TVN S.A. and Emitel S.A. commenced a stage of testing TV broadcasts as part of terrestrial digital television in the DVB-T2/HEVC standard. The tests will cover broadcasts by TVN HD, TVN 7 HD, TTV HD, Metro TV HD and TVN Fabuła HD – in four Polish towns.

The DVB-T2/HEVC is a technology offering more efficient frequency band use, and consequently enabling, among others, broadcasting all terrestrial digital television programs in HD quality. The successor to the DVB-T standard also provides a possibility to include new TV broadcasts, available to all viewers free of charge. This standard is already used in many European countries, whereas in Poland this shift is planned for 2022.

Test broadcasts are to verify the achieved ranges and quality of signal broadcast by TVN Grupa Discovery channels, and make it possible to check whether TV sets at viewers’ homes are adapted to the new broadcasting standard. Since January 26th, 2021, test broadcasts of the following channels: TVN HD, TVN 7 HD, TTV HD, Metro TV HD and TVN Fabuła HD have been available in 4 Polish cities (Warsaw, Bydgoszcz, Katowice, Łódź). A value added for the viewers are also the tests of TVN Fabuła HD channel, which so far has been available only in satellite platform and in cable network.

“In the first half of 2022, we will commence the migration of terrestrial television to the new standard – DVB-T2/HEVC. The changes are related to the nationwide broadcasting infrastructure. Our facilities and systems installed there must be properly prepared so that, at the right time, it could be possible to switch both from DVB-T to DVB-T2 standard and from one frequency to another. We want to be well-prepared for this operation, hence the tests in collaboration with TVN S.A. Also the viewers will have an opportunity to test their TV sets ” – said Andrzej Kozłowski, President of the Board of Emitel S.A.

“The prime objective of tests conducted by TVN and Emitel is to prepare the viewers for a change in the terrestrial television broadcasts, scheduled for 2022. We start from four locations, with millions of viewers within the broadcasting range, but as we obtain more and more permissions, we will work with Emitel to broaden the test broadcasts range. We want to prepare as best as possible for the upcoming changes, together with our technical operator ” – said Dorota Żurkowska, TVN S.A. Board Member

Up to now, terrestrial television throughout Europe used frequencies from the range of 470 – 790 MHz. Currently, the 700 MHz band is being freed up for the needs of construction of 5G network by mobile telephony operators, which requires reconstruction of the broadcasting network and switching terrestrial television channels to other frequencies. Poland will use this opportunity to change the broadcasting standard to DVB-T2/HEVC.
In accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of Digitalization on technical and operational requirements for digital receivers, in force as of December 1st, 2019, all digital TV sets launched on the market should be adapted to the new broadcasting standard.