The number of MinDig TV households reached 300,000 - AH transmits the digital terrestrial programs from 50 sites from the end of the year

Antenna Hungária is continuing to develop its digital terrestrial television network; further 20 digital sites will be launched in the coming weeks. According to the latest sales figures, DVB-T grew most dynamically in Hungary during the first nine months and MinDig TV Extra achieved the highest growth rate among the wireless digital television services. MinDig TV service reaches an important milestone; the free-to-air service is used by 300,000 households, while the MinDig TV Extra service has more than 42,000 subscribers. AH is fully prepared for the last stage of the digital switchover process.

Latest trends

The digital terrestrial television platform grew most dynamically in Hungary during the first nine months of 2011 and MinDig TV Extra achieved the highest growth rate among the wireless digital television services. According to the sales figures, there was a sharp increase in the DVB-T equipment penetration, as there were almost 850,000 households with a DVB-T MPEG-4 compatible receiver until November.

The actual usage of the MinDig TV service offering 7 free-to-air digital television and 4 radio channels – which can be received with a proper rooftop or indoor antenna –reaches an important milestone: MinDig TV service is used by 300,000 households, representing around 35% of the total number of terrestrial households. The subscription-based MinDig TV Extra service offering 24 additional blue-chip channels to the existing 7 free-to-air ones has more than 42,000 subscribers now. Since the MinDig TV Extra Family package was launched on October 1, 2011, almost all of the most-wanted channels are available on the DVB-T platform. The 31 available digital terrestrial television programs represent around 80 percent cumulated audience, while the further 61 thematic programs have the remaining 20-22 percent share.

The average prices of the MinDig TV compatible set-top-boxes and integrated TV’s have decreased by 25 percent in the first nine months. Since the launch of the DVB-T platform, the average prices dropped by 77 percent for set-top-box and by 61 percent for Integrated Digital TV’s.

Continuing network rollout

Antenna Hungária is continuing to develop its digital terrestrial television network; further 20 digital sites will be launched in the coming weeks. Three new high-power sites have been already started the test transmission in the past weeks: Miskolc/Avas, Fehérgyarmat/Penyige and Aggtelek/Perkupa. Besides these main sites, 17 additional sites will be launched until the end of the year, resulting the number of DVB-T sites to be increased to 50. The population coverage of the public channels will reach 98 percent, by this exceeding the present analogue m1 network’s coverage.

A mid-power site will start its operation at Nagy Hideg-hegy, at one of the peaks in the Börzsöny Mountains and a series of low-power sites and gapfillers will be launched in the following settlements during December: Balassagyarmat, Barcs, Battonya, Bonyhád, Dorog, Eger, Fony, Keszthely, Kőszeg, Lenti, Sály, Sátoraljaújhely, Siklós, Szigetvár, Tamási and Zirc.

Everything is ready for a smooth analogue switch-off process

The prices of the necessary devices – set-top-box or an integrated TV-set – will decrease further, resulting in almost everybody being able to afford to buy a DVB-T MPEG-4 receiver for Christmas. Antenna Hungária launched two promotion campaigns for the Christmas season: in the frame of a MinDig TV promotion, anybody, who buys a promotional MinDig TV receiver, can get 10 additional channels free for a month. MinDig TV Extra offers in its new promotion a combo offer of a one-year Basic package subscription with the necessary set-top-box for 19,990 HUF only.

Regarding the short-term plans, AH is focusing on enhancing Multiplex B’s – MinDig TV Extra Family package – present 84.7 percent coverage in the course of next year. 2012 will be the year of blue-chip sport events: Football European Cup, Summer Olympic Games and Formula 1, all expected to be broadcasted on the public channels in HD-quality.

Antenna Hungária hopes to register a continued increase in the popularity of MinDig TV and MinDig TV Extra services as we are approaching the analogue terrestrial television networks’ switch-off. AH is fully prepared for the last stage of the digital switchover and the company is ready to deliver a smooth analogue switch-off process.

Antenna Hungária

Further information:
Antenna Hungária
András Tóth, Head of Communication
Tel: +36 1 464-2110

E-mail: totha [kukac] ahrt [pont] hu

About MinDig TV (www.mindigtv.hu)
About MinDig TV Extra ( www.mindigtvextra.hu )