DVB-T in Austria

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DVB-T logo

This article describes the operation of DVB-T in Austria . The abbreviation stands for Engl. “ D igital V ideo B roadcasting - T errestrial”; in German, for example: "Digital, terrestrial television" and describes a variant of DVB that is used for the radio transmission of digital radio and television signals via terrestrial (earth-bound) paths. DVB-T was specified in 1997 by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in the EN 300 744 standard.

Course of the switch to DVB-T

The official introduction of DVB-T in Austria took place on October 26, 2006. Since then, 70% of households have been supplied with DVB-T. The broadcast was initially carried out simultaneously with the analogue signals (“simulcast”), which should be switched off after four months. However, this deadline has been postponed.

Nationwide television in DVB-T

On March 5, 2007, the shutdown of analog television signals began. The Vorarlberg main transmitter Pfänder (near Bregenz) was switched off after a relatively short period of parallel operation. However , the filling stations that used to work in ball reception were not yet affected. In 2007, all major broadcasters were gradually converted to DVB-T. The first phase of conversion was completed on October 22, 2007.

By 2008, Austria-wide coverage should be 90%. For the end of 2010, area coverage of 95% of the Austrian population was planned. The only currently authorized under relevant regulatory requirements operators of DVB-T infrastructure, the majority of the ORF belonging Austrian Broadcasting Services (ORS), applications for other companies for this function did not materialize.

In the first step, only one multiplex, Mux A, started broadcasting with the Austrian channels ORF 1 , ORF 2 (with the respective federal state broadcasts ) and ATV . However, two ORF 2 regional programs (for its own and for a neighboring federal state) are broadcast via this channel bouquet per channel location, so that four programs are broadcast via this channel bouquet. A few small channels that are topographically too unfavorable are only broadcast with an ORF2 program.

Austria started operating MHP services (ORF OK, ATV OK) at the same time as DVB-T was introduced . The interactive MHP additional services could not establish themselves in Austria either, ATV discontinued the ATV MultiText on January 7, 2009. The ORF OK MultiText was discontinued in June 2011 due to a lack of public acceptance . The data transmission rate obtained is to be used to improve the picture quality of ORF 2.

On October 22, 2007, Mux B with the programs Puls 4 (formerly PULS TV), 3sat and ORF SPORT + (formerly ORF Sport Plus) went into operation in the metropolitan areas . On October 1, 2009, the special interest channel ServusTV, financed by Dietrich Mateschitz , started broadcasting via the Mux B channels. The new ORF III has also been broadcasting via Mux B since October 2011. In and around Vienna, Radio Maria and Schau TV can also be received.

By June 7th, 2011, all remaining channels had been converted to DVB-T and Mux A had reached its final stage.

In 2012, several additional filling transmitters for the Mux A went on air in Vienna, Bregenz and Graz as well as on the German side near Salzburg in order to improve the reception inside buildings. The Mux B was also able to take off in regions that had previously not been technically reached (e.g. Steyr). In the summer of 2013 began to Mux A and HbbTV .

On October 21, 2014, the gradual phase-out of the old DVB-T standard, which was less efficient than the successor standard DVB- T2, began . Initially, the Mux B channels in DVB-T were switched off in Carinthia and East Tyrol, instead Mux B now broadcasts encrypted in DVB-T2 with other Austrian programs in HD and SD that can be viewed via simpliTV at no additional cost. According to ORS Marketing Director Michael Weber, the nationwide changeover should be completed by 2016 or 2017. North Tyrol and Vorarlberg were on May 5, 2015, the rest of the federal states will follow every six months.

On October 27, 2016, the broadcasting of DVB-T in Vienna, Northern Burgenland and Lower Austria was stopped.

Regional television via multiplex C

In 2007, the first call for tenders for the Mux C for urban areas took place. On the basis of the digitization concept, tenders or extensions were held every two years, but since 2011 only on request. Numerous local transmitters are in operation, but some have also been taken out of service. For the first time, two radio stations will also be broadcast via DVB-T.

