched the first DVB-T site in the countryside at Kabhegy in 2002. Transmission took place with an output of 2.5 kW using the same antenna as the analogue television programs do.

Our company put into operation its two free-to-air multiplexes (MUX) on 12 October 2004, on the UHF channels 43 and 51 in Budapest and on the UHF channel 64 at Kabhegy. The programs of the four public channels - m1, m2, Duna TV and Duna II Autonómia - could be received on the MUXs, along with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a superteletext service for these channels.

The National Communications Authority issued a tender call in the spring of 2008 for the operation of five terrestrial digital television networks and one terrestrial radio broadcasting network and Antenna Hungária won both tenders for such services. On 5 September 2008, the National Communications Authority and Antenna Hungária signed the contracts concerning the right to operate the digital terrestrial television and radio broadcasting networks. The 'MinDig TV' called digital terrestrial commercial service was launched in December 2008 in DVB-T MPEG-4 format on two multiplexes.

As a consequence of the launching in December 2008 of the new MinDig TV service, the experimental system broadcast with the aid of MPEG-2 compacting technique having been in operation from 1999 and containing each of the four public service channels was stopped on 13 October 2008 at Kabhegy and on 31 October 2008 in Budapest. Accordingly, this format of broadcasting was brought to an end, so the MPEG-2 devices cannot receive the MinDig TV service any more!


Pilot transmission in MPEG-4 format and HDTV pilots (2008)

Antenna Hungária in cooperation with the Hungarian Television had launched HD-channel transmission on its digital terrestrial pilot system in Budapest on the channel 38 during the Beijing Olympic Games in August 2008. The channel could be received by DVB-T MPEG-4 HD set-top-box or an integrated television set.

Antenna Hungária launched again the transmission of the m1 HD program in Budapest on its pilot DVB-T system since 6 October 2008. The HD program was available on the channel 51 using MPEG-4 compression format. For testing purposes the m1 HD program using MPEG-4 compression was available until November 16, 2008 on the above mentioned channel.

On December 23, 2008 Antenna Hungária started the test broadcasting of m1 and m2 programs for a temporary one month period, which was extended until February 28, 2009. Both programs were available subscription-free in HD format in the MinDig TV digital terrestrial television service, in the Budapest region on the channel 55, in the Kabhegy region on the channel 64, and in the Szentes region on the channel 60.