Digital Terrestrial Television - Analogue To Digital Transition By Country

Analogue To Digital Transition By Country

See also: Digital television transition

The broadcasting of digital terrestrial transmissions has led to many countries planning to phase out existing analogue broadcasts. This table shows the launches of DTT and the closing down of analogue television in several countries.

  • Official launch: The official launch date of digital terrestrial television in the country, not the start for trial broadcasts.
  • Start of closedown: The date for the first major closedown of analogue transmitters.
  • End of closedown: The date when analogue television is definitely closed down.
  • System: Transmission system, e. g. DVB-T, ATSC or ISDB-T.
  • Interactive: System used for interactive services, such as MHP and MHEG-5.
  • Compression: Video compression standard used. Most systems use MPEG-2, but the more efficient H.264/MPEG-4 AVC has become increasingly popular among networks launching later on. Some countries use both MPEG-2 and H.264, for example France which uses MPEG-2 for standard definition free content but MPEG-4 for HD broadcasts and pay services.
Country
Official launch
Start of
closedown
End of
closedown
System
Interactive
Compression
References
Albania 2004-07-15 2012/2015 DVB-T MPEG-2
Andorra 2007-09-25 DVB-T None MPEG-2
Arab States 2002-01-01 (Qatar), 2003-01-01 (KSA), 2004-01-01 (Outside Qatar and KSA) 2012-02-13 DVB-T MPEG-2 (local channels), MPEG-4 (national channels)
Australia 2001-01-01 Regional ASO started 30 June 2010 2013 DVB-T MHP MPEG-2, H.264
Austria 2006-10-26 2007-03-05 2010 DVB-T None MPEG-2
Belgium 2002/2003 2008-11-03 2011 (Francophone Community) DVB-T None MPEG-2
Argentina 2010-04-28 2019-09-01 ISDB-Tb Ginga H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Brazil 2007-12-03 2016-06-29 ISDB-T Ginga H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Bulgaria 2004-11 2009-03 2013-09-01 DVB-T MHP MPEG-4
Canada 2003-01 2011-08-31 ATSC MPEG-2, H.264(ATSC 2.0)
China 2006 2006 2015 (SARFT reported August 2005) DMB-T/H MPEG-2
Colombia 2008-08-28 2019-12-31 DVB-T MHP H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Costa Rica 2010-05-04 2018 ISDB-T Ginga H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Croatia 2002-07-09 2002-07-09 2011-01-01 DVB-T MPEG-2
Czech Republic 2005-10-21 2005-10-21 2010-10 DVB-T MHP MPEG-2
Denmark 2006-03-31 2009-02-01 2009-11-01 DVB-T MHP MPEG-2, H.264
El Salvador 2009-04-22 2018-12-31 2019-01-01 ATSC MPEG-2, H.264(ATSC 2.0)
Estonia 2006-12-15 2008-03-31 (Ruhnu island) 2010-07-01 DVB-T MHP planned H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Faroe Islands 2002-12 2002-12 2003 DVB-T None MPEG-2
Finland 2001-08-27 2007-09-01 2007-09-01 DVB-T None MPEG-2
France 2005-03-31 FTA

2006/03/01 Pay DTT

2009-02-04 DVB-T MHP MPEG-2, H.264
Germany 2003-03 2003-03 Regional rollout 2008-12-02 completed DVB-T MPEG-2 / H.264 (Stuttgart for non public channels)
Greece 2006-01-16 Tests 2008-11-01 2015 DVB-T MPEG-2 (ERT)
H.264/MPEG-4 AVC (ERT, DIGEA)
Hong Kong 2007-12-31 2015 DMB-T/H MHEG-5 (TVB) MPEG-2, H.264
Hungary 2008-12-01 2014-12-31 DVB-T H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Indonesia 13 August 2008 (Trial)
20 May 2009 (Official)
Q2 2012 Q4 2017 DVB-T MPEG-2
Iran 2009 2015 DVB-T H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Ireland 1999–2002 2006–2008 31 October 2010 (90%)
26 May 2011 DTT launch,
December 2011 (98%)
2012-10-24 with NI 2012-10-24 with NI DVB-T RCT abandoned, MHEG5, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Israel 2009-08-02 June 2011 DVB-T H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, AAC+ V2
Italy 2004-01-01 2012-07-04 DVB-T MHP MPEG-2, H.264
Japan 2003-12-01 2010-07-24 (some regions of Ishikawa)
2011-07-24 (all cities except Morioka, Sendai, and Fukushima)
2012-03-31 in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima ISDB-T BML MPEG-2
Lithuania 2006 Now expanded nationwide at January 2009 2012-10-29 DVB-T MPEG-4
Luxembourg 2006-04-04 2006-04-04 2006-09-01 DVB-T None MPEG-2
Republic of Macedonia 2004-05-04 2010-01-01 2013, June DVB-T MHP H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Malaysia cancelled cancelled cancelled DVB-T as of 2009 MHEG-5 as of 2009 H.264 as of 2009
Mexico 2004-07-05 2015-31-12 ATSC MPEG-2, H.264(ATSC 2.0)
Morocco 2007-06-01 2007-03-05 2015 DVB-T
Netherlands 2003 2003-11 2006-12-11 DVB-T MPEG-2
New Zealand April 2008 2012-09-30 2013-12-01 DVB-T MHEG-5 H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Norway 2007-09 2008-03 2009-12-01 DVB-T MHP H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Peru 2010-03-30 2023-03-01 ISDB-T Ginga H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Philippines October 2008 2015-05-31 2015-12-31 ISDB-T BML MPEG-2, H.264
Poland 2004 (trials)
2009-09-20 DTT Launch
2011-05 2013-07-31 DVB-T H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Portugal 2009-04-29 2011 2012-04-26 DVB-T H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Romania 2005-12-01, Full:2009-12 2012-12-31 (planned) DVB-T MPEG-4
Russia 2010 2015 DVB-T H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Slovakia 1999–2004,2005–2009 2010 2012 DVB-T MHEG-5 MPEG-2, H.264
Slovenia 2007 2010-12-01 2011-06-30 DVB-T H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
South Africa 2006-03 2008-11-01 2011-11-01 DVB-T MHEG-5 H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
South Korea 2001 2010-09-01 14:00 (Uljin) 2012-12-31 ATSC MPEG-2, H.264(ATSC 2.0)
Spain 2000–2005 (Previous and relaunch) 2009 2010-04-03 DVB-T None MPEG-2 SD, H.264 HD
Sweden 1999-04-01 2005-09-19 2007-10-29 DVB-T, DVB-T2 (HDTV) MHP MPEG-2/H.264
Switzerland 2001 2002-03 2008-02-25 DVB-T
Taiwan 2004-01 2010-07 (Pinglin) 2012-06 DVB-T MHP MPEG-2, H.264
Thailand 2011-01-25 (trial)
2012-01-01
2012-06 2015-04-09 DVB-T2 MHEG-5 H.264
Turkey 2006-02 (trial services) 2007 DVB-T
Ukraine 2009-04-01 2012 2015 DVB-T none MPEG-4
United Kingdom 1998-11-15 2007-10-17 (Whitehaven) 2012-10-24 DVB-T, DVB-T2 (HDTV) MHEG-5 MPEG-2, H.264
United States 1998-10-29 2007 ATSC MPEG-2, H.264(ATSC 2.0)
Vietnam 2011 (tests)
2012 (official)
2020 2026

Read more about this topic:  Digital Terrestrial Television

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