Regional TV channels can be received in the following regions:

DVB-T

  • Carinthia: Goldeck (Spittal / Drau), Gerlitzen (Villach), Petzen (Bleiburg)
  • Lower Austria, Mostviertel region: Hochkogelberg (Gresten), Sonntagberg LS (Waidhofen)
  • Bad Ischl and Wolfgangsee area (Upper Austria): Katrin cable car support (Bad Ischl), Bad Goisern, Strobl
  • Upper Austria (large parts): Lichtenberg (Linz)
  • Upper Austria (parts): Am Porscheberg (Steyr)
  • Mur-Mürz Valley region (federal state of Styria): Hans Prosl Haus and Mugel (Bruck / Mur)
  • Western Styria and central Graz: Schöckl, Gößnitz (Köflach), Arnstein (Voitsberg)
  • Region Mur-Mürz Valley 1 (federal state of Styria): Feistritzer Wald (Knittelfeld)
  • Region Mur-Mürz Valley 2 (federal state of Styria): Tremmelberg (Knittelfeld), Bärnerkogel (Leoben), Schafberg (Traboch)
  • Upper Ennstal (federal state of Styria): Planai (Schladming)
  • Large parts of the Ausserfern region (state of Tyrol): Hahnenkamm (Reutte)
  • Tyrolean Oberland: Birkhahnbahn (Galtür), Plattenrain (Imst), Dias (Kappl), Krahberg (Landeck)
  • Strudengau: Amstetten, Mauthausen (planned)
  • Vienna (and surroundings): Kahlenberg (Vienna)

DVB-T2

  • Innsbruck (and Inntal): Patscherkofel (Innsbruck) (since May 5, 2015)
  • Bregenz (and Rhine Valley): Pfänder (Bregenz) (since May 5, 2015)

Former multiplexes

In some regions, local television programs via DVB-T could not be established or did not go on the air within the period set by the authorities:

  • Greater Vienna area (license returned)
  • Carinthia (license withdrawn)
  • Vienna Basin (license withdrawn)
  • Salzburg: Gaisberg (operator no longer broadcasts)
  • Central Lower Austria (license returned)
  • Pongau and Upper Ennstal (license withdrawn)
  • Leoben (license revoked)
  • Burgenland: (license returned)

There are currently no local DVB-T programs in the federal state of Burgenland or in East Tyrol. For Vienna and the surrounding area (but in Mux B) a local provider started with Schau TV in October 2011.

The two multiplexes from Patscherkofel and from Pfänder changed the transmission parameters to DVB-T2 on May 5, 2015.

DVB-T2

When DVB-T was introduced across the board in 2006 and replaced the analog signal, the broadcasting network operator ORS , a subsidiary of the ORF , saw DVB-T2 technology as not yet mature enough. That is why it was decided to use DVB-T as the first step. On April 12, 2010 the start of a DVB-T2 test operation in Vienna was announced. From 2011, a second transmitter in the arsenal was used to test operation in the single- frequency network (channel 65). Trial operations should run until March 2012. Also in 2011, a transmitter on a second frequency (channel 60) was put into operation on Kahlenberg , on which additional services were also tested. Trial operations for channels 60 and 65 were extended in 2012 to March 31, 2013.

In February 2011, the plenary meeting of the Digital Platform Austria announced that Multiplex D, which was previously licensed for the failed DVB-H , and the new Multiplex E for a tender in DVB-T2 standard with audio and video compression using MPEG -4 should be provided, which indirectly also promised high-definition television. Alfred Grinschgl, managing director of Rundfunk und Telekom Regulierungs-GmbH for the media department, considered the introduction of this event to have an expanded media offering, “partly also in HD quality”, as an important contribution to “preserving Austria's identity in the best possible way in a very comprehensive sense . “The tender was issued in July 2011. In April 2012, MUX F was also tendered due to the demand.

