Advanced Television

Portugal’s RTP to start migration to HD

March 31, 2016

By Branislav Pekic in Rome

Portugal’s public broadcaster RTP is planning to broadcast all programmes on its flagship channel, RTP 1, in High Definition, from the second half of 2017.

According to the company’s Activity Plan, which defines the investment priorities for the period 2016-2018, the migration to HD will start as soon as all RTP’s channels switch to the 16:9 format.

The intention is for the rest of the pubcaster’s channels, such as RTP 2 and RTP 3, to broadcast in HD by 2020.

Currently, RTP broadcasts some programmes such as TV series, show programmes and sporting events in high definition on a dedicated channel, RTP 1 HD, available through cable operators.

As reported earlier, RTP is also planning to boost its DTT offer, by adding the RTP3 and RTP Memória channels, currently available only on alternative distribution platforms.

For 2016, the plan is to make the news and international channel RTP 3 available to international audiences, primarily in the US, Canada, South Africa and Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa.

In terms of satellite distribution, RTP plans to migrate to DVB-S2 technology, to obtain a reduction of the cost of the space segment. The broadcaster will also evaluate the use of only the Ku-band.

Also this year, RTP will relaunch its RTP Play streaming platform, which provides live broadcasts and on-demand content from its TV and radio channels. The intention is to create subscription models and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) with the goal of providing a more personalised experience for users.

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