A video is available of the interview given by Eduardo Cardadeiro, a member of ANACOM's Management Board, to the programme Praça da Alegria, broadcast by RTP on 9 May 2011. In the video, Mr. Cardadeiro explains the process of transition to DTT and describes the basic steps that consumers need to take so that they will still be able to watch television after the switch-over to digital terrestrial television (DTT).
DTT will replace analogue television in a gradual process that will be concluded by 26 April 2012.
DTT coverage is already available across the country, so it is in everyone's interest to make the change now. The sooner you migrate to digital television, the sooner you will have the advantages that DTT has to offer: improved image and audio quality, and access to a set of new features, such as the electronic programming guide, image pausing and programme recording (depending on the set-top-box used).
With digital terrestrial television, access to RTP1, RTP2, SIC and TVI will remain free, as always. No one will be required to subscribe to paid television to carry on watching after the analogue signal has been switched off.
Changing to DTT is simple:
If you are in an area with DTT coverage, you do not need any additional equipment if:
- you have an integrated digital television set capable of DVB-T reception and MPEG-4/H.264 video decoding (check your television's documentation);
- you have a subscription television service and you do not want to receive DTT.
If your television set is not of the type described above, but it has a SCART or HDMI socket, you only need to acquire a set-top-box to connect to your television.
If your television does not have a SCART or HDMI socket, you can acquire an RF modulator which so that you can connect your television to a set-top-box or you could acquire a new television set.
In the most part, existing roof aerials are able to receive DTT.
If you are in an area where coverage is provided by alternative means (including by satellite), or if you are not sure, you should contact PT Comunicações to check what equipment you will need, as it will be different from the equipment detailed above.