In April 2013, nationwide but encrypted DVB-T2 was introduced under the name SimpliTV . Over 40 channels are available, the foreign programs only for a fee. However, Austrian programs can be viewed at no additional cost after registration. The availability and the range of programs will be expanded in the future - at the expense of DVB-T. The broadcasting systems in Carinthia and East Tyrol switched the Mux B from DVB-T to DVB-T2 in autumn 2014. Since May 5, 2015, DVB-T2 has been broadcast on MUX B and MUX C in Vorarlberg and Tyrol. The conversion of MUX B in Styria and southern Burgenland took place on October 20, 2015. ORF1 and ORF2 can still be received via DVB-T as before in the regions that have been converted until the end of 2016 (MUX A).

In August 2014, Mux A and B were re-tendered for use in DVB-T2, as the previous approval is only valid until autumn 2016.

Unencrypted programs in Austria: national multiplexers (Mux)
state Start of changeover Analog shutdown Programs (Mux A, Mux B, partly also Mux C) Transmission system (s)
Vorarlberg October 26, 2006 March 5, 2007 ORF 1, ORF 2
(Note: ORF III, ORF Sport +, 3sat, ATV, Puls 4, ServusTV, GoTV and ATV II only broadcast in DVB-T2 with registration with SimpliTV)
Ländle TV in Mux C (regionally available)
programs from Switzerland and Germany from transmitter systems close to the border or from Pfänder		 Pledges
Tyrol October 26, 2006 May 7, 2007 ORF 1, ORF 2
(Note: ORF III, ORF Sport +, 3sat, ATV, Puls 4, ServusTV, GoTV and ATV II only broadcast in DVB-T2 with registration with SimpliTV)
Tirol TV, REeins, Landeck TV, Oberland TV in Mux C (regionally available)		 Patscherkofel / Imst
Salzburg October 26, 2006 June 4, 2007 ORF 1, ORF 2
(Note: ORF III, ORF Sport +, 3sat, ATV, Puls 4, ServusTV only broadcast in DVB-T2 with registration with SimpliTV)
programs from Germany from broadcasting systems close to the border		 Gaisberg , Högl , Luxkogel
Upper Austria October 26, 2006 June 4, 2007 ORF 1, ORF 2
(Note: ORF III, ORF Sport +, 3sat, ATV, Puls 4, ServusTV only broadcast in DVB-T2 with registration with SimpliTV)
LT1 and dorf.tv (only Lichtenberg), as well as RTV Steyr, Bad Ischl TV in Mux C (regionally available)
programs from Germany and the Czech Republic from broadcasting systems close to the border		 Lichtenberg / Freinberg / Kohlhof
Carinthia October 26, 2006 September 24, 2007 ORF 1, ORF 2, ORF2 Lokalfenster Tirol in HD
Kult1, KT1, Folx TV in Mux C (regionally available)
Programs from Slovenia from broadcasting systems close to the border
(note: ORF III, ORF Sport +, 3sat, ATV, Puls 4, ServusTV only broadcast more in DVB-T2 with registration at SimpliTV) 		Dobratsch / Viktring
Styria October 26, 2006 September 24, 2007 ORF 1, ORF 2
Kanal 3, Aichfeld TV, Ennstal-TV, Planai TV, Hauser Panorama, Kult1, Folx TV, sound portal in Mux C (regionally available)
programs from Slovenia and Croatia from broadcasting systems near the border
(note: ORF III, ORF Sport +, 3sat, Puls 4, ServusTV and ATV only send in DVB-T2 with registration with SimpliTV)		 Schöckl / Griesplatz (Graz)
Lower Austria October 26, 2006 October 22, 2007 ORF 1, ORF 2, ORF III, ORF SPORT +, 3sat, ATV, Puls 4, ServusTV;
M4TV, RTV Steyr, Austria 24 TV, Diaspora TV in Mux C (regionally available)		 Jauerling / Klangturm (St.Pölten)
Vienna October 26, 2006 October 22, 2007 ORF 1, ORF 2, ORF III, ORF SPORT +, 3sat, ATV, Puls 4, ServusTV, Schau TV, Radio Maria;
ATV II, okto and gotv in the Mux C		 Kahlenberg / Himmelhof / Arsenal / Mariahilfer Gürtel / Liesing
Burgenland October 26, 2006 No analog transmitter ORF 1, ORF 2, ORF III, ORF SPORT +, 3sat, ATV, Puls 4, ServusTV
programs from Hungary from broadcasting systems close to the border		 Eisenstadt

