After the first phase executed in July, the final switch-off of the nationwide analogue terrestrial television networks will take place on October 31, 2013 12:30 PM, at more than half of the country – North & North Eastern Great Plain and South Transdanubia. The digital MinDig TV service replacing the analogue transmission is widely available almost everywhere – 99% population coverage – by an indoor or rooftop antenna and a set-top-box that is the affected people shouldn’t have to wait until the analogue switch-off date. Antenna Hungária will launch the digital transmission on November 1 from 19 new low-power sites, resulting the number of sites transmitting MinDig TV and MinDig TV Extra services will rise up to 90.
Based on the decision of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority, the last stage of the digital switchover, that is the analogue terrestrial television networks’ switch-off will be carried out on the last day of October and is replaced by MinDig TV, the digital terrestrial television broadcasting.
Antenna Hungária invests HUF 25 billion into the rollout of digital television and radio networks and the introduction of services. As of today, 213 digital transmitters were put into operation and the new retail brands and services were successfully introduced. The number of the subscription-free MinDig TV service users increased by several hundred thousand within couple of weeks and MinDig TV Extra offering pay-packages acquired almost 130 thousand subscribers, thus becoming the fourth largest Hungarian pay-TV operation. Based on the most recent sales figures, households affected in the digital switchover bought more than 350 thousand DVB-T MPEG-4 set-top-boxes in the domestic retail during the past seven months (March-September).
The digital MinDig TV and MinDig TV Basic package are available almost everywhere – 99% population coverage – by an indoor or rooftop antenna and a set-top-box that is the affected people shouldn’t have to wait until the analogue switch-off date. After the first phase executed in July, the final switch-off of the nationwide analogue terrestrial television networks will take place on October 31, 2013 12:30 PM, at more than half of the country – North & North Eastern Great Plain and South Transdanubia. On 103 sites altogether 186 operational transmitters – broadcasting M1, TV2 and RTL Klub analogue programs – will be switched off.
After the discontinuation of the analogue service, Antenna Hungária will launch the digital transmission on November 1 from 19 new low-power sites, thus the full range of MinDig TV and MinDig TV Extra services – 31 television channels altogether – will be available at the following settlements:
The transmission of MinDig TV Extra Family package (Multiplex B) will be launched on the first week of November from the following seven sites – Kab-hegy, Fehérgyarmat, Kiskőrös, Csávoly, Kaposvár, Siklós, Tamási –, by this the complete digital terrestrial television portfolio of Antenna Hungária will be available from 90 sites providing almost the same 99% population coverage for all networks.
In order to facilitate the digital switchover, AH pursues its "Switch!" information campaign, starring with György Rózsa. Affected analogue terrestrial users can obtain detailed information about the switchover process and the necessary actions to take from the www.atallas.hu website and by calling the toll-free 06-80-90-99-00 number. On the M1 public service channel the viewers can continue to meet with Gábor Gundel Takács, who in one and a half minutes informs about the highlights of the digital switchover in the 18-part “Big Switchover Show”.
Based on the available data, the vast majority of analogue service users switches to the digital terrestrial services, thus Antenna Hungária expects to reach one million MinDig TV user households by end of the year. By reaching this target, AH may be the largest Hungarian digital TV service provider. Further significant developments can be expected after the analogue switch-off, the program line-up can be expanded next year and new services can be integrated into the product portfolio.
Antenna Hungária
Further information:
András Tóth, Head of Communication
Tel: +36 1 464-2110
E-mail: totha [at] ahrt.hu
About Antenna Hungária: www.ahrt.hu
About MinDig TV: www.mindigtv.hu
About MinDig TV Extra: www.mindigtvextra.hu