Transmitter boost for French DTT HD
September 13, 2012
By Colin Mann
French broadcasting regulator the Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel is taking steps to increase coverage targets of HD channels carried by the multiplex R5 (TF1 HD, France 2 HD, M6 HD). These three channels will reach, by 2015, the same coverage as other free DTT services – about 97 per cent of the population, with 1,627 sites).
Deployment takes place in the coming weeks. The three channels will bring 165 transmitters into service from September to November, after switching on 79 transmitters since January 31:
- 18 September 2012 – 38 new transmitters in Bretagne;
- 16 October 2012 – 55 new transmitters in Alsace, Burgundy, Champagne-Ardenne, Franche-Comté and Lorraine;
- 13 November 2012 – 72 new transmitters in Centre, Pays de la Loire, Poitou-Charentes.
The initiative will increase coverage of the three channels from 94 per cent of the metropolitan population to 96 per cent in November 2012.
The 416 remaining sites will be commissioned at the same time as the six new HD channels (HD1, L’Équipe HD, 6 Ter, TVous La Télédiversité, RMC Découverte et Chérie HD), between 12 December 2012 and 2015.
To be able to watch these three channels in HD, terrestrial antenna aerial viewers will need search for and store them, as they did when switching to ‘all digital’. This is done in minutes with the remote adapter or TV if it is compatible with DTT HD.