Web links

Commons : DVB-T  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c heise.de: DVB-T started in Austria
  2. ↑ TVmatrix : Digital TV via antenna starts in Austria , October 5, 2006
  3. ↑ Digital TV: More time to switch. derstandard.at, March 5, 2007, accessed on January 10, 2012
  4. ↑ Advance notice in the MHP offer ATV MultiText : “Dear ATV OK users! On January 7th, 2009 the ATV-MultiText will cease operations. Thank you for your interest! The ATV OK Team ”. (see digitalfernsehen.de and other sources linked there)
  5. ↑ APA: Digital Teletext - Off for "ORF OK": RTR criticizes timing and information policy , derstandard.at/etat, May 27, 2011
  6. ↑ Last DVB-T changes
  7. ^ Message in the blog of the operator ORS (accessed on December 3, 2012)
  8. ↑ Expansion of Mux B to include Steyr
  9. ^ Austria: The beginning of the end of DVB-T. Heise, October 9, 2014
  10. ↑ Withdrawal of approval for the supply area MUX C Carinthia
  11. ↑ Withdrawal of approval for the supply area MUX C - Vienna Basin
  12. ↑ P3tv is increasingly relying on the network of cable signals and satellites
  13. ↑ Withdrawal of approval for Pongau and Upper Ennstal, notification from KommAustria of July 11, 2012
  14. ↑ Legal violations, notification from KommAustria of December 17, 2012
  15. ^ Diepresse: Schau-TV: New station for Vienna via antenna.
  16. ↑ The standard : DVB-T2 - antenna TV needs new decoders: tests from June 7th, 2010
  17. ↑ "Futurezone" of ORF : ORS starts DVB-T2 test operation - HD reception via house antenna from April 12, 2010
  18. ↑ ORS Team Blog of the Austrian Broadcasters: Start of the DVB-T2 test operation of the ORS in Vienna , April 12, 2010, accessed on January 3, 2011
  19. ↑ a b c ORS Team Blog of the Austrian Broadcasters: Additional DVB-T2 channels for Vienna , April 12, 2011
  20. ^ RTR press release: General Assembly of the Digital Platform Austria: More Diversity in Terrestrial Television on February 15, 2011
  21. ↑ Invitation to tender for a nationwide multiplex platform MUX D (KOA 4.255 / 11-001) , July 20, 2011, rtr.at
  22. ^ Tender for a nationwide multiplex platform MUX E (KOA 4.260 / 11-001) , July 20, 2011, rtr.at
  23. ↑ Tendering for a nationwide terrestrial multiplex platform MUX F (KOA 4.270 / 11-001)
  24. ↑ Advance notice at ORF.at: "SimpliTV": Starting shot for DVB-T2 in Austria - news.ORF.at of April 12, 2013
  25. ↑ rtr.at Conversion of digital aerial television in Carinthia is legally permissible from October 8, 2014
  26. ↑ Switch from DVB-T to "SimpliTV" - DVB-T2 in Vorarlberg and Tyrol ( Memento of the original from May 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. SimpliTV, April 2015  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.simplitv.at
  27. ↑ a b c Channel list Tyrol and Vorarlberg (PDF) on the "SimpliTV" homepage ( memento of the original from May 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. SimpliTV, May 5, 2015 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.simplitv.at
  28. ↑ http://www.dvb-t.at/
  29. ↑ rtr.at: Digitales Antennenfernsehen: The switch to DVB-T2 should start in autumn 2016