Archive notice: This article was originally published on June 30, 2015. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
DVB-T2
And of all things, the good old television aerial is becoming the best possible broadcasting platform for transmitting Full HD to the television at home. ZDF intends to broadcast in Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) using the new DVB-T2 technology in 2016. This is possible, among other things, through interaction with the HEVC compression standard. This means that not only can eight rather than four programmes be broadcast per channel, but they can also be broadcast in HD rather than SD resolution. Yet even in the future, production in the “Heute” studio is not to be in HD quality; instead, the material will be scaled to HDTV.
ZDF therefore also wants to leave the long-outdated interlacing or half-frame process behind. That would have been overdue anyway, because, according to ZDF production director Andreas Bereczky, this is the “data reduction of the analogue age”.
Encryption
Naturally, television viewers will only enjoy the new HD broadcast through additional fees – GEZ fees do not count. As is already the case via satellite and channel, the TV channel will be distributed in encrypted form. The switch is to take place in spring 2016.
“DVB-T2 HD” Logo
Anyone now wishing to buy a DVB-T2 tuner should still be patient, because current television sets on the market generally do not yet support an HEVC codec. By the launch, there should be a wider selection of HDTV sets as well as set-top boxes that will also allow the programme to be viewed on older HDTV displays.
As a guide for viewers, the newly founded joint initiative of ARD, media authorities, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, VPRT and ZDF has created the “DVB-T2 HD” logo. It indicates which devices will in future be compatible with the new standards used in Germany and meet the minimum technical specification administered by Deutsche TV-Plattform. This guarantees a diverse range of terminal devices, including low-cost models.
All further information about DVB-T2 HD here.
