Archive notice: This article was originally published on April 16, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Following EinsExtra, EinsFestival, EinsPlus, ARTE and PHOENIX, Radio Bremen TV will be available at a new channel position from April 17. Three new programme names now apply to MDR. Video signals are transmitted in parallel (simulcast) at the old and new channel positions. Viewers have until June 2, 2008 to retune their digital receivers. The programmes on the old frequencies will then be switched off. From June 2, the regional TV programmes of BR, MDR and NDR will also be fully available as part of the ARD quality initiative. BR-alpha can also be seen at a new channel position.
ARD Chairman Fritz Raff said: “Digital development enables us to offer viewers all ARD programmes in even better transmission quality. To make viewing with ARD better, we are expanding our digital transmission capacity on the Astra satellites and rearranging some digitally distributed programmes.”
The change affects more than nine million households receiving their TV and radio programmes digitally via satellite (DVB-S) and cable (DVB-C). Thanks to the new transponder (satellite channel), ARD Digital programmes retaining their existing channel positions will also receive greater bandwidth once the quality initiative is complete. Bitrates will be increased by 50 to 100 percent per programme to as much as 7 Mbit/s, averaging over 5 Mbit/s. Satellite and cable viewers will experience improved picture and sound quality across all ARD programmes. They will also benefit from an expanded regional TV offering in the ARD Digital programme bouquet. The prerequisites for transmitting Dolby Digital and audio-described films (Audio Description) will be established. Radio programmes previously distributed only via satellite will be added to digital cable.
Viewers will receive all new channel positions with a single channel scan. Nothing changes for viewers who still receive their television programmes in analogue form. The same applies to digital reception via terrestrial antenna (DVB-T), Mobile TV (DVB-H, DMB) and television over the Internet (IPTV). Cable network operators will adopt the new reception data and inform viewers accordingly.
The first changeover phase of the quality initiative has been completed successfully. All necessary coordination processes with the market partners involved have so far run smoothly. From mid-May, ARD will also provide viewers with comprehensive information about the changes on the participating television channels